Hana sat with her hands clasped tightly in her lap, the cool air-conditioned breeze brushing her skin, but it did little to soothe her nerves. The small tea shop, with its quaint wooden tables and softly glowing lanterns, was a world she could have appreciated if it weren't for the heavy burden of what lay ahead. She glanced at the man sitting across from her, Namjoon, the one her parents had chosen for her. A man she was supposed to marry.

Namjoon barely looked her way, his focus entirely on the untouched cup of tea in front of him. His brow was furrowed slightly, the only sign of emotion in his otherwise unreadable face. With his thick-rimmed glasses perched on his nose and his neatly pressed suit, he radiated cold intellect. Everything about him screamed distance. The exact opposite of Hana.

Hana's heart thumped wildly in her chest. She was naturally warm, outgoing, and affectionate, but this situation unnerved her in a way she hadn't expected. She'd always imagined meeting someone who would light up her world, someone she could laugh with, someone who would make her feel alive. But Namjoon... Namjoon was an iceberg.

Their families had grown up in the same town, their fathers were old friends, and somewhere along the way, they'd decided that Hana and Namjoon would make the perfect match. Perfect for the families, at least. Hana had always respected her parents, and she’d never wanted to disappoint them, but an arranged marriage? To a man who didn’t even look at her?

The silence between them was thick. Awkward.

Namjoon finally lifted his eyes, meeting hers for a brief moment before they flicked away again, as though the very act of making eye contact was an effort. His voice, when he spoke, was as cold as the air between them. "I assume you're as reluctant about this as I am."

Hana flinched slightly at his bluntness, but she straightened her back, willing herself to stay calm. She wasn't the type to hide her feelings, but she also didn't want to seem weak. "I didn't expect this, no. But it's what our parents want."

Namjoon scoffed lightly, the sound sharp. "Our parents... yes, of course." His tone was distant, as if the idea of being controlled by anyone, even his own family, was beneath him. "I'm only doing this out of respect for them. But let me be clear—this is just an obligation. Nothing more."

His words stung. Hana had known he wouldn’t be easy, but hearing him speak with such finality, as if she were nothing more than a duty to be fulfilled, hurt more than she’d anticipated. She took a slow breath, her fingers tightening around the edge of the table.

"Is that how you see marriage?" she asked quietly, her voice trembling only slightly. "As an obligation?"

Namjoon’s gaze flicked back to her, briefly surprised by the question. "Marriage is a partnership. In our case, it’s a contract between two families. Anything beyond that... well, it's irrelevant, isn't it?"

Hana felt her heart sink. She had always believed in love—the kind that made your heart race, the kind that kept you up at night, giddy with excitement. Namjoon’s view on marriage was the opposite of everything she had hoped for. But she was not a quitter, and despite the situation, she wasn’t going to let him crush her spirit.

"Maybe for you," she said, her voice firming. "But I’ve always seen marriage as more than that. It’s not just a contract. It’s about two people building a life together, supporting each other, caring for one another."

Namjoon raised an eyebrow, as if the very idea amused him. "You’re naive," he said coolly. "People don’t change just because they’re forced to be together. I won’t pretend to be something I’m not."

Hana swallowed the lump in her throat, forcing herself not to show how deeply his words cut. She refused to let him see her as weak, and if she had to endure this marriage, she would do it with her head held high. But she couldn’t help the sadness creeping into her chest, the realization that her dream of a loving, supportive husband was fading fast.

The conversation stalled again, each lost in their own thoughts. Hana stared at the delicate porcelain cup in front of her, the tea now cold and forgotten, as was any hope of this meeting going well. She had always believed that people were capable of change, that if given the chance, anyone could open up and show their true colors. But Namjoon seemed like a fortress, impenetrable, unwilling to let anyone inside.

He was nothing like the warm, affectionate person Hana had imagined spending her life with. And yet, here they were, bound together by the wishes of their families.

After what felt like an eternity, Namjoon stood up, buttoning his jacket with swift, precise movements. "I’ll talk to my parents about setting a date," he said curtly. "I assume you’ll do the same."

Hana nodded, her throat tight, unable to find words.

As Namjoon turned to leave, she found herself speaking before she could stop. "Why are you so... closed off?"

He paused but didn’t turn around. For a moment, Hana thought he might ignore her question altogether. But then he spoke, his voice quieter than before, though no less cold. "Because feelings complicate things. And I don’t have time for complications."

With that, he walked away, leaving Hana sitting alone at the table, the weight of his words pressing down on her like a stone. She watched him go, the door closing softly behind him, and suddenly the tea shop felt colder than ever.

Hana stared down at her hands, her mind racing. How could two people, so different in every possible way, ever make a marriage work? She had no answer. But one thing was certain—this was not going to be easy.

---

Later that evening, as Hana sat in her small bedroom, staring out the window at the flickering lights of the city, she couldn’t stop thinking about Namjoon. His cold demeanor, his bluntness, the way he seemed so unaffected by everything. He was a puzzle, one she didn’t know if she wanted to solve.

Her mother had called earlier, eager to know how the meeting had gone. Hana had given her the barest details, not wanting to delve into the uncomfortable truths. Yes, they had spoken. Yes, they were moving forward with the arrangement. But what she couldn’t tell her mother was how alone she had felt sitting across from Namjoon, how disconnected and out of place she was in this new reality.

She wondered if Namjoon felt the same, or if he was simply going through the motions without any care for the consequences. He had made it clear that this marriage meant nothing to him beyond fulfilling an obligation. But Hana wasn’t like that. She couldn’t approach something as important as marriage with such detachment.

Despite everything, part of her still held onto a fragile thread of hope. Maybe, just maybe, things would change. Maybe, over time, Namjoon would open up, and they could find common ground. After all, people weren’t born cold. Something had made Namjoon this way, and Hana couldn’t help but wonder what had built those walls around him.

Her phone buzzed, snapping her out of her thoughts. It was a message from her mother, asking if she was okay.

Hana smiled sadly at the screen and typed a quick reply.

I'm fine, Mom. Just... adjusting.

But as she set the phone down and climbed into bed, pulling the covers up to her chin, she couldn’t shake the sinking feeling that her life was about to change in ways she hadn’t prepared for. And as much as she wanted to believe that love could conquer all, sitting across from Namjoon today had made her realize one thing:

Some battles couldn’t be won with love alone.

Author note: So this was the first chapter of the series Hearts in chaos : Into the abyss. How was it? Is it captivating your minds and curiosity? If yes please do give some comments and votes, it really is motivating. Also  a shoutout to -jennieverse- and TEEN_FIX  for the amazing cover they made. Thanks guys for the support. Happy reading 📖