TGT 11

Is There a Reason I Shouldn’t Get Married?

“How may I help you?”

As Jeho entered the wedding dress shop, the employee at the front desk stood up.

“I was told KG Group made a reservation.”

His voice was as impressive as his appearance. The employee stared at him for a moment as if mesmerized, then quickly regained her senses and guided him inside.

“Please follow me.”

At the mention of “KG Group,” the employee assumed without checking that Jeho was the groom-to-be, Kwon Minwoo.

As Jeho followed her, Nancy Song passed by with her phone in hand, signaling that it was an important call before heading to her office.

“Please wait a moment. I’ll prepare the tuxedo.”

After opening the dressing room door for him, the employee hurried away.

Inside, Jeho looked around in confusion. Wedding dresses were scattered everywhere, as if another customer had left them behind.

“What’s that?”

Among the glamorous dresses, one old and shabby dress stood out in the center. It looked almost like a worn rag.

“Why is something like this here…?”

As he reached out to touch it, the fitting room door clicked open.

“Could you zip this up for me?”

He turned around.

Yulri was standing there.

It was surprising enough that she was here—but even more shocking was the sight of her in a wedding dress.

She was breathtaking.

Her wide, startled eyes were beautiful. Her slightly parted glossy lips were beautiful. From head to toe, there was not a single part of her that wasn’t lovely.

The deep neckline of the dress highlighted her slender neck and pale skin. His gaze, which had rested on her full chest, slowly moved down past her narrow waist and along her gentle curves.

The thought that Minwoo would soon stand beside her in that dress made his fists clench.

But Jeho quickly regained his composure.

“Are you asking me? To zip it up?”

“Yes. Please help me.”

When Yulri turned around, her delicate back came into view.

She had no idea how tempting she looked.

For a moment, he wanted to touch her. If he ran his palm along her back, would it feel as smooth as it looked? If he pressed his lips against her soft skin, would it be unbearably sweet?

If he could act on his desires, he wouldn’t be zipping up the dress—he would be pulling it down.

But that was nothing more than a dangerous impulse.

“If you wish…”

He inhaled shortly and walked toward her.

“Why are you here?”

“Grandfather ordered me to get fitted for a tuxedo.”

Before pulling up the zipper, he moved her long hair to the side. Her white nape filled his vision. Her skin, brushing lightly against his fingertips, was unbelievably soft.

Again, an unexplained pain pierced his chest.

As he pulled up the zipper, he saw her reflection in the mirror. She looked nervous, clearly aware of his touch.

On impulse, he let his fingertips brush lightly against her skin.

Her cheeks instantly turned red.

A smile formed on his lips, knowing he wasn’t the only one affected.

But the smile disappeared when he noticed a blue bruise on her arm.

It was clearly where Minwoo had grabbed her the night before.

Before he realized it, his hand moved toward it.

“Doesn’t it hurt?”

As he gently stroked it with his thumb, her body trembled slightly.

“…N-No. It just looks worse than it is.”

A dark shadow crossed his face.

He couldn’t understand why she was protecting Minwoo. No—he couldn’t understand why she accepted an arranged marriage at all.

Why.

Why Kwon Minwoo?

“Let me ask you one more time.”

This time, he truly wanted an answer.

Leaning closer, he whispered,

“Do you really have to go through with this marriage?”

Their eyes met intensely in the mirror.

She never expected him to ask again.

Of course, she didn’t like the idea of marrying someone she didn’t love. But she believed it was the best option in her situation.

Since meeting Jeho again, however, she had begun to question her decision.

Is this really the only way?

Unanswered questions tormented her.

An awkward silence fell.

Finally, she spoke slowly.

“Before I answer, let me ask you something first.”

Her gaze turned cold.

“Is there a reason I shouldn’t marry Minwoo?”

“Of course.”

“What is it?”

She raised her brows slightly, almost provoking him.

“Because you don’t love him. Because right now, your heart is with someone else.”

With someone else?

Did he notice feelings she didn’t even realize herself?

His persistent gaze made her heart pound. Then she remembered he had overheard her phone call with Hyunkyung.

—Whether she marries another man while having a boyfriend isn’t my concern. She’s not my fiancée anymore.

He still misunderstood, believing she had a hidden lover.

But she didn’t explain.

She only stared at him coldly.

“And?”

Jeho lowered himself slightly to meet her eyes.

“Well… what else could there be?”

He fell into thought.

Maybe she didn’t know about Minwoo’s violent personality. Or maybe she believed she could control him.

Right now, Minwoo was obsessed with her. He would even bring her the stars if she asked.

But how long would that last?

When they were children, once Minwoo grew tired of his beloved puppy, he began abusing it cruelly. The abuse continued until Jeho took the puppy away. Minwoo had always been like that. Whether living beings or objects, once his interest faded, he enjoyed tormenting and destroying them.

Chairman Kang had ordered Minwoo to see a child psychologist, but the matter ended vaguely due to his parents’ careless handling.

When Jeho remained silent, Yulri swallowed nervously and spoke quickly.

“If not loving him is the reason, I think I already explained. We’re marrying because our conditions match. I believe in conditions more than love.”

She answered seriously, but Jeho twisted his lips as if mocking her.

“We’ll see if that’s really true.”

“What does that mean?”

He let out a short laugh—

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting.”

The door opened. Nancy Song and a staff member carrying a tuxedo entered together.

“Everything is ready.”

Nancy Song approached with a bright smile, then froze when she saw Jeho standing beside Yulri.

“Excuse me, and you are…?”

“Kwon Jeho. I have a 7 p.m. reservation.”

“Oh—yes.”

From Nancy Song’s flustered reaction, Yulri realized the staff had mistaken Jeho for Minwoo.

Nancy Song politely apologized and guided Jeho to another room.

But even after he disappeared from view, Yulri couldn’t concentrate. In the end, she postponed the fitting.

As she stepped into the hallway, her eyes were drawn to the opposite dressing room. The door was slightly open.

Through the gap, she saw Jeho standing before the mirror in his tuxedo.

“…Ah.”

The admiration escaped her lips without meaning to.

He looked perfect.

So perfect that the reality—that she was marrying Minwoo, not Jeho—suddenly felt painfully hollow.

What am I thinking?

Realizing her shocking thoughts, she covered her mouth.

This is crazy.

She hurried out of the shop and almost ran to the parking lot.

Inside the car, she buried her face against the steering wheel.

She thought that if she stayed away from him, her emotions would settle.

But the more she tried to erase him, the stronger his presence became.

Why?

Why was her heart beating so wildly?

Even if he had once been her first love, that was in the past.

She couldn’t understand why she was this shaken. It should have been nothing more than a fleeting summer night memory.

Just then, someone knocked on her window.

She looked up.

Jeho was standing outside.

“Are you okay?”

He asked with concern.

Of course she wasn’t.

And the reason was him.

But she answered coldly, trying to steady her voice.

“It’s nothing. I had a call, so I hadn’t left yet.”

Jeho seemed about to say something, but she quickly started the engine.

“I’ll get going.”

She drove off without looking at him in the rearview mirror.

Her mouth felt bitter. Her chest ached.

But she ignored it and pressed hard on the accelerator.

In just a few months, the wedding would happen.

She had no time to look back on the past.

After a sleepless night, Yulri went to work earlier than usual. She had no appetite.

When she entered the office, Sunyoung was already there, looking exhausted.

“You’re early.”

“Yes. I have a lot to prepare.”

The reason soon became clear.

At the morning meeting, Director Kim announced that Kwon Jeho would be their new partner.

“Kwon Jeho? You mean ‘Jay K’?”

The office buzzed.

“Why did he choose our company?”

“They say he’s close with Director Kim.”

“Still, there must be more to it.”

Yulri focused on her work, pretending not to hear. She didn’t know why he chose Bauhaus, nor how close he was to Director Kim.

“Yulri, do you know anything?”

Architect Jinman asked from the next seat.

She only shook her head.

“He won’t actually come to the office, right?”

“Of course not.”

“Still, maybe sometimes?”

The answer came near the end of the workday.

“Anyone up for dinner tonight?”

Director Kim asked with a wide smile.

Without looking away from her monitor, Yulri raised her hand. Even though she was tired, drinking with coworkers seemed easier than going home.

“Good. Everyone’s in, right?”

The office erupted with excited murmurs.

She lifted her head.

And then—

She saw him.

Kwon Jeho was standing behind Director Kim.