It was a given that the heirs and heiresses of Korea’s most elite would go to university abroad, or to Ganghan University, the most expensive university in South Korea. Bae Joo Hyun, or more familiarly known with her English name Irene, was the daughter of a textile powerhouse known for their conservative ways, and she was on her last year in College of Medicine.

Famous for her wealth, she was also popular with all the men in school, since she’s really more beautiful than Korean idols. As if that was not enough, she was also blessed with the brain that saw no contender during her stay in the campus, since “B” never graced her report cards at all. She’s a straight A student through and through.

She’s not exactly a social person though, not having many friends and only sharing her time with a select few of girls, who happened to be with her since they were all in primary school.

She’s also had not dated anyone yet, too introvert and lazy to begin anything, knowing her matrimony would be arranged sometime in the future anyway.

Her life could be said peaceful, except for boys who kept trying to ask her out from time to time. They had faced disappointment, though, for she had never said yes to anyone yet.

It seemed like she would graduate without having any relationships at all.

*************************************************

When they were having lunch at the cafeteria that day, Irene looked up since she heard some noises from the other end of the entrance.

A group of girls were screaming and giggling and calling somebody’s name.

“What’s going on?” she asked, noticing the unusual fuss that ensued.

“It’s the new guy” Joy replied, swallowing her gimbap before immediately popping another one into .

“What new guy? Everyone is new. This is the beginning of the semester”

“Well, this one is different”

“Really? How so?”

“He’s the maknae son of Oh family, Oh Sehun”

“His family owns this university and the hospital” Yeri added.

“I heard he’s good looking. All the first years girls are going crazy about him, not to mention the seniors” Wendy added, adding pepper to her jjigae.

“Is he studying medicine too?” Irene asked, trying to catch a glimpse of the guy’s face, for curiosity’s sake.

“Nope. Health Management. Gotta be the one inheriting the hospital, I guess” Seulgi replied, craning her neck to see the one they’re talking about.

“Huh? He’s coming this way” Yeri exclaimed, glancing around to the full tables on their left and right.

The group of fawning girls got louder and louder the closer they got to their table. Irene could see him now. He did look good from afar, and tall too. He was accompanied by some friends, also in first year.

However, something unexpected happened, the guy stopped in front of their table and looked directly at her. She was shocked then averted her gaze quickly, resuming to eat her bulgogi rice.

“Irene Noona, here I am”

Everyone turned silent in a second, aghast with what’s happening.

“You know him???” her four friends asked her in a super surprised tone.

“No, never met him in my life before”

“Noona, let’s speak in private”

“What???” the girls circling around them hissed loudly.

Since it seemed useless for Irene to pretend she was still enjoying her lunch, she lifted her head.

“Are you talking to me?”

“Of course, who else would it be?” the young man asked back at her, looking already bored with the unnecessary small talk.

“Do we have anything we need to talk about?”

“A lot, I guess, since we’re marrying each other soon”

Irene unceremoniously burst out the green tea she was drinking. Had it been a piece of meat, she would have died from choking, she thought.

“MARRY???” everyone around them screamed, including her four best friends.

It felt like hundred pairs of eyes were staring at her that very second, and Irene couldn’t take it anymore. She stood up and said, “Let’s – let’s talk. You and me”

The incident was so unthinkable for everyone, they only stared as Irene walked fast outside the cafeteria with Oh Sehun following behind her.

Irene had always been busy with her studies, she had never been seen alone with any guys before, except for projects. The girls who were gushing over the new guy were devastated too, hearing the sudden news. The more aghast were Irene’s four best friends, who were speechless and frozen, looking at her retreating back.

Irene stopped at a quiet corner and turned back, hands on her hips, already fuming.

“What joke is this? Is this a prank or what?”

Irene could get scary when she’s angry. Her glares usually made people cowered and listened to her wishes. Not this guy, apparently. He simply put his hand into a pocket of his coat and responded with an, “Oh. No one has told you yet”

“Told me what?”

“That we’re getting married?”

“Married? You and I?”

“Ne”

“Whatever for???”

He sighed, as if he was lazy to explain it to her. “It’s been decided that I’m going to inherit my family’s hospital. But since I don’t want to be a doctor, I chose Health Management. And noona, you happen to be studying medicine, haven’t been arranged to marry anyone else, and we have the same financial background, so to speak. So my father talked to your father, asking for us to be married, and your father agreed”

“...............this can’t be true” Irene protested, panic rising as she fished for her phone from her pocket and called her father.

It went to voice mail.

She got even more panicking, and called her mother. But it also went straight to voice mail.

Sehun somehow leaned on the nearest wall, watching her getting nearer to hyperventilating.

Ok. Her parents couldn’t answer her call. Maybe they went abroad and she forgot their schedule again, despite the regular emails of schedule from her parents she kept receiving. She rarely read those.

Maybe they told her that they were going abroad over a meal but she was not listening properly, too busy memorizing for a test. Definitely not the first time.

But this? A sudden arranged marriage out of nowhere?

She knew it would happen, but their parents promised it would happen only after she became an official doctor, not now when she’s still in college.

“What proof do you have that we’re getting married?” Irene asked, her eyes narrowing.

Sehun took out his own phone and clicked something.

He then offered her to look at his phone.

It’s the website of the most respected news portal in the country. The article was titled, “Oh Family and Bae Family Merge into One!”

She read the first paragraph, mentioning her full name, Sehun’s full name, and the upcoming wedding day of.....

“But......but it is said here that it’s this Saturday. This is Monday and this – this Saturday?”

“Ne. We’ll get married this Saturday”

Irene suddenly felt dizzy and her knees buckled as she suddenly could not breathe.

This was not happening, she insisted in her head, before everything went dark.

She remembered falling, but she never remembered crashing to the floor. A pair of arms caught her in time.

************************************************

Irene woke up seeing the ceiling swarming round and round, before it stopped moving.

“Did I miss class?” she asked in a voice that sounded too small for her.

“I guess it’s starting already. Your friends promised they’d take thorough notes, so you don’t have to worry”

Irene tensed with the voice.

She thought she had a nightmare, but she didn’t.

Slowly, she turned and saw the object of her nightmare.

“No” she whined.

“I owe you an apology, Noona. I didn’t think you would be this shocked”

“Of course I am!” she spat. “I was told to marry someone I don’t know in a few days!”

He said nothing.

“We’ll get to know each other after the wedding. That’s how it works, I think”

Irene sat up although she felt a bit dizzy still.

“You’re not – going to refuse this?”

“It’s useless to refuse. It’s been decided. It’s always like that in my family. I could get a worse wife than you, so I guess it not a bad pick”

Her blood boiled.

“A pick? You make me feel like I’m a cow your father has chosen for you”

“I don’t think a cow would ever look as pretty as noona”

“YAH OH SEHUN!!!” she screamed out loud, as loud as her voice could make it.

Sehun blinked in surprise, before she chuckled.

It got Irene even angrier.

“You’re interesting” he commented.

“This is not happening” she told herself once more, palming her face and taking a very deep breath. “Show me that article once more”

Sehun gave her his phone and she read the article to the end.

It was indeed one of the most trustworthy media in the country. They even added a picture of her and Sehun.

She stared at him for some time before she decided something.

“Take me to your father”

“I don’t study medicine. But even I know that someone who just fainted out of shock shouldn’t be walking around, let alone meeting my father to persuade him to change his mind”

“Take me to your father” she said once more.

***********************************************

It was the strangest day in her life, as she sat at the backseat of Sehun’s car as his driver drove them to Oh Corporation’s Headquarter.

They said nothing during the ride.

They entered the building smoothly and into the top floor easily as people bowed for Sehun along the way.

Sehun turned to Irene before she opened the mahogany doors of his father’s private office, trying to detect fear.

He saw merely anger in her expression.

When Irene saw who were inside the room, her shoulders sagged as if all her strength had left her.

Sehun’s father was having lunch with his wife and of course, Irene’s parents.

From that moment on, Irene knew it was game over.

“Omma? Appa?”

“Irene, my dear” her mother smiled, walking to approach her.

She had no interest for the luxurious decoration of one of the most important and wealthiest businessman in the country's office. She had eyes only for her parents, praying she would somehow miraculously hear it was all a joke.

“Omma, is it true? Am I going to marry Oh Sehun this Saturday?”

Please say no, please say no, please say no—

“Yes, Dear”

“But – but why? I’m not – I’m not done with school yet –“

“You can continue your medical studies after you two get married”

“Omma, why the hurry? Why this Saturday?”

“Because Sehun’s grandfather is in the latest stage of pancreatic cancer. He wanted to see his favourite grandson married before his time is up” Sehun’s father answered.

Irene wanted to laugh bitterly and say that it was all too cliché, but she thought it would be a brutal disrespect.

“Please. I don’t know him at all, how can I –“

“You have all the time to know each other after you marry” Sehun’s mother assured her.

She heard that sentence before.

She looked around the room and asked her father in the end, “Appa, do I really have to do this?”

Her father nodded. She saw him looking at her in pain for several seconds, before he nodded. “He’s the best man from all the eligible bachelor that we’ve researched for you, Child. He fits our financial background, moral standard and Mr. Oh even offered you to take any position you want in their hospital in the future”

“Is that it? For business, Appa? So that we –“ she swallowed her own tears, “So that we would have a share on Oh family’s hospital?”

“No. We accept the offer because we believe this is the best choice for you”

Desperately, she turned to Sehun.

“Don’t you want to choose your own bride? Don’t you want to refuse this? You don’t know me at all and marrying this Saturday is far too soon. You’re too young for this! Please refuse this marriage!”

Her voice was so full of emotion, and all eyes were on Sehun, waiting for his response.

Finally, he answered, “Refuse this marriage? Why would I?”

Irene’s eyes widened at the response, before she bowed to all the elders in the room.

“I’ll take my leave now, good afternoon”

Her head was held high during her walk to the door, but she broke into a run to the elevator.

Sehun could tell because he was right behind her.

As the elevator doors closed, Irene began sobbing.

Sehun clicked the buttons and made the elevator stopped.

Irene forgot where she was as she was drowned in her own grief.

That day couldn’t be more extreme for her. She knew her marriage would be arranged, but not this sudden, leaving her with no choice but to obey.

Her back hit the wall as her body lost strength. Soon, she was sitting with her knees bent and her head buried on the said knees, sobbing her heart out.

“Yeoboseyo? Is there any problem there? Oh Doryeonim?”

The building’s security could see them both in the elevator through the CCTV.

“Is the guest unwell? Shall we send the red cross team?”

Sehun clicked the speaker button.

“Aniyo. We just need to talk privately so I’m stopping the elevator. I’ll let you know when we’re ready to go out”

With that, he turned off the speaker and stared down at his future wife.

The said young woman was sobbing hard because of their upcoming marriage news.

Sighing, Sehun sat on the floor beside her.

He said nothing and offered her his handkerchief.

Irene used it to dry her tears and even blowing her nose with it.

It took her a while, but she finally slowed down, and eventually stopped crying.

“Do we really have to get married?” she asked in her thick, hoarse voice, with red nose and eyes.

“I guess so, Noona”

“..........why the hell are you so goddamn calm?” Irene asked, irritated.

“I know this will happen. I’m sure you do too. We wouldn’t be able to choose who we want to marry. I’ve long since given up on this, and I just hoped that my father would choose someone good enough for me”

“Someone good enough, huh?”

Sehun frowned. “I didn’t mean it negatively”

“It doesn’t sound good”

“I’m sorry”

It was Irene’s turn to frown.

“I’m sure this is a big shock to you. But the less resistance would be the less stress for you”

Irene couldn’t help but cry again.

“God. I can’t believe I’m crying in front of a stranger in an elevator like this. This is crazy”

Sehun turned to her and she glared with wet eyes.

“Don’t stare at me like that”

“I’m going to marry you, Noona. I think I’m entitled to do more than staring”

There’s something in his tone and the way his eyes travelled to her lips that made her realized she’s in a closed space with a stranger.

She began to feel scared and it showed on her face, making him smiled a little, a corner of his lips lifting up.

“If you’re done crying, I’ll take you home”

“What???”

“Your home, Noona. Not mine. Or the campus. Whichever you prefer”

Irene stood up then, and he followed.

“The campus, please”

***************************************************

Everything went like a whirlwind from then on.

They went to try their wedding attires that day.

The first gown she tried was okay in her opinion. Sehun agreed, so she said to the owner of the boutique that they’d take it.

“But no bride ever chose what they like on the first try”

“I do” Irene smiled her diplomatic smile.

The lady was a bit flustered before she measured her and put pins on the gown around the sides of her petite figure. They needed to sew the back sides since it’s a bit too big for her, and the gown’s hem also had to be shortened to fit her height.

“Noona, what colour of tuxedo should I wear for the wedding?”

“Whatever you want”

“Would grey be alright?”

“Sure” she replied in a dismissal tone.

With that, he chose one grey tuxedo and tried it, before deciding he’d wear it.

The owner of the boutique announced that they’re the fastest couple to choose their wedding attires in the history of her business.

****************************************************

The mothers asked Irene a lot about the wedding day’s preparation. Which flower she preferred, what music would she want, who would she invite, and so on.

She didn’t want to deal with it, so she asked them both to handle everything. They were ecstatic with this and she sighed a sigh of relief.

As the hours and days ticked closer to her wedding day, Irene fought hard to live as normally as she possibly could. The only change was Sehun deciding to have lunch with her everyday, inviting himself and his friends on the table.

The future husband and wife did not talk at all during lunches, and their friends tried their best to fill the silent gaps by making small talks.

Irene’s friends knew there was no other way to console her except by being by her side, and that was what they were doing.

“My family’s servants will come to your house and pack your things today. They will bring it to my house” Sehun suddenly said.

That got Irene’s attention.

She had avoided to think of what would happen after the wedding day, but of course, eventually they would have to talk about it.

“Are we going to live in your house after the wedding?”

“Ne”

“Ahrasseo” Irene nodded without emotion and resumed her lunch.

“We won’t go for honeymoon right?”

Irene didn’t realize that her friends were all silent as she answered, “Of course not, why would we? It’s not like we’re in love or something stupid like that”

Sehun’s friend, Baekhyun, choked at the end of the table and Chanyeol pushed a glass of water to him.

Irene turned and when she was sure Baekhyun was alright, she looked back at Sehun.

He was staring at her in an unnerving way and she blinked at that.

“I don’t want to miss any of my classes” she said afterwards.

“Sure”

Irene frowned. She felt like she had just explained and defended herself. Over what, exactly?

“I’m done. See you tomorrow”

She looked at his tray. He’s only halfway done, which was unusual. He usually always finished his meals properly.

He left without as much as a glance at her.

“Is he angry?” Yeri wondered.

“Why would he? Cham, so ridiculous”

**********************************************

The only thing Irene remembered from her luxurious wedding was fighting back tears.

She felt like she was out of her body when they exchanged wedding vows.

She smiled and thanked all the colleagues of her parents who congratulated her.

She danced with her husband without looking at his face even once, and without so much as a feeling of reality, she was sitting in front of the big vanity mirror in his bedroom, staring at her own reflection, on her wedding night.

She didn’t know how long she stood there, but when she focused her sight, she looked at Sehun, standing behind her.

As if in a trance, she then left her husband to lock herself in the bathroom.

************************************************

Sehun didn’t even try to knock the bathroom door. He just sat on the couch and watched the TV.

She emerged an hour later, still wearing her wedding gown.

“I can’t take this stupid gown off on my own” she confessed in an exasperated tone.

“Would you want me to help you with that?”

When she said nothing, he offered, “Or shall I call a servant to help you?”

“No. It will look bad”

“So?”

“Can you help me take it off without doing anything?”

Sehun looked her straight in the eyes while answering “Ne”

“Ahrasseo. Then come help me”

He got up and went behind her, ping her gown carefully.

She looked down but from the mirror, he could see she was crying.

He helped her pushed the gown down her shoulders and she stepped out of it.

She then stood in front of him only in a white, lacy set of corset and underwear, with stockings.

She tried to reach the hooks on her back but her fingers shook.

She should turn the corset around to open it, but then her s would be—

“Let me do it” he said.

She said nothing as he unfastened the hooks one by one, as she cried silently, with the feel of his hands grazing the skin on her back.

Once it came undone, she ran to the bathroom.

Sehun stared at the door for sometime, before he took her gown from the floor and carefully put it on a chair.

She then appeared again wearing a bathrobe.

“I’ll change now” Sehun informed, before disappearing into the bathroom.

When he returned, wearing his usual shorts and t-shirt, she had undo all the pins and tiara in her hair, letting her hair loose.

She then continued to clean her makeup with her skincare product and Sehun lied in bed, playing with his phone.

Once she finished, she said, “Shall I sleep on the couch?”

He sat up and said, “Don’t be silly, Noona. Are you going to sleep on the couch forever?”

Irene shut her eyes for strength.

Afterwards, she looked at him seriously. “Promise me you won’t do anything”

Sehun chuckled.

She began to hate that chuckle, since it always made her felt as if she was an impossible child.

“..............I promise I won’t do anything tonight”

“Not just tonight, Sehun-ssi!”

“I promise I won’t do anything, unless noona wants otherwise”

“I’ll never want otherwise, paboo” she grumbled under her breath.

“I hear that”

“I was not exactly trying for you not to hear it”

“Come to bed, Noona”

She cringed, before finally walking to his bed and carefully lying at the very edge, covering herself with the blanket and turning away.

Sehun looked at her back before he continued watching his Instagram’s timeline. He then proceeded to check his emails and read his friends’ congratulatory messages.

Once done, he turned off his bedside lamp and lied down.

Something in him stirred and he called, “Noona, are you asleep already?”

Irene didn’t answer.

Sehun carefully moved closer and chuckled again.

His wife had fallen asleep.

He sighed before moving back to his side of the bed.

He promised he wouldn’t do anything.

That night.

******************************************************

Author’s Note:

I suddenly have this craving to write Sehun and Irene.

I know the theme is ancient, but it’s part of the craving.

I hope it’s not bad.

Thank you for reading.