Hakyeon was extremely shy and passive, the most obedient son anyone could ask for and brought up in a respectful, rich family. 

However, he was an only child and was always craving for attention. Or better yet, always trying to find a way to make others happy -- especially his parents. 

He never wanted anyone to feel as lonely as he. He had a few close friends with whom he spent his time. And even for the smallest things, he'd offer to help like buying a friend some coffee, always seeing them off, and even organizing parties and presents on their birthdays when he himself, never got anything back on his own. 

But Hakyeon learned to deal with it. Unfortunately, he decided he was totally unlikable. Why else would his mother dislike him so much? She always yelled at him and pointed out his faults. 

In fact, she's the one who convinced his stepfather to get him married off to the heir of some company. 

"You can't expect someone like him to ever own your company; it would be regrettable!" she nagged. 

But Hakyeon couldn't do anything about. Sure, he begged but nothing seemed to soften her heart. 

For the engagement party, Taekwoon and Hakyeon were to meet for the first time. Hakyeon was nervous and frightened, he was told that the latter was the same age as him but an ice prince. 

Hakyeon was expressive and he couldn't believe he'd be tied to someone so terrifying. 

When he refused to go, his mother stomped into his room in her frilly dress and slapped him across the face before yelling at him. 

His stepfather quickly intervened, "Honey he's getting ready. Let's wait outside". 

And Hakyeon had no choice. He got dressed in a white dress shirt and black pants. When he looked into the mirror, he swore in frustration. Not only were his cheeks red but he had two visible scratch marks on across his cheek from his mother's nails. 

She'll be even more angry if she saw that. He quickly pulled out some foundation to hopefully conceal the mark but it was just irritating his skin even more.  

When they arrived to the house, Hakyeon was silent and politely greeted the couple before him as well as their two beautiful daughters. They seemed older than Hakyeon but their smiles were so radiant that the boy felt warm inside. 

And of course, Hakyeon's mother transformed into a smiling, polite lady as she spoke. 

"Ah, I really hope you can handle our Taekwoonie", Taeyeon said. She was fairly short, only a bit taller than Hakyeon's shoulder and the eldest of the sisters. 

The other one, Tiffany patted his back, "Don't worry! He looks scary but he's a softy! And he won't be able to resist; you're so handsome".

Hakyeon blushed at the compliment as he sat there.  

It had been an hour and Tiffany finally got up with a scowl to call Taekwoon down. 

"He's so unpunctual", Taeyeon sighed, "I'm sorry on his behalf Hakyeon-sshi!"

Hakyeon smiles brightly, "Of course not! It's totally fine, I don't mind". 

Hakyeon's parents seemed quite irritated but everything was forgiven when Taekwoon came down the stairs in his suit and greeted them respectively. He had the height and looks of a model and looked very sharp and eye-catching. 

Hakyeon was in awe; Tarkwoon was incredibly handsome with dark hair, smooth white skin and elegant eyes. He had a very nice body as he was clearly taller than Hakyeon. Taekwoon only glanced at Hakyeon, not making eye contact. 

When they were finishing the engagement, the way Taekwoon's father and Hakyeon's stepfather shook hands made it look like a business deal -- which it technically was. Once the two were wed, the two companies would combine and share resources. And being the top two enterprises in the clothing industry, they were bound to dominate the market. 

Once the signing was done, Taekwoon's mother suggested that the two go and speak in Taekwoon's room to get closer with each other.  

Taekwoon nodded curtly and looked at Hakyeon expectantly, leading him up the stairs. 

Once they were inside Taekwoon's huge room, the 'Prince Charming' act was dropped. 

He flopped on a chair in his room, looking at Hakyeon with a haughty look. 

Hakyeon gulped and bit his lip; there clearly were no other seats and Taekwoon's bed was nearly done so it would be rude to sit there. And so, Hakyeon stood silently, looking downwards. 

"Just so you know, this marriage is for the sake of my company", Taekwoon said, "You shouldn't expect anything". 

"Ne", Hakyeon replied silently.  

Taekwoon crooked his head to the side curiously, "So why are you even agreeing to the wedding? Clearly there isn't a lot in it for you. From what I've heard, you won't be taking over to your stepfather's company."

Hakyeon sighed; what right did Tarkwoon have to interrogate him like this? 

Nevertheless he replied, "My mother wanted me to."

Taekwoon snickered, "What are you? Three years old?" 

Hakyeon was terribly intimidated and he really didn't know how to respond to Taekwoon. 

He fidgeted with his fingers and just as Taekwoon opened his mouth to snap at him, a knock on the door interrupted them. 

"Yah! Taekwoon-ah, you're not scaring Hakyeon are you?" called Taeyeon. 

Taekwoon rolled his eyes when she entered his room anyways. She narrowed her eyes at the scene, "Why is Hakyeon standing?!" 

She seemed furious but Taekwook remained passive as he shrugged, "He never said he wanted to sit". 

Taeyeon was close to exploding. 

"It's okay noona, I preferred to stand", Hakyeon said quickly with a bright smile. 

Taeyeon glared and said between gritted teeth, "Alright well, dinner is ready."

Then they went downstairs for dinner, two seats beside each other. There was pasta and it was Hakyeon's favourite food as he hungrily ate. Unfortunately he didn't have lunch that day from the nerves about the engagement.  

After finishing, Hakyeon brought his dishes to the sink and his family also followed, ready to leave. 

Well it wasn't that bad and Hakyeon was relieved to get the whole meeting over with. 

"So Taekwoon seems like a friendly chap, eh Hakyeon?" Hakyeon's stepdad said, trying to ease the silence in the car. 

"He's alright I guess", Hakyeon muttered as he played Candy Crush in the back seat. 

"Yah! Someone like you should be happy to be wed to such a polite and handsome boy!" His mom snapped. 

....................................

One day, when Hakyeon went to his favourite cafe for breakfast, he was surprised to see and Taekwoon. 

And it was clear that the person he was with was a girlfriend by the way he smile and laughed. The girl seemed young and was very pretty with long flowing brown hair and pale skin; they suited one another quite nicely. 

Hakyeon and Taekwoon made eye contact but didn't say anything. Hakyeon bought his coffee and left, deciding to sit in the park instead. It was a nice summer day. 

However, about 30 minutes later, Taekwoon found him, "Yah, you'd better not tell anyone".

Hakyeon looked at him from his novel, "Did I say I'd tell?" 

Taekwoon rolled his eyes, "With you being a mama's boy, I'd obviously worry".

Hakyeon glared, "That's my business. I told you I won't tell so leave me alone". 

Taekwoon left.

Unfortunately, the wedding was set two months from now and both boys were dreading it. And now, Hakyeon saw more of Taekwoon than he wanted. 

The next day, he was driven to his fiance's house for lunch and wore a clean shirt and dress pants. Taekwoon's parents were lovely and very kind to Hakyeon, even telling him to drop the formalities. 

"So Hakyeon, what are you interested in. Your parents mentioned you don't have much interest in business", Mrs. Jung asked. 

Hakyeon froze; his parents always sneered and mocked his passion for dancing but Hakyeon also wasn't one to tell white lies. 

"I-I have a small interest in dancing", Hakyeon said shyly. 

"Really? That's unique, son. You must show us sometime!" Mr. Jung chuckled. Hakyeon smiled brightly. 

Taekwoon wasn't home so his parents kept Hakyeon company and it was great. He enjoyed speaking with them as they seemed so affectionate and kind. 

"I hope you don't mind our Taekwoon's behaviour too much. We told him that he doesn't have to get married too early but he was very insistent because of the company. He's an extremely ambitious boy but he means well", Mr. Jung explained. 

Hakyeon was shocked; Taekwoon's situation was the opposite of his. 

But he was quick to smile, "Not at all! He's very kind and sweet". Taekwoon's parents smiled at the reassurance. 

Maybe it wasn't the whole truth but Taekwoon seemed quite happy with the girl so he couldn't be totally evil...

---------

"... What are you doing here?" came a familiar cold, silent voice. 

Taekwoon was more than surprised when he returned home to find his supposed 'fiancé' and father playing chess in the living room. Hakyeon looked up with his round, brown eyes, his round lips open from concentration in the game. 

As soon as he made eye contact with Taekwoon, he straightened and stood up. 

"Nice to see you, Taekwoon-sshi". 

Hakyeon and Taekwoon clearly felt the opposite and the younger didn't respond. His father turned around, "Oh, we invite Hakyeon-sshi for supper. We've been talking and having a great time!"

Taekwoon grit his jaw and grabbed Hakyeon's wrist, pulling him roughly up the stairs and into his room. 

He shoved Hakyeon roughy into his room and shut the door, locking it. 

Thankfully, Hakyeon found his balance and didn't hit the desk from the impact.  

He was terrified as Taekwoon turned to him with furious eyes. 

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he demanded lowly. 

"N-nothing. I-your parents invited---", Hakyeon began when Taekwoon grabbed his collar, getting closer to his face. 

"Are you trying to blackmail me!? If you don't want to be married, then just say no", Taekwoon snarled. 

Hakyeon's heart was about to beat right out of his chest. He could barely speak from Taekwoon's choking hold. 

"Why w-would I blackmail you?" Hakyeon rasped painfully, trying to pull away from the taller man's grasp. 

They were interrupted by knocking on Taekwoon's door. The latter's grip loosened slightly. 

"Taekwoon-ah! What's going on? Is Hakyeon alright?" Mrs. Jung called. 

"Everything's fine. I just needed to discuss something urgent with him", Taekwoon replied. 

Honestly, Hakyeon wanted to badly call out for help. The footsteps faded away. 

"Why do you care? Your parents aren't pushing you to get married. Just marry your girlfriend then", Hakyeon said bravely. 

Taekwoon glowered. "Clearly, this is a business deal and I care about my occupation because I have goals in life", Taekwoon spat, releasing Hakyeon with a shove. 

"You better be out of my house by the time I get downstairs". 

Hakyeon finally let out a breath; he was alive without injury and unlocked the door, hurrying downstairs. He had no doubt in the world that Taekwoon would hurt him. 

And from his terrible experiences in high school, Hakyeon didn't want to relive those horrible four years of his life...

Taekwoon was tired so he decided to take a shower. Currently, he was frustrated and angry; he knew Hakyeon would blackmail him after catching him with Minah. They've been dating for two months now and Taekwoon really enjoyed spending time with her. Not to mention, they knew each other exceptionally well since they were childhood friends. 

There was no way he'd let this pain of a thorn break their relationship. 

He was adamant on making the relationship work and also for the best interest of his company. 

He'd already spoken with Minah and although she seemed skeptical of his marriage for the sake of power, she said she'd wait for him. 

He changed and went downstairs, settling on a chair. Thankfully, the parasite had been smart enough to make an excuse and leave him in peace. 

Hakyeon had forced a smile as he bid farewell to the Jungs, apologizing for the inconvenience. He told them that his parents returned early so was looking forward in spending time with them. 

"Aigoo, such a filial son; it can't be helped Hakyeon-ah. Maybe you can have dinner another time", Mrs. Jung said good-naturally. 

However, his parents wouldn't be home at this time and it was almost dark. Hakyeon sighed and took a deep breath as he walked to the neighborhood park. 

He felt really hurt and angry when Taekwoon's words set in. 

He also had goals in life too. What did Taekwoon think? That Hakyeon was just someone living off his rich parents? 

He chuckled at the irony; they were the ones standing between him and his passion. 

"You don't seem happy".

Hakyeon jumped from the deep, sudden voice. He turned around, clutching his shirts to find a tall boy wearing basketball shorts and a white shirt.

"God! You scared me!" he exclaimed.

The stranger chuckled, "Sorry, it's just that I was curious; you're not from around here".

Hakyeon made room on the bench, "I was just visiting a friend". 

"That must be a lie. Jung Taekwoon isn't one with many unknown friends". 

Hakyeon looked at the boy sharply in confusion. 

"I saw you leave his house looking distressed", the boy explained, "I'm Wonshik, but you can call me Ravi". 

Hakyeon nodded, "Cha Hakyeon. Nice to meet y--".

"Cha Hakyeon? You said you're Cha Hakyeon? The one engaged to Taekwoon?" Ravi exclaimed in surprise. 

"How do you know so much?" Hakyeon demanded in suspicion. 

"I'm just a friend of his; he can be an insensitive some times", Ravi confessed, "So what happened. Don't worry about me telling him."

Hakyeon looked unsure but sighed, "Nothing really. I don't blame him; he has a girlfriend that he's in love with. But I don't understand why he's agreeing to this marriage -- it's so foolish".

"Well you can decline the marriage. It's not like you seem too thrilled about the idea", Ravi advised.  

Hakyeon chuckled bitterly, "My mother wouldn't let that happen."

Ravi looked confused but waited for the latter to continue.

"This is the only worth I have to her so if I don't make myself at least this useful, I'd never live it down". Hakyeon seemed to be talking to himself than Ravi. 

"Why would you say that? I'm sure you have a passion for something", Ravi frowned.  

"Dancing is something I do to feel free but I'm forbidden to indulge myself in something so girly", Hakyeon said bitterly, "And after this marriage, I don't know what to make of myself. I don't even want happiness Ravi-ah; I just want to be content".

Hakyeon didn't know why he trusted this boy so easily and opened up to him in a few mere minutes. But it felt good to let the things inside out. 

Ravi sympathized with the man immediate and his heart hurt for Hakyeon. By the he spoke, he seemed low on self-esteem and hope altogether.

Ravi, being the type of person he is, wanted to befriend him and get to know him. Hakyeon was just so different from other rich heirs. 

Hakyeon stood up, "Wow I'm talkative today. Sorry for bothering you Ravi-sshi".

"Of course not! I'm glad I met you; let's be friends", Ravi suggested. 

Hakyeon smiled and they exchanged numbers, "Thank you for keeping me company". 

And the two went their own ways.