"We want you to take Eunae's spot in the marriage."

My jaw dropped as I stared at him with wide eyes. I took my hand out of his hold. "What!?" I asked. 

He sighed and looked at me with pleading eyes. "Chungae, I know this is very sudden, but you must do it! It's for the sake of both our companies. Eunae would've wanted you to take her spot! Please, ju--"

"-I need to take a walk," I cut in. I stood up abruptly from the sofa and walked straight out of the house. 

I passed by Mr. Kim as he greeted me. "Miss?" He asked. I stopped, but couldn't look at him. "Mr. Kim, don't follow me, please." I didn't wait for a reply before walking out again. 

I walked down the driveway and out the gates. Many thoughts were racing through my mind. Should I be upset? Happy? A part of me wanted to protest and go against the marriage. I was never even supposed to inherit the company! 

Being in an arranged marriage would limit me from doing whatever I wanted to do! But the other half of me was shouting with joy. 

Is it wrong to feel a small bit of joy? I shook my head to take away the thought. Mark loved Eunae, not me. I was just a mutual friend...would he even consider me a friend? I shook my head once again, dismissing my doubt. 

"Miss? Are you okay? We've arrived at your destination." I looked up and out the windows of the cab I had flagged down earlier. We had arrived at my art studio. 

"Ah, yes. I'm fine," I said, handing him the taxi fare. I got out of the cab and walked up to the garage-like building, punching in the passcode. 

I quickly walked in and shut the door after me. I sighed and leaned against the door a moment, letting my thoughts sort out. But Mark's baffled face at the airport kept resurfacing in the back of my mind. 

'No, don't think of him!' I thought, shaking my head and lightly slapping my cheeks. I pulled away from the door and walked over to look at some of my art, hoping it would distract me. 

Some of my paintings and drawings were on the walls and sprawled out on the floor. I took a survey of the room and noticed that it was neater than usual. 

As I was walking around aimlessly, I noticed a lonely, unfinished canvas sitting on an easel next to a window. I cocked my head to the side in curiousity. 'What's that doing there?' I thought. 

I squinted and noticed that the canvas had light pencil markings on it. I could make out little lines, and after analyzing it for a while, I figured out what it was. 

It was a drawing of a woman and a man, sitting next to each other on the beach, looking out into what seemed to be a sunset. I looked at the table next to the easel and noticed the picture there. 

I picked it up. It was a picture of Mark and Eunae in the same position of the people in the drawing. 

I sighed and set it back down on the table. I sat down on the stool, staring at the drawing. 

'Unnie...what should I do? Should I do as told?' I thought. I glanced around the silent art studio, feeling the emptiness that was left in here for three years. 'Unnie, I wish you were here to take care of all of this. You always would support me and give me great advice.' 

Just then, I thought of what Eunae had always told me. I could almost here her say it in my ear as I thought of it. 

"Just follow your heart...and I'll always be there, supporting you." 

I made my decision. 

Mark POV

"Mark! Welcome back!" My dad said, giving me a hug. I smiled and hugged him back. "Hey, Dad!" I said, chuckling. 

My mom came from out of the kitchen and embraced me. "Mark! My baby! How was America?" 

I shrugged, "It was okay. Not as fun since I went alone, but I guess it was nice while it lasted." I followed her back to the kitchen and watched as she pulled out some fresh cookies from the oven. 

"Mom..? What are you doing?" I asked, confused. For all the 22 years (A/N Mark's really 20, but decided to change that for this story) I had been living with her, I had never seen her bake before. 

My mom looked up at me with wide eyes, "What? I'm trying something new! Your grandma gave me the recipe of how to make your favorite cookies and I wanted to try it out!" 

I laughed as I walked over and gave her a hug. "Gee, thanks, mom. But you really didn't have to." 

"Yeah, honey. You didn't have to do it!" My dad called from the living room. I laughed again as my mother frowned. "Oh shush! You said they were good!" she yelled back. 

She turned to me and handed one of the cookies. "Try it, Mark. What do you think?" I stared at the cookie for a moment before slowly taking a bite out of it. 

The cookie was really hard, and not as sweet as I had hoped. It was also pretty burnt on the bottom. I set it down and looked at my mom. 

"Honestly?" I asked. She nodded. I sighed, "Well, it's hard..and it could be sweeter. The bottoms are pretty burnt too." She nodded slowly. 

"Oh...okay..oh, well! I'll just use your input for next time I make it!" She said, smiling. I couldn't help but to smile as well, chuckling, as I made my way to my dad. I sat on the couch across from him as my mother sat next to him. 

"So, mind telling me why I had to cut vacation short?" I asked. My dad looked up from the magazine he was reading and closed it, setting it down. 

He sighed and looked me straight in the eye. "You've been engaged." 

My smile went slack at the news. I was what!? I glanced at my mom who was giving me an encouraging smile. "Don't worry, hun. You know this girl! I'm sure you two will get along really well!"

I stared back at her with a confused face. "Why didn't you guys consult with me? I'm old enough to make my own decisions." My dad sighed, "I know, Mark. I know you can, but we've already put off this engagement for too long! We have to go through with it. We're already giving you two, three months together as an engaged couple, no wedding until afterwards." 

I sighed and closed my eyes, "Dad, I don't want to go throu--" "Mark, it's time you moved on. Eunae was a nice girl and all, but it's been three years since her death. Knowing Eunae, she would've wanted you to move on already," my mom cut in. 

I sighed again, knowing that there was no way to stop this arranged marriage and what my mom said was right. 'Maybe I do need to move on..' I thought. I stood up, about to head to my room when my mom stopped me again. 

"Mark, another thing. You might want to go get ready and wear a nice suit. We're going to meet our in-laws later at 6PM," she said. I cocked my head to the side, "6? I told the guys that I'd go out with them at 7." 

My mom's eyes widened. "Really? Well, you can take your wife, well, fiance with you too then!" I slowly nodded, "Uh, right. And who is my fiance again?" 

My mom grabbed a cookie, "Well, you should know her. Her name is Cho Chungae." 

My eyes widened as I stared at her. Did she just say the name I just think she said!? I swiftly turned around and ran up the steps to my room. 

'Cho Chungae, is this why you're back!?' 

End of Mark POV

I had just gotten out of the cab when I saw my parents getting out of the house. 

"Appa! Omonim!" I called. I crossed the street and met them at the car. "Oh, Chungae. I thought you weren't going to come!" My dad said, smiling. 

I gave him a small smile back and bowed, "Sorry, appa. I just had to clear my mind." He patted my head, "Arasso, you might want to go inside and change. We're going to meet the Tuans for dinner at 6. You can come with Mr. Kim, okay?" 

I nodded slowly before bowing in respect again. "I'll see you later then!" I said, waving. He chuckled and waved back as my mother rolled her eyes. "Your clothes are where you left them in the living room," she said before climbing into the car. I nodded and waited until the car pulled out of the driveway before running back inside. 

I saw Mr. Kim near the doorway and greeted him. "Hello, Mr. Kim! How much time do we have left?" Mr. Kim was baffled by my sudden appearance. "Miss Chungae! You don't have much time! We must hurry!" He said. 

I nodded and ran up the steps to my room, but when I was half-way up the steps, I stopped. The clothes were still in the living room. I dashed back down and retrieved the bag before running upstairs. 

I instantly plugged in my curler and took off my clothes, throwing them down on the floor. I quickly took out the outfit and wore it. I slipped on some stockings and took out the blackshoes from the shoebox. I quickly sat down and touched up my hair with the curling. 

"Ah!" I yelped. I had accidentally grazed my finger over the heated barrel. I blew on it and waved it until the pain subsided. After the pain was somewhat gone and my hair looked better than usual, I took out my makeup. 

I decided to just go with some BB cream and eyeliner. I put on some tinted lip balm and looked at my reflection. I was looking pretty good. I nodded to myself in approval before grabbing my black shoulder bag, my shoes, and my coat. 

I raced back down the stairs to find the hallways empty. I looked around and hurried off to the front door. I opened it and saw Mr. Kim parked there, waiting for me. He was leaning against his car, looking down at his watch. 

I turned around and made sure the door was locked before racing down the front steps, barefoot. Mr. Kim looked up at me and hurried into the driver's seat. 

"Miss Chungae, we have about 15 more minutes to get there. You did a great job in getring ready!" He gave me a thumbs up as I sighed in relief. I put on my heels and rested my head against the window. 'If I'm already this tired, I wonder how the rest of the night will be like!' I thought. 

I had slightly closed my eyes and dozed off for the 15 minute drive. The jet lag was finally catching up to me. I got up when I felt someone softly calling my name and shaking me gently. 

"Miss Chungae, we're here." I shook my head and looked around. "We're here?" I asked, confused. Mr. Kim nodded and got out of the car, rushing to my side to open up the car door for me. I thankfully took his arm, my legs felling a bit lifeless. "Careful," Mr.Kim said, uprighting me. I nodded and stood on my own, a hand on the car. 

"Do you think things will go okay tonight?" I asked. Mr. Kim looked a tme wide eyed. "Are you asking me?" he asked. I chuckled and nodded. Mr. Kim laughed before escorting me to the front door of the restaurant. 

"I'm sure everything will be fine. It may be difficult, but you must persevere, Miss Chungae! Fighting!" I laughed as he pumped his fist in the air. I mimicked his move, "Okay! Fighting!" I chuckled again as he bowed to me again. 

"Oh! Mr. Kim! One more thing!" I called after him. He was just about to sit in the driver seat when he stopped and turned towards me. "Yes, Miss?" 

"Just call me Chungae from now on. Miss is too formal for my liking," I said, waving him off. He gave me a smile and nodded, "Of course, M--I mean, Chungae!" He gave me one last wave before getting into his car, as I went inside. 

Right as I entered into the restaurant, I was speechless and in awe. It was so formal, and beautiful. Before I could marvel anymore, a waitress came up to me. 

"Are you miss Cho Chungae?" she asked. I nodded, "Yes, I am." I answered. 

She gave me a smile before gesturing towards a staircase leading up. "This way, please." I nodded and followed her, my nervousness slowly accumulating. 'Was I too late? They're all going to see me in a bad light now...' I bit my lip, hoping for the best. 

"Straight over there, please," the waitress said, gesturing towards the corner of the balcony. The balcony had a beautiful view if the city lights of Seoul, but had clear glass over the whole top, protecting guests from wind or rain. 

I started to wring my hands together out of nervousness and biting my quivering lip. 'What do I do? What do I do? What do I do!?' I thought panickedly. I took a deep breath as I strided over to them. I could see my father laughing at something Mr. Tuan probably said. My father saw me and waved at me. 

"Ah, here she is!" he said with a big smile. I gave him a small smile back, finally making it to the table. "We thought you wouldn't make it," my mother said, taking a sip of her wine. 

My father patted her knee, "Now, now, yeobo. Our Chungae is usually always on time. It's probably because of the jetlag. Our Chungae just came back from America today, and only a couple hours ago. Chungae, why don't you greet the Tuans?" 

I glanced at him and nodded, "N-Neh!" I turned towards Mr. and Mrs. Tuan, bowing in greeting. "Hello, I'm Cho Chungae. It's nice to see you again." I stood back up before my father reached for my hand, gesturing to the seat next to my mother. "Sit, dear." 

I happily did so, glad that I wasn't standing there awkwardly anymore as the Tuans examined me. 

"My, Chungae has grown so much! She's so pretty now and still respectful and reserved like always," Mrs. Tuan exclaimed. She clasped her hands together, "You and Mark are going to fit each other so well! Now, tell me, what did you do in the U.S?" 

I looked up at her, "E-Eh? Uh, well, I--" "Y'know, Mark also came back from the U.S today too. Did you perhaps see him on your flight?" I stared at her blankly, blinking a  couple of times, contemplating whether or not to tell her the truth. 

"Well, I--" "Omma, stop asking so much questions." I was surprised by the sudden low voice that came from my right. I turned to my right and my words got stuck in my throat. Mark was standing there, eyesbrows slightly furrowed. He glanced at his mom before looking at me. I gulped as I felt his eyes stare back at mine. My heart achd when I noticed that it was the same gaze he had given me at Eunae's funeral. It was his look of disapproval. 

I was the first one to break eye contact and looked down at the empty plate down in front of me. "Mark! Come sit, the food's about to be served!" Mr. Tuan said, gesturing for him to take a seat. That's when I realized that I sat right in front of him. 

'Idiot! Why didn't you notice!?' I mentally scolded myself. I couldn't make myself look up at him and looked only down at my food that had arrived. "So, Chungae, who did you stay with in America? Did you stay in a dorm?" Mrs. Tuan asked, cutting her meat with a knife. I glanced up at her, "No, I stayed with an aunt and uncle of ours." 

"Oh, really? Who?" Mrs. Tuan asked, taking interest. I gave a quick glance towards my parents before answering. "I stayed with Uncle Yoon and Aunt Semi." 

"Oh, I don't think I've heard much about them...but they sound like nice people!" she exclaimed. I nodded and smiled down at my plate, thinking of the fun times we had together, "Yup, they certainly are." 

"Are you going to invite them to your wedding?" 

I choked on the vegetable I was eating and started coughing. I drank some water and accidentally looked up into Mark's eyes. He looked...concerned. At least it was something different and not his disapproving frown. 

"M-My wedding?" I asked. Mrs. Tuan smiled, "Of course! We're going to be inviting our business partners too. You can invite some of your friends too, I mean, that's a given. We've already been planning how to decorate the venue! I can't wait until these four months are over! Then you two will be married and hopefully I'll have grandkids!" 

This time, Mark started a coughing fit. "Mom! What are you talking about!?" He exclaimed eyeswide, and his face slightly pink. His mom turned to him, "What? I want grandkids! It's been forever now!" 

"But mom!" Mark exclaimed. His mom pursed her lips and shook her head, sighing. "Fine, you can delay having kids for a while." 

Mark facepalmed, "Mom, I--" "Don't you even say anything about not wanting kids! You must have a child so that the company has an heir. I'm sure Chungae wouldn't mind, right?" his mom asked, turning the attention towards me. All the parents and Mark turned to look at me. 

"Uh...I don't think thinking about kids should be our main focus right now. We should focus more on the stability of the companies first," I answered. I glanced at my father and saw him nod and smile approvingly. Mrs. Tuan huffed, "Children these days just don't listen to their parents!" 

"Well, I think Chungae has a good point. We shouldn't rush into any family matters right away until we settle everything with our investors and employess. Plus, the children need more time to get to know each other," Mr.Tuan said, smiling at me. I nodded and returned his smile. 

Mark glanced down at his watch and set down his fork and spoon. "I'm sorry, but I have to leave now. I promised some people I would meet them tonight." I watched him stand up, feeling a tad bit disappointed. Couldn't he stay a bit longer? 

"Wait, Mark! This would be a great time to get to know each other, so you should take Chungae with you. You are meeting old friends, right? I'm sure they'd be ecstatic to see her again," Mrs. Tuan said. My eyes widened. I wasn't prepared to meet any of the other guys yet! 

"Mrs. Tuan, it's fine. I don't need to go," I said, quickly, hoping she'd stop and not say anymore. Mark glanced at his mother and then at me. Mrs. Tuan shook her head, gesturing me up. "No, no! You must go! It won't be any fun here with us, parents. No excuses! Go!" 

I opened my mouth to protest, but my mother squeezed my knee harshly. I glanced at her. She looked at me, slowly digging her nails into my knee. "Go, Chungae. Make sure you come back before midnight." 

I stood up quickly and grabbed my coat and purse, looking down at the floor. "I guess I'll be going then too," I said, bowing. Mrs. Tuan nodded while smiling brightly. "Yes, yes! Have fun!" She said, waving. 

Mark had already turned around, leaving me to follow him to the parking lot. We walked for a while until we reached his car. I stood there, waiting, as he unlocked his car. He opened the driver side door but then turned to me. 

"I'm guessing you don't want to see the guys yet, do you?" he asked, looking straight at me. I held his gaze for a moment before lowering my eyes. "No...not yet." I heard Mark sigh and I looked back up at him. 

"Alright, well, I'm going to head to my place first. I need to grab something that the guys have been asking for. Then I'll take you home," he said. I nodded before getting into shotgun and sitting there, hoping he wouldn't initiate any conversations. 

The car ride back to Mark's place was very quiet. We didn't say anything to each other and he didn't ask me about my life in America. Was it because he still dislikes me? 

I turned my head to look out the window, as many thoughts ran through my head. 'Does he blame me for the marriage? Does he dislike me like mother?' I thought to myself, hoping it wasn't like that. 

I had lost track of time, because the next thing I knew, we were already at Mark's place and he was shutting down the car engine. "You can just wait here. I'll make it quick," Mark said, quickly climbing out. I could only open my mouth before he closed the door again. I sighed in disappointment. 

"Semi Omma...what do I do? I don't know how you'll react to my news..." I said quietly to myself. I pouted and twiddled my thumbs a bit before sighing aloud again. "Unnie, did I make the right choice? By following my heart? What if everything goes wrong?" I asked. I ran my fingers through my hair before taking out my cellphone. 

I stared at it a moment before it started vibrating, taking me by surprise. Semi was Skype calling me. I smiled in relief and quickly answered it, hoping my 4G would work. Luckily, it did. The video was a bit choppy, but it worked!

"Mom!" I exclaimed, smiling happily. I could feel tears already b my eyes. "Chungae! Hi, hun! We just wanted to check up on you. How is everything in Korea? Your parents doing well?" she said. 

I nodded, "Yes, mom! Everything is okay!" A single tear rolled down my face. Semi noticed. "Hun, why are you crying? Are you sure everything is okay?" 

I nodded while sniffling. "Mom, I miss you guys," I said, wiping away another tear. Just then, Yoon Appa showed up. "Why is our Chungae crying? Don't cry, baby girl!" I wiped away a couple more tears that trickled down. "Mom, Dad! What do I do? I-I-I don't know what to do! I need you guys!" I cried out. 

Semi started sniffling, "Baby, what's wrong?" I shook my head and looked up, "I...I don't know what to do. I...I came back because...Mom, Dad, I'm getting married." I looked in my bag for a tissue and wiped my tears off of my face, taking in a deep breath and exhaling. 

"YOU WHAT!?" they both yelled. I nodded as I wiped away my last couple of tears, "I'm getting married..." I said again, but quietly. Semi looked away before looking back at the screen. 

"Omo, omomomo! Your parents! Aish, you're only 20! You still have a life goal! Aigoo, I need to come there and--Aigoo, aigoo, I just can't believe them! This is arranged, right?" Semi said, furiously. I nodded slowly, before glancing out the window. I noticed that Mark's front door was open, and that there was someone blocking the doorway. 

"--and give them a piece of my mind! Chungae! Chungae? You still there?" Semi asked. I glanced back down at the screen and nodded, "Yeah, I'm still here, mom...but I think I have to go now. I'll call you when I get a better internet connection, okay?" I said. 

Yoon nodded as Semi started to protest. "Andw--" "Yeah, go ahead! We'll call you later! Keep your head up baby girl. You can get through this." He gave me a smile, which I returned before he ended the video call. After ending the call, I looked back up at the door and saw two guys struggling to get through it. 

"What's going on there...?" I asked. 

Mark POV

I took out my house keys and inserted the key into the top keyhole, only to find the door open. The door opened easily. I glanced back at Chungae and saw her looking down at her cellphone, before glancing at the front door again. I pushed it open. 

"Hello? Who's here?" I called out. The house was dark and silent. But then I heard something fall and someone grunt in pain. "Who's here?" I called out again, but louder. Just then, all the lights . 

"SURPRISE!" I took a step back, blinking my eyes. In front of me were Jackson, JB, Jinyoung, Yugyeom, Youngjae, and BamBam. I scoffed, smiling. "Really you guys? You saw me earlier today already!" 

Jackson came over and put his arm around my neck, "We know! But we didn't give you a welcome back party!" 

I removed his arm, "Yah, I've only been gone for a couple days, geez. It's not like I was gone for years!" I said, laughing. Jinyoung came up with a cake, "We know! But hyung, you need a break! You've been working your off with college and your wonderful company! What better way to relax then to party?" 

I raised an eyebrow, "Jinyoung, I don't think that's how things work." Jinyoung shrugged before setting down the cake and yelling at BamBam to grab some plates. I laughed as JB lead me to the couch, seating me. 

"Relax, dude!" he said, patting my shoulders. "Hey! Someone close the door!" JB yelled out. Yugyeom ran towards it, about to close it when he stopped. "Hyung, who's in your car?" he asked. My eyes widened as I stood back up, rushing towards the door. I totally forgot I had to take Chungae home! I glanced around at the guys who exchanged glances at each other. 

I made a mad dash for the door, blocking it before all the boys rushed forward. Chungae wasn't ready to meet them yet! "NO! YOU GUYS CAN'T GO OUT THERE!" I yelled out. 

Jackson held my side, pushing me as Jinyoung did the same. "Hyung! IT'S A GIRL, ISN'T IT!" Jackson said, trying to get past me. "NO!" I yelled out. 

"HYUNG, YOU'RE LYING! WE WANT TO GO GREET OUR SISTER-IN-LAW!" Yugyeom yelled out. Now I was pushing against four guys. Jackson, Jinyoung, Yugyeom, and BamBam. Youngjae stood off to the side, contemplating whether or not to join, and JB was standing there, laughing. 

"JB! HELP ME!" I yelled out. JB shook his head, laughing. "No way! Even if I wanted to, you'd lose!" he said. "YOUNGJAE! PUSH!" Jackson yelled. I shook my head at Youngjae. 

"YOUNGJAE, DON'T!" I yelled to him. Youngjae galnced at me before glancing at everyone else, who were giving him the death glare. "Uh, mian, hyung," he said before pushing with them. With Youngjae's help, my grip on the door loosened, making me stumble. I quickly moved to the side, trying not to get taken down with them. Jinyoung was the first to make a dash towards my car. 

"JINYOUNG! NO!" I yelled out, running after him. He laughed out loud before he reached the car. I watched in horror, picking up my speed. Jinyoung knocked on the window, smiling brightly, but then his smile disappeared. 

His hand on the window slowly slid down as I pulled him back. "Jinyoung!" I said. I glanced down at Chungae and saw her eyes wide in horror and shock. Jinyoung slowly turned towards me, holding onto my arm. 

"She...is she--!?" 

I nodded. "She's Cho Chungae. She's back."