The painful victory

Guests started to notice.

Gong Joon comes out of nowhere and jerked your hand out of Jiho's grasp. You both face him in shock.

"What are two even doing together? Have you lost it?" He growled under his breath.

You pull a long face, "What does it concern you?"

He said, "It matters to me because you are my fiancé and we are getting married in three days."

Jiho stepped in, taking your hand from Joon's grip which left him taken aback.

"Not anymore." Jiho frowned.

Joon laughed, glancing at the two of you, "What is the meaning of this nonsense?? Are the two of you perhaps drunk? Ah, you both are friends because you have both lost your minds!" He lower his tone, "But I don't care what you do, people are watching, control yourselves." He warned, turning to leave.

Jiho faces you, looking tensed, "I have so many questions about how this is even possible but… does the offer still stand?"

"The offer?"

"To marry me?" He asked. It was unexpected.

You weakly smile, "Yes, it stands."

"Until I figure out why you are the only one whose touch I can feel, I will be whoever you want me to be. I will do whatever you want." He yielded.

An endearing little smile creeps up on your face. The perfect idea cooks in your head. "You can't back out now." You warned.

"I won't, I promise." He looks determined.

You nod, "Okay. Then I want you to kiss me."

"Huh?" He froze

"Kiss me in front of everyone, it is the only way to make our relationship public and our marriage will not be avoided, this is the perfect opportunity."

Jiho seemed reluctant. You sigh, "I am the only person who you can feel after so many years, if I marry Joon, you will never know why. And what if I might be your cure?"

You planted the seed of hope into Jiho's head and it instantly grew into a massive tree.

He nods, "Forgive me, then."

Hesitantly, he curl his hand around your waist, pulling you over, his other hand lifting your chin and then he brings his lips crushing down against yours.

The guests gasped in unison, shock written all over their faces. Gong Joon was standing at the other end of the room and froze in the spot.

You intuitively closed your eyes as your lips touched.

Jiho's lips are soft and warm. Your lips parted as if they had a life of their own, you leaned, wanting for more but was interrupted when Joon vaulted from nowhere, he grabbed and punched Jiho on the cheek.

Jiho fell.

The audience gasped. You also remain shocked, "What is wrong with you?"

"You fucking cheaters!!!" Joon yelled.

Another wave of gasps erupted in the room.

You were quickly rushed to a private room to discuss away from the crowd and the unintended drama.

"Are you okay?" You asked Jiho. He gives you a short nod.

Joon storms into the room, "You fucking asshole, how dare you kiss my wife?"

"I am not your wife!" You snapped, "I broke off our engagement so I don't belong to you"

Joon laughed at his own cruel fate, so many imaginations pop into his head.

He fix you with a stern gaze, "How long has this been going on? Was it all a pretence that you tried to kill yourself just to break off our engagement? Did you do all of those things you did so you could be with Jiho instead? How long were you cheating on me with this bastard!?"

"His name is Jiho." You snared, "And also, I do not owe you any explanation. Whether I was cheating on you or pretended to hurt myself, it doesn't matter to you. What matters is that Jiho is who I want and he is the one I will marry. So please, stop this drama and leave us."

"You fucking… " He grabbed a bottle of wine from the center table and came at you but reflexively, Jiho pushed you out of the way and Joon smashed the bottle on his head.

Jiho didn't even twitch. His reaction made Joon doubt if it was a real bottle he broke on Jiho's head or not.

You gasp when you notice a line of blood trailing down Jiho's head, "You are bleeding!" You rushed to him, gently taking a hold of his face to identify where exactly he got hurt.

Jiho finally winced, but then he smiled, "I miss this."

"What?" You asked.

"The feeling of pain. I like how it hurts. I didn't feel it earlier but now that you are touching me, I can feel the pain." He explained.

You gasp, "Does that mean when I touch you, you can feel other things too? If I am holding you and you hold someone else, does that mean you might be able to feel them? Am I like the plug that connects you back to the world?"

You shake the thought off, "forget it, you need to be treated."

"Are the two of you still shamelessly cuddling together? I will have to teach you a bigger lesson." Joon snarled.

You sharply wheel around to face him, "Lay a hand on him and I will ruin your face. Trust me, I will do it this time around."

Your threat finally made him relax. He gulped, casting Jiho a murderous glare, "You ungrateful bastard, so this is what you've been doing behind my back, fucking my fiancé? You always acted like you never knew the other existed but you dare to kiss MY fiancé in the presence of all my business acquaintances? The company? The public! You have crossed your limits."

"Brother, that's enough!" Jiho stepped forward, "Your engagement to Ari broke off a long time ago and I have never asked for anything, but this time around, I want to marry her and nobody will be able to stop me so please, kindly leave this room before I decide to retaliate."

"You ungrateful bastard!! I will destroy the two of you. Your marriage will happen only over my dead body." With those words, he sail out, slamming the door.

You gave a sigh of relief, "That was intense. Let me help you."

You get a first aid box from the cupboard. Jiho sits on the bed, you settle next to him, started attending to the cut on his head,

"I can't believe he hurt you like this and still didn't care even as you started bleeding. I can't believe I loved such a monster!"

Jiho flinched, "it hurts, but keep going."

"Seeing how you are contented to feel pain, I can't imagine imagine how life was for you." You pitied him.

He only chuckled, "At first, I used to hurt myself just to feel anything. I broke my leg but felt nothing, burned my hand but felt nothing. There was once when I …I intentionally stepped in front of a moving car, I was hit but I felt nothing. It was as if I was not alive, like I didn't exist. Like I was invisible."

You sigh, "It must have been hard and despite calling themselves your family, how could they not know about your condition? When did it all started?"

"It …"

"Ari!" Kang Mu popped into the room unannounced. Gong Hangmo also walks in.

You both sharply stand.

"Just how shameless are you going to be you little slu…"

"Calm down Mr Mu." Gong Hangmo intervened, "shouting will not change what has happened. Even if we try to stop it, the kids have already publicly shamed themselves and our families."

Gong Hangmo was clearly struggling to bite down his rage, "Ari, when you knew you have feelings for Jiho, why did you agree to marry Joon in the first place?"

Because I was truly in love with Gong Joon and cared for no other man and then he ripped open my heart and now I have to marry Jiho to make him pay.

You sigh, lowering your head, "I am sorry, at first we weren't even… we gradually got close and …"

"That is enough!" Your father snapped, "There is no need to be shameless about it. Since we already decided you were going to marry Joon in three days." He paused, relaxing himself, "You can marry Jiho instead."

Gong Hangmo nodded his consent, "Your father is right. Even though we might face a lot of public back lash, stopping your relationship will only ruin things more for us. So try as much to keep your romantic gestures private till after the wedding. We have to prepare a press to calm the enraged public."

"You have ruined the perfect image of you I have spent years to build. Now, the world will only remember you as the woman who had an affair and married her fiancé's brother." Kang Mu said, looking disappointed, "Come home at once!"

With those words, he storm out of the room.

Gong Hangmo sighed, "The kids of nowadays." He also sail out.

You turn to Jiho with a victorious grin, "It worked, IT WORKED!!!" You jump into his arms out of excitement.

He stiffened his body for a second and then relaxed as your warmth slowly enveloped him. He leaned to your touch, hugging you tightly. "This feels nice."

You snap back to your senses, sharply pulling away, "I'm sorry, i…"

For the first time since you knew him, Jiho smiled, "It's okay, I needed it. Whenever I touch and feel you, I am assured that I am not cursed, that I am also human."

His words crush your heart. You reach for his hand, "Now, we are in the same boat. I will cure your condition and you will help me get my sweet revenge."

"And once our goals are fulfilled." He paused, fixing you with his eyes, "We will end this charade."