YongShin x Hong Ki x another girl, request and plot by bluenstar....

*****

Shin Hye's POV

I was in the restaurant this evening, with my parents. They told me yesterday that I should get home immediately after work because I need to accompany them to an important errand. How important could this be?

I nervously twisted my ruby ring, the same way Blair Waldorf of Gossip Girl does hers when she is nervous. I was right to be nervous, because a couple with a young man came in and greeted us. They sat in front of us and began some light conversations.

Over dinner, as I was slicing my piece of steak, my Appa and Yong Hwa's Abeonim got serious. They started it off light, starting with some childhood promises which they claimed they had. And finally, they instantly told Yong Hwa and me that we are bound to marry each other someday.

I dropped my knife, and looked at Appa. I thought he was joking, but he was not. He was happy talking with Yong Hwa's Abeonim about the future, and Eomma and Yong Hwa's Eomeonim were also happily chatting with their own world. Yong Hwa looked at me in resignation and just nodded his head.

After dinner, he went to me and told me that even he has a girlfriend, but that he had to tell his girlfriend that he was breaking up.

"Why would you even do that?" I asked him.

I barely knew him, just a month or so, and we were not even close. Yong Hwa is a gentleman, but I do not know him that much because we do not see each other often. He works in another company, while I work as a copywriter in a magazine company. He told me that he had to resign to fate because his parents were rich, and that I should do too.

"What can I do?" I said to him. "I might as well break my own heart for eternity."

"It's not only you who will be heartbroken," Yong Hwa said sadly. "Let us just do this for our parents, then we will divorce after two to three years."

I hate the idea of divorce, although it is very common here in South Korea. For me, marriage is a sacred thing that binds two people in love forever. I am a Christian, and so is Yong Hwa, so for me, it is really precious. Even the indigents have their own meaning of marriage, and I know it is as precious and solemn and sacred as ours, though we do it differently.

"Look, I have a girlfriend, and I love her," he said.

"I have a boyfriend too, and I love him," I said.

"But because we will be doing this for our parents, we will live with it," he said. "I can live not talking to you, but I will divorce you after three years."

I shut up. If that is the case, I'd rather run away and not marry him. If I have to marry him, I will try to work it out.

"I will not accept the terms," I told him before walking away.

And here I am on my bed... What have I done in my life to be punished like this?

End of POV

*****

Yong Hwa's POV

This girl whom my parents introduced to me is pretty, but she cannot replace my girlfriend. And when she told me she did not want to idea of divorce, I thought she was stupid. Divorce is common here in South Korea. I have the same religion as Shin Hye, but she should be practical. Her head probably is still stuck in the clouds, thinking that marriage is only for romantic love.

I myself am against the marriage between me and her, because both of us have our own lovers. But I will be doing this for my parents, not for myself. I can live not talking with her, nor interfering with her life, but for three years only. After that, I will divorce her.

But she preferred to run away than marry me just because I want a divorce. I do not want divorce either, but there is no other choice. And why would she run away? Is she a jerk?

But hey, just because Shin Hye and I will be married, it would not mean that I will give her my seeds so that she can bear me sons or daughters. Never, never! I only want kids from the woman I love, who happens to be Lizzy. And I guess Shin Hye wants the same thing too.

I am going crazy.... Was I a traitor in my past life to be punished like this?

End of POV

****

Their parents agreed to let Shin Hye transfer to Yong Hwa's bumonim's house. At first, Shin Hye hated the idea, but her parents wanted her to practice being a wife, so she was transferred to the other house to learn how to serve her husband-to-be.

When she came to the house, the first person who caught her eye was the mysterious Harabeonim, who was at his secret room, playing baduk by himself.

"Annyeonghashimnikka?" she greeted the old man respectfully.

Harabeonim looked up and smiled. He beckoned her to come, and she went in and sat across the old man.

"What is your name?" he asked.

"Jeoneun Park Shin Hye-indeyo," she said to him.

"Ah, so you are the lady for my grandson," he said.

Shin Hye pouted in her thought, but she smiled foolishly and gave a childish grin.

"You do not have to force yourself into marriage," the old man said.

"Eh?"

"My son is a self-made man who became a billionaire with his own hard work," the old man said. "And since he was friends with your father for a long time, they wanted their business to merge and stay together as brothers for a long time. That is why, they agreed to have you and Yong Hwa marry."

Shin Hye fisted her hands.

"I told my son that marriage is the matter of Heaven, not the matters of money," Harabeoji said. "But he would not listen. And now, I am in pain to see my grandson and you being forced into this unwanted marriage."

Shin Hye bowed to the old man.

"Gamsahmanida, Harabeoji," she said. "Only you understood me so much."

"Oh, but Yong Hwa also asked me for advice," he said. "But he planned of filing a divorce three years after your marriage."

"He told me that too," she said sadly. "All I ever want is to get married to my boyfriend as I have a stable job. If I am forced into this marriage, I have no choice but to work it out between the two of us."

"Working out is fine, but love is not learned. It just comes," the old man said mysteriously. "You better decide now. If I were you, I will not go on with the marriage. I can talk again to my son and impose my wisdom on him."

"Ah..gwaenchanhseumnida," she said, her heart cringing. "I... I will just follow my parents."

"Following your parents is a good thing," the old man said. "If your lover is a good one but because you chose to follow your parents because they wanted someone else for you, that is sad. That happened to me, and I regret not following my heart. That is why I did not fix my children's marriage. But I do not understand why my son did not learn from the past."

Shin Hye could not argue because she could not argue with wisdom.

"Gamsahamnida," she said.

The old man watched the young lady get up. For now, Shin Hye would have to start doing household chores.

****

Shin Hye watched her soon-to-be-parents-in-law as they tasted her cooking. They praised her much for cooking them a good meal.

"You can even wed our Yong Hwa tomorrow, ahahaha," Abeonim said.

"Appa," Yong Hwa hissed.

Shin Hye gave a polite smile even though she hated the idea. When she looked at Harabeoji, the old man was silently shaking his head.

"For six months, Yeobo and I will be flying to Africa for some projects," Abeonim said. "So, take care of Yong Hwa and practice being a wife."

"Appa!" Yong Hwa hissed.

****

After dinner, Yong Hwa and Shin Hye washed the dishes together to make his parents happy.

"Yeobo, they look so cute! They could really be a couple already," Eomeonim squealed like a teenager.

"I agree," Abeonim whispered back. "We will not tell them that we are not really going to Africa, but we will only be watching them from a distance. Is it not great?"

"Ohohoho, I love the idea," Eomeonim said.

Then, they left the kids.

"Ya, are you even practicing to be a good husband?" Shin Hye spat at him. "Don't try to take up my space!"

"Ya, am I fat? Am I? Am I?" he retorted. "Tsk!"

Shin Hye was already fed up that she pursed her lips and opened her eyes wide in a threatening manner.

"You're dead!" she mouthed.

He was not threatened at all, so he continued doing his side of the sink. When one plate fell, Yong Hwa blamed her for being clumsy.

"Omomomo, and now you are accusing me?" she shot back.

He sneered and got down to gather the broken pieces.

"Shin Hye-ya," Eomeonim called sweetly. "As you will be practicing to be Yong Hwa's wifey, wake him up tomorrow at five-thirty in the morning, arasseo~~~?"

"Uh...ne," she replied.

But deep inside, she had a plan.

****

The next morning, Shin Hye did not wake Yong Hwa up. She just laughed an evil laugh as she cooked breakfast. Just then, Yong Hwa appeared from behind and got to the fridge.

"I know what you were thinking last night," he told her. "Do you think you can fool me? I am my own time manager."

"What a jerk!" she fumed to herself.

"Shin Hye-ya," Eomeonim greeted.

"Good morning, Eomeonim," both greeted simultaneously.

"Oooooh! The both of you are synchronized in greeting me today," Eomeonim said.

She was amiably scheming like Mama Jiang in "It Started With A Kiss."

"And both of you even wore red stripes!" Eomeonim squealed.

Both of them looked at their clothes, then at the other's.

"You're imitating me!" she shot at him.

"Says who?" he angrily retorted.

"I woke up first!" she retorted.

Eomeonim just smiled while looking at the two bicker. They just looked cute together!

****

And so, Yong Hwa's parents set out to their trip, leaving the two and the grandfather behind. As usual, Harabeoji was being the hermit he had become.

And Yong Hwa and Shin Hye continued having that heated altercations when they tried to get into each other's way. Looks like Yong Hwa could not live not talking to her in case they get married, because he would be nagging at her. And she could not try to make it work because she was always bullying him or countering his bullying.

One day, Hong Ki visited Shin Hye in the office, looking flustered. The two of them went to a coffee shop and talked.

"Are you really going to marry him?" Hong Ki asked sadly.

"I have no choice, but I have to," she said.

"If you are going to marry him, then let's split up," Hong Ki said. "I don't want you to be in an extramarital affair during your married life."

Shin Hye cried when he broke up with her. She did not know breaking up was hard, as Hong Ki was her first love.

****

When she got in the house, Yong Hwa met her in a dolorous state. He did not mind her, but when she closed the door, he could hear sobs. It was the first time he saw her in such a state, but he did not know why. At that time too, Lizzy called him and asked him on a dinner. So, he agreed.

Shin Hye got out of the room and saw Yong Hwa wearing some casual clothing.

"Are you going to eat here?" she asked him politely, but in a tired and sad state.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked.

Shin Hye shook her head.

"Just tell me if you are not eating here," she said.

"I definitely won't be eating here," he said. "I will be meeting with a colleague."

Shin Hye nodded and headed for the kitchen, not investigating Yong Hwa's lies. In fact, he was not meeting with a co-worker but with Lizzy.

****

"Is your decision really final?" Lizzy asked.

"N..ne..."

"Why did you not tell me?" Lizzy asked, sobbing. "I had been waiting for you to tell me the news, but you left me hanging! I was a fool for clinging on to you, but you are already engaged!"

Lizzy took off the couple ring and threw it to his face.

"I hate you!"

"Lizzy... please..."

"Let's break up!" Lizzy shouted as she she wiped her tears.

Yong Hwa was not able to do a thing because she walked away.

*****

Yong Hwa came home, in tears. Shin Hye was polishing her shoes in the porch when he came.

"Gwaenchanha?" she asked him sadly.

He turned around and hissed at her.

"Do you think I look OK?" he asked.

"Have you eaten?" she asked.

"Why do you even care?" he asked her. "Lizzy broke up with me because of this marriage thing!"

Shin Hye dropped her shoes and went to him.

"Do you think I was not hurting when Hong Ki broke up with me this lunch time?" she laid out her wrongs. "So do not shout at me like that because I am also hurting!"

She gathered her cleaning materials and stormed off to the room. Yong Hwa looked at her in sadness and went in the house. He passed by Harabeoji's quarters and saw the old man playing baduk while listening to classical music.

"Harabeoji..." he sobbed.

The old man came and consoled his grandson.

"I told your father that marriage is a state of Heaven, not of money," the old man said wisely. "But we don't know, this state which you are in might be a marriage set by Heaven."

****

Yong Hwa went to the kitchen to cook some food when he noticed the pot on the stove. When he opened the lid, he saw food in it. He shed some tears as he served dinner for himself.

After dinner, he went to Shin Hye's dark room to apologize, but she was sulking in one corner.

"I... I would like to say sorry," he timidly said.

Shin Hye just sat there, lifeless and tired of crying her eyes out. He sat beside her, and for the first time, he saw her sad eyes to be very beautiful. As if her eyes were telling him that she wanted someone to console her. He looked at her.

"We are just the same," he told her.

He brought his arms around her neck and embraced her. Shin Hye continued sobbing her tears as she let them fall onto his shirt.

"Let's be friends," she whispered.

"Let's," he whispered back.

He did not understand what he was feeling, but his heart was throbbing fast when he hugged her tight. Her perfume aded his nostrils, and she just smelled so good. Both of them stayed there in the dark, being together in each other's arms.

*****

The next day, Yong Hwa decided to visit his soon-to-be-wife with flowers when he saw her with Hong Ki in the lobby.

"Mianhae, Shin Hye-ya, I cannot get back with you," Hong Ki said. "If you are marrying him, then forget me."

Shin Hye watched in tears as Hong Ki left.

"Shin Hye-ya?"

She turned around to see a bouquet of pink and purple roses greeting him.

And a toothy grin of a guy who was holding it.

"Y... Yong Hwa..."

"It's all right for me to visit my soon-to-be-wife, geuchyo?" he asked.

"Ah...ne..." she said awkwardly.

She just wanted to be friendly with him first, but he was in courtship mode. Looks like he was falling fast for her. She brought him to her office, where he was introduced to her officemates. The girls were wary of him at first, knowing that Yong Hwa was the cause of Shin Hye and Hong Ki's breakup. But the guys were the accomodating ones.

Yong Hwa accompanied Shin Hye everyday to work, and fetched her when it was time to go. And the girls soon realized that Yong Hwa was madly in love with Shin Hye.

When Harabeoji saw the two in good terms, he knew they were not trying to work the relationship out. It just worked out.

****

One Friday night, he invited her for a movie date, and she came with him. Harabeoji was playing baduk as usual, when he asked permission. As the two were about to go out, Yong's parents came from their "trip."

"Oh, eodi ga?" Eomeoni asked.

"Urineun yeonghwareul bwayo (We will watch a movie)," he said.

The elder couple smirked at each other.

"Good luck kids," Eomeoni said.

"Take care of Shin Hye," Abeonim cheered.

As the two went out, Yong Hwa held her hand and kept it close to his body. Shin Hye felt herself blushing because he was acting like he was really courting her, and that was not their agreement.

The movie that they watched was a romcom, and Shin Hye was laughing hard. He enjoyed the movie not because the movie was appealing. Rather, it was because Shin Hye was beautiful.

After the movie, both of them went to a family style Korean restaurant and feasted on meat, meat, and more meat.

"Ah.... I can have samgyupsal on any day, then I can die happy," she sighed in contentment.

"Ya, do not die yet, arasseo?" he told her. "We will still get married."

"Babo," she pouted as she pushed a piece of meat to his mouth.

Both of them drowned themselves in coconut milk out of fancy, because he was driving and he did not want to drown on soju. After the meal, both of them went to the quay.

The lighthouse was doing its job of inviting the seamen to the shore, and the light hitting on the waters look beautiful. He was still holding her hand when she asked.

"Yong... not so fast," she said.

He smiled at her and replied. "I can't help it."

"Can't help what?" she asked.

"I think I had fallen in love fast with my bestfriend," he whispered as he leaned forward.

Shin Hye looked at him in the eye, confused.

"You don't mean..."

"We are friends, right? And right now, we can be bestfriends. And I had fallen for you," he confessed.

Shin Hye was tongue-tied.

"Does that prevent your husband-to-be from falling in love with you?" he .

But Shin Hye really was shocked, feeling that she still was pining for Hong Ki.

"Since when?" she asked.

"On the same day that our lovers broke our hearts," he said. "I was hurting, but it felt different seeing you hurting, like my manly instincts kicked in. I got angry at Hong Ki for leaving you, but that was also my fault because I said yes to the marriage... And it was when I realized that I don't want you to get hurt, that I want to comfort you when you were crying."

He held her face and caressed her cheek with his thumb.

"Don't you get it?" he asked. "I love you."

He told her his efforts just to win her heart, and she realized that she had fallen for him too.

"J...jinjja?" he asked happily. "Then, will you be my girlfriend?"

"Why do you have to ask?" she asked him. "We are already engaged. Of course, I am your girlfriend."

Yong Hwa bit his lips coyly as he realized his babo blunder. He leaned forward and gave her a soft kiss on her lips, and she gave him with a soft one too. When he released from the kiss, she his lower lip, much to his surprise.

"W...wow, your fast!" he told her.

"Can't I?" she asked coyly as she tucked some stray hair behind her ears.

He liked it that she was pretending to be demure when she acted forward. He pulled her again with his strong arms, and they passionately kissed at the quay.

~~~~END~~~~

(up next: YongShin couple at the 48th Baeksang awards, request by BOICELF).

~~~~