Young bride

A tall figure. Thick eyebrows. A sharp, blade-like nose. An elegant presence that didn’t easily blend into the chaotic atmosphere. His outstanding looks aside, his mere presence drew people’s attention.

Seo-ah’s heart pounded.

It was a familiar face—one she never wanted to run into again, especially after her engagement to Kyuhyun.

Without noticing her yet, the man approached their table.

“Marriage?”

Kang-woo’s voice was filled with curiosity.

“You probably heard about it too. It’s about time I get remarried,” Kyuhyun responded casually.

Kang-woo’s gaze slowly moved to Seo-ah, who was sitting next to Kyuhyun. She had her head lowered, but as soon as their eyes met, his expression turned icy cold.

This was not how she wanted to reunite with him.

Afraid of what Kang-woo might say, Seo-ah quickly lowered her head and greeted him.

“Hello, nice to meet you. I’m Kwon Seo-ah.”

It was a desperate plea, asking him not to acknowledge their past.

With rumors already spreading about her, the fact that they had once met as teacher and student in high school would only bring trouble, not help.

“How long has it been since your divorce?” Kang-woo, after a brief silence, ignored Seo-ah’s greeting and questioned Kyuhyun instead.

“That’s why I need to hurry up and get married again. Instead of being labeled a divorced man, it’s better to remarry a young girl and be called a capable man, right?”

Kyuhyun chuckled, swirling the whiskey in his glass.

“Don’t just stand there. Sit down. It’s hard to keep looking up at you.”

Without a word, Kang-woo sat at the far end of the table. The drinking resumed.

“Then let’s have the young lady pour us a drink. Seo-ah, here.”

A shot glass was pushed toward her as if she were some bar hostess.

She didn’t want to act like this in front of Kang-woo, but Kyuhyun controlled her fate. If this engagement fell through, she was finished.

Just sitting here in this dress, in this place, had already crossed a line.

With her eyes dim, Seo-ah glanced between the shot glass and the whiskey bottle, hesitating as she gauged Kyuhyun’s reaction. Finally, she reached for the bottle.

Crash!

Before she could even touch it, the table shook violently, and the bottle fell to the floor, shattering.

A sharp silence cut through the noisy bar.

Seo-ah froze, thinking she had knocked it over. She opened her mouth to explain, but a quiet voice interrupted her.

“Ah, mistake. I bumped the table while getting up.”

But the force had been too strong for just a simple mistake—it was as if he had kicked the table leg on purpose.

Yet, no one could blame Kang-woo. He had already called it an accident.

While everyone was still stunned, Kang-woo stood up.

“I need some air.”

Just as suddenly as he had appeared, he disappeared.

Once he was gone, the tension eased.

“That guy acts like he’s so important. Don’t you think?”

A man who had been silent in Kang-woo’s presence now grumbled loudly.

Seo-ah bit the inside of her cheek.

She had received his help again.

Was it the humiliation of being treated like a bar hostess, or the fact that it was Kang-woo who helped her, that made her feel so miserable?

Her emotions were tangled.

“I, uh, need to use the restroom.”

No one paid her much attention as she quickly left the table.

The cold air clung to her skin as she stared at herself in the mirror.

A tight, revealing dress. Heavy makeup. Strong perfume.

Even to herself, she looked no different from a hostess.

“I hate this.”

She whispered the words into the empty air.

More than Kyuhyun, who treated her like a toy…
More than his family, who treated her like a servant…
She hated herself the most—for being unable to fight back.

Suddenly, the noise outside grew louder.

Seo-ah’s body stiffened.

She couldn’t hide in here forever.

If Kyuhyun noticed her absence, it would be bad.

She hurriedly washed her hands and stepped out.

Then, a deep voice stopped her in her tracks.

“Marriage?”

Seo-ah’s body froze.

Slowly, she turned.

Kang-woo was leaning against the wall, looking at her with dark, brooding eyes.

“You even know what kind of bastard you’re marrying? You’re only twenty-two. Do you think marriage is some kind of game?”

Seo-ah had expected Kang-woo to find out eventually.

But seeing the frustration on his face made it feel like her chest was being squeezed.

She had spent a month agonizing over it.

Should she ask him for help? Send an email?

She had changed her mind a hundred times.

But in the end, she had accepted reality.

No matter what she did, she couldn’t escape from Kyuhyun.

“If you understand, change out of that outfit and go ho—”

“This is my choice. And soon, you’ll be my brother-in-law.”

It was humiliating.

The last thing she wanted was for Kang-woo to see her like this, pouring drinks at Kyuhyun’s command.

So she built up her defenses.

She pretended this was her decision, that she wasn’t in need of sympathy.

Lifting her chin, she forced strength into her gaze.

Kang-woo frowned in disbelief.

“What? Brother-in-law? Are you kidding me? Just act normal. Stop pretending. You used to be good at speaking up when something was unfair.”

“…”

“At least fight back. Say you hate it.”

His tone was cold, but anyone could tell he was genuinely concerned.

Maybe he was just reacting as any former teacher would toward a student.

“And who are you to say that?”

“What?”

“Are you going to take responsibility for my life? If not, stop interfering.”

“What if I do?”

Seo-ah blinked.

“Huh?”

“If I take responsibility, will you not marry him?”

“That’s…”

“Then marry me instead.”

Seo-ah’s mind went blank.

“…What? Marriage?”

She repeated his words like a fool.

Kang-woo, realizing this wasn’t the place for such a conversation, gently took her wrist.

“Let’s talk somewhere else.”

“I can’t. Kyuhyun will look for me.”

She stood her ground.

A month had been enough to learn everything about Kyuhyun.

If she disappeared now, he wouldn’t let it go.

She had already been conditioned like a trained dog, trembling at the thought of his anger.

Perhaps that was why Kyuhyun had chosen someone young.

In just a month, he had completely broken her will.

Whenever she saw him, she feared where the next blow would land.

Just the thought of it made her body freeze.

Kang-woo’s expression darkened.

“Did he hit you?”

Seo-ah pressed her lips together.

But she didn’t need to answer.

Kang-woo already knew.

He clenched his fists.

“Son of a b*tch.”

Seo-ah’s eyes widened at his curse.

Realizing he had let it slip, Kang-woo ran a hand over his mouth.

“Let’s go.”

His grip on her wrist was firm but gentle.