Work Text:
This is not going to end well.
Reason 1: Jiwoo doesn’t like her soon-to-be husband.
Screw that. Jiwoo loves Jungwoo. But in a totally platonic, maybe even familial, but never, ever romantic way. They’ve known each other since diaper days, saw each other at their absolute worst, and are firm believers that childhood sweethearts are hoaxes. Which is fortunate, because:
Reason 2: Jiwoo’s soon-to-be husband is already in a relationship.
Out of the eyes of curious gossipers and buzzing paparazzi, first son of Kim Cooperatives, Kim Jungwoo is dating Kim Jiwoo’s cousin, Kim Doyoung.
Now here is where things get interesting.
These Kims are rich. Understatement. They’re filthy, stunning rich. Don’t get Jiwoo wrong- she’s very grateful to live a very comfortable life. She knows she’s one lucky bastard. She just doesn’t like the rich people equation taught by her grandfather, an unsaid unity of all rich people: marriage=money+power.
Love? Not in a marriage. Unless you’re super lucky.
Jiwoo, supreme romantic, does not sit well with this fact. She wants to hold hands not out of duty. And oh- a beach wedding, flowing summer white dresses and small ceremonies. Not gold plated venues and news reporters with no regard to privacy.
Jiwoo is pretty sure that Doyoung is her half sibling. Or full sibling. Or they might not even be related at all(does it matter?). She doesn’t, nor want to know what happens behind the scenes of marriages involving important people, especially when she’s nearing marriage age. It’s disgusting enough to see her presumed cousin and best friend date, but things take an interesting turn when he’s also engaged.
To Ha Sooyoung.
Cue the boss, the final reason:
Reason 3: Ha Sooyoung.
That’s it. That’s the reason. Ha Sooyoung. The most gorgeous woman to ever grace Jiwoo’s eyes. When they meet for the first time on Doyoung’s engagement party, it takes 5 seconds for Jiwoo to remember to breathe, 3 to control her face, and another 3 to recall where and why she's there- oh. Right. Engagement party.
All of a sudden, she understands the sorrows of Korea when the nation's gay awakenings decide to marry each other.
Jiwoo has known shes a lesbian since in the womb, but Sooyoung is like the second coming of Christ: she’s constantly, constantly reminded of her sexuality, and her poor lesbian heart cannot take it anymore. When Sooyoung smiles or talks to her in a normal conversation, Jiwoo’s hearts does a whole gymnastics routine, and triple axels off a cliff when they make plans- which is definitely not good.
And now Jiwoo is torn over this crisis. Is Sooyoung team dick or vagina? Or both? She doesn’t care (bi solidarity, everyone). She knows about Doyoung and Jungwoo, and is chill enough to let them suck faces while she talks to Jiwoo (who grumbles and throws salt and pepper shakers at them). Sometimes her hands linger when they hug hello, and she gently brushes Jiwoo’s hair out of her face-
No. No. No. That’s what platonic friends do. You're overthinking it, Jiwoo, she says to herself. They’re gonna be married women in heterosexual relationships (Jiwoo gags at that word). Their husbands are already madly and sweetly, Jiwoo begrudgingly admits, in love. Even if they defy all possibilities, it would be hard to outgay Doyoung and Jungwoo. Jiwoo would rather die than live the shame of not being the most elite gay, but she’s up for a challenge: she and Sooyoung would look so cute together. Billionaire lesbian couple; she can imagine it on the headlines of every post, jewels and gold dripping-
She still doesn’t know if Sooyoung likes girls. Or her.
Which explains why she’s screaming into her pillow, which does nothing to muffle the sound.
Jungwoo does not look up from his phone.
"We're about to get married in three months," Jiwoo glares, "show me some respect."
"What can I do for you, dear wife?"
"Never call me that again." She snaps. Going back to screaming into her expensive pillow, Jiwoo thinks she's having an early quarter life crisis.
"I think I'm in love with Ha Sooyoung." She blurts anyways.
"So what exactly is your crisis?" Jungwoo, bless him and his sweet dear heart, asks innocently. And earns himself a pillow smacking his face.
"I can't just go up to my sister in law and confess? I don't even know if she like likes me. Like. Like likes me." Jiwoo holds her hands up.
Jungwoo shrugs.
"You monstrous traitor." Jiwoo cannot believe how calm Jungwoo is. "You were the one who spent months. Pining. Over someone who is related to me. If I didn't tell you hes gay you still wouldnt have made a move." She pauses for dramatic effect. "I hate being lesbian."
"No you don't, because men are disgusting." Jiwoo doesn’t speak, he’s not wrong.
Jungwoo suddenly goes still, and her eyes widen in fear- she knows what that means. "No. Whatever that's about to go out of your mouth, no."
"But, Ji, this is actually good. Like, genius good. I'm the one who has a boyfriend, remember?" And damn, puppy eyes, he kind of does have a point.
The angel on her left shoulder speaks up. No, Jiwoo, these suggestions broke your left arm when you were 7, gave you almost incurable acne in eighth grade, and tore your prom dress. In the middle of prom.
The devil speaks a single, powerful word. Sooyoung.
And, ah, the decision is made.
"Once, Kim Jungwoo." She speaks slowly. "I will trust you once."
Which is how Jiwoo gets herself into this situation now: Jungwoo sitting to her right, Doyoung and Sooyoung across them, and at the ends of this ridiculously long table, Jiwoo's grandfather and Sooyoung's mom.
It takes about two seconds for Jiwoo to know she's fucked.
"Can we get an explanation?" Ms Ha, ever calm, pushes a single finger on the magazine page. It shows two women, faces slightly blurred, who are making out (judging from the angles, Jiwoo is offended: she's definitely a better kisser than that). There’s a little bubble above their faces and a clearer picture- which Jiwoo vaguely remembers from three years ago in Dubai- definitely fake.
Jiwoo shoots Jungwoo a death look, who shrugs innocently in return. Never again, she tells the devil on her shoulder, conveniently napping.
Sooyoung looks- she looks calm. Suspiciously calm. Like it’s a business paper instead of a piece of gossip involving her that is probably trending on twitter now. She looks hot when she’s concentrating, Jiwoo’s mind unhelpfully adds.
“I’m sorry, mother.”
“Why didn’t you say so? We-” And right at that moment, Jiwoo’s attention span decides it's time for a break and takes her to Alaska. She knows it's a bad habit- especially as the heir to one of the biggest companies in Korea- but well. Penguins. Peach coloured penguins. They’re about to travel to South Africa together when Jiwoo hears-
"We can rearrange things.” Her grandpa speaks up, his watch catching the sun and shooting lightsabers up the ceiling. “It can simply be a misunderstanding with the press. We can still pull this off, and the kids get to be with who they want.”
What.
Jiwoo pushes the penguins onto the nearest plane, tells them to solve global warming alone, and actually focuses.
“We can rebrand this as a closeted love story!” Jungwoo says, and the Elders look impressed. Jiwoo, honestly, is too. “It would gain a lot of recognition.”
Mrs Ha sighs. “That wouldn't be undoable.” She sighs a little more, makes meetings with presses, complains about the paparazzi and weather, paces and gets ready to leave for the nail salon. Grandfather follows her out of the room. Jungwoo- her ex fiancé- high fives her, takes the cue and drags Doyoung out of the room together, leaving two women in the room.
The atmosphere thickens. Jiwoo hates silences and awkwardness, especially together, so she speaks up:
“I guess we’re getting married then.”
“I guess we are.” Sooyoung says. She sounds a little stunned, and Jiwoo starts to panic. What if she’s straight? What if she’s gonna be married to the woman of her dreams- which turned out to be a het? What if-
“I almost thought this wouldn’t pull off.”
“What wouldn’t?” Jiwoo asks, and immediately cringes at herself. Good try, Kim Jiwoo, there goes the chance to impress her future wife.
“If we’re gonna get married, let’s try this thing out.”
What?
Okay. Jiwoo is pretty sure she’s dreaming. Did Ha Sooyoung- The Ha Sooyoung say that. Her head whips and Sooyoung laughs, eyes crinkling: Jiwoo has to mentally stop herself from falling in love. “I think you’re pretty cute. I'd date you. So what do you say? Coffee?”
Jiwoo, stunned, nods. If her future wife says coffee, then coffee it is. She’ll drink nothing but coffee for the rest of her life, Sooyoung just needs to say the words. “I’ll text you the time later.”
“A date?” Jiwoo manages to croak.
“It’s a date.” Sooyoung confirms. “I gotta leave now. See you soon, fiancé.” She winks, and Jiwoo’s certain her heart stopped beating.
Maybe, just maybe, getting married isn't a bad thing.