Chapter Text
Chu Minha.
There was always a weight she had to carry with her name, being the only daughter of the chairman of one of the most famous hotel chains in South Korea. Although she had relinquished her role as inheritor to his beloved younger brother Chu Mincheol to become a model and designer, she was still a relevant name and figure in the family. Her natural talent and charisma have given her a celebrity-like status in modern Korean fashion. She wasn’t just Chu Minha, she was the Chu Minha.
Luckily for her, that meant that she was no longer obliged to marry a prominent figure in the business world. Minha was the type to believe in love, after all, as she was raised by her parents who valued a marriage built on love. Even Mincheol had lovingly married his wife and had two children. Hence, she emphasized to everyone, especially her family and her fans, that she would not marry for convenience.
Until she got one phone call, from the United States, nonetheless.
“Sajangnim,” her brother’s secretary, Chihong, urgently said. “Countless of our foreign investors backed out. Chu Mincheol-sajangnim is trying his best over here, but the chances of recovering our losses are extremely slim. I’m afraid the company is navigating bad waters right now.”
Even with the minimal business knowledge she had, Minha knew how bad the situation was when she took just one look at their financial documents. It was thanks to Mincheol’s efforts over the past decade that propelled Chu Hotels to greater heights. He had given up his youth because he genuinely loved the company and his work. Minha couldn’t imagine how stressed her brother was right now, losing everything he worked hard for in a blink of an eye.
If and when this information comes out in public, investors will surely pull out one by one. It would take a show of power or support from another more influential company to prove to everyone that Chu Hotels wouldn’t go down.
And the best solution was, and everyone in the business world knew it, marriage.
Minha dug her fingers through her hair, shaking her head multiple times in frustration. This was the worst possible way for her to realize that she wasn’t above using marriage for anything other than love.
But if it was for the sake of her family: her parents, her brother, and her brother’s family’s futures, then she had to do it.
Love doesn’t always come in the form of romantic attraction.
She ticked off eligible bachelors who might be willing to not only marry her but also agree to pretend to be in love with her — or else she’d face backlash for her previous opinions on what a marriage should be. They also had to get married before Mincheol returned to Korea so the news he’d bring to the board was favorable at best.
A tight, almost impossible criteria to meet. Minha didn’t even have the luxury to ensure that he was at least a decent human being. Sighing, she scoured through the latest news articles, a pen and her journal in hand, and went to work.
Kim Junwan. CEO of Kim Airlines. A competent man with one of the most profitable companies in the country, but based on his personality, it was highly unlikely for him to even agree to meet her.
Lee Ikjun. CEO of Uju Toys and Entertainment. Certainly a good choice as he was popular and charismatic in the business field, but there had been rumors that he was courting his best friend and business partner, Chae Songhwa.
Yang Seokhyeong. CEO of Taegeon Apparel. Inherited the top fashion company from his father and has been expertly managing it since his retirement. Not much on his life otherwise, probably a recluse executive who only cares about work.
But Minha could swear she heard that name before.
Yang Seokhyeong.
She chewed on her pen’s cap, trying to remember exactly where. Definitely not from his unique yet dashing visuals, she wouldn’t forget such a face in her life. Probably on fashion shows because he owned an apparel company, but deep down she knew it was from somewhere else.
Yang… Taegeon Apparel… Yang!?
Minha quickly typed in his name on Naver to find exactly what she expected, his father’s name — Yang Taeyang. The same man who had met with her father years ago to arrange for her and his son, Yang Seokhyeong, to be married.
Her head automatically dropped to the table, her eyes closed and eyebrows scrunched. “Aish, talk about fate!” she shouted at no one in particular.
Minha had only been arranged to be married once. And she bailed on it, of course, without even meeting him once or offering an apology or explanation. First and foremost, she didn’t believe in arranged engagements — love should come naturally. Second, she was just starting out her career in the fashion industry. There were things much more important than marriage.
Looking back, she once asked her father why he arranged such a marriage when all he wished for her was to marry for love. Minha could still remember his warm reply.
Because he seemed like your perfect match.
He honestly thought she would like and fall in love with this man, which says a lot because her father knew her best. Minha wasn’t sure of that, but at least his father’s vouch meant that he wasn’t a creep or anything.
She sighed. The rest of the evening went by looking for eligible bachelors and realizing that everyone was either already married or a known asshole to the public. It was quite difficult to admit that Yang Seokhyeong was her best shot at this, assuming that he still has an ounce of respect for her after bailing out on their arrangement.
The moment the clock struck nine in the morning, Minha gathered the courage to contact Taegeon Apparel.
It didn’t ease her nerves at how unbelievably fast she had set up a meeting, or calling it a date may sound more appropriate, with him. All she had to do was call his secretary and mention her name — Chu Minha — and in less than a day, she got a hold of his personal number.
Minha didn’t expect the gentle voice that greeted her when she called. It was softer than the stern tone he used in the interviews she binged the night before. They agreed to meet at an expensive restaurant for dinner on their first phone call to discuss the matters at hand.
As the call ended, she looked back on the full page of names in her journal, with every bachelor crossed out with a lengthy note of issues they were involved in.
Minha took a deep breath.
Yang Seokhyeong was her best, possibly her only, choice.
—
Picking the perfect outfit for their first meeting was difficult. Even more so if Minha wanted to marry the said person as soon as time allowed. After hours of rummaging through her closet to mix and match outfits, Chu Minha eventually settled for a designer brand dress paired with a cashmere winter coat, emerald jewelry, stiletto heels, and a leather clutch purse: an expensive look fitting for their social class.
The dimly lit restaurant was mostly empty with only a few customers dining this late at night, so it didn’t take long for Minha to locate Yang Seokhyeong — not to mention that he was actively looking around for any newcomers.
Minha summoned all her courage and approached him with all the elegance she could muster, after all, the pressure was a hundred times larger than any runway in the world.
Seokhyeong spotted her almost immediately, quickly stood up, and bowed. “Annyeonghaseyo, Chu Minha-ssi,” he greeted with a soft smile.
Minha took the time to admire his soft facial features that complemented his sharp fashion style — hair neatly slicked backward to expose his forehead and a dark suit that perfectly framed his proportions. Exuding a confident and commandeering aura, he was no doubt a competent executive.
God, he’s so much more handsome in person.
An irrelevant thought but the first one that came to mind. She quickly shook it off and awkwardly greeted, “Ah, ne. Annyeonghaseyo, Yang Seokhyeong-sajangnim.”
He kindly gestured for her to take a seat before he returned to his.
“I’m sorry we had to meet this late, this soon. I’m afraid I have endless appointments for the next few days.”
Minha bit her lip, nodding. Efficient, borderline workaholic.
“It’s fine, sajangnim,” she replied as she settled in her seat. Judging from the melted ice from his service water, he had probably been waiting for quite some time. Too prompt for his own good, perhaps.
“Ah, I haven’t ordered yet,” Yang Seokhyeong gently offered the menu beside him. “I wasn’t sure what you’d like.”
After perusing the menu, Minha called the waiter to order their specialty steak — two plates since Seokhyeong said he’d have the same — and wine that she specifically researched to be the best to go with their meal.
Silence befell the table as soon as the waiter left, with only Seokhyeong’s silent humming being heard. Meanwhile, Minha was mentally choosing from the hundreds of topics she prepared to keep him engaged, but he spoke first.
“Hm, how was the weather?”
The weather, really?
It took her everything to not show the frustration on her face over his question. Whether the weather was good or not was unimportant to their meeting, not to mention it was past ten in the evening.
“I’m sorry, sajangnim, but I don’t have much time to waste,” the words slipped out of her mouth.
His eyebrows raised in confusion. “Ne?”
Minha pinched her thigh, punishing herself for her impatience.
“I propose that a positive relationship between the two of us would yield pleasing results for both parties. For me, my brother’s company, Chu Hotels, will gain power from the stability of your company. For you, well, it would be profitable for the owner of a clothing company to marry a big influencer in the fashion industry.”
Their orders were served as she finished speaking. Minha felt countless beads of sweat pour down in the fifteen seconds it took for the waiter to pour wine into their glasses.
“I see,” Seokhyeong nodded slowly, proceeding to carefully cut his freshly cooked steak. “Is it purely for business that you wanted to see me?”
Seokhyeong looked straight at her onyx eyes as if they were fishing for a response that Minha didn’t have or one that she couldn’t remember. There was an almost sadness on his face, certainly an emotion you would never see from an executive in public.
Of course, it was understandable that he’d bring up how she ghosted him in the past.
“If it is an apology for our supposed marriage years ago, then I am sincerely sorry. Frankly, I do not believe in arranged engagements—”
And yet here I am, insinuating one.
She turned red, catching her tongue.
Seokhyeong snickered lightly, but Minha could still see the hint of gloom in his smile. “It’s alright, it was ten years ago.”
Was it ten? Or eleven? No, definitely ten. Back when I was about to take the CSAT… yes, it was ten.
He continued slicing his steak while she was arguing with herself. Minha wanted to permanently zip her mouth — she just had to remind him of the fact that she was the one to ruin their supposed marriage years ago.
“You must think I’m opportunistic, don’t you?” her voice came out more delicate than expected.
Seokhyeong looked up to her immediately, taken aback at her bold statement.
“After refusing to even see you for our arranged marriage, I have the gall to make this offer.”
The restaurant felt even emptier than expected and everything Minha could hear was her own breathing. Seokhyeong’s expression was impossible to read, but the message was as clear as day.
I ruined everything. Again.
The clanging of the metal as he placed his utensils down rang in her ear.
“I think it’s wonderful.”
Huh?
“You are proposing this for your brother’s peace of mind, to help him back on his feet, yes? I am aware, as I think you are, of the horrid state of Chu Hotels. Staying for a few more months in the US will not fix anything. Something else has to be done. Isn’t that why you’re here, for your family’s future?”
Minha found herself trapped in his gaze, in his rich chestnut eyes that seemed to hold all of the secrets of the world.
“To be able to care for someone more than oneself. Not everyone can do that, Chu Minha-ssi. It is truly admirable.”
He left her speechless, and Minha never ran out of things to say.
Seokhyeong must’ve sensed her shock; thus, he reverted back to the soft smile he had been wearing all night. “Nevertheless, I agree with your hypothesis. I think a relationship between us will be mutually beneficial.”
Minha felt like ten tons of burden were lifted from her back and she was finally able to relax. “Ne. Then we can agree that this is a date?”
“I would not call it anything else,” he remarked — was that a hint of playfulness in his voice? — as he switched their plates of steak, serving Minha with nicely cut pieces of meat he was meticulously cutting. “We can eat now, right?”
She smiled, the first genuine one of the last few stressful days, as she whimsically chewed her food. “Kamsamnida,” she beamed.
Yang Seokhyeong matched her energy, “Jal meokkessumnida.”
The rest of dinner passed by like a dream. Sometimes she’d try to bring up a few fashion shows she’d been to, knowing it was at least a topic he was knowledgeable about as the president of a clothing company. He listened attentively and only offered comments at the right times, letting her talk without any interruptions or unwanted insights.
Chu Minha thought he was a simpleton like everyone else in the field — either an immensely spoiled entitled brat or an arrogant rude misogynistic workaholic of a CEO. He was neither. He was nothing like she expected. She came looking for a husband who was rich, and yet she found one who was also a catch.
“Can I drive you home?” he gently offered as he paid for their bill. The night went by faster than Minha had expected.
She gave an almost shy nod and smile. “Yes, thank you.”
His car was squeaky clean with every corner void of dust. Seokhyeong reminded her of her seatbelt and turned on the heater when she shivered. The way he drove was fast yet careful, which perfectly matched his personality, Minha thought.
She felt a tug at her heart.
Yang Seokhyeong was either naive, which was highly unlikely given his competence in the business world, or overwhelmingly kind. It would be too cruel to ask him to engage in a pretend relationship with him — with legally binding documents, nonetheless! — when he could have the chance to be happy and in love with whomever he wanted.
But that also meant only Yang Seokhyeong would grant her this favor.
Her father’s words echoed in her mind.
He seemed like your perfect match.
The foundation of their match might not be love like his father had hoped, but understanding. A recognition that they did need something from each other and mutual respect to allow the other to use that part of them for their own benefit.
Attraction was irrelevant. Getting to know each other might as well be a waste of time.
It has to be him.
It can only be him.
“Yang Seokhyeong-ssi,” she started hesitantly, turning her head towards the driver’s seat. “Do you still feel the same way as ten years ago?”
Seokhyeong slowly stopped the car. For a moment, Minha was terrified if that meant all of this was over by bringing up the past again, but she felt relieved when she realized they were stopped by the red light at the intersection.
She took a deep breath to gain a few more ounces of confidence. Minha regretted not drinking more alcohol for liquid courage.
“About marrying me, I mean.”
His car made ticking noises that proved too loud for the silence. It was suffocating to Minha, not to mention that Seokhyeong also refused to remove his eyes from the road.
“I still do,” his voice came out like a whisper.
“Then,” Minha clasped her purse and held her breath. “Will you marry me?”
Seokhyeong craned his head towards her, his serious expression as unreadable as ever. His chestnut eyes pierced hers as if it was searching for the intentions hidden behind her very soul. In the midst of the silence, he exhaled — Minha didn’t even realize he was holding his breath as well — then he looked away for a moment before replying with his signature soft, sweet smile.
The lights turned green.
“Sure.”
Seokhyeong silently returned his eyes to the road, calmly released the brakes, and drove his date, his fiancé, home. Minha released the grip over her purse as the reality of what she had just asked him loomed over her.
And just like that, two of the most powerful figures in Korea became engaged in less than two hours.