Chapter 3
“You got rejected and suddenly decided to get married? Are you insane?”
On his way, Junghyun thought he should at least report to Juwon and sent him a message, but then regretted it, thinking he should have just contacted him tomorrow.
He answered because it seemed like Juwon would come to his house if he didn’t pick up, but now he wished he hadn’t.
“It just happened that way.”
“What do you mean it just happened that way? How are you going to deal with the consequences? Do you even know what kind of family you’re marrying into? Do you think you can survive in that house?”
“I lived with that person and Jeonghoo for two years. What place couldn’t I survive in?”
“Hey, that person and Jeonghoo were at least family. Do you think they’ll put up with your temperament there?”
As Juwon shouted and then started coughing again, Junghyun, who had just gotten out of the taxi, approached the apartment building and entered the passcode. As he walked through the opening door, Juwon, who had finally stopped coughing, continued with difficulty.
“Your temperament is no small matter for that family. They’re on a different level. How do you seriously plan to live there?”
“They’re not monsters. It’ll work out somehow.”
“This is not the time to be so calm about it! Ah, my heart is pounding. I think I’m having an arrhythmia.”
“Stop taking more Chungsimhwan, and if it feels really bad, go to the emergency room.”
“Is this really the time for you to calmly worry about me?”
“There’s no reason not to be calm, is there? The game is already over.”
“Hey!”
“Stop yelling and just rest. I’ll handle it.”
“Why did you suddenly decide to get married?”
“I suddenly became curious about this person called Cha Jaehyuk.”
“You’re getting married because you’re curious?”
“Yes. I have strong curiosity. And this way I can escape from the family too. If I get married, my father won’t be able to tell me what to do anymore.”
From that perspective, this marriage wasn’t entirely negative for him.
It was indeed an impulsive decision, but honestly, he had been calculating this all along.
If it was Hanju, not just any family, his father wouldn’t be able to interfere anymore. No, interference wasn’t the issue—he might even gain the upper hand.
Even if they divorced, the aftermath would be clean.
No one would easily mess with the ex-spouse of the Hanju heir.
“That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all year! When they told you to enter business school, you suddenly went to law school. When they told you to go to law school, you unexpectedly joined a venture company. When they set up meetings for you, you messed them up every time, making history as the first F-grade omega in the matchmaking world, and now when they tell you not to get married, you suddenly want to get married. And you say you don’t like your father’s interference? Is there anyone else in the world who does whatever they want like you do?”
Although that was just listing the major incidents, excluding the minor ones, even to himself, it did sound like he had indeed lived exactly as he pleased.
It would be funny if he claimed that was actually restraint on his part.
“Anyway, if I get married, my father won’t interfere with me afterward, and I won’t have to rebel against him, so the family will be peaceful.”
“Do you call that reasoning?”
“Don’t worry. I thought about this decision. That hyung… he seemed fine.”
After saying that much, Junghyun, who had just arrived at the elevator and pressed the up button, paused briefly, then murmured as if talking to himself.
“Yes, I think it’ll be fine. He seemed like a good person…”
“Do you really think it’s okay?”
“Well, he’s good-looking, we communicate better than expected… his personality is… a bit obnoxious, but everything else exceeds expectations.”
“What? Did you actually fall for him? You, Lee Junghyun, who automatically dislikes any alpha except Seojun?”
Stepping into the elevator that had just arrived at the lobby, Junghyun hesitated as he was about to press the button for the 19th floor.
If asked whether he had fallen for him, that wasn’t it, but he did have a positive impression. And that had been from a very long time ago.
“I like him as a person. When I first saw him, I thought he was a decent person.”
“What aspects?”
“Just. A feeling.”
“…That feeling is what’s most frightening…”
Since it was the first time Junghyun had talked like this, Juwon seemed somewhat confused and let his words trail off.
“Are you really determined?”
“I don’t go back on my word. When I say I’ll do something, I do it.”
“Marriage isn’t just about ruining your own life. This kind of marriage especially involves not just you but both families and their businesses. And once you’re married, the issue of children will inevitably come up. Have you really thought about this carefully?”
“That’s what I’m trying to find out now.”
“How?”
“By talking with hyung.”
“Well, the fact that such issues can be resolved through conversation is actually the most ideal condition for marriage… Ah, I don’t know. Do what you want. You’re not going to listen to me anyway, and with that kind of pressure from them, there’s no way to escape… But knowing your personality, you won’t let yourself be dragged along by them, so you’ll figure something out.”
“Right. I’ll figure something out. I’m not that careless.”
“That’s the problem. If you were careless and stupid, I wouldn’t worry. But you’re the type who doesn’t make half-hearted mistakes, so I’m even more concerned. Just imagining what you might do in front of those family members makes my stomach acids boil.”
“Don’t worry about that. That’s why hyung wants to marry me.”
“…What?”
“Exactly what I said. Hyung wants to marry me because he knows I’ll say whatever needs to be said. He says he needs someone insensitive like me.”
Whatever chaos that person lives in, at least my temperament is necessary for him—hearing this, the older man finally seemed to understand and let out a small exclamation.
“Ah…”
At that sound of finally understanding what was going on, Junghyun asked while entering the passcode at the front door.
“Do you know anything about that family?”
“I told you. It’s not easy. But from that perspective, I can definitely see why he wants to marry you. You need your kind of mental strength to survive in that family.”
“That’s exactly what he said.”
As the door unlocked and he pulled open the heavy door, he frowned.
It was hot.
Although the sun had already set, the inside of the house still retained the heat from the scorching daytime sun. All of this was due to the abnormal temperatures.
“My family is cute compared to theirs. They’re like a real animal kingdom.”
Rushing to open the window near the veranda due to the hot indoor air, which contrasted with the slightly cool outside, Junghyun immediately understood the situation from the abstract yet intuitive explanation.
Why that man had specifically chosen to marry him, an F-grade.
There must be many other reasons, but he now understood why it had to be him specifically.
“I understand if that’s the case.”
“Still, think carefully. You still have time, so talk with them, and if it doesn’t feel right, back out quickly. You have until tomorrow.”
“What if I really do back out?”
“We’ll figure something out.”
At Juwon’s tone suggesting that surely they wouldn’t die over this, Junghyun smiled. He could just imagine him trembling with anxiety despite speaking so confidently.
This person is always sick partly because of his innate weak constitution, but also because he’s so fearful. Yet he has such a temper, which makes it harder for his body to cope.
“Right, everything works out somehow. I just got home. I’m going to take a shower.”
“Okay. Ah, I haven’t told your dad yet. You should tell him.”
“It’s fine if you tell him. I’ve blocked my father’s number. And starting tomorrow, I’ll be staying at a hotel for a while.”
“What if he comes to your workplace?”
“I’ll be working remotely for a while.”
At this perfect avoidance method of closing all channels of communication with his father, Juwon genuinely marvels.
“You two father and son are not just spear and shield… What should I call this? Birds of a feather? Self-hatred? Hatred for your own kind? No, should I say it’s the terrifying power of DNA?”
“Who cares what it is? Now I can just live without seeing him.”
“Well… that might be good for you. Considering what your dad has done to you. Alright, get some rest.”
“Okay.”
By the time the call ended, cool air was already filling the house through the open window.
Along with it, his head was also cooling down.
He was aware he had done something major. It was an extremely impulsive and destructive decision, unlike him.
But he had no intention of reconsidering it now.
Since he had come this far, going through with it was an option.
Perhaps this would be the final card to end this drawn-out game.
Even if the end wasn’t good.
