“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.”
-Martin Luther King, Jr.-
 

“What do you want from me?” Chaerin said as she shoved Seungri aside and proceed to her room. She slammed on the door and rushed to her seat.

“I want you to marry me,” said Seungri softly appearing from behind the door. He let the door wide open and walked to stand in front of her table. “I don’t want my child to be fatherless.”

Chaerin startled and gasped. She stormed to close Seungri’s mouth with her palm. “Do you want to whole world know that…we slept together,” she hissed and closed the door behind him. “I’m not pregnant and please stop with the proposal. You have been bugging me with this…marriage thing for a month now and I’m tired of that.”

“It will be easier if you accept it on my first attempt.”

“Ugh,” she groaned inwardly. “For a hundredth time, I’m not going to marry you, get it? I don’t want to marry anyone.”

She stared at him while crossing folding her arms across her chest. “Why do you want to marry me so much? If this is because of taking responsibility…well, it’s not that you never slept with a woman before. Did you marry all of them?”

“Well, first of all, I never slept with a drunken woman while I was…drunk myself,” Seungri said while having his hands stuck in his pocket. He walked closer to her and whispers, “I just want to make the right thing, to make things better. I don’t want to be a brat anymore. Running away after what I’ve done.”

Chaerin swallowed, trying to calm herself. “But, why me? Just because I’m one of your partners in crime, but that doesn’t make me-”

He smirked at her choice of words. “It has to start somewhere…and someone.”

Chaerin sighed and squeezed her temple with her fingers. His words only make her dizzy and her head was spinning. “I’m not…going to have…this conversation…ever…again,” she stuttered and tried to push Seungri to the door. As a sudden ache crept inside her head, she plodded on her way and finally slumped on the floor while her hands still on Seungri.

Seungri astounded and screamed for her name repeatedly, but she just lay there, unconscious.

Lee Chaerin frowned as she came out from the doctor’s office. The doctor’s joyous voice rang in her ears again. Her gleeful felicitation seemed like putting a curse on her already miserable life.

“What’s the doctor’s said?” Seungri asked as he saw her and touched her hands slightly.

Chaerin lifted her pale face and gazed coldly at him, crestfallen. Her lip was trembling and her hands were freezing. She looked as she was about to cry.

Seeing at her expression, Seungri’s heart sank and he inhaled a deep breath. He held her hand and d for his cell phone in his pocket with another. He dialled a number and waited for the line to be connected.

“Hey, Dad,” he greeted cheerfully. “You know what? I’m getting married.” He distanced the cell phone from his ear as the booming voice of his father mauling his eardrum. “Yeah, Dad…love you too. Talk to you later,” he cried out and ended the call.

Seungri looked at Chaerin as she watched the horrible scolding scene. “He loves me. And that…was just the way he shows his affection,” he chuckled. “So, wedding dress next?”

Chaerin’s face was still cold and expressionless. “We’re going to see my father.”

“Oh,” he exclaimed. “Should I be afraid?” he winced.

“Very,” she said and stormed outside of the hospital.

Seungri gulped and followed her hastily. “Hey, slow down. You’re hurting my baby,” he shouted.

“How is he?” Seungri asked as he drove to her house, trying to create a little conversation after a sudden surprise as she was muted ever since they got into his car.

She answered after a minute of silent, “He is…a perfect father. He gave a freedom for me to live my life. He always supported in anything that I do.” Her face lit up as she speaks. “He lets me make mistakes…and instead of scolding me and pointed me what did I do wrong, he guides me to see the light and make me learn from my mistakes.”

“He’s a great father,” he shrugged.

Chaerin sensed uneasiness in his voice. “You’ll be fine. He may look tough but he has a soft heart. Well, maybe he will throw a few punches. Better work on your reflex.”

“Punches,” Seungri choked out. “Well, that was something to expect, considering I just made his daughter pregnant.”

Chaerin’s heart started to shake again. “Are you sure to do this?”

“One hundred per cent,” he said as he smiled at her.

“What if…I’m not pregnant? Will you still insist in marrying me?”

He turned his face to her briefly. “I asked you to marry me even before we know that you’re carrying my child.”

“But that…was because there is still possibility that I’m pregnant. But, what if…we’re sure that I’m not pregnant?”

He heaved a sigh and skidded to a halt on the side road. He pulled the brake and turned to look at her. “Look, maybe because I asked you to marry me not because I love you. But that doesn’t mean that I’m playing around. I know what I do as much as I know; someday…we’re going to fall for each other. And we’ll have our own happily ever after,” he said softly smiling and laughed quietly. “The stepsister deserves her happy ending.”

Chaerin glared at him. “What made you so sure?”

“I don’t. But life is a gambling itself. You’ll never knew the outcome if you’re not brave enough to place the bet.” He grinned and then gazed at her with soft expression. “I know you’re hurting and I’m here to mend your broken heart.”

“Wh-what?” she stammered. “I’m not broken hearted. And I don’t need you to play doctor. I don’t need you to fix me,” she raged.

“You just hate to admit it because if you do…it will seem so real. And it wills coz you pain.”

“I’m. Not. Hurting,” she emphasised every words. She groaned and balled up her fist tightly.

Seungri watched her and said nothing after that. He let her to calm herself and gave her some time to arrange her thought.

Chaerin breathed lightly and stared straight to the road in front of her. “Start the car. We have to reach there after dinner. I don’t want to kill his appetite after hearing the news.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Seungri saluted with a grin and pushed the ignition. “Hey, where do you want to go for the honeymoon?” Seungri asked after a while.

“I’m not going to talk about that right now. And besides, that’s not even in my concern. I’m marrying you because I had to and I don’t even give a damn about a honeymoon whatsoever.”

“Honeymoon is part of the marriage thing and you should give it a thought,” he advised. “I was thinking, Hawaii…”

“Ugh. Can you just shut up?” Chaerin yelled.

Seungri clammed up. “Ok,” he squeaked.

Chaerin shot a piercing gaze at him.

“What’s the time limit? I mean until when I should shut my mouth coz I can’t stay silent for long,” he blabbered.

“Oh mon Dieu!” she interjected.

“What? You're speaking French," he gasped dramatically. "I knew French if I heard one,” he rambled again. “You knew how to speak French? Cool.”

She snarled sharply. “Shut. Up!” she screamed.

“Ok,” he flinced and focused on his driving again.

“I’ll close my mouth…but please, don’t yell,” he spoke softly as his gaze fixed on the road. “It’s not good for the baby. I’ve read it somewhere…”

Chaerin rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath. “Oh, Lord!”

“Whatever he had found, it made him a better person. Maybe that's what love was, finding the person who brings out the best in you and eliminates 
the worst.” 
― Diana Holquist, Make Me a Match

*la vie est un pari- life's a gamble