Everything had happened so fast that Lian still couldn't fully comprehend it. What was supposed to be a simple one-week trip to his hometown had quietly turned into something that would decide the rest of his life.
He sat on a rough rock by the riverside, leaning forward slightly as he flicked small pebbles into the water. Each stone broke the surface with a soft sound before disappearing beneath the current, leaving behind ripples that faded too quickly…just like the clarity he had been trying to hold onto.
Marriage.
The word circled back again.
He exhaled slowly, rubbing his thumb against the edge of another pebble before throwing it farther this time. His eyes followed it for a second, then dropped.
He hadn't even seen her face.
Not once.
And yet… in a few days, she would be standing beside him as his wife.
His lips curved faintly, but there was no real emotion behind it. "Life really doesn't ask before changing everything…" he muttered, shaking his head slightly.
He pushed himself up after a while, brushing the dust off his hands and walking back home with slower steps than usual.
The moment he entered, the air inside felt different—lighter, filled with an excitement he didn't share. His father immediately looked up, a rare smile on his face.
"Good news, son!" he said, gesturing for him to sit.
His mother was already moving around, placing tea in front of him before sitting down, her eyes bright with happiness. She started talking about preparations, about arrangements, about how everything needed to be done quickly, her words blending into one continuous stream of excitement.
Lian sat quietly, his fingers loosely wrapped around the teacup as he listened. After a moment, he looked up.
"Does she want this marriage?"
The question slipped out calmly, but it made the room fall silent for a brief second.
"She agreed," his mother replied softly.
Agreed.
The word settled in his mind again, heavier this time.
He nodded once, lowering his gaze. "That's enough then."
His father leaned forward slightly. "You should talk to her. At least once."
Lian hesitated for a moment before giving a small nod. "…Alright."
Later that night, Lian sat on the edge of his bed with his phone in his hand. The contact number stared back at him silently. He typed a message, paused, erased it, then typed again before finally sending a simple
Hello.
The message delivered instantly.
He stared at the screen for a few seconds before placing the phone beside him and leaning back, one arm covering his eyes.
"What am I even supposed to say…" he murmured under his breath.
His thoughts drifted again.
What kind of person is she…?
Is she happy about this… or just agreeing like me…?
He turned his head slightly toward the phone again but didn't pick it up.
Waiting felt… unfamiliar.
At the same time, miles away, Valary stood near the large window of her room, staring blankly at the city lights below. Her phone was pressed against her ear, her expression cold, but her fingers were tapping impatiently against her arm.
"Say something, Dan," she said, her voice controlled but sharp.
On the other side, Dan let out an irritated breath. "I already said everything. This is ridiculous, Val."
She let out a short laugh, shaking her head as she started pacing slowly across the room. "I'm telling you I'm getting married, and all you can say is 'this is ridiculous'?"
"Then don't do it," he snapped. "Refuse it."
She stopped walking, her jaw tightening. "You think it's that simple?"
"If you were serious about us, it would be," he shot back immediately.
Valary closed her eyes for a second, steadying herself before speaking again. "Don't twist this, Dan."
"I'm not twisting anything," he said, his tone growing sharper. "You're the one agreeing to marry someone fucking asshole and expecting me to just stand here and accept it."
She exhaled slowly, forcing her voice to stay calm. "I'm not cheating on you."
There was a pause.
"I won't do that," she continued firmly. "Not for anyone. Not even for this."
Dan scoffed softly. "Then what do you call this?"
"I call it being honest," she replied, her grip tightening around the phone. "I told you before anything happened. I didn't lie. I didn't hide it."
She walked toward the window again, her reflection staring back at her.
"I won't be with you while being someone else's wife. That's my line."
Silence followed.
Then Dan spoke again, slower this time. "So you marry him… stay with him… and then come back to me like nothing happened?"
"Yes."
Her answer came without hesitation.
"Once I get what belongs to me, I'll end it."
"And I'm supposed to just wait?" he asked, irritation clear in his voice.
Valary hesitated for a brief second before replying, "I'm asking you to understand."
"Understand that you're choosing money over me?" he snapped.
Her eyes hardened instantly. "I'm making sure I get what's mine."
Another silence.
This time longer.
Dan exhaled sharply on the other side. "…Fine."
Valary frowned slightly.
"I'll wait," he said, his tone calmer now, but there was something off about it. "But don't expect me to like it."
She relaxed just a little. "I'll come back to you. No matter what. Just trust me."
"Yeah," he replied flatly. "Love you."
The words sounded hollow.
"Love you too," she said automatically, though her expression didn't change at all.
The call ended.
Valary lowered the phone slowly, staring at the dark screen for a moment before placing it on the table. She exhaled deeply and sat down, running a hand through her hair.
For the first time, everything felt… slightly quieter inside her. Her phone vibrated softly.
An unknown number.
She picked it up, her eyes scanning the message.
Hello.
She didn't need to ask who it was. Her thumb hovered over the screen for a second before she locked the phone and set it aside without replying.
Back in his room, Lian checked his phone again.
Still nothing.
He let out a small breath, almost amused at himself, and shook his head before lying back down.
"Yeah… that makes sense."
He stared at the ceiling, his mind drifting again to the same question…
What kind of life is this going to be…?
The next morning, Martin sat across from Daneal, both of them going through documents spread across the table.
"We don't need an engagement," Martin said suddenly, closing one of the files.
Daneal looked up, confused. "What do you mean?"
"I want to proceed directly with the marriage," Martin continued calmly. "No delays. No unnecessary functions."
Daneal frowned. "That's too rushed. At least keep a formal engagement."
Martin shook his head. "Things are better this way. The sooner it's done, the better for both sides."
Daneal leaned back slightly, thinking. "Lian needs time too."
"He has a few days," Martin replied. "That's enough."
There was a pause.
Daneal studied him for a moment before sighing. "…Fine. If that's what you want."
Later that day, Lian found himself slumped in a chair across from Ron and Milo, already deeply regretting his decision to open his mouth.
Ron leaned back, his front chair legs hovering off the ground as he stared at Lian like he was a specimen under a microscope. "Okay, hold on. Let me get this straight," he said, drawing out every syllable. "You're getting married… in a few days… to a girl you've never even laid eyes on?"
Milo slapped the table with a theatrical thud, making the glasses rattle. "Not even a glimpse? Not a grainy social media stalk? Not even a blurry photo from ten years ago? Bro, are you for real right now??"
Lian let out a long, heavy sigh, digging his fingers into his temples. "Can you both just—?"
"No," Ron cut him off, his chair hitting the floor with a snap. "Absolutely not. This is ridiculous. At the very least, you deserve to see her face, man. How do you even agree to a lifelong contract without a visual?"
"They actually tried to give me a picture!" Lian shot back, his voice rising in defense. "I'm the one who turned it down."
Ron paused mid-chew, squinting at him. "Okay, I knew you were a bit slow, but I didn't realize it was this bad."
"I'm stupid, okay? I get it!" Lian muttered, his gaze dropping to the table. He picked at a loose thread on his sleeve, his voice softening. "It just felt like… I don't know, man. This whole marriage thing is stressing me out so much that I think I'm actually a little bit terrified to look at the photo."
"WHAT??" they both blurted out in unison.
"Terrified of what? Everyone knows your parents have way better taste than you do," Ron joked.
"Oh, come on, it's not about her looks, geez!" Lian groaned, throwing his hands up. "I just… I don't know how to explain it. I want to meet her first. Talk to her. See her in real life, in person. Maybe that's why I don't want the picture to ruin it?"
Milo leaned forward, squinting harder as if trying to read Lian's mind. "You're making zero sense, dude. Wait… what if she's, like, insanely beautiful?"
Ron snapped his fingers. "Or, what if she's the total opposite and you just signed your life away blindly?"
"Thanks," Lian muttered dryly. "Really helpful."
Milo grinned, completely unbothered. "Relax, we're just preparing you mentally. Emotional damage first, happiness later. That's the strategy."
Lian shook his head, but despite himself, a small, reluctant smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Ron suddenly leaned in closer, dropping his voice to a mock-conspiratorial whisper. "But imagine this… wedding day… you're standing there at the altar… the music starts playing…"
Milo jumped in, spreading his arms wide to frame an invisible movie screen. "And then she walks down the aisle… slow motion… the wind is blowing from nowhere… everyone is holding their breath…"
Ron finished the thought, "And boom—love at first sight. The clouds part, the sun shines."
Lian let out a quiet, breathy laugh, looking down for a second. "...That sounds incredibly unrealistic."
"Unrealistic?" Milo gasped, offended. "Bro, your entire marriage is unrealistic! At least let the fantasy version exist for a minute."
"Or look at it this way," Ron added, his eyes widening dramatically as he lowered his tone. "Maybe she's the girl you've been dreaming about? Maybe that's why you haven't been with anyone else until now. Maybe you guys are, like... destined."
Lian made a face, looking at Ron's intense expression. "Will you stop doing whatever that is with your face? It's making me want to gag."
But then Ron leaned forward again, his tone shifting. It was lighter, but there was a genuine sincerity there. "Listen… jokes aside… you'll be fine."
"Yeah," Milo added, shrugging. "You're not the type to mess things up. If she's even half-decent, she's the lucky one."
Lian looked at them, genuinely caught off guard by the sudden kindness.
Milo caught his expression and smirked. "What? You expected only roasting from us?"
"Mostly, yeah."
"Oh, don't worry, that's still coming," Ron promised with a wink.
They all laughed, the tension in the air finally breaking. Then Ron pointed a finger at him, getting serious for a final moment. "But seriously…don't overthink it. Just talk to her when you can. Take it slow."
"And if she's scary," Milo chimed in, "just smile and agree. Survival first, Lian."
Lian chuckled, shaking his head at them. "Idiots."
"Your idiots," Milo corrected proudly.
Lian leaned back into his chair, feeling the knots in his shoulders loosen for the first time in weeks. "...Thanks, guys."
Ron waved it off like it was nothing. "Just remember one thing."
"What?"
"If she turns out to be amazing," Milo said with a massive grin, "you owe us the biggest party of the century."
"And if she's not?" Lian asked.
Ron smirked. "Then we're still coming for the free food."
Lian laughed…a real, genuine laugh this time. For the first time since the arrangements began, he didn't feel trapped. He felt uncertain, sure. He was curious. But maybe…just maybe…he was a little bit hopeful about what was waiting for him at the end of that aisle.