Chapter 1
The Kim household was standard chaotic, the exact brand of lively madness that accompanies an upcoming Korean wedding. With the double union of Kim Min-jun and Lee Chae-young alongside Chae-young’s sister scheduled for the same month, every square inch of the residence hummed with relentless, noisy energy.
In the middle of the living room, Mr. Kim sat hunched over a stack of receipts and a ledger, meticulously calculating the escalating expenses. His daughter, Mina, sat beside him, helping him cross-check the numbers.
“Why on earth did more flowers arrive?” Mr. Kim muttered, rubbing his temples as he looked at another delivery invoice. “We already have plenty.”
Mrs. Kim swept through the living room, arms full of silk ribbons. “We have to decorate Min-jun’s room with those, of course.”
Mina looked up from the ledger, raising an eyebrow. “Flowers in Min-junoppa’sroom? Did you even ask him first?”
“Oh, please. My son and I see eye-to-eye on these things,” Mrs. Kim dismissed with a wave of her hand. She turned to leave, then paused mid-step. “Oh! What about the catering?”
“I told Taehyung to handle it,” Mr. Kim said without looking up from his paper. “Ask him.”
Mrs. Kim froze. “Taehyung? You asked Taehyung?” She threw her hands in the air, her voice rising sharply. “Do you not understand anything? You can’t give Taehyung responsibility! He’s completely unreliable. God only knows if he’ll actually do it!”
She turned on her heel, shouting toward the kitchen. “Min-ji! Where is Taehyung?”
Min-ji, the housemaid, peeked her head out from the hallway. “Ah, Taehyung-ssi left as soon as he woke up, ma’am.”
“See?” Mrs. Kim scoffed, walking away while shaking her head. “Exactly as I thought. That irresponsible wanderer is out wasting time somewhere again.”
Meanwhile, far away from the wedding stress, Kim Taehyung was cutting through Seoul’s morning traffic on his motorcycle.
Dressed in oversized clothes, round glasses, and a dark helmet, he leaned smoothly into a turn. Wired earphones were stuffed under his helmet, blasting music that completely drowned out the noise of the cityand the shouts of his waiting friends.
He pulled the bike up to the curb of an aged, weathered apartment building and cut the engine. As soon as his feet touched the pavement, two of his friends rushed up to him, gesticulating wildly.
Taehyung pulled out one earbud and slouched slightly. “What?”
“Where have you been?!” his friend hissed, glancing anxiously up at the building. “The client is absolutely furious!”
“He’s paying fifteen thousand,” Taehyung replied nonchalantly, hanging his helmet on the handlebar. “At that price, he’s entitled to scream a little. Come on.”
He casually strolled toward the entrance. Behind him, his friends exchanged nervous glances.
“Do you really think he can recover the data?” one whispered.
The other sighed. “If anyone in this city can pull it off, it’s him.”
Taehyung trudged up the narrow, creaky staircase to a dimly lit apartment on the top floor. Inside, a middle-aged man was pacing the floor, practically sweating through his shirt.
“I’ve been waiting for an hour!” the man barked the second Taehyung stepped through the door. “Do you have no respect for time?”
Taehyung glanced around the cluttered, dusty room with mild amusement. “When has time ever respected me?”
Without another word, he walked over to the desk and pulled up a chair in front of the sluggish computer.
“Well?” the client asked, leaning over his shoulder, his tone shifting from anger to desperate pleading. “Can you retrieve the files? Is everything lost?”
Taehyung’s gaze remained fixed on the glowing monitor. “There would have been a massive loss...”
The client’s breath caught in his throat. He looked like he was about to faint.
“...if I hadn’t come,” Taehyung finished calmly. “Relax. Take a seat.”
Taehyung’s fingers immediately flew across the mechanical keyboard, a fast, rhythmic clatter filling the quiet apartment. Lines of code cascaded down the screen in a blur. Technology was his absolute passion, his first true love, and the computer screen was his domain.
Out in the hallway, his friends leaned against the wall, listening to the rapid tapping inside.
“If he’s such a complete genius with computers,” one murmured, “why doesn’t he just get a high-paying job at a real tech firm?”
The door swung open, and Taehyung walked out, adjusting his glasses. “Because jobs are for servants,” he said smoothly, stepping past them. “And I am my own master... by free will. Now come on, let’s go get food.”
On the other side of town, in a bustling shopping district, Lee Chae-young was browsing through racks of clothes alongside her two sisters, Jisoo and Lisa.
“Oh, look at this one,” Lisa said, holding up a soft blue dress against herself. “I love it.”
Jisoo leaned in, examining the fabric with a small, wistful smile. “I love it too, but we don’t really have the budget left to buy extra things right now.”
Chae-young didn’t hesitate for a second. She reached out, took the dress, and handed it over to the shop assistant with her card. “Please pack this up too, along with these.”
“Chae-young!” Jisoo protested softly.
“Uff, don’t worry about it,” Chae-young laughed, nudging her sister playfully. The three sisters shared a bright, affectionate laugh as they walked out into the street with their shopping bags.
Meanwhile, Taehyung and his friends were sitting at a small, low-key street stall, sipping tea and chatting casually. Out of nowhere, two police cruisers pulled up to the curb with flashing lights. Officers stepped out, immediately targeting a group near the back of the stall.
Before Taehyung even had time to figure out what was happening, the officers swept up the entire corner, including him and his friends, for questioning, sweeping them into the back of a police van without an explanation.
Back at the Kim residence, the tension hadn’t abated.
Mr. Kim looked over the top of his reading glasses at his daughter, who was engrossed in her smartphone while sitting near her child.
“Feed your child proper food first, Mina,” Mr. Kim scolded lightly, shaking his head as he returned to his ledger. “Every time I look at you, you’re holding that phone. This is just an excuse from mothers of your generation, claiming kids won’t eat unless there’s a screen in front of them.”
Before Mina could argue, Min-jun stepped into the living room. Dressed immaculately, he walked over to his father’s desk and slid a freshly signed check onto the table.
Mr. Kim picked up the check, his eyes widening slightly before a proud smile spread across his face. “Ah, Min-jun! This is wonderful news. Just watch now, I am going to make sure your wedding reception is absolute perfection.”
Min-jun straightened his cuffs, adjusting his posture with an air of distinct superiority. “Make sure it is, Father. I don’t belong among the below-average crowd. Ensure nothing is lacking.”
Across town, the Lee household presented a starkly different atmosphere.
The living room was warm and cozy, filled with the soft sounds of conversation. With both Chae-young and Jisoo getting married in the same month, every moment together felt precious.
Mr. Lee sat on the sofa, watching his daughters sit close together on the floor.
“My three nightingales, all singing together,” Mr. Lee said softly, his voice thick with emotion as tears welled in his eyes. “You’re going to leave your father’s home completely barren.”
“Dad, don’t say that,” Chae-young murmured, moving to sit beside him and hugging his arm while her sisters gathered close to comfort him.
Late into the afternoon, back at the Kim house, Mina looked up from her phone and glanced around the room.
“Where on earth is Taehyung?” she asked.
Mr. Kim didn’t even lift his eyes from his paperwork. “Where else would he be? Wandering around the city with those useless friends of his. It’s all your mother’s pampering, anyway. Every single time I try to say something to him, she jumps in to defend him.”
“Dad, I disagree,” Min-jun cut in, folding his arms as he looked at his father. “It’s all your leniency. When we were his age, we were already working full-time jobs.”
Before Mr. Kim could answer, the sharp ring of the landline cut through the living room. Mina stepped over and picked up the receiver.
“Hello? Yes, this is the Kim residence...WHAT?A police station?!” She gasped, her head snapping toward her family. “Brother... Father, they’re saying they found something in Taehyung’s bag!”
Min-jun immediately stepped forward, taking the phone straight out of Mina’s hand. “Which police station? ...Right. Okay, I’m on my way.”
Meanwhile, at the Lee residence, Mr. Lee sat with his daughters, looking thoughtful.
“Min-jun told me not to worry about a wedding gift,” Mr. Lee said slowly, tapping his chin. “But social customs exist for a reason. I was thinking of transferring some money directly to his account. We’re giving so much to Jisoo, it feels wrong to give nothing to Chae-young.”
Chae-young immediately shook her head, leaning in. “No, Dad! Please, we don’t need anything. You’ve already done so much for us, you put us through great universities and raised us so well.”
The family shared a light laugh, teasingly suggesting they just give all the extra money to Jisoo instead, softening the mood in the warm living room.
Across town, Min-jun stood at the desk of the precinct, signing the official release papers to bail out his younger brother.
When they finally returned to the house, Mrs. Kim rushed to the front door, clasping her hands together. “Oh, thank God! My child is back!”
“Yes, look at him! Your precious son has returned from his grand pilgrimage!” Mr. Kim spat sarcastically, throwing his hands in the air. “Quick, go get garlands for him! To think we had to live to see this day...”
“Dad, listen to me, I—” Taehyung started, stepping forward.
“Of course! I’m sure you were just sitting at that stall discussing deep philosophy with your friends!” Mr. Kim snapped, cutting him off completely.
“I didn’t do anything—”
“Enough!” Mr. Kim roared. “How much more humiliation do you plan on bringing onto this family?”
Min-jun stepped between them, glaring down at Taehyung with cold frustration. “Taehyung, this is the first and final time I bail you out of a police station. Next time, don’t expect a single thing from me. Do you have any idea how embarrassing that was? I had to call my personal contacts just to pull my own brother out of a cell. It’s utterly ridiculous.”
Without waiting for a response, Min-jun turned on his heel and walked inside, muttering under his breath.
Mrs. Kim immediately fluttered around Taehyung, inspecting his arms and face in a panic. “Dear? Oh goodness... did the police hit you?”
“The police didn’t,” Mr. Kim interjected, his voice stern, “but I certainly won’t spare him.”
Mina quickly took her father by the arm, coaxing him away before his anger flared any higher. Left standing alone in the entryway, Taehyung grumbled quietly to himself, “I literally didn’t even do anything... I was just sitting there.”
Inside the living room, Mr. Kim pointed a finger back toward the hallway. “I don’t want to catch you hanging around those good-for-nothing slacker friends of yours ever again! Starting tomorrow morning, you are going to help me with all the wedding preparations. I’m an old man running all over the city while he doesn’t have a single drop of common sense!”
Taehyung rolled his eyes, looking away in silent frustration before turning around and heading up to his bedroom.
Taehyung’s room was an absolute disaster zone. Clothes were draped over chairs, power cables coiled across the floor, and open textbooks littered the carpet. As he walked in, his foot caught the corner of his desktop tower. He wobbled wildly for a second, narrowly catching himself before crashing down.
He kicked his shoes off across the room, flopping onto the edge of his bed with a heavy sigh.
A moment later, Mina pushed the door open, leaning against the frame with her arms crossed. “What exactly do you gain by stressing Dad out like this?”
“I was literally just sitting there,” Taehyung muttered, staring at the ceiling.
“Thank goodness Soo-jun isn’t here,” Mina said, referencing her husband. “At least we have a sliver of dignity left in front of him.”
Taehyung sat up, an amused smirk playing on his lips as he began bickering back. “Oh, right. As if he didn’t do stupid stuff back when he was my age.”
“Have you no shame at all?” Mina asked, exasperated.
“Nope. Not even a little,” Taehyung replied nonchalantly, giving her a mock smile. “Is the lecture over now? Great, exit to the left.”
Mina shook her head, stepping inside and picking up a pile of clothes from a chair. “Honestly, only a stray animal could live in a place like this.”
“Hey! Don’t touch my stuff,” Taehyung warned, pointing at her. “Once you move it, I can never find anything.”
“Find anything?” Mina scoffed, gesturing around the chaotic room. “You’re telling me you can actually find things in this graveyard?”
“Go take out your cleaning obsession on your in-laws,” Taehyung shot back. He turned toward his desk and pulled out his chair. “Alright, clear out now, I actually have work to do.”
Mina stopped dead in her tracks, blinking in complete disbelief. “Work?You?"
Taehyung leaned back, a flash of arrogant amusement in his eyes. “Yeah. It’s a five-hundred-thousand-won gig. I just have to recover a locked Facebook account for a client. Takes five minutes.”
Mina rolled her eyes dramatically, dropping the clothes back down. “Useless as always.”
Later that evening, Chae-young sat on the edge of her bed, dialing Min-jun’s phone.
“Where have you been?” Chae-young asked the second he picked up. “I’ve been trying to call you all afternoon.”
“Don’t even ask,” Min-jun sighed over the line, his tone laced with exhaustion. “I’ve been dealing with Taehyung’s mess all day.”
“Ah, I see...” Chae-young paused, wrapping the phone cord around her finger. “Well, I was calling because Dad was asking about the wedding gift. Since you didn’t pick anything out, he wants to transfer five hundred thousand won directly into your account.”
"Five hundred thousand won?" Min-jun asked, a hint of disdain creeping into his voice. He let out a light, incredulous chuckle, as if the concept of receiving such a modest amount was almost absurd. “Chae-young... the bedroom set currently in my room is custom-imported and worth nearly eight to nine million won. I had my entire bedroom remodeled last year. I can’t just replace it with some ordinary local furniture set.”
Chae-young froze, the words dying in her throat as a cold, stunned silence fell over her end of the line.
“It’s alright,” Min-jun continued smoothly, his tone dripping with sweet, patronizing condescension. “We’ve only been engaged for four months. You’ll gradually learn my likes and dislikes over time. I have very refined, unique taste... Why are you so quiet suddenly?”
“I’m... I’m listening,” Chae-young managed to say, her chest tightening with a mix of shock and quiet hurt.
“Oh, right,” Min-jun added casually. “How was your final exam today?”
“It went well.”
“Just well?” Min-jun pressed. “You’re going to be Kim Min-jun’s wife, Chae-young. You can’t be walking around with a GPA below 3.5.”
Chae-young’s spine straightened, a sudden flash of quiet authority entering her tone. “I have never gotten a GPA below 3.7. Regardless of whose wife or fiancée I am, my GPA remains the same.”
Min-jun chuckled softly over the line. “That’s wonderful. I have to say, that’s precisely why I liked you; you’re different. You know me... I simply cannot handle mediocre people or mediocre things. In fact, I can’t tolerate mediocrity at all.”
Chae-young swallowed hard, pressing the phone close to her ear. “I... I’ll talk to you later,” she said quickly, hanging up before he could reply.
Chae-young was lost deep in her thoughts, staring absently at the wall, when Jisoo walked into the room carrying a laundry basket.
“Where are you lost?” Jisoo asked casually, setting the basket down on a nearby chair.
“Nothing...” Chae-young stuttered out. Her voice wavered, carrying a complex mix of shock, hurt, and rising anger that she desperately tried to suppress.
“Did you not talk to Min-jun today?” Jisoo continued, bustling around the room to fold clothes, entirely oblivious to the subtle storm brewing on her sister’s face.
“I did.”
“Then why the long face?”
Chae-young hesitated, watching her sister work. “Jisoo?”
“Hmm?”
“What do you think?” Chae-young asked softly, her voice carrying a fragile edge. “Will Min-jun and I really have a good understanding once we’re married?”
“Why wouldn’t you?” Jisoo turned, smiling dreamily. “You two are the picture-perfect couple, one hundred percent compatible. You always had big dreams, didn’t you? You wanted a good, settled, well-educated man, and Min-jun isexactlywhat you asked for. Every girl has an ideal type, but so few actually get to marry him. You’re so lucky, Chae-young.”
Chae-young offered a faint, sad smile, repeating the word under her breath. “Lucky?”
“It’s literally like something out of a drama!” Jisoo giggled, coming over to sit beside her on the bed. “The heroine has high standards, rejects every proposal that comes her way, and then suddenly, an old friend of Dad’s meets him again and invites him to a gathering! At that event, his family instantly falls in love with our heroine for their highly educated son. A proposal gets sent, and our heroine says yes to her hero!”
Chae-young couldn’t help but chuckle softly, the heavy knot in her chest loosening just a bit. “You are such a drama queen.”
The next morning, Taehyung found himself dragged along to the local market with his father.
Walking a pace behind Mr. Kim, Taehyung held his phone to his ear, whispering urgently, “Okay, I’ll call you back later, I’m with Dad.”
Mr. Kim shot him a sharp side-eye over his shoulder. “Who’s on the phone?”
Taehyung immediately straightened his posture, that familiar, instinctual fear of his father kicking in. “Mom... She called to say we should get some dry fruits. She said she’s feeling weak lately, so we need to buy them.”
Mr. Kim gave him an unamused, piercing glare. “I know exactly which ‘Mom’ you were talking to.”
Meanwhile, at Min-jun’s corporate office, his secretary stepped into his room.
“Sir, you have a meeting at ten o’clock with Mr. Cha.”
“Okay,” Min-jun replied without looking up from his monitor. “Is Ms. Ryujin in yet?”
“No, sir. She called to say she’ll be running a little late.”
“Inform me the second she arrives.”
As soon as the secretary stepped out, Min-jun dialed his home landline. “Mom, where’s Dad?”
“He went to the market,” his mother replied over the line.
“How did he go?”
“On Taehyung’s motorcycle with him.”
Min-jun’s expression instantly soured. “What? Mom, what if someone I know sees him riding on the back of a bike? What kind of impression does that make? Taehyung isn’t serious about his life, so let him be, but I have a position and status to maintain! Dad could have just asked, I would have sent a car for him. Dad always has to stick to his own rules and philosophy...” He pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a frustrated sigh. “Forget it. Let it be.”
At the bustling local market, Mr. Kim stepped into a traditional dry fruits vendor shop, with Taehyung trailing behind carrying bags.
“Hello,” Mr. Kim greeted the owner.
“Ah, hello!” the shopkeeper replied warmly. “Su-ho, show him those almonds, the imported ones and the fresh walnuts that just came in.”
Mr. Kim shook his head, looking over the crates. “Jae-won, have you seen these prices lately? An ordinary man can barely make a decent living these days.”
Meanwhile, Taehyung stood near the side counters, casually picking up almonds and walnuts one by one, popping them into his mouth while browsing.
“Uncle,” Taehyung chimed in, talking through a mouthful of nuts, “these days, everything is available online. They deliver right to your doorstep before you even realize it.”
Mr. Kim snapped his head around, glaring at him. “Be quiet! Keep your useless advice to yourself. Why shouldn’t I save money where I can? You might be a spendthrift, but I’m not. Show me these ones over here...”
While his father turned back to the counter, Taehyung pulled out his phone and started tapping away. Naturally, Mr. Kim caught him out of the corner of his eye.
“Give me that phone,” Mr. Kim commanded, snatching it straight out of his hands before Taehyung could react. He pressed it to his ear. “Hello?”
“Hey, Taehyung!” his friend’s voice came through, casual and completely unaware. “Are we still meeting up—”
“This is Taehyung’s father,” Mr. Kim interrupted sternly. “Listen to me! Start doing something productive with your life and stay away from this foolish boy!” He pointed a sharp finger at Taehyung, who was visibly panicking and gesturing for his dad to stop. “If I see you hanging around him again, I won’t let it slide. Do you hear me?”
“Ah... uncle, I—”
“Hang up!” Mr. Kim barked, ending the call immediately and handing the phone back to a thoroughly subdued Taehyung.
Back at the corporate office, Ryujin walked into Min-jun’s office, holding a folder.
“I was checking your leave requests,” she said, leaning against his desk. “You requested time off?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Fifteen days?” She frowned slightly. “May I ask why?”
“Actually... I am getting married. That’s why.”
Ryujin’s expression darkened instantly, all the warmth draining from her face. “What?”
Min-jun shifted uncomfortably under her sharp gaze, a hint of nervousness creeping into his posture. “Yes...”
“Why?” she asked coldly.
Min-jun blinked, taken aback. “I... I don’t understand, Ms. Ryujin. Have I done something wrong?”
“Why are you getting married?” she repeated, her tone tightening.
“Honestly, I don’t understand,” Min-jun stammered lightly. “Did I make a mistake on a project? You seem upset—”
“Upset?” Ryujin cut him off, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. “You’re telling me you’re getting married, and you think I’m just upset?”
“Ms. Ryujin, I—”
“Four years, Min-jun,” she said, her voice dropping into a intense, low register. “Four years... Did you really feel nothing in all that time? Was it truly just me? Was it completely one-sided?”
Min-jun let out a stiff, awkward cough, adjusting his tie. “You are my boss, and the daughter of the company owner. I am just a regular employee here.”
“A regular employee?” Ryujin stepped closer, her eyes locked onto his. “Do you honestly believe you were just an employee to me? Did you never notice that I prioritized you over everyone else in this firm? I took you with me on every major business trip!”
Right at that moment, Min-jun’s phone lit up on the desk, buzzing with an incoming call from Chae-young, they had scheduled to meet up around this time.
Ryujin glanced down at the screen, her brow furrowing. “Could you... please put that away?”
Min-jun reached out silently and flipped his phone face down on the desk, silencing the call. “I always thought you simply appreciated my hard work and dedication to the company.”
“Oh, God!” Ryujin threw her hands up, exasperated. “It was everything about you that I liked!”
She paused, the heavy confession hanging thick in the air between them.
“I’m sorry,” Min-jun said softly, averting his eyes. “I never intended to hurt you.”
“You didn’t intend to hurt me?” Ryujin raised her voice, her emotional composure cracking entirely. “You’re getting married! What is there left to hurt?!”
Later that afternoon, Taehyung stumbled back into the Kim residence, carrying an overwhelming mountain of shopping bags and packages.
He wobbled through the entryway, bumping heavily against the walls as he navigated the narrow hallway, before finally dumping everything onto the living room coffee table and collapsing headfirst onto the sofa with a loud groan.
“Mom, your husband walks way too much,” Taehyung complained, fanning himself with his hand. “It’s boiling hot outside, and he doesn’t even get tired!”
Mr. Kim walked into the room right behind him, his tone immediate and authoritative, instantly snapping Taehyung upright into a straight, rigid posture. “And as for you, stop wandering around with those idle, good-for-nothing friends of yours.”
“Yes, Dad,” Taehyung said automatically.
“And these wedding invitation cards that are left over,” Mr. Kim added, pointing to a stack on the side table. “You’re going to hand-deliver them tomorrow morning.”
Taehyung tried to squirm out of the chore. “Dad, you have an elder son. Wouldn’t it look much better if you two went together to deliver them?”
Mr. Kim snapped, glaring at him. “Hey! Keep your advice to yourself!”
As soon as Mr. Kim turned his back to walk toward the kitchen, Taehyung immediately broke into a silent, ridiculous victory dance behind him, mocking his father’s posture with dramatic hand gestures like a mischievous kid.
Without warning, Mr. Kim abruptly spun around.
Taehyung froze mid-movement, snapping back into a rigid, innocent military-style stance, staring blankly ahead. Mr. Kim rolled his eyes, shook his head in sheer disbelief, and walked out.
The second his father was out of earshot, Taehyung relaxed, leaning toward his mother with a dramatically aggrieved expression. “Where on earth did you find him, Mom? I swear, if he wasn’t handsome, this marriage would’ve been a total loss for you!”
