You & Me [KARD FF] ✔

Prologue: Recall

- Two years ago -

After signing the contract, both sides will agree to and follow the rules listed below. This contract is permanent and can only be canceled in case of divorce or death of Kim Taehyung or Jeon Jiwoo, both referred to as Subject A and Subject B in further text.

1. Subjects agree to follow the contract unconditionally and thoroughly.
2. Subjects will attend all public events together unless the situation doesn't allow them to.
3. Subjects will not invade one another's privacy under any circumstances.
4. Subjects agree to bring up only one child, for the sake of family name being passed down.
5. Subjects agree to never be involved in outside-of-marriage relationships.
6. In the case of subject A or subject B's death, the contract is to immediately be canceled.
7. No one but subjects and the public notary is to know about the contract. In cases of revealing, the contract is to immediately be canceled.

Jiwoo frowned after her eyes crossed number 5 and 6. She knew there was going to be some weird condition, almost as irrational as her parents' decision to marry her to him. He was the one who came up with the idea about contract. But why would they live without the ability to love a person of their choice if they didn't have feelings for one another?

She also knew that without her signature on this contract, her parents' hospital is standing on thin glass, because her beloved husband might cancel all donations he made after their engagement.

She stared at him for a few seconds. Upon seeing her hesitation, his lips started forming a bold smirk. A week ago, he wasn't even as close as confident, and she would much rather punch his face than watch him act cool and superior.

"Are my conditions burdening you, Miss Jeon?"

His voice was soft but emotionless. Jiwoo couldn't decide whether he was angry or happy.

Two can play the game.

She smiled shortly, picked up the fountain pen and proceeded to leave her signature at the bottom of the paper. She closed the file and handed it back to him.

A week ago, she didn't feel a thing for him, but it changed now. She hated him.

And she will hate him as long as she's alive.

- Three months ago -

Matthew was drunk after downing third bottle of soju. That was also his last bottle because after turning his whole one-bedroom apartment upside down, he couldn't get a hold of another green bottle he was sure he hid in the back of bathroom drawer, for "emergency cases".

He plopped down next to the sink, moaning in annoyance. It was two in the morning and he was alone and cold.

"Jinseok! Jinseok!"

He sighed, hearing more than a familiar voice. He didn't have to open his eyes to know that she already found him and was probably standing above his head.

"I think I told you million times not to call me Jinseok!"

He hated his Korean name. It was the name his mother gave him, and his mother was one of the people he was forced to call his family. The family that was never satisfied with his life choices. When he moved to New York, he changed his name to Matthew Kim, so none of his new friends knew about Kim Jinseok. No one except Somin.

The brunette shrugged her arms, being used to that reaction, but she still insisted on calling him by his birth name. She thought it would make their bond stronger, but all she ever got in return were death stares and ignoring until she finally calls him Matthew.

"Be a sweetheart and run to the convenience store. I ran out of soju," he murmured, still not picking his head up to look at her, which only ticked her off more. "Don't be mad, honey, we can share."

"I can't drink... I also can't take it anymore, always finding you on the bathroom floor when I come over. Have you ever even thought about what effect that would've had on me?"

He finally lifted his eyelids, together with eyebrows. Somin was standing by the door frame, wearing a black dress that barely passed her thighs, paired up with black heels. It was no surprise that she showed up like that, even though they were in the middle of October.

"And did you ever think about getting off me and my place?"

He stood up and went back to the living room, which consisted of one love-seat sofa pushed by the wall, a few shelves filled with CDs, a simple table and three chairs. It was obvious he was using this room as his bedroom, kitchen and dining room. The other room as his workplace, but didn't enter too often, due to lack of inspiration and energy, both physical and mental.

Right now, though, the living room was nothing as usual. Fast delivery cartons and wrappers were all over the floor, a pair of underwear was carelessly hanging on the sofa. There was also a suspicious smell surrounding the place.

Matthew knew the girl was following him without missing one step. He cursed himself for allowing her to get attached to him.

"Somin, we need to talk", he finally says, sitting down on the sofa.

She nodded in agreement. "I was actually about to say the same thing! You go first."

He let out a long sigh. It hurt him to see her so calm and oblivious of what he was about to do.

"You know, this... this thing we have..."

"What thing?", she frowned.

"This relationship. Maybe it's because I've been feeling exhausted, but I honestly don't see it going anywhere from this point."

Somin opened her mouth slightly.

"What do you mean...?", her voice was shaky. She didn't like where this conversation was going.

"Let's break up."

With those three words, Somin's heart fell apart, like fragile glass. She was fast to pick up the pieces and try to fit them back together.

"Hey, don't say things like that so easily! You're drunk and it's really late so maybe in the morning we can talk it out like adults..."

He cut her off in the middle of the sentence.

"I'm not drunk and I know what I'm saying. I just... don't love you anymore."

She should've known that by picking up those pieces, she was risking to get her palms cut. And right now, they were bleeding, along with her heart.

"Do you... do you really mean that?", she asked after processing given information because to her it was irrational and unreasonable. She then tried to remember the last time she made Matthew angry, looking for something that could lead to his feelings for her cooling down.

However, he nodded his head calmly.

Without uttering another word, Somin picked up her jacket and walked out of his apartment and his life.