Arranged✔️ | Ji Changmin

12 - More Than Friends

JI CHANGMIN

"friends?"

"friends."

i recalled the day chaewon and i agreed to the marriage. mum and dad worried over me staying on my own in this big house forever. i guess they knew me well enough to know that i had no intentions to look for a love interest and they took matters into their own hands. i had always thought arranged marriages were bad luck and things would always go wrong - whether it be the wrong partners, affairs or being at war with one another. however, marrying choi chaewon turned out to be the total opposite of what i had imagined.

i remember the first time i saw her. she was struggling to reach for a cup of instant noodles. the first thing i had thought was 'she's adorable'. the thought of her small self as compared to my towering height made me chuckle as i left the store. that day when i had returned to the academy, chaewon kept appearing in my mind. over the weeks, i would have random thoughts of the girl i had helped.

'was she eating well?'

'what was she doing now?'

'was she struggling again somewhere?'

'would we ever meet once again?'

as if fate knew i was longing for her, i met chaewon once again in my academy. yeonjun, my piano student, was hugging her so tight. sangyeon had introduced her as yeonjun's preschool teacher and i swore i could feel myself adore her so much more. i assumed that she was a patient and caring individual since she dealt with children daily.

"ji changmin," i introduced myself, smiling at her as i reached out for a handshake. she had grasped my hand in hers, mirroring my smile. but i still did not know her name.

i had almost shown that i was disappointed when she had to leave so quickly. that was alright - fate separated us for a few hours just to tie us together for the rest of our life. choi chaewon - it became the name i loved to see on my phone screen. i used to stay out until late night in my office and only returning home for sleep and shower. i hated to eat alone at home so usually i would eat at the academy with eunwoo and some other colleagues. ever since we got married, the house did not feel lonely anymore. i found myself rushing straight out of the office to pick chaewon up from her work place, and i also loved eating home-cooked food together in our house.

it was something about her that made me feel happy each time i spent with her. it was probably her soft voice that would call my name and utter polite words. maybe it was her sparkly eyes that shined brighter than the sun and in her smile, i see something more beautiful than the stars. i wonder what it really was that made me want to love her even more than just friends who got married? i wanted us to be something more than just friends who had agreed to the marriage.

CHOI CHAEWON

it was something about him. i knew, he was not just a friend i agreed to marry. i had this feeling stuck in me - a feeling filled with a sense of security and a drive to achieve something more than just friendship with changmin.

ji changmin was shy. when we first started out this marriage, he was very respectful. he kept to his own space and never intruded in mine without any consent. time played a huge part in helping us get used to one another's company well as we grew closer. other than the usual night cuddles, hugs and sometimes brief holding of hands. i did not think we did anymore above those. i could definitely see how he tried to show his affection in the littlest action as possible. i did not like asking for help but changmin liked to offer his help - just like our first encounter in the convenience store.

my arms reached out as high as they could while i stood on my tippy toes in high hopes that i could just knock the cup down. just then, a hand brushed mine as it reached for the cup noodles with ease. i felt the presence tower above my petite self.

"here," the person said, handing the cup to me.

"thank you so much-" i gasped lightly, my words were cut as i looked up at the person.

'it's him,' my heart skipped a little at the familiar person infront of me.

ji changmin was as helpful as how his first impression was. he would offer to do the house chores which made us split duties but most of the time we do chores together. whenever he saw myself staying up to prepare lesson plans and resources, changmin would stay up and help me with resource preparation. 'i'll do all the cutting! you shouldn't hurt your pretty hands,' changmin had said when he took the scissors away from me. he would sit not far from me with printed papers all around him as he focused on cutting them piece by piece. i was used to doing all this alone in my room but having changmin do this with me made me feel more than thankful. i knew i used to say i was happy with my life the way it was. i loved my family and i adored my preschool children. i did not need anything or anyone more but when ji changmin came into my life - i did not realised how much he had completed my 'complete' life. ji changmin was a pleasant addition to my life and i was beyond happy to have him.

-

3RD PERSON

the door bell rang on a saturday mid-day, startling chaewon who had just freshen up. she wondered who it was until she swung the door open to see her husband smiling widely at her. he seemed out of breath as he panted for a bit. "changmin, why are you panting?" she chuckled, because he had a car to travel to and fro. "i rushed home," he smiled, stepping forward to give her a hug. truthfully, ji changmin had ran out of his office to his car as soon as he finished work and drove home as quickly as possible. "why are you like this?" chaewon laughed, smacking his back lightly at his unusual behaviour.

"i was just thinking of you," changmin spoke into her hair, "and i missed you." his grip around her tightened as he inhaled her fresh scent. "that's weird," chaewon loosened them apart for a bit as she looked up at him,"i thought of you too," and she grinned cheekily before pulling him closer once again.