“Someone is in joy mood today,” my mother chided. I, being the subject in her words, spread my arms wide and enveloped her in a bear hug; huge smile plastered on my face. “I’m veeeryyy happy,” I sang; burying my face on her back. I heard my mother chuckled at my childishness and broke the back hug.

“What makes my lovely daughter happy today?” she asked, facing me; my cheek with her thumb. I only smiled and shook my head. “I’m just happy,” I simply said; shrugging my shoulders. My mother didn’t ask further as she went back to wash the dishes.

I looked at her questioningly as I realized something.

“But why are you here? Do you switch with Dad?” I asked her, referring to the turn to accompany my brother in the hospital. Usually my mother would stay everyday and switched with my father during weekend. I was already get used to live practically alone; my mother in the hospital while my father was working day and night.

My mother shook her head. “I asked your aunt to replace me for a while.”

I frowned. Why would she ask my aunt to keep my brother company? Did she and my father have something important to do that both of them couldn’t take care of my brother?

“Dear..” my mother called. By the way she called me, something was suspicious. I knew she was up to something. “Yes?” I tried to keep my calm.

“We will be meeting the Kim family tonight. I already prepared your dress. It’s in your room. I hope you will get ready now because we’ll be leaving in one and half an hour,” she informed me, sending me motherly smile.

I could only nod and ran to my room. True to my mother’s words, a dress was already spread on my bed. It was a simple wine-red dress that reached up to my knees. The dress had not-so-thin straps on each shoulders and it was a little laced at the end of the dress. It was simple like that. I brought the dress in my hands with a sigh. I was hoping that my arranged marriage was not true but this was a reminder to me that everything was real. I was getting married for real.

I took a long shower and dried my hair afterwards. I combed my hair and let it loosely cover my exposed shoulders. I put on the dress and applied some make up. Truthfully I was nervous. Tonight was going to be the first time I’d meet my future husband and future in-laws. What if they got turned off after seeing me? What if the Kim cancelled the plan and refused to help my brother because my look deceived them? What if I wasn’t meeting their expectation? Now I suddenly had this urge to look as nice as possible so that the Kim wouldn’t disagree to help my family.

After I was done, I took my black-knitted shoulder bag with me. It was already 6.23pm and my parents were inside the car, waiting for him in front of our house. The trip was approximately 24 minutes until we arrived in a fancy restaurant. A butler opened the door for us and I could only imagine how rich Kim family was. My father gave the key to the butler who offered himself to park my father’s car. We entered the restaurant which named The Royal Kim Restaurant and were greeted by the lady in the counter.

“Welcome to The Royal Kim Restaurant,” she greeted nicely with a bow of her head. “I suppose you are Mr. and Mrs. Song?” she asked for confirmation. My father rubbed the back of his neck shyly. “Ah yes… It is us,” he confirmed.

The lady smiled. “Mr. and Mrs. Kim are already expecting your arrival Sir. Please. One of our workers will guide you,” as she finished, a male worker greeted us and asked us to follow his lead. We entered the VIP room. I was utterly surprised. This restaurant was expensive and exclusive enough but it still had more expensive and more exclusive section, the VIP room. I just couldn’t put it in my mind; how much a food in this restaurant costs.

In the VIP room, the waiter knocked on the door before opened it a bit to asked some permission from the people inside. I heard him thanked the person and opened the door wider for us. I immediately greeted with a nicely decorated room. A wooden square table was positioned in the middle and there were exactly three chairs on both longer sides. One side was occupied by the Kims.

Upon seeing my family’s arrival, the Kims stood up to greet my parents happily. They engulfed themselves into friendly and warm hug. While they were busy having nostalgia, my eyes fell upon the man standing beside the elder Kims. He was wearing a white shirt and he had rolled his sleeves up to his forearms. His shirt was tucked in nicely inside his black jeans. His bangs covered most part of his forehead and I had to admit that this man was handsome.

He only stood there with blank expression as his eyes met mine. I got nervous and looked other way. When my parents and his were done, they turned to me as my father introduced me to Mr. and Mrs. Kim. “Taejin-ah, this is my daughter, Hera.”

I bowed deeply before taking Mr. Kim’s hand for a handshake. “Nice to meet you, Sir. I’m Song Hera,” I politely said. The man smiled warmly as he patted my back slightly. I turned to introduce myself to Mrs. Kim and she complimented me, saying I was pretty and nice.

And at last, I met again with their son. “Daehwi-ah, this is my son. Kim Taehyung. Son, introduce yourself to the Songs.” Mr. Kim ordered. The man named Kim Taehyung pulled his lips into a thin smile and introduced himself to my parents. “What a good looking boy,” my father chimed.

“Kim Taehyung,” to my surprise, he was already offering his hand to me. His smile was gone and his eyes were so cold that I felt my hand was getting frozen as I accepted his handshake. His stare burned a hole in the back of my head and I was shivering under that gaze. “Uh…Yeah.  My name is Hera, Song Hera.” I muttered, stumbled on my words.

We all sat down and the elders began catching up on each other’s lives, leaving me and Taehyung alone with nothing to talk about. I was glad few minutes later the food came and I had something to keep me busy. Our parents still enjoyed themselves in the conversation. I sometimes heard they mentioned about Taehyung and I marriage but I decided to stop paying attention to whatever they were discussing.

At one moment, I realized that I was being someone’s center of attention. I looked up and find Taehyung was looking at me. His eyes were dark. I couldn’t make what the meaning behind those dark orbs was. He didn’t stop staring even though I already caught him. Instead, I felt that his gaze was intensified. I brought my eyes elsewhere since I started to feel uncomfortable. I continued eating as sometimes I answered some questions the Kims delivered for me. After plopping the tasty grilled beef in my mouth, I secretly glanced to Taehyung and found out that he was still looking at me. It was as if he was watching my every movement and that was definitely creepy.

Taehyung’s lips pressed into a thin line and I suddenly choked on my food. After drinking some water, I stood up and his eyes followed me. “I’m going to use the restroom,” I announced and excused myself from the suffocating place. To be honest, Taehyung did nothing. He only pierced his laser like gaze to me as if he wanted to burn me on that chair.

At the woman‘s restroom, I washed the invisible dirt in the sink. I rested my back on the cold marble wall before released a sigh. My mind recreated Taehyung’s face. He was handsome, well not as handsome as Mingyu but he was not someone you can call ordinary. He had dark-brown orbs that could make anyone lost in his eyes. His brown hair was messily done but that didn’t stop him from being handsome. But he was definitely torturing me with his eyes.

I felt like escaping this dinner. I didn’t feel like being here anymore. Taehyung clearly showed to me that he disliked my presence and I thought it’d be nice to get out of this restaurant; away from Taehyung’s field of vision. If it was Mingyu who stared at me that way, I’d die in happiness but he wasn’t Mingyu.

I came back to the table only to inform my parents and Taehyung’s that I was leaving. “I’m not feeling well Dad. I’ll go home first.” I saw from the corner of my eyes Taehyung looked at me with surprise. He frowned at my sudden declaration. “I feel sick Mom,” was my answer when my mother asked about the reason of my abrupt desire to go.

“I’ll send her home,” I didn’t expect Taehyung to suddenly stand up and offered himself to bring me back home. I looked at him in disbelief. Did I just hear him right? Without giving me chance to refuse or our parents to respond, he had took my wrist and dragged me out of the restaurant, walking, half-running, across the parking area to reach his car.

“Why did you suddenly wish to leave?” he asked flatly as he the car’s engine. I only shook my head at him as I turned to the window on my left.

“Are you sick of me? Am I bothering you?” he asked dumbly. Of course Mr. Kim Taehyung! You were bothering the hell out of me. Did he expect me to act like nothing happened when he was burning holes in my head with his deadly stare? Sure he was attractive but no one would stand it if someone started at you creepily as if they want to eat you up.

Few minutes of ride were in silence. At one point, he suddenly spoke up. “I don’t know where this idea of arranged marriage comes from but I just want to let you know that I already have a woman that I love dearly,” he stated. I scoffed lowly. Why should I care?

“And I’m not planning to break up with her even if we have to get marry,” he continued. Did he mean that he’d still keep his relationship even though he would be my legal husband? Pffttt…. I don’t care Mr. Kim. I also had my own Mr. Kim that I liked so much.

“Well, I don’t know anything either,” I lied to him, referring to his first statement. How could I don’t know when the reason for this marriage was so that my parents could pay up for my brother’s surgery? But of course, if he didn’t know it, then I preferred that way.

We both fell into another silence for the rest of the ride. Sometimes, I’d glanced up to him; secretly stealing gazes to the good-looking man beside me. I had to prevent myself from admiring his side view from the passenger seat but I failed. I mean, look at him. He had such a sharp jawline that seemed to be effective to cut the nervousness and awkwardness around me. His eyes were seemed to be droopy and his messy hair covered half of his forehead in an attractive manner.

“Am I that awesome?” he asked lazily, turning to my side with a glint of mischievousness in his eyes.

I rolled my eyes to the front, trying to pretend that nothing happened, that he didn’t caught me red-handed. But I could feel the heat rushed to my cheeks as I held my breath for few moments. I heard him chuckled in mocking tune but he didn’t ask me further.

Few minutes later, we reached my house and when the engine started to shut, I prepared myself to leave.

“Wait a second,” Taehyung said when I was about to open the car’s door. I frowned, turning to im in inquiry. I leaned back on my seat; waiting for him to say whatever he wanted me to know.

“Look, I don’t know why your family sells you for money. I mean, the purpose of an arranged marriage is usually because of financial problems right?” My frown got deeper as my mouth fell slightly agape. What did he just say? My family sells me for money? Did he think that low of me and my family?

“But I clearly don’t want this marriage,” he pointed out. “I have a girlfriend whom I love with all my heart and I plan to marry with and nothing can change that. Not even the stupid marriage contract made by our parents.” Taehyung cleared his throat before continued blabbering.

“So you don’t stand a chance. I hope you can re-talk about this matter with your parents and I’ll talk with mine. Let’s be cooperative and convince our parents to cancel this deal,” he looked at me with hopeful and convincing eyes. He then reached something in the back seats and then a thick brown envelope was already in his hand.

He put the envelope on my lap. “Here,” he said. “I know you also against this marriage, so I’ll just give you money and get this marriage thing over with.”

I looked at the brown envelope on my lap and then back to him. His expression was still blank. I couldn’t help but to look at him in anger and disgust. Did he think of me as a that comes for money? Did he think all of this was just for some bucks of cash? Hell no. my brother’s life cost way more than that. My brother’s future couldn’t be traded with money.

I firmly shook my head at him. “Look, Mr.Kim. I don’t need your money. Give it to the lovely girlfriend of yours,” I snickered. Taehyung’s face reddened as I threw the envelope to his lap. I gave him a last glare before unlocking the door and slammed it shut with unnecessary force. I didn’t care if it was expensive car but that man over there had insulted my family and I couldn’t accept that.

I immediately ran into my house and went straight to my room. I threw myself on the bed and as soon as my face his the pillow, tears streamed down like a waterfall.