Business owner Kim Ji-won and lawyer Kim Soo-hyun are under intense family pressure to marry. Ji-won's parents want her to wed her ex, photographer Ji Chang-wook, while Soo-hyun is bombarded with blind dates, including persistent heiress Seo Ye-ji...
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I sat at the dinner table, feeling a sense of unease settle in my chest.
My parents had invited me over for what they called a "special family dinner," and something about the tone in my mother's voice made me suspicious.
Normally, family dinners were casual, full of light conversations about work, my siblings, or whatever my parents had recently seen on the news.
But tonight, there was an air of formality-like something big was about to happen.
My mother's soft humming from the kitchen, and my father's quiet demeanor only added to the strange atmosphere.
I glanced around the dining room, trying to shake off the growing tension.
I had half a mind to call Soo-hyun just to hear his voice and calm my nerves, but I didn't want to seem anxious.
Maybe this was nothing.
Maybe I was just overthinking it.
Finally, my parents sat down, and dinner began.
The conversation started innocently enough-my mother asked about work, and my father inquired about my studies.
But as the meal went on, I couldn't shake the feeling that they were building up to something.
My mother set down her utensils and exchanged a look with my father.
I immediately noticed the silent exchange and braced myself.
Something was coming.
"Ji-won," my mother began, her voice laced with an unfamiliar formality, "we have something important to discuss with you."
I froze, my chopsticks halfway to my mouth.
My heart started to race as I slowly set them down. "What is it?" I asked, my voice steady, but my insides were already swirling with dread.
My father cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable. "Your mother and I have been discussing your future. You know how much we care about you and how important it is for us that you find stability and happiness in life."
My pulse quickened.
I had heard this speech before-whenever they brought up the subject of marriage.
They had been more subtle lately, especially after Ji Chang-wook re-entered the picture, but now... now it seemed they were ramping up again.
"We've been speaking with Chang-wook's parents," my mother continued, her eyes bright with enthusiasm. "And we think it's time we move forward with the arranged marriage plans."
I blinked, the words crashing into me like a tidal wave.
Arranged marriage? With Chang-wook?
My mind struggled to process what I had just heard.
