Park Jun-seo, who came with him, checked his younger brother’s appearance one last time. Whether the tie knot was crooked, whether there were any wrinkled parts on the jacket.
It was supposedly their first meeting, but far from being polished and shined, Jun-wan had come in his work clothes as is. At least the suit fit him well, so his handsome appearance was impeccable.
“Why go this far?”
When his brother even inserted an expensive tie pin, Jun-wan rolled his eyes as if dumbfounded. Even though he was openly showing his displeasure, Park Jun-seo focused on dressing him up until the end.
“Hey, this is a matter of pride. Never be outdone by the Hwaryeong Kim Clan.”
He was telling him to seize the initiative at the first meeting. The two families had been bitter enemies since ancient times. If you traced the origin, it started from the Joseon Dynasty, so it was quite a longstanding grudge.
In the old days, they compared not only how many spoons each house had, but even the number of servants they employed. But isn’t the era different now? They had long since stopped caring about other families’ affairs.
Still, perhaps some rivalry consciousness remained, as brother Jun-seo was full of fighting spirit. Jun-wan found this psychology completely incomprehensible.
“You’re really handsome, my younger brother.”
Park Jun-seo stepped back and looked Jun-wan over thoroughly. His face showed complete satisfaction.
“That’s enough. Do it in moderation.”
“Kim Yu-shin or whatever, he’s seven years younger than you and just an elementary school dropout. No matter how well-off their family is, don’t forget you’re no slouch either. Cheongseon Park Clan! The spirit of scholars! Huh? We’re a yangban family doing just as well as that house!”
Why is he really like this?
Jun-wan looked at his brother with disgusted eyes. Then he checked his wristwatch. It was exactly on time. For Jun-wan, keeping the time appointment was more important than the current pointless conversation.
“I’m going.”
He threw out the short words and turned around. His long legs strode into the lounge. When he gave his name to the employee standing at the reception, he was immediately guided.
A reservation had been made at the lounge for today’s meeting. By now, both sets of parents were probably meeting separately in a guest room discussing the marriage.
It was a marriage he had to do even if he didn’t want to. If he refused, his future would be thrown in the trash. Jun-wan had already given up his free will. With a face devoid of any expectation, he crossed the lounge.
In the space where a gentle melody flowed, he saw guests filling scattered seats. Everyone was looking in one direction.
One o’clock in the afternoon—a man was sitting in a seat by the window. His posture with legs crossed while deeply buried in the sofa was quite delinquent.
It was a face that said he had no interest in worldly affairs. At a glance, he even looked bored. Slowly blinking eyes were looking beyond the window, and the bright lighting illuminated Yu-shin’s already pale skin even more clearly.
“Have a good time.”
The employee spread his palm and indicated the seat. Even without guidance, Jun-wan recognized at a glance that that person was Kim Yu-shin. Because the elementary student he had seen in the photo hadn’t undergone an unfortunate transformation and had grown as is.
No, rather he had grown into an even more mysterious creature. It was clearly a man no matter how you looked, but he had such a pretty face that made you wonder how can such a person exist? It was marvelous how all his features fit into his small face, and it was also fascinating how a noble air could be felt from his insincere attitude.
Jun-wan froze like a native seeing fire for the first time. But he soon gathered his reason. After needlessly touching his tie knot once more, he approached the table where Yu-shin was sitting.
“Kim Yu-shin?”
At the low call, Yu-shin straightened his bent head. Large, dark eyes rose upward. The face that had been full of boredom gradually gained vivid life. Yu-shin clearly recognized Jun-wan too.
“Nice to meet you for the first time. I’m Park Jun-wan.”
“…Ah. Yes.”
Yu-shin straightened his back and uncrossed his legs. But that was all. There was no standing up to offer a handshake or returning greeting. He simply took a sip of the water placed in front of him.
Jun-wan sat down across from him without minding. He hadn’t expected anything in the first place, so he didn’t care whether the other person had eaten manners with their rice or not.
Even after sitting down, a long silence flowed. Jun-wan couldn’t easily open his mouth. His eyes kept turning forward. Even knowing it was rude, he found himself repeatedly looking at Yu-shin’s face.
He understood why the other people in the lounge were all glancing this way. Kim Yu-shin had a face that anyone couldn’t help but look at.
The aftershock of the impact lasted quite a while. After looking for a long time, his eyes finally became accustomed. Jun-wan let out a small sigh and straightened his back.
“Since we both came here knowing the situation, let’s get to the point. I intend to marry.”
“……”
Yu-shin slowly raised his eyes and stared intently at Jun-wan with his mouth firmly closed. The gaze wandering over Jun-wan’s features seemed to be searching.
“There’s no other choice, is there? We can’t disobey the royal command.”
“……”
“Kim Yu-shin, you’re young and might not like marrying another man, but—”
“Twenty-five is old enough.”
Yu-shin spoke quite decisively. The search seemed to be over, as he now properly met Jun-wan’s eyes.
“You act like someone who’s lived through everything.”
“I have more social experience than Kim Yu-shin.”
Hmm, Yu-shin made a meaningful sound through his nose and smiled. His long eyes curved gently.
“You must have investigated me.”
“I need to know who I’m marrying.”
“You couldn’t have found much no matter how hard you looked. You must have had a hard time.”
His retort was full of leisure.
His posture, which had seemed slightly stiff, also became more relaxed. Yu-shin opened the menu on the table.
“Let’s order something first. Have you had lunch?”
“…Can you eat in this situation, Kim Yu-shin?”
“Yes. I’m hungry.”
Yu-shin ordered a brunch set and a glass of orange juice. His behavior was very natural, as if he had been here often.
“Are you really not eating? The food here is good.”
“Black coffee is fine for me.”
Jun-wan curtly dismissed it. Then he stared at Yu-shin’s face.
The other person was exactly like a cat of good breeding. An undeniable elegance flowed from his appearance, and every movement was languid. He was the epitome of an arrogant yangban young master who received no constraints from the world.
It seemed his brother had properly planted that perception before leaving. The Hwaryeong Kim Clan’s wealth and willful behavior were directly projected onto Yu-shin. Perhaps because of that, Kim Yu-shin’s impression also looked disagreeable.
His instincts told him they wouldn’t be compatible. Jun-wan had quite good intuition. And that premonition had never been greatly off the mark until now.
Soon the menus each had ordered arrived in front of them. Jun-wan began observing Yu-shin while eating, sipping his hot coffee.
Perfect etiquette could be glimpsed in how he cut the well-toasted French toast into bite-sized pieces. Yu-shin didn’t make sounds while chewing, just moved his lips. For someone eating combatively, the amount diminishing wasn’t much.
Jun-wan’s eyes narrowed thinly. What the hell is this person? This carefree? Rather, he looked like someone who would feel the most aversion to this marriage.
The Kim Yu-shin he actually faced was tougher than expected. He mercilessly shattered Jun-wan’s expectation that he would be somewhat naive and slow-witted.
As unexpected aspects kept being discovered, suspicion inevitably deepened. Jun-wan thought carefully before opening his mouth.
“What do you want to do, Kim Yu-shin?”
“We have to do it, the marriage.”
“Do you originally like men?”
Yu-shin’s large eyes widened. It was merely looking quietly, but perhaps because of the Hwaryeong Kim Clan’s eye shape, it seemed like glaring.
“I don’t know that.”
“You don’t know?”
“I’ve never dated anyone before.”
Jun-wan bowed his head and pressed his forehead firmly. Hearing such an innocent answer made his head throb.
This is really a kid. How can someone be twenty-five and never have dated once? With that face?
He wondered how preciously they must have raised him to be like this. Rather than Kim Yu-shin having flaws in his personality, there was a high possibility that the family cherished him so much they didn’t let him out.
“Kim Yu-shin… you’re like a yangban family’s unmarried daughter.”
“That’s you indirectly insulting me, right?”
His perception was quite something. This confirmed that Kim Yu-shin was not slow-witted.
Jun-wan looked at Yu-shin while holding his forehead. He too had relaxed his posture even more than before. He had decided to abandon formality.
“So there’s no problem with getting married?”
“It’s a royal command, so we have to follow it.”
“Can you sleep with me?”
“Do we have to have marital relations? I think just sharing a bed would be sufficient.”
At this rare answer he liked, Jun-wan’s tense brow relaxed a bit more.
“Just cohabitate, is that it?”
“Should I be honest?”
“Yes.”
“I want to be independent. Rather than wanting to get married, I have a stronger desire to just live separately from my parents. If I had to take on spousal duties too, that would be difficult… but you seem to think similarly to me.”
