“Finally the Casanova found his the one.” A cheery voice coming from Son Naeun, a girl with a long brown perfectly straight hair that points out her fairy-like face doesn’t sound like a compliment at all in Chorong’s ears. Still, Park Chorong smiles shyly nevertheless. She wants to remain stoic without a significant respond to be honest, but it’s not like she has choice.

“What Casanova, you guys? Stop scandalizing my image right in front of my beloved wife.”

Chorong feels Nam Woohyun easily sneaks one arm in her waist and pulls her closer into himself while retorts back with equal cheeriness in his voice. He even lands a peck on her lips without so much consideration and makes his friends complain noisily due to his cheesiness.

Her face will be red, and she will keep her head down with some attempt to calm her frantic heartbeats.

“Ah, I’m sorry unnie should keep up with someone like you, oppa!” Now Oh Hayoung chirps in. She sounds a bit mature for the girl in her age but her mature appearance matches her well. She is one beauty that sometime Chorong feels cowered to stand beside her promising height.

Still, what Chorong hears is a bunch of empty words she will never understand.

“By the way, how was he, Chorong-ah? Was he a gentleman or a beast on your first night?”

That is kind of too much for Chorong, as she really can’t look up anymore and face the group she supposedly to hang comfortably around. Spesifically that one person Jang Dongwoo. He has no-filter mouth and words that out of it besides spontaneous also—in her perspective—inappropriate.

“Well, she’s definetely won’t tell how amazing I was because she’s not the one kisses and tells.” Woohyun easily covers for her again as the arm that drapes on her shoulder making such a pull to make her leaning to him. He may or may not sense her unconfortableness, and although Chorong rather chooses to disappear if she can, she’s still thankful he’s there.

Besides, she really has no choice.

“Oooh then it’s you who will spill the night bliss?”

They make a thunderous noise in unison with one line from Lee Howon—she also hates this guy—and deafens her ears.

It is quite a chaos as Chorong can only squirm awkwardly under Woohyun’s arm. There’s still some unnecessary comments and bad jokes from Lee Seungyeol and others laughing over them out loud before finally Woohyun takes a pity with her being uncomfortable for the whole night.

He excuses themselves and like a gentleman holds her hand tightly despite the teasing from the group behind.

Once they secure in his car, he pulls off his facade; there’s no more friendliness, skinships or cheesy lines being thrown, only a cold silent instead. He will ignore her, she will be invisible and they keep doing that when no one else around.

That is pretty much Park Chorong’s life now, apparently.

***

The night goes eerily silent and cold. The blanket which covers her body doesn’t help the coldness Chorong feels that radiates from the back beside her. She tries not to make many moves on the bed as peering at the figure of Nam Woohyun sleeping beside her. She never watches his sleeping face because he will always give his back as they sleep on the same bed.

Chorong feels empty besides coldness. It’s like only her alone who lives in this big mansion. She finds Nam Woohyun is actually a two-faced man. Tomorrow will be a complete week of their marriage, and spending times with him only for short days has taught her what’s true color of her husband is.

He despises this marriage. But it’s not like she fancies the idea too.

Park Chorong became an orphan at age of 7 when her parents claimed dead at the horrible car accident. Since then the kind mother’s younger sister has been taking care of her. She gets along with Im Jinah, the only daughter of Im family because they are same-aged friend. There’s no Cinderella kind of story, but what Chorong didn’t expect was Im family is an actual chaebol. They even raised her more properly than her own parents, Chorong admits, and the consequence is she will be forever in debt on them. She tried to adjust the life of the rich, but somehow she’s kind of failed at it. If Jinah is a top model that makes her a social butterfly around the high society, Chorong chooses the nerdy way. She busies herself in the college although once or twice she goes to Im Corporation when her uncle asks her to.

But then her feeling of trapped in forever life debt of Aunty and her family’s kindness became a trouble too. Chaebols and their infamous arranged marriage. The Im Corporation is going to merge with Woollim Enterprise—Nam family business—and they decide to marry off their children; Im Jinah and Nam Woohyun.

The thing is, Jinah is quiet a rebel.

“Please, Chorong-ah.” Chorong remembered the pleading look in Jinah’s eyes that time, and she regrets now for falling into those tricked eyes. “You know I have a boyfriend.” Jinah pouted.

If only she could repay their kindness at the same amount they have sacrificed for her.

So when the meeting to discuss about the wedding, Park Chorong was there as the lead actress, giving a quiet surprised to the Nam family.

“I don’t know there’s a second daughter of Im family.” She remembered Woohyun’s mother mused with a friendly tone although her gaze felt like a lion inspecting its prey.

It’s not because the Im kept her hidden, really, it’s only because Chorong herself doesn’t think the high society is suited her.

And after a subtle discussion about how the marriage won’t affect the prior talk about their corporates, it’s decided that Nam Woohyun was marrying Park Chorong a week ago.

***

They didn’t go to honeymoon after the wedding party. Works have been hectic for Woohyun to spare a time. They didn’t even have their first night, actually, but it’s only best if no one knows beside the newlywed couple.

Park Chorong is trying to adjust another lifestyle again, now learning to blend into her husband’s group of friends. They are some boring business related, some frenemies and his friends. Woohyun often brings her to their usual hangout spot after attending some company event, and Chorong does try to understand every one of them.

Which is difficult because Chorong doesn’t know if this only her conciousness or they always sound fake to her. Son Naeun and Oh Hayoung are nice, always showering her with unnecessary compliments which Chorong often feels they are lack of sincerity, and the boys are always loud. It looks like they always try to corner her and force her to come out of the comfort zone (she’s already far away from her comfort zone, but they will never understand). Jang Dongwoo is nosy and always has the exact moment to embarrass her, Lee Howon is this annoying guy Chorong hates so much in the group and Lee Seungyeol never fails to mock her.

And apparently Nam Woohyun is the Casanova among them, fact that no one doesn’t know. He acts well around girls; he’s being a gentleman, no exception toward his wife. Only he does it when there’s not the two of them left. He becomes cold and distant once they trapped in their so called home sweet home.

Chorong thinks a week is enough to give him time and chance to be better, or treats her better. She is human with heart too, so he is.

Why the lack of emotion?

Chorong once asked his permission to bring her best friend, Yoon Bomi, to the group. It will make her not too left out and Woohyun only nodded in approval. She didn’t expect that her friend was right into a heated argument with Lee Howon after they sat down. Howon said something Bomi considered offending, and barked out directly at him. If only she knows that is the nature of Lee Howon to offend other people.

Bomi rejects Chorong’s next invitation because she doesn’t want to see a bunch of big headed group being idiotic only because their parents never stop sending money into their account. Chorong feels aghast. She is sad because that only means she will be the one they bully instead.

***

“Say, Chorong-ssi,” The tone Lee Seungyeol uses is the one time Chorong hates whatever will be out of his stupid brain. “Don’t you think you are a bit too old? You wear the sweater all the time.” She regrets ever turning her attention toward him. He smirks.

“Yeah, unnie!” Hayoung joins in. “Oppa kinda hates that type of clothes actually!”

Chorong’s head snapped into Woohyun and finds him nonchalantly waves his hand.

“You guys just don’t know.” He makes an idiotic smile before returning the curious stare Chorong gives him. “My wife here is easily misunderstood, guys.”

“Then we give her the fact.” Howon raises one eyebrow. “You do like women wearing revealing clothes.”

They continue on joking around Chorong feels doesn’t worth her to respond. But Seungyeol is a jerk.

“Or do you have a disgusting scar around your arms? Cleavage?”

They boom into laughter. Chorong booms into beet red.

“There’s no disgusting scar or whatsoever, I guarantee.” She doesn’t understand why Woohyun has to let out those words. “Her body is so y that beyond your imagination.”

“Why don’t you prove it?” Dongwoo teases, his smirk makes her wanna throw up.

“Ooh, I still have my gym outfit from this morning, unnie. Will you try fitting on?” Naeun grins.

Chorong is beyond mad. She is infuriated. Is she kind of naive toy for them? She’s also aware that right in this point she doesn’t have person-shelter that can save her dignity. Not when her husband only gives her a funny look with a suppressed smile when she asks his help non-verbally.

She stands up abruptly, hands balled in fists. The group cheers, thinking she would obey their nasty prank. Naeun grins widely as she also stands up, but madly, Chorong brushes past her and rushes toward the exit door. The cheer dies down suddenly.

She stops when a hand tugs her arm. Woohyun hugs her right when she turns around, and she’s kind of dumbfounded. She understands why when behind them she spots Naeun, Hayoung and the boys watch them with a mixed expression.

“I’m sorry.” He whispers.

Chorong muffles a sob. “I wanna go home.”

Nodding, Woohyun releases her then faces his friends.

“Guys, I think Chorong feels unwell. We’re heading home first.”

“Unnie, are you mad?” Hayoung’s sudden question catches her off guard. She looks so perplexed and Chorong almost believes she genuinely cares for her.

Chorong only gives them a curt nod before turning her head. She feels Woohyun’s arm drapes around her as waiting the valet to bring his car.

The trip to the home goes as usual. It’s silent. Woohyun already puts up his cold facade the moment they got into the car. He doesn’t even give an effort to ask her being. He doesn’t even once glance at the sideways to see how she’s putting up.

No.

Nam Woohyun never acknowledges Park Chorong if only both of them around.

And Chorong thinks she’s had enough with his unquestionable behavior.