Dear, Only You Don't Know [manhwa]

[Sackett]

"Men in love make many bluffs.

Women in love hide many secrets."

And so begins Dear, Only You Don't Know.

A Korean manhwa about six different women, and the secrets they desperately try to keep from their love interests. (Since it's manhwa, remember to read from right to left).

The protagonists range from a highschool freshman, to a newlywed, to a single middle aged woman. And the secrets they are keeping range from the minor: She's actually a daughter of a Kkangpae leader (ie she's a Yakuza princess). To the mundane: She's concealing her affection for her love interest (ie she's a self-aware tsundere). To the truly horrific: She's secretly a yaoi fangirl (ie she's secretly a yaoi fangirl).

Each of them are convinced that if their secret came out, the results would be dire. So they must desperately conceal their secrets.

These six protagonists all live in the same town, and have various interconnections to each other. (The author once drew two different character relationship charts to try and organize it... it was... complicated.)

It's a story that is most easily described as a Korean soap opera. (And in fact, a side character does describe it as exactly that.)

After the first six chapters introduce the six main heroines, the manhwa shifts to a story arc format, usually focusing on one or two of the heroines for that story arc. The next story arc might very well cover an overlapping time frame but from a different point of view, or following what a different heroine was doing at the same time, so it's important to look for shared time establishing events so as to properly order them chronologically.

Usually the story arcs are short, but occasionally they become long when dealing with more involved stories. (SooJin's second story arc is one of them).

Additionally the story makes extensive use of flashbacks. There was a 30 chapter long flashback at one point, and during that time there was one occasion in which we had a flashback within a flashback within a flashback within a flashback.

Yes, it got a little confusing, but it made the story flow better emotionally so I understand why the author did that.

Currently unlicensed, being translated by Easy Going Scans (see link at the top).

The raws have reached chapter 135, while the translated chapters are already to chapter 70.

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I hope I did a good job with this initial post, as I've never started a discussion post before. Since this manhwa is already translated to chapter 70, but doesn't seem discussed much anywhere, that presents a bit of a pickle, as people often use the early part of a thread like this to determine if they ought to check it out.

So I've avoided spoilers in this first post, and I'm thinking that maybe for the first page of responses I will post about one chapter in each post, progressing until we reach page two, and then on page two begin discussions about anything that has already been translated.

That way people can read the first page and be assured that nothing is going to be spoiled beyond the early chapters. (Like I said, I've never started a discussion thread before so I'm not sure if that's the best way to go about it). Still, that doesn't mean others shouldn't post, I'd love for other people to post their impressions, as I've wanted a place to discuss this manwha for a long time. Just maybe for the first page of the thread everyone can keep their posts limited to general impressions or the early chapters?

[Sackett]

(Introduction chapters will be the most detailed of all - almost summaries - so people can decide if they are interested)
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Ah, this manhwa looks interesting. Women keeping secrets...

Let's look at chapter 1:

An ordinary apartment building, with an ordinary newlywed couple, as the ordinary wife kisses the ordinary husband as he goes off to work.

Well, the husband is actually half British, but even that fact that one thing about this couple is not ordinary is ordinary...

Did I use the word ordinary enough?

And... oh dear... two thugs have come to visit the ordinary housewife at her ordinary apartment after her husband has left for work!

Don't open the door ordinary housewife!

Oh... the ordinary housewife is actually a yakuza princess. And these thugs have arrived for the day to do her housework and cooking, so that her husband continues to think she is a competent housewife...

Interesting...

And her personality changes a lot too. She went from loving, to... well... intimidating.

Apparently Jin Hui Cho (the yakuza princess housewife) owns a building, and in that building is a pet shop that serves as a legal front for the mafia. Her husband thinks that her day job is managing that pet shop.

Here we meet two other characters, including the second main heroine:

Ari Doh, the real manager of the pet shop, and Seo Jin Um, her hapless assistant.

Ari is a short feisty woman, who is hyper competent and does not tolerate fools. Seo Jin Um is a tall, handsome, kind hearted man, who is also clearly an idiot.

Ari is docking his pay, again, for some kind of mistake he made. Guess he bought ten times as much dog food as he should. He's going to have to live off dog food for a while...

Yes... I can already tell these two are going to be a lot of fun.

Jin Hui Cho passes through the pet shop, and goes upstairs where she becomes: "The Boss Lady"

Here we meet Ian Pi, who is apparently her right hand man or something? I get a "so cool I wear sunglasses at night" vibe from him.

Oh dear... Boss Lady's father has run off to Hawaii and left her stuck taking care of the mafia business while he's gone.

Hmm... some other mafia family has been trying to sell in her family's territory, and she's going to have to have a meeting between bosses to work out the complaints...

Hmm.. apparently the other mafia family engages in forced prostitution, which the Boss Lady objects to (the forced part anyway). There is a little altercation, and I guess our Yakuza princess housewife is actually a badass Yakuza princess housewife. (Why am I surprised? I've read Fullmetal Alchemist, housewives are dangerous!)

That other Yakuza boss was lucky the Boss Lady's husband walked into the restaurant they were meeting at. Otherwise she might not have left him off with just a warning.

Execute daring emergency escape plan!

Well... I must say this chapter exceeded my expectations, I believe I shall read the next chapter as well.

Going by the first chapter this seems like it's going to be a light hearted farcical romantic comedy romp, but might also touch a little on the darker side of life (drugs, forced prostitution, etc).

[Sackett]

So... flashback chapter here. Already?

Ah, it's about Ari Doh, the feisty little woman so small, she'd sink into the sand and when the tide comes in she doesn't even sink or have to worry about drowning because she's so microscopic she can breathe all the oxygen atoms in the water??!!

(Yes, that was Fullmetal Alchemist joke, there will many).

Poor Ari has a problem. What do you do when society has no need for a crusader for justice and fires your ass for pointing out the (real and objectively true) incompetency of your cuter and more feminine fellow employees?

Why, obviously sell your soul to the mafia, so that you can serve as cover for a Yakuza princess who wants her husband to believe she is a sweet and loving housewife.

Interesting... she got the job because she was fearless enough to criticize the Boss Lady and tell her off about smoking and the dangers of second hand smoke...

Apparently the Boss Lady has a soft spot for crusader for justice types. "They tend to do their best, and be flawless" she says.

Hmm... this Boss Lady seems like a really good boss...

Also... apparently the readers can hear the dogs thoughts... and they are adorable! Very dog-like.

Ari meets Seo Jin Um, and obviously is attracted to him, but she is opposed to feeling that way for some reason.

I guess she is our resident tsundere... and Seo Jin Um the resident baka.

Gotta have that classic combo. Hopefully the author can do something interesting and fresh with it.

This chapter wasn't as strong as the first one, but I still liked it.

And don't cry Ari, I only made all those jokes because you are my favorite heroine, really you are!

[Johnny]

I tried but meh the author stretches the plot thin with so many characters. I'm more interested in the boss lady and her husband and that plot gets put on the back burner much too much for my taste...

As an example the cliffhanger.

Spoiler:

Where the husbands meets the mystery lady in ch 129 iirc and we're at what ch 145 and nothing nada about it. Branches off to the other characters I care very little about.

[Sackett]

Originally Posted by Johnny

I tried but meh the author stretches the plot thin with so many characters. I'm more interested in the boss lady and her husband and that plot gets put on the back burner much too much for my taste...

As an example the cliffhanger.

Spoiler:

Where the husbands meets the mystery lady in ch 129 iirc and we're at what ch 145 and nothing nada about it. Branches off to the other characters I care very little about.

Certainly the main complaint I hear is that people like one or two specific characters, and don't like the long story arcs for another character interrupting their favorite character's story.

That's an unavoidable difficulty in a story told using story arcs and multiple protagonists with different story lines.

Jin Hui Cho certainly got a lot of attention for a while right after the Unity Camp arc.

I guess it's easier for me, since although I do have my favorite characters and story lines, I don't really mind the other characters getting a turn in the sun.

My favorite character is Ari, but the most interesting story line to me is Soo Jin's. And MiMi's is quite the mystery, so I get a lot of enjoyment out of three of the heroines. Jin Hui (the Boss Lady) is also interesting.

Na Young's story is touching, and Chae Rim's story is a nice break from all the drama surrounding the other five.

[Sackett]

Chapter 3:

BREAK THE SEAL

Well... our new heroine to be introduced is Na Young Min, a 20 something who runs a make-up shop next to the pet shop. She's often out of the store on on-site jobs such as providing make up for weddings, or for a band called Guardian for their shows.

Today however she comes by to talk to Ari, and Ari is curious what Na Young looks like without makeup, so Na Young... BREAKS THE SEAL and reveals her true form.

...

...

...

I'm just going to let Seo Jin Um our resident idiot who has no social graces speak for us all here: "Did you use to be a guy?"

Yeah... it's pretty bad. Hence Na Young's main secret - she's desperate to conceal her true face from the man she loves.

Ouch... that's... harsh in it's cruel realism.

A very short chapter here. Pretty much just the introduction of our plain jane heroine... and I get the feeling I might not like her story. Too harsh in the insecurities she has to deal with.

[Sackett]

Chapter 4:

So here we leave the pet shop building and jump to a new location. A bar. A high class bar, where people come more for the atmosphere than the drinks. And the barmaid oh... the barmaid.

The manager of this bar (so I guess technically she's the hostess/bartender not a barmaid) is our fourth heroine: Mi Mi.

Mi Mi is... gorgeous. Not just in story (where we first see her rejecting the marriage proposal of Phoenix Wright), but also as a character design. Dang... she's like a combination of the best of Boa Hancok crossed with a grownup Rei Hino, and the personality of a confident Kuronama Sawako. I totally get why she's got men throwing themselves at her.

MiMi is a bit of a flirt. A very innocent, not promising anything kind of flirting, but flirting seems to come natural to her.

Mi Mi likes to wear classy gowns at work, and is obviously the heart of the personality of the bar, which is something like Rick's Cafe in Casablanca. Very upscale, very "sometimes you wanna go, where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came" kind of bar.

No heavy drinkers here.

One of the delivery men for the bar is Song ShiHan, and apparently there is something in the past between them? Something from their childhood? But ShiHan does not seem to remember MiMi at all.

This seems to depress MiMi, who steps out the back door for some air. And there is Ian Pi? That too cool for school right hand man to the Boss Lady. And yes... he does indeed, wear his sunglasses at night.

Apparently the bar is owned by Jin Hui Cho (the Boss Lady), and Ian Pi used to come by often to check up on things and act as an informal bouncer? From the number of cigarette butts he has been watching over them from the shadows for a while now.

Ian Pi leaves after making sure Mi Mi is alright. Do I detect a slight unrequited love from Ian towards Mi Mi? Would make sense as practically all the men around her are throwing themselves at her.

While walking down the street, Ian notices a scuffle breaking out in an ally way. A pepper spray bottle falls to the ground as a young woman is struggling with a large man. From his words we can tell that he's drunk, and that he doesn't know this girl, he's just decided to "pick her up" by force because she was pretty and alone.

The girl for her part is trying to keep her composure, and is protesting very clearly and forcefully that she is not interested. To which the drunk man responds by punching her in the face, covering her mouth, and pinning her against the wall.

Yeah... I'm ready for Mister Cool to begin the beat down.

And a marvelous beat down it is.

But the young lady seems scared (understandably), and tries to flee. (Doesn't she know she's supposed to instantly fall for Mister Cool?! All the shoujo mangas say so!)

Mister Cool is having none of that. First he demands a thank you and then he tells the lady she'd better turn this guy into the police.

But she doesn't want to file a police report.

"Oh wow, How merciful! Jesus should be nervous cause new winds are blowing in the church!"

Awesome line. (I should mention that Ian consistently has some of the most awesome lines).

Still, she has reasons, and so Ian decides that vigilante justice is best justice!

"Shall I brand him?"

I know this was supposed to be a chapter focused on introducing Mi Mi, but instead I want to read a spin off about Ian Pi! Damn that man is GAR.

Mi Mi is interesting as a character. All the other heroines, we the readers know their secrets, and the heroines are only trying to hide it from their love interests, not each other.

That's not true for Mi Mi, as we have no clue what she is hiding, other than the title of her chapters "Hide your Past." And this continues to hold true, that Mi Mi is hiding her past from everyone it seems, even the readers. We get little hints, and it's sort of this mystery that we need to figure out. It's a nice change of pace from the other heroines I think.

[Kuroageha]

Ha-ha, read manhwa and the title and my mind though: cheating and ntr.

Hope I'm wrong.

So how far is the manga in English.?

[Sackett]

Originally Posted by Kuroageha

Ha-ha, read manhwa and the title and my mind though: cheating and ntr.

Hope I'm wrong.

So how far is the manga in English.?

Chapter 70

Translator has been on a break for school stuff, but she said she'd be back on it at the end of the month.

Manhwa = Korean manga

[DOmus]

Is there any NTR or cheating? thats what I will think its happening based on the title and the info

[Sackett]

Chapter 5:

Well it turns out that our 5th heroine is that young lady Ian saved last night: SooJin Mi.

SooJin is actually over at Na Young's apartment, getting help from her to use makeup to cover-up the massive bruise she has on her face from getting punched. (Hmm... points for realism here, punches leave bruises).

Apparently SooJin knows Na Young some how. We also get to meet Na Young's roommate who seems to the point about wondering why SooJin is lying about falling down the stairs...

How old is SooJin anyway? Last chapter I probably would have put her around 21 give or take a year, but this chapter she looks... well the overall impression I get is a 12 year old - but that's probably primarily because of the clothes. Gah! Why does Asian fashion think dressing up adult women like elementary school kids is the height of style?

Well, just looking at her face I'd guess 18 now?

Anyway, dressing up like an elementary school student seems to be a foolish move, as it has attracted the attention of a flasher in a trench coat.

"I am fabulous!"

At least that flasher has style...

(Yes the Easy Going Scans are more word for word correct, but the Shiro Nabi translations that I am more familiar with are hilarious. Too bad they only did 5 chapters).

And SooJin's response to being accosted and flashed?

Whip out her phone and take a picture! "Now where should I upload this?"

I'm liking this girl.

The flasher is upset, but SooJin has her pepper spray prepared this time, and she goes straight for the eyes... only for a gust of wind to blow it back in her eyes.

Dang, this girl's got rotten luck.

So now both of them are rolling around in agony from the pepper spray, when who should show up?

Why it's Mister Cool, Ian Pi!

I can already tell I'm going to like SooJin's chapters, if only because Ian Pi seems likely to show up in them.

"Huh? I thought your type of men had been all wiped out?"

And now we get a flashback. A story of Jin Hui Cho (the Boss Lady) from the perspective of Ian Pi (He refers to her as "the Scary Boss Lady")

Apparently one day the Scary Boss Lady was in a good mood because she had been given a gift by her husband. Then some idiot pervert decided to flash her. So the Scary Boss Lady opened her present from her man, and pulled out a sword... Why a sword? Well... the Scary Boss Lady was a former college fencing champion... it was intended for decoration purposes.

Anyway, there followed an exciting chase scene: "Why are you running? I will split it in two! Like the Red Sea! That way you'll have more to show off!"

Finally the flasher managed to find a policeman, and turned himself in.

The Scary Boss Lady was very angry. She summoned her servants, and demanded why her territory was being defiled. Thus her servants embarked on a Holy Crusade of extermination! Many trench coats where burned, and finally, the perverts were driven from the land.

SooJin does not buy this story. I however suspect that it is not exaggerated at all.

She does thank Ian for saving her once again, and Ian Pi turns to go.

And now SooJin falls for him. Huh... is there a reason why she decided she liked him after he decided to leave?

Maybe she has a back fetish?

She asks his age, and it turns out that Ian is 30 years old. SooJin is shocked, and calls him an old man, so Ian demands how old she is...

Flash forward to SooJin walking with her friend relating the story... SooJin has claimed to be 24... but she's now walking to school in her middle school uniform...

Oh dear.

At least her friend seems aware that this is a problem. SooJin seems oblivious to the issue, convinced that her massive growth spurt she's had over the last two years has matured her enough that age does not matter...

Not sure I'll like this story line, but hey, SooJin does seem like a pretty cool heroine, and Ian Pi is awesome. I'll read her chapters just to get more Ian Pi.

[Sackett]

Originally Posted by Kuroageha

Ha-ha, read manhwa and the title and my mind though: cheating and ntr.

Hope I'm wrong.

So how far is the manga in English.?

Originally Posted by DOmus

Is there any NTR or cheating? thats what I will think its happening based on the title and the info

Chapter 70 and so far no NTR. Don't think it's really going that direction either.


There are some love triangles, but that's not the same thing.

Married couple seems to be having other trust issues, but nothing to do with cheating or NTR.

[Sackett]

Chapter 6:

So, SooJin's good friend is the sixth and final heroine: Chae Rim Shin

She seems like the much more typical shoujo heroine...

She's a smart bookworm type character, in her final year of middle school.

(Whew, that means SooJin, is also that age, which is the same as a freshman in highschool in the American system, or around 15 years old - could have been worse).

Apparently Chae Rim has a more traditional focus for her romantic attentions: The School Prince. Who by the way, is named "Prince" since apparently his parents were rap fans.

We can tell that "Prince" is the school prince because he is surrounded by shoujo sparkles.

Apparently Prince is some kind of specialized ninja prince, since he can weaponize his shoujo sparkles into shuriken, which pierce the hearts of school girls like Cupid's arrow...

No... I'm not kidding. This is the way Chae Rim envisions it.

SooJin however, continues to be awesome in that she gives the Prince's shoujo sparkle shuriken a whole lot of "nope" as she is immune to his power. She likes the tall, dark, cool type (ie Ian Pi).

SooJin is also apparently the school idol that the boys like to come stare at, but she appears to be oblivious to it, so we shall forgive her.

Chae Rim is a connoisseur of men, as she points out the typical boy in middle school: "Get out of my way fatties!"

Chae Rim understands though that that type of boy can be popular too...

Yes, the shoujo fantasy power is strong with this girl.

The boy calling girls "fatties" is apparently upset that the Prince's fangirls have been trampling all over his lettuce patch while trying to get a good viewing position to drool over the Prince.

Henceforth I shall call him "Lettuce Boy" since we don't know his name yet.

The Prince comes and talks to Chae Rim, introducing himself, as he has also been assigned librarian duty where Chae Rim also works.

Chae Rim is walking on air! Literally...

Today is the best day in the world for Chae Rim! And then to top it off, she learns that her favorite boys love author's new book has come out and there is a commemorative poster available! Huzzah! Yaoi is life!

And thus we learn that this sweet, intelligent, rational, grounded, nerdy girl is also a rabid yaoi fan.

Well, we know what secret she's going to have to keep hidden from her Prince!

So, this seems like a very different story from the other five heroines. A typical shoujo fantasy, with a bit of a twist that the heroine is a yaoi fan, but otherwise still rather peaceful.

There were also a lot more sight gags and silliness then in other chapters.

Doubt I'll enjoy these chapters, but hey, Chae Rim does seem like a fun heroine... when she's not indulging her yaoi fetish.

So now all six of our heroines have been introduced, and the story arcs are about to begin!

[Sackett]

Chapter 7:

Well guess what? All those hints of a Fullmetal Alchemist reference I kept seeing? I guess they were deliberate because the author definitely reads Fullmetal Alchemist.

But really, what where those stereotypical punks thinking? If they've read Fullmetal Alchemist, then they know that messing with a housewife is suicidal.

I guess they just really wanted that compensation money.

Ah! But Lettuce Boy has seen the developing confrontation between the ordinary [badass Yakuza princess] housewife being surrounded by threatening [too dumb to live] delinquents.

He hurries away to fetch the apartment security guard. Hurry Lettuce Boy! Run, as fast as you can! Maybe you can save those poor defenseless delinquents!

MASSIVE BLOOD SPLATTER

Too late...

Lettuce Boy, you are about as successful at protecting weak defenseless delinquents as Tou-Man.

Jin Hui Cho was apparently already in a bad mode because a bunch of old ladies in the neighborhood association decided to hold their meeting in her apartment (so they could gossip with the newlywed housewife).

Main thing that apparently comes up is the old ladies asking if they are going to have children soon, and Jin Hui Cho appears... depressed over the question?

I sense a plot hook!

So this chapter was mainly a setup chapter I think. Establishing a few plot hooks, but it had a lot of fun jokes.

[Sackett]

Chapter 8:

Adventures of Lettuce Boy continues! (Maybe this manhwa is actually about him?)

Nah, this chapter is from Chae Rim's perspective.

She is busy replanting Lettuce Boy's lettuces early in the morning. I guess she was part of the Prince fangirl group that stomped all over them. Chae is taking responsibility and replacing them!

Lettuce Boy decides that Chae is okay, but is still upset at the other girls: "Eye for eye! Tooth for tooth! Lettuce for lettuce!"

Ah well... looks like Chae is the mature for her age type, calm and reasonable... since there is no yaoi around right now.

Ah... but to come early to plant Lettuce Boy's lettuces, Chae has abandoned her roommate SooJin back at the dorm (apparently they attend a school divided in two by gender, with a shared library and courtyard, they also have dorms).

SooJin is very upset... she is a bit scared of going to school by herself. I guess she has a tendency to attract perverts, she doesn't know why, and after the attacks on her the last couple days she's afraid to go alone.

Apparently the first time she was attacked at night, Chae had also abandoned her to go chase after yaoi books. So SooJin is a little angry, but having lied to pretend that she wasn't attacked, she can't really explain why she's angry.

Still, she works up her nerve, and having learned her lesson, this time she is prepared with goggles to go with the pepper spray!

But Chae is a true friend, even if she is a bit dense, and so she valiantly races back up the hill to escort SooJin (the school princess) down to the school, warding off any evil doers lying in wait.

So this was a nice little chapter to get a better idea of Chae Rim's personality and her friendship with SooJin.

SooJin comes off a little spoiled, but when you realize that being attacked by men is a common experience for her, it makes sense that she has a bit of PTSD. We also get the sense that she's a bit childish still.

Maybe she likes Ian so much because he's a man who isn't immediately trying to get into her pants?

[Sackett]

Chapter 9:

So we get some backstory on Na Young in flashback. Hint: Mean girls like to make fun of ugly girls who use make up - since apparently having beauty without makeup and then wearing makeup to make yourself more beautiful is morally superior to wearing makeup to conceal ugliness.

Yeah... didn't make much sense to me.

Also, apparently Na Young's face requires mosaics in the morning. Apart from the face, Na Young is actually quite attractive (She's a brick house.)

As a side note, Na Young's roommate is an otaku.

Soo Ho (the leader of the band she likes and supports with makeup work) has asked her to swing by the practice room (which is in the basement under the pet shop).

He is intensely composing though, so we don't find out what he wanted. Pretty much a setup chapter.

[Kreceir]

Ohh I remember reading about this, and I forgot about it since I didn't bookmark it.
I remember liking it, Welp I got something to read today

[Sackett]

Chapter 10:

Let's check in on the pet shop shall we?

Boss Lady is reviewing end of quarter figures.

Sales are good, but several losses due to...

the incompetence of our resident baka, Seo Jin!

Never would have guessed...

Ari is frustrated, but apparently Seo Jin has some kind of pull? As long as his salary will cover the losses he won't lose his job.

Fortunately he has all that extra dog food to live off of...

Na Young comes up from the basement to chat with Ari, and you sort of get the feeling that they are all friends. Ari and Na Young head out to eat lunch.

Na Young is thinking about hiring someone to watch her shop when she's out catering to people's weddings, etc.

Hmm... is SooJin going to get a job offer? Since we already know she knows Na Young, and she wants to be closer to Ian who works in the same building?

Ari grumps about Seo Jin, and wonders why he got hired in the first place. So she observes him intently in the afternoon.

Then she begins the interrogation.

It comes out that Seo Jin is related to Ian Pi, and owes him a debt?

But the cat pulls out the "pee on the interrogator" tactic, and thus the mystery remains, as Ari runs off to the bathroom to clean up.

And... holy crap he's Dr. Doolittle!

That's why Boss Lady hired him. He can talk to animals!

Whoa... this is gonna be a "normal" world that also has a few odd things going on isn't it?

[Sackett]

Originally Posted by Kreceir

Ohh I remember reading about this, and I forgot about it since I didn't bookmark it.
I remember liking it, Welp I got something to read today

Glad I was able to help remind you of it. Please do come back and share your thoughts.

[Sackett]

Chapter 11:

Another Na Young chapter. I guess her lunch with Ari put her in a reflective mood, and she has a flashback to when she first met Soo Ho.

It's a continuation of the flashback in chapter 9, when after her run in with the mean girls, Na Young goes to the park, and begins listening to guitar player and sign who is playing there (unofficial type thing).

That's how she first met Soo Ho, as he soothed her heart.

Flashback ends, and Na Young returns to find Soo Ho still intensely composing. She gets into a conversation with Dae Guk, another member of the band Guardian. They talk about the difficulty of becoming a success in music based on talent alone.

Dae Guk tells Na Young to go ahead and take off, that he'll let Soo Ho know she stopped by. Soo Ho tends to get really focused and forgets to do anything (like shower or eat) when he gets in his serious composing state.

Finally, Soo Ho stops composing. It's now 11pm. He comes out of his daze, and finds Na Young sitting there, as she came back when Dae Guk left. Soo Ho mentions he mistook her for Dae Guk because they are both so tall and loom over people the same way.

Then Soo Ho asks her to hear his new song, that's why he had invited her to listen (back in Chapter 9). Then he decides that he needs to practice a bit first, so come back in 10 minutes.

Still Na Young is happy, since she gets to hear a new song first.

It's... a very... sappy... very sappy... love song. To a woman with big feet and hands, who isn't shy or sweet like most girls, but that he has fallen for.

It's a love song, from Soo Ho to Na Young, and he asks for her to start dating him.

(PS: Note from the Author that she had to fight the gag reflex when writing the song it was so sappy. Translator agrees.)

Na Young is deliriously happy but...

Cliffhanger ending.

Wow... so far Na Young's story has been pretty... well, uneventful. And this chapter is no different in the slow gentle pacing. But then you just get something really really sweet like this.

It's strange, I'm starting to notice that each heroine's chapter is not just a different story line, it also has a very different feel to it. Almost like each heroine is in her own genre.

I like it.

----------------

Jin Hui Cho = shounen influenced shoujo farcical action romance (Makes me think of a shoujo version of Ranma 1/2, but after a wedding, and with different characters)

Ari Doh = a romantic comedy with some low fantasy elements (Makes me think of Akane Tendo and Ranma - just subtract all the martial arts stuff).

Na Young = a very sweet, slice of life and romance (Makes me think of Kimi No Todoke, but set after college).

MiMi = ???? Still not sure yet... a shoujo mystery maybe? Maybe a shoujo tragedy/rebirth story?

SooJin = shoujo romantic comedy/drama (Makes me think of House of the Sun, or Love So Live, but more realistic with sharper edges. A shoujo fantasy about the "older man" but played more realistically?)

Chae Rim = shoujo highschool romance (Very standard, although with a bookwormish girl, so maybe a bit like "The Monster Next to Me").