STRAWBERRIES & CIGARETTES

CHAPTER 9

Harae sincerely thought Jeno would stop after she disagreed with his proposal.

It's not like the male was constantly asking her again after that day, but Jeno's treatment began to change.

Harae isn't blind and definitely not clueless. Yes, Jeno is nice and the boyfriend you would want to have a longtime relationship with, but she can't just pull the male for a marriage for convenience, especially since she's still doubting her feelings for him. Harae doesn't want to use Jeno.

Another thing is that her deal with Chenle became more personal than they thought it would be.

They're still not engaging in after-care, but their conversations led them to know each other personally.

It was one of the usual sinful nights—Harae was crying when she showed up, alarming Chenle.

It was only the second time, but they have spoken about their problems so many times.

Chenle was forced, and Harae was neglected. Both are enduring their family's mistreatment and are chained to forced marriages.

"They will never drop it off", Harae mumbled. "I already expected that. I'm just stupid to hope still."

"Mark Lee, you say?", Chenle hummed. "As far as I know, he's a smart kid. Never put studies behind."

"I know. I know him well."

"Why fight off then? If he's good for you, go for it. It's rare to find a guy like him these days."

"It's not about finding the right guy for me right now! It's just... he's just...", Harae sighed. "I just don't see any future with him, yeah?"

"How did you know when you had never tried anything with him yet?"

"Back to you. You expertly push all your potential brides away and make sure you won't have a second date."

Chenle chuckles. "Fine. You win."

Harae lightly laughed it out and rolled to lean on his chest, looking at him.

"You have a breakfast date tomorrow. What are you planning to do?"

"I'm kind of sorry, actually. She would have a bad day ahead", he said, looking back at her. "You? When are you meeting Mark?"

"He's on duty for a month, and he's very busy. I doubt he can squeeze time for a stressful marriage."

"So you don't have any weekend plans?"

"I'm thinking of a me time."

"Think you can squeeze a little bit of time for me?"

Harae raised a brow, and Chenle just smiled.

"Call me when I tell you. Help me out tomorrow, and I'll help you with Mark too. How's that?"