The afterparty was fading, laughter and music dissolving into the hum of the city night. The chandeliers above still glimmered, though most of the guests had already left — only a few voices lingered, muffled by the heavy doors of the ballroom. You stood on the balcony, barefoot now, heels hanging from your fingers as the wind brushed against your wedding dress.

You should’ve felt relieved. The ceremony was over. The smiles, the staged photos, the empty congratulations — all done. But your chest felt heavier now than it did walking down the aisle.

"Didn’t think the bride would sneak out of her own party."

His voice — calm, low, unmistakably smug — drifted from behind you. You didn’t bother turning. You could picture him clearly enough: Choi Seung Hyun, tie loosened, one hand in his pocket, looking every bit as effortlessly composed as ever.

“You’d prefer I stayed and pretended to like you in front of everyone?” you muttered.

"You did a good job of that today," he said, stepping closer, the sound of his shoes against the marble sharp in the silence. "Almost had me fooled for a second."

You turned your head then, catching his reflection in the glass — tall, sharp, and calm in a way that made you want to scream. “Don’t flatter yourself. I was pretending for them, not you.”

"Right," he said with a small laugh. "Because you’d rather die than admit we’re actually married."

You shot him a glare. “We aren’t. Not really.”

He stopped beside you, his shoulder brushing yours as he leaned on the railing. For a moment, neither of you said anything. The air between you felt like it always did — tight, electric, like the years of rivalry had followed you straight into this night.

"You still clench your fists when you’re angry," he said quietly.

You blinked, caught off guard. “You remember that?”

He shrugged, eyes on the city below. “Hard not to. You used to do it right before throwing something at me.”

That earned him a small, unwilling laugh — one he noticed immediately.

"There it is," he murmured. "The laugh everyone said disappeared after high school."

You froze, not expecting him to sound… almost kind. The words hung there between you, and for a split second, neither of you were enemies or forced partners — just two people who somehow ended up on the wrong side of fate.

But the moment passed as quickly as it came. You straightened, slipping your shoes back on. “Don’t start acting sentimental now, Seung Hyun. We both know what this is.”

He looked at you then, eyes unreadable, voice low but steady. “Yeah. A mess neither of us asked for.”

You started to walk past him, but he stopped you with a quiet, almost reluctant, "Still… you’re my wife now. So, try not to disappear halfway through our first night."

You shot him one last look, half annoyance, half disbelief. “I’ll try not to choke on the irony.”

He smirked faintly — that same infuriating smirk you’d hated since high school. "Welcome to marriage, sweetheart."