The Groom Didn’t Come!
“What on earth happened?”
Hyun-kyung rushed into the bridal waiting room, her face pale. Even in the middle of the chaos, the bride, Yuli, was sitting quietly with a bouquet in her hands.
Wrapped in a pure white wedding dress, she was more beautiful than anyone in the world. But her tightly pressed lips were trembling slightly.
“The groom didn’t come!”
At Hyun-kyung’s hoarse shout, Yuli grabbed the hem of her wedding dress and stood up. She silently looked down at the bouquet in her hand. Her expression did not change.
After a brief silence, Yuli suddenly raised her hand and threw the bouquet hard into the trash can. It drew a wide arc in the air, scattering white petals.
“Hyun-kyung, take care of the rest.”
After removing even her silver tiara and veil, Yuli walked out of the bridal waiting room.
“Hey? Where are you going?”
Hyun-kyung called desperately from behind, but Yuli ignored her. She only thought about leaving this place as soon as possible. If she didn’t, it felt like her chest would burst. The faster she walked, the tighter her fingers gripped the hem of her dress.
Even after leaving the wedding hall, she did not stop. She needed the cold wind to cool her overloaded mind. Some passersby glanced at her in her wedding dress, but most simply continued on their way.
How long had she walked?
When she finally stopped and looked up at the sky, a painfully bright blue filled her vision.
Her eyes, now cold and indifferent, flickered sharply.
Several months earlier.
[What? You’re meeting the wedding planner alone?]
Hyun-kyung’s loud voice rang through the Bluetooth earphones. Without answering right away, Yuli stepped into the elevator that had just arrived.
[What about Min-woo?]
Hyun-kyung sounded more upset than Yuli herself. Today, Yuli was supposed to meet the wedding planner with her fiancé, Kwon Min-woo. But early that morning, Min-woo had called.
— I’m really sorry… I suddenly have to go on an urgent business trip to Jeju Island.
She couldn’t say anything to him when he sounded so apologetic. It was work, after all.
“He’s busy.”
[No matter how busy he is, this is your wedding!]
“It’s fine. It’s just a wedding.”
Yuli muttered indifferently, turning her gaze beyond the glass wall of the observation elevator.
Bright sunlight poured over her smooth skin, casting deep shadows along her sharp features. Her elegant face and moist eyes made anyone who looked at her sigh in admiration.
“Beautiful” was not enough to describe her unique aura. Yet there was no happiness or excitement of a bride-to-be on her face.
How could there be? The upcoming wedding felt distant and unfamiliar, as if it belonged to someone else.
With a soft hum, the elevator rose, revealing the crowded interior of the shopping mall. Arcadia Mall, the largest in the country, was a massive complex of shopping mall, department store, hotel, and theater—something Min-woo had put tremendous effort into.
From selecting the site to its completion, everything bore his touch. As soon as it opened, visitors flooded in, and within a year it became one of the top three shopping complexes in the capital area.
After this success, rumors spread that Chairman Kwon Geon-cheol of KG Group would pass management not to his second son, Executive Director Kwon Woo-sik, but to his grandson, Manager Kwon Min-woo.
Because of that, Min-woo worked like a madman. As a result, most of the wedding preparations fell on Yuli.
[Aren’t you even angry?]
Hyun-kyung could never understand Yuli’s calm attitude.
“No, I’m not.”
It wasn’t a lie. Yuli wasn’t angry at all. What was there to be angry about? It wasn’t a marriage born of love.
If she could escape her suffocating family, she could go through dozens of political marriages like this.
She had wanted independence for a long time, but her father always opposed it strongly. Assemblyman Chae Hyung-sik, elected four times, claimed he loved his eldest daughter Yuli so much that he would keep her by his side until she married and started her own family.
Of course, it was a lie. He kept her close to hide his own scandals and to maintain the image of a harmonious family to gain more votes.
Once, she ran away from home. But within a week, she was dragged back. After several failed attempts, she realized that marriage was the only way to escape.
That was why she accepted the arranged marriage with Manager Kwon Min-woo of KG Group.
She first met Min-woo at a charity event she attended with Hyun-kyung in college. They were the same age and had similar majors, so they naturally kept in touch.
Things changed at last year’s Christmas party. Suddenly, Min-woo proposed an arranged marriage.
— Even after we marry, nothing will change. Let’s just think of each other as roommates.
At the words “formal marriage,” Yuli accepted. They were used to each other; it wouldn’t be uncomfortable. But her best friend Hyun-kyung strongly opposed it.
— Don’t you know Min-woo is more than just attached to you as a friend? He definitely has his own plan.
Of course, Yuli knew how Min-woo felt about her. But there was no need to worry. It would pass.
She didn’t believe in love anyway. Even if it burned brightly, it would eventually turn to ashes. Hadn’t her parents’ love, once thought eternal, shattered miserably?
Yuli swallowed a bitter smile and bit her lip.
After ending the call and stepping out of the elevator, she noticed a familiar face among a group of men in suits across the balcony.
“…Min-woo?”
He, who should have been in Jeju Island, was talking seriously with someone.
So the business trip was an excuse?
Frowning, Yuli looked at the man standing beside him. She couldn’t see his face clearly from behind, but he had a perfect body like a model. Maybe he really was a model they were trying to recruit.
But something felt different. His attitude was too rude for a model. Unlike Min-woo’s serious expression, the man seemed uninterested in the conversation.
With one hand in his pocket and his head tilted lazily…
Who was he to act so boldly?
There weren’t many people in Korea who could treat Manager Kwon Min-woo so casually. Min-woo’s brows were slowly tightening, clearly displeased. The aides watching behind them looked uneasy.
Should she greet him or not? Yuli hesitated.
Then suddenly, the man turned his head toward her. Their eyes met directly.
Even from a distance, she could tell he was dangerously beautiful. Pale skin like glass, a sharp nose, dark lips. She didn’t know if “beautiful” suited a man, but no other word came to mind.
As if he noticed her staring, he twisted his lips slightly and nodded at her.
Why did that mocking gesture feel strangely familiar?
Min-woo followed the man’s gaze and soon noticed Yuli across the mall. Even from afar, she could see his troubled expression.
Unable to pretend she hadn’t seen him, Yuli took a step toward Min-woo.
Then—
Beeeeeeep—
A sharp fire alarm rang out. At the same time, water poured from the ceiling sprinklers, blurring her vision.
“Ahhh!”
The mall instantly turned into chaos. Frightened shoppers ran toward the exits. Soaked, Yuli wiped water from her eyes and searched for Min-woo, but he had already disappeared.
“…Ah.”
A hollow sigh escaped her.
He left his fiancée alone in a situation like this?
But this was no time to dwell on it. If there was a fire, she needed to get out quickly. She hurried toward the emergency stairs.
The wet marble floor was extremely slippery. People running toward the stairs began to fall.
One person crashed into an event decoration structure. It swayed dangerously—and beneath it stood a child who had let go of their guardian’s hand, crying.
Danger!
As Yuli threw herself forward to hug the child, a strong force pulled both of them aside.
Bang!
The structure collapsed to the floor. Yuli instinctively curled up, shielding the child.
What happened?
She should have been crushed, yet she felt no pain.
“Are you okay?”
A low voice whispered near her ear. She slowly opened her eyes.
…You?
It was the man she had just locked eyes with.
“Seems like you’re fine.”
After confirming Yuli was safe, he checked the child. Thankfully, the child was only frightened. The guardian rushed over and took the child away, thanking him repeatedly.
“Can you stand?”
Only then did Yuli realize she was still sitting on the floor. She tried to stand but collapsed again. Her legs had gone weak from the shock.
“Not good.”
Muttering to himself, the man wrapped an arm around her shoulders and lifted her up in one motion. As she struggled to steady herself, she fell into his arms.
“…!”
It couldn’t be helped, but she was flustered. The warmth surrounding her made her mind go blank.
It was unfamiliar yet familiar. Uncomfortable yet comforting. A strange, contradictory feeling swept over her.
The brief moment in his arms felt like eternity.
The sprinklers gradually stopped.
Yuli stepped away from him and pushed back her wet hair. He only looked at her silently. Unlike her slightly flushed cheeks, his face showed no emotion at all—so calm it almost made her forget the situation.
“The fire alarm was probably a malfunction due to a design flaw.”
He finally spoke.
“But for safety, let’s go outside.”
Led by his large hand, they headed to the emergency stairs. Most shoppers had already left, so it was empty. From the fifth floor to the first, he kept one arm around her shoulders.
Outside, it was also chaos. Fire trucks, ambulances, police cars, and countless shoppers filled the road.
“You can go on your own from here.”
Before she could even thank him, he turned away. But after a few steps, he came back, took off his jacket, and wrapped it around her.
“Wear it.”
Only then did Yuli realize her wet clothes were clinging to her body, revealing her underwear. But her embarrassment quickly shifted to concern when she saw his shoulder, now exposed and stained red.
…Blood?
“Are you hurt?”
She cried out in shock. He glanced at his shoulder.
“It’s nothing. No need to worry.”
He turned away again without giving her time to respond. She hurried after him, but his steps were too fast, and the distance grew.
“Excuse me! Wait!”
She reached out, but he disappeared into the crowd.
— It’s nothing. No need to worry.
The whisper from the past echoed in her ears.
“…Kwon Je-ho.”
The three syllables slowly left Yuli’s lips.
The son of former KG Group Vice Chairman Kwon Je-woong, who had stepped down long ago—and the man who had once almost been her first fiancé.
Kwon Je-ho.
He had returned.
