Chapter 3
“I’ll get straight to the point. Let’s get married.”
“Okay, marriage… Huh?!!”
His unbelievable words echoed in her ears. Marriage? And not with the woman he loved, but with her.
“What did you just say?”
Dayun couldn’t believe his words and asked again. But Jaehoon, the one who had just said such shocking words, looked completely unfazed.
“You and I, let’s just get married.”
“Huh…”
Even after hearing it again, it was still hard to believe.
“Anyway, our parents have already decided on our marriage. If we want to avoid unnecessary trouble, getting married might be the best option.”
“…”
“What do you think?”
She was stunned. She could only be stunned. Back when she had a crush on him, Dayun had imagined it many times—what it would be like to marry him, to love him. But now, when something she only imagined might actually become reality, she felt completely blank, as if something inside her had snapped. Then, a memory suddenly crossed her mind.
“But… don’t you already have someone you love? Did you break up?”
Perhaps it was because he thought of the woman he loved, or maybe it was because of Dayun’s question, but Jaehoon’s forehead creased slightly.
“Do I have to break up with her to get married?”
“What?”
Dayun was flustered. His words sounded as if he intended to get married without breaking up. And that thought soon became reality.
“We’re still together, still passionately in love.”
“Then… why…”
His words echoed in her mind, and images of the loving couple flashed before her eyes. Her heart sank with a thud. She tried to act like it didn’t affect her, but her hands, her eyes—everything—started to tremble. Yet Jaehoon didn’t seem to notice her anxious state.
“I’m saying I will marry you without love. Of course, I’ll continue my relationship with the woman I love.”
The way he said it so indifferently made it even more unbearable. Dayun clenched her fists tightly, her small hands trembling with suppressed emotion.
“Does she know about this decision?”
“Of course. I’m marrying you with Hyeyun’s permission.”
“Ha…”
It was miserable. She felt like running away right then and there.
After the families met, the wedding preparations moved quickly. Since this marriage was driven by their parents, everything was taken care of without much input from Dayun or Jaehoon. Before they knew it, the day to try on the wedding dress and tuxedo had arrived.
“You’re here.”
Jaehoon, who had been dragged along reluctantly, and Dayun, who kept staring at him—it was their second meeting, seemingly warm on the outside but filled with awkward tension.
“Daughter, which dress do you want to wear? What kind of style does our son-in-law like?”
“Hoho, our daughter-in-law is so beautiful, anything will suit her.”
“Hohoho, really? Well, Dayun is certainly not lacking in looks.”
Laughter filled the room, but neither Jaehoon nor Dayun felt happy. To Dayun, this was an uncomfortable, burdensome event. To Jaehoon, who had been dragged along, it was just a boring, irritating waste of time.
“How about this one? Dayun, would you like to try it on?”
In the awkward atmosphere, Jaehoon’s mother pointed to a dress for Dayun. With a forced smile, she nodded and went inside.
“Phew…”
How many dresses had she tried on? Dayun was getting exhausted. Every time she came out in a new dress, the reactions were the same—her mother and Jaehoon’s mother praised her beauty endlessly. But the one person who was supposed to help her choose—the groom—showed little interest. At first, he seemed slightly surprised, but after that, his reaction remained indifferent.
“Well, it’s okay, I guess.”
And just like that, the elders kept urging her to try more dresses, hoping he would eventually say she looked beautiful. It was exhausting.
‘Just one more. I really don’t want to try on any more.’
The words rang in her mind, but she couldn’t say them aloud. With determination, she put on what she hoped would be the final dress and stepped out with a pleading expression, silently begging for mercy. But once again, the mothers showered her with compliments.
“Ha…”
Dayun let out a deep sigh, worried she might have to try on another dress. Then, as she lifted her head, she met Jaehoon’s gaze. He was staring right at her.
“Let’s go with the first one. It suited Dayun best.”
“Oh my, really?”
“Hoho, if our son-in-law says so, we should go with that.”
For a moment, Dayun’s face felt warm. Maybe it was her imagination, but she thought that perhaps, just maybe, he had noticed her exhaustion.
“Groom, please come up here. Let’s take a picture with the bride.”
The staff urged them, and the mothers chimed in, agreeing enthusiastically. But Jaehoon simply shook his head.
“No, we don’t need pictures.”
“Oh, don’t be like that. Stand with your bride and take a picture. You both look amazing together.”
“Come on, Jaehoon, take a photo with Dayun.”
With all the pressure, Jaehoon sighed, resigned, and reluctantly stood next to her. The awkwardness between them grew, and when Dayun glanced at him, she saw him fidgeting, pretending to be uninterested.
“Oh my, the bride and groom look perfect together. Their future children will be beautiful.”
Talking about children even before the wedding—it was embarrassing.
“Okay, one, two, three!”
After the elders left, Jaehoon and Dayun went to a café.
“May I take your order?”
“Two Americanos.”
As soon as Jaehoon finished ordering, the staff nodded and walked away. Jaehoon then stood up.
“I need to use the restroom.”
As soon as he left, Dayun slumped her shoulders. She had been tensed the entire time.
“Ha… I’m really getting married.”
Even now, she could hardly believe it. Even though this was only a marriage in name, she couldn’t suppress the nervousness in her heart.
“But… what about the honeymoon?”
Just as she got past the worry of the wedding, another concern arose. Should they go? Should they skip it? Would he even want to go? Her head ached from the endless thoughts. Though she had dreamed of a honeymoon, she knew it wouldn’t be romantic.
Then, suddenly.
“Are you rehearsing a play alone?”
“Ahh!”
Jaehoon appeared out of nowhere, startling her.
“Ah, it’s nothing. But what’s that?”
In his hand was a document and a small stamp pad. He pulled out the papers and handed them to her.
“Read it.”
It was a marriage contract.
And just like that, they sealed their agreement.
“Let’s do well, marriage.”
At his rare smile, Dayun’s heart wavered. She took his hand, trying not to let her emotions show.
“Yes, let’s do well, marriage.”
And so, they got married.
