Banner by carameloreo-mcflurry

Soo-yun stepped out of the black luxury car that had dropped her off in front of Cheonghwa, one of Seoul’s most prestigious five-star Korean restaurants. The sleek golden signage gleamed under the soft evening lights, and the air was thick with the scent of sizzling meat, rich broths, and expensive wines.

She adjusted her coat and sighed. Whatever this urgent family meeting was about, it had better be worth leaving practice early for.

As she walked inside, the hostess immediately recognized her. “Miss Soo-yun, your family is waiting in the private dining room. Right this way.”

With a polite nod, she followed through the lavish corridors, passing by discreetly decorated rooms filled with executives, celebrities, and politicians. A part of her stomach twisted. Her parents never invited her to restaurants like this unless it was something serious.

Finally, the hostess slid open the wooden door to an elegant private dining room. A long mahogany table was set with delicate white porcelain plates, neatly folded napkins, and a spread of high-end traditional Korean cuisine.

“Soo-yun!” Her younger sister, Danielle, beamed, waving eagerly. “You’re late!”

“Traffic,” Soo-yun muttered, stepping inside and bowing slightly toward her parents, who sat near the head of the table. Her father, a well-dressed CEO, gave her a curt nod, while her mother, ever the elegant socialite, smiled warmly.

However, her gaze quickly landed on the man sitting across from her.

Kim Taehyung.

Soo-yun blinked, surprised. The same Kim Taehyung from the drama Stigma. The A-list actor everyone was obsessed with. The one whose face was plastered all over billboards.

And yet, at this moment, he looked entirely uninterested. Dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, he leaned back lazily in his seat, one hand supporting his chin as he stared at the table with a blank expression.

What the hell was he doing here?

“Soo-yun, I’m glad you made it,” her mother said, breaking the silence. “This is Kim Taehyung. I assume you’ve heard of him?”

Soo-yun forced a neutral expression. “Yeah. I have.”

Taehyung barely spared her a glance. “Charming.” His voice was dry, indifferent.

Soo-yun narrowed her eyes slightly. Okay… rude.

Danielle, ever the social butterfly, didn’t seem to notice the tension and leaned forward excitedly. “Unnie, can you believe it? Kim Taehyung! Right here with us! I was just telling him how much you love watching Stigma!”

Soo-yun stiffened. “Danielle.”

Taehyung finally looked at her, and the disinterest in his eyes turned into mild amusement. “Oh?” He tilted his head. “A fan?”

His tone made it sound like an insult rather than a question.

“I never said that,” Soo-yun shot back, crossing her arms. “My members watch it. I just happened to be there.”

Taehyung smirked. “Right.” His voice was laced with doubt.

Soo-yun clenched her jaw. This guy was seriously irritating.

“Anyway,” her father interrupted, clearly unimpressed by their bickering. “Let’s get to the point.”

Her mother took a deep breath, looking between Soo-yun and Taehyung. “The reason we called you both here tonight is because… we’ve arranged for the two of you to be married.”

The room fell into dead silence.

Soo-yun blinked. Once. Twice. Then she let out a short, breathless laugh. “Excuse me?”

Danielle gasped, eyes wide. “Wait, what?”

Taehyung, for the first time since she arrived, actually reacted. His relaxed posture straightened, and he turned sharply toward Soo-yun’s parents. “You’re joking.”

“I assure you, we’re not,” her father said, his voice calm but firm. “This arrangement has been decided for a while now. It will benefit both families.”

Soo-yun stared at them, her pulse ringing in her ears. “You’re telling me… that I have to marry him?” She gestured at Taehyung like he was some random stranger off the street.

Taehyung scoffed. “Trust me, I’m just as horrified as you are.”

Soo-yun turned back to her parents, shaking her head. “No. Absolutely not. I have a career—”

“And so do I,” Taehyung cut in. “One that doesn’t involve getting tied to some idol.”

That hit a nerve. Soo-yun snapped her head toward him. “Some idol? Wow. Way to be condescending.”

“I’m just being honest,” he replied smoothly. “I don’t have time to babysit someone whose career is based on autotune and choreography.”

Soo-yun’s blood boiled. “At least I don’t spend my life pretending to be someone I’m not.”

Danielle gasped again. “Oh my god, this is like a K-drama!”

Taehyung scoffed, but his jaw tightened slightly. Soo-yun could tell her words had struck a nerve. Good.

Her mother sighed. “We expected some resistance, but please try to be reasonable—”

“Reasonable?” Soo-yun let out a bitter laugh. “You want me to marry someone I just met! Someone who clearly thinks he’s better than me!”

“Likewise,” Taehyung muttered.

Her father’s expression hardened. “This is not up for discussion.”

Soo-yun gritted her teeth, fists clenched under the table. Taehyung looked equally furious, his fingers tightening around his napkin.

Neither of them wanted this.

And neither of them planned on making it easy.

a/n :

Taehyung and Soo-yun being already a perfect enemies. And Danielle being a fan is my cup of tea ☕☕

Hey everyone it's Lily. And I just want to say I'll be continuing this story and trying to complete by the end of March as I'm eager to complete a book actually!

Hope you all take care
Eat healthy food, drink a lot of water, exercise daily

Love
Lily