RED STRING || 1

Chapter three.

“OKAY, SO CUT to the chase.” Everyone’s eyes turned toward Irene, the air suddenly thick with tension. It wasn’t just Seulgi who felt it; even her parents seemed to stiffen at the sound of Irene’s commanding voice. It wasn’t that they were afraid of her—it was more the underlying authority in the way she carried herself. It was intimidating. Irene had always been like that, a force to be reckoned with. She was calm, calculated, and indifferent, and people noticed. Even Seulgi’s parents couldn’t hide the subtle shift in their posture, their polite smiles tightening slightly as they braced themselves for what was to come.

“Simply, you and Miss… What did you say your name was again, sweetie?” Mr. Bae asked, his finger pointed at Seulgi, a smile plastered across his face as he awaited her response.

“Seulgi. Kang Seulgi,” she answered, trying to keep her voice steady, though she felt the pressure building up in her chest.

“Right, Seulgi! So, you, Irene, are marrying Seulgi here to save their business. Isn’t that a win-win?” Mr. Bae continued, the words spilling out of him as if this was some sort of easy transaction. But Irene’s expression remained unchanged—hard, unreadable.

Irene let out a quiet scoff, rolling her eyes as she shifted her gaze from her father to Seulgi. “How is that a win-win, Dad? They’re the ones who need something from us, so why, again, would they need me to marry her? What’s in it for me?” She let her words hang in the air, the sarcasm evident in her tone.

Her voice cut through the silence, and for a moment, Seulgi could see the disbelief and disgust flashing across Irene’s face. It wasn’t just disdain toward the situation—it was toward Seulgi herself. And that stung. Seulgi had been expecting resistance, of course. Who would be thrilled about entering a marriage with someone they didn’t know, let alone someone they barely liked? But the utter lack of interest in Irene’s eyes was like a slap to the face.

“You get to marry a sweet woman.” Irene’s words dripped with sarcasm, a thinly veiled insult that Seulgi didn’t quite know how to respond to.

“As if,” Irene thought, her mind racing with thoughts of how absurd the entire situation seemed. She had no desire for marriage, no belief in the concept of love, and certainly not with someone she barely knew, especially not with someone like Seulgi, who seemed as if she had been dragged into this against her will.

Little did Irene know, Seulgi wasn’t the kind of woman Irene thought her to be. She was sweet, yes, especially when it came to her parents. But when it came to relationships, Seulgi was uncertain. She had never experienced love before—never had the chance to see what it could look like. And with Irene’s hostile attitude toward her, Seulgi wondered if she ever would.

The conversation between their parents continued, though it felt like background noise as the weight of the moment hung heavily between Seulgi and Irene. The deal was already made—there was no backing out now.

~~

Seulgi and her father were preparing to leave. The Bae couple, too, seemed to be in a hurry to see them out, ushering them toward the door with forced smiles. It was clear that everyone just wanted the meeting to end.

Seulgi lingered for a moment, glancing around the room before her eyes met Irene’s once again. Irene was seated on the couch, her posture lax as she threw her arms over the backrest, almost as though she were daring Seulgi to say something, anything. The smirk on her face made Seulgi’s stomach turn.

“Marry me and you’ll surely know what hell is like.” Irene’s voice was barely a whisper, a muttered threat wrapped in a cold smile. Seulgi wasn’t sure if she had heard it correctly, but when she turned to face Irene fully, the smirk confirmed that Irene had meant every word.