Wed Game

2

Joshua

"Hong Joshua!" my grandfather's shrill voice makes me jump out of my sofa, tipping over the popcorn bowl in my hand.

"Grandpa, can't you knock or something?" I grumble, flicking some of the popcorn that somehow ended up in my hair.

"What is this I hear about you not going on the blind date I set up for you?!" my grandpa yells, raising his cane at me.

I pause my show and turn to him. "Who told you that?" I ask, making a mental note to fire whoever snitched. (It's probably the new driver, Jeonghan or whatever. Traitor.)

"You will go on this blind date. You are 26 years old and heir to a company. It's high time you marry! Enough with the games already..."

I let out a grunt. I've heard this speech many times before, telling me I have to marry. I have to produce children that will own the company after me. Otherwise the company goes to some rando who's not part of the family. As the sole heir to Hong Pharmaceutical, it's my responsibility to carry on the legacy of the Hong family blo blo blo. It hurts my head. And frankly, I don't give a crap.

And I really really don't want to go on these useless blind dates.

I smile at my grandfather, putting on my best obedient-grandson face. "Why, grandpa, of course I'm going on this blind date." I'm glad his vision is too weak to see that I don't actually mean it.

My grandfather, President Hong, is old and frail now. He walks on a cane and has wrinkles covering every inch of his face. Whenever I look at him, dread washes over me because I can see very clearly that I'm going to be the CEO of the biggest company in South Korea very soon, and to be honest, I'm not ready for that responsibility.

How can I lead a multi-billion dollar company when all I care about is playing games and watching TV? I was just in the middle of re-watching Squid Game for the sixth time when my grandfather barged in here to threaten and insult me and remind me of my "duties."

"Get ready, I'm taking you to the date myself," he tells me.

Ah shit.

"No need for that, grandpa. You're tired. Just rest at home, I'll get to the date on my own," I say. And by that, I mean I'll bail and sit at home and finish binge-watching Squid Game.

I guess he saw right through me, because he insisted, and before I knew it, he's waiting for me in the car.

I groan. As much as I don't want to go on this date, it's not worth causing my grandfather undue stress, so I begrudgingly comply.

I'm at my closet trying to decide between a Gucci and Burberry suit when Chaeyoung suddenly appears at the door, knocking hesitantly with a vacuum cleaner in hand. "I heard there's been some spilled popcorn in here, sir," she says.

I hate when she calls me 'sir,' so I roll my eyes.

"Hey, which one's uglier?" I ask her, holding up both suits for her to pick. "I want to wear the suit that will make me look as unflattering as possible!"

She looks between them, and then at me. "You're going on your date?" she asks, putting down the vacuum cleaner and giving me her attention.

"Grandpa's waiting in the car for me, so I can't really refuse."

She comes closer to inspect the suits, then she looks back up at me. "Nothing you wear will make you look unflattering."

"Damn my immaculate good looks," I joke.

She smiles at me, but I could see the hint of sadness behind her eyes, a sight that makes me hurl the suits to the side and focus my full attention on her.

That look in her eyes always makes me want to destroy whatever it is that made her sad. It riles me up like nothing else could, and makes me want to give her everything just to see her smile. Because damnit, her smile is even better than Squid Game!

I grab her chin and kiss the edge of her lips. She blushes, but then quickly steps away from me.

"Somebody might see."

"I'll tell them you were cleaning my face with your lips," I joke, hoping it would make her smile. And lo and behold, it worked! She smiled! Better than a million Squid Games.

"I'm going to go clean the popcorn now. You get dressed for your date. You shouldn't keep your grandfather waiting"

"Yes ma'am," I say, then get dressed for my date with someone else.

I wish she could be the one I marry. If she's the one by my side, I'd gladly get married right now, today. But I know that could never happen; she's a maid, and I'm an heir. My life is out of my hands, and my marriage partner would have to be approved by my grandfather and the Board of Directors at my company. They would never approve of her.

I thought about coming forward, declaring that I'm in love with her and expressing my wish to marry her, with or without their approval, but I'm afraid of what that would do to her. She would probably lose her job, get targeted by journalists, and harassed by powerful, rich people in my circles. I would never put her through that.

But I haven't given up. I'm going to find a way to marry her and keep her safe at the same time.

I've already tried turning her into a social media influencer so they'd accept her for her online presence. I even went as far as buying her followers and promoting her posts. She had a good following, but once she started getting hate comments, it put a damper on her spirit and limited her wonderful smile. So we scrapped that idea, and have been brainstorming other ideas ever since.

We considered breaking up multiple times. Moving on and letting me marry for the company. But that didn't work out at all. Every time I saw her doing work around my house, my chest would flare with desire.

I don't want to give her up.

She has ruined every other girl for me. Every blind date I go on, I always think about how I would much rather be talking with Chaeyeon.

I will simply be unable to marry anyone else. Hence why these blind dates are so useless.

"So, how do I look?" I ask her, curtsying in my Burberry suit.

She laughs. (Oh how I love love love her laugh). "Too handsome. She'll fall in love with you at first sight"

"What if I contort my face the whole time, like this," I say, before scrunching my face into the most unappealing form I can muster. "Still handsome?"

She laughs again. I'm on a roll!

But then the laugh fades away, and her face falls again.

You see, this is the number one reason I don't like going on blind dates; it makes her sad. No matter how much I reassure her that these stupid dates are all formalities, and that nothing will ever come of them, and that none of the girls have ever made me feel like she does, she still feels sad.

I'm going to find a way to put an end to these stupid blind dates once and for all. But for now, my grandpa is waiting in the car.

I kiss her forehead, squeeze her hand, and bid her farewell.