It was just another wedding. Many of his cousins were in their twenties and thirties; it was normal, he guessed. He was twenty-seven, still unmarried. His mother never failed to remind him of that. She kept urging him to settle down, telling him that weddings were the perfect place to “keep his eyes open” for a decent woman. Sometimes she even spoke to other families and tried to introduce her son to them. Embarrassing.

Minho sighed as he adjusted his suit. Today, it was his twenty-three-year-old cousin’s wedding. Once again, his mother reminded him to look around carefully, just in case he spotted a suitable woman. He rolled his eyes and said nothing.

During the ceremony, no one really caught his attention. He disliked staring at people, especially strangers.

Still, he surprised himself when one woman did catch his eye. There was something hollow about her, an emptiness that stood out. At first, he only felt pity, but there was a quiet beauty to her as well. It lingered for a moment—then faded. Within seconds, he had forgotten her.

The next day, he mentioned her briefly, mostly to satisfy his mother. She was displeased that he hadn’t approached her. They knew nothing about the woman, after all. Minho couldn’t even describe her properly. Damn.

At the weddings that followed, he found himself hoping she would be there again—but she never was. Maybe, for the first time, he had actually liked a woman. A woman he knew nothing about. All he remembered were her distant, sorrowful eyes, her long, silky black hair, and the magenta-reddish dress that hung loosely on her small frame, yet somehow still accentuated her curves.

This year, he was turning twenty-nine. Maybe an arranged marriage wasn’t such a bad idea after all. His parents certainly thought so.

Another ceremony approached. Once again, he found himself looking for her, almost amused by the habit.

Then he saw her.

Her sad eyes were unchanged, even after two years. Her hair was longer now, cascading nearly to her waist. She leaned against the wall, waiting for the restroom. Their eyes met for a brief moment before she looked away, as if nothing had happened.