PROMPTS

Of Mergers and Marriages - 9

Yoon Seul greeted them and asked, "Kim Joo Won-ssi, can we talk?"

Surprised, Kim Joo Won stared at Yoon Seul before he turned to Yoon Se-Ri, "Would you mind?"

Focusing on slicing her steak, Se-Ri gave a brief side glance then said, "I don't care."

To Yoon Seul, he said, "Give me a second." When Yoon Seul left, he whispered to Se-Ri, "You're jealous."

"I'm not!"

Kim Joo Won chuckled. "You are. Don't worry, it's kinda cute," he assured. "Just don't go overboard with it. A key aspect to making a marriage work is trust."

When Se-Ri stared at him with a shocked expression, he laughed out loud. "You don't want to believe I'm reading up on how to make a marriage work?"

"I don't," Se-Ri said.

"I am. I'll lend you my book," he promised. Going back to the topic at hand, "I'll talk to Seul-ssi. She's a friend. But if you want to look jealous for the photographers, go ahead. I'd love to read in the newspapers that my fiancée wants me to focus on her only."

"I'm not jealous. I'm just annoyed that my fiancé will be chatting with another woman on the night of my engagement party," Se-Ri said.

"Why are you annoyed? I gave up a bunch of sequins for you! Doesn't that show you that this engagement matters to me?" Kim Joo Won pointed out.

"I... uh..."

Kim Joo Won grinned. "Wow. The Great Yoon Se-Ri has no comeback? That's new."

Narrowing her eyes, Se-Ri raised a brow and faced him before she offered her threat. "No funny business, Mister, or else I am contacting all the designers I know and will hoard the supply of sequins in this world. You hear?"

"The most horrible threat ever. You should be a negotiator," Kim Joo Won commented. "Fine. I'll be back in a bit. Don't you dare mess with the sequin supply chain or else you are in for the fight of your life. I am including that in our pre-nup."

They glared at each other.

But as Kim Joo Won left his seat, he held a secret smile in his face... similar to the one Se-Ri was trying to hold as she focused on her dinner.

*

"Joo Won-ssi, you know you don't have to do this," Yoon Seul started.

They were standing at a corner of the ballroom where the dinner was held. It was private enough for them to speak but not too secluded that it would send tongues wagging that something inappropriate was going on.

Kim Joo Won stared at the woman who had been a good friend all of these years. People have given him crap about Yoon Seul, but he had always been upfront with her. He liked her and enjoyed the random events that they go to but he didn't see her as anything more than a friend.

He was aware that a few years back, Yoon Seul distanced herself from him in an attempt to get over her feelings for him. When she returned, Kim Joo Won thought that she had gotten over any infatuation she had and they resumed their friendship. However, as the days passed, he realized that there were still lingering feelings there. Even Im Jong-soo pointed it out.

"I'm not being forced into this, Yoon Seul-ssi," Joo Won replied, smiling gently. "I do want to give this a shot."

"Why her? Can't you pick someone nicer?" Yoon Seul asked. "But, of course, it was a choice by your father and not really by you."

"Like I said, I am not forced into this. Don't you remember that I had the biggest crush on her in University?" Kim Joo Won pointed out. Then, sighing, "I understand it must be tough but please don't bad mouth Se-Ri. If you can't appreciate her as a person, please at least respect her as the woman I am going to marry. As your friend, I would like to ask this of you."