Jihyun woke up to sunlight pouring through the curtains. He rolled over and lazily reached for his phone on the nightstand. The screen lit up with unread messages.
Group Chat: OT5 Idiots
Soobin:
we're backkk. landed last night!!!
Wonyoung:
let's meet tomorrow. still waiting for someone to confirm if the whole secret marriage thing is real or just a bad PR leak.
Liya:
i think he's too busy cuddling his husband.
Jungwon:
someone tell Jihyun he better show up this time. i have a lot of questions.
Soobin:
me too. jihyun, i swear if you ghost us again i'm going to kill you.
Jihyun:
Just woke up. Calm down.
Liya:
you're alive.
Jungwon:
omg everyone screenshot this.
Soobin:
you good tho?? your last text was weird.
Jihyun:
Let's meet today. I'll explain everything in person.
He locked his phone and stared at the ceiling in silence. No matter how many times he blinked, things still felt unreal.
He got out of bed, showered, and dressed simply. As he towel dried his hair, he grabbed his phone and headed downstairs.
As he neared the kitchen, he heard soft voices. A woman's laugh.
He paused at the doorway.
Taewon stood by the counter, damp hair pushed back, a towel slung around his neck. He was speaking casually with a woman in her 30s, wearing a pale blouse and apron. She laughed at something he said.
Jihyun's heart dropped.
Cheating? Already?
"It's OK then ,my chance."
Before he could speak, Taewon turned to him.
"You're up," he said. "Come here. I want to introduce someone."
Jihyun walked in slowly.
"This is Hana. Our new cook. She'll be preparing breakfast, lunch, and dinner starting today."
The woman bowed politely. "Nice to meet you."
"Ah yeah. You too," Jihyun mumbled.
"And Seokjin is the driver," Taewon added, turning back to the counter. "He's outside, in the parking lot. He'll be driving you from now on."
Jihyun nodded slowly. "I was about to tell you I'm going out. Meeting my friends."
"Alright. Be back before six."
Jihyun frowned. "Why?"
"There's a dinner tonight," Taewon said. "With my parents. They want to see you."
"Umm. Okay."
(Later: Café)
Jihyun stepped in cafe. His friends were already gathered Liya with an iced matcha, Jungwon spilling sugar packets, Wonyoung halfway through a waffle, and Soobin sitting stiffly with folded arms.
"There he is," Wonyoung waved.
"Show us the ring!" Liya grinned.
"I still think it's fake," Jungwon said.
"Too quiet for a real marriage."
Jihyun sat down and folded his arms. "It's real."
The table fell silent.
"No way," Wonyoung muttered.
"Wait, so it's actually true?"
Jihyun nodded.
"Since when were you two even dating?" Jungwon asked.
"We weren't," Jihyun replied. "It was arranged. My parents pushed it through."
"You're joking," Wonyoung said.
"No." He stirred his drink, lips pressed thin. "There was no proposal. No romance. No choice."
Soobin stayed quiet, eyes down, jaw tight.
Liya leaned in. "That Alpha did he force you?"
"No. But he didn't stop it either. He just accepted it. Like it didn't matter."
"What's he like?" Jungwon asked.
Jihyun sighed. "Polite. Quiet. Gentle. Not talkative. Boring, kind of."
"And now you live together?" Liya asked.
"Technically. I made rules. No touching, no interfering. He agreed to all of them."
"That's kind of creepy," Wonyoung muttered.
"He hasn't done anything wrong. But he hasn't done anything right either,"
Jihyun said, fingers tightening around the cup.
"So what are you gonna do?" Jungwon asked.
"I'll wait for a while. Then file for divorce."
"You're sure?" Liya said gently.
Jihyun looked at her. "Would you stay in a marriage like that?"
No one answered.
"Anyway," Wonyoung cut in, "guess who's coming back next week?"
"Who?" Jihyun asked.
"Mina."
He blinked. "The idol?"
"Your idol," Liya teased. "Your first crush."
"She's back from China," Wonyoung said. "Word she's signing with a Korean label again."
Jihyun laughed softly. "I used to write songs for her in my sketchbook."
Jungwon smirked. "Well, if your husband keeps acting like furniture, you might still have a chance."
Soobin sighed. "Can we not throw him into another storm while he's still drowning in the first?"
(Evening: Home)
Jihyun returned as the sky turned grey. The car ride had been silent. Seokjin wasn't chatty either.
"I'll be off now," Seokjin said as they pulled in.
"Thanks," Jihyun replied and stepped inside.
The entrance was quiet. No shoes out of place. Clean, too clean.
"Hana-ssi?" No answer.
She must've left already.
And Taewon probably not home either. Maybe still at work.
"This is my chance."
He headed to Taewon's room. The large cabinet beside the bed stood.
What is he hiding in here?
He slowly opened the drawers.
First: boring files.
Second: cables and random tech.
Third: locked.
Of course.
He moved to the side cupboard, opening the top drawer and rifling through casually just in case someone walked in.
Then the bathroom door creaked open.
Jihyun froze.
Taewon stepped out, towel around his waist, another towel in hand as he lazily dried his wet hair. His chest glistened, water droplets sliding down skin. His gaze landed on Jihyun without a hint of surprise.
"You're home already."
Jihyun jumped slightly. "I ,I didn't know you were here. I was just looking for a pen."
Taewon didn't say anything at first. Just nodded once. "Sure."
Then, without reacting, he walked past him no shirt, no urgency cheeks flushed slightly from embarrassment.
"Next time, knock," he said casually, disappearing into the hall.
Jihyun stood there, heart racing.
From embarrassment.