May 21st,  2013

"Why?"

Sunggyu blinked rapidly and went on looking down on Seul-ki who was watching him with her glistening eyes. He scratched his head and before he could even open his mouth to talk, Seul-ki spoke again.

"I thought we were supposed to fail this?" Her tone was worried. She was looking at him with a worried expression too. Sunggyu cleared his throat.

"Well, I'm doing this for your grandma." He said, trying to sound as calmly as possible.

"What about Halmeoni?" She titled her head, still looking at Sunggyu without even flinching and it was making Sunggyu rather nervous. He looked away and cleared his throat again.

"I couldn't say no to her."

Seul-ki finally looked away and sighed, putting down the garbage bag on the floor. "So you've failed too."

"Lee Seul-ki."

"What?" She answered, without even looking up to him. She felt like she had no strength to even stand. When Sunggyu didn't say anything further, she looked up again, to find his gaze had became rather softer.

"Think about it. This whole marriage thing, it's not that bad, isn't it? I mean... Halmeoni is old. She can't take care of you that well anymore. And you don't have anyone else other than her. So, why not... And I... don't really mind having you as a wife. Your cooking is good and..." He looked at her swollen eyes, messy hair, red nose and cheeks, and blinked rapidly. "You're not that bad either..."

"Wha..." Seul-ki felt her jaw dropping.  "What makes you think I can't take care of myself?"

"I didn't say that. It's just that... I can support you once we are married." He said, not knowing what he was saying anymore.

"I don't really get this... I thought you didn't want to marry me?"

"Who said that? I told you I didn't mind, did I? I mean, this is much easier than trying to bring a girl home and asking for my parents' approval. You are already approved." He said, nodding to himself.

Seul-ki made a face, still not convinced and she felt like she couldn't even digest what Sunggyu was trying to say. She took a deep breath, making her face redder and biting her lips, she began furrowing.

"You don't even love me..." She muttered, as quietly as possible.

"We can learn it later..." He too, seemed to be munching his words.

"What if you'll never will? What if I will like you but you'll never like me?" She said, looking down on the ground.

"Then what if it's the reverse?" Sunggyu said, looking at worriedly. "Because I know that I don't dislike you, you see."

Seul-ki felt her heart getting a little tug when he said that but she tried not to show it on her face as she went on looking down. "You don't even know me."

"You don't know me too."

"That's it. We don't know each other. Why should you want to marry me?" Her voice was becoming weaker.

"Why not? Arranged marriage isn't that uncommon." He said, shrugging.

"Is it because you feel sorry for me?" She said, looking at him again, her eyes brooding.

Sunggyu widened his eyes before he could even say anything. He shook his head, feeling helpless but Seul-ki was already looking like she was about to cry but she gave a little wry laugh.

"Fine." She said, picking up the garbage bag again. "I guess with my results I won't really get into any good college. So why not get married? At least someone will be feeding me, huh? So, yeah, let's get married."

Sunggyu was quiet, because her every word was true and he didn't feel like interrupting her talk. She took a deep breath, almost shivering.

"I guess this will make Halmeoni happy because I listen to her. And it will make your parents happy since you're listening to them. And probably you are happy to be a good son and not getting kicked off the inheritance but does anyone even think of me?" She said, feeling her eyes teary.

Sunggyu couldn't take his eyes off her, looking at how her face became paler but her ears were getting redder from the cold. Sunggyu knew well, it was a rash decision but none of them could really do anything then. He had so many reasons to marry her; his parents, her Halmeoni and probably the sight of looking at her appearing so weak in front of him which sent a weird feeling inside him. He took a step closer again and took a deep breath.

"I'll make you happy."

Seul-ki stopped breathing and after what it felt like hours, she gazed up and met with Sunggyu's eyes again. She caught her breath again but then she was coughing and her eyes were teary and they escaped her eyes making Sunggyu smiled weakly. He touched his forehead and his ears were also red from embarrassment, not knowing how he even had the gut to say that.

"It's late and it's getting cold. Go in then. I'll take that out for you." He said, opening the gate and took the garbage from her and closed the gate again. Without saying anything, he turned and began to walk away, feeling deeply awkward and embarrassed but he won't ever go back on his words, he told himself mentally.

"Well, see you on the wedding day!" He shouted, and he began to walk real quickly, leaving Seul-ki gawking again.

"Lee Seul."

"Lee Seul!"

Seul-ki turned to her right to find Myungsoo sitting beside her with an annoyed expression. She realised that she was in the class but her mind was still on Sunggyu's words from the night before. She was left screaming mentally in her head, asking what was happening and she wanted so much to call him but she didn't know of what to say as his words really took her to another world called happiness.

She did feel a bit happy.

She slammed her face onto her book and groaned. What would such words make her happy? Had she gone crazy? That must be it, she said to herself.

"I must be crazy." She said to herself.

"Don't tell me you've just realised that." Myungsoo said, laughing. Seul-ki looked up immediately and showed him a miserable face. "What?"

"What do you know." She said, weakly. "Pabo."

"What did I do?" He said, taken aback when Seul-ki got up and glared at him before walking away with her bag and went out of the class.  "What's wrong with her?" He asked Yu-rim who sat behind Seul-ki's seat. She shrugged.

"Constipation?" She said, laughing a bit but he wasn't convinced.

Myungsoo waited for a few seconds before he got up and