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AIM 19

AIM

Chapter 19. My Heart Is Beating Hard

“Why did she have to call Gijun-hyung…”

Taeseong muttered to himself, and suddenly remembered something Hyeok had said.

“Yeah, makes sense. She could fall for someone too.”

That calm voice from Cha Hyeok hit him right in the heart.

He thought about the moment Haeyeong smiled at Gijun,
the moment Gijun showed up behind her after the taxi ride.

And he realized—

Maybe it wouldn’t be that hard for Haeyeong to like Kwon Gijun.
Even as a guy, Taeseong had to admit—Gijun was cool and kind.

But still, it felt… uncomfortable.

The moment Gijun stepped out of the taxi behind Haeyeong,
Taeseong felt like all the worrying he did had been for nothing.

Haeyeong beside Gijun.
Gijun beside Haeyeong.
The more he repeated that, the more strange and confusing feelings came like soft waves inside him.

Feeling tight in the chest, Taeseong clenched his fists and tapped on his chest.


If Haeyeong liked someone else, and if his confession went well,
they could just get a divorce and both live happily.

But why did his chest feel so heavy?

He kept asking himself until finally, he found the reason.

He was scared someone like Haeyeong, so innocent, might get hurt.

From what he had seen, Gijun often dated different women.

He was a good older brother figure, but as a man… not so much.

Unlike Taeseong, who had only looked at one person for a long time,
Gijun seemed like someone who didn’t stop the girls who came and went.

It wouldn’t matter if it was just any girl—
but Haeyeong wasn’t just any girl.

She didn’t deserve to get hurt like that.

Not by Gijun, and not by anyone who might hurt her.

After feeling confused for a while, Taeseong finally found the answer.
With a clear and sure voice, he said:


“Yeah. That’s why.”


Once he had a clear reason, his chest didn’t feel heavy anymore.

“Right. Who would just watch a friend walk into danger?”

He told himself that they were just friends.
And when he fit Haeyeong and himself into that idea of “friends,” everything made sense again.

It’s natural for friends to worry about each other.

He took all those small, complicated feelings and bundled them into one simple reason—friendship.

And he nodded to himself, satisfied.

But Taeseong didn’t know.

He didn’t realize that calling it “just friendship” might actually hurt someone.

And he had no idea how it would come back to him later.

 

He really… didn’t know.

* * *

Morning came.

After eating breakfast together, Haeyeong and Taeseong went upstairs to get their bags.

Haeyeong quietly went into her room, and Taeseong quickly got his bag and came out.

He planned to walk to school with her, apologize for being grumpy yesterday, and also tell her to keep some distance from Gijun.

Click.

A moment later, Haeyeong came out of her room with her bag on.


“You were waiting, huh?”

“I was goi—”

“To get your clothes.”

Haeyeong spoke like she knew the reason he waited and handed him some clothes.


“Put this on. It’s supposed to be a cold snap today.”

“Huh? Oh… okay.”

“I didn’t get to wash it, but you only wore it for a bit, so it’s fine, right?”


After giving that excuse, Haeyeong walked past him and went down the stairs first.

Even after her small footsteps disappeared completely, Taeseong didn’t call her back.

The part of his heart that had felt clear just earlier was now feeling tight again.


* * *

“Hey, Kwon Gijun!”

In front of the business school building, someone called out to Gijun as he came out after class.


“Oh, Hyeokjun.”

Gijun gave a polite business smile.


“Hey, remember that party we postponed? Thinking of doing it tomorrow. You free?”

“Tomorrow?”

“Yeah, yeah. You know it won’t be any fun without our ‘prince of business school’ there.”


At that flattery, Gijun’s eyes turned a bit cold.

As the third-generation heir of KH Group, Gijun was actually an illegitimate child.

It wasn’t public knowledge, but people in the business world knew the rumor.

People called him “prince” outside, but at home, he was treated coldly and unfairly.

So Hyeokjun’s flattery just made him uncomfortable.

But there was no need to show that.

After all, they wouldn’t see each other after graduation anyway.


“Ah, sorry. I’ve got tutoring that day.”

“Huh? Didn’t you quit tutoring last year?”

“I did, but someone I know asked me to tutor their granddaughter. I couldn’t say no.”

“Oh…”

“And also, she’s kinda cute.”


Gijun smiled, thinking about Haeyeong from yesterday.

Haeyeong, acting like a puppy when she saw Taeseong.
And Taeseong, looking annoyed and jealous with that childish glare.


“Wow, Gijun, dude, you’re seriously shady. She’s a senior in high school!”


But that was as far as it went.

It was just a little fun for him.

Watching them was amusing, but he had no plans to get involved in their teenage drama.

Though, if needed, he wouldn’t mind helping out if things went badly for them.

After watching a bit more for fun, of course.


“I meant she’s cute like a little sister. Besides, she’s already married.”

“Huh? Married?”

“Yeah. Even though she’s young, she’s already taken.”

“Whoa, I guess rich people do arranged marriages super early, huh. That’s wild.”


Hyeokjun muttered while stroking his chin.
Gijun raised his eyebrows at how dumb that sounded, then put his usual mask back on.


“Anyway, I can’t come tomorrow. Just keep that in mind.”

“No way! I’ll change the date. We need you there to boost our image—especially with the new students.”

“Fine, do whatever you want.”


Gijun lightly nodded, not really caring.
To Hyeokjun, he was just a trophy.

As he walked toward the print shop, Gijun muttered to himself:


“How boring.”


At home, he was treated like trash.
Outside, people tried to flatter him.

In between all that, there wasn’t a single person who really cared about him.

* * *

While packing his stuff, Taeseong asked Hyeok:


“Aren’t you going home?”

“Yeah, I’ll go later after studying a bit. My aunt said she’ll be home late anyway.”


Hyeok answered without even looking up, his eyes still on his workbook.

Taeseong shook his head like he was tired of his friend.


“You math monster. Ugh.”


The two of them always competed for the top spots in school, switching between first and second place.

They were both smart, but Hyeok was especially good at math.

Taeseong was strong in all subjects, but he didn’t like math that much.
If anything, he was more of a liberal arts type.

Hyeok liked digging deep into subjects like a scholar,
while Taeseong focused on exam strategy.
So in truth, he didn’t even study that much.


“If I’m a math monster, then you’re a score machine.”


Hyeok finally looked up and said sharply.

With a small frown behind his silver-rimmed glasses, he clicked his pen and asked:


“What’s up with you today? What’s your problem? Why are you acting like everything annoys you?”

“When did I—?”


Taeseong tried to deny it, but Hyeok just clicked his tongue.


“Forget it. I’m leaving. I don’t feel like studying today.”


Taeseong slung his bag over his shoulder and grabbed his hoodie from the chair.

Even though the forecast said it would be cold, the day had stayed warm, so he didn’t wear it.


“I’m heading out.”

“Hey, Ju Taeseong.”


Just as he turned around, Hyeok called to him, picking something up off the floor.


“This fell out of your pocket just now.”

“Huh?”

“You’re still looking for four-leaf clovers these days?”

“What are you talking about…?”


Taeseong’s lips pressed into a line when he saw what Hyeok handed him.

He stared blankly at the four-leaf clover like time had stopped.

It was neatly laminated.

The person who had put this in his pocket was—


“Hey, I’m heading out first.”


With Haeyeong’s pale face flashing in his mind, Taeseong quickly started running in his black sneakers.

If he ran fast enough, maybe he could catch Haeyeong on her way home.


“Hey, Ju Taeseong! I told you not to run in the halls!”

“Just for today! I’ll only run today!”


Taeseong shouted back at the teacher as he ran down the hallway.

He didn’t care about the annoyed sighs behind him or the stares from other students.

He just kept running.

So fast his heart was pounding.


* * *

After running hard, Taeseong reached the front of Haeyeong’s school, which was next to his.

Even without anyone knowing he was from a rich family, Taeseong’s good looks made him popular at nearby schools.

Worried someone might recognize him and cause trouble, he pulled his hoodie low and looked around carefully.

He scanned the crowd of students, looking for Haeyeong.

He found her quickly, but just as he was about to call out—


“Hey, Cha Hae—”


He froze.

Three shady-looking guys were awkwardly following behind Haeyeong.

With eyes sharp like a well-sharpened knife, Taeseong quietly followed behind them.

At Novelish Universe, we deeply respect the hard work of original authors and publishers. Our platform exists to share stories with global readers, and we are open and ready to partner with rights holders to ensure creators are supported and fairly recognized. All of our translations are done by professional translators at the request of our readers, and the majority of revenue goes directly to supporting these translators for their dedication and commitment to quality.
An Inevitable Marriage

An Inevitable Marriage

어쩔 수 없는, 결혼
Score 9.8
Status: Ongoing Type: Author: Artist: Released: 2025 Native Language: korean

Summary

At nineteen, both he and I entered into a marriage we couldn’t avoid.

“I don’t like you.”
“You think I like you?”

And then I found out—
His first love was still ongoing.

So I made him a promise:
If his confession at twenty went as planned, I’d agree to a divorce.

As we raced toward turning twenty, something unexpected happened.
I started to fall for him.

Joo Tae-seong was prickly but kind.
Rude, but warm-hearted.
His words were sharp, but the way he looked at me was always gentle.

But Joo Tae-seong didn’t love me.
So we divorced.
And I swore to erase my ex-husband from my life.

“Of course I couldn’t find you—you were hiding so well.”

I never imagined we’d meet again ten years later.

“I like you.”

Or that we’d become tangled up all over again.

“You’re the only one I ever wanted to do this with. Now or back then.”

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