TIME | PARK JIHYO

The Contract

YEAR 2020

The sun dipped low over the horizon, casting a warm golden hue upon the Han River, Park Jihyo found herself sitting on a bench, her heart heavy with the weight of recent heartbreak. She clutched a half-empty bottle of soju in one hand, the bitter taste doing little to numb the pain inside.

The river breeze ruffled her hair gently as she stared out at the water, lost in her thoughts. Each sip of soju brought with it a wave of memories, each more painful than the last. She had come to the river seeking solace, hoping that the gentle lull of the water would ease the ache in her heart.

Meanwhile, Gu Hye-jin stumbled along the riverbank, her footsteps unsteady as she tried to navigate through the haze of alcohol-induced numbness. Tears blurred her vision as she searched for a place to sit and collect her thoughts, her mind spinning with a whirlwind of emotions.

Eventually, she found herself at a secluded spot by the water, hidden from the prying eyes of passersby. Collapsing onto the grass, she buried her face in her hands, the weight of her loneliness crushing down upon her.

As the minutes turned into hours, both women remained lost in their own worlds, unaware of each other's presence. But then, a muffled sound caught Jihyo's attention, drawing her gaze to the woman sitting nearby.

Curiosity piqued, Jihyo observed Hye-jin from a distance, her heart aching at the sight of another soul in pain. There was something about the way Hye-jin cried, so silently yet so profoundly, that stirred a sense of empathy within Jihyo's own wounded heart.

Unable to resist the urge to offer comfort, Jihyo approached Hye-jin cautiously, her footsteps soft against the grass. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice gentle yet filled with genuine concern.

Hye-jin looked up, startled by the sudden intrusion into her solitude. Her eyes, swollen and red-rimmed from crying, met Jihyo's gaze with a mixture of surprise and vulnerability. "I... I don't know," she admitted, her voice trembling with emotion. "I just feel so lost."

Jihyo nodded, her own heart heavy with empathy. "I understand," she murmured, taking a seat beside Hye-jin. "Sometimes, it feels like the weight of the world is too much to bear."

For a while, they sat in silence, the only sound the gentle lapping of the river against the shore. But then, Hye-jin's sudden question caught Jihyo off guard, her mind struggling to process the unexpected proposal.

"Do you want to get married?" The words hung in the air, tinged with a mix of desperation and determination.

“Of course, I want to get married.” Jihyo replied while thinking how good will it feel to marry the one she love.

“Marry me.” Hye-jin said so easily, before looking at Jihyo.

Jihyo blinked, trying to make sense of the situation. "Marry you?" she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper, as if saying the words aloud would make them real. “Don't joke around about that sort of thing.”

Hye-jin nodded, her gaze steady as she reached into her bag and pulled out an envelope. "Yes," she said firmly, her tone leaving no room for doubt. "Marry me. Sign this, and you'll be married to me. And I'm joking around about getting married."

Jihyo's heart raced as she took the envelope, her fingers trembling slightly as she opened it. Inside, she found a stack of papers, legal documents that would bind her to Hye-jin in marriage.

But even as she stared at the papers, a thousand thoughts raced through her mind. She is an idol, her every move scrutinized by the public eye. A marriage to someone she doesn't know, gosh she doesn't even know her name, would undoubtedly spark controversy and speculation.