As soon as she looked at her mother's face at her door, she knew what was going to come. She'd expected that for what seemed to be an eternity. At every day that went by without any word from her parents about it, her hopes for it to be canceled stacked up higher and higher. Though, knowing her father, it wasn't possible. He was known for his solid decision. Once he came up with a decision, it would be his final.

Just like when she was about to hear her father informing her that she wouldn't be attending her practices any longer, despite having prior knowledge to it, her stomach knotted displeasingly. She sat in silence beside Jimin, their parents across of them. A brief glance at her brother, she knew that the tense in his shoulders was because of this too.

"I am sure that you already figured out why I decided to stop you from going to your practices," her father began. "But it won't hurt to remind you back of the deal we made, right Chaeyoung?"

She said nothing to respond, her fingers curled tight, eyes downcast. Her ears failed to mute her father's voice as he restated the deal they'd made.

"In a week, the Koo family will be here at our residence as our guests. Be prepared, both of you. I want you both to be at home, for we will entertain our guests for the whole day. I suppose the two of you are aware that although I said 'guests', they are not merely guests. They will be part of our family, so treat them how you want your family to be treated."

The silence within the space thickened. No one said a word for a few moments. She felt her lips trembled, but no tear left her eyes. Chaeyoung's eyes settled only on her knuckles turning white while her head hung lower. It took all her might to not scream at her father.

"That is all." He rose from his seat. "Dismiss," he said without a color in his voice and a face of no emotion, as though he was talking and giving orders to his subordinates.

"Is that it?" She lifted her head and stared straight into her father's eyes.

She didn't know if her father's response to her was sarcastic or he was really clueless of what Chaeyoung had in mind when she questioned him that.

"That is all, yes," he replied. "Or you wish for me to lay out all the details of what you should do?" When she remained silent, hurt and respect holding her from throwing a fit, her father said in his same old boring tone just before he made his way out of the place, "I don't think I have to tell you a specific name of who you are going to be betrothed to."

Of course, she thought in her head. She knew who he was.

There was only one Koo family among Healers. And there was only one young male in that small family. She spent two years studying alongside him, learning all the important things a Healer must know before he was granted a place in the class Jimin was in, for he was far better, more advanced than his peers.

Female Healers worshipped him like he was the deity despite the stories of how he'd been with too many women never seemed to die down because the stories were true. It would be strange for Healers not to know of him.

"Is there really no one else out there for Father to choose?" Jimin scoffed as soon as their father lost from sight and their mother followed suit. "Koo Junhoe? Out of the many young and fine Healers out there, Father chose him?"

Chaeyoung's brows only furrowed. She was unable to form a word to utter. Jimin was right. Why did Father choose Junhoe if the family reputation was all he cared about? What good would it do to the family's name if she was to be united with a man who let his lust rule his life?

What would people think of this? What would Jungkook think? Oh, Jungkook, her mind sighed. Deep inside of her, without the need to face him to see and read his reaction, Chaeyoung knew that the idea of her marriage to someone else would leave Jungkook with a hole in his heart. What damage could it do to him if he knew who the man that she was going to be matched with? Or, how damaged would he be?

She couldn't bring herself to picture the disappointment on his face. She would be disappointed too, to know that she was to unite with a man a thousand times worse than a man could ever be, not a thousand times better.

Her silence had prolonged more than she realized. Chaeyoung wasn't aware of how she had frozen in her seat until her eyes suddenly blinked once, snapping out of her thoughts and she turned to Jimin. He, in returned, was already looking into her eyes so intently, like he was trying to read something off her mind.

"What are you thinking?" Jimin asked, sounding cautious and curious. He sounded like he expected an exact answer.

Chaeyoung reluctantly shook her head, Jungkook's name almost tumbled out of her mouth. It was uncomfortable to keep something a secret from Jimin, but at the same time, she didn't know if it was a good idea, if it was appropriate to let Jimin know to whom her heart truly belonged, especially at a time like that.

Jimin's gaze didn't falter for long moments and Chaeyoung felt her own brows drew together before he sighed and looked away. At that sight of her brother, she felt the need to say something.

"I know I agreed to that deal but...I can't let this happen, especially if it's with him," she wearily said and Jimin had uttered a soft 'I know' after a beat of silence.

An unsettling feeling sat in the pit of her stomach. It seemed to be more than just the pressure of marrying someone she wasn't interested in for the future of the Healers community. However, Chaeyoung couldn't place a finger on what other reason for the discomfort to be that heavy.

*

Jungkook placed his coins onto the seller's opened palm. He was about to walk away from the stall with the fruits and vegetables that his ears caught something.

"The Parks will finally be at ease. It's about time."

Clearly, they were talking about Chaeyoung. But why? What did they mean by that?

"Still unbelievable that it took her long enough to make herself useful to the society!"

Jungkook felt his lips curved slightly. Did she finally do it? Was she finally able to make even the slightest bit of scar to disappear? He wanted to see it happen before his eyes. He pictured the satisfying smile that would adorn her face. A smile that would finally be a fully satisfied smile. His own lips pulled into a soft smile.

The smile on his face would actually broaden itself further. It would tear his face into two, if it wasn't for what he heard next.

"Oh, I wonder who the Healer might be. I've only heard that he's a fine, young man."

Man? His brows furrowed, smile faded. What exactly was their topic about? For some reason, his heart made an uncomfortable flip and his stomach knotted uneasily. Like in a way when his gut quietly gave him hunches, bad hunches. As he walked further away from the talkers, his ears met with new voices. The topic remained the same. It was still of Chaeyoung.

"From what I heard, it's the man of her father's choice."

"I feel sorry. She deserves better, although it's for our village."

"Oh, nonsense. He's the only man out there willing to sacrifice himself for her. You should feel sorry for him, not that hopeless Healer."

"She's lucky. It's not easy to tame a wild man as he is. I am surprised he even agreed to marry her, seeing as how he doesn't seem like one to commit to only one person."

"I heard that the idea to unite them isn't what they came up with recently. They've been planned to be tied in a marriage long ago."

Out of all the things he heard, only one word seemed to buzz loudly in his ears. Marriage. He felt his fists clenched, his jaw clenched, his heart clenched. Everything clenched painfully.

Unable to conceal the burning in his heart that suddenly burned his entire being, Jungkook's feet traveled fast. He wanted to escape the place. The longer he was there, the louder the words were to his ears. Everything he'd just heard slashed violently inside of him, knifing at his heart the most.

When he finally reached home, all he could think were the kisses they shared, what those kisses meant for him and what they meant to her, if they actually meant anything at all.

He thought of the things he told her and the things she told him in return. He wondered if she meant them the way he thought it was.

Had anything that happened between them meant something at all to her? Was he the only one who felt the spark whenever they were simply looking into one another's eyes?

*

It did not surprise Jimin that the story of Chaeyoung had spread like wildfire. Anywhere he went to, he heard of his sister's name. Even some of his patients talked about her, as though he wasn't there and as though he wasn't related to Chaeyoung. When his task for the day finished, Jimin decided to visit his best friend, the only one he could complain to other than his sister. He didn't need Chaeyoung to have her mind heavy carrying his own complaint when she had a mountain to think about.

"I am not saying that I agree on the idea of Chaeyoung being married off to another Healer, but if she had to anyhow, I wouldn't want that Healer to be Koo Junhoe."

Taehyung's face showed similar concern. Distaste visibly formed on his countenance when Jimin mentioned Junhoe's name with spite. Taehyung had the experience watching his own friend from the Cultivation Sector dedicatedly showed her adoration toward Junhoe, making them both wonder where the true charm was if he only held the ladies' hearts not to keep but to break.

"Is there really nothing else that could be done to change your father's mind, Jimin? I can't imagine Chaeyoung waking up to a man who probably will only spend a few hours with her, but the rest of the time with someone else," Taehyung said, disgust, worry and horror all mixed up in a mess of emotions flitting across his face.

"I wish I know a way," Jimin sighed. "If Junhoe's reputation as a wolf is not known among many, it would be easier. It's enough of a reason to cancel everything. But..." he trailed off, not knowing what to say. "Everyone knows about him, impossible for my father not to have the slightest idea of who Junhoe truly is."

"Poor lad," Taehyung muttered after a moment. Jimin's head jerked toward him.

"Did I hear it wrong, Tae? You are sympathizing with Junhoe after criticizing him?"

"What?" Taehyung's brows lifted, surprise heavy on his well-defined features. "I wasn't. I am feeling sorry for that special friend of Chaeyoung. The Newcomer."

The sight of Chaeyoung and the man from the Defense Sector the other day flashed through his mind. Though the distance was far, Jimin had noticed it clearly that from the look in their faces, they must had been talking about something serious. Perhaps, it was something upsetting, something that would raise concerns, or something that bothered their minds. Whatever it was, it certainly wouldn't have been anything light and fun.

Most of all, he noticed the comfort on their faces at the presence of one another as they dipped themselves further into the conversation they had been having. It was something that would only happen to people with a special bond, Jimin realized.

Jimin shifted himself on the ground he was sitting. Taehyung went away for a moment before he came back with his pet plant. For some reason, he sensed something with the sudden quietness coming from Taehyung when the latter did nothing but pet his plant.

"Go on," Jimin chuckled with a roll of his eyes, knowing that his friend had something to say.

Taehyung inhaled deeply, his eyes unfocused when he lifted his head. It was at moments like that when he knew that Taehyung had a thousand things running through his mind and he couldn't pick one to let go through his lips. But when Taehyung did, it would be the best pick. It would always be something simple, but would absolutely give the mind something to work on.

"Marrying her off to make her useful to the village so she can produce children of Healers is never a good reason, if you ask me," Taehyung said with a rather deeper voice that held a weight of irritation. "Is it not absurd, when time exists?"

Jimin shrugged. "Honestly, at this moment, it feels like almost anything that myfather does... everything comes off as absurd to me."