It was a clear case of going too far.

“What was Mrs. Jin thinking? Did she think she wouldn’t get caught?”

Mrs. Jin said that Arim’s mother promised she’d handle everything if she just arranged the meeting. She needed money urgently and couldn’t resist the big sum offered.

“Everyone’s out of their minds.”

They thought you were very fond of Arim and would easily accept it. Is that true?

“Of course not.”

Unbelievable. What a disturbing family.

“…….”

Seong-hyuk agreed with his mother’s words, but also couldn’t fully accept them since Chae Young-in was part of that family too.

Your friend, Arim’s brother, isn’t really your closest friend, right?

“No, we just meet occasionally.”

Don’t even meet occasionally. I told you not to associate with Beom-jun. I don’t want you getting involved with that family.

He had heard this three years ago. But he still didn’t understand why his mother suddenly told him to stop hanging out with Beom-jun after over a decade of friendship.

“Tell me why.”

Just don’t like it. Can’t you just listen to your mother?

“You don’t listen to me.”

When have I not?

“I told you that I would choose my own marriage partner. But you arranged this meeting behind my back and tricked me into coming here. Just because someone else showed up doesn’t absolve you of your mistake.”

Seong-hyuk, I…

“Let me say this again: I will choose my own woman.”

Even if you choose, we have to approve.

What Seong-hyuk needed now was not his parents’ approval, but Young-in’s.

He was keeping Young-in’s existence a secret not because he feared his parents wouldn’t approve, but because he hadn’t yet received her permission.
Young-in stood still in the heavily shadowed yard, hesitating as she heard the sound of the gate opening behind her.

“Hey.”

The voice that struck the back of her head seemed to reek of alcohol, creating an illusion in her mind.

Suppressing the urge to ignore it and go inside, Young-in slowly turned around. She watched her sister, Arim, staggering towards her, clearly drunk.

“Guess who I just met?”

Arim was swaying unsteadily, talking to herself.

“Seong-hyuk oppa.”

“Really?”

Young-in managed to keep her poker face, despite feeling a slight disturbance inside.

“I had a blind date with Seong-hyuk oppa today.”

“Oh, is that so?”

She couldn’t prevent her pupils from shaking this time.

Fortunately, Arim, heavily intoxicated, didn’t notice.

“You’re at the level of meeting guys like Oh Chang-geun, and I’m at the level of meeting guys like Cha Seong-hyuk. Do you get it?”

Arim was boasting in front of Young-in to soothe her shattered pride and self-esteem. Since childhood, whenever something happened, Arim always condescended Young-in for comfort.

“Don’t walk around so proudly, and understand your place.”

Arim dumped the humiliation she received from Seong-hyuk onto the unsuspecting Young-in.

Unaware that Arim had been drinking alone, or that her swollen, red eyes were from crying, Young-in was only shocked by the fact that Seong-hyuk had a blind date with her sister.

“There’s no one better at understanding their place than me. You don’t have to worry about that.”

A bitter smile flickered on Young-in’s lips and then disappeared.

“That’s good.”

Arim smirked as she passed by Young-in, but Young-in couldn’t move, her mind in turmoil.

Was he going on a blind date when he said he was driving?

I’ll tell them when you accept me.

If it’s for you, I can be more childish.

Don’t worry, I’ll handle it.

His voice still echoed in her ears.

Feeling betrayed that he had sweet-talked her while on his way to see her sister, she briefly wondered if it was to make her jealous. But she dismissed the thought; if that were his intention, he would have openly said he was going to a blind date.

The thought of Seong-hyuk possibly marrying her sister brought confusion and a suffocating sensation. She couldn’t bear the thought of calling Cha Seong-hyuk her brother-in-law.

Looking up at the dark sky as deep as his eyes, Young-in’s expression was filled with complexity.