*A/N - This story was supposed to be included in my one-shot series, but then I realized this might be longer than I expected. Nevertheless, enjoy. ♡

//

The soldier and the actress went to the nightclub that day for completely different reasons; Minjeong just wanted to lose up a bit after she just came back from a tense war in Khurasan, while Jimin literally wants herself to get lost in the night as the alcohol drowned her every function.

The soldier just casually talked to the bartender, who happened to be her friend back in high school. They just did some catch-up on how is life, not until the ruckus five seats away from them pulled their attention.

"Aren't you Yu Jimin? Why is an actress like you doing here?"

"Want to have fun with us?"

The obviously drunk woman's mind was too hazy from reality to even catch up with the situation that she could only let out a chuckling answer "Let me go!" as one of the men grabbed her by the waist. She is too intoxicated to even act the right thing. Only then, did Minjeong allow herself to disturb in between.

"Excuse me, young man. Where are you bringing this woman?" the soldier's voice was stern and cold as she grabbed the intoxicated woman by her arm. Her voice slightly growled, darting the two men her deathly glares.

One of the men shrugs, slowly releasing his grip on the woman's waist. "Wow-wow. Calm down. Do women these days this scary?" he halted himself a few steps away with both arms up, surrendering. "We'll go. You cool?"

Despite the offer, Minjeong glared at them more intensely than ever. She hissed, warning them with a "Go," before the two young men finally walked away for their dear life.

Minjeong thought this would be the end of her problems, but then the intoxicated woman did the unthinkable — puking right onto her white shirt. What a great day!

She had asked the woman for her address, but all she talk is peculiarly nonsense. She just talked about how it is a disgrace to be single at this age, how shameful she is that she was being shipped to the man she hate, and how the industry humiliate her for being all pretty but got no one in life.

To be honest, Minjeong had no idea what she was talking about.

Also, Minjeong doesn't seem to care. She just wanted to escape this night and loosen up, not to meet a terribly drunk woman who just had to puke on her favourite white shirt.

"Okay, great. Now, where should I send her to?"

*****

Minjeong had to bring the drunk woman to a hotel instead. After tossing the unconscious woman on the bed, Minjeong sighed heavily in defeat. She didn't plan this to happen. She had just got back from Khurasan this evening, and she had nothing to wear except this white shirt.

Her only resort is to clean herself here, thus, clean her white shirt from this disgusting liquid as well, let it dry for the night, and leave right after in the morning.

She also didn't plan to stay here either. Only is that her concern was brought back to the drunk woman, and Minjeong thought if the woman somehow walked out at night, and something happened, and as investigations went on, finding the last person that woman met was a Lieutenant, it would be the end of Minjeong's job.

So, Minjeong ended up staying, cleaning herself and her shirt before she wrapped her night onto the couch at the corner of the hotel room, another clean towel used as her blanket for the night.

*****

Jimin woke up that morning sharp at six, feeling the awful pain in her head as if she had just been hit by a truck. Slowly, her mind was occupied with her surroundings. A hotel room with dimly lit lights, and a woman sleeping on the couch. Her top was covered by a towel, but it fell down on the edge that Jimin could see what the woman was wearing. Just a black sports bra with a metal plate necklace.

Panic.

Jimin shouted her lungs out before anything else, jolted the sleeping soldier up from her slumber that the towel finally fall down completely to her hip.

The actress mind's was too occupied with too many things — What just happened? Why is she inside this hotel room? Who is this woman on the couch? Why are they in the same room? Did she— Jimin traumatised, both hands rubbing on her shoulder to check on herself. "Gosh, thank god. I'm still pretty much covered."

"Hey-hey, wait," Minjeong brows furrows from the couch. "I think you misunderstood things here, miss. I didn't do anything to you, I promise."

"Then, why didn't you cover yourself with any... cloth? And you—" Jimin eyes wander on Minjeong's body. Such a cute face with a kind of tanned body. There's a small scar on her left shoulder and a metal plate necklace around her neck. The baggy, army, bomber pants wrapped around her lower body, thus, making the actress traumatized even more.

A badass just take me to this hotel?!

Jimin practically ran her fingers on the nightstand beside the bed, finding a pencil for her to grab onto before drawing them towards Minjeong. "Who the heck are you!"

"Wow-wow. Calm down!" the soldier gets up from the couch with two hands in the air. "You were so drunk last night and talking nonsense. You didn't answer any of my questions, neither give me any single information for me to send you where you belong to, and you ended up puking on my shirt," she explained, stern yet calm in demeanour.

"Then," the actress paused her words, gulping for dear life. The pencil is still drawn towards the soldier in defence. "Why are you wearing something— You wear something so bizarre! A metal plate necklace with bomber pants? Scars all over your body? Are you a black metalist or are you trying to hurt me?"

Too dumbfounded by the woman's words, Minjeong tried to approach slowly. "Miss, I really think you—"

"Don't you dare to come closer!" Jimin warns. Panic washed all over her body.

Sighing in defeat, Minjeong literally pulled off the necklace as Jimin watched her. "Let me explain," she then tossed the necklace to the bed, catching the attention of Jimin's eyes to follow them. "Look at them. That's my dog tag."

Confused yet still prettily terrified, the actress slowly backed up, reaching for the necklace on the bed with one free hand before she read the writing on the metal plate. ROKA, UN, Kim Minjeong, 010101. "ROKA?" Jimin questioned in her stammering voice. "ROKA, as in?"

"Republic of Korea Army, yes I am," Minjeong nods her head, assuring.

Still in doubt, the pencil in Jimin's hand unwavered. "Private Kim Minjeong, aren't you?"

"Commissioned Officer," Minjeong corrected her calmly. "First Lieutenant, Kim Minjeong. Please, put down that pencil, miss. I have no intention to harm you."

Jimin snickered at the answer, tossing the necklace to the side. Now both hands are holding the pencil like a sharp blade. "Of course, you would harm me!"

It only sent the soldier into a deeper confusion. "Excuse me? I don't even know who you are, I have no means to harm you."

"You know me!" Jimin stands with her word, louder this time. "Many would harm me! I just knew!"

"Well, I don't know you!" Minjeong tried to say stronger this time. She didn't give a fuck about this woman's problem, nor did she know who the hell is this woman in front of her. But, now this woman keeps spurting nonsense that doesn't make any sense.

"Impossible! You should know me," Jimin walked closer, pencil straight to Minjeong's face. In any way, the soldier already set her feet in pace, just in case she needed to attack to defend herself from this lunatic woman. "I am Yu Jimin! I'm this country pride actress!"

Minjeong swore to god, that she heard of that name before somewhere, might be from the news or whatever. But, from how busy she is as a soldier, she has no time for all of the entertainment world nor that part of the world to even know who the hell Yu Jimin is. "I swear to god, Jimin. I don't know you. I am a pretty busy soldier myself."

"Now, tell me what you heard from me last night!" the pencil got even closer to Minjeong's face, but she didn't want to attack an innocent civilian too fast, or she might be sued. "Tell me!"

"You talked a lot about how you are desperate to find someone to show off to your colleagues," Minjeong tried to talk as calmly as possible. Her hands made a quiet, secretive movement. Her only mission right now is to get rid of that pencil in Jimin's grip and finally leave this room for good. Fin to both of them.

Strangely, as soon as the actress heard Minjeong's words, she started to loosen up. The pencil she was persistently holding up to Minjeong had just been pulled out from Minjeong's safe lines. "You heard me saying that?"

"Yeah. I guess you were pretty desperate," seeing how the actress somehow calmed down a bit, only then Minjeong halted slowly. "Did you really mean what you said last night? You want to marry someone as soon as possible?"

Those words bring deep scars to the actress that Jimin immediately walked back to the bed, tossing the pencil to the carpeted floor as she took her seat on the fluffy mattress. Both palms covered her face in despair. "I need someone so bad. Sure, it sounds silly. But, it keeps getting worse from me, and many of my haters used that fact to torture me every single day."

With now the actress all vulnerable and Minjeong pretty sure that Jimin wouldn't bring any harm to her any longer, Minjeong headed quietly to the veranda, fetching off her half-dried shirt from the railings before putting it back on herself. She then went back into the room, trying to be at least as polite as possible for their goodbye. "I'm sorry for what happened to you. If that's the case, I think I should take my leave now from making you any more uncomfortable. I paid for everything, so you don't need to worry when you check out later."

Minjeong walks away, leaving the actress silently sobbing on the bed. As she was about to put on her boots, she could hear the actress wails painfully. "I don't even fucking care if I need to fake marry someone to prove them how wrong they are!"

With that final words, Minjeong's action came to a halt.

Heads peeping back into the bedroom, "What did you just say?"

The actress's cheeks are all wet the moment she turns her head towards the soldier, "I don't fucking care about a fake marriage at this rate, you idiot."

Minjeong gulps at the actress's words. Fake marriage. Sure, that's possible too. She was so pressured these days by her sick mother's words. Her last and only wish was to see Minjeong at least elope with someone and remembering her mother's words sent a painful churn in the soldier's stomach.

"Did you really mean what you just said?"

Jimin frowns, slightly angry at Minjeong. "Are you mocking me right now?"

"No, I just— Nevermind," Minjeong shake her head violently at the thoughts. What did she think just now?! Minjeong, marrying this nuisance actress? No way.

"I'll take my leave. Take care," is all the soldier said before finally setting her feet out of the hotel room, leaving Jimin so painfully broken by her scars.

The actress silently wiped away all the tears left on her eyes and cheeks. She was just about to call her manager as soon as she saw her pouch and phone on the counter. But then, her eyes were stuck onto that certain metal plate necklace on the bed. Well, at least Minjeong was true to her words. She really didn't bring any harm to Jimin.

Wait.

"Oh god, her dog tag!"

Jimin wasted no time snatching the necklace from the bed, running towards the room door, opening it so wide to have a glance at Minjeong, shout her name out or something.

But sadly, Minjeong is gone.

*****

It was another week after that strange meet-up and Winter was at the military base, doing some tactical training with her fellow soldiers under the guide of their captain. The group consisted of five strong, calibre soldiers, and Minjeong was the second highest rank in her elite team, behind her captain.

The training was intense that day. They had a brief meeting in the morning wherein the war in Khurasan unconventionally arises again. The militants in that country killed about twenty to thirty innocent civilians in a single night, and the Khurasan government kindly asked the United Nations for their assistance. So far, the ROKA hasn't been called yet, but they need to prepare in an instant, just in case.

Being a ROKA was one thing, but being a ROKA along the UN was another thing. It wasn't just about keeping the peace for solely South Korea only but also covered the world.

Among the seventy-six thousand UN peacekeepers, Minjeong is one of them.

As they take their break in one of the barracks, one of the private came to their team followed by a salute of respect. "Sir, I've been assigned to call First Lieutenant Kim Minjeong to the main building for a short second. I'm sorry for the disturbance, Sir!"

The captain of the team exchanged glances with Minjeong and their mates, before Minjeong held her arm out, resting them on her knee. "Why did they call me for?"

"Ma'am. I believe you have a guest in the main building, Ma'am!" the soldier stood still, respecting the upper rakers.

With those final words, Minjeong glanced once at her captain, and only after the man nodded his head, allowing Minjeong to leave, the woman finally stood up from the seat, tossing her drinks to her teammate in a friendly way. "You can have mine. I'll take another one from the building," she said as she smiled at her fellow soldier before that certain main smiled happily back towards the woman. "Thanks, Minjeong!"

It was confusing, yes it is. Who would visit Minjeong on Saturday morning? She is sure enough that it wasn't her older sister, Taeyeon. Their in-coma state mother would be just fine, she positively thinks. So, who would dare to visit her? Ningning? That Chinese best friend of hers was too busy with her dating life and her medical field. No way she would drop off for a visit.

As Minjeong's hand slowly twisted the doorknob to the visiting room, she prayed countless times that it was not her older sister, nor their mother's caretaker. She just wishes it wasn't both of them. She wants her mother to be just fine.

But, as soon as the door was wide open, and the woman inside the room finally turned her head over, making eye contact with Minjeong, that's when confusion got deeper for the soldier. "You?" Minjeong lifted one of her brows. "What are you doing here?"

"Minjeong. Hi," came out slowly from the actress's mouth. Either she was shy or she was just not in the mood to speak out loud, Minjeong didn't really care, to be honest. "Have a seat. I really need to talk to you."

Confused and dumbfounded, the soldier proceeds taking the seat across the actress. Her eyes keep looking at Jimin, "I don't understand."

"Now, this truly meant that you are really a soldier," Jimin snorted almost like she was mocking the woman in front of her.

"I never lied to you in the first place. It's you who need to believe it or not."

The actress simply zipped her mouth, feeling defeated. Yeah, she should believe Minjeong in the first place though. "I'll keep this as simple as it could be. First, I want to thank you for last week. I would literally sleep on the road without your help, or even get kidnapped by a motherfucker to wherever they want to bring me. But, that's not the main point that I'm here to meet you."

"Okay, now you being all thanky and mysterious at the same time," Minjeong put her arms together in front of her chest. Her next words came out stern, "Straight to the point, please."

"Let me give you this first," the actress suddenly roaming her hands inside her handbag while Minjeong keeps a keen eye on her actions. She reminded herself a thousand times that at their first meeting, Jimin literally drew a pencil right towards Minjeong's face. Who knows she might do the same for the second time.

It didn't take long for the actress to pull out that familiar metal plate necklace, and place it on the table. "You forgot this."

"Oh, god! Thank god! I thought I dropped them on the road or something. So, it was in the hotel, huh?" Minjeong frantically took away the necklace, immediately putting it on her neck, going in underneath her soldier attire. "Thanks. I almost get penalized for losing them."

Jimin's voice didn't get calmer after Minjeong's happy discoveries like she was hesitant to say her words. "Well, actually... I'm here to ask you for help."

The soldier's head shot up between her happiness, "What is it?"

Jimin gulped so hard as if there was a big lump in her throat. She was too hesitant to say her words, thinking if this is a great idea or just some shitty bizarre thing for her own benefit. Her hands clenched into fists under the table. "I need you to marry me, Minjeong."

"Excuse me??" Jimin words was too sudden for the soldier that she thought she heard things. "You need me to what?"

"I need you—" Jimin paused her words, too hesitant, and a bit scared for whatever would come next. "I need you to marry me."

"W-wait... Wait, Jimin. Wait," the sudden request was too much for Minjeong to even process in the right state of her mind. Sure, she got the idea once too back at the hotel room when they first met. But, she thought it might just be too bizarre, too ridiculous for her to do the same. "You need me to marry you? As in marriage? For real?"

"I know it was too much for you, but—" Jimin tried so hard to endure the pain in her chest, but somehow her eyes started to become teary. "I can't hold this anymore. Minjeong, please. Let it be fake or whatever you want it to be. I know we don't fucking like one another, nor loving each other, but at all costs, I need to marry someone to prove to them how wrong they are for humiliating me so much. I really need to— It's torturing me—"

"Jimin, hey. Calm down," Minjeong stood up from her seat and walked around the table, taking the seat right next to the actress as she patted her back in a soothing motion. The soldier lets out a deep sigh. "Relax, okay?" she assures. "I don't know what kind of pressure that you need to take in, but unlucky enough, I think I got the exact same problem as you did right now."

The actress slowly put her head up, facing the soldier with teary eyes. "What do you mean?"

Minjeong sighed heavily as she started. "Apparently, my brain-dead mother is in a coma right now, and her last wish was to see me getting married, even if it's just an elope marriage."

"So, you'll agree? Even if this is as bizarre? Like... shitty bizarre? It's a fake marriage, Minjeong. Are you sure?"

Slightly laughing, the soldier nods her head. "As shitty and bizarre as it is, I think I might really really agree on the idea. I'm positive."

Jimin could feel her heavy heart feel lighter. It seems like all her problems were just taken away in a flash by the soldier. "We are eloping? Are you sure?" she asked one last time, just to make sure. Minjeong was hesitant, sure she was. The idea is crazy. It was like choosing between life and death, but at this rate, Minjeong would do anything for her dying mother, even if it was a fake marriage.

Her firm, strong hands slowly reached Jimin's fists under the table, holding them so gently to give her a dead-end answer. "We are eloping. Just tell me when."

Jimin sniffled between her decreasing sobs, finally turning her body over towards the soldier, holding back her hands full of hope. "Next week," she said in a soft yet deep voice. "I need you to elope me next week."

"Okay, cool. Next week," Minjeong smiled softly. For Mother. "Will it be fine if we do it in front of my mother?"

Jimin's eyes flickered in hope, seems like everything would work out just fine. "Sure, in front of your mother."