Love to hate you | Jeon Wonwoo

04

The park felt emptier than ever after Minji left. Wonwoo sat motionless, staring at the spot where she'd stood moments ago. Her words echoed in his mind, each one tearing at him, her parting glance seared into his memory. He thought he'd been prepared for the fallout, but he realized now how wrong he was. His chest felt tight, as though something had been ripped out, leaving him hollow.

Taking a deep breath, he rose from the bench, shoving his hands into his pockets and heading back toward his car. The familiar weight of his phone pressed against his thigh. He reached for it, hesitating before finally opening the latest message from Haeun.

Haeunnie

Dinner at 6 p.m. Are you free?

He stared at the text, feeling a pang of resentment toward the woman who, like him, was dragged into this arrangement. He typed a quick reply—I'll be there—and tossed the phone onto the passenger seat, gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turned white.

---

The sun had fully set by the time Wonwoo left the park. A lingering resentment gnawed at him, but it wasn't just at Minji for walking away or his family for the suffocating expectations—they'd pushed him into this, yes, but Haeun... Haeun was just as much a part of this trap. As he drove to his apartment, he could feel the anger rising, a slow, simmering fury that made his hands grip the steering wheel tighter.

Wonwoo's steps felt heavier than usual as he walked into the upscale restaurant. He was running late, not out of courtesy but because every part of him resisted being here. Haeun waited alone at a small table near the window, her back straight, hands folded in front of her, exuding the calm confidence she wore so well.

He walked over and sat down without a word, avoiding her gaze as he adjusted his jacket. Silence settled over them, thick and unyielding.

"Wonwoo." Her voice was cold, as though even saying his name was a necessary chore.

He barely looked up. "Haeun."

For a moment, neither of them spoke. A server approached, filling their glasses, but Wonwoo's focus remained elsewhere, his thoughts racing back to the argument with Minji. She was gone, leaving him to face this forced future with Haeun, a woman who seemed indifferent to everything but duty.

"You were late," Haeun said, her tone unbothered but precise, as though ticking off a box on a checklist.

"I had things to do." He didn't elaborate, didn't even try to make the excuse sound convincing.

"Right," she replied, a hint of irony in her voice. "Because this arrangement isn't worth your time?"

Wonwoo clenched his jaw. "I never asked for this."

"And you think I did?" Her words were sharp, her gaze fixed on him with a steely intensity he hadn't expected. "You're not the only one sacrificing here, Wonwoo."

He scoffed, bitterness lacing his words. "You seem fine with it. Perfectly willing to follow every little thing our families want. Don't act like this is the same for you."

Her expression tightened, irritation flickering in her eyes. "Maybe because I know better than to fight something inevitable. Pretending otherwise is just naive."

"I guess we're different that way," he replied curtly, his voice barely concealing his frustration. "I don't care if it's 'inevitable.' I'm not about to let them run my life without a say."

Haeun's stare grew colder. "This isn't about what you want, Wonwoo. It's about what our families need from us. That's why I'm here. Because I'm willing to do what's necessary."

"Good for you," he replied, his voice low and biting. "But don't expect me to feel the same. I'm not here to sacrifice my life for them."

They fell into silence again, the tension between them growing sharper. Each exchanged glance held an unspoken challenge, as if daring the other to break first. Finally, Haeun leaned back, her expression unreadable, her voice dropping to a quieter, more restrained tone.

"You know, you don't have to like it," she said, her voice almost soft but no less firm. "But you should at least respect that I'm doing what's best"

Wonwoo's lips pressed into a thin line, a wave of anger threatening to overwhelm him. He met her gaze, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm not interested in a life that was chosen for me, Haeun. Not with you."

The words hung in the air, heavy and final. For a moment, he thought he saw a flicker of something—hurt, maybe—in her eyes, but she quickly masked it with that same distant calm.

"Fine," she said, her tone as cold as ever. "Then let's get through this without the pretense."

With that, she turned her attention back to the menu, ignoring him as if he were merely a stranger across the table. And in that moment, he felt the weight of his future settle in—a future defined not by choice, but by resignation.

***

Hello lovely people!!  How's the chapter? I swear, after 3-4 more, the actual story starts. Well then, till the next

Adiós.