Woo Bin's POV

There was a particular irony in having to forcefully attend oneself's wedding, Woo Bin thought to himself. The whole ordeal was a shit show waiting to happen. An arranged marriage he had always seen coming, but her he couldn't have expected. Guilt gnawed at him, so he loosened the bow tie around his neck much to the chagrin of the stylists around him, getting him prim and proper for the evening.

He used to hope that his future wife would be someone like-minded. Someone balanced and realistic who understood that their marriage was a mere business transaction. He was willing to give his partner anything except his love and fidelity, and he hoped for the same in return. It wasn't unheard of for married couples of his calibre to have their respective lovers.

It wasn't that he was looking for a love of his own like Yi Jung and Jun Pyo. His friends were the anomaly and he wasn't stupid enough to hold out for love. But he did know that he couldn't remain faithful to one woman his entire life. One, on his best days, he could only offer to have genuine feelings of amiability. Nothing else. If he had been lucky, he would have been paired with a woman who already had a love of her own. He could promise her his respect, support and nothing more.

He could make it work with such a woman. A married couple didn't have to be in love to be successful in their marriage. Certain duties had to be followed in a marriage that were much more important than love. Despite his dismay, he knew that having kids was a part of these duties. He didn't favour the idea and planned to delay it as much as possible, but when it came down to it, he'd be willing to fulfill it. Divorced couples were capable of raising their kids despite being separated. He couldn't see why he couldn't do the same if only his future wife didn't have expectations for his feelings. He'd fulfill his responsibilities as best as he could and if he were ever to be blessed with a child he would love it with all his heart.

However, he was down to earth when it came to his fantasies. He would have had to be immensely lucky to be paired with such a woman. He was willing to compromise nonetheless. He had prepared for both the best and the worst. Just because his parents were fond of each other, that didn't mean he would find such a match for himself.

His grandfather had such different plans for him that it was almost laughable.

Hee Jin. So different from what he imagined. So…real. He still can't shake off the image of her in his mind when he first saw her. He had never seen eyes so wide and captivating. Her every feeling was conveyed in her brown eyes. Fear, anger and hatred. She was like an open book to him.

Out of everyone, he never would've picked Hee Jin to be his wife. A deluded lovesick woman would have been better than her. He didn't want to become the villain. The bad guy and Hee Jin made that impossible.

From the background checks he made on her, he knew she didn't have it easy. The girl was traumatized, that much was clear. He wondered how his family didn't catch up on that. Surely, people didn't buy the defensive front she put up was what he thought at first, but he was surprised that everyone thought her to be a threat. They were afraid of what they didn't know. What they couldn't control and Hee Jin fell under that category. She didn't have much to lose and that made her frightened. Well, to everyone except himself.

The girl feared for her life and others and that was why she was in a room beside his putting on her wedding dress. And in her eyes, she believed him to be in on it. After all, he represented all that brought pain in her life. She didn't make her distaste for his family's lifestyle a secret.

Woo Bin huffed, getting suffocated again. He didn't want to do this. He didn't want Hee Jin by his side. She wasn't suited for him in any way possible. He wished he could go against his grandfather. His father. Everyone who supported this marriage. But his grandfather was hellbent on this marriage and his father was surprisingly compliant.

Even after all the months' worth of intel he got on Hee Jin, he couldn't have been ready for the first time he saw her. The girl was suffering, for fuck's sake. He closed his eyes and imagined anyone but her as he waited by the altar. He didn't want to see her accusing eyes as she approached him binding her to a life with him.

The girl was innocent. A victim of lifelong torment and he was one of the people that talked her into this marriage. He could've put a stop to this. He was the bad guy. The villain. No matter how many times he looked at it.

"You look like shit." Yi Jung said, cross-legged on the couch behind him, sipping on his champagne. He could see his reflection in the mirror before him.

"Thanks to the bachelor's party you organized." He replied, remembering the stupendous amount of liquor he consumed yesterday.

"Hey, I was celebrating the happy event." Yi Jung teased.

Woo Bin was vocal about his hesitation towards this marriage, to say the least.

"Come on, cheer up a bit. At least she's not psychotic." Jun Pyo tried to reason.

"I wish she was."

"No, you don't. Who knows? Maybe you could like her." Jun Pyo shrugged.

"It would be a miracle if she managed to stomach me. I wouldn't expect this marriage to be anything but miserable for her."

"You didn't have a choice, Woo Bin. Stop beating yourself up." Ji Hoo said.

"We all have a choice. I took mine and now she'll suffer because of it."

"You said that her living conditions weren't great before. You're offering her protection now. It's not so bad."

"Maybe." He sighed.

"Where are Ga Eul and Jan Di anyway?" He asked, changing the subject.

"They're both with the bride. She doesn't have anyone on her side." Jun Pyo replied.

Another ting of guilt. He had not thought about the possibility that she wouldn't have people to rely on while she was being prepared unlike him.

"That's gracious of them." He muttered.

"They insisted on it." Yi Jung said, failing to hide the smug look on his face.

Sometimes it bothered him to look at Yi Jung and see him so happily in love. He never failed to look proud of Ga Eul. Parading her wherever she went. It was amusing at first to see Jun Pyo be a victim of love. He was the most oblivious of the four of them and it was entertaining. But, when Ga Eul entered Yi Jung's life as well, he started to feel jealous.

Even Ji Hoo, who hadn't been as lucky as Jun Pyo and Yi Jung, used to have Seo Hyun.

He couldn't stop the bitterness in him as he shot Yi Jung a look.

"What?" He asked.

"I get that you don't see Ga Eul as often as you'd like, but today out of all days, could you hide the love oozing from your stupid face."

Ji Hoo chuckled.

"You're jealous?" Ji Hoo asked. "I thought you didn't care about these things."

"I don't. But I'm getting forcefully married here. Tone the love down."

"I apologize." Yi Jung shot his hands up in the air, calling for peace yet the smug smile lingered on his face.

"You're a lost cause." Woo Bin rolled his eyes.

"Leave me be. I haven't seen Ga Eul for six months. That's a lot for me to take." Yi Jung said.

Despite his attitude, Woo Bin was grateful that Yi Jung and Ga Eul dropped everything and travelled back to Seoul just to be by his side for the wedding.

The door to the room opened, grabbing everyone's attention. One of the wedding planners stepped in.

"Mr. Song, it's time." The man said.

His friends looked at him, giving him looks of encouragement as he inhaled a deep breath.

Both his hands rested behind his back as waited for his bride, all eyes on him. This marriage was scrutinized by many for the lack of the bride's fortune, family and everything that made her eligible in the eyes of the public. Few others, who weren't so blinded by money and prestige, understood that marrying into the Song family was more of a curse rather than a privilege. Although they were respected far and wide, not everyone thought highly of the Song family. But they were smart enough not to voice it publicly. Like them or not, the Songs weren't good enemies to have.

The door to the wedding hall opened, revealing a trembling girl in white holding onto the arm of his grandfather.

He locked eyes with her as he felt his heart skip a beat. She looked marvellous. Even with the doubt and the fear clear in her eyes, he couldn't help but feel something foreign in his chest.

She took careful slow steps down the aisle as his grandfather guided her. Her short hair was carefully kept away from her face. There was something ultimately soft about her. And as she drew closer to him, he could feel the doubts he had earlier get subdued.

Looking at her, he didn't feel so alone anymore. All this time, he had avoided her like the plague because he feared looking at her eyes—the judgment and hatred in them. But now, he saw nothing except his fears reflected in her eyes. She was scared just like him. How had he been this stupid?

Maybe it was the wedding jitters inside him, but he could almost feel connected to her now as his grandfather took Hee Jin's hands and put them in his.

She stood before him now, the dress only showing her bare collar bones rising and falling in deep breaths.

"It's okay. I got you." He whispered.

She managed a small smile in return and squeezed his hands as the officiant started reciting his script. He couldn't have pretended to properly listen to his words as he held Hee Jin's hands in his and stared at her eyes that for the first time didn't scorn him. As if he had been doing so for years, Woo Bin made it his mission to calm and comfort her. At this moment, it was all that mattered.

After they both recited their vows after the officiant, the hall erupted in applause.

"You may now kiss the bride." The officiant announced.

"May I?" Woo Bin asked, sure enough, she would refuse. Still, he asked to keep up the appearances.

"Fuck, no."

"I guessed as much." He replied. "I could remedy the situation, so just trust me and don't move."

He grabbed her face in both hands and tilted her head downwards so he could plant a swift kiss on her forehead. She wasn't cooperating, but she didn't push him away either.

"See, that wasn't so bad." He teased, as she pulled away from him.

"When does this end?" She asked.

"Hopefully soon. When everyone gets bored and leaves."

"And when will that happen?" She asked, as they both turned and bowed to his parents in the front row as customary.

"When they realize that what they came for won't happen."

"And what is that?"

"A spectacle."

He was surprised at how easy it was to sneak away from the wedding with a bottle of champagne. As he expected, after the ceremony went off without a hitch, a lot of the guests started slipping away slowly. There was nothing to the wedding that scandalized the guests except what they already knew about the bride. He had to give it to Hee Jin for keeping her wits about her throughout the day. It was exhausting for someone who had been doing this his entire life.

His shoulders slumped against the concrete wall. There wouldn't be anyone bothering him on the hotel's rooftop, he assumed. He took a big chug of the bottle in his hands and enjoyed the fresh night air.

His assumption was wrong as the door to the rooftop opened. His eyes squirmed at the sudden light coming from the door. When it closed, he could see a bunch of white fabric bunched up in the hands of Hee Jin.

They both shared a look of surprise and erupted in laughter.

"Give me that." She said as she took the bottle in his hands.

"I'm so tired." She yawned and took a sip. "Ugh. It tastes like shit."

"It's a ten thousand dollar bottle."

"Why?" She exclaimed. "You can't be seriously enjoying that. Take it."

"You look good by the way."

"You don't look so bad yourself." She confessed.

"Is it always going to be like this? People planning our lives for us? Are you going to hide every time leaving as well?"

"I apologize."

"Really?" She raised her eyebrows. "You're sorry? That's great to hear."

"I'm being sincere. I shouldn't have disappeared like this. I shouldn't have left you alone in all of this."

"At least you're self-aware."

"I spoke to my grandfather. When we return from the honeymoon, we won't be living in the family home."

"What?"

"It's the least I could offer you. I know you got forced into this. You would be able to have privacy in the place we will both stay in. Your room. You don't have to bump into anyone you don't like. Like me, for example."

"How did you convince him?"

"I'm not so useless." He shrugged. It took a while for his grandfather to reconsider, but eventually, he got him to budge. He was the heir to the family name. He would be damned if he didn't get to choose where he and his wife lived.

"Thank you." She said.

"How are we going to do this?" He asked. "I won't lie and say that I expected you in my life, so I need to know this. What do expect from me?" Maybe it was the liquor that made him so truthful, so he didn't have the heart to beat around the bush.

"I don't expect anything from you."

"Tell me the truth, Hee Jin. What do you expect from this marriage?"

"I don't know, okay? I'm just as confused as you are. I don't want to get harmed that's all."

"What?" Now it was his turn to get taken aback by her words.

"I'm not weak, but I don't want to have to fight every day to survive. Can you give me that, Woo Bin?" She asked, genuine fear and worry in those eyes.

He knew her past wasn't easy, but nothing prepared him for those words. It made sense she would think that way. It was all she probably thought of him. He sighed, feeling guilty. They both had a long way to go in understanding each other. She didn't have to like him, but he hoped she wouldn't look at him like he was a monster. Yet, he couldn't blame her. She had only known the hands of monsters her entire life.

"I promise you that I would never hurt or harm you in any way possible. I'm not like that. I know it's hard to believe, but I'm not that terrible of a guy." He chuckled darkly to himself, barely believing the words himself.

"Can I trust you?" She asked, hopeful.

"Yes." He replied, knowing she could trust him with that.

"I think it's time for us to get back down." He said, standing up and offering her his hand. She took it and wiped the dust off of her white dress.

"By the way, I don't dislike you. I don't know you. There's a difference." She said.

Hee Jin's words kept replaying in his mind. Words were buzzing around in his ears yet he could only focus on the words she told him on the rooftop. She didn't dislike him, that was a start. But her fear of getting harmed still gnawed in his chest. He couldn't change her past or the experiences she went through. He didn't have anything but time to show her that he didn't pose a threat to her. He hoped his words could have provided her with some solace.

What surprised him was how well Jan Di and Ga Eul were getting along with Hee Jin. As they stood together in the reception, with the girls hovering around Hee Jin engaging her in conversation with Jan Di's arm locked around hers. Hee Jin looked a bit flustered, but glad nonetheless. It made him happy that she was getting along with his friends.

"The girls are smitten with her." Jun Pyo said, laughing.

"The girl is adorable." Ji Hoo remarked.

"I think you'll both be fine, Woo Bin." Yi Jung squeezed his shoulder.

"Ga Eul and Jan Di are good judges of character." He added.

"It's not Hee Jin's character I'm worried about." Woo Bin replied.

"I know. I wasn't either." Yi Jung said. Woo Bin looked over his shoulder confused, but Yi Jung just shrugged his shoulders and laughed with Ji Hoo and Jun Pyo.

"Is there some sort of joke I'm not in on?"

"Oh, you're in for a long road, buddy." Jun Pyo said, snickering.