Read Marriage Agreement Novel Translation Chapter 7

(결혼합의)

Author: 문스톤 (Moonstone) | Translator: Genie

#josei #drama #romance #contract-marriage #mature #modern #slice-of-life

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The place Jinhyuk had chosen for their meeting was a restaurant in the city. Once again, Eunsu arrived early and waited for him.

She couldn’t remember the last time she had waited for someone with her heart pounding like this. And to think the person making her feel this way was still Woo Jinhyuk, both in the past and now—it really was a persistent connection.

He arrived at the restaurant exactly on time, as if he had been waiting outside, timing his entrance to the exact second the minute and second hands aligned.

“You’re here,” Eunsu greeted, standing up as he entered. Jinhyuk glanced at her briefly and replied in a blunt tone.

“There’s no need to stand.”

“…Okay.”

“Let’s order first.”

“Alright.”

After placing their orders, Jinhyuk silently stared at her again. His intense gaze made her increasingly uncomfortable, and her face began to flush. Just as she was about to reach her limit, he spoke.

“What did your parents say?”

“Pardon?”

“Didn’t you tell them yesterday?”

“Well, they already knew before I could say anything.”

Jinhyuk, unfazed, asked, “Did they approve?”

“Well, of course…”

Her voice trailed off, and he stared at her again.

“Am I making you uncomfortable?”

“…”

“Are you going to keep avoiding saying what you want even after we’re married? You should get into the habit of speaking clearly so that we…”

Before he could finish, she suddenly blurted out, “Are you really going to marry me?”

She didn’t know where the courage came from—perhaps the question had been circling in her mind for too long. Jinhyuk, however, seemed unaffected by her interruption and answered calmly.

“Yes.”

“Why me?”

“At the very least, your marriage partner should be someone you’re more familiar with than a stranger.”

“Familiar?”

What did he mean by that? Eunsu couldn’t hide her confusion and stared at him.

Familiar? Who is he talking about?

Sure, they’d known each other for nearly ten years, but in all that time, their actual conversations could be counted on one hand. Even including her early days of secretly admiring him and sneaking glances around campus, there wasn’t much to speak of.

And yet, he said they were familiar. What kind of relationship map did Woo Jinhyuk have in his head?

While Eunsu was at a loss for words, their food arrived. Watching Jinhyuk focus on his meal with an unreadable expression, she suddenly thought:

I’m going to be stuck being pushed around by this man for a long time.

It wasn’t a pleasant realization. Why was Seo Eunsu’s life always dictated by others?

Sighing quietly, she caught Jinhyuk looking up from his meal to fix his gaze on her.

“Not to your taste?”

“No.”

She hadn’t even touched the food yet, so how could she know? As she hurriedly picked up her utensils, Jinhyuk spoke in a calm voice.

“Eat well. You’ll be busy from now on.”

It seemed he hadn’t even considered the possibility that she might refuse. Well, who would turn down a marriage proposal from Woo Jinhyuk?

But was it really okay to decide so easily? Had he truly thought this through? Marrying her would be like bringing a hurricane into the calm, lake-like life he currently led.

Her thoughts were so jumbled that she couldn’t taste the food. As she idly poked at her plate with her chopsticks, Jinhyuk finally spoke again.

“Does this feel like a burden?”

“It’s not that… I just don’t understand why you chose me.”

At her continued questioning, Jinhyuk sighed slightly as if annoyed.

“Does that matter so much?”

“You could marry someone with much better prospects than me.”

At her words, Jinhyuk set down his utensils and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

“If you need a reason, think of it this way: we both have goals that align. I need someone to marry for my parents’ sake, and you need a husband to shield you. Isn’t that a good match?”

His explanation left her even more confused.

So… is he suggesting a contract marriage? Like one of those show-window couples? Is that what he means?

Unable to directly ask if it was a contract marriage, Eunsu cautiously asked, “Then… how long would the marriage last…?”

Before she could finish, Jinhyuk interrupted with a strangely cold tone.

“Why would there need to be a time limit?”

“Pardon?”

Seeing her puzzled expression, he explained slowly as if clarifying.

“The need for each other won’t change even if we divorce, will it? I don’t see a reason to get divorced.”

“…”

She stared at him in shock.

Didn’t you just say this was a marriage of convenience?

Ignoring her bewildered expression, he continued in his calm voice.

“I intend to have a real relationship with my wife and have children too. That’s how most people live. Isn’t that the point of these arranged marriages?”

Now she fully understood what kind of marriage he was proposing. But this clarity only brought hesitation. A real relationship? Children?

Of course, those were natural parts of marriage, but… Sunbae, you’re so straightforward.

Finally, she managed to say, “I need time to think.”

“How long?”

“…”

“I’d prefer if you didn’t take too long. I want to settle this as quickly as possible.”

Unable to bring herself to give a definitive answer, Eunsu simply gave him an awkward smile.