Mission One: Marry You

first night

.

it was midnight, heeseung is still awake. chilling on his bed while scrolling some tiktok not until a knock could be heard from outside.

without heeseung's permission, the door opened, revealing aeri with a wide smile. she also got her pink teddy bear and her blanket.

she walked beside heeseung's side and started to make her comfortable bed without any word. easy to say, one bed with heeseung.

"what are doing here?" asked heeseung.

"sleep with you? what else?"

"oh come on. you got so many bedrooms in your mansion, why do we need to share a room and even a bed?" here you go, an ice-cold heeseung again.

"because we married! you're the one who suggests living with yeonjun. it'll be suspicious if we sleep in a separate room. if yeonjun not here, i would probably enjoy being in my room you know?" aeri pouted, tucked herself inside the comfortable blanket. her back facing heeseung's body.

that man doesn't care, he keeps scrolling his media social and aeri tried her best to sleep but can't.

"i can't sleep," aeri said turning back her body to stare at the ceiling.

"hee, stop playing with your phone can you? let's play 5 questions instead, at least you can get to know your wife more," aeri suggests but he doesn't even move, he acted like aeri was not even by his side.

anger took her body, she took his phone away and keep it on another side so he can't take it back until he agreed to play.

"uh, you're so annoying. what's your question? please be faster," heeseung groaned, again he was forced by this girl.

aeri took a deep breath before asking, "where– when are you going to start your college?"

"this monday. my question is, do you have any ex-boyfriends before?" aeri is quite surprised by his question but of course she takes it professionally.

"no, why? hehe don't worry hee, you are my first and last,"

heeseung rolled his eyes, "ew. i asked because if you have any before, i felt bad for him got a girlfriend like you,"

"tch. poor you got a wife like me then. ugh enough, my question next! why do you want to be a zookeeper so bad?"

"i want to be a zoo veterinarian dummy. it's because animals is my safe place, they safe me so i want to save them," heeseung explained only making the girl frown.

animal as a safe place? what if it's a snake or maybe a lizard? ew, how can he say it's a safe place?

"what do you mean by safe place? i mean, some animals are a quite dangerous right?" - aeri

"it's my turn to ask you, stupid," - heeseung

"just answer, i'll let you ask me two questions next turn," - aeri

"when i was a kid, i was raised by grandma because my parents were so busy with their work. i live in my hometown for about three years but no one wants to be my friend. 'lonely dumb city kid' they called me. i was so quiet back then, so they thought i'm arrogant," - heeseung

"so every evening, when other kids play on the playground, i sat on the edge of my treehouse that my grandpa did wondering why don't suit to be with them. until one day, a squirrel got into my treehouse. surprisingly, the squirrel didn't run away when i approach them," - heeseung

"day by day, i started to get close with that squirrel. it come back inside the treehouse every time i came. i didn't watch other kids anymore. i played with that squirrel, talked, and even treated that animal like a human. not only a squirrel, a snake, lizard, cockroaches and even ants! i grow up sharing my problem with animals. i guess they saved me from loneliness," heeseung finally ended his story with a big sigh.

he takes a look at aeri who is really in her deep thought. probably thinks that heeseung is the weirdest man she has ever known.

"oy, my turn," heeseung shake her body a little, she nodded repeatedly and focused on his question.

"is your dad always busy?"

"yea, he's a doctor. a doctor is important since the world always got someone sick every day. he's a doctor in ilsan hospital. far, right? that's why we barely see each other," - aeri.

"since you're a kid?" - heeseung.

"uhm, since i was 12 or 13 maybe. i couldn't remember but hee, it's my turn now," aeri said after she realized that heeseung already asked her two questions.

"where are your parents? you only invite your friends, even our marriage paper, you asked your uncle who is from overseas to sign it!" - aeri

"eh- eh wait. if your parents... you know... i'm sorry," aeri said before heeseung could say any words. scared that her words could hurt heeseung.

"just like your mother, let's just pretend i don't have family, i hate them. except for the one in the overseas for sure," - heeseung.

"so they didn't die?" - aeri

"no, i don't know. your turn is done now and i don't have any questions for you. let's just sleep, i'm sleepy," heeseung turns his back facing aeri who is glad that his parents are not in a cliché movie where their parents have already gone since they were little.

she turned her head to his body, "since you love animals, do you have any pets?" she asked not caring that the game is already done.

"the game is finished, now sleep,"

"let's go find an animal to be a pet tomorrow? you must have so many things on your head that you couldn't say right?"

heeseung chuckled at her idea, "just say you want to go date with me. ahh but i agreed, i want some pet since i can't have it in my old apartment," he said with his sleepy voice.

it's too earlier to fall in love with her, hee. heeseung thought himself before moving to his dreamland.

both of them can't lie. they both had a fun and comfy conversation just now. and again, aeri hopes is not fake just like he did at the wedding this morning.