“Love or Convenience”

Jieun walks over to her closet again, muttering to herself, “I still don’t have any formal clothes to wear.”

Just then, her eyes fall on her black coat and black pants hanging neatly in the closet, surrounded by an array of black and white clothes. She quickly grabs a formal black blazer and matching pants, slipping them on. She grabs her bag, puts the scooter key in her pocket, and heads out, following the location Seojin had sent her.

Jieun finds herself stuck in the middle of a traffic jam, glancing at the time, noticing it’s already been half an hour. Finally, the jam clears up, and she quickly drives through the streets, eager to get to her destination.

As she reaches the location, she spots a large five-star restaurant and double-checks the address to make sure she’s in the right place. She nervously adjusts her dress, wondering if her outfit is appropriate for the situation.

She takes a deep breath and walks inside, where a staff member approaches her, asking, “Excuse me, ma’am, who are you looking for?”

Jieun answers, “Mmm, Seojin. Seojin.”

The staff member responds, “Oh, Seojin sir? He just left for the hospital. Please wait here, he should be back soon.”

Jieun stands still, unsure of what to do next, as she waits for Seojin to return.

Jieun walks into the luxurious room, taking in the opulent surroundings. The room is filled with elegant decor and high-end furniture, leaving her in awe. She looks at herself in the mirror, feeling slightly out of place in such a lavish environment, before glancing around the room again.

She sits on the plush sofa, deep in thought, murmuring to herself, “How did my grandpa know Seojin’s grandpa? They are just so rich…”

The enormity of the wealth and connections surrounding her weighs on her mind, making her feel small in comparison. She can’t help but wonder about the history between the two families and how she ended up in this world.

As Jieun sits there lost in thought, two hours pass by without her noticing. She feels an overwhelming sense of confusion and unease, and before she knows it, sleep takes over her.

When Seojin finally enters the room, he notices Jieun asleep. He approaches her quietly but doesn’t wake her up right away. Instead, he starts going through some documents while keeping an eye on her.

A few moments later, Jieun slowly wakes up and opens her eyes. Her gaze lands on Seojin, and she feels startled, a rush of nervousness overtaking her.

Seojin, noticing her sudden awakening, asks gently, “Did you just wake up?”

Jieun, still a bit dazed, apologizes quickly, “Sorry, I fell asleep without realizing.”

Seojin and Jieun sit at the dining table as the staff brings over a variety of dishes for them. Jieun, staring at the food, wonders to herself, “Is all of this really for us? Oh my gosh…”

Once the staff leaves, Seojin notices Jieun’s hesitation and smiles softly.

“Eat, eat,” Seojin encourages her, his voice warm. “Don’t be shy.”

Jieun, still a bit overwhelmed, quickly responds, “Huh? No, no, it’s fine. It’s fine.”

Seojin, amused by her discomfort, gently nudges her again, “Come on, eat. Don’t be shy.”

Jieun laughs nervously, feeling the pressure of the lavish setting, but finally begins to take a bite, realizing that this is indeed an experience so far out of her usual routine.

They start eating together.

Soejin asks, ‘Are you a teacher?’

Jieun replies, ‘I was a teacher, but I got fired today.’

Upon hearing this, Soejin doesn’t say anything.

They sit in silence for a while.

Then Jieun says, ‘Your mom must have told you to come and meet me, right?’

Soejin replies, ‘I came to meet you on my own, my mom didn’t tell me anything.’

Jieun is shocked upon hearing this.

Soejin asks, ‘Aren’t you going to ask why I disappeared for a month?’

Jieun doesn’t say anything.

Soejin continues, ‘I wanted to give you some time. A month should have been enough, don’t you think? Have you thought about it?

Are you ready to talk about it now?’

Jieun says, ‘So, did you intentionally disappear for a whole month?’”

Seojin says, “I was missing for a month, why? Because you thought it was a joke when I said we should get married?”

Jieun is silent for a moment, processing his words. Seojin asks again, “So, are you ready to marry me?”

Jieun hesitates, thinking to herself, I never imagined that a guy would ask me to marry him like this, in such a serious way. After a deep breath, she responds, “I am ready.”

Seojin looks at her, his gaze cold and distant. “Our marriage isn’t a love marriage. You must know that too. Don’t expect anything from me, and I won’t expect anything from you.”

Jieun feels a mix of emotions but decides to speak her mind. “But Seojin,” she says quietly, “even though this isn’t a love marriage, we’re both choosing to do this. I don’t know what the future holds, but at least we can try to make this work, right?”

Seojin is silent for a moment, and his expression remains unreadable. Then, he says, “We’ll have to see, Jieun. It’s not about love right now… it’s about responsibility.”

Jieun nods, uncertain of what to feel. She wants to believe that there might be a chance for them, but everything is so uncertain. She’s not sure if this is just a decision they’ll have to live with or if something more could grow between them.

They finalize the deal between them, and both of them leave the place. Seojin goes back to his place, and Jieun heads to her home.

Back at her room, Jieun sits down and starts thinking deeply. Our life… it feels like a drama, doesn’t it? she thinks to herself, feeling overwhelmed. An arranged marriage… I didn’t imagine it would happen this way. Maybe in time, love could grow between us, and that would be fine, but… he said not to expect anything. Ugh, how am I supposed to handle all of this?

She rubs her temples, trying to calm herself down. What am I even expecting? He’s made it clear that this is just a deal. There’s no room for love, no promises for anything more. Just responsibility. But… I can’t help but wonder if there’s something more beneath the surface.

Jieun sighs, feeling conflicted. It’s a lot to process. I agreed to this arrangement, but I didn’t sign up for the emotional rollercoaster. Maybe things will work out… Maybe not. But for now, I have to just go with it.

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