Soo-yun’s hands curled into fists as she sat stiffly in the passenger seat of Taehyung’s sleek black Maybach. The ride to his penthouse had been silent, thick with unspoken resentment. The restaurant meeting had already been a disaster—Taehyung’s cold glares, his dismissive tone, and the bombshell their parents had dropped about the arranged marriage had left her seething.

The car came to a smooth halt in the underground parking lot of a towering luxury high-rise. Without a word, Taehyung stepped out, his long legs carrying him toward the private elevator. Soo-yun followed, her irritation bubbling over as the doors slid shut behind them.

“Is this where you lock up all your unwilling fiancées?” she muttered, arms crossed.

Taehyung barely spared her a glance. “No. You’re the first. And hopefully the last.”

Soo-yun scowled, but before she could fire back, the elevator dinged open, revealing his penthouse. Floor-to-ceiling windows framed the glittering Seoul skyline, expensive artwork lined the walls, and everything was sleek, modern, and impersonal—just like him.

“Sit,” he instructed, gesturing toward the couch.

She remained standing. “I’d rather—”

“I said sit.” His voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.

Rolling her eyes, she sat. Taehyung remained standing, his hands in his pockets as he studied her with unreadable eyes.

“Let’s get one thing straight,” he began. “This marriage is a formality. You and I will not be husband and wife in anything beyond name. I have no interest in playing the perfect couple, and I assume you feel the same.”

Soo-yun raised an eyebrow. “Oh, believe me, the last thing I want is to be stuck with someone as insufferable as you.”

“Good. Then here are my rules.” He pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper and placed it on the glass coffee table. “One: You will not interfere in my personal life. Two: We will not be seen together unless absolutely necessary. Three: Do not try to change or ‘understand’ me. And four—” he paused, eyes sharp “—stay out of my penthouse unless invited.”

Soo-yun snatched the paper and skimmed it, her irritation growing with each word. “These are ridiculous! So I’m just supposed to pretend you don’t exist?”

“That would be ideal,” he said smoothly.

She stood abruptly. “You know what? Perfect. Because I can’t stand the sight of you either.”

Taehyung smirked, unfazed. “Glad we agree.”

Fuming, she stormed toward the elevator, punching the button furiously. As the doors closed, she let out a frustrated groan.

Back at her luxurious apartment, Soo-yun tossed the crumpled paper onto her coffee table and collapsed onto the couch. Her cousin Jisoo, who had been scrolling through her phone, glanced up.

“What’s with the face?” Jisoo asked.

Soo-yun groaned. “I just came back from the most infuriating meeting of my life.”

“Let me guess.” Jisoo smirked. “Taehyung?”

Soo-yun sat up. “You knew about the arrangement?”

“Of course. Your mom told me.” Jisoo set her phone aside. “So? How was he?”

Soo-yun threw her hands in the air. “Horrible. Cold. Controlling. He even gave me a list of stupid rules as if I’m some employee working under him!”

Jisoo laughed. “That sounds like him.”

Soo-yun gaped. “You’re not surprised?”

Jisoo shrugged. “I acted with him once, remember? He may seem distant, but he’s actually a gentleman.”

Soo-yun scoffed. “A gentleman? That man wouldn’t know kindness if it smacked him in the face.”

Jisoo shook her head, amused. “Give it time. You might see a different side of him.”

“Not happening,” Soo-yun declared. “If anything, I’ll make his life as miserable as he’s making mine.”

Jisoo chuckled. “This is going to be fun to watch.”

Soo-yun didn’t think it was funny at all. But if Taehyung thought she was going to be an obedient little fiancée, he was in for a rude awakening.

Soo-yun paced her apartment, still fuming as Jisoo watched her with an amused glint in her eyes.

"I mean, who even makes a list of rules in a forced engagement?" Soo-yun huffed, running a hand through her hair. "Does he think he's some kind of dictator?"

Jisoo smirked, resting her chin on her palm. "Technically, he's just setting boundaries. Maybe you should do the same."

Soo-yun shot her a glare. "Oh, trust me, I will. If he thinks I'm just going to sit quietly and accept this nonsense, he's sorely mistaken."

Jisoo chuckled. "Soo-yun, you're acting like this is a battlefield."

"It is a battlefield!" Soo-yun snapped. "I refuse to let Kim Taehyung control my life like I'm some puppet. If he has rules, then so do I."

Jisoo raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what rules are those?"

Soo-yun plopped down on the couch beside her cousin, grabbing a pen and a notepad from the coffee table. With dramatic flair, she began scribbling furiously.

"One: He doesn’t get to treat me like I don’t exist while expecting me to play along in public. If he ignores me, I ignore him harder."

Jisoo snorted. "Harder? How does that even work?"

Soo-yun ignored her and continued. "Two: If he gets to have his private life, so do I. He doesn’t get to ask me where I go or what I do."

Jisoo nodded approvingly. "Now that’s fair."

"Three," Soo-yun said, tapping her pen against her chin. "He must be civil in front of my family. No cold stares, no passive-aggressive remarks, and definitely no making me look bad."

Jisoo laughed. "That one's going to be tough. He practically radiates disapproval."

"Not my problem," Soo-yun said with a smug grin. "And four—this is the most important one—he doesn’t get to win this arrangement."

Jisoo blinked. "Win? You think this is a competition?"

"Absolutely," Soo-yun said firmly. "If he wants me to suffer, I’ll make sure he suffers just as much. If he wants distance, I'll give him more than he can handle. And if he tries to act like he’s above this whole situation, I’ll make sure he regrets underestimating me."

Jisoo leaned back, shaking her head in amusement. "You’re really something, you know that?"

Soo-yun grinned. "I have to be. If this is a war, I’m not going down without a fight."

Just then, her phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number.

Taehyung: Dinner tomorrow. 7 PM. Don’t be late.

Soo-yun rolled her eyes before typing back.

Soo-yun: Can’t. Busy.

The reply came almost instantly.

Taehyung: Not a request.

Soo-yun groaned and flopped back onto the couch.

Jisoo peeked at the phone screen and smirked. "Let the games begin."

a/n :

Oooooo! Soo-yun is declaring war already! And Taehyung is just Taehyung!

Anyways how are you all? Hope you're all safe and I hope you will all love it as much as I am cause I have a lot in store for you all.