Chapter Text
"I don't want this marriage." Baekhyun speaks after a long silence.
Kyungsoo sighed. His assistant has explained the details of their relationship and the benefits of it at length, and the only thing his future; arranged husband has talked about is the word 'don't want '.
"Unfortunately, Byun Baekhyun-shi, your family has a huge debt that needs to be paid off to me. They don't have the source to pay it off, so they use you as the money. As my secretary had explained in our marriage contract, we will not be married forever. We'll divorce in a year or two, depending on the situation. To be honest, you have no say in the matter because the contract has been made between your father and me."
The colour has long since disappeared from Baekhyun's face. Kyungsoo would be completely understand if he got angry at his father for selling him for money, but his face looks so pale that it's not red enough to look like he's angry at his father for doing this to him.
"I..."
Baekhyun starts to speak but stops. Kyungsoo doesn't push him, but waits.
"I want my marriage to be with the person I love. I want a loving marriage and a loving partner; husband."
Kyungsoo can feel the pulse quickening in his head. He has no time for a loving marriage or being a loving husband. He has absolutely no time for love. What's so great about love anyway? Isn't it all physical in the end? Good sex is all you need. Kyungsoo didn't understand that.
Love.
"We are not going to do love. I don't make love. I have no time for that or to play feelings with you. But we can get physical. I'm a man, we both are, we have our needs to be fulfilled. If you're good, we can do that, but otherwise, no".
Kyungsoo can see the disappointment, but he refuses to comment on it. He's not here to play with feelings. He's just here for work. Work is all he thinks about since he was young.
The Byun may not have as much wealth and property as the Doh, but they certainly have a good reputation. Kyungsoo only needs Baekhyun for publicity. He needs the Byun's influence to expand his business. And for that he only needs one or two years. After that, he will no longer need him. They will get divorced and he will pay him a lot of money in alimony.
"So in the end I had no choice but to go through with it..." Baekhyun mumbled quietly; sadly .
Kyungsoo answers in spite of that, "No, you don't." Kyungsoo doesn't look sorry. He's not sorry and he's not going to be.
"I don't want this marriage," Baekhyun says after a long, heavy silence.
Kyungsoo sighs. His assistant had already explained everything—every clause, every benefit, every calculated reason behind this arrangement. Yet, all his future husband seems fixated on is that one phrase: don’t want.
“Unfortunately, Byun Baekhyun-ssi,” Kyungsoo begins, his tone clipped, clinical, “your family owes me a massive debt. They can’t repay it, so they offered you instead. As my secretary explained, this is a contract. We marry now, we divorce in a year or two. Depending on circumstances.” He pauses. “Honestly, your say in the matter is irrelevant. Your father already signed the papers with me.”
The color has long since drained from Baekhyun’s face. Kyungsoo expects anger—rage, even. If Baekhyun lashed out at his father, he wouldn’t blame him. But Baekhyun just sits there, still and pale, like his body hasn’t caught up with the reality of his own betrayal.
“I…” The word falls out of Baekhyun’s mouth, but he doesn’t finish. Kyungsoo doesn’t press. He waits.
Finally, Baekhyun speaks – soft, hesitant. “I wanted to marry someone I love. I wanted a marriage filled with affection. A real partner. A husband who actually cares.”
Something sharp twists in Kyungsoo’s chest, but he doesn’t acknowledge it. Love. Again with love.
His fingers curl slightly on the armrest.
He doesn’t have time for love. Never has. He was raised in boardrooms and quarterly reports, not fairy tales. What was love, anyway, beyond chemistry? Intimacy? Good sex?
He scoffs inwardly.
“We’re not doing love,” he says bluntly. “I don’t do love. I don’t have the time or the patience for that.” His voice stays even, emotionless. “If we get along, we can be physical. We’re both men with needs. But that’s all it’ll be. Nothing else.”
There it is—that flash of disappointment in Baekhyun’s eyes. Kyungsoo sees it clearly. He chooses not to acknowledge it.
Feelings are not part of this arrangement. This is business. He’s done feelings before—and they’ve only ever gotten in the way.
The Byuns may lack the financial power of the Doh family, but they carry weight socially—reputation, legacy, public goodwill. That’s what Kyungsoo needs right now. A convenient alliance. A temporary one. A year or two, tops. Then, they’ll divorce, and Baekhyun will walk away with more money than he’d ever dreamed of.
“So I really have no choice,” Baekhyun murmurs, voice barely above a whisper.
Kyungsoo doesn’t hesitate.
“No. You don’t.”
And he doesn’t look sorry when he says it. Because he isn’t. And he won’t be.