The next morning, the page 6 gossip section of newspapers were flooded with reports on Jun Hyung's public proposal to an unknown young lady. It even topped online gossip sites on celebrities and influential people.

Jae Kyung was sleeping at home when her phone rang. She groaned and looked over at the clock on her nightstand. It was only 7 am. She picked up her phone without looking at the caller ID and answered groggily, "Hello?"

"Yah! Hurry up and meet me at the M Hotel in an hour!" the caller on the other line exclaimed.

Jae Kyung pulled her phone away from her ear to look at the caller: Bad Luck Jerk. She lazily put the phone back to her ear. "Why are you calling so early?"

"Have you not seen the reports about last night's proposal?!" Jun Hyung yelled back. "We have to get our stories straight before you meet my parents and an official statement is released to the press!"

"Aish!" Jae Kyung muttered as she lifted her head from her pillow. "Fine! I'm coming!"

Jae Kyung threw her phone onto her bed before getting up and going to the bathroom to get ready. Luckily her parents didn't keep up with celebrity gossip, so she had some time before she would have to confront them about her new engaged status.

After the long bus ride from her house, Jae Kyung finally arrived at the hotel where she was directed to the same conference room from the night before. Jun Hyung was waiting there, an irritated expression on his face.

"Yah, I told you to come an hour after I called," he said in a dangerously low voice as he stared at her with piercing eyes. "You're 10 minutes late."

"Excuse me, but I had to take an hour-long bus ride to get here. You're lucky I'm only 10 minutes late and not 30," she shot back.

"Whatever, we don't have time to argue about stupid stuff. We need to figure out all the details of this contract marriage and how we're going to break the news to our parents."

"That was something that we were supposed to do before you had to go and get all rom com drama and propose in the middle of the street. What the hell were you thinking anyways?"

"Hey, I had no choice. Reporters took pictures of us coming out of a hotel at night. It would have been worse for both of us if I didn't take quick action," he retorted.

Jae Kyung made a face. "Quick action my foot," she muttered. "Then what the hell was up with the kiss?!

Jun Hyung scoffed at her outrage. "Don't worry, I didn't do it because I wanted to. It was necessary to ward off any rumors of this being a set up marriage. As far as the public is concerned, we're marrying for love. Of course, that's far beyond the truth," he snidely added.

Jae Kyung glared at him. "I'm glad our feelings for each other are mutual."

"Anyways, we have to figure out our story: how we met, how we came to like each other, and all that nonsense. I hope you can act well, because getting everyone, especially my parents, to believe this is going to be hard."

"Your parents aren't the only ones who aren't going to believe this," she muttered as she thought about the commotion she would have to face in the near future from her parents and siblings.

"Since my life has basically been recorded by the paparazzi up until about two weeks ago, we have to say that's when we met."

"But that is when we met," Jae Kyung curtly remarked, the bar incident still fresh in her mind.

"And it was love at first sight," he sarcastically added. Jae Kyung rolled her eyes at him.

"If we're going to get all sappy, then might as well make into a dramatic love story," Jae Kyung scoffed. "You're the player that could get any girl you wanted...until you met me. That part is true so far," she said with a mocking smile. "And of course, because I so easily rejected you, you chased after me. I, being the sweet and kind person I am, decided to give you a chance. And after just a few days with me, you fell head over heels and became a better person for the one you love, me."

"What the hell?! You make me sound like some lovesick puppy!" Jun Hyung angrily shouted.

"Well how else do you expect anyone to believe that after knowing each other for only two weeks we're getting married without it looking like a business deal?" she calmly asked.

Jun Hyung grit his teeth. "Fine," he growled lowly. "But the feelings have to be mutual. You also realized that after just a few short days with me, I was your soul mate that you couldn't live with out. If we're going with this ty story of yours, then we both have to look like lovesick fools."

Jae Kyung flared her nostrils, but didn't say anything as she deeply inhaled and exhaled in anger.

"Now that we have our story straight, we have to get the details of this contract marriage sorted," Jun Hyung continued.

"First thing's first, we agree that this marriage will terminate after one year, no longer," Jae Kyung demanded.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't dream of making it longer," Jun Hyung scoffed. "Second, we absolutely cannot develop feelings for each other."

"And how can I trust you on that when you tried hitting on me at the bar?" Jae Kyung asked accusingly. "I mean, you were attracted to me from the beginning."

"Yah, I wasn't doing that because I was attracted to you. It was a bet," he growled. "You have nothing to worry about. Your looks, your body, your personality…everything about you is definitely not my type. My standards are too high for you to ever reach them," he answered with a condescending look. "If anything, I should be more worried about you, because if I remember correctly, you did call me good-looking. How can I be sure you won't fall for me over time?" he asked with a raised brow.

Jae Kyung scoffed at his question. "It seems you have a selective memory," she shot back. "Because if you remembered the rest of it, I said not every girl likes arrogant bad boy types like you. Those weren't just empty words."

Jun Hyung's hands unknowingly balled into fists by his side. The two glared at each other with mutual dislike for each other that bordered on hatred.

"Glad that we won't have to worry about that clause then," Jun Hyung said through his teeth. "Third, no one can find out about this arrangement."

Jae Kyung's eyes flickered in slight guilt. "Um, about that," she nervously started. "Someone already knows," she admitted.

"What?! It hasn't even been 24 hours and you already spilled the beans to someone?!"

"Hey, the beans were already spilled before your proposal!" she defended. "My best friend already knew about my plan before we met again and he was the one trying to find a suitable guy for me. But apart from him, no one else knows," she assured.

"And you're sure he won't tell anyone?," he asked as he massaged the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Definitely not," she firmly stated.

"Fine. Then apart from him, no one else can find out."

Jae Kyung nodded in agreement. "Uh, but, I have a question," she hesitantly started.

"What?" he asked in an annoyed tone.

"The living arrangements…we will be living separate from your parents…right?"

"Why does that matter?" he asked.

"Well, first of all, the whole point of me getting married was so that I could leave my parents. My purpose is defeated if we have to live with yours. Not only that, it'll be harder to keep up with our married image if we're constantly being watched by them," she argued.

"You're right," he agreed. "Then I'll just ask for an apartment."

"With at least two bedrooms," Jae Kyung added. "Just because we have to keep up an image in public, doesn't mean we have to do so in private."

"Don't worry, this marriage pretense will be kept only when needed," Jun Hyung scoffed. "However, as far as keeping the public image goes, you will have to perform your role as my wife. That means that if the need arises, you attend any events or gatherings that require your presence as the wife of Yong Jun Hyung."

"Fine," Jae Kyung replied with narrow eyes. "But we keep any skinship to a minimum. That means you do not kiss me again and you keep your hands to yourself."

"I can't guarantee that there won't be any skinship if we don't want rumors to rise about our marriage being just for business purposes. But rest assured, that any sort of intimate action will be strictly for keeping the marriage façade and only when necessary."

Jae Kyung pursed her lips but didn't argue any further. "Okay," she curtly agreed. "Any more clauses?"

"Not that I can think of at the moment," he answered.

"Then we can discuss the penalty of this contract ever becoming public," Jae Kyung said with a small, sly smile. "If you, Yong Jun Hyung, should be the cause of it, then you will take all the blame. You will confess that this was all your idea and that I was physically forced into this contract marriage without a choice."

Jun Hyung did not hide his displeasure at her condition as he shot daggers at her with his eyes. "Fine," he curtly agreed. "But if you, Song Jae Kyung, should be the reason, then you will admit that you seduced me and feigned pregnancy, all to get money out of me. And I, not wanting to tarnish our company's image, agreed to stay married with you even after finding out the truth about the fake pregnancy," he smirked.

"Yah! You're making me out into a !"

"And you're making me out into some abusive jackass!"

The two didn't speak as they stared with piercing eyes at each other, the air thick with tension.

"Well then the incentive for not exposing the contract is worth it," Jae Kyung sarcastically said, finally cutting the silence.

"Anyways," Jun Hyung began, trying to compose himself again and get back on track, "you'll be meeting my parents today." He glanced at the portion of her outfit that was visible across from the table and gave her a condescending look. "So make sure to dress appropriately."

Jae Kyung furrowed her brows at his tone and looked down at her outfit. She was wearing dressy gray shorts with leggings underneath and a loose-fitting, long-sleeved black shirt. It was a fairly conservative outfit, not like what many girls her age were wearing, or what her in-law Hyo Joo was always suggesting for her to wear.

"Yah, what's wrong with what I'm wearing?" she asked with a slight pout.

"If you don't want to lose points with my parents the minute they see you, at least try to look like a semi-refined woman," Jun Hyung sarcastically answered. Jae Kyung pursed her lips at his remark and Jun Hyung sighed, thinking about the confrontation between him and his parents. "I guess we have some time before we meet my parents. Let's go," he ordered, standing up from his seats.

"Go? Where?" Jae Kyung asked in confusion, staying seated.

"You can't go looking like that," he answered snidely. "We have to get you ready before the big meeting," he finished, turning back around to leave.

Jae Kyung blew a raspberry. "Is this really worth it?" she muttered to herself, getting up out of her seat and following after Jun Hyung to his red Spirra sports car.

Author’s Note

Yeah…so I'm sorry for not updating for a month. I kind of lost inspiration for this story, but hopefully I'll be updating more often...

9/29/12 11:51 PM