Chapter 6: I Hate You
Unlike the dead green outside, the inside of the cathedral was filled with a freshness as if spring itself had been brought in.
Clear green leaves and white roses that made your eyes feel clearer just by looking at them.
And pink roses that breathed life into every corner covered the entire cathedral.
Just as the chairman intended, it felt as if one of South Korea’s top J Hotels had been transported here for the wedding.
But perhaps because of the old cathedral as a backdrop, it felt more sacred than flashy.
Haeyoung glanced sideways at the luxuriously decorated cathedral interior. Then she walked toward Taeseong as slowly as possible.
Although she had accepted this marriage, she didn’t want to look like she was excitedly heading toward that prince-like guy.
Splitting each step in half, Haeyoung slowly reached Taeseong standing in front of the altar.
At the end, she split her steps into smaller and smaller halves, almost wanting to run away.
But seeing her grandmother’s smiling face, she couldn’t bring herself to do that.
Finally standing side by side with Taeseong, Haeyoung pursed her lips and tightly gripped the bouquet.
Ah, so this is really happening. Marriage.
At nineteen, I’m finally becoming a married woman, Haeyoung.
Does that mean I won’t get to experience college life or have a CC [couple connection]?
Blind dates, group dates?
Damn!
Like sand slipping through my fingers, the youthful dreams that disappeared without even one chance to hold on made Haeyoung feel deeply gloomy as the priest’s wedding sermon filled her ears.
“Long ago, the two families promised this union, and today you stand here. The bond of friendship has connected the couple, and today it bears fruit.”
The bond of marriage? More like a cursed fate. A totally shitty fate.
“Groom Ju Taeseong and bride Cha Haeyoung, though young at nineteen, will become each other’s life partners and support through many days ahead…”
Haeyoung barely suppressed a yawn at the priest’s dull sermon, more tedious than even a principal’s speech.
After stifling the yawn, she suddenly wondered what expression Taeseong might have, so she glanced at him.
There stood Taeseong, his profile so perfect it looked like it was drawn.
‘Well… he is pretty handsome.’
Especially in his formal suit today, he looked like he had just stepped out of a drama.
Putting personal feelings aside, objectively he was indeed very handsome.
She even thought that if he wore a long wig, he might be prettier than herself.
Even while listening to the sermon together, it was hard to believe she was marrying Ju Taeseong.
No, even if she put aside who the groom was, the idea of marriage itself was unbelievable.
Sharing a family register with a guy she barely knew…
As Haeyoung pondered this surreal situation and turned her gaze away from Taeseong’s face, the sermon ended and it was time to march.
“Now, the bride and groom, please link arms and proceed!”
At the loud voice of the MC Cheolsu, Haeyoung hooked her arm through Taeseong’s.
She flinched slightly at the feel of his solid arm but quickly composed herself to hide any sign of nervousness.
Then.
About halfway down the flower-adorned virgin road, Taeseong spoke in a small voice, barely audible to Haeyoung alone.
“I hate you.”
Taeseong’s blunt declaration of hate made Haeyoung’s forehead crease with anger.
She smiled and retorted in ventriloquism.
“Who do you think you’re good to?”
“For someone who hates me, you sure were looking at my face a lot earlier. Like just now.”
Taeseong’s teasing made Haeyoung’s face flush faintly.
This guy must have eyes on the back of his head. How did he know?
Embarrassed, Haeyoung bit her pale pink lips tightly and warned.
“Really be careful. You might end up stabbing your own foot with the axe you’re carrying.”
“A truly handsome person like me doesn’t stab his foot with an axe.”
“……”
“The ‘axe disease’ is when an ugly guy mistakes himself for someone good-looking, but I’m truly handsome.”
“……”
“The one who says she hates me still stares at me like crazy.”
“Hah.”
So annoying, really annoying.
Haeyoung blew out a breath and glared sharply at Taeseong.
At that moment, they reached the end of the virgin road and a celebratory firework exploded.
“Everyone, please bless this couple’s future!”
Listening to the loud congratulations from the speakers, Haeyoung thought:
This marriage isn’t a blessing—it’s a disaster.
After the ceremony, Haeyoung returned home to see her grandmother off on her trip.
“Grandma, send me pictures often, listen well to Uncle Cheolsu, and take your medicine so you don’t get sick, okay?”
“Alright, alright.”
“When you go to Jeonju, bibimbap. Busan, pork soup. Gyeongju, grilled short ribs. Gangneung, susubukkumi. Don’t lose the list of restaurants I found for you.”
“Alright, alright, I got it. Time to go now, Haeyoung.”
After hearing Haeyoung’s repeated reminders for ten minutes, Boksun made a ‘tsk’ sound as if to say ‘enough’ and pursed her lips.
“Geez. Okay, I’ll stop.”
Haeyoung pouted, and Cheolsu, Jumsun’s son watching them, reassured her.
“Haeyoung, don’t worry. I’ll make sure grandma has an awesome trip.”
“Yes, Uncle. Please also make sure to stop by the hospital when necessary.”
“Got it. You too, Haeyoung, listen to the elders and your husband.”
“Right. Haeyoung, you know the saying about harmony between husband and wife, right? You should listen to your husband.”
At their advice, Haeyoung awkwardly smiled and nodded.
Nowadays, it’s not a world where wives obediently listen to their husbands.
If she argued, instead of leaving for the trip, she’d probably be stuck in a ‘well-behaved newlywed’ lecture for hours, so she kept quiet.
“Uncle, I need to finish getting ready. Grandpa’s waiting.”
“Oh, right. You have to get ready too. Let’s go, our elders.”
When Haeyoung finished the conversation, Uncle Cheolsu winked at the two seniors and suggested they get into the car.
After hugging Haeyoung one more time, Boksun set off on her final journey.
Haeyoung took her packed luggage and headed toward her new home in Seoul with Chairman Ju and Taeseong.
Since it took about four hours by car from Pohang to Seoul, it was already dark evening when they arrived.
Stepping out of the car and passing through a huge iron gate, Haeyoung stopped walking for a moment and marveled at the well-kept garden.
“Wow… it’s pretty.”
From the outside, the walls looked like cold fortress walls that could never be climbed, but inside was a neat and warm space.
The brick house wasn’t grandiose but clean and orderly, with an air of dignified maturity.
Small lights installed here and there warmed the gray winter garden.
In fact, it was only on the wedding day that Haeyoung learned exactly what kind of chairman Chairman Ju was.
Chairman Ju was the head of ChaHyun Group.
ChaHyun Group was a large corporation that controlled much of South Korea’s distribution industry.
Not only distribution, but recently it had expanded into dining brands and bio business, according to news she had seen.
Even rural areas had marts and convenience stores backed by ChaHyun Group, so it was a fairly familiar name to ordinary people like her.
Anyway, not only was she marrying at nineteen, but she was becoming the daughter-in-law of a conglomerate that tightly controlled Korea’s economy.
It felt like she had become the protagonist of a cliché drama popular when she was in elementary school.
The only difference from that drama was that her grandfather, the chairman, was humble and warm.
Haeyoung thought that the chairman who never forgot his longtime friend, and this house, were alike.
“This is going to be where I live now.”
As Haeyoung muttered awkwardly, Chairman Ju called to her kindly.
“Haeyoung, it’s cold out here. Let’s go inside.”
“Yes.”
Haeyoung nodded, relieved there was a kind chairman unlike Taeseong.
Yes, the picture Grandma wanted was for her to become part of this family, not to become Ju Taeseong’s wife.
So it was fine to keep a reasonable distance from that guy.
Haeyoung decided her future attitude and walked firmly forward.
Inside the house, Haeyoung greeted Jincheondaeck, who took care of the housework.
“I’m Jincheondaeck. I handle the housework here, so if you need anything or want to eat something, just tell me.”
“Yes. I’m Cha Haeyoung. I’m the granddaughter and daughter-in-law of the grandfather.”
Haeyoung said “granddaughter daughter-in-law” shyly, as if the words didn’t fit yet.
The two elders smiled broadly as if pleased even with that and praised her.
“Oh my, so pretty. Our chairman sure has a beautiful granddaughter daughter-in-law.”
“I really am lucky, haha!”
Meanwhile, Taeseong was staring down from about halfway up the stairs to the second floor.
Then his lips curled into a crooked smile.
“Everyone’s going crazy.”
Even if Grandpa knew he was head over heels for her, he didn’t expect Jincheondaeck to give that look too.
For some reason, it felt like the stranger here was her, and he was the outsider — it bothered him.
Just as Taeseong’s desire to escape outside the house instead of having dinner reached its peak, Chairman Ju called him.
“Taeseong!”
“…Yes.”
Taeseong tried to keep a composed expression at least for his grandfather’s sake on the wedding day, and came down the stairs.
“Before dinner, show Haeyoung her room.”
Taeseong glanced briefly at Haeyoung and said:
“Follow me.”
“Okay.”
Unlike in front of the chairman, Haeyoung followed with a scowl.
Passing through the living room just inside the stairs, Taeseong headed to the very end of the hallway, opened a door, and turned on the light.
“This is your room.”
“Okay.”
“Opposite is my room, so don’t even think about coming in.”
Taeseong’s attitude, as if she were a potential pervert, made Haeyoung narrow her sharp eyes at him.
Then, looking him up and down, she responded in a dry voice.
“Looks like there’s nothing to see here, but you sure are touchy.”
