🍚 mira ☁

What is he talking about? Kingdom? Kingdoms do not exist anymore.

As you can remember from your history class, kingdoms existed a long time ago and even though there are still royal families in the present, they only hold a symbolic power.  

He blindfolded you to make sure that you won’t see anything about the kingdom. You were carried by a horse while laying on your front. While you were being carried, everything started to sink in. You’re alone in an unfamiliar place and you’re suddenly accused as a spy from another kingdom. You were trembling as he brought you down.

“Are you trembling since you’ve been caught?”, he snickered.

You can’t speak and let him drag you. Passing by a plight of stairs, you entered a room. Based on the sound, the door may have been huge.

“Who’s that?”, a far more commanding voice said.

“Emperor, I caught this woman at the border. She did not look like someone from here. She might be a spy from another kingdom.”

“Remove her blindfold”, he commanded.

The man removed your blindfold and there you saw a man in the shadows. He was sitting on a chair and beside him was a woman. It was dark inside the room and you can’t clearly see their faces but you knew that they were trouble. The room was cold and quiet and you were sure that they were the reason for it.

“Who are you and who sent you here?”

Out of fear, you can’t move your mouth to speak. The man nudged you.

“I-I’m y/n. No one sent me here. I’m lost.”

“Hmm.. lost, huh?”

He stood up and step-by-step, he went closer to you. He looked down at you with such a cold stare.

“You look different. I haven’t met someone like you even in the other kingdoms.”

He gave some sort of signal to one of the maids in the room. She led you outside and took you to an empty room.

“Um.. where am I?”

“Miss, it seems that you really are lost. You are in Vitomia, the most powerful kingdom.”

Vitomia? I’ve never heard of that kingdom.

“Then why am I here in this room?”, you asked.

“The emperor instructed me to dress you up. You will be one of his queens.”

Huh? Queens? There’s only one queen, right?

“Why?”

She sighed, probably troubled with all your questions.

“Because you look different. The emperor have a total of 14 queens including you. The one sitting on the throne with him is also a queen. It depends on his decision who sits beside him.”

She removed your clothes one by one and pushed you to a tub.

“W-wait! I can do it alone!”, you said as you cover yourself.

“I’ll be punish if I’ll leave you. Let me do my task.”

Soon, you met the other queens. Some were nice but most were hostile towards you. They see you as another opponent for the seat beside the emperor. The highest position that a woman can get is being an empress. The emperor doesn’t have an empress which means that he has not met anyone suited for the role yet. 

For the days you have been in the kingdom, you have never sat beside him and you were thankful for that. You don’t want to be anywhere near that man. Some of the queens want to be him due to power, some were because of how he looks. You won’t deny that he’s handsome but his character is turn down. He was evil through and through. 

As the bloody trial is happening, you looked at the emperor and you saw a small smile on his lips. He is enjoying the sight. What a horrible man.

The dark sky came and if you can find anything good about the kingdom, it’s the night sky. Stars were visible and the moon shines brightly, something that you can’t see well in the city. You wanted to see it better so you went outside the palace and sat in the garden. One thing good as a queen is you can roam around the palace freely as long as it’s not near to the emperor’s chamber and outside the gate.

The wind gently touched your skin. You removed your bun and let your hair float with the wind. Since you have stayed in this place, you have appreciated the silence. From all the screams that you hear every day, the silence brought by the dark made you calm and happy.

“What are you doing here?”

You stood up immediately. You knew who owns that voice.

“Emperor, I was just looking at the stars”, you said while looking at the ground.

“Raise your head.”

You breath out and slowly raised your head. It’s the first time that you saw him without his cloak, thick suit, and sword. He was dressed in a white long sleeve and black pants. He looked pure.

“You’re that woman who looks different. What’s your name again?”

“I’m y/n, your highness. I’ll get going then.”

You bowed and walked passed him.

“Where are you going?”

You stopped on your tracks and trembled.

“Uh.. I’m going to my room, your highness.”

Please. Please, just let me go to my room.

“Stay. Sit beside me.”

He was already seated when you turned around. You were mentally cursing. He was most evil person you know and now, you are beside him. Opposite from what you were feeling minutes ago, you are beyond uncomfortable. You can’t even appreciate the stars even though you are looking at it. 

“Those stars, they are always aligned”, he muttered.

“Which stars?”, you asked.

“Those. They always form a line”, he said as he pointed at it.

Hmm.. Do they not know about the constellations? Am I that far in history? Or the discovery did not reach them yet?

“Your highness, that’s the cassiopeia. Beside it is the andromeda”, you said as you traced the lines connecting the stars.

You did not hear anything from him so you looked at him.

“How do you know that?”, he asked and by the tone of his voice, it was not simple question of curiosity. There was a hint of suspicion.

“Ah! I simply gave them names as I have also noticed the patterns before, your highness”, you hastily said.

“Hmm.. I did not expect that you are smart.

“Thank you for the compliment, your highness. I think that the night is getting cold. I should get inside”, you asked for permission.

He nod and you can finally get inside.

If only the emperor can be like that the whole time.. You almost forgot that he kills people out of pleasure every day.

The next morning, another trial will take place. You dressed up and went to the emperor’s hall. You’ve noticed that Victoria, the one who was sitting beside the emperor is now with the other queens. It only means that he will choose another person to be on the throne. You can tell the tension between the queens. Some were prepping their clothes while the others are preparing their best smiles.

What a pity.

One of the imperial guards announced his arrival. Everyone stood up to greet him. When he sat on his throne, the queens were eager to hear their name.

“Right, the queen for this day is...”

God, this is so dumb. Women for him are mere objects that can be owned and discarded in his command.

“y/n.”

You clapped along with the queens and looked at them to see who was chosen. They just looked back at you.

“Why are you looking--” “y/n, I have called your name”, the emperor announced.

“Ah! Right. I apologize, your highness.”

You climbed the stairs and sat beside him. Everyone was looking at you. It made you scared. Soon, an elderly woman was dragged inside the hall. Unlike the previously accused people, she was silent. She looked.. contented.

“Carry out the punishment”, the emperor announced.

The moment the ax was lifted in the air, you knew you can’t take it anymore especially when it’s an elderly woman. You were reminded of your grandmother back home. You held your arm chair tightly and closed your eyes. It was finished in a second. There were no cries or shouts. She accepted her fate.

Everyone left the hall after the trial except the two of you and his most trusted guard. The emperor instructed you to go down and stay at the end of the stairs.

“y/n, I am dismissing you as one of the queens”, he said.

Huh? Why?

“I don’t need a weakling for a queen. You can’t even stand blood in front of you. Get out of my palace.”

He must have seen me closing my eyes while on the trial but.. really? Yes! I’m free! But I should still show remorse or else, he’ll kill me.

“I apologize your highness for my weak heart. I would like to thank your grace for letting me stay in your palace. My stay here made me happy”, you said as you shed some tear.

“Let her out!”, he commanded his guard.

You were pushed outside the gate. The guard looked at you with such despise. It might be the first time this happened. You noticed the other queens laughing at you through the window.

These dumb asses must think that I’m miserable. I pity them.

You gave them the dirty finger and you laughed looking at their confused reaction. Of course, they don’t know what you meant. You ran away, far from the palace.

As you walked around for days, you realized that there are still good people in the kingdom. An old couple offered you a shelter when they saw you wandering around their area.They were nice and hospitable. They gave you warm food and clean water to drink. They reminded you of your parents. You stayed with them for a few days and soon bid goodbye. You have to go back to the border where you first opened your eyes.

Christina, the old lady, even shed a tear as you bid goodbye to them. They have mentioned that you remind them of their daughter. You may look different from her but you had the same attitude as her. 

Your journey continued. You walked for another two days and you have finally reached your destination. The bread and water that the old couple had provided you made you survive the two days. You stayed at the area where you have arrived before. Since you were waiting in the open, one of the people who discovered you saw you.

“You’re that lady we have seen here, right? What happened to you?”, he asked.

“I was brought to the palace but was later released when they knew I was innocent”, you lied.

“I see. Then what are you doing here?”

“Uh.. I just want to see the place where I was found.”

He pondered for some time.

“But lady, you were not exactly found here. We found you on that forest, on the eastern-most part. We just brought you here since we don’t want you to leave there alone.”

“Really? Thank you for saying that Sir”, and you left.

You figured that there must be something in that forest. Maybe that is where you can go back. You arrived at the easternmost part at sunset. You don’t even know if you’ll see something but still waited.

After a few hours, you heard some rustling. You hid immediately and to your surprise, it’s the emperor and his guards. They might be roaming around the border to check on security. You continued hiding as you were afraid that he might change his mind and kill you. 

When the moon was its highest point, there was a faintly glowing doorway on the biggest tree in that area.

“Is that the portal? Maybe that is where I came from?”

You rushed towards it, afraid that it might disappear.

“You! You’re y/n!”

You looked behind and the emperor was alone. You halted, a habit that you have learned while in the palace.

“What are you doing here?”, he asked after going down his horse.

“Uh, your highness, I have been exploring Vitomia since I was vanished from the palace.”

Looking at the tree, the portal’s glow became more faint. You don’t care about the emperor anymore. You have to run towards it. You turned your heel and rushed towards the portal. Before you entered, you heard the emperor shout your name.

When you gained consciousness, you felt pain all over your body. You opened your eyes and you’re back! It’s the same cliff where you fell.

“Yes! I’m back! Finally!”, you shouted for joy as you jumped around. You’ve heard voices after that. You closed your eyes as light was pointed at you.

“y/n? Mom! Sister is here!”

“Mina, is that you?”

“Yes”, she answered while crying. Sooner, you saw your parents and now, you can’t stop crying. You’ve missed them. They were also crying. They threw a rope to help you in climbing the cliff. As soon as you’re up, they gave you the warmest hug and kisses. While you were crying in the arms of your father, your sister grabbed your attention.

“Sis? .. Who’s that?”

“Hm?”

You followed the direction of her flashlight. You stumbled on your feet at what you saw. 

“Why is he here?!”

It was the emperor. 

You entered your shared home and told him to place the groceries in the kitchen counter. You were boiling the pasta when he went beside you.

“Can I help with anything?”, he asked.

“No, just sit down and be quiet.”

He snickered and went to the couch. After an hour, you brought two plates on the table at the living room. You were about to stand up again when Seungwoo told you to stay. He brought the bottle of cola from the refrigerator and brought two glasses.

Instead of sitting opposite you, he sat beside you and you scolded him.

“You’re supposed to sit there”, you said as you point to the other side.

“Isn’t it better this way?”, he teased as he scooted closer to you.

“You always love to tease me.” You may be complaining but you can’t help but smile. Who wouldn’t smile if someone as handsome as him would act like this towards you?

You breathed out a couple of times to calm down. Seungwoo saw this and he knew that he’s slowly progressing with you.

You started eating the carbonara but it seems like Seungwoo is not yet done with his games. As you are left -handed, he held your right hand and gently smiled at you. (a/n: we all know how THAT smile looks)

“Wha- what do you think are you doing?”, you exclaimed as you tried to push him away. Maybe it’s because of its frequency of your actions but Seungwoo already knows that you’ll push him away so he held your hand tighter.

“Don’t you think this is romantic?”, he asked.

You just blushed. It is romantic but you can’t tell him that. You can’t lose to him yet.

So the two of you ate dinner while holding hands. It was quiet but it was not awkward. You can tell that he was smiling while eating and you were doing the same. While looking around the room, you saw your luggage and remembered something.

“Ah right. I think I should tell you this. I’ll be away for five days starting the day after tomorrow.” He let go of your hand.

“Huh? Where are you going?!”, he exclaimed. You were shocked with his reaction.

“Uh.. I’m going to attend a regional forum.”

“You should have told me earlier. This is an important matter.”

He was speaking a lot and you felt like you did a grave mistake. What’s wrong with him?

“Seungwoo, I’ll be away for five days, not five months. And we see each other everyday”, you reasoned.

“But..”

The truth is, Seungwoo felt that any matters like these should be discussed by the two of you. He won’t stop you but it’s a different matter to be informed. You may have not noticed this but whenever Seungwoo had to do something important, he always mentioned it to you. He was simply disappointed.

He quietly finished his meal and thanked you for cooking. You looked at him as he was washing the dishes. He was silent, not the usual Seungwoo. After doing the dishes, he went to his bed without saying good night.

I should have apologized.

You intended to apologize in the morning but he already left when you woke up. When you went to school, the first thing you did was ask your best friend about Seungwoo. You first heard about Seungwoo from her so you figured that she might know something.

“h/n, do you know Seungwoo’s classroom?”

“Seungwoo?” She looked at her watch. “He’s at room 214 at the E Building. His class will end in an hour”, she added.

“How do you know that?”

She blushed. “I have a crush on one of his friends and they share the same schedule.”

You thanked her but before you can do your thing, she asked you a question.

“By the way, when will you tell me about you and Seungwoo? Everyone can tell that something’s happening between the two of you.”

You were about to give some excuse but she shushed you.

“Don’t you dare lie to me”, she jokingly threatened you. YOu’ve always wanted to tell her so you dragged her to an empty corner.

“We’re married”, you whispered.

“WHAAAT?! YOU’RE --” Before she can even say it, you covered her mouth.

“How come?”, she asked.

“Our parents know each other.”

While you two were walking back to your classroom, she asked you a question that made you ponder.

“Wait. So I guess you have been married to him months ago, right? That’s when he started fetching you here. He knows your schedule but.. you don’t know his?”

She was right. How come you don’t know his schedule? It made you realize that Seungwoo has been doing efforts from the very beginning.

You waited for an hour to pass. Before you left, your best friend cheered you on. Since he is in the E building, you had to ran so you can meet him in time. When you arrived, you were panting and your hair was messy.

“Oh? You’re Seungwoo’s --Ahh, that’s why.” It’s Seungyoun, one of his closest friends. He called for Seungwoo without mentioning that you are there.

“What is it? I’m not really in the mood”, Seungwoo said.

Seungyoun pointed at you with a grin. Seungwoo was shocked to see you and he especially saw your messy hair. By instinct, he was about to fix your hair but he stopped midway.

“So this is the reason why you were not in the mood?”, Seungyoun teased. “I’ll leave you two lovebirds”, he said before he left.

“I’m sorry. I should have told you about it earlier”, you told him right away.

“Is this why your hair is messy?”

You actually did not realize it so you hurriedly fixed your hair. It was embarrassing. You have been standing for some time and you wondered why people were looking at you.

He reached out his hand and touched your hair. You looked at him directly and because you are shorter than him, your eyes seemed larger from looking up. You looked cute. He sighed and stopped touching your hair.

“Okay. Just tell me earlier. I won’t stop you but I still want to know what’s happening.”

“Okay.”

You two were having a moment when you heard his friends cheering. They were quite rowdy so it grabbed the attention of the other people in the hallway. You hated the attention so you ran away.

Just like other days, Seungwoo waited outside your classroom. Seungwoo suggested to eat at home for dinner. He’s unbelievably clingy. Usually, he really does plenty of touching but this time, he did not let you go even for a second. 

“Dude, you’re clingy”, you remarked since he’s way closer to you than yesterday while eating dinner. His shoulder is literally touching yours, that’s how close he is.

“You’ll be away for five days. I’m getting five days worth of skinship.”

You let him. It’s embarrassing to admit but you liked it. You grew accustomed to it.  The whole dinner had a warm atmosphere. You two exchanged warm smiles. When you used to read this scenario on romantic stories, you cringed but you now understand the feeling and it’s good.

“Okay. I understand that you’re getting your five days worth of skinship but isn’t this too much?”, you asked as he was giving you a back hug while you were washing the dishes. His arms were around your waist while his chin was resting on your shoulder. You can feel his breath and it was tickling you but you were trying to stop giggling. 

You finally finished washing the dishes and he let you go.

“I have to sleep early. I might be late for tomorrow”, you told him.

You were arranging your sofa bed. You have been sleeping on the sofa for months but it’s mainly your fault. Seungwoo had invited you to share the bed countless times but you always declined. You don’t know what will happen.

“Hey, why don’t you sleep beside me?”, he asked.

“It’s fine. I’ll sleep here”, you answered immediately. With the flow of events, you can’t really let your guard down.

“y/n, I won’t do anything”, he added.

“It’s okay. I’m comfortable here”, you insisted. He held your wrist, pulling you closer to him.

“I told you, I won’t do anything if you are not ready”, Seungwoo said. He did not wait for whatever you were about to say. He pulled you towards his room and pushed you to bed. Your heart was beating too fast. You instinctively covered yourself with the blanket. Seungwoo turned off the lights and you felt the other side of the bed move. 

“W-w-what are you doing?”, you panicked. You heard him laugh lightly. “You’re stuttering. Why are you so alert?” He wrapped his arm on your waist and pulled you closer. His chin was on top of your head and his leg was on top of yours. After a few minutes of tension, you heard his soft breathing.

What the hell? Did he just fell asleep?

You can’t slow down your beating heart and you can’t help but focus on his breathing. You failed to realize that it’s nearing dawn and you just noticed the light coming from the window. 

Did I just-- did I not sleep?!

You hurriedly got out of bed and went to the bathroom to get ready. While you were eating breakfast, you heard the bedroom door open.You looked at him and he laughed.

“Did you not sleep?”, he said in between his giggles as he noticed your dark eye bags.

“It’s your fault!”

He continued laughing as he went to the bathroom to brush his teeth. You have finished eating and you were making final preparations when you felt his hand on your shoulders.

“Hey, don’t touch me. You already have five days worth of touching”, you told him. He raised his hands gesturing that he meant no trouble. You pulled your luggage and went towards the door.

“y/n, give me a hug.”

You sighed. “Fine.”

He pulled you closer and you hugged him back. It felt like the longest hug you ever received. You let go and for those few seconds, Seungwoo went closer to you and you felt his lips on yours. Just like the hug you received, his kiss lasted longer than the one you have previously shared with him.

You pushed him away as you felt his hand touching the lower end of your back. You looked at him with a shocked expression but he gave you a sweet smile. How can this guy be two-faced?

“Take care, y/n”, and he said it in such a teasing manner. You were stunned. While you were walking to the bus station, the sensation of his lips is still there and you were touching your lips as you remember it.

Even up until the forum, you can’t focus because of what happened that morning.

“y/n, what’s wrong with you? You have been touching your lips for awhile”, your best friend said to grab your attention. You remembered what happened that morning again and you became red. She read too much romantic stories that she had a hunch.

“Oh my! Did you guys--?”, she asked with glee. You just covered your face. You can’t hide it anymore. After dinner, you told her about what happened. It’s the first time that you have talked about your love life and it felt exciting. After sharing it to your best friend, you became calmer and you got to concentrate for the rest of the forum. You were actually surprised that Seungwoo did not call or sent a message to you up until now. On the fourth day, you received a call from him.

“How are you doing? Are you having fun?”, he asked.

“Yes, I’m learning a lot here. How about you?”, you asked.

There was silence from his side.

“Seungwoo? Are you still there?”

“y/n, I miss you. Come home already”, he said, almost pleading. This time, you’re the one who can’t speak. You were too happy.

“I’ll be home tomorrow”, you consoled him. You heard him sigh. At this point, you already know what kind of face he’s making.

“Fine. Message me once you’re in the neighborhood.”

You said goodbye and you were about to hang up when your best friend who was observing you the whole time went beside you.

“I love you”, she said to the phone. Your eyes grew wide and you hit her.

“Seungwoo, that’s --”

“I know. It’s not you”, he said but there was something in his voice.

“Ah, that’s good that you did not misunderstand”, you sighed in relief.

“Though I would have been happy if you said it”, he said before saying goodbye and hanging up.

You tried to concentrate for the rest of the day. It was embarrassing for you to think the thought but you wanted to go immediately and see him. The closing ceremony ended and you packed your things immediately.

“You’re that excited to see him,huh?”, your best friend asked. You just laughed it off. Before you left the area, you went to buy a souvenir with h/n for Seungwoo. It was a red bracelet, made with rope-like material.

You can’t explain what you were feeling as you were on the way home. It was a mix of everything and you don’t how you would face him. You sent him a message when you were near.

You opened the door and you realized that he was not inside. You figured that he was still at school.

Opening the luggage, one by one, you moved your clothes to the laundry. You washed and let it dry. You turned on the TV and watched some drama. After some time, you heard the door opening. You suddenly felt nervous. He walked in and you two looked at each other.

“Hi?”, you first greeted.

He went closer to you and you scooted to the end of the sofa. He was looking at you intensely and it’s making you feel things. His eyes were playing between your eyes and your lips. The tension was tight and in that moment, all you wanted was for Seungwoo to get closer.

It was taking too long that you just did it. You closed the gap between the two of you and kissed his lips. Seungwoo was beyond surprised. For a matter of seconds, he just opened his eyes while you were kissing him -- it’s more of a peck. He was processing what’s happening. He usually does the first move. 

You let go and you just looked down. 

What was I doing?! That was embarrassing. 

“Wife, that’s not how you’re supposed to kiss”, Seungwoo teased.

He touched your chin and made you look up. He gave you a deep kiss. You were about to back out when he started using his tongue but he held you tightly around your waist. His tongue continued to dance inside your mouth and since you don’t have any experience, you let him lead. For like approximately 10 minutes, your lips were just dancing against each other. 

“W-wait Seungwoo. It’s too much..”, you told him as you catched your breath.

He gently touched your cheek.

“I can’t get enough of you. I can’t believe I’ll like you this much”, he told you.

“Uh, thank you.”

He laughed hearing your response.

“I just confessed to you, you know? How dense can you be?”

“You did? Uh, I’m sorry”, you replied. but I also like you -- you wanted to tell him that but you still can’t. You hated this part of you. Seungwoo noticed how you were fidgeting. He gave you a hug.

“It’s fine. I won’t force you to say it.”

He pulled you and made you sit on his lap. You panicked feeling how close he is to you. He gave you a quick bite on your neck.

“W-what was that for?!”, you exclaimed.

“I did not know how much of a tsundere you are. I’m going to enjoy teasing you”, he told you then he gave you another kiss. “You’re going to learn a lot from me especially there”, he added as he pointed to the bedroom. Your face just turned red and you stood up. 

“Y-you! Y-you’re really -- !”

You still think that Seungwoo is a mystery. You can’t understand what he’s exactly thinking but you know that behind his teasing behaviour, he genuinely cares for you. 

There’s no winner or loser. Both of you surrendered at the same time without realizing it at first. You soon realized that your parents’ decision was not a mistake. It really did brought you to your fate.

a/n: that’s the end for this series. some of you might feel that it’s lacking and i actually wanted to bring more to this. wanted to put some more smut for the ending lol but im still not good at that. 

“Okay, it’s set up. Come on”

You shooed those thoughts away and sat beside him and focused on the monitor. After like 30 minutes, you heard the doorbell rang but no one wanted to leave their seats, or else you will lose. Couple of minutes later, you heard the door open behind.

“Yah Lee Hangyul, are you lazy now? Why didn’t you went down to get your delivery?”

Good enough, the game ended and both of you turned to see his older brother.

“Oh, y/n, you’re here? Haven’t seen you in a while”, he greeted.

“I’ve been quite busy with my acads but I finally had some time to play with your brother”, you replied.

Hangyul walked towards him and grabbed the plastic holding the fried chicken and cola.

“I’m letting you off this time since y/n is here. Get it yourself next time”, he reminded and closed the door after.

Hangyul set the food on his study table and invited you. While you two were eating, he talked about this male friend of his getting a girlfriend. They teased him all week long but they were really happy for him.

You’ve played computer games for four hours straight. He wanted to play another round but you declined. Your house is two blocks away from his and it’s already nighttime.

You waited for him downstairs, fully knowing that he will walk with you. When he was already beside you, he held you wrist and led you outside.

“Your mother just called. She says it’s time for dinner”, he mentioned as you were walking. He made sure that you arrived safe -- though you live just two blocks away from him. Before he left, you called his name.

“Hangyul, visit our classroom tomorrow.”

“Sure, then we can visit ours after.”

The next day, it’s the foundation day of your school. Every class has prepared their own activities and the school was open to the public.

You were serving black tea to table five when you heard Hangyul and his friends.

“Wah, y/n. You look really pretty”, Dohyon exclaimed.

“Right right. It’s the first that we saw you wearing something like that”, Eunsang added.

“Thanks. I’ve also heard those remarks from my classmates”, you blushed.

“Hangyul, what do you think?”, you asked and showed him a swirl.

As you turned around, He immediately pulled your dress at the bottom to stop it from moving.

“Stop doing that.”

You’re wearing a white knee-length dress. The top was off shoulder and to complete the look, you worn a flower crown and sparkling makeup.

Of all the years he had spend with you, it’s the first time that he saw you wearing a dress and it made you more beautiful.

“Why? Did it show to much of my legs?”, you asked, worried.

“Yes, so don’t do that again”, he replied while Eunsang and Dohyon were snickering seeing Hangyul’s nervous and blushing expression. You also noticed his change in expression but you did not mind it. What’s the possibility of him falling for you for simply wearing feminine?

You led them to an empty table and asked for their orders. You later returned with their orders on your hands. 

Hangyul was especially quiet today. You expected that he’ll teased you for wearing something different from your usual attire but he didn’t.

“We’d like to order.”

“Guys, I’ll leave you for now. I have to get their orders”, you excused yourself.

Hangyul noticed that the men who were ordering were checking you out. He even overheard them talking about getting your number once you’re back. He was furious for some reason. Dohyon and Eunsang on the other hand were enjoying the sight. They usually bring you up in their conversations, asking about your and Hangyul’s relationship. Hangyul immediately shuts them out, aggressively denying that you’re just friends.

When Hangyul saw you on your way to serve their orders, he stood up and held the orders away from you. He gave you a playful wink before serving the orders to the two men. They were clearly pissed off that they failed to get your number because of him. Hangyul felt triumphant that they failed their mission.

You stood there, observing Hangyul. That wink almost gave you a heart attack. Good thing, you held your feelings inside. 

 After lunch time, you were free. Your class decided to have a shifting system so you worked on the morning but you are free to roam around the school in the afternoon. You told Hangyul about this but he turned you down.

“What? I thought that I’ll visit your class once you visit my classroom?”, you asked, completely puzzled.

“Well change of plans. You’re not going there”, he replied.

You glared at him and held Dohyon and Eunsang’s arms.

“Okay. I’m going to Dohyon and Eunsang’s room then”, you replied as you three passed by him.

“Huh? That’s still my classroom.” You ignored him.

When you entered their classroom, you heard the boys exclaiming. Again, they know who you are since you’re one of the boys so they were also thrilled to see you wearing a white fluffy dress.

You were showered with compliments. Hangyul at the back was still holding his temper. This is exactly the reason why he doesn’t want you to go. Everyone in the room can see Hangyul’s expression and they wanted to tease him further. They casually rest their arms on your shoulders. Sometimes, they held your wrist to make you look at their foods and drinks. 

Soon, you felt someone tightly holding your wrist and pulled you away from the crowd. It was Hangyul and pulled you towards the hallway.

“What’s wrong?”, you asked as you two were walking.

“Nothing.”

It was quiet for some time but he broke the silence.

“You.. why don’t you try wearing those kind of clothes more often?”, he suggested. You looked at him, puzzled at his words.

“I-I’m not commanding of some sorts. Well, it doesn’t look like your uncomfortable with it.”

You looked at him, still processing his words. He sighed.

“Don’t let me say it... You look more beautiful”, he meekly stated and you suddenly understand the change in his expression.

“More?”

“Yes, more since you’re already beautiful in the first place.”

And just poofed! Both of you were as red as a tomato. You’ve heard plenty of compliments today but when it’s from, it’s a 100x better than the others.

Seeing that you did not reject his statement, he went bolder and moved his hand to intertwine it with yours. You were happy that he’s finally seeing you in a different light. In exchange, you also held his hand.

The two of you continued walking, still blushing but this time, with a shy smile on your faces. From this moment, you knew that the holding hands you’re sharing is different from your previous ones. And finally, your feelings is being reciprocated.

Along the way, you two chatted some more about the anime you were watching early in the morning. To tease you, he was about to spoil the episode he had watch on your room. You covered your ears while saying random words, an attempt to not hear his story.

“Okay okay. I won’t tell you.”

Before you knew it, you are outside his university. It seems like the event is quite popular. There were plenty of people just in the entrance. After some time, you’ve finally entered the school grounds. 

It was quite beautiful. There were laughter everywhere. The weather was also perfect for the event, not too hot and not too cold. You have noticed that Jinhyuk is quite popular with his peers. As soon as you entered, he was greeted by group of men. He was popular among men and women and it was not surprising to you. Jinhyuk’s approachable and humorous. 

Jinhyuk led you to a lively room. The room is not yet opened and yet, you can hear the murmuring inside. When he opened the room, you recognized some of them and again, it’s not because you met them personally but you met them through Jinhyuk’s stories.

“y/n, come. I’ll introduce you to them.”

“Guys, this is y/n. I have told you about her before.”

“Oho~ you’re y/n, huh? It’s good to finally meet you. Jinhyuk’s stories were all about you. I’m --”

“Seungyeon, right?”, you finished his sentence.

“Uh yes, how did you know?”

“Jinhyuk mentioned you plenty of times”, you reasoned.

You suddenly remembered when Jinhyuk shared that Seungyeon once tripped in the middle of the hallway because of a bubblegum Jinhyuk placed on the floor. Jinhyuk was warned by the school authorities for doing that. You laughed as the story came to life on your mind.

“Why are you laughing? Wait, did Jinhyuk mentioned anything embarrassing about me?”, Seungyeon asked. Him and Jinhyuk bickered for a while because of that. 

Jinhyuk left for a moment to buy some snacks for you. You wanted to come with him but he insisted that you can rest and then you can roam the area with him later in the afternoon. You were left with Seungyeon and some of his other friends. 

“y/n, right? Are you not with Jinhyuk?”, Kookheon asked.

“Huh? No. Not at all. Jinhyuk and I are like siblings.”

“Eh? Really? It would be nice if you can be with him though. He always talks about you and it came to the point when we don’t have to hear his story because just from his expression, we know that he’ll talk about you.”

It’s not surprising to you. You have heard the same talk when you were still in junior high. Some even bet that you will be together at the end of senior high but nothing happened. You stayed as friends.

Jinhyuk is a great guy and his narcissistic self also knows that. You recognize all his good qualities and accepts his problematic qualities but you have never seen him as a man. It’s a platonic relationship.

“What are you guys talking about?”, Jinhyuk asked as he gently placed the snacks on the table.

“They were talking about us having a romantic relationship”, you blandly replied.

“I have already told you before that y/n is like a sibling to me”, he replied.

Before you brought the snack closer to your mouth, you noticed the red tinge on his left ear. You did not mind it.

“So how was it?”, he asked as you two were walking around the neighborhood.

“It was fun. Your friends are really nice. They made me feel like I’m one of them”, you replied with a smile as you reminisce the activities you did in the afternoon.

“I knew you would like them. They’re great friends.”

You two enjoyed the soft wind touching your skin. The sky has a faint tinge of pink as the sun is setting. Jinhyuk rested his arms on your shoulder and you let him be. After quite some time, you noticed that some of the women in your neighborhood has been murmuring. Well, you understand them. It may look like you are lovers in their point-of-view. That didn’t affect you though. The most important thing is you know what kind of relationship you have with Jinhyuk.

You were awakened with the same reason again. You groaned hearing his voice. Does he need to go here every Saturday and Sunday?!

“Oi, open the door.”

“What is it this time?”

“I just want to stay in your room”, he replied.

“Just stay at Minhyuk’s (your brother) room first.”

You heard the thumping of his feet. His knocks grew faint but he’s still knocking and it doesn’t look like it will stop any moment from now. You forced yourself to stand.

Contrary to what he usually does, he is leaning on the door when you opened it. You saw his shocked expression as he pushed you to the ground. He was on top of you and he was close, too close. You both gazed at each other for a few seconds before you pushed him.

“W-why were you leaning on the door? That was dangerous!”

“Right. Hahaha. Sorry about that.” His laugh was awkward, evidently trying to make the atmosphere light. The two of you stood up and you jumped to your bed and covered yourself with a blanket. 

Why is my heart beating so fast?

Apparently, your brother saw what happened and he announced it on the dining table. You and Jinhyuk were coughing when he mentioned it.

“I saw Jinhyuk-hyung on top of noona this morning.”

You immediately hit his head.

“Are you stupid? It was not like that!”

“Mom, Dad. It was an accident”, you reasoned.

“You two... if you are in a romantic relationship, you don’t have to hide it from us. We already know Jinhyuk well. He’s a fine man”, your father said.

You were waving your arms gesturing that he thought wrong.

“Dad, it’s not like that at all! We’re like siblings and it was an accident”, you insisted.

He sighed. “Fine but don’t hide anything from us”, he replied.

After breakfast, instead of going to your room, Jinhyuk went to Minhyuk’s room. You can hear them playing video games. You thought that it is better that way. You need some time to calm down.

Why is it suddenly like this? It should not have that kind of impact to me. I have been with him for a long time already but why suddenly..?

That day, he did not enter your room again. With the door closed, you just heard him say goodbye, meaning that he was going home.

The next day, you were walking along the road towards the bus station when you passed by Jinhyuk’s house. A woman’s voice called your name. It’s Jinhyuk’s mother.

“y/n, do you have some time?”, she asked.

Well, you do have time. Your class will start in 2 hours and you simply wanted to go early because you wanted to stay in the library.

“Yes. Do you need anything?”

“That’s great. Can you bring this to Jinhyuk? He left it and he wanted me to bring it to him but I need to attend to the shop.”

Eh? Wait. What kind of fate is this?

You wanted to protest but you also don’t want her to know that there is an awkward atmosphere between you two. You held the notebook on her hands and promised that you’ll deliver it to him. 

Once you were outside the university, you called his mobile.

On the other hand, Jinhyuk was chatting with his friends when he felt his phone vibrate. He saw your name and for the first time, he was quite hesitant to answer it.

“Hello?”

“Jinhyuk, come get your notebook. I’m outside your school”, you said.

“W-why are you the one here?”

There was some silence. You went all this way and you’re feeling unwelcome.

“Oi, are you getting it or not? I’ll leave this on the ground”, you threatened.

 “W-wait. I’m getting it.”

When he came, you immediately gave him the notebook and went away.

“Where did you go?”, Seungyeon asked.

“Ah, y/n brought my notebook”, Jinhyuk replied.

“Oho~ now that you mention it, you haven’t talked about her today. Did something happen?”, he teased.

“Nothing and do I really have to talk about her every day?”

“This is interesting. Jinhyuk not talking about his favorite girl in the world?”, he continued teasing him.

“She’s not my favorite girl in the world!”

His friends laughed for his outburst. 

It’s already Sunday and he has not visited you yet. It’s not like I miss him, you told yourself. 

“Noona, where’s Jinhyuk-hyung? Is he not coming here?”, your brother asked.

“I don’t know. He might be busy.”

You can’t resist anymore and you sent him a message.

I’ve downloaded the full season of Seven Deadly Sins. Watch with me.

Jinhyuk saw your message and that was his signal. He was uncertain if he should visit you but since you are inviting him, then it means that he can go. 

“Hey, I brought some snack”, he said as he sat beside you.

Good thing that the anime you were watching had plenty of fighting scenes. These made you two jump and scream while watching. The awkward atmosphere disappeared and as if nothing happened.

After that, everything went back to normal. Good thing it did. You don’t want that to happen again. He went back to his habit of spending his weekend with you. If there’s anything that changed, it’s the distance between the two of you. Well he still wrap his arms on your shoulders but you don’t do holding hands anymore. He also used to sleep beside you when he’s at your house but that doesn’t happen anymore.

You hate to admit it but the skinship that you felt normal before has been something that you anticipate with.

One Friday night, Jinhyuk visited your house to play with Minhyuk. After some time, he noticed that your parents are not present.

“Hey, where are your parents?”, he asked.

“Ah, they visited my grandma. Both me and Minhyuk had classes this morning so we can’t go with them.”

“Oh~ wait”, he had a grin and went outside.

About an hour after, he came back wearing sleeping pajamas and he had yoru, his stuff toy, on his arms.

“I’m going to sleep here”, he announced.

“Huh?!” “Yey!” Both you and Minhyuk reacted. Obviously, you did the former.

You wanted to protest but he told you that he will stay with Minhyuk. You agreed. The three of you were quite tired that evening due to playing the whole night. You said your good nights and retreated to your rooms. 

Later that night, Jinhyuk had to use the toilet. The toilet is at the end, beside your room. After that, he went back and fell asleep.

You opened your eyes when you heard clicking sounds. The first thing that you did was to look for the source of that sound. You saw Minhyuk holding his mobile and taking a picture of you.

You raised your feet to kick him then suddenly, you felt someone’s movement. You looked at your side and saw that familiar face. You stood up immediately and threw a pillow at him. He rubbed his eyes and sat up.

“Hm.. What’s the commotion all about?”, he said, still half-asleep.

“Why are you here?! You said you will sleep beside Minhyuk!”

This woke him up and he searched around the room.

“Wait! I’m sure that I was --”, then he realized that after taking his time in the toilet, he immediately entered the room next to it.

While the two of you were panicking, Minhyuk sent the picture to your parents and you instantly received a call from your mother.

“No, mom. It’s a misunderstanding. He was half-asleep when he went here”, you explained.

The truth is, your parents do not find it as a problem. They actually want you to be with Jinhyuk so they are trying to indirectly push you to him. 

“What’s the big deal? We used to sleep together”, Jinhyuk said.

“Well, it’s a different thing now. We’re adults.”

The breakfast that day was quiet and Minhyuk obviously noticed it. As a curious child, he asked questions why we are not talking to each other, why we are in the same room, and is it normal since he only saw your parents to stay in one bed.

You tried to answer some of his questions but refrained some. After breakfast, Jinhyuk went home and thank god he did. Why is this happening again? My heart is beating fast again.

You haven’t met Jinhyuk again after that. 

You were walking towards your university gate when someone tap your shoulder. It’s Wooseok, a classmate of yours.

“Hey, did you make the assignment?”, he asked. You gave him an eye.

“I’m not letting you copy”, you told him.

“Come on~ I completely forgot about it and I might fail the class without it”, he explained.

“You still got 30 mins to answer.”

He hugged you and insisted that you help him. You let out a smile. You find it cute and you just handed over your notebook. He jumped for joy and hugged you tightly.

Then somebody pulled you away from Wooseok. You looked at his direction and you saw Jinhyuk with furrowed eyebrows.

“Who are you?”, he asked, clearly irritated.

“Uh, I’m Kim Wooseok, y/n’s classmate”, Wooseok replied while looking at you for help.

“Why are you hugging y/n?”

You just gently pushed Wooseok and told him to just give the notebook before the professor enters.

“Oi, why are you angry? He was hugging me because I let him copy my assignment. He was just thanking me”, you explained.

“And he had to hug you?! He can just say it and he’s just your friend.”

Seriously, what is wrong with him?

“Jinhyuk, we hug all the time and we are friends”, you made him realize.

This made him calm down but later on, his face grew red in color. He covered his face with his right hand and gestured, with his left hand, that he’ll get going. You held his wrist.

“Wait, why did you come here?”, you asked.

“Uhh.. nothing. I need to go”, and he pushed your hand away.

The bell rang and it was your signal that your class is starting. You ran to your classroom and Wooseok gently passed your notebook with a “thank you” note.

During lunch, you received a message from Jinhyuk.

I’ll eat dinner at your house. My parents are not at home.

~ when did you ever ask permission? lol . you’re welcome to join us

By 6 PM, Jinhyuk arrived and your mother invited him to eat. After dinner, Jinhyuk went with you to your room to watch an anime. Only the sound from the television can be heard. Jinhyuk, from sitting for a long time, changed his position. This made him accidentally touch your hand. Both of you flinched.

Why does a simple touch make you feel this way?

You kept on questioning yourself but you knew exactly the reason why you felt that way. You’re falling for him, for your best friend. You were lost in your thoughts when suddenly, Jinhyuk took the courage to hold your hand. You looked at him immediately.

He turned off the television and it was silent.

You just continued looking at him. What is he thinking? You were wishing that he can’t hear your fast beating heart. Then, you felt his hand gripping your hand tighter and everything just stopped.

You felt his lips on your cheek and from shock, you did not breath for a moment. You touched your cheek with your free hand. Soon, the feeling sank in.

“W-w-w-wha--”

“If.. I ask you on a date, will you go?”, he asked.

“Huh? Wait, what’s happening??”

“I like you okay? And I mean, not as friends but you as a woman.”

Doesn’t this only happen in shoujo manga?

You saw that familiar red tinge in his ear again. His hand was sweaty, showing that he is nervous. 

You are unfamiliar with this feeling but you knew that for some time, you were seeing Jinhyuk in a different light. You wanted to know more about this feeling, this emotion.

You gave him a nod and held back his hand. The both of you were grinning wide.

Click!

You saw Minhyuk taking another picture.

“I’m going to show this to Mom and Dad!”, he announced and ran downstairs. You wanted to chase after him but Jinhyuk held you back and you are now lying beside him.

“Oi, you just invited me to a date! We’re not yet going out!”, you told him as you pushed him away.

“Not yet?”, he teased. You blushed and pushed him outside your door. Before he can leave, you told him “I’m only available on weekends!” . This made him smile.

“Ow!”, you exclaimed after your mother pinched you on the legs. “What’s got in your head? Why are you wearing that?!”, she said. Your father, on the other hand, apologized for your behavior which Seungwoo’s parents politely accepted.

“You have a really interesting formal wear”, Seungwoo remarked. You rolled your eyes. “Well, I’m not dressing up for something I’m against with. And are you even fine with this arrangement?”

He shook his head. “No, I went here to also say that I’m against this marriage”, he said enough for everyone in the table to hear. “Good”, you said and you looked at the adults in the table.

“This might be too rushed for the two of you but this is needed for the two families”, Seungwoo’s mother said.

“No matter how much you protest, you don’t have any choice. This dinner is not for hearing your opinions, it’s for formalities sake. Nothing will change”, Seungwoo’s father strongly added. In the end, only the four adults talked while the two of you were silently eating.

The dinner ended and you're heading to the car but you shift direction and went the opposite way. You heard your mother calling you back numerous times. "I'm not going home", you shouted back as you ran away.

Seungwoo witnessed everything and he can't believe why he never noticed a schoolmate with such a strong personality.

"I was expecting you. Your mother called", your friend said as she makes way so you can enter. You've done this before to the point that your parents already know where you're going.

You greeted her parents and went upstairs. "What's the problem this time?". You shook your head and decided not to drag your friend into the mess.

You were woken up by your friend quite hastily. "Hey, did you make a big problem? A car's waiting for you outside." You stood up immediately not to make more problems for her family. It's the first time that someone fetched you. You were shocked to see your parents fully dressed in formal wear.

"Where are we going?", you asked as you wished that whatever you are thinking is not true. "We'll stop by a shop then we're going to the church." You’re about to open the car door when your mother held your hand and with trembling lips, she said: “We’ll denounce you if you run away.” 

Tears were falling as they dress you up in a wedding gown. Everything’s too fast. You knew your parents can be selfish but not to this point. As you were on the way to the church, you wished that Seungwoo’s not inside, that he disagreed and run away. Much to your dismay, he’s inside waiting for your arrival. Unlike your ideal wedding, the groom looks completely uninterested. The church is silent with only your parents and church personnel inside.

At the end of the day, your surname’s changed and you have a new home. The moment you’ve arrived in the new house provided by Seungwoo’s parents, he changed clothes and went somewhere else. You’ve examined the place. Everything’s provided but there’s only one room. Seems like they made sure that you’ll sleep in the same bed. You grabbed a pillow and a blanket and you went to the couch. 

When Seungwoo returned, he saw you sleeping on the couch but never cared. He went to the bedroom to have a comfortable sleep. For the following weeks, this is your routine. You wouldn’t talk to each other at school and even at home. He would always eat dinner outside and would only come back when you are already asleep.

It was a Saturday and Seungwoo did not go home. You decided to clean the house and then cook some pasta for yourself as a reward. After that, you did some schoolwork. You did not notice the time and it was already evening.

You woke up when you heard a moan coming from his bedroom. Seriously? He would even bring a woman here? The marriage is on paper only and hearing that he’s with someone else did not affect you but bringing a stranger inside your house is disrespectful. The sounds coming from his room did not stop and fortunately, one of your friends live quite near so you went to her house. It must be a blessing that you have friends who are so in love with sleepovers.

It was 7 in the morning when you decided to go back. Hopefully, that woman left already. While you were on your way to your house, you saw an approaching car from afar.  Your eyes grew wide when you realized that it’s your parents’ car. You hurriedly opened the door and went to Seungwoo’s bedroom. He was startled to see you opening the door. Not to mention that it was the first time that you actually entered his room. Before he can ask you, you put your hand in front of his face to stop him from talking.

“Did that woman went home already?”, you said as you catch your breath.

“What?” You rolled your eyes and stared at him. “Y-yes, she went home early in the morning.”

You opened the cabinet and searched for clothes he can wear. “What are you doing?”, he asked shocked with your actions. “My parents are on the way and I don’t want to hurt them by knowing that you slept with another woman.” You threw a hoodie and some pants to match it with. “Wear that now.” After saying that, you went to the living room to bring your things inside. You groaned seeing Seungwoo still half-naked. The young man not understanding the urgency of the situation.

“Seriously?! Why are you so slow?”, you said irritated. Seeing that he doesn’t have any plans to move faster, you made him wear the clothes. In front of you is a man older than you acting like a kindergarten student. “Ooh, you’re finally acting like my wife now”, he said amused. You looked at him with a blank face. “No, I think I’m acting like your mother now.” You shoot up when you heard the doorbell. Securing your arms with Seungwoo ’s, you dragged him outside. Before you opened the door, you noticed Seungwoo’s bed hair and tried to fix it before facing your parents. Seungwoo, on the other hand, had a playful smile all throughout the morning.

“If you’re still not informed, we’re going to act like a happy couple.”

“Oooh, why?”, Seungwoo asked with a smirk on his lips. “Because I don’t want my parents to be sad knowing that I’m living in hell while staying with you.” Seungwoo was shocked, almost guilty, hearing your words. He wanted to protest but you opened the door in a hurry. You flashed a big smile as you greeted your parents.

“I’m so happy seeing that both of you are doing well. I was worried that we made the wrong decision”, your mother said. “Of course not. It’s still hard but you know, we’re still adjusting”, you replied as you console your mother. “It was hard to sleep at night knowing that we sealed your fate forcefully”, your mother continued as you noticed the tears forming in her eyes. You held her hand and assured her that it’s fine. You knew that your mother will soon realize her mistake but seeing her cry will never be pleasant to your eyes.

After a few hours, they finally left. You immediately remove the smile on your face along with the loving holding hands with Seungwoo.

"Where did you went last night?", he asked.

"I went to my friend. And Seungwoo, please refrain from bringing women here. It was too noisy."

"Well, I can make any woman scream for my name", he said with a smug look on his face. You rolled your eyes. The day went on and it was very uncomfortable that Seungwoo did not leave the place. Usually, you can do your own plans but it's hard knowing that he's observing you the whole time.

Soon, sleepiness came to you. You arranged your bed aka couch and went to sleep. Later on that night, you heard a clicking sound from the doorknob. You ran to Seungwoo's room and went beside him.

"Woah woah. What are you doing? ", Seungwoo asked, completely awake.

"I heard someone opening the door and your parents are the only ones who own a spare key to this house. They're probably here to observe us secretly", you whispered.

You were startled when you felt Seungwoo's hand on your waist. "Then, we should at least play the part", he suggested. You wanted to protest but you heard the bedroom door opening that you hugged Seungwoo from the rush. While waiting for them to go, you unconsciously went to sleep.

You woke up when you felt a movement beside you. You opened your eyes to see Seungwoo looking at you with a small smile. “Good morning, wife”. You were about to push him when you remembered what happened last night. You hugged him again. “Are they still here?”, you whispered. He nods. So you continued hugging him but actually, they left already and only stayed for a few minutes. It was quiet so you asked him again one more time and he showed a playful smile. You blushed too hard and pushed him away. You hurriedly went outside and prepared for school.

Seungwoo’s smiling the whole time. Blushing hard from a simple hug made him think how cute and innocent you are. From that time, you would act in front of your parents and in-laws whenever they visit. You also talked to Seungwoo often now even at school though you panicked when he first approached you.

One day, you were eating alone in the cafeteria when someone sat beside you. “I’m almost finished. Why are you late?”, you said, assuming that it’s your friend. It was silent. You looked at his direction and you have Seungwoo sitting too close to you. Students were staring and you shoved that big piece of bread into your mouth and stood up. Seungwoo held your wrist and made you sit again.

“My parents will join us for dinner tonight.”

“What? Why?!”

“I don’t know. I just hope that your cooking abilities are good”, and he went away. Wait, I’m going to cook dinner?

You panicked and you can’t concentrate in class. All you can think of is the dinner and what meal will you cook. Once the school bell rang, you went to a nearby supermarket and bought ingredients. You were expecting that Seungwoo would atleast help but guess what? He did not. He went home when you are already finished cooking.

  A few minutes after, his parents came. Again you put up the act and Seungwoo’s hands were all over your body. You hated it.

“y/n, I’m sorry for the abrupt visit. We just want to see you two again.”

“It’s no problem at all”, you replied. You invited them to eat in the meal on the table.  Seungwoo also helped himself and grabbed a spoonful of it.

“Wow, you’re good in cooking!”, he exclaimed. You were about to boast but then remembered the two adults in front of you.

“Son, have you not tried her cooking before?”, his mother asked.

“Ah, I have. It’s just that she never cooked anything this good.” His parents laughed with his remark.

The dinner was fairly quiet until his father cleared his thorat.

“So.. I know you two are pretty young but when can we get a grandchild?”, he asked.

Gurl, the food you were chewing just flew out everywhere. You continuously tap your chest to breath. You were too shocked. You heard Seungwoo snickered and gently pushed the glass of water on your direction.

“Hahaha. Was that question too much?”, his father remarked.

You were about to respond but Seungwoo just placed his arm on your shoulders, pulling you closer.

“Don’t worry too much about it. We’ll get you not only a grandchild but grandchildren.”

“My my. I guess, your relationship is really doing great.”

You were blushing profusely and secretly pinching Seungwoo’s leg.

They left shortly after. You pushed Seungwoo’s arm away and went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. You were humming to yourself when two arms surrounded you. Seungwoo’s hands rested on the counter with you on the middle.

“I think we should start trying for a child”, he whispered.

You felt your ears violated. You covered it immediately and push Seungwoo away.

“W-what are you s-s-saying?? T-that was for show!”

“Oh really? You know, you’re just being stubborn. We can make this work out”, he suggested while coming closer to you.

You turned around, closed the faucet, threw your rubber gloves, and run to the bedroom. You made sure it was locked.

“What are you running away from? And I sleep there”, he asked through the door. You can already picture that playful smile he has.

 “You sleep at the sofa tonight!”

You jumped to the bed. You momentarily forgot that he sleeps here alone most of the time. The bedsheet smells like him. The pillow smells like his shampoo. You slapped your cheek when you realized what you were doing.

The next day, you slowly opened the door. When no one’s around, you knew that he is already at school since he has an earlier class than you. Going to your room, you brought out your towel and other bathing essentials. You opened the bathroom, only to see Seungwoo half-naked. A white towel was hugging his waist and you assumed that he just finished bathing because of his wet hair.

“W-wwwaaaah! You should have locked the door”, you shouted while attempting to look away but that perfect body made you peek some times. He held your hand, pulling it away from your face.

“Wife, why are you covering your face? You should be accustomed to this already”, and he has that playful smile again. You pushed him hard, outside the bathroom and you locked the door.

“Get dressed!”, you shouted and you heard him laugh.

When you stepped outside, he’s nowhere to be found. You sighed loudly.

“How was the quiz? It was really difficult for me”, your friend said after the professor left. It’s your only class for the day and you thought that you will have a fairly good rest but your professor unexpectedly prepared a quiz. You’re just wishing that it will at least be over the passing grade.

As you were approaching the door to exit, you saw Seungwoo outside and by instinct, you hid. Why is he here?

“What are you doing? Let’s go”, your friend said.

“You can go first”, you half-whispered.

“Uh.. okay. See you tomorrow then.” You’ve been sighing a lot this day.

  “Aren’t you y/n’s friend? Is she here?”, you heard Seungwoo.

Oh shit. Please don’t tell him.

“y/n, she’s inside. I’ll call here for you”, she energetically answered. You hated that.

  “y/n, Seungwoo’s looking for you”, she said and right after ,Seungwoo peeked into the classroom and he laughed seeing your hiding position.

Seungwoo thanked her and she bid goodbye. You facepalmed. I should have told her about what happened.

Seungwoo crouched beside you.

“So why are we hiding?”, he teased.

“H-hiding? I’m not hiding!”, you exclaimed.

“I’ve noticed that you stutter a lot when you are with me. Is there a meaning behind that?”, he responded.

“Shut up”, and you marched away. You heard his footsteps. He rested his arm on your shoulders which you grew to like.

“Get away from me.”

“Hmm? Not too convincing, are you? Let’s eat lunch together. I don’t have a class till 3 PM.”

You can’t really argue since you were also on your way for lunch. He led you to a nearby café. You silently ate. You realized that it’s the first time you ate with him without putting up an act to your parents and in-laws.

You realized that he’s a fine listener. He also shared funny stories during the meal. The atmosphere’s turning quite well.

“Seungwoo?”

Both of you looked at the voice’s direction. You were faced with a beautiful woman with great fashion sense. You knew at that moment who she was. With the way she talked with him and how natural she touched him, she’s one of Seungwoo’s women.

You didn’t know if she still meets with women since he never brought a woman home after that time. From the rumors you heard before, he’s been with different women at the same time. You did not really expect that he’ll become faithful once he’s married, or did you?

“Who is she?”, she asked.

Before Seungwoo can respond, you stood up and extended your hand.

“Hello. I’m y/n, his friend. We were just discussing about a school project.”

“I knew it. I mean, you’re too far from Seungwoo’s ideal type”, she said and it hurt. Why does it hurt? Is shouldn’t hurt, right?

You forced a laugh. You picked up your bag and invited her to sit on your empty seat.

“You’re going already?”, she asked.

“Yes. I have some personal errands to do”, you reasoned.

It hurts. Tears were falling on your cheeks. You failed to realize that you fell for him while doing those pretentious acts. You went home and immediately laid on the sofa, while covering yourself with a blanket. You heard the door knob clicked and you muffled your cry. As his footsteps grew closer, your heart was beating faster. There was silence for a few seconds.

“Are you awake?”, he asked. You did not reply.

“Sorry about what happened.”

Why is he apologizing? You were the one who’s wrong.

“Don’t apologize. It’s totally fine. We are only married on paper”, you reminded yourself him. He did not respond and you heard the bedroom door open and then closed.

The next morning, you woke up early, planning to avoid him for the rest of the day. You went to your friend’s house. Whenever you go to her house, it’s usually because you are in trouble. You reassured her that nothing’s wrong and you simply wanted to visit her.

You spent the day playing card games and gossiping about the people at school. Later on, he mother went inside the room to serve some snacks. She was about to leave when she paused, as if forgetting to something,

“Ah right. y/n, a young man came looking for you. He shortly left after knowing that you’re staying here.”

Eh? Don’t tell me it’s him.

“Do you remember how he looked like?”, you asked.

“Hmm.. a tall man with oriental eyes, and pointy nose. He also had a sweet smile”, she replied.

“Ah! He also had a tattoo on his collar bones. I didn’t mean to see it but it was slightly peeking out of his shirt”, she added.

That’s definitely Seungwoo. Why did he look for me?

 Thinking that it might be an emergency, you sent him a message.

It was getting late. You thanked your friend and her family, for letting you stay. They invited you to stay over but you decided not to. It’s time to stop running away.

You heard the noise coming from the television, the creaking sound of the sofa as if Seungwoo’s sitting up tight and you were correct. You stepped to the living room, seeing Seungwoo sitting on the sofa with a smile on his face.

“I’m back”, you greeted him.

Before you can enter the bedroom to change clothes, Seungwoo called your name.

“y/n, do you have time? Let’s talk.”

“Sure.”

When you opened the door, he turned off the television and lightly tapped the space beside him.  You scooted as far as possible. He scooted closer in response. You raised your hand, forming a wall between you and him.

“Okay, what is wrong with you?”

“You know.. I haven’t told you before.. but I’m quite serious about this”, he answered.

“Serious with what?”

“With us. Usually, I would have made a move already but I have been going with your pace. I learned that you haven’t had a boyfriend before so I don’t want to rush anything.”

Wait what? What is he saying?

“You’re serious, huh? Then how do you explain that woman who we met at the café?”, you mentioned.

“I was seeing her before we met. I never met any other woman after we got married.”

You stopped a smile. You are mentally hitting yourself for feeling happy.

“You were really jealous because of that, huh?”, he teased.

“Huh? O-of course not! And why would I even believe you?!Remember our first week here? You brought a woman home.”

“Ah, you’ve misinterpreted that. I did not bring any woman here. I was watching a movie then it has that kind of scene.  That was the reason why I was so out-of-my-head when you walked in that morning. I did not know what you were talking about.”

Nothing can explain the embarrassment that you feel. Seungwoo can see that your mind is in a jumble. Whenever he sees you nervous or panicked, he kept help teasing you.

He touched your cheeks, placing his hand on your jaw. He played a smile feeling your tense body. Your eyes dilate and he saw his clear reflection in it. You were looking at him. He closed the distance and gently placed his lips on yours.

“How about we start from the very beginning? Let’s start going on dates, miss virgin”, he teased masked behind a gentle smile.

You pushed him hard, sending him to the other side of the sofa.

“Get away from me! And I’ll stay in the bedroom alone tonight!”

You made sure that he can hear the locked door. Seungwoo on the other hand saw this as a challenge, a fun challenge to top on that.

“Let’s see who will surrender first, y/n”, he said to himself.

Seungwoo has been with you for years and at that time, you did not worry about other women. Soon, whenever you walked with him on the corridors of your school, you have noticed the stares coming from women.

You know that you have fallen for him long before but you did not rush in confessing. You have seen him as a charming goof ball and you thought, no one will fall for him.

After realizing those stares, you have observed Seungwoo secretly. He has a handsome face, a perfect physique, and a sweet smile. You mentally facepalmed. Of course, women will fall for him.

 After the date where you have participated as the third-wheel, you have received a message from him.

hey, how did you find her? she’s pretty and nice right?

* yup. she is. you have chosen well but you could have chosen me

i knew it. thanks for coming with us. good night ~

The next morning, you met with Byungchan, a friend you have met through Seungwoo. You arrived earlier than him and ordered breakfast first. While waiting for your order, he came in while jokingly stomping his feet. You laughed.

“That hyung got a new girlfriend, right? We were supposed to play this game but he ditched me ‘cause his new girlfriend doesn’t like shooting games. By the way, where were you yesterday?”

“I was with them and ate dinner. He needs an audience.”

“Argh~ how come he is so dense? I would support you being his girlfriend, you know? And you would definitely play online games with us.”

“Okay, quit rambling and order your food. I will not wait for you once mine will be served.”

He called the waitress and ordered. After a while, your order came and a few more minutes, his order also arrived. You have enjoyed the breakfast while sharing funny stories.

You later spent time to play online games with him so he can rambling about it. You are not the best player and he knew it but he simply wants a company.

 When you went back home, you have posted pictures from the cafe and his house on instagram. A few seconds passed and you have received a dm from Seungwoo.

you traitors!

hahaha. seem like you are busy so we went ahead and had some fun without you.

i will scold byungchan once i see him.

well, you should also get ready. he was rambling because you ditched him yesterday.

oh right. wait, h/n is here. talk to you later.

And there he goes again. Leaving you hanging.

You were walking along the corridors with Byungchan when you heard his voice. He went running to you after letting go of h/n’s hand. I hate it when he does that. It makes me feel more important. He placed his arm on your shoulders. You knew how it looks like to his girlfriend so you pushed his arm away and pulled Byungchan’s arm. Byungchan just shook his head. He knew what was on your mind so he just let you be.

At some point, you knew you were partly responsible for his previous breakups. Of course, you did not do anything outside of your boundaries but his previous two girlfriends had been looking at you with such despise whenever you meet them. You don’t want to happen it again.

Seungwoo was left standing there when his girlfriend also left him. It was the first of their many fights. When they have a misunderstanding, he would share it to your GC. Byungchan and you learned to ignore his messages later on. 

Their relationship did not last long, just like his previous relationships. Both you and Byungchan received a message from him one night. You visited him in his apartment and you were welcomed with the strong smell of alcohol. You looked at Byungchan. Here we go again~

He was a mess that night. There were no third parties. They realized their differences and decided to separate since there were no solutions.

Before the night ended, he promised that he will not jump to a relationship without fully knowing the person and you and Byungchan nodded.

Seungwoo exactly did that. It has already been a year and he is still single. Byungchan is definitely happy since his hyung is spending more time with him. That also applies to you. You finally feel like everything’s fine and normal again but ...there was this one time when he was staring at you for no reason. You asked him a couple of times that night if he wanted to say something but he just gently shook his head.

You didn’t mind it much since it only happened that night.

wanna hang out?

You looked at the notification on your phone. It’s from Seungwoo.

sure. byungchan has new games btw. i’ll tell him we’ll hang out in his house.

i only want to hang out with you.

You stared at your phone for some time. Is there something wrong?

is something wrong?

nothing. just come 

He opened the door the moment you knocked. It almost seem like he’s waiting for you by the door. He greeted you with a smile. He led you to the living room and you saw that it was set up for your usual movie night. Oh god. Why did he have to sound so serious when he just wanted to watch a movie?

You turned your feet to face him but he was too close, too close that you felt his breath. You immediately moved backwards.

“W-why are you so close? And you should have just told me that it’s movie night. I thought something happened to you.”

“Why? Are you worried?”, he replied with a smirk.

“O-obviously. I’m always worried”, you replied without looking at him. You sat at your usual spot and he followed and sat beside you.

He played the movie and you noticed that he was closer to you than usual. You scooted a little to your side.

“Why is Byungchan not invited?”, you asked not looking away from the screen.

“He’s on a date.” You looked at him immediately.

“What?! And I was not informed?!”

“I’m going to tease that guy once I see him”, you added.

“How about you? When will you start dating?”, he asked. You were taken aback. It’s the first time that he showed interest on your love life.

“Probably never”, you replied blandly.  He laughed. 

“Because I’m not looking at you?”

“Hah? W-w-where the hell did you get that confidence, Han Seungwoo?!”, you responded while internally wishing that you are not blushing.

He brought out his phone while seemingly looking for something. He stopped scrolling and momentarily smiled. He gently placed his phone on your hand. He placed his head on his hand and gestured you to look at the phone. You did.

You panicked upon seeing the screenshot. It’s a picture of your conversation with Byungchan.

“T-that’s edited”, and you faked a laugh. You pushed the phone back to him and stood up. You grabbed your bag and walked away. Before you can get far, he held your wrist, turned you around, and gently placed his lips on yours. Everything moved slowly and all you can think about is the kiss. He looked at you for a moment and he find your shocked face cute. He smiled before kissing you again. This time, he moved and led you to do the same. You relaxed and brought your hands to his shoulders while he did the same to your lower end of your back. 

“When did you know?”, you asked.

“Hmm.. last month? Byungchan is getting impatient that nothing’s happening so he showed me that conversation.”

“Why did you not mention it to me earlier?”

“I don’t want to make the same mistake again. I don’t want to jump into a relationship with you if I’m not fully sure. And I don’t want that to be the cause of a broken friendship.”

“So...”

“So I’m formally asking you if you want me to be your boyfriend?”, he asked. He confidently said it but you can see the nervousness in his eyes.

You giggled and gave him a nod.

He hugged you tightly.

“I’m so stupid for not looking at you earlier. This.. feels right with you”, he whispered. 

Later that night, you shared the news to Byungchan and both of you laughed with his reply.

FINALLY! THE TWO OF YOU ARE SO DUMB THAT I WAS STRESSED ABOUT IT!!! I CAN FINALLY SLEEP WITH EASE.

“Darling, wear something formal, okay?”, your mother reminded you as you were dressing up.

“Mom, I think it will take me awhile. Can you go there first?”, you replied.

“Sure but don’t be late.”

The cab stopped in front of a fancy restaurant. As you gave the fee, you can’t help but think of how out-of-place you look. You wanted your marriage partner to be turned off so you purposely worn something casual, a blue ripped jeans, topped with a red and black checkered polo and finished with black combat boots.

Upon entering the place, everyone’s eyes were on you. You looked for your parents and they looked as if they saw a ghost. Your mother rushed towards you.

“Oh my god. What are you wearing?”, she half whispered.

“If we’re going to get married, then he should see who I really am”, you confidently replied, you mother not knowing your true intentions. You walked towards the table and it would be a lie if you thought he’s unattractive. He suddenly snorted then you realized what he’s wearing. He sported a black hoodie partnered with black ripped jeans and sneakers. He also had an earring, obviously inappropriate for such meeting. Did he thought the same thing?

“I’m so sorry. I did not expect that she’ll come dressed like this”, your father apologized.

“It’s fine. It seems like they think alike”, his mother replied.

They soon talked about wedding preparations and other stuffs like house and kids. You were not taking any of it. You let out an exasperated sigh and finally interrupted them.

“Don’t you think this is wrong? Don’t decide on our future! We’re both grown ups, we can make our own decisions.”

“And look at him! I’m sure he’s equally hating this!”, you added.

He cleared his throat and spoke in a calm manner.

“Mom, I know you’re doing this with a good intention but we can decide on our own. We’d like it we can look for our respective partners without our parents’ help.”

There was an awkward silence. Fortunately, Daniel, your supposed-to-be-partner, has an understanding mother. She thought about it carefully and agreed with her son’s opinion. You knew that both sides were disappointed. You were not sure what made them think that you and Daniel would be good for each other but you can see the disappointed look on their faces.

You were about to enter the car when a familiar man tap your shoulder. It was Daniel with a smirk on his lips as he extended his hand.

“The dinner might not have turned out as they expected but it was still good time. It was very nice to meet you.”

Of course, you also held out your hand and shook hands with him.

It has been months since your encounter with Daniel and you are still single AF. Your parents are not saying anything direct but they would give hints at random times.

“Ah, it must be nice to have a young man in this house. We can’t lift the heavy furniture”, your mom said while she was cleaning the house.

“Mom, I can do that. I’ve always lifted the heavy things in this house. We don’t need another person”, you replied. She sighed and moved her head disapprovingly. 

The day you’ve been afraid of is here. After studying for your law class, you went downstairs to get a cola. You saw your parents resting in the living room with such serious looks on their faces.

“Is there something wrong?”, you asked as you opened the refrigerator.

“Come here. You have an invitation.”

“Hm? For what?”

You approached them and there you see a wedding invitation. It’s from your classmate who’s attending the same law school as you do. You don’t want this to happen because for sure, your parents will get disappointed. For this reason, you’ve always told your friends to send their invitations via email or SNS. 

“See? Your friends are already getting married and here you are, still single. Can’t you even look for a boyfriend?”, your mother asked.

“Mom, I’ve told you already. If I fall in love with someone, then I’ll definitely approach him but I haven’t fell for someone yet.” 

“Darling, let y/n decide on her own. It’s better that she’ll find a man that won’t hurt her, even though it may take a long time”, you father cooed.

You gave him a thumbs up and a heart to show your gratitude. Before going upstairs, you grabbed the invitation.

It's a Saturday and it's also the wedding day of your friend. You decided to wear a white off-shoulder top and a soft pink skirt.

"Don't forget to grab that bouquet", your mother reminded before you left the house. You sighed. That's only a superstition. It will never happen even if I get that bouquet.

When you arrived, you saw familiar faces, your law school classmates, and went to them. Everyone's telling you that you look extra beautiful today since you don't normally wear feminine-looking clothes.

You clapped with the others when the bride entered. She was beautiful and happy. You've observed them and you can see the overwhelming happiness from the groom and bride.

You were spacing out when one of your girl friends pulled you.

"It's time for the bouquet tossing. Let's go! "

All the other women are raising their hands, waiting for the bouquet while you crossed your arms to avoid magically getting it.

“Okay, here it goes ladies”, the bride announced. A few seconds later, you heard groans. You noticed that instead of a woman, a man, tall in stature and with broad back, held the bouquet. 

“What are you doing? Daniel, get out of there!”, the groom shouted.

Daniel?

He faced the other direction to apologize to the women. You knew it was him, your supposed-to-be-husband. You’ve thought of hiding but you didn’t have any reason to do that. Greeting him would also be weird since you are not really close to him. Thankfully, one of your friends was complaining so you listened to her, giving you a reason to look at your side.

Daniel gave back the bouquet and the bride tossed it one more time. This time, a woman got the bouquet and she was jumping with glee, mainly because she actually got a boyfriend.

After the wedding, there was a party and you hated parties. It drains your energy and you’d rather spend the time at home so you excused yourself and went outside. You were waiting for a cab to pass by when the door beside you opened. You heard his voice. You looked at him and he was with a woman. For some reason, you felt embarrassed. Both of you were single months ago but he’s now in a relationship while you’re still single.

You lowered down your head and focused your attention on your phone. Hopefully, he will not notice you.Based from the woman’s voice, she is heavily drunk and she’s giving her everything to Daniel. But seriously, how can you get drunk while attending a wedding???

Finally, a cab is coming and you walked towards it but Daniel as well? You ran to the cab. Their lust can wait, you thought. You held the knob but Daniel insisted that he needs the cab, while not looking at you.

He pushed his girlfriend inside then he gave the address to the driver. Is he just leaving his girlfriend in that state???

“You should have went with her. That can be dangerous”, you told him.

“It’s okay. I know the driver”, he replied while fixing/cleaning his suit.

“I’m so sorry for ---- Wait, you’re y/n, right?”

“Yup. It’s nice to see you again Daniel.”

“Were you also at the wedding?”, he asked. You nod and he suddenly have this playful smile on his face.

“I should have given you that bouquet”, he added.

You rolled your eyes. You knew exactly what he is implying.

“Oh shut up. You’re acting like this because you already have a girlfriend.”

“What do you mean? I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“Then who was that in the cab?”

He laughed and explained that he met that woman for the first time and she was clinging to him. He then asked you if you’re already going home.

“Yup, just waiting for another cab to pass by.”

He stood there for awhile then left, telling you to wait. Wait for what?

A few moments later, you saw him driving a car. He invited you to get in and he’ll drive you home. Well, you don’t want to wait again so you went inside and thanked him for the offer.

“So have you introduced anyone to your parents?”, he asked while driving.

“Even you? Let’s not talk about this. I’ve already had enough with just my parents and close friends.”

He laughed and apologized. You two talked about the wedding and the ride and groom. Daniel stepped on the break and you’re already outside the house.

“Should I greet your parents?”, he suggested.

“No. They’ll make a big deal about it”, you replied immediately.

“That’s true. Well, we were supposed to get married.”

That caught you off-guard. It’s true that if the two of you did not oppose to the arrangement, then you’re probably planning the wedding already. You gave a smile and a thank you to Daniel before leaving the car.

As you were about to open the gate, you heard your mother on the other side. She opened the gate for you but instead of greeting you, she went outside.

“Oh my! Daniel, is that you?”, she exclaimed. How did she know it’s Daniel? You looked behind and Daniel’s out of the car and he’s waving his hand.

What the hell?! Why did he show his face?

Daniel, seeing your expression, laughed while still waiving to your mother. It amused him to see your facial expression, seemingly wanting to ask thousands of questions. 

“Since you’re already here, how about you go inside and I’ll give you some snacks?”, your mother asked.

Behind her back, away from her vision, you mouth NO to Daniel. Say No. Don’t come inside! Daniel saw everything.

“Sure, Auntie. I’ll go inside.” You face palmed.

Your mother invited Daniel to the living room. You went upstairs to avoid whatever talk your mother will obviously say. Approximately 30 minutes has passed. If he’s only here for snacks, he should be leaving by now.

“Y/n, Daniel’s going home. Come here!”

Finally. You went downstairs. Your mother insisted that you see him out. As soon as you closed the door, you nudged him hard.

“What is wrong with you?! You’re giving her false hope!”

“Come on~ This is fun”, he replied nonchalantly. 

Fun?!!! You pushed him outside the gate. “Don’t come back here again!” Daniel left while laughing. You went to your room and locked it to make sure that your mother won’t interrogate you.

The next morning, you woke up with the vibration from your phone. One of your friends told you that there will be a recitation in the International Law class. You got up immediately and went to your desk. You scanned your books and memorized all the cases. Time went by and thankfully, your mother reminded you of your class.

“I really hate that teacher. He always announces important matters on the same day”, one of your classmates said.

Fortunately, the questions asked by your professor was something you’ve studied this morning. When the professor left, everyone let out a groan and one of them invited everyone to eat dinner together.

“So who’s coming?”

Some raised their hands including you.

“y/n! Seems like you’re not coming. Someone’s looking for you.”

Daniel was standing by the door while he was waving his hand. Why is he here?

“Daniel? Do you need anything?”

“Let’s eat dinner.”

You raised an eyebrow. What is he planning? You were just looking at him all confused and he was getting impatient waiting for your reply. He went inside the room, grabbed your bag and rested his arm on your shoulders.

“Let’s go.”

You looked behind and you knew that on the next meeting, you will be bombarded by questions from your classmates.

You arrived at a restaurant and your eyes were not leaving Daniel.

“Why are we eating dinner together?”, you asked.

“Stop staring at me like that. Just want to hang out”, he said while laughing.

He ordered some food. You were slicing a steak while glaring at him. He caught you looking at him and almost spat out the wine he was drinking.

“y/n, am I that attractive?”

You rolled your eyes.

“Daniel, why are we having dinner together? Our parents will misunderstand this.”

“I think they already did”, he replied.

“Your parents contacted my mom about the arrange marriage. My mother agreed immediately. It seems like she really wants you to be her daughter-in-law.”

You were shocked to hear every word. Then you remembered what happened yesterday. It’s all his fault.

“It’s all your fault! If you only didn’t do whatever stunt you were doing yesterday then this would not have happened!”

Your voice resonated throughout the whole restaurant. 

“Wait, calm down”, he said as he gestured for you to sit down.

You sat down as embarrassment sink in. Daniel gently pushed the glass of water to your direction.

“Is this fine with you? You have said before that you don’t want them to decide for your own marriage”, you said once you have calmed down.

“I know but... I just thought that maybe it will work out if its you.”

Your eyes grew wide and your breathing stopped for a moment. What is he saying...

You woke up from your sea of thoughts when he waved his hand in front of your face.

“Hey, y/n?”

“W-w-what did you s-say?”

You are a blushing mess now. He indirectly confessed to you and it is the first you have received such words.

Upon seeing your blushing face, Daniel smirked. What a cute reaction...

“We can date first, you know? Before getting.. married. I think it would be difficult for the both of us if we don’t know each other well”, he suggested.

You nod and just like that, you two are dating. After that dinner, you went home and thought what is it like to be dating. You have only read manga and watched movies and that is the extent of your knowledge on dating.

You were expectant but was disappointed. You have not been in touch with him for three days already. No message, no calls, not a single presence of him.

After your law class, you decided to walk around school to study. A few minutes passed and you received a message from your classmate.

Y/n, where are you now?

I’m at the colored benches under the oak tree. Why?

And no more message after that. Does she need something from me? It made you wonder since you left class early. You simply continued studying while listening to music.

Then a bouquet of roses appeared in front of you. You were surprised to see Daniel sitting opposite of you. You removed your earphones.

“Hi”, he greeted.

“Hi.”

“Did you miss me?”, he asked. You would have rolled your eyes if this happened a few weeks ago but this time, it’s different.

“No”, but the growing red color on your cheeks failed to conceal your feelings. Daniel smiled sweetly at you.

“I’m sorry for not contacting you the last few days. We have been quite busy at work.”

“It’s fine but if its going to be like this as we progress, then I would not like it”, you replied.

“Didn’t know that you are quite the clingy type..”

You were about to protest when he spoke again.

“But I ain’t complaining”, he continued. You stared at each other for some time. Realizing what you are doing, you switched the attention to the roses.

“So are these for me?”, you asked. He hummed in response.

“Thank you for the thought but I am not fond of flowers. Not because it’s flowers but because they are picked up to die in a few days.”

Daniel brought out a notebook and a pen.

“Okay, got it. I got all those noted. Not fond of bouquets and... the clingy type”, he smirked, purposely prolonging the last few words.

“I am not clingy.”

“Right right~”, he stood up and held your wrist, making you stand up.

“Let me help in organizing your things and let’s go on a date. It’s my apology for not contacting you”, he said with a wink. 

That was the first of the many official dates you had with him. Unlike most arranged marriages you have heard about, your wedding was scheduled a year from your first date.

As you walk down the aisle, you can’t help but laugh at your mother’s face. She was crying hard, knowing that her daughter is finally married. While your father was definitely crying because her daughter is getting married and will be separated from him.

When you were beside Daniel, he told you how beautiful you are, which he says to you from time to time. The exchanges of vows commenced and when the host announced that the groom may kiss the bride, Daniel’s friends were the noisiest. The eldest five are the loudest among them.

It was a sweet kiss and you felt him smiling as you kissed.

By the end of the wedding program, Daniel went close to you and whispered, “I’m excited for tonight.” (A/N: AAAAAHHHHHHH PLEASE NVM ME)

You coughed and pushed him away.

You share two classes with Seongwoo and it always give a headache to your professor. Before you went to your class, you went ahead and cut your hair to remove the gum. Thanks to him, you now got a short-hair which definitely doesn’t suit your circle-shaped face.

Before entering the class you shared with him, you made sure that you have an extra bottle of juice. It would be perfect with the white blouse he worn today.

When you opened the door, everyone’s eyes was on your hair you. You walked towards him. He had this smug look on his face that you absolutely want to remove.

“You’re looking good”, he teased.

“Really? Well, let me thank you for that.” You poured the juice on his head and stains were left on his blouse.

“Now, you got the wet look. Pretty sure, girls will like you more now”, you said with a fake smile. He glared at you. He stood up to get revenge but the professor just arrived. The professor looked at the scene and sighed.

“It’s you two again. Seongwoo, clean up then come back.”

You stifled a laugh as you looked at his angry face. At first, the professor scolded you for doing such pranks but he later gave up. Seems like it will not end even with a scolding so he just dealt with it calmly.

When you went home, you marked the calendar with an X. Tomorrow, huh?

Tomorrow’s April 1 aka April Fool’s Day. Yours and his friends refrain from approaching you two on that day. The worst pranks are done on that day. Let’s just not mention those pranks ‘cause they were really embarrassing. You prepared a dress that he can wear. You’re planning to pour juice again on him and he’ll probably think that’s it. But you’ll follow him to the toilet and as soon as he removes those clothes, you’ll grabbed them and leave that dress, leaving him with no choice. It’s the perfect plan.

 After the preparation, you lied on your bed. When will this end? You wanted to end this for a long time but you were afraid that the only connection you have with him will vanish. The truth is, you like him from the start but your stubborn self refused to believe your feelings. Instead of confessing, you did jokes and pranks on him and because he is quite playful, he went along with your games.

The next day, you were walking along the corridor and you saw Seongwoo walking towards you. You observed him with scrutinizing eyes. You’re not letting your guard down.

“Good morning!”, and he left. What was that? Is this his new scheme? 

When you entered class, you worn a raincoat. You remembered that last year, he prepared a bucket of water and flour to pour on you. It was hard to remove all that mess from your body. This time, when you entered, nothing happened. You heard his giggles.

“I ain’t doing that.... In fact, I won’t do anything today.”

Huh? But it’s April 1???

Now, you are hesitating to do a prank. What if he really meant it? You thought that this is the opportunity you were waiting for to end all of these. What if he’s lying? You hated the feeling. You don’t know what to do.

You postponed your plan and waited for him to do something first. But it’s already 4 in the afternoon and still, nothing happened. Was he telling the truth? After your classes, you decided to go home immediately. You were almost at the school gates when someone pulled you.

“Seongwoo?”

“Hey. Do you have time? Let’s talk.”

Suddenly, your guard is up. This day is not yet done. He led you to the back of the Engineering building. At this time, no one passes in this area. 

“So, why are we here?”, you asked.

“Well, the truth is... Wait. Give me some time. I’m a bit nervous.”

He really did seem nervous. He touched the nape of his neck and continued talking.

“This is a bad time to say this since it’s April 1 but I’m not joking. I like you, y/n.”

Wait.. What?

You did not reply and he noticed it.

“I’m not lying, y/n. I really like you. I actually did all of these to get your attention”, he added.

Really? Then we actually felt the same way?

You were happy. You can finally stop these pranks and can move on to the next level at the same day.

“Me too. I also - - -”

“April Fool’s! Hahaha!”, one of his friends was secretly filming everything behind the bushes. Then, your heart dropped. His friend run away, thinking that you might grab the camera from him. You were left with Seongwoo. It was quiet. 

He heard your last words and he got the gist of it. To escape from this awkwardness, you faked a laugh. You kept your head down. You approached him and lightly hit him.

“You got me.” It was perfect until your voice cracked. You’ve never felt this embarrassment before.

“y/n...”

“I should go. You won today.”

You walked away but the tears started to fall on your cheeks so you soon run away.

The next day, you desperately wanted to miss class but you can’t. Exam week is near and you can’t miss any lessons. Fortunately, your eyes are not puffy. You look.. okay.

You attended all your classes. Some of your friends were bewildered that no pranks happened. Unlike before, you don’t even look at Seongwoo if he ever pass by.

One afternoon, Sungwoon, the one who took a video of you approached you.

“y/n, do you have time?”

“Uh.. sure. What’s the matter?”

“Don’t worry. I did not show that video to anyone. Only the three of us knows about it.”

You haven’t even told him anything. Why is he approaching you?

“Umm.. okay. Thanks”, you replied shortly.

“Now, can you please talk to Seongwoo? That guy is becoming weird”, he added.

“He jokes less and he’s quiet. You know that’s not the normal Seongwoo, right? So can you talk to him? He’s afraid to approach you first”, he explained.

Later on, you saw him alone at his classroom after class.

You threw a rolled paper to his head. Usually, he would over exaggerate but not this time. He simply rubbed his head.

“There’s really something wrong with you, huh?”

Upon hearing your voice, he stood up and looked at your direction.

“So is this all because of what happened on April Fools?”, you asked. He didn’t reply and just stared at you. You lightly hit him and that woke him up from his daydream.

“Oh come on~ It’s not a big deal”, you lightly laughed.

“I’m sorry”, he said.

You can tell the sincerity from his eyes. You gave him a smile.

“It’s fine. You are forgiven”, you replied.

After that, he finally had a smile on his lips. He picked up his things and went out of school with you.

“Okay, so just don’t post that video anywhere. Or else I’ll be mad at you. That video is an embarrassment”, you chuckled.

“So you really....--

Before he can finish, you ran towards the bus station and as if it was timed, the bus arrived. You waved him goodbye and entered the bus.

“See you tomorrow!”, you shouted.

Whew! Good thing, the bus came in time.

The next morning, you were on the hallway, going to your room when you felt an arm on your shoulders. It’s Seongwoo, with a smirk on his face.

This guy... Just because I forgave him yesterday, he’s starting already.

You pushed his arm away and did some karate stance.

“Are you starting again?!”

You laughed and grabbed your arm. He again rested his arm on your shoulders.

“I’m not but I’m definitely starting something today.”

You looked puzzled.

 “Let’s meet at Mistea Cafe later”, he told you.

“Huh? Why?”

“Let’s go on a date.”

You looked at him with a blush on your face. You pushed him away and ran. Of course, typical Seongwoo ran after you and asked you plenty of times to agree.

You agreed. ;)

You’re busy studying when someone tap your shoulder. You met Minhyun’s eyes and you removed one of your earphones. 

“It’s already closing time”, he informed you. He was right. You looked outside and it was dark with only a few people walking. You panicked and picked up all your books.

“I’m so sorry. That was rude of me”, you told him. Personally, you don’t like people staying too much in a cafe just to study. It’s a cafe, not a library.

“It’s okay. There were still free seats while you were studying.”

You wanted to wait for him but again, you were afraid that he’ll know that you’re interested in him. He might stop talking to you. You left immediately.

The next time you saw him was in the same cafe. You did not visit for two weeks due to schoolworks. Instead of accepting the orders, he was on the side, along with two other people. One’s Seongwoo and you knew him because he is as popular as Minhyun. You don’t know who’s the woman though.

You didn’t mind it much. You ordered the usual and sat in one of the vacant seats. This time, you made an alarm before studying and in exactly one hour from now, you’ll hear it ring. You were busy flipping the pages on your book when the alarm rang. You turned it off immediately, packed your things and went out. You glanced inside to see Minhyun again but he met your eyes. Turning away, you walked towards the bus stop.

Did he caught me? Will he stop talking to me?

The next morning, you decided to study at school. With your two younger siblings at home, your room is not a suitable place to study. You looked around and you saw a balcony located at the fourth floor of the engineering building. Upon arriving, you let out a groan when you saw a leg sticking out. Someone is already there. You were curious so you slowly peeked and to your surprise, it was Minhyun. He made an eye contact with you. You turned your heel but before you can walk away, he called you.

“Hey, you’re the cookies and cream frappe girl. You’re studying here?”, he asked. He tapped the space beside him. You sat beside him and it’s the closest you’ve ever been with him.

“Yes, I’m from the Political Science Department”, you told him.

“Really? That’s probably the reason why we don’t see each other here”, he replied.

You later told him that you were looking for a place to study and he readily told you that it’s okay for you to stay. That’s how you got to be together with Minhyun for at least two hours. After awhile, you glanced at your phone. Noticing the time, you said your farewells to Minhyun.

Ever since that day, you’ve always went to that same spot and Minhyun would always be there. Whenever you arrive, he would give you a nod and he would continue reading. Much to your dismay, your relationship with Minhyun is not progressing. You can’t even call yourself a close friends since you don’t really talk in that balcony.

“Ah, Minhyun’s study buddy”, Seongwoo called you as you were walking around the university. “Have you seen him?”, he added. You shook your head. He continued walking as he bother the woman with him. If you remember correctly, they've been together all the time and people are assuming that they are in a relationship.

The wind chimes made a sound as you entered the cafe. You went to the counter and Minhyun's not in there. You looked around and you saw him talking to a woman. Slowly, your heart starts to break into million pieces.

You knew by the Minhyun looks at her that she's the one who captured his heart. He looked at her with twinkles in his eyes. His laugh sounded genuine unlike the small laughs he usually gave you and the redness in his ears as she gently held his hand. It was hurting you so much, you had to walk out of the cafe.

You checked your phone and you got missed calls and messages from your friends.

11:45 Hey, is there something wrong? Are you sick? You never miss any quizzes. Where are you? I can ask Professor Park to excuse you.

12:15 Yes. I'm not doing fine. I'm at home, resting. I'll talk to Professor Park later. I'll make sure I can attend the classes in the evening.

12:16 Okay. Rest well.

12:16 Thanks!

You can't believe that you are feeling this way. You should have known that he will fall for somebody else. Why did you even expect that he'll fall for you? You can't even get a proper talk with him. Of course, a handsome man like him is far better with an equally good looking woman.

You entered the university gates with the intention of talking to Professor Park. Instead, you find yourself walking to that familiar balcony. Feeling your presence, he looked up to you and gave you that usual small smile. It hurts... that you can't get the same smile that he shows to that woman.

Again, he continued reading. Your bursting with so much emotion. You always use your brain when you are with him but this time, you can't control it anymore. You let your heart speak.

"Minhyun, I saw you with a woman in the cafe. Who is she? "

"She's a friend of mine", he answered not looking at you.

"But it doesn't look like that. Do you like her? "

Obviously, you were prying too much and it got Minhyun's attention.

"I like her but she likes someone else. That's why we're only friends", he replied with such calmness in his voice.

"If she likes someone else, can't you look at the other women who likes you?"

This time, Minhyun looked at you. The calmness in his face made you uneasy.

"Y/n, I know what you're trying to do. You are a beautiful and kind woman but I'm not the haven you're looking for. I'm not the person who can make you happy after a tiring day. I'm not the person who can make you smile after you cry. I know that he's there somewhere. You are charming and I'm sure that you can find him in time if you continue to be true to yourself but I'm definitely not that person. I'm not your haven, y/n."