“Jack-," one word from Seulgi fills concludes Jisoo's story.

“Arrogant jerk,” Seulgi is munching her second bowl of muesli on Jisoo’s bed while curses at Jisoo, technically at Jinyoung as she refers the meeting at Jinyoung’s office.

Jisoo told Seulgi everything about the meeting she had at Jinyoung's office, including his last statement.

“He’s just trying to make things easier,” Jisoo replies. “It’s a good point.”

“It’s unnecessary, Jisoo. It’s your feeling, he can’t control it.”

“It’s not like I’m going to like him anyway,” Jisoo points out.

“We can’t fall in love.”

It echoes inside Jisoo's mind. As if the wind out from that small office, Jisoo couldn’t even feel her own heartbeat at that moment.

“Is not like we’re going to fall in love, but I just need to make sure we both in the same boat.”

Then he added to his previous statement while looking straight at Jisoo.

Jisoo decided to smile and said “Of course” to the simple statement. She walked away from Jinyoung’s office and took off. She knew it wasn’t something worth to discuss anyway, it’s just a cherry on top of the contract.

“Again with you defending him,” Seulgi pouts. “I’m worried about you, Jisoo.”

For Jisoo, It’s more than enough that Seulgi spends half of her day with her at her apartment instead of spending her weekend with her baby and husband. Seulgi is volunteraly babysitting a thirty-something-year-old woman who can’t even afford a normal marriage.

“I am not, Sseul,” Jisoo defends herself. “It’s harmless.”

If one thing Seulgi can agree on, this is not harmless. When your friend said yes to a marriage that has nothing to do with money, love, or baby, you have to be worried. Even more, when your friend is not poor, ugly, or desperate. If possible you need to be scared.

When Jisoo came up to Seulgi about this ‘project’, which happen not more than a week ago, Seulgi’s heart beat faster than it supposed to be. Seulgi knows Jisoo from high school, before her interest in fashion design surfaced, before Jisoo understands about boys.

The rich heiress is unlike other heiresses in this society. The only descendant in Kim’s family of Kihan Bank is unlike any other woman in general. She wasn’t on the top of the class, but she excelled every subjects. She understood arithmetic as perfect as she played the basketball. She was the student council’s vice president.

She chose to go to one of the SKY University² when she can go to a university abroad. Her reason? She loved Korea, she wants to start from her country. Is not every day an heiress goes to the most prestigious college for that kind of reason, not without the courage and hard work.

And when Jisoo went to Paris, studying in France’s most famous school, working at the oldest running fashion industry, and establishing her first company, she wasn’t an heiress anymore, she’s a person of her own. So, excuse Seulgi for being worried about the weirdest, most unexplainable act Jisoo will ever do.

“Y'know, I wonder. Every time you said harmless, is it because of that guy? Because that Park Jinyoung gives you assurance?

“Assurance?” Jisoo tilts her head.

“A peace of mind,” Seulgi replies softly. “From that nine years ago to that two years ago event, is he giving you the right image?”

“I’m not following,” Jisoo scrunches her eyebrow. “What image?”

“The image of your life partner.”

Life partner?

“What are you talking about?” Jisoo jumps from her side of the bed. “I’m not marrying him forever, Sseul.”

She knows, Seulgi knows. Seulgi knows Jisoo is not planning on marrying Park Jinyoung for the rest of her life. But, Seulgi also knows, marrying someone is something Jisoo never plan on, not yet anyway.

For all the time Seulgi knows Jisoo, Jisoo only had three boyfriends. And those boyfriends last less than a month. Their reason for asking her out too dump her fell on one sentence: She is very hard to approach.

These boys found fun and challenges while getting close to Jisoo. She was and still is, a person who doesn’t give false hope. So, when those boys coming at Jisoo – trying to woe her, Jisoo showed no interest at the first stage. She would politely decline and wish them a good day. Unfortunately, those distant responses wouldn’t turn them off, on the contrary, they loved it.

When Sherry Argov said “Men don’t respond to words. What they respond to is ‘no contact’” in her bestselling book ‘Why Men Love es’, she was referring these es as Jisoo. Jisoo is that that doesn’t have any theory about dating and simply doesn’t care about it. 

Many came at Jisoo, and out of those many, the lucky three managed to capture Jisoo’s interest after months of failed dinner dates and thousands of money spent for gifts. And after all those efforts, the boys were the one who ended the relationship telling Seulgi:

“She just doesn’t try.”

It’s true that Jisoo has interest in those boys, she couldn’t lie to that. But that interest only a small trigger for Jisoo to accept their confession. Like this one guy in college, he was very charming and funny and Jisoo liked his jokes, and find his companionship fun. So when he asked Jisoo to be his girlfriend, Jisoo agreed. But, not until a month into the relationship, the guy asked Jisoo to end it.

Jisoo never chats first, never initiate a weekend’s date, not even a weekdays’ date. Jisoo finds him attractive, but she’s not in for the romance. And Seulgi blames – or thanks, her nine years in the all-girl school Jisoo attended for that reason, every single time.

Knowing that part her best friend has, Seulgi always worries about Jisoo’s future relationship. She never talks about marriage with Seulgi, about guys– except those three guys who asked her out, not even about her dinner dates. When asked, Jisoo replies with a “it’s not that interesting” or “I got busy”.

“You don’t do dates ever since Paris, Jisoo,” Seulgi reasons. “And your last boyfriend was when we’re still in college. How exactly a man you have only met three times can marry you?”

“I don’t know,” Jisoo prolongs her answer. “He looked desperate.”

“He didn’t seem desperate from the way you explained it,” Seulgi replies. “Do you really have no interest in him?”

“No,” Jisoo cuts in. “I told you.”

Argov never explains why es love men, or why es marry men. Do es don’t need reasons for this?

“Okay, don’t be mad at me,” Seulgi shrugs. “But I’m worried. So, please tell me if anything happens.

“Just tell me even nothing happens. Promise?”

Thank you, Sseul.

“Yes, I promise.”

Jisoo texted Jinyoung right after she left his office on Friday, she remembered Jinyoung doesn’t have her number. And within a minute, Jinyoung replied with a ‘I’ll contact you soon’. Jinyoung actually contacted Jisoo sooner than Jisoo expected. He called on Saturday afternoon asking her to meet up for a ‘preliminary meeting’ on Sunday.

The meeting sets in a simple café on Seong-su area. It was Jisoo’s idea, though Jinyoung had to insist her to choose. Jisoo chose a casual dress for today’s meeting, a teal-color chiffon dress, cut before her knees with long sleeves. With flat shoes, Jisoo is confident enough for today’s meeting.

But why?

Jisoo went to many meetings in her life, but why she has to dress properly for today’s meeting? Not that Jisoo never dress properly to impress her clients. But why does today’s meeting force her to be nervous by the choice of her dress when technically they ‘signed’ the contract already?

A ride to the café is pleasant, no traffic jam nor crazy happening, just her with the taxi driver conversing on last week’s news of their president. Jisoo arrived a little before the meeting’s time – another reason to be nervous eventually. After thanking the taxi driver, Jisoo enters the store and sneak a peek first. She really hoped Jinyoung hasn’t arrived, which turns out to be a disappointment since he’s already there.

Unlike every meeting she had with Park Jinyoung, Jinyoung isn’t wearing a formal outfit today. The same age man wears a grey sweater – the Tommy Hilfiger one, with a black fit-to-body pants, and again, nice shoes.

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting,” Jisoo greets Jinyoung as she gets closer.

Jinyoung raises his head a little and responses, “you’re not late.”

Jinyoung stands without waiting for Jisoo’s reply. He walks forward and pulls the chair in front of Jisoo.

“Please have a seat.”

Jisoo needs to calm her heart looking at the gesture given to her. Again, this is not the first time a guy politely pulls a chair for her, nothing is a first time with Jinyoung. Is it normal to be this nervous?

Jisoo sits slowly while Jinyoung closes the chair gap towards the table. And without a word, he goes back to his seat.

“Thank you for coming at short notice,” Jinyoung begins as Jisoo straightens her dress. “I hope you’re comfortable enough with this setting.”

“Yeah, I don’t have plan this weekend after all,” Jisoo smiles.

A pause, then he smiles.

If Jisoo knows Jinyoung better than this, she may not be excited to see it. But for the first time, Jisoo can swear upon her grave, she finally sees a smile that is not a smirk, not an arrogant attitude: just a simple smile of relief on Jinyoung’s masculine face.

Jinyoung raises his hand toward a waitress and gives Jisoo a chance to order first.

“I would like one carbonara fettuccine with truffle and a glass of fresh orange juice,” Jisoo orders.

Jinyoung flips his menu and also orders, “I’ll have one grilled lamb chop and sparkling water.”

The waitress smiles – longer at Jinyoung, and leaves the table.

It is not every day Jisoo has lunch with a man who isn’t her friends, heck is not even every year. Jisoo can feel her nervous legs under the table and her fidgeting fingers on her thighs. She keeps telling herself this is just a meeting, but happens on the weekend.

“So how is the time schedule?” Jisoo speaks up not long after the waitress leaves.

“Of what?” Jinyoung asks, scrunching his eyebrows.

“The wedding,” this time with a lower voice.

Jinyoung tilts his head to his left, “don’t you want to eat first?”

Again, if only Jisoo knows Jinyoung a little better. If only.

“I understand,” Jisoo lowers her head.

The response coming from Jisoo is not what Jinyoung expecting. She folds her head down and refuses to look at Jinyoung, and Jinyoung doesn’t feel comfortable of Jisoo’s words. She doesn’t look like the confident CEO of a rising fashion brand whom people talk about these days.

“I’m hungry,” Jinyoung attempts to make it less awkward. Yet, he always knows they are awkward with each other.

Fiddling with his phone would be a good thing right now Jisoo hopes, so Jisoo can stop looking at the edge of the table and actually enjoys the beautiful café. So, after a good minute, Jisoo decides to stop being devastated and raises her head. And when he looks at Jinyoung, Jisoo is loss in words.

The man CEO is staring at her, right hand on his chin and lips, elbows on the table. His pupils are dark but soft, or so Jisoo feels. It corners her, seeing a man as close as this and knowing him looking at you bluntly.

“Am I scaring you, Jisoo-ssi?”

“What? No,” Jisoo answers quickly, a little too quick.

“You were smiling before, but it doesn’t take long for it to fade away,” Jinyoung pauses. “Is it something I say?”

A little part of Jisoo wants to apologize so bad for making him guilty, but a part of her wants to make peace of the situation.

“Is not,” Jisoo tries to speak. “I just don’t know you.”

Jisoo has a list of what kind of man is Park Jinyoung. Her list goes to twenty-something, but none is correct – it keeps changing every time she met him.

Like that first time she met him, when she thought he’ll be a whining ugly chaebol then turned out to be an independent son who dream and very much not ugly, handsome is an understatement. And like that time when Jinyoung didn’t answer her question only to find him worried about her short skirt. Or when Jisoo thought how arrogant and mighty he was about the whole proposal, but let Jisoo do whatever she wants to do and stated them in the contract.

And here she is, feels suffocated for misjudging him every time.

 “We barely know each other, Jinyoung-ssi. I don’t want to mistreat you.”

Jisoo pauses, waiting for any response.

“So do I.”

He says.

The lunch goes surprisingly normal after the heated conversation. Jinyoung shows his list of what they’re going to do and what he has done. Overall, Jinyoung has picked the wedding organizer, booked the venue, asked a designer to design the invitation, and informed his lawyer.

“You need to know that you’re not the only one who knows about this contract,” Jinyoung calmly explains. “My bes tfriend, Wonpil, also knows. I suggest you tell someone you really trust too.”

Jisoo’s face reddens, “I might have told my best friend already, I’m sorry.”

“It’s good then,” Jinyoung baffled. “You don’t have to apologize.”

“She’s going to be my maid of honor, I really need her support,” Jisoo continues. “She can help with all of these.”

The long list of what needs to be done include: Meeting with each of their parents, meeting with both parents at the same time, choosing meals, wedding dress fitting, listing all of the guests, and meeting with the wedding organizer.

And before all that, they need to agree on their story. Their ‘love’ story.

“I don’t want to lie to our parents,” Jinyoung reasons. “I think we should stick to how we met again two years ago and modify the later part.”

“You mean you’re going to tell our parents you saved me from a guy?”

“No,” Jinyoung ears redden, noticeable to Jisoo. “We’re going to tell our parents we met at a bar after your first runway and talked all night.

“You were happy that everything went well and nobody got hurt. And I drove you home. And ever since then, we kept contacting each other and found out we are meant for each other.”

Jisoo tries to digest the information Jinyoung gives to her, especially the part where he remembers that her first runway went well.

“You remember, Jinyoung-ssi,” Jisoo mutters.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Jinyoung asks.

Because I’m nobody.

“I just thought you were focused on the road at that time.”

“I was.”

Jisoo and Jinyoung spend another hour in the café to discuss all of the details of their story. They agree that they don’t want their relationship to be obvious, they realized they never show anything like they’re in a relationship at all in the past two years. Therefore, they will explain – if asked, they only have three dinners for the past couple years. They went to a movie once and a park once. Then a few months later, Jinyoung started to visit Jisoo at the office if he knew Jisoo took an all-nighter, and after a while, they realized they have feelings for each other and Jinyoung proposed.

It’s perfect. The lies and the story.

They wrap their lunch with a list of dates. The wedding date – 17^th of June, the first dinner with the parents, and the first meeting with the wedding organizer.

“We had to do all this in three days,” Jinyoung finishes. “I’ll be counting on you.”

“Me too,” Jisoo replies. “I’ll update once I talk to my parents.”

Their meals have long been emptied when they finish their conversation. Jisoo’s orange juice has changed to a hot mochaccino for the past hour, yet the churning feeling inside Jisoo’s stomach still lingers. Jisoo wants to report today’s meeting as a success to Seulgi, just to make Seulgi believes of her decision over this marriage proposal. Jisoo wants to believe she has conquered the art of leading an appointment, furthermore a business meeting as a woman of her own company.

But looking at her opposite today, she has to admit, she has lost.

Jisoo doesn’t like the way Jinyoung controlled her expressions, her responses. Everything is automatic in front of him – it was either her automatically being embarrassed or her automatically being defeated.

The afternoon ends with a little wave from Jinyoung outside the café. And as Jisoo enters her ride, she realizes what is wrong this whole time. It isn’t Jinyoung, it isn’t her, it is their dreams. It is because, a long time ago, a young Jisoo shared her dream with him.

Yes guys, is an update. Thank you for all the support. It's a pleasure to receive it
I'm having a very fun time writing this story, it develops every time. I hope I'm getting better.

See you soon