《 PROLOGUE 》

‘Wow, this is crazy!’

That was the first thought that crossed her mind when she saw Jang Tae Jin for the first time.

Hair swept back to reveal his forehead. That kind of hairstyle gives his forehead a perfect width look, appearing even more striking. Sharp eyes that peeked out refreshingly beneath his thick eyebrows, accompanied by distinct and large pupils. To add more to his handsome features, a prominent nose forming a high ridge, and lips of just the right thickness. All in all, he looked like an art piece crafted by the gods.

And she can’t believe that a man like him is gay. What a waste. 

A well-built physique that accentuated his luxury suits even more. And why is he so tall? Even wearing shoes that add another 12 centimeters to height, one would have to tilt their head upward to see his face properly.

“Stop analyzing my face and have a seat.”

Face analysis?

Wooyoung quickly snapped back from her momentary fascination with Jang Tae Jin’s remark. 

“I was just looking. I wasn’t analyzing.”

“Anyway.”

He sat down, and she also lowered herself onto the chair opposite him, placing her bag beside her. Wooyoung’s gaze shifted towards the waiter standing nearby.

“I’ll have an iced Americano, please.”

“I’ll have a hot Americano.”

After taking their orders, the waiter left their table.

Wooyoung turned her head towards the window and anxiously waited for 30 minutes to pass. 

[At the very least, show some courtesy to the other person.]

She still felt like she should have the leisure to enjoy a drink despite her father’s insistence.

‘No, if he’s gay, he can just live on his own, why does he want to get married? Does he have trouble finding a woman to catch?’

While she’s aware that some people marry for the sake of showcasing their social status, she is perplexed as to why she should be the sacrificial lamb in this situation.

‘Ah, these clothes are uncomfortable.’

Even this matchmaking event is painfully uncomfortable, and yet she chooses to wear attention-grabbing clothes.

She thought that whether she wore a short skirt or a sheer blouse with a deep neckline, it was not like he would find her interesting or attractive anyway.

Still, she had to give the impression of being immodest anyway, so it was an unavoidable choice.

“I understand that you came here reluctantly, but you’re making it too obvious.”

His words snapped her out of her thoughts as she watched passing cars with her gaze lowered. Her head snapped forward. 

“What do you mean by ‘too obvious’?”

“Well, I’m sure you understand that better than anyone.”

At that moment, their coffee arrived. With their drinks served, Wooyoung looked at the departing waiter and sipped from her cup with a slight nod.

As the cold coffee passed through the straw and went down her throat, the reluctance she felt about being in this situation seemed to fade a little.

Putting the cup back down, Wooyoung spoke up.

“Yeah, that’s right. I came to this meeting reluctantly. Isn’t that the same for you as well, Mr. Jang?”

“No.”

“What?”

“It’s not.”

She was taken aback by his unexpected answer. Looking at her, he continued.

“I came here with the intention of getting married.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“What did you just say?”

“I said it’s ridiculous.”

“Hmm.”

Wooyoung’s eyes narrowed, seeing his lips twist into a smirk.

‘He’s smirking in a way that’s getting on my nerves.’

She can understand that he’s lived a life inherently privileged, but there’s a strange feeling in him disregarding the other person. She already didn’t like him, and now she disliked him even more.

“Though it’s lacking in manners, well, fine. It’s better than pretending.”

What’s he saying?

A question was thrown at her as she pursed her lips.

“Do you cook?”

“Yeah. I’m not very good at it, but I do a bit.”

“Do you like exercise?”

“I do.”

“What kind of exercise? Golf?”

“No, I’m not a fan of golf.”

“Then?”

“I do strength training at the gym, and Pilates about twice a week…”

‘What the heck, why am I diligently answering his questions? It’s annoying.’

The thought of getting drawn into his conversation made her feel frustrated.

“Why are you so curious about these things?”

“Because you’re supposed to have some information about the person you’re considering marrying.”

“Who said anything about marriage? Are you already drinking kimchi soup?”

(Do not drink kimchi soup first is a Korean proverb which means be patient and not count on something to happen before it happens.)

“Hmm.”

She’s an interesting woman. Honestly, he had no expectations about the other person, but her attitude of defying him strangely sparked his competitive spirit.

He liked the fact that he was different from other women, who just fell in love with his looks.

‘Yeah, I’ve chosen you.’

He had made a promise to his mother.

They had agreed to go on 10 blind dates. And today was the tenth date. Whether he liked the other person or not, if this date didn’t work out, his mother had firmly declared that he would have to go through another round of blind dates she deemed suitable for him.

He didn’t have a choice. His mother had threatened to break off any financial support if he didn’t get married, and he couldn’t do anything about it.

“I’ll say it again, I absolutely have no intention of getting married!”

“Do you have a boyfriend?”

“If I had a boyfriend, I wouldn’t even have thought of coming here.”

“If you’ve come, doesn’t that mean you’re considering marriage?”

“No, it’s not like that. I was forced to come here.”

“Whether reluctantly or not, the fact that you’re here implies you’re already proceeding with the premise of marriage.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Does that mean if you go on a matchmaking date, you have to get married?”

“That’s not the case, but if you like the other person, you can get married.”

“Well, then it’s settled. I’m not interested in you.”

“Give me a reason.”

“The most important thing is…”

‘Is it okay to say that I don’t want to because he’s gay? It’s such an inconsiderate thing to say.’

“Tell me.”

“Uh, I don’t think I can.”

Words just came out of her mouth without thinking.

‘Oh no, why did that come up? Why did it have to be that particular phrase that popped out when I could have given any other reason? It’s so embarrassing.’

Watching her, who spoke without meeting his eyes, Tae Jin’s dark eyebrows knit together.

“Are you talking about s*x?”

She hadn’t expected the word to come out of his mouth. Especially not in this setting. She, surprisingly, was the one who got flustered by his words.

“Oh, why are you asking when you already know? Geez.”

Wooyoung gulped down the rest of her coffee, glad she’d ordered it iced, when unexpected words slipped out of his mouth.

“If you want confirmation, I can give it to you.”

“Cough.”

Wooyoung was so surprised that she lost her grip on the cup as she had been raising her cup and tilting the straw until the very end to empty it. The cup fell onto the glass table and as it overturned, ice cubes spilled out, even falling onto her thighs.

Her eyes scrambled for tissues, but a handkerchief fell in front of her.

“Wipe it.”

Without thinking much, Wooyoung accepted the handkerchief and wiped her skirt. Then she gathered the spilled ice back into the cup.

Fortunately, there wasn’t any liquid left.

She spoke while wiping the table with the handkerchief. 

“I’ll wash the handkerchief and send it to…….”

Will there be another chance to meet?

“No, if you give me your address, I’ll send it to you by mail.”

“You can return it on our wedding day.”

“What!”

She was so bewildered that she was at a loss for words.

What’s up with this guy?

With his large eyes still fixed on her, he leaned back in his seat and opened his mouth.

“If Ms. Song Wooyoung’s concern is about sleeping together, I’d like to assure you that there’s no problem.”

“Hey! Oh my, seriously!”

A feeling of heat rushed to her head. She never imagined dealing with a guy who was this difficult to communicate with.

“Why are you getting worked up? You were the one provoking.”

“I did not provoke no one. I just simply said what I felt.”

“So, why not check to make sure? Conveniently, this place happens to be a hotel too.”

“W-what are you saying?”

Oh, my blood pressure.

A gay man pretending to be a regular guy for the sake of marriage, huh?

He’s more shameless than I thought. 

If he’s coming on this strongly, he must have calculated that she would definitely step back. If that’s the case, she can’t back down either. 

Balling her fists, Wooyoung’s head snapped up.

“Fine. Let’s go.”

Yeah, she’ll just go along with this situation as it is. She wants to see if he’ll still be this confident once they’re in the room.

Watching her as she stood up with her handbag, his lips curled into a sly smile.

It’s like a pitiful rabbit jumping at the wolf. 

What makes her believe and confront so actively? Whatever it was, one thing was certain – it wasn’t a bad situation for him.

Maybe if they become intimate, her resistance to marriage might improve slightly.

‘Since I’ve chosen you, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to sleep with you beforehand.’