Request #29. TatieyEXO - We're Married? (S.Coups/ Yerin) 160903 - 161031

your request was: genre: arranged marriage, sweet, fluff
title: We're Married?
side characters: Seventeen & GFRIEND

Yerin always thought it was cool to meet up with Seungcheol through family meetings (sometimes all by themselves), until today.
The day their parents announced that they were on the cusp of marriage.
She could recall the scene entirely without effort. It was so vivid, so fresh in her mind. It was only three hours ago. Now, she was lying on her own bed in her family's mansion, eyes looking blankly at the roof, re-thinking everything over and over again.

The sound of her blurted chuckle was clear in the Choi family's guest room. Yerin batted her eyelash at her mother only to realize the parents were being serious.
"I guess you can see this coming, Yerin?" asked Choi Seungchun, father of scholar Choi Seungcheol, known as the current deputy leader of the royal army force. He looked at Yerin with sincere interest and warmth, as if looking at his own daughter.
Yerin gulped down. With that pair of eyes, she couldn't say something like she didn't see this coming at all.
"Yes, sir. I-I can but I don't think it would come so abruptly like this. You give us only one month."
"Oh dear, I know it's so abrupt, but we have no choice." Yoo Taehee, mother of scholar Choi Seungcheol, spoke up.
"As you can see, our respective third prince is going to celebrate his wedding in two months so we can't use the same day for two of you. Although delaying your wedding seems to be a better choice, your father has to be out with the King for business purposes." Park Harin, mother of Jung Yerin, added after Yoo Taehee.
Yerin nodded softly as she listened. Everything made sense now.
Their parents often arranged the meetings between two families but only with one daughter and one son accompanying them, which were Yerin and Seungcheol.
Why not bringing both her and Her sister, Eunbi? Why not bringing him and his sister, Yuna or even with his brother, Hansol? Now that she got it. It was only for the sake of an arranged marriage.
She had rarely seen any lady or any young man from a high-class family who got into a marriage without their parents deciding or influencing in some way.
Therefore, she could understand her family decision. It was symbiotic and help with the family status. Frankly, she even wanted that person to be Seungcheol in the first place. Throughout their meetings, she gradually fell in love with Seungcheol. She found everything she wanted for her ideal type. She could accept all his flaws and even found them lovable.
He showed her his entire image. And she loved each and every detail of it.
It would always stay that way.
But...
"Darling? Yerin?" The voice of her father, Jung Taebyun woke her from her daze. She looked at her father, not knowing what he was trying to say.
"Yes, father?" Yerin asked hurriedly after.
"What do you think about the marriage?"
"Oh... Oh!" Yerin exclaimed suddenly making everyone in the room chuckle. "It is good..."

Yerin glanced over Seungcheol nervously and then their eyes met. But after a split second, she embarrassedly cut it.
Jung Taebyun raised an eyebrow at his daughter before turning his head at Seungcheol.
"So... What about you, Seungcheol? Do you think that you can marry my daughter?"
Seungcheol bit his lower lip when asked.
"I know this sounds insane, sir. But I can't imagine anyone else beside me for the rest of my life."
Yerin spared a quickly glance at Seungcheol again. Both of them quickly looked down. Yerin couldn't help but beam at his words. But then she curled up her fists, her face fell.

On the other hand, Seungcheol couldn't even finish one single line of the book he was reading. It was not difficult to take in the book's contents at all. It was because he couldn't concentrate when just three hours ago, his parents gave him the biggest present they could never imagine.
He couldn't stop smiling at the thought of being together with Yerin for the rest of his life.
He started to worry about his room, even.
Because wasn't his room going to be the room for a first night with Yerin?
His cheeks were reddening and he could feel it clearly with a heat creeping up. He put down the book and called his maids.
"Yes, young master?" The maid named Umji asked when she came into his room.
"Please clean up my room. It lookes like some room left for months without people around." Seungcheol cleared his throat and looked around his room again. It did look like so...
"But we have just cleaned it for two days, young master..." Umji quietly replied but then she heard Seungcheol clicking his tongue. She looked at her master's childish act which she had barely seen before. She then realized he was being picky for the upcoming wedding. She pressed her lips thin together to suppress a laugh waiting to burst anytime in .
Yerin sighed.
Looking at the golden mirror reflecting her own face, she tried to fix some strands of hair misplaced down her face. She tried to fix the hair bun but it ended up being messier. She had to call a maid to help her again.
"Am I too useless as a woman? I can't even fix my hair properly." Yerin said, her eyes landed on the ground.
"You don't act like usual, young lady. You are confident for who you are." The maid named Sowon was busy making a new bun for Yerin. She tried to cheer her young lady up. But it failed. Yerin didn't reply. She kept sulking like a child.
"Oh. Did you here? I think master Seungcheol had arrived." Sowon said as she heard some noise outside Yerin's room.
"Thank you, Sowon." Yerin said casually. With her bun completely normal now, she walked over the door with her hands carelessly grabbing the under part of the hanbok.
When she opened the door, Seungcheol was stainding near her room. He was watching the scenery in her family mansion. But when he heard the sound the door made, he turned around and gaped slightly after that.
Yerin looked very suitable with this pink hanbok she was wearing today.
"I'm ready for our first... date... first date..." she stuttered, not knowing what to say.
"Our first date without having to stay home, you mean." Seungcheol quickly aided. Yerin nodded and scratched her neck nervously.

"Your skill of playing music instruments must be great. I got a chance to hear a bit of it today." Seungcheol complimented as they were strolling around the town.
Yerin took some seconds before she realized Seungcheol mistook the whole thing.
"Actually, it was my sister playing. I-I don't know how to play a single instrument." Yerin sounded hesitant when she admitted to Seungcheol.
"Oh." Seungcheol quickly replied. He sent Yerin a concerned glance. He had noticed her being really gloomy from yesterday till now.  What made him freaked out, was the fact that her face looked even gloomier now.
He stopped at a food stall. It was Yerin's favortite treat, he noted.
"Wait, Yerin." He softly held her forearm, signalling her to wait. He bought two pieces of the cake and gave her one piece.
"Thank you!" Yerin's eyes glowed for a moment as she looked at the food. She munched it happily like a little child. She didn't notice Seungcheol's constant look at her, though.
They were sitting down by a lake, watching the beautiful scenery where there were barely just a few people around.
Yerin looked more brighten thanks to his treat, but Seungcheol could sense the angst in her eyes.
"Is this okay, Yerin? You are wearing a hanbok. It's comfortable but people would find this weird." He asked Yerin, his eyes darting here and there at some people sending her a judging look.
"I don't care what people think when all I feel is comfortable." Yerin shrugged.
Seungcheol grinned at her. She always sounded so strong.
"So... do you really think I'm the one for you, young master? You can change your mind before it's too late." Yerin asked when she finished eating. She looked down, ignoring Seungcheol's stare, though.
"You know how honest I can be. And I never say it when I don't really mean it." Seungcheol said, suddenly becoming serious. He hadn't found out the reason why Yerin was being so unlike herself lately. And it bothered him.
"Instead, I have to ask you that question." Seungcheol continued. "Am I not the one for you?"
Yerin raised her head up and looked at him in bewilderment.
"Oh no... you are misleading!" Yerin frantically eclaimed.

"But... You don't look happy with it." Seungcheol said, he looked down, feeling inconfident.
Yerin watched his sulking face. She didn't want him to feel sad because of her. So she decided to put her matters aside for now.
"It has nothing to do with our wedding, you know!" Yerin nudged him slightly with her elbow. She put on a rather forced smile. "Girls are always moody for no reason. That's how we are."
Seungcheol raised an eyebrow.
"Really? Thank goodness. I thought I was too boring for you."
Yerin grinned at his self-consciousness.
"You are never boring for me!"
Seungcheol couldn't look brighter. He noticed the corner of got a fragment of the cake she just ate. He wiped it before realizing that it would made the situation become awkward.
However, his finger remained ligering on . Yerin blinked nervously at him when the finger brushed her lips softly.
Seungcheol unknowingly moved closer to her face. As if realizing his action was absurd, he was about to pull back.

Yerin immediately spotted his hesitant eyes. She didn't want to pull back, however. She moved closer to him this time.
As if reading her message to process to kiss. Seungcheol moved along.
That moment, they thought they were going to share their first kiss ever.
Yerin's eyes caught a man bumped a woman from behind. Although he was quick, Yerin was able to see a small fabric bag in his hand. The incidenf was actually planned out. Yerin saw a thief right in front of her eyes! And she had to act on it.
Even if she had to ruin a first kiss she had always wished for.
She violently pushed Seungcheol, causing him almost lie on the ground. She had no time to say sorry. She stood up and with her hanbok on, she ran towards the now leisurely walking guy who thought he could get through this.

In a few seconds, she was able to catch the thief with her arms strongly grabbing his neck. The thief was strong, nonetheless. He managed to pull her arms out of him and turned around, ready to give her a full blow.
Seungcheol gasped at the sight. He stood up and ran to Yerin.
Yerin amazed Seungcheol yet again with her ability to dodge the dangerous attack. With a fast and powerful high kick at the man's chest, Yerin sent the guy completely liveless on the ground. He gaped at Yerin in full fear and didn't dare to move an inch. She took in a full breath and crouched down, taking the woman't bag off his palm.

When she was done giving the biwildered as well as thankful woman her precious money, she returned to Seungcheol.
Her bun was loosened and many strands of hair slid down her face.
She sighed at him when she took his face as another way to say 'are you even woman?"
"That's it." Yerin murmured, her voice sounded hopeless. "You can't like me anymore. You saw me fight."
"That was so impressive, miss Jung Yerin." Seungcheol said, his eyes were still full with admiration and surprise.
"Yeah, I understand... What?"
"I didn't know you learned martial arts before!"
"Yeah... But you liked it?"
"You have to teach me some moves, Yerin." He grinned shippishly at her.
"Wow. I thought you would hate me for doing something not girly."
"You just helped a person with your action, Yerin. I think it's so great to see woman fighting for the good. You don't have to hide your true nature to me. I just basically love everything you do." Seungcheol said, scratching his nape. "I'm being honest, you know me."
Yerin couldn't help but beaming at his words.
"You know, I can't play music instruments, I can't cook, I can't sew clothes, I'm not elegant or smart talk, I can't-"
"But you know martial arts, you are cheerful and bright, you are a strong woman, Yerin."
"But I have too many short-comings. I feel like I'm no match for you. I have been hiding my weaknesses from you just to build up a more acceptable image for you."
"Stop masking your own beauty." Seungcheol cut her off. He looked at the girl lovingly. "Just stay the way you are, Yerin." Because I just love everything about you.
Yerin looked at Seungcheol carefully. She scanned for his eyes but they screamed honesty. She grinned from cheek to cheek as she looked down, hiding her face.
After a moment, she looked up.
"Another secret for you, young master. I can play Xiangqi very well. I can even defeat father sometimes."
Seungcheol chuckled as he heard her secret. "You should have told me sooner. I have always been waiting to discover something we have in common."

Author's notes:

If this oneshot doesn't satisfy you, please explain why it doesn't by taking your little precious time filling out this form for feedback. It would be highly appreciated to get feedbacks! Thank you!
Thank you for the request, although your request was really hard for me. arranged marriage is not a genre I would normally like to write about for a oneshot. It is basically just too hard to think up a decent reason behind the marriage, and even build up a decent chemistry. Therefore, I chose the set for the story in the Joseon era, when arranged marriage happened more frequently [I guess?]. And I hope you enjoyed reading it. I rushed things up a bit just to finish before you have to board. This oneshot is kind of boring, I admit. I'm not really familiar with both groups, either. omg, there are so many wrong-ness in this oneshot.