Chapter One:
Loveless Lovers
...
It was at a charity event that it first happened.
Young Do and Rachel had been close acquaintances for years, and were at one point in time startlingly close to becoming siblings, and yet they had never had a single meaningful conversation that didn't involve revenge or chit-chat.
It was at a charity event that it first happened. Young Do spied a woman standing alone on the balcony, hidden away from the civilised party inside. Her hair was long and dark, curving down her back, and her short black dress made her pale legs look endless. He was sliding through the half open door before he knew what he was doing.
"Hello," he said, wondering who on Earth she could be. There were few women he knew that came to these gatherings and looked like that.
It was a surprise, then, when the woman turned, and he found Yoo Rachel smirking back at him.
"You!"
"Me," Rachel laughed.
It was an uncommon sight, his almost-sister laughing. To be fair, the last few times he had spoken to her, she had had little to laugh about. In school, she had been engaged to Kim Tan, which was certainly something one would hate. Then the break up with Lee Hyo Shin. That was after... three years of dating? They'd been out of school for five years now, and Rachel was now busy with RS International. She still had little to laugh about, when she had to be serious and businesslike all the time.
It was with a pang of he didn't know what that Young Do realised that Rachel was very pretty when she smiled. When she laughed. She should do it more, he thought, before realising he'd just considered all the reasons why she hadn't done it often.
"What are you doing out here?" He asked, leaning against the rail.
A rue smile settled on her lips. Her lips are bright red, Young Do noted absently.
"Mother wanted me to meet yet another eligible chaebol heir to marry... or something about networking. I don't remember. I just knew I wouldn't be able to stand whoever she made me talk to next, so I escaped."
He chuckled, knowing the feeling exactly. Tonight was a rare reprieve, as his father was on his honeymoon with his new wife, but Young Do was often introduced to several potential brides at every party.
It was terrible, but it was what was expected.
"You could always tell her that you're dating someone," Young Do said, without thinking.
Rachel frowned, "But I'm not."
He raised an eyebrow in response.
"Ah! But she'll ask for names and family connections... it just won't work. What if she goes and discusses it with his family? Remember what happened with..."
She trailed off, but Young Do knew who she meant. Lee Hyo Shin's parents were surprised and shocked by Lee Esther's out-of-the-blue suggestion that the couple should get engaged. They hadn't even known that Rachel and Hyo Shin were dating. Three weeks later, Hyo Shin was sent off to America to "study abroad" and Rachel was left with an unsaid confirmation that their relationship was over.
Meddling parents were awful.
"Just..." Young Do considered, "Just say it's me."
"What?!"
"She won't want you to marry me, considering how she dumped my father. And she'll leave you be in the meantime. Lee Esther will just hope our relationship will run its course and you'll be ready to marry then," he reasoned.
What had gotten into him?
All he'd wanted was to meet the woman on the balcony, and here he was offering to fake date his almost-sister.
Rachel said nothing for a few minutes, clearly considering the outrageous proposal. Young Do assumed she would say no. After all, she was the more logical out of the two of them.
She took a deep breath and faced him.
"Okay.
"What?!"
"I'll tell her that I'm dating you."
Young Do couldn't actually believe that she'd taken him up on his offer.
Firstly, what had he done? Why would he offer someone he wasn't all that close to such a ridiculous favour? If his father heard about this, he'd actually insist on the match.
Secondly, why had she agreed? It was true that marriage meetings were a bore and networking at these sorts of functions was incredibly dull for anyone under the age of forty, but it wasn't anything new. They'd been here for more than ten years, suffering through it. What was different now?
Thirdly, was he actually going to have to pretend to be her... boyfriend?
"So... uh... you'll pretend to date me," he responded coolly.
Rachel laughed again. When she wasn't serious, Rachel looked just as she had when they were fifteen and had no worries in the world.
"Yes. But don't worry, you're right that my mother won't spread the news. And you don't have to do anything, just speak to me once or twice when she's nearby," Rachel said.
Young Do's eyes, which had strayed back to the party during his several moments of internal panic, focused on a figure weaving her way toward them.
Unsure of what to do exactly, as he was probably the last person who would know what to do in an actual relationship, Young Do grabbed Rachel's hand and interlaced his fingers with hers.
She squeaked but followed his gaze to her mother, who was moving closer by the second, speaking to acquaintances in her path, but steadily continuing toward her goal. Her daughter.
"I'll tell her now," Rachel decided. At Young Do's worried look, she added, "It's better now than later. If I don't say something here, I'll be dragged around for the rest of the night."
He smiled apologetically, nodding in acquiescence.
Lee Esther stepped out onto the balcony, "Choi Young Do, it has been a long time."
Her eyes zeroed in on their linked hands.
It was a colder voice that questioned, "Rachel?"
"I am dating Young Do, Mother."
It was at a charity event that it first happened.
Choi Young Do and Rachel had their first real conversation.
And they just accidentally fell into a relationship, albeit a fake one.
