Yoongi's life was mapped out for him before he had even begun to crawl.

All the way from what private pre-school, grade school and high school he'd be attending, what University he would be expected to study at– the same one his father had attended– as well as what he would major in.

Every step was calculated, paid for far in advance in most cases, and all he needed to do was comply.

And comply he did.

Yoongi is gentle by nature. Kind and polite. Never one to cause a fuss or raise any sort of trouble.

(He did smoke a cigarette once that he took from their housekeeper when he was twelve, but after one puff he vomited up the bowl of fruit loops he'd had for breakfast and took it as the universe punishing him for doing something he shouldn't. After that he never had the urge to do anything he knew he shouldn't be doing again.)

He was the perfect son to his controlling, overinvolved and overbearing parents and unfortunately they tended to take advantage of that.

He could never refuse when they asked something of him whether it was something he would willingly choose or had any interest in doing himself.

This is how he was all but forced to apply for the position of chief financial officer for an engineering company fresh out of college.

He himself had little interest in the position but having a masters degree in business and finance helped him to be seen as a more than qualified individual and was hired easily.

It wasn't long after he was hired that his parent shared with him their plan to use his involvement in the company to align themselves with the wealthy family who owned the company.

Hwang Engineering was seen as a perfect and natural partner to Min Manufacturing.

Both businesses wanted the partnership but simply having a contract to align themselves professionally apparently wasn't enough.

Because of this notion, Mr. Hwang and Yoongi's father decided there was another way to unite the two companies more permanently.

So, three months ago, Yoongi was invited to dinner by his boss, Mr. Hwang, at his home.

When Yoongi arrived he was taken to the formal dining room in the large mansion and was met with the sight of both his mother and father on one side of the table, Mr. Hwang at the head, a woman Yoongi recognized as Mrs. Hwang to the older man's right and a woman– a girl really– beside her whom he didn't recognize.

Yoongi tried to keep the confusion and surprise off of his expression, only showing a polite smile as he greeted the room of mostly familiar faces, taking the seat the butler had walked him to; the chair to the left of his mother and across from the girl.

The air around them was tense and Yoongi didn't understand why but the last thing he would do is ask questions or point it out.

Instead he engaged in small talk with Mr. Hwang, thanking him for inviting he and his parents into his home, not acknowledging that he wasn't aware his parents would be in attendance or inquiring about the girl across the table who he noticed kept steeling glances of him.

It was only after their first course was served that she was introduced.

"Yoongi, now that there's a break in the conversation, I'd like to introduce you to my daughter, Yeji," Mr. Hwang beamed, gesturing to the girl.

Yoongi bowed his head respectfully to her with a smile.

"It's nice to meet you."

"It's very nice to meet you as well," she smiled softly. Sweetly.

She bowed her head quickly after speaking but Yoongi still saw her blushing cheeks.

She was a petite girl with a small nose, long dark hair pulled back into a ponytail that trailed down her back, an innocent looking timid smile with small, sharp eyes, much like his own.

She was objectively pretty.

(She could have even been his type if he were into women.)

The conversation between their parents picked up again after that, their mothers making an effort more than their father's did to draw their children into the conversation randomly to make small comments here and there.

It was overall a tame meal.

Nice, but at no point during their time at the table did Yoongi get a sense of why the dinner was called or an answer as to why his parents were there.

To his short lived relief his silent wondering ended as soon as the desert plates were cleared.

It was Mr. Hwang who began to speak first.

"Yoongi, I wanted to have you here tonight, in my home along with your parents, for us to present to you a new business venture."

Yoongi quickly sat up taller in his seat, dabbing the corners of his lips as his eyes flashed to his parents who were peering at him attentively.

His eyes then drifted to the two women across from him briefly before settling back on Mr. Hwang.

"A business venture? I-I'm not sure I understand... If it's for the company, shouldn't we be meeting with the board-"

"It has some personal components to it that don't necessarily concern the board. More so you personally and my company's partnership with Min Manufacturing."

Yoongi met eyes with his father briefly. "Okay?"

"We have agreed to a contract that will bind the companies indefinitely," his father spoke up at that point.

"Indefinitely..." Yoongi repeated.

"Yes. A marriage contract," Mr. Hwang stated and it took several seconds for the words to sink in.

A contract...

A marriage contract...

To bind the companies indefinitely.

Yoongi's eyes widened– unable to hide the moment the realization smacked him across the face.

His head then snapped to the side to look at Yeji.

"The plans have been set. The date has been scheduled and the venue is booked. Only the ceremony is needed now."

It was his father's voice that came through the rapidly gathering fog in his mind, but really, he couldn't be too sure.

Everything around him began melding together before dissipating and devolving into white noise and hazy figures.

The only thing that was coming in clear was Yeji.

She didn't look into Yoongi's eyes with shock but with sadness and apology.

By her face, Yoongi knew that she must have had a bit more of a heads up than he did regarding the real reason for the dinner.

He could also clearly tell that she felt the same way he did.

She didn't want any of what was being presented. Didn't want a wedding.

Inside Yoongi was screaming. Raging and questioning and refusing, saying anything and everything he'd never say out loud about how sick and tired he was of this life. His life.

His life that wasn't and isn't really his. His life that is continuously molded around whatever his parents wanted.

On the outside though, Yoongi was silent. He didn't say a word.

Didn't make a single sound. Just as he's always done.

.......

June 13th.

The day Yoongi would consider as the worst day of his life.

He's never been one to pray. He doesn't believe in any particular higher being who can be reached with hushed pleas and words of gratitude in order to have the desires of your heart come to fruition.

He believes in the universe giving and taking according to your own good or bad deeds and that you should just be the best version of yourself that you can be and you will be rewarded accordingly.

Granted, Yoongi's been living his life being pretty damn good all the way up until now and his life has still lead to him being forced into a loveless marriage.

Despite that though he remains clinging to the hope– dare he say faith– that something miraculous will happen.

That all of his twenty-five years of complaisance and obedience will finally be rewarded by the universe and he will be saved from what his parents have chosen for him.

Currently the ceremony is scheduled to begin in thirty minutes and Yoongi has resulted to praying.

He isn't on his knees in a quiet room, isolated from the outside world, whispering thoughtfully the desires of his heart.

No. Instead he is staring wide eyed around the large chapel– one of two in this monstrous castle of a cathedral– counting and recounting each of the four exits, mumbling under his breath pleas that either someone will come and drag him out of this hundred year old stone building or the earth below him will split into two, creating a crack just wide enough to swallow him whole.

(Only him though. He wouldn't wish that sort of death on Yeji. She's been very sweet. A good sport about all of this. She'd actually be quite a good wife all things considered.

She deserves to live freely and to be happy. Deserves to be standing at an alter with someone who loves her the way she deserves.)

When the doors had first opened and Yoongi saw Yeji in her gorgeous, designer, ridiculously expensive dress his stomach rolled and it was quite astonishing to himself that he was able to keep himself from projectile vomiting up the aisle towards her.

Although, he's sure his skin probably paled enough for him to look a bit seasick.

Besides offering murmured prayers for salvation as the priest begins to speak, he also has to actively gulp every few moments to keep his stomach acid from dribbling down his chin.

He's embarrassed when Yeji nudges him when it's time for the two of them to turn to each other and hold hands because he's so caught up in his own anxiety induced daze that he's not paying any mind to anything going on around him, but he can't bring himself to feel too badly.

Again, Yeji also looks uncomfortable, a forced smile pulling at her glossy lips, and it's almost odd the sense of comfort that brings to Yoongi.

He's glad he doesn't have to worry about breaking her heart when his prayer/wish is granted and he plunges towards the center of the earth to his welcomed death.

Yoongi's glassy eyes drift passed Yeji to a specific crack in one of the stones on the wall over her shoulder when he is jolted back to reality at the sound of someone yelling.

He blinks wildly, eyes darting over the crowd before landing on a man quickly making his way in his direction.

The man isn't looking at Yoongi or Yeji or forward at all really as he walks, instead mostly just looking at the people seated in the pews.

When his eyes do finally meet Yoongi's it's like all the air gets vacuum sucked out of the room.

Yoongi's breath leaves him in a large gust.

In the next moment Yoongi makes a decision.

The first one he's made solely for himself and his own wants since he'd stolen that cigarette.

He flashes a quick look he hopes looks at least a bit more apologetic than his overwhelming relief before stepping away from both the priest and Yeji to make his way as quickly as possible to this unknown man claiming to be there to apparently object to the marriage between he and Yeji.

The man has halted his steps, stopping dead in his tracks in the center of the aisle as Yoongi barrels towards him.

The further Yoongi gets from the alter the more tears he feels falling from his eyes but he can't help but cry.

Someone heard his pleas and they've sent someone to save him!

When he gets to the man he throws his arms around him, his legs giving out underneath him as he does so but luckily the man is quick to react and holds Yoongi to keep him from sinking to the floor.

"Please," Yoongi cries weakly. "Please get me out of here."

Yoongi's eyes are closed as his tears continue to rush down his checks and he just can't bring himself to care about the uncomfortable wetness on his face- or how mortifyingly embarrassing it is to be falling apart in front of strangers- to even think of letting go of his savior.

If he lets go maybe the man will disappear because Yoongi isn't entirely sure this isn't some sort of fear induced hallucination.

It brings him a little sense of reality when he hears the stranger's chest rumble out an "Okay" followed by him guiding Yoongi's arms up around his neck.

The short word floods Yoongi with a sense of relief that makes him cry even harder.

From the moment his body collided with the man's Yoongi never once opens his eyes.

Not when the man wraps one arm around his waist while he hooks the other beneath his knees, or when he feels the ground beneath him disappear as he presses his cheek to the hard warmth of the man's chest.

The man is moving quite fast which Yoongi understands because he can recognize his father's as well as Mr. Hwang's voices calling out angrily distantly but he can't bring himself to care what they have to say and thankfully neither does the man carrying him.

The last thing Yoongi remembers before he either passes out or blacks out is feeling the warmth of the spring sun on his face.

The feeling bringing an overwhelming sense of comfort, warming him instantly from the inside out.

Freedom. That's what he feels.

And he's feeling it for what seems like the first time.