Ryujin wished that the announcement came as a surprise, but it hadn't. Nothing about it was unexpected. Actually, there was something rather unexpected but it wasn't that she would be pushed into an arranged marriage.
While other girls might have spent some time of their life dreaming of the day they would marry whoever they loved, she knew better. For marriage was nothing but a business transaction in her family. So it had been for generations and so it would continue to be with hers.
In all truth, the only surprising factor in this situation was that she would be marrying another woman.
Her parents had known for years that Ryujin was exclusively attracted to women. She had informed them of the fact right after finding out herself. Back when puberty had barely scratched her, let alone hit her.
At the time, they were slightly taken back but Ryujin wasn't one to change her mind or be bothered by their disapproval. And eventually, it became something that hovered above them all, everyone knowing it was real, but none of them mentioning it. Which was fine with her.
It's not like she would want to talk about relationships, love or sex with her own parents. As far as she was concerned, they could carry on ignoring it for as long as they lived.
But she knew one day this would happen, that they would arrange a marriage for her to partake in. She never even bothered to argue against it. It would be a waste of her time and energy. The Shins were not people who changed their minds. Herself included.
Her parents had her flying over from Paris, where she had been living since she was a prepubescent child, with news of a marriage. Her marriage. Honestly, it had taken a lot longer than she expected it to.
Then again, she had just become an adult in South Korea, having turned 20 in their age system just a month prior. Perhaps that was why the marriage had come at this moment.
Although, she knew some arranged marriages would be announced or planned years before the two were expected to elope. That's what she had always hoped for. So she could at least get to know the person before it all went down. But this is fine. Either way, she's stuck with whoever it might turn out to be.
All she had been told was that it involved a woman and that they shall be living together for six months and then tie the knot. Ryujin hoped the knot tied would be marriage and not a drastic attempt of escaping a hell created by whoever she was forcefully engaged to.
In all honesty, it had never crossed her mind that her parents would respect her sexuality enough to find her a woman to marry. She always assumed she would be marrying a man and have to figure out a way of having a mistress or something of the sort. Or maybe fall into celibate but she was very happy to know that was not the case. She just hoped the woman wasn't completely ugly. Not that it mattered though. Any woman was already better than a man.
South Korea seemed foreign. Mostly because she had left at the age of 11 to study abroad and had hardly any contact with the culture ever since. Ryujin would visit occasionally but it didn't happen often enough.
She entered the building, with her own bodyguard which was slightly excessive, if you ask her. Not that anyone did ask her though. Ryujin could feel the stares all around her, no doubt wondering who she was to be entering with such confidence and with someone escorting her through the lobby.
Her eyes never left the path she had to take. There was no reason to. They could stare all they wanted, she honestly wasn't bothered nor did she care. Truth was, people stared at her an awful lot. For various reasons but most commonly because they found her attractive.
It was that simple. Some might think she's conceited to think that but it's a fact. Why would she deny it for the sake of fake humbleness? People found her attractive so they would stare. It was human nature.
This time around, she doesn't think most of the stares have to do with that. It's mostly to do with the fact that nobody knows what Shin Ryujin looks like. Apart from her direct family and the few who work at their estate, nobody has seen her since she was a kid. And even back then she only made two or three public appearances with her family.
There was no doubt on her mind that by now, most of those people who had stared at her until she got on the elevator, would already be discussing the possibility of her identity.
She supposed her privacy would have to come to an end at some point. All fun must end when you're an adult. At least Ryujin can say she took full advantage of it before it was gone.
Once she arrived where the meeting would be taking place, every parent seemed to already be there. Hers and whoever's she would marry. Ryujin didn't recognize them. Then again, she didn't pay attention to this business stuff. To put it plain and simple, she didn't give a shit.
She bowed, as low as possible to ensure they would view her as polite. Earning a smile for her parents, as she took a seat besides them. Her parents introduced the couple as Mrs and Mr Hwang. She wondered if they were the owners of Hwang corporate. That name rang a bell.
"We apologize for our daughter's lateness. She had an exam earlier but she should be arriving any moment now." The man sitting in front of her father spoke.
"It's good that she values her studies." Her father responded with a smile, glancing over at Ryujin who nodded in agreement. As if she had an opinion on the matter when she simply couldn't care less. But she did suppose it would be better to marry someone smart rather than a dimwit.
Then, and both to her surprise and shock, the door to the room opened. Revealing the most beautiful woman she had ever seen in her 20 years of life. Causing her to hold her breath at the sight for a second before following everyone's lead and getting up to bow.
Ryujin was fast to study her features. From her cat eyes that seemed to pierce right through her soul, to her nose that looked good from every angle, to her lips that might look just the tiniest bit kissable, to her overall face that had Ryujin second guess her vision. How could someone actually look perfect? Because there were no flaws, at all. It was as if someone created a robot of what an ideal woman would look like. It didn't look real. She didn't look real.
If that was who she would marry, perhaps an arranged marriage wouldn't be so terrible. Unless she had the worst personality. Then even that face couldn't salvage the situation. But hopefully that wasn't the case.
Actually, now that she was looking at her better as their parents spoke, Ryujin noticed just how cold she looked. Even when she had entered the room and bowed to them, she hadn't even bothered to fake a smile. It's not even that difficult to fake that.
Although they had bowed to each other and their parents had been speaking of the marriage and whatever else she was currently tuning out, they had failed to introduce them.
So Ryujin was left hoping they'd hurry up so she could at least get a name from her ice cold fiancée. Whose expression seemed to continuously waver between threatening to show anger and looking right at Ryujin with almost disgust.
Ryujin had been looked at in various ways but never in disgust. Usually it was more along the lines of heart eyes or whatever it's called when someone wants you to jump their bones. But disgust? That was new.
Eventually, after what felt to her like a full day, their parents started to say their goodbyes. Releasing them from the boring hell that had been that meeting. Couldn't they have emailed her and sent her a date and time to meet the Hwang girl in a normal setting?
In any case, at least the meeting had informed her that they would be moving into some house the Hwangs had bought for their daughter when she had become an adult. Which made her deduce the other might be older than she is. That or they bought her a house right on her birthday. With rich people you just never know.
After a few minutes, they were left alone to exchange a few words and with an agreement that Ryujin would be moving in today. Great. Good thing she hadn't bothered to unpack her life when she arrived back in South Korea, two days ago.
"I'm Shin Ryujin."
Yeji hummed, looking rather disinterested.
"Hwang Yeji." She offered with the most monotone voice Ryujin had ever heard.
"How did your exam go?"
Yeji stared at her in confusion. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Ryujin dismissed it as miscommunication. At least for now. Moving unto another subject.
"I have to say, at first I was expecting a man but you're much easier on the eyes." Flirting came as natural to her as breathing. Even when she sounded cheesy, it still worked wonders. But Ryujin noticed that the other didn't seem amused or swooned by her words. At best she looked irritated. At worst... Ryujin better be sleeping with an eye open if they're sharing a house.
At the lack of words from the other, Ryujin spoke once again. "Should I go with you? We can stop by my house to pick up my thing and-" Yeji didn't even allow her to finish before she cut her off. How rude was this girl?
"I'll have someone pick you and your things up. I'll be going now."
Before Ryujin could ask anything else or even state that the plan was stupid, Yeji turned around and walked away.
"She didn't even tell me when they'd pick me up." She muttered to herself.
The idea of a man was starting to look more appealing than this.
(Author's note: I know you all wanted Yeji POV but when I was writing it, the Ryujin one came out much easier so... Also, this is more like an introduction to the story but not quite an prologue so I'm sorry that there's not much ryeji)