She huffed loudly, sipping on her drink as she watched the groom give a heart-warming speech about his new wife. She glanced over at her family who were seated three tables to her right. Normally she would have been sitting with them, but her younger sister had decided to bring her newest boyfriend at the last minute, messing up the seating arrangements. Her mother caught her eye and gave her a small smile that was probably meant to look sympathetic, but she knew that she was actually saying that if she’d brought a date, she wouldn’t be sitting alone right now.

She sank a little lower in her seat, the groom’s speech holding little interest for her. She didn’t even know them. The groom was the son of one of her father’s business partners and she had been forced to attend, she could think of a million things she’d rather be doing on a Saturday night than sitting at yet another wedding. Her parent’s words about how it was well past time that she found a partner and settled down swimming through her head as she sipped on the expensive champagne.

“Hey, is this seat taken?” she turned around at the male voice, her eyes quickly running over the stranger’s body, silently appraising him. She shook her head, “Nope, go ahead.” She said as she sat up and put her glass back on the table. The newcomer smiled at the other people at the table, which she had named the rejects table, as most of the people at the table were in a similar situation to her. Her eyes ran over him once again, noting the way his black slacks and black shirt clung to his frame. His blond hair was styled in such a way that it looked like he had just rolled out of bed. She couldn’t help but think how attractive he looked.

A waiter appeared at their table and handed him a glass of champagne. He thanked him before looking up at the stage where the groom was finally winding up his speech. Everyone politely clapped as the groom finally sat down, only to give the floor to his father who immediately stood up and launched into what she figured was a well-rehearsed speech. “This could go on for a while.” The blond guy whispered, his gaze landing on her. She grinned back, knowing that the groom’s father, one of her father’s business partners, was well known for his long winded speeches. Her father often complained about getting caught up in one-sided conversations with the almost bald man.

“Tell me about it.” She whispered back. They sat in silence for a while, listening to the groom’s father rant on and on about how lucky his son was for finding such a good wife, although everyone in the room was well aware that their marriage had been arranged by their parents. It was just how things worked in the high society. Almost every couple in the room had been set up by their families, very few of them were given the privilege of marrying for love. In their world, marriage was simply a matter of business, not love.

The blond man leaned in closer to her, “What’s your name?” he asked. “Park Alia, you?” she replied. “Min Yoongi.” They both nodded at each other, each recognising the others names. “Our fathers are business associates, right?” she asked, vaguely remembering her father talking about Mr Min recently. Yoongi nodded, “Yeah, they started a partnership a few months back.” She nodded, thankful that she had remembered that piece of information, her father’s workplace politics held little interest for her. The only time she paid attention was when her mother forced her into one of the overpriced evening gowns that she was constantly buying and she had to attend a party with her parents.

They clapped politely again as the speech finally ended and music began to flow through the room from the band that were set up in the corner. A waiter appeared and refilled their glasses. “So how come you're here alone? I thought I saw your father at the ceremony earlier?” Yoongi asked as he glanced around the room. She let out a sigh. “My sister decided to bring along her latest boyfriend and I got kicked out to the reject table.” She said making him chuckle, a few other people at the table glaring at her for her choice of words. “The reject table? I like it.” Yoongi said as he reached out for his glass, his lithe muscles catching her attention. “How about you? How did you end up at the reject table?” she asked as she took a sip of her own drink.

“Pretty much the same scenario. I think my father put me here to punish me for not bringing a date.” He said with a dramatic sigh. She raised her glass, “I hear that. My mother keeps on throwing me these stupid glances that practically scream ‘this is why you should have a boyfriend’.” Yoongi tapped his glass against hers before draining the rest of the alcohol. “I feel your pain. My father will not stop inviting all the daughters of his friends to our home so that I have to meet them. He used to set me up on blind dates but changed his tactics when I stopped showing up.” she snorted with laughter.

“That is amazing.” She said in-between laughs as a waiter once again appeared to refill their glasses. “I'm surprised I haven’t seen you at our house yet, it was probably only a matter of time.” he said. “Probably not. I've been actively avoiding all of the guys my mother has been trying to set me up with.” He raised an eyebrow, curious about her words. “Really? I sense a story.” He said as he slightly turned his chair, angling it face her.

She looked around the crowd before discreetly pointing to a guy around their age a few tables away from them. “You see that guy over there? The one that looks one drink away from throwing up?” Yoongi looked in the direction she was pointing, seeing the familiar figure. “Yeah, I recognise him.” He said as he turned his attention back to her. “My mother set me up on a blind date with him about six months ago. She didn’t tell me it was a blind date. I thought I was meeting her for lunch and he was waiting there for me instead. Long story short, he's a total .”

Yoongi frowned, “Dare I ask what happened?” he said. “Let’s just say it ended with him with one less tooth than when we met and me with a hefty dentists bill.” She said with a rueful chuckle. Yoongi chuckled along with her, his gaze landing on his father who gave him an approving nod. Yoongi scowled and looked away, his suddenly dark expression not escaping Alia’s attention. “Everything ok?” she asked. Yoongi sighed, reclining back into his chair. “Yeah, it’s just my father. He obviously noticed us talking and he's undoubtedly already working out who you are so that he can find your father to talk to him.”

Alia glanced over at Yoongi’s father who was in deep conversation with who looked like his personal assistant who was furiously tapping away on a tablet. She glanced over at her mother who was talking to her father and pointing in Yoongi’s father’s direction. “Ugh. My parents are doing the same.” She muttered darkly. “I wish they would just give me a break.” She said, followed by a deep sigh. “I know. I’m getting tired of them pushing people onto me. What’s so wrong about marrying someone you actually love?” Yoongi said, Alia nodded in agreement, turning to completely face him.

“Exactly! I don’t understand this whole marrying to further the business bull.” She said a little louder than she had intended, the other people at the opposite side of the table once again giving her disapproving looks, which she ignored. “Me either.” Yoongi said. “I get that alliances are good for business, but what era is this? Do they really need to sell off their children just to strengthen their business relations?” Alia smiled at his words, happy to finally meet someone who had similar thoughts to her. Most of her friends were more than happy to marry whoever their parents decided, but she wanted to marry for love, regardless of how cliché it sounded.

“Hey. I just had a crazy idea.” She said, hoping that Yoongi would go along with her idea. “You're not dating anyone just now, right?” she asked, praying that he didn’t have a secret girlfriend that he had hidden from his family. He shook his head, not quite sure where she going with her idea. “How about we tell our parents that were dating?” she suggested. Yoongi’s eyebrows shot upwards. “What?”

“I know it sounds crazy, but hear me out. My mother is probably like three minutes away from coming over here to introduce herself to you and to your father afterwards. We’re both tired of the constant pressure to get married, right?” Yoongi nodded as he listened to her idea. “Well since the only specifications our parents are looking for in our future partners is their family background, I’m sure we fill the standards right?” Yoongi nodded again, a small grin making its way onto his face. “So if we say that we’re dating, then they’ll back off!” she said, getting more excited the more she thought about it.

“That’s genius.” He said with a chuckle. “I know, right? All we’ll need to do is meet up every now and again to avoid suspicion and bam! No more pressure. They're not gonna push marriage right away. We just say that we’re trying to get to know each other and they’ll give us some space!” Yoongi raised his glass, “A toast, to the best idea I've ever heard and to thank my lucky stars that we both got landed at the reject table together.” He said with a smile. She lifted her glass, gently tapping it against his, her smile matching his. They both sipped on their champagne then exchanged numbers. “My mother is on her way over, I’ll spare you the horror.” She said as she stood up, feeling pleasantly buzzed from the champagne and the thrill of her idea. Yoongi stood up with her and gently grasped her hand. “I’ll see you soon.” He said as he lifted her hand and placed a kiss on her knuckles, giving her a sly wink which made her chuckle. She removed her hand from his and made her way over to her mother who looked delighted.

“Is that Mr Min’s son, Yoongi?” she asked as she tried to look behind her. Alia smiled and linked her arm with her mother’s, pulling her back to her table, despite her protests that she should introduce herself to him. “Come on mother.” She said with a grin as she glanced over her shoulder at Yoongi, who was still standing, his eyes glued to her as she walked away.