Red String || Seulrene || BOOK 1

Chapter one. ((edited))

Seulgi heard her dad yelling on the phone.

She was to give him her homemade chocolate cupcakes and was about to knock, but was interrupted when she heard him yelling. "There is no way I'm putting her at risk!" Her? Who was that her? And what risk was he talking about?

In dismay, Seulgi put back the cupcakes in the kitchen counter and left it there. Then she went up to her room.

Later, her mom appeared with a glass of milk. Seulgi was too old for that, she was already 24. But her mother kept treating her like a child.

She then sat beside Seulgi, who was sitting on the edge of her bed with her elbows on her thighs and her hands supporting the weight of her head. She patted Seulgi's back.

"I'm pretty sure you heard it." Seulgi looked to her mom, with such sadness in her eyes.

She longed for her dad's attention. But he was always busy with 'work'. He had even no time to spend it with his housewife, let alone his daughter.

Despite lacking attention, Seulgi was much spoiled with material things. If she wanted a new car, daddy would give it to her with just one word.

Her mom, on the other hand, raised her prim and proper. Not acting like a spoiled brat. Yes, she was spoiled but wasn't a brat. She was still grateful for everything she was given.

She learned to even earned her own money one time when her mom told her to get a temporary job as a waitress. She did what her mom said. It was for experience.

Seulgi and her mom stayed silent in the room, her mom patting her back, but that silence wasn't awkward or anything. It was comforting. Seulgi rested her head on her mother's shoulder.

"I tried giving him cookies I made. But he's angry and I didn't want to disturb him." Seulgi pouted.

"Princess, he's doing that for us." As always, Seulgi heard that lame excuse over the years. Although being immune to it, she still had hope that her father would make time for her.

~~

"Mommy, we're going on a family field trip. Is daddy going to be there, too?"
"I'm sorry, Princess. Daddy couldn't come. He's busy working to tend to our needs."

"Mom, it's graduation! Is dad coming?"
"He's not, Princess. He's busy working for us."

Seulgi did well in school, she excelled in academics and arts, too. She went to school at around 6 in the morning and went home at 8 at night. Because of extra classes she was taking up after school. Seulgi had no time to be romantically involved and had minimal number of friends. Usually, teens would go to norebang (IDK how to explain but it's like a singing room) and consume alcohol secretly but Seulgi didn't do any of that. (Yes, korean high school is this busy. If you want to be an idol, you focus more on arts, dance, music and theatre.

She somehow understood why they were so rich. She was artistically and academically inclined because she worked hard for it. So were they, being financially stable because of her dad's hard work.

~~

Later, Seulgi's dad appeared in her room. He looked tensed but he wasn't mad.

Seulgi and her mom turned to him.

"Princess, can we talk?" Seulgi nodded. Seulgi's mom gave him space to sit beside her. She then sat at the vanity chair, which was in front of Seulgi.

"Princess, daddy wants a little favor from you. But you can always say no if you don't want to, okay?"

Seulgi always loved being called like that. Not because of a bratty entitlement, but because she felt that she is her daddy's precious daughter and nothing can change that.

"What is it, dad?" He held her hand and his fingers fidgeted. His face didn't show nervousness but surely his fingers did. Both Seulgi and her mom were intrigued.

"The Baes' child will be arranged married to you. I'm sorry, sweetheart. That was the only way to save our company from being bankrupted. I shouldn't have invested too much, now we're losing. And the only way was to have our company be acquired by our rival, which we would have to team up or give up." Her shoulders dropped after hearing that.

"I believe in you. Because someday, when you take over, you'll handle everything." He kissed her forehead. "But it's not too late to say no. I won't sacrifice my daughter's unwillingness for this. We can start anew-"

She didn't want her father's efforts go to waste. After all those years he didn't get to spend time with them, she can't take those back if she let the company go bankrupt.

"No, I will do it."

"You will? It's not against your will?" Seulgi was willing to take risk for her family, after all, her family gave her everything she wanted even if it lacked time spent together, she still felt her parents' love towards her.