Chapter 7

Time passed.

There were now only about two weeks left until the CSAT.

It was the time of year when students preparing for the exam and even their parents became increasingly sensitive, while everyone lived almost like monks in order to maintain their condition.

But not every exam-taker was the same.

“Teacherrrr!”

Ever since the conversation about her marriage to Assemblyman Park, Eum had come to see Jihoon every single day—no, several times a day.

She had become like a summer mosquito that kept coming back no matter how many times he chased her away.

It would have been one thing if she merely came to visit.

“Please marry me.”

Ever since she learned about her predicament—that she might be forced to marry someone—Eum had begged Jihoon to marry her every other day.

“I thought about it, and if you marry me, it would benefit you, too. Look?”

Apparently, the girl whose CSAT was just around the corner had spent her time thinking about the advantages of marriage instead of studying, because she never stopped chattering.

It turned out that not only did her footsteps sound like a chick’s; her mouth did, too.

“Have you given up on the CSAT?”

“No? Of course not! I’m definitely going to get into a prestigious university and make lots of money.”

“Then go upstairs and study.”

“I can’t study. I miss seeing you, Teacher.”

Jihoon let out a deep sigh.

He had expected her to back off if he rejected her outright, like he did with other girls, but this bold girl seemed not to know how to retreat.

Apparently, the stubbornness of the Yeon family bloodline had been passed down to her as well.

“Listen. My hair is nice, my skin is clear, and my teeth are straight. And my features are pretty, too!”

“Who says? There are plenty of girls prettier than you.”

“But I’m probably the youngest and smartest among them! They say children take after their mother’s intelligence. I’m pretty, and I’m smart enough to have children who are both good-looking and clever!”

“You still smell like milk. What are you talking about having children for?”

“Do I smell like milk?”

Eum actually pretended to sniff herself, and Jihoon hurriedly covered his own eyes with his fingers.

Apparently, this little chick had now abandoned even the last shred of shame.

“If you keep this up, I’ll give you demerits for school bullying.”

“What school bullying?”

“Persistent harassment. So go upstairs.”

“I’m serious. Please, marry me. Otherwise, I’ll have to marry that Mr. Park, who’s older than my father.”

Jihoon couldn’t decide whether to praise her cleverness for using his concern as a means of threatening him or scold her for being shameless.

“Why aren’t you answering? There isn’t much time left. I’m going to stay here until you answer me…”

“Is that a threat?”

“It’s not a threat. It’s a plea.”

At the word “plea,” Jihoon glanced at Eum.

She was clasping both hands tightly as though she truly meant it with all her heart.

A fate in which she would be forced into marriage against her will.

Jihoon was the person who had watched that miserable fate from closer than anyone. His mother had ended up becoming a daughter-in-law of the Haeseong family at a young age under exactly those circumstances.

“If you get a perfect score on the CSAT, I’ll think about it.”

Eum’s mouth fell open as though she had just witnessed a miracle.

Jihoon, however, was certain there was no way she would get a perfect score, so he casually folded his arms and added,

“If you’re serious, then get a perfect score.”

She would probably complain that he was being cruel, or that it was unfair to use the CSAT against her.

Sure enough, not long afterward, Eum’s eyes began to waver nervously.

“W-Well… people can make mistakes. That’s a little heartless. Couldn’t I get one or two questions wrong…?”

“No. A perfect score.”

“……”

“If you get a perfect score on the CSAT and even appear on TV as a perfect-score student for an interview, then I’ll think about it.”

Her energetic chatter immediately disappeared. The confidence with which she had been boasting about her hair, teeth, and everything else vanished, leaving behind nothing but a newly hatched chick.

Jihoon felt rather pleased and slightly raised the corners of his mouth.

Why had he only just thought of such a foolproof way to get rid of her?

“Okay.”

But instead of whining that it was impossible, as he had expected, Eum asked with a determined expression after a moment,

“That’s all I have to do?”

“…Huh? Yes.”

“Understood, Teacher!”

For some reason, the excessive sparkle in Eum’s eyes bothered him.

Watching her hurry out of the chairman’s office, saying she would come back tomorrow, Jihoon clicked his tongue.

“No way.”

A while ago, he had looked up her academic records.

Getting into a prestigious university wouldn’t be difficult for her, but getting a perfect score on the CSAT was another matter entirely. She had never even come close to a perfect score on her practice exams.

But why did he feel so uneasy?

He had the strange feeling that in the very near future, he would see Eum on the news, smiling brightly as she said that the CSAT had been the easiest exam ever.

A warm meal, still steaming, was spread invitingly across the dining table.

It was a cozy family dinner.

Yet Bora hadn’t even picked up her spoon. She was staring intently into empty space.

“Sweetheart, I made braised short ribs, your favorite. Try some.”

“Yes. The fresh kimchi is delicious, too.”

Her mother, Kim Joo-yeon, and even her stepfather, Yeon Changshin, tried to encourage her, but Bora’s sour mood hadn’t improved over the past few days.

She had been like this ever since she saw Jihoon and Eum together in the rain. It had only gotten worse after she learned from Changshin that Jihoon had rejected the marriage proposal he had made on her behalf.

The reason Bora had studied so hard all this time was so that she could make a good marriage. She had also worked hard to maintain good relationships with her classmates because she believed that having a good reputation from a young age would affect the quality of the men she would eventually meet.

And yet Seong Jihoon had rejected her.

It was practically an obstacle thrown directly in the path of Bora’s goals.

“Dad.”

Bora simply couldn’t believe that he had rejected her.

How could he turn her down when she was this young and pretty? Was the saying that a woman’s beauty and youth were unbeatable really just a lie?

“Then who is Seong Jihoon planning to marry?”

“Bora.”

“I’m just curious. I heard he entered the arranged-marriage market because he wanted to get married. So I don’t understand why he said he didn’t want me.”

“He said you’re too young.”

“Did you tell him my birthday is January 2? Did you clearly explain that I’ll immediately be eighteen next year and that there’s no problem with marriage?”

Changshin felt like he was sitting on a bed of thorns day after day.

His daughter refusing to cheer up for days was one problem, but his own father, Yeon Honam, had also berated him for being useless and unable to even close such a simple deal.

Joo-yeon, who had been watching the conversation, quietly gauged Bora’s mood before speaking.

“From what I’ve heard, Executive Director Seong Jihoon doesn’t seem to think of marriage purely as a business arrangement.”

Her daughter, who had been staring intently into empty space, turned her eyes toward her.

“What do you mean?”

“If that weren’t the case, would he have not only rejected that remarkable Kang Ri-won but also caused such a scene in front of everyone?”

One of Bora’s eyebrows rose slightly.

The incident in which Seong Jihoon, who had been flying high at headquarters as the next heir, was suddenly demoted to a position at the school was famous enough that even Bora knew about it.

Jihoon had declared at a meeting attended by the owners of both families that he would never marry Kang Ri-won, the eldest daughter of the KJ Group, a sibling company that had a close business relationship with Haeseong—even if the heavens themselves split apart.

The whole process had been so loud and chaotic that there were supposedly dozens of witnesses.

“If you really want to marry Executive Director Seong Jihoon, why don’t you try dating him first?”

“Does that make any sense? He rejected marriage, so would he really date me?”

“He rejected marriage. That’s all.”

At Joo-yeon’s words, Bora’s expression finally changed.

“There’s no reason for him to reject dating. Our daughter is this pretty, after all.”

Changshin, who had been quietly watching his daughter’s reaction, also supported his wife’s opinion.

“Exactly. Dad thinks so, too. There isn’t a man in this world who would turn down a woman as beautiful as you, Bora.”

Only then did the sharpness in Bora’s eyes soften slightly.

But the scene she remembered so vividly still left a bad taste in her mouth.

Jihoon covering Eum’s head with his jacket in the rain, while his gaze toward Bora had been more than indifferent—it had been cold and utterly dry.

“Don’t worry, Bora.”

Changshin smiled gently at his daughter.

“Daddy thinks you’re prettier than Eum.”