Icy like diamonds || Ryeji

Chapter 64

Years had passed and somehow Yeji's parents had stopped pestering her about marriage and choosing someone.

At some point she wondered if they had taken her choice seriously but surely they wouldn't be foolish to do so. The Shin girl was in all likelihood straight and uninterested. In any case, no parents would agree to such arrangement.

Sometimes she wanted to ask her parents about it, but feared that bringing up the subject would restart the constant pressure for her to choose someone to marry. Maybe not knowing why they had stopped was better.

Yeji thought maybe when they accidentally saw her holding hands with her first girlfriend they would bring it up. Yet they did not. Instead they invited her for dinner.

The relationship didn't last long. Ending after a couple of months. Faster than her curiosity with her first crush had come to an end. Yeji was 15 at the time and called it puppy love. Seemingly intense but by the end of it, Yeji was over it.

She had a few more crushes, neither lasting long or becoming anything more. Sometimes she would go on dates, mostly consisting on grabbing coffee together or studying. All far too boring but she tried to enjoy them.

One thing she started to notice was that people acted the way they thought she wanted them to. As if the entire thing was a performance. Their dates planned to the detail which left no room for spontaneity or her own input. Their actions straight out of whatever show or movie they based their romance views on. Or the advice given by their friends. Each person offering her cheesy line after cheesy line.

At some point Yeji stopped pretending to care and enjoy it. She stopped faking smiles and playing nice. And with time, less and less people tried. Or some would give up almost immediately, preferring easy to whatever she was doing.

Yeji didn't care because she didn't want fake. She didn't want cheesy cliché lines. Or plans formed ahead of time.

She wanted something real. A little flawed maybe.

After some time, she met Soyeon.

She was older, by a couple of years. An acquaintance of her brother Hyunjin. He had been the one to introduce them once, during a time when a group of his friends had gone over to their house.

Yeji had thought the girl looked good but didn't think anything more of it. Until somehow they ended up talking all night while the others had their fun.

By the end of the night, Yeji had her phone number and a promise the other would call her.

Soyeon was spontaneous to a fault. She was very much a by the book person, yet she could be exciting at times. Taking her on dates that were far more interesting than those she had previously experienced.

After some time, they had decided to date. Just as Yeji had started college.

Yeji told the girl all about herself. The good, the bad and the ugly. Including how she had chased after her mysterious crush as a pre teen, never to have found her again.

One time the subject of marriage had come up and Yeji hesitantly told her about it. How she once named the crush that in likelihood had forgotten all about her by then. Soyeon thought it was funny. Neither of them expecting anything to come from that.

Dating Soyeon was easy. Too easy.

They could go days without talking and sometimes Yeji found herself forgetting the other existed. As bad as it sounded.

They fell into what seemed like a routine, their few spontaneous dates becoming nearly non existent. Their time spent together turning into homework done together or fancy dinner dates in public. Small talk becoming more frequent with each passing month.

But it was comfortable.

And isn't that what matters?

Wasn't that what people looked for? Someone that would be by their side without any fuss?

Yeji never expected it. The day her parents called her over and told her the marriage had been arranged.

She couldn't believe it. Thinking they were joking around until she saw their faces. Followed by her arguing that they were crazy to think she still wanted that. That Yeji still wanted to marry Shin Ryujin. Informing them that it had been a way to stop them from pushing her around. That now she had a girlfriend who she cared about a lot.

None of it seemed to matter. Her parents were nothing but determined. They had given the Shins their word and would follow through with it.

Yeji vouched that it wouldn't last a month. Telling them she would cause the end of it if she had to.

"How are you feeling about meeting her?" Hyunjin asked, a teasing smile growing as he leaned against the door frame.

"Shut up." Yeji huffed.

"I remember when you made me go around Korea looking for her."

"You're exaggerating."

Hyunjin chuckled, "Fine. Seoul."

"Shut it."

"I also remember seeing her at that party and watching you chase after her. You can't tell me you don't feel some way about this."

"I don't." Yeji countered, pushing him while she walked through the door. "I forgot all about her."

"Sure you did."

"I did."

"I saw your search history."

"I used private."

Hyunjin laughed, making Yeji curse at herself and her big mouth for having said those words without thinking.

"Shut up."

"Sure, Yeji. Enjoy your marriage."

"It's an engagement, stupid. And I have a girlfriend."

Hyunjin simply smiled and walked away. Her brother could be so annoying sometimes.