Lee Sungjae was one of those men who took pride in everything he did or said. Never in his whole life did he ever have to ben down to anyone else’s will and never did he ever bow down to anyone or ask for anyone else’s will, not even at the beginning of his life when he started with almost nothing. Coming from a middle-class family, his life wasn’t as bad; he got higher education with the help of his parents. However, after he met the love of his life, he had a fall out with his father who wanted him to marry a girl he chose and was kicked to the kerb when he ended up eloping. He didn’t regret anything though. He, by himself, with his hard work, changed his situation around, with his wife standing by his side. From nothing, he pulled himself to a higher social position with his wife’s support. What started as their family café, run by the two of them; turned into a chain of one of the most sought out restaurants in Korea.

Everything was going fine, until Mrs. Lee was diagnosed with lung cancer and no matter how much money he was ready to spend to save his wife, fate had a different plan altogether. Just a few months after diagnosis, his wife passed away, leaving him with their twin son and daughter. The months after the incident were tough for him, very tough indeed. His heartbreak turned him into a robot, only waking up because he had to and just sit in his dark room without even coming out for meals. Work was the last thing on his mind. By the time he gathered himself back together again, for his children, for his and his wife’s dream of running the best restaurants in the country, it was too late. The business partner, who he thought was his best friend, brother even, dried out their business account with all their employees’ pay checks and ran away. He could probably make all the money back in a year or so, that’s only if someone agreed to loan him the money. Every bank he knew refused him and all his other associates refused too. Which brought him where he was right now, sat across from one of his childhood friends.

His legs pressed together where he was sitting on the cushioned chair, clasped hands resting over his knees as he released a long sigh. It killed him inside to be in this position, not only because, his ego was hurt, but also because with this particular friend, he had a huge row, which was how they lost contact, until, they met again in his wife’s funeral. All three were good friends through high school and university life. Now that he thought back, it was probably his fault for overreacting to one of his friend’s comments about his business partner. Only if he had listened to his friend instead of trusting someone he only knew for a couple of years.

‘So..’

His head snapped up as, Lee Sungmin broke the awkward silence that surrounded them after he had handed the proposal to his friend. With hopeful eyes, he searched the other’s face, crumbling a little when all he found was a poker face. The years seemed to have been good for Sungmin; not only did he own the biggest entertainment label of South Korea, but his face also radiated with happiness. All things aside, Sungjae was happy that his friend seemed to be doing well. A small smile graced his face.

Sungmin was a little shocked by the small smile on his friend’s face as he knew what Sungjae was going through and he really did want to help him out, but he also wanted something else and he had decided that he would definitely have his way this time. He cleared his throat.

‘I read the proposal and it seems like a fairly good one. However…’

Sungjae’s smile was widening until his friend left him hanging with the last word. He was sure that Sungmin was about to refuse to help him and if he really did then all the younger’s hopes will be gone. He lowered his head, feeling his depression kicking him.

‘I don’t want a share in your company. I want your daughter’s hand in marriage.’

Sungjae’s head snapped up. He knew that Sungmin was a widower like him but never in a million years would he have thought that his friend would ever ask something like that. His face twisted in anger. Slamming his fists on the table he snarled.

‘How dare you! You’re older than her dad..how can you want to marry Taeyeon..’

Sungmin almost choked at his friend’s outburst, his eyes widened.

‘What the hell Sungjae-uh? Not me you idiot..I want your daughter to marry my son so this time we become family and you won’t be able to just push me away like I didn’t matter.’ He fumed.

The other guiltily sat back down, biting his lip.

‘Err…Your son…I should’ve…oh God. Sungmin-ah..I’m so sorry.’

‘Yeah..and you should be.’ The elder of the two rolled his eyes. ‘And stop acting so weird around me Sungjae-ah. Just be like your normal self, we are still friends if I remembered correctly. Or am I missing something here?’ He got up to go around the table and pull his friend up and pulled him into a hug.

Sungjae couldn’t understand what was happening for a moment, he couldn’t believe that his friend was forgiving him so easily after how rudely he behaved in the past. Throwing his arms around the elder, he hugged him tightly.

‘Thank you.’

That was the only thing he could say.

Sungmin smiled, happy that his friend was back beside him once again and patted the younger’s back.

‘No need to say thank you Jae-ah. This is what friends are for, okay? Now let’s go have lunch together. We can discuss the details of the marriage proposal then.’

Sungjae nodded and together, the two friends left.

Over lunch, both caught up with the other’s life and soon they were chatting like how they did all those years ago, like best friends, as if their fight never happened.

Sungjae found out that, Lee Jinki was Sungmin’s only son and heir to the Lee Ent.; a fresh graduate from Cambridge university with two degree in history of music studies and currently working in his dad’s company. When he saw the picture of the boy, his innocent eyes and pure smile won over his heart and he knew that as he was Sungmin’s son, he had to be the best candidate to be hi daughter’s husband. So without even telling his daughter anything about it, he agreed to the proposal.

Sungmin too got to know about his friends like before and after his wife died and about his two children. Lee Taemin and Lee Taeyeon were identical twins and more or less looked the same and when Sungjae showed him their pictures, he couldn’t tell who was who. Taeyeon was studying in university, same with Taemin and the two elders decided to get them engaged now and marry them off in a couple of months when Taeyeon graduates from University.

The deal was done without Taeyeon or Jinki knowing how their lives were about to be changed by their fathers and neither did Taemin know how all this was going to affect him.

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This was not proof read.. *^* kinda too lazy.

Please do let me know if there are any grammer or spelling mistakes and i will change them ^^

Thank you ^^