"This inn has been in existence since the joseon era. The Kim couples use it for first meetings all the time," an old lady wearing a hanbok said as me and my parents walks towards the room which will be used for our first meeting with my future wife.
Honestly, I'm not interested nor I want to be here in the first place. Heck I don't even wanna marry who the fuck this person is. If it wasn't for this shit I would've been together with Minju having our lovely date.
"My family used this inn for the first meeting with my own husband," mom excitingly said. Whatever mom I don't care about this whole set up thing. Just thinking about it makes me unhappy.
As we walk along the way, I saw a couple having their own wedding photo shoot and what caught my eyes is that the bride..... Doesn't look happy at all. She looks as if she was forced. It somehow reflects my own thoughts and feelings about this.
I'm gonna meet my future wife.... I sigh.
Flashback to yesterday
"WE'RE GONNA MEET THEM TOMORROW?!" I shouted as soon as my mom broke the news about meeting them tomorrow. "Yeah and what about it," she said it as if it wasn't a big deal. Okay maybe it wasn't but IT IS TO ME!
"Isn't it so soon? Why are we rushing?" Eyes are particularly shaking in fear. "Isn't it better? As they all said, strike while the iron is hot. So it's better do it sooner and meet your future wife sooner."
What should I do? Minju and I are awkward right now. She even avoid me since that day. I'm not even sure if we're together right now.
Like can you imagine me walking up to her and be like, "not trying to be stupid or anything.... I'm just wondering what exactly are we?"
The next morning
I try to bail out on the meeting early in the morning and dash out to school without my parents concern. And that doesn't go well did it? The moment I went into class, everyone was like wonder what the fuck am I doing here.
Even the teacher was shocked like isn't me coming to school is a good thing? I'm trying to be a good student by actually studying. I should be a role model to other students and the teacher should compliment me but what do I get?
I got dragged out of the classroom and the school called my parents. They say I'm just wasting my time and should just focus on my future as if failing in class wasn't a bigger deal.
Regrets..... The reason I decided to come today wasn't only because I want to escape. Precisely because I don't want to have any regrets. I planned to talk to Minju today but I didn't see her anyway. Maybe I got dragged out before she even arrived here.
I'm going to get out of here before any of my parents or relatives showed up to pick me up. Just as I was about to slide open the door, a shadow of a figure can be seen from the other side of the door.
"Chaewonie?" That voice... I recognise that voice.... "Minju?" Trying to open the door but once again got stopped. "Don't open the door! Just hear me out please.... I know you can hear me from the other side."
Sigh. Does she really hate me? Does she not care about me? Does she hate looking at me? Am I that kind of a jerk? All these thoughts are haunting my mind right now and I hate it.
"Chaewonie... Why did you come to school today?" Is that it? She comes here just to ask that? It reminded me why I came here in the first place and just thinking about it makes me want to punch this hard concrete walls surrounding me.
"You know why... You know how I hate this whole set up by the governments.... You know how I feel about you... And I'm not lying when I said that I want to be with you forever," I clutch my hands as tight as I can. Gritting my teeth together as I tried to say each word.
"But why would you go this far? You could've just move on and continue with your life without worrying about me," her voice... Even if this door is blocking us from seeing each other, just by her voice, I can tell that she tries to contain herself from crying any further.
"Move on from you and do what? Meeting another girl and marry her? You know how I spend almost all of my life loving you. And now you want me to forget about you?
All I want is for us to be together. Why can't we be happy? Why can't we choose our own future instead of some stupid hags decide it for us? I want to talk about us. But these thoughts about having a wife feels wrong."
"I wonder if maybe I wasn't clear back in the park. Maybe I confuse you." W-what?? Is this that moment where she rejects me? Maybe I got my hopes up just to get hurt in the end after all. I guess that's fate.
The door got slide to the slide showing the girl I wouldnt be able to see because of it blocking us like a barrier. "I meant... We should keep the night we've spent as an unforgettable memory. As in, be part of each other's pasts. So it really bothers me when you act like this."
Oh wow I actually expected this. I can actually be a fortune-teller in the future. No matter how much I prepare myself for this, it still hurts the same way as not expecting it. Looking down to my feet trying not to show the weak side of myself and cry in front of her, I bit the bottom of my lips.
"If you get what I mean, go already. Go meet your wife. I wish for your happiness. See you later," and with that, I saw her walking away without even looking back at me.
I don't remember much of what happened after that. But I do remember how much I cried. Maybe that's why I seem so lifeless and fucked up when we go to meet the family of my future wife.
I remember almost breaking the bones of my fist. Punching the gray concrete walls to vent out my anger really does it. It really does help. No matter how much I punch till it bleeds, I can't seem to feel any of the pain.
Maybe its because the heart feel much more pain than the flesh or the skin... or the bones.
Flashback ends here
Here I am once more. At the inn. You have no idea how much of my energy was drained out and how tired I am right now. "It's a pleasure to meet you today," a voice of a man with her wife beside accompanied by their daughter behind.
I guess that's her. The one I'm getting married with.
I can't even argue right now. I don't even have that energy to talk. I used up all of it crying and punching and kicking everything that gets in my way.
I want to go home...
I walk towards the girl. I still can't believe she's my assigned wife?! It can't be true! I haven't seen a girl that pretty. Minju is an exception. She's an angel in disguise.
This girl has long legs, long wavy hair which suits how she looks. But still can't beat Minju's. She's at the top and no one can ever beat her.
"Go on Wonyoung... Introduce yourself," her mom nudge her side.
She looks up to me with a smile on her face, "I'm Wonyoung. Jang Wonyoung. Nice to meet you." I expect a handshake right now- who am I kidding? We particularly sit facing each other and this table is bigger than my future.
"Chaewon. Kim Chaewon," I didn't bother to smile. I don't have mood to fake a smile right now. I don't even care if I gave out the rude vibes. I just want to go home and sleep to end this day quickly.
While mom and her mom bragging and compliment their own child, I can tell by her face that she doesn't agree to this marriage too. Her eyes looks watery and she was drowning the whole time but at least she tries to smile. Unlike me.
I was daydreaming the whole time. Didn't even realise she was talking and asking me questions which I think I would probably answer her with a hum. The next thing I know, I felt a sting on my left cheek. That's when I realised that she just slapped me hard.
"I know you have no interest in me and we're a complete strangers, but atleast show some respect you rude as bitch. The fact that you're not even trying to be interested is what makes you the rudest.
Your mind is somewhere else as if you're not even here. And you're not even looking at any of us! Can you just think about it at home without ruining the current mood. I won't marry this asshole!" She bursts out in anger.
I'm not in a mood right now and she's making it worse. I already had the most fucked up day ever and now I just got slapped by someone I don't even care about? She even gave out her whole opinion about me.
"You talk as if I want to marry you too. Which by the way, I don't care about what you think of me. I hate this whole arranged marriage tradition. Because of this whole shit, I can't even be with the one I love.
It takes me 10 years to finally gain the courage to talk and confess my feelings for her. And now because of this, she won't even talk to me or would want to see me again because I only bring her tears.
Even this morning she makes it clear that we are nothing but just one of our memories of our pasts. Don't you know how hurtful it is to listen to the one you love saying that you should forget about each other and move on?
You know nothing about me yet you already throw hates on me. I already had the most shittiest day ever and now I just got slapped by someone who is supposed to be my future wife.
Can't you tell how tired I am by how I look? My energies are drained out and I can't even talk due to the feelings I'm trying to cope up with. The feelings of sadness and anger.
How can you say I'm an asshole when you barely even met me? Ridiculous. You don't know how emotionally and physically hurt I am right now," using all of the energy left in me I shouted back at her.
"You see this hand of mine? I punch the concrete wall so hard a few times this morning. But I can't seem to feel the pain. You know why? Because my heart feels much more pain than this," I show her the same hand I use to punch the wall of the staff room.
"You see these eyes? I cried so much for a girl who breaks my heart because she knows it's wrong for us to be together. I hate all of this! Why can't I be happy? Why can't me and Minju be happy together?" I point at my eyes which are bloody red. The same eyes I tried to hide from them.
"Why does the world have to be so cruel to us? Does my 10 years of giving her my love seems nothing? WHY- JUST WHY?! WHAT DID I DO WRONG?!" And with that I stormed out of the room, not forgetting to leave a loud bang.
Third Person's POV
After the whole scene that left everyone shook, Mrs Kim, Chaewon's mom keep on apologising. "I'm sorry for my daughter's behaviour. I swear she wasn't always like this."
"That's okay. It's practically my daughter's fault for clicking her button that makes her to burst," Mrs Jang, Wonyoung's mother apologises this time.
"Wonyoung-ah, why don't you look for her. Maybe you can comfort her. That's the least you can do for making her angry," Mr Jang command this time.
Wonyoung on the other hand just sigh. She doesn't have a choice does she? now she feels nothing but guilty. If only she don't judge someone that quickly... If only she knows how the latter felt... If only she understand why she did that...
But she wasn't at fault really. She didn't know all of this would happen. She didn't know her opinion could make someone burst in anger. She didn't know anything about the girl. So how do you expect her to know about her day?
Just like what her dad told her to do, she began to search for the latter in hope she can clear up these arguments. She sighed once again. 'What if she breaks off the engagement' she thought.
For from the distance, Wonyoung saw a girl with pink hair in the distance playing with the flowers nearby. From there, she realise how the girl match perfectly with the flowers. Both are pretty and cute.
Sitting on the grass beside the latter hugging her knee, she asks, "Are you okay?" Chaewon look at her side and notice the girl's present. She wanted to chase her away but she knows the brunette is just trying to be kind to her.
"I've just ruined the marriage didn't I? How are you supposed to take responsibility for this? This whole arranged marriage is so scary for me. It was more than having someone I liked or wanting to fall in love.
Even still, it's been decided. There's nothing we can do anyway. I tried to run away this morning but look at me now. Here at this stupid place.
There's this girl I liked. I've told you earlier, but I'm going to say it again. She told me she hated me this morning and thats why ive been down the whole day," Chaewon starts off but her gaze are on the bright blue sky above.
"A girl you liked?" Wonyoung's ears are suddenly wide open when she heard it. She has always loved to watch romance movies or dramas and read romance novel. So it's no wonder to see her interested in someone's love life.
"I feel like an idiot talking about the girl i like with my future wife," Chaewon chuckles in embarrassment.
And what wonyoung said next makes her eyes wide. She didn't expect the brunette to asks her this.
"Can you tell me more about her?"