I Became The Male Lead’s Female Friend

Author: Nikss

Once I made the decision, the execution was easy.

When Dahlia told him, ‘I need to speak to you privately’. Instinctively, he realized.

And at the same time, he immediately pulled out the shirt he had put in the drawer.

‘This is my chance.’

To be honest, even if he finally decided to wear the shirt after much deliberation, the next problem was the way he did it.

That means when and how to show the shirt.

I couldn’t just blindly pick up Dahlia and show her the shirt, nor did I have the courage to do so.

If he’d had the balls to do that in the first place, he’d have tried all sorts of tricks to seduce her.

After a lifetime of not caring about the other gender, he wasn’t going to change in an instant, and in fact, it took a lot of courage for him to put on the shirt.

But when the time came, he picked up the shirt without hesitation.

It was something he had already decided to do, and he was in a rush because he thought, ‘It’s now or never’.

Since it’s now or never, let’s just get it over with.

Still, I pulled on the shirt with the confidence of having worn it a few times, tugging at the buttons that still refused to close, determined.

‘Let’s finish this thing.’

But what I didn’t expect was for it to be over.

I knew better than I thought. Where the hell was the heart that didn’t mind killing dozens or hundreds on the battlefield?

His heart began to race as he put on the shirt and waited for Dahlia in his office, and when he sensed her presence, he couldn’t take it anymore and turned in his chair.

His behavior eventually aroused Dahlia’s suspicions, but Rudrick did not regret his choice.

If he hadn’t sat down to continue his play, Dahlia would have seen his face, which was gaping.

After being in the same room with her for a while, the real him turned around.

“Rudrick?”

When Dahlia finally looked up, she was still puzzled.

She was just shaking her head in concern, unable to imagine what he was wearing now.

For the first time in his life, Rudrick prayed to God.

He prayed to God that it would pass, that he would act naturally, and it would be too late to notice.

But I never thought it would last.

‘…?’

Rudrick stared at Dahlia warily.

Of course, Dahlia couldn’t help but notice something was off. She’d seen him break out in a cold sweat and ask, ‘What’s wrong with you?‘ and she’d given him questioning glances ever since.

But she hadn’t seemed to mind from the time she met him until now. No, not just unconcerned, she didn’t seem interested at all.

And neither did he, because she’d been eagerly explaining about the party or whatever, but she hadn’t even paid attention to the shirt he was wearing.

‘…’

It was weird. Why was he feeling so nervous, seeing a face she didn’t recognize, when he’d hoped so much not to be seen?

In hindsight, he could see why.

He’d deliberately risked embarrassment to get Dahlia’s attention, and his timidity was about to make it all for naught.

But I thought Dahlia, being the perceptive person that she was, would have seen through it…

No, how could she notice if I didn’t show her?

‘Maybe I should loosen my arms.’

As the war raged in his head once more, time passed, and Dahlia realized that he had already finished his task.

It was only in desperation that he tried to loosen his grip.

Inadvertently, the teacup spilled.

At least the tea splashed in Rudrick’s direction. There was nothing he could do to repair the damage, and he soon gave up hope.

‘Nothing ever works.’

His thoughts were confirmed by Dahlia’s behavior behind him.

Startled by the suddenness of the situation, he immediately unclasped his hands, exposing his tightly packed chest.

Dahlia, who realized this after the fact, but was still putting up with the strange figure even after covering it up again, handed him a handkerchief and said worriedly,

“It’s all over your shirt. You need to change.”

Then she casually summoned a maid to bring a change of clothes with instructions to clean up after the mess, and her demeanor was as natural as if she had never seen the shirt before.

No, it’s not natural, it’s just something that happens without realizing it.

Even after cleaning up after themselves, her face brightened as she said goodbye.

“I’m so sorry. I’ve been distracted lately, so I’ve been making a lot of mistakes, but it’s just because the tea isn’t hot, right?”

“…”

“Anyway, thank you for allowing me to have the party. You said I could do whatever I wanted, so why don’t we just do it later?”

“…”

“Well, it’s getting late, and I’m off to bed. Good night, see you tomorrow.”

Then without a second thought, she turned around and walked away.

Bang—!

In the empty room, only Rudrick was left, dazed.

As if a storm had come and gone, he couldn’t get his senses back for a while. What the hell had happened, and why was he doing this?

What was he wearing his shirt for, and what was he doing fidgeting and restlessly to himself?

The more I thought about it, the more I felt weak, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Haha…ha…”

Just reminiscing about the day’s events, a bitter smile crosses his face.

Behind him, someone opened the door and entered.

“Your Excellency, are you all right, I heard a little commotion and came to see if you were okay…”

He turned around and there was Ruth Fedex, who, on his orders, had surreptitiously retrieved the shirt and delivered it to him.

As if he felt the gaze of the man who looked back at him, he froze in mid-sentence.

Of his own accord, his gaze slid downward from Rudrick’s face, and his eyes widened as if they were about to pop out of their sockets when he finally spotted the shirt.

“It, it can’t be…”

At the sound of his trembling voice, Rudrick sprang to his feet, and without a word, he tore off his shirt and tossed it to him, as if to rip it to shreds.

His eyes widened as he reflexively caught the shirt.

After staring at it in disbelief, Rudrick looked away. Turning to face the grim face pressed against the window, he spoke in a low voice.

“Burn it.”

🌸

With my business with Rudrick completed, I walked out of the room and down the hall casually.

I smiled casually at the servants who greeted me as I walked by, humming as I entered my room, and then grabbed my head and shouted.

“What the hell!” I said, looking up.

A shirt pulled up to its tightest point. A bare frame of muscle underneath, with buttons that looked like they were about to pop off at any moment.

And a glimpse of flesh-colored skin peeking through the open shirt…

“Argh!”

Beating my head against the wall, I rolled my eyes.

It was a ‘small’ shirt, to say the least. A shirt that was so tight that it would rip at any moment, showing off the contours of his body.

Why on earth would Rudrick be wearing it, in the office where he works, in a private meeting with me?

A normal person would have thought he was wearing the wrong shirt.

The maid had brought him the wrong clothes, and that’s how he ended up in this situation four months later.

But Kassar changed his clothes on the spot, while Rudrick kept wearing that shirt. It’s impossible for him not to realize that he’s wearing the wrong shirt, but he pretends not to notice.

‘Did he do it on purpose?’

Given that he hadn’t bothered to change, I couldn’t help but think so. But that raises another question.

‘But why?’

In fact, I had already guessed the answer to why.

That was when Rudrick declared his intent to ‘not be friends’ and I thought of other possibilities for the way he felt. So the reason that had been on my mind all this time.

‘Because of me?’

No way… Does that mean he wore it on purpose to show me?

No, honestly, that’s even weirder. Even if he likes me, he hasn’t tried to seduce me like he should have until now.

He’s only ever shown me his feelings when he’s jealous, and he’s usually been very reserved about it.

That’s what confused me even more… If what I suspected was true.

‘That means it’s real!’

And when I think about it, it all makes sense.

Why couldn’t he greet me when I walked in the door, let alone turn around to face me?

‘Because he’s embarrassed.’

Why he was fidgeting and not paying attention when I asked him if he was okay…

‘Because he’s ashamed.’

And finally… The way he kept his arms crossed the whole time he was facing me.

‘Because he’s too embarrassed!’

I covered my mouth with my hand.

This bastard… It seems like only yesterday that he was so innocent and cute in the dress I picked out for him.

When did he become the kind of guy who could wear a shirt so small it looked like it was going to burst and sneak a peek at the skin underneath to seduce me?

What’s even crazier yet was that I didn’t hate it. No, honestly, I didn’t hate it, but I loved it.

I still blush and the corners of my mouth twitch when I think of that gaping secret slit, that glimpse of flesh.

Still giggling, I shook my head as I quickly pulled myself together.

‘Dahlia Averine. When did you become such a brazen woman, and isn’t this a bit much for a friend with whom I’ve had a pure friendship for over a decade?’

‘But honestly, if we haven’t seen each other in over a decade, we’re pretty much strangers, so maybe it’s time to lighten up a bit. I mean, who’s grown up to be such a hot guy, eh?’

With angels whispering on either side of me and grunting, I held my head in my hands and gritted my teeth.

Then, suddenly, a realization hit me like a thunderbolt, and I had to look up.

‘Yes, actually, more importantly, I have to meet with Rudrick again to organize the party!’

I buried my face in my pillow. I couldn’t help but slam my fist down on the bed and scream.

“Hey, how can I face you!”