{FLASHBACK -3 YEARS AGO-}

Yuri's POV:

Here we were. An awkward silence clouded us. I played with my phone in my hands while the guy with dark brown hair, sitting opposite to me, had his eyes glued to the menu.

His name is Park Jimin.

Jimin.

What a beautiful name.

He had worn a black coat, underneath which was a white shirt. His hair was styled to perfection, exposing his forehead, which was attractive. His eyes were so soft.

I mentally coughed at the realization that I was checking him out.

God I just hope he didn't notice, or it would be embarrassing.

I too picked up the menu placed before me on the table. I couldn't focus on deciding what to eat as millions of nervous thoughts clouded my brain.

The waiter arrived to take our orders. I didn't know what to order. My appetite seemed to be lost due to the rising anxiety. The guy sitting opposite to me ordered an espresso.

Wait, what? Why? I wanted to order it! Now if I do, it will seem like I am copying him.

And that would be embarrassing.

Sighing, I just ordered a milkshake for me. After telling the waiter my order, I turned to look at him only to find him already looking at me. My lips twisted a bit, threatening to get transformed into a blush. I took a deep breath to calm myself down.

God, I must be looking like an idiot.

He cleared his throat a bit, a serious expression plastered on his face. He looked into my eyes before he started to speak.

"Ms. Kim, I'll be honest. I'm not ready for marriage, and I'm already in a relationship. I can't abandon her." He said bluntly.

His straightforwardness somehow gave me the confidence to put my thoughts out loud.

"I understand, Mr. Park. And to let you know that neither I am interested in getting married this early." I spoke.

"It's fine. Since we both don't want to continue this, lets tell our parents immediately," he said, a sense of relief evident in his voice. I nodded.

It was silent after that. An awkward one. None of us knew how to continue further.

The waiter arrived with our orders, breaking the awkward silence. Didn't he take a bit too long for two simple orders? 

I finally got something to speak. "Didn't you tell your parents yet? About you are not ready."

He sighed before replying, "Do you think I didn't? But they don't listen to me. I thought if you could tell them that you too don't want this, maybe they'll understand."

I smiled wryly. "I'm kind of in the same situation."

One day, my father, out of the blue, suddenly brought up the topic of my marriage. Right after the university came to an end. And today he arranged a date for me with Jimin so I could know him.

He crushed all my dreams beneath the weight of his selfishness.

As we finished our drinks, Jimin offered a ride back to my home. But I politely refused saying my driver was here to pick me up.

The ride home was filled with chaotic thoughts. Thoughts flooded in one by one, nonstop.

I knew that my father and Jimin's father were really good friends and business partners as well. So, the only reason that could exist behind this sudden marriage proposal was for their business's and friendship's sake.

I didn't hate my father. I know he would never want to be bad for me. He was just being too selfish right now. He, not exactly but kind of threatened me for this, regarding my part of shares in the company.

I thought about my meeting with Jimin at the café. As soon as he crossed my mind, all his facial features started to pop up in my mind.

I shook my head to get rid of them.

But all of those images themselves vanished within a matter of seconds, right at the moment when the thought of the fact that he was asking me to refuse this proposal to his parents crossed my mind.

But how could I refuse? I had my hopes high that he would help me convince our parents.

A sigh left my mouth. I have to convince my father at any cost. I just don't find myself ready for any kind of serious relationship, especially with one whom I don't even know and who already has a girlfriend.

The chain of my thoughts was broken by a phone call. It was from my brother. Though he is my half-brother, he treats me like his own sister. He was there for me in my hard time. The sad thing is that even he is not able to convince his father.

I quickly picked up the call.

And the next moment, I saw my world falling apart. I sat numb as I heard my brother say, "Father is in serious condition, Yuri. He had a heart attack."

And the very next moment, I found myself walking past the hospital corridors.

As I rushed to the hospital, everything became blurry. Tears refused to stop, obscuring my vision. My father, a heart patient, was fine until morning - what happened suddenly? Fear gripped my body, making me feel like I'd collapse at any moment.

The hospital's air was thick with disinfectant's scent and beeping machines' sound. My mind was a blur of chaos and desperation.

Upon arriving at the VIP room, I saw three figures. "Sunwoo!" I called out, my voice shaking. My brother turned, his face wet with tears. He embraced me, and I broke down.

"Dad will be fine, right?" I asked, searching his eyes for reassurance. But he just cried harder.

I turned to the doctor standing at the door. "Doctor, my dad...?" I struggled to form words, my body numbing with each passing second.

The doctor's serious expression terrified me. "A surgery is required, and the chances of his survival are 50-50," he said, breaking me down further.

As I sat on a bench, crying, I saw the hospital staff taking my father to the operating room. My head spun as I watched him lying lifelessly in hospital clothes. My heart ached. I tried to approach him, but the nurses stopped me.

I stumbled back and fell on the bench. Never in my life have I realized my father meant this much to me.

After a few minutes, I saw Yoona, my half-sister, leaning against the wall, her face pale and her appearance disheveled. I approached her, but she moved away, preventing me from hugging her. She despised me a lot.

Sunwoo returned and hugged me, trying to comfort me. I broke down in his embrace.

About half an hour had passed and I was sitting on the bench, fidgeting with the hem of my top.

Just then, Mr. and Mrs. Park and their son, Park Jimin, approached us.

I saw Mr. Park approaching Sunwoo. He put his hands on his shoulders, trying to hearten him.

I averted my gaze, and they met two beautiful pairs of eyes. "Don't worry, he'll be fine. We'll get through this" He whispered. His eyes carried comfort, which I needed the most right now.

Hours passed, and I overheard Mr. and Mrs. Park's conversation. Mrs. Park left, but Jimin refused to go with her, choosing to stay instead.

The doctor finally came out of the operating room. Without giving him a chance to speak, we showered him with questions. He told us to calm down a bit before he started to speak. "The operation was successful, but everything depends on his willpower now," he said, leaving us with a glimmer of hope.

"Don't worry, father will be fighting bravely and is going to wake up soon." I heard the faint voice of my brother. Though he spoke pretty loudly, my head seemed to be in a daze.

I cried my eyes out, to the verge that I felt every single drop of water in my body flow through my eyes. Keeping that in due, I thought there wouldn't be any tears in my eyes anymore.

But I was wrong. The ocean of tears kept flooding down through my eyes as I watched them bury my father.

I couldn't watch it anymore. I ran away to somewhere near but away from anyone's sight. I wanted to be alone.

Leaning against the bench, I cried my heart out. Every single memory of him flashed in my mind.

After crying for so long, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up and two soft pairs of eyes looked at me. I ran into his embrace, crying again for what felt like an eternity.

"Sunwoo" I mumbled his name in my cries. He patted my back as hiccups took over me. We sat on the bench. I looked blankly in the air. It was a moment of silence before my brother chose to break it.

"Yuri, can we talk?" He started. I looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"What are your thoughts on Dad's last wish" he asked gently.

And it hit me suddenly. I most likely chose to ignore it. Father made a wish to all of his three children when he realized he could not make it anymore to live.

I recalled my father's last wish to me, 'Marry Park Jimin.'

"I know it's not the time to talk about that, but I want to know that If you don't want to, then don't," Sunwoo said, his words comforting me. "It's your life and your decisions. Nobody should control it. Think wisely, I am always with you."

---TO BE CONTINUED---

A/N: Ik reading this chap., the story may seem cliché but trust me it's not. Stay tuned. Let me know your thoughts about this Ch. in the comments. Also, if you liked the chapter, then do leave a vote.