TDIMEH Prologue

Prologue: An Easy Man

"Ms. Jin Se-ah, I'm an easy man. Women are always around me."

Do Junhyuk, who called himself an easy man, had his face bathed in the tilted glow of the setting sun, gleaming smoothly.

His flawless skin, devoid of a single pore, held its own even under the extravagant lighting of a hotel worth millions.

The confident man with a leisurely smile seemed unbothered by his own words. If anything, it was the people glancing at him who looked embarrassed.

Sitting across from him, Se-ah observed Junhyuk with an intrigued gaze.

The 'easy man' part aside, his well-proportioned forehead, deep-set eyes, sharply defined nose, and crimson lips immediately gave her the impression of someone who could easily break a woman's heart.

No wonder he was sitting here making excuses on a blind date.

His expression and tone of voice made it obvious that he was here against his will, with no intention of hiding that fact.

Fully understanding Junhyuk's attempt to downplay himself, Se-ah responded calmly without flinching.

"If this is a confession, I’ve heard it loud and clear. Perfect. I hate anything difficult, so the easier, the better—whether it’s a marriage or a man."

Her plump lips, painted in red lipstick, curved gracefully.

"Are you admitting you're not very smart?"

"I think I'm still better off than Mr. Do Junhyuk, who calls himself easy. Though, just by a slim margin."

"Ha."

Junhyuk let out a dry laugh at her response, crossing his arms and leaning forward.

The slight adjustment in posture caused his shirt to stretch tautly over his muscular frame, as if it might burst. His sturdy neck, broad shoulders, and solid forearms clearly weren’t the result of just a day or two at the gym.

Perhaps some of it was natural.

Noticing her admiring gaze, Junhyuk frowned and leaned back. His crooked lips gave way to a cold voice, as icy as his piercing eyes.

"Is there a reason this marriage has to happen?"

Was it because he’d lived abroad for a long time?

The surprisingly naive question for his age almost made Se-ah burst into laughter, but she barely managed to suppress it.

"The question is the answer. It has to happen."

"With someone like you, I’m sure there are better options. Why insist on marrying someone who doesn’t want to?"

"If I had the luxury of considering that, I wouldn’t be sitting here, would I?"

Keeping a business-like smile on her lips, Se-ah recalled what her father had told her the previous night.

'Se-ah, this marriage has to go through. Even if they're upstarts, just the headline 'Marriage to GK Financial' will unblock our frozen funding. Hold on for just one year. After that, divorce or live separately—do whatever you want.'

Once a thriving mid-sized construction company, her family business was now on the brink of bankruptcy due to reckless investments. While they had managed to suppress rumors by leveraging their connections, it was only a matter of time before the truth about their financial collapse spread. Before that happened, news of her marriage to a wealthy family had to reach the investors.

Even just the news of securing financial backing could avert the immediate crisis.

After all, an arranged marriage was an inevitable part of being born into the second generation of a conglomerate. Se-ah had no intention of shirking the duty that came with the wealth she had enjoyed growing up.

And so, at the age of 26—prime years of her youth—she willingly attended this blind date.

As long as her prospective partner had money, appearances didn’t matter to her.

She had come with the mindset that anyone with eyes, a nose, a mouth, and functional limbs would suffice. However, she ended up meeting a man who exceeded her expectations.

From Se-ah’s perspective, there was no reason to reject a man with exceptional looks and wealth. As long as no woman showed up at the wedding holding a baby, the marriage would proceed without issue—his consent notwithstanding.

As if reading her thoughts, Junhyuk shook his head.

"I don’t want to get married. I have no reason to. So, give it up."

For the first time, Junhyuk spoke honestly. His shortened speech carried much more sincerity than his earlier claim of being an 'easy man.'

That 'easy man' line had clearly been an excuse to reject her; this was his real stance.

Smiling gently, Se-ah responded to him.

"Me too. It’s our first time agreeing on something. I thought we wouldn’t get along at all."

"Then isn’t that the end of the conversation?"

Looking relieved, he glanced at her, but Se-ah shook her head.

"Do you really think it ends just because we decide it does? You and I will just get dragged into more of these meetings. Instead of wasting time, let’s get married. I look forward to working with you."

Extending her hand as if for a handshake, Se-ah watched Junhyuk’s face twist with displeasure.

"Cut the wordplay and listen carefully. If I don’t want something, I won’t do it. Period."

The menacing glare he directed at her made it seem like he might grab her by the collar at any moment. Still, she had no intention of backing down.

In truth, she had nowhere left to retreat.

"That’s too bad. I’m very good at doing things even when I don’t want to—extremely good, in fact."

"I won’t even come home."

"That’s fine. More space for me. Living alone is all the rage these days."

"You’re not my type."

"Thank you. At least we won't bother each other."

Se-ah was sincere about that much.

"Are you really going to do this?"

"I have to, don't I?"

She smiled brightly at Junhyuk, who was glaring at her without yielding a single word. Holding a recently purchased luxury bag, she stood up from her seat.

"I think we've seen enough of each other, so I'll leave first."

The sound of high heels clicking and fading away stopped briefly, and Se-ah glanced back over her shoulder, giving him an almost declarative remark.

"Since next month is the end of the year, let's have the wedding then. The New Year will be too hectic. You can decide the venue for the meeting with the families, Mr. Do Junhyuk."

"Are you crazy?"

"How did you know my nickname is 'crazy'? Alright, then. See you at the family meeting, Mr. Easy-to-Deal-With Do Junhyuk."

The teacup, untouched, was left abandoned with him. His bewildered expression was perfectly reflected on the glossy marble floor that bore no trace of footprints.

Until she left the lobby, Se-ah could feel his gaze following her for quite a while, making the back of her head itch.

Worried that he might suddenly lose it and grab her hair, Se-ah quickened her pace.

Still, in the end...

Se-ah managed to push through her plan and marry Do Junhyuk in record time.

Although the wedding had to take place at the beginning of the New Year due to fully booked venues at the year's end, his family raised no objections.

She had wondered if he might run away in the meantime, but somehow, the wedding went smoothly.

'Here comes the bride!'

Standing on the wedding aisle with a boutonniere pinned to his lapel, Do Junhyuk waited for her with a sullen face. Relieved to see him, Se-ah smiled more brightly than any bride.

The guests, who had wondered why the wedding was so rushed, concluded it was not an arranged marriage but Se-ah's one-sided love upon seeing the stark differences between the two.

'Se-ah, I heard you fell in love at first sight and stalked him until he agreed to marry you?'

Hearing this from a friend later, Se-ah laughed until her stomach hurt.

Of course, they skipped the honeymoon. After the wedding, Junhyuk used a business trip to North America as an excuse not to move into their newlywed home, delaying the marriage registration indefinitely.

Se-ah, who needed the marriage but had no regrets, lived alone in the spacious house for about three months, just as she had hoped.

Even the investors who had turned their backs began to reopen their doors.

However.

The investment deal that seemed to have been salvaged by my marriage collapsed overnight three months later.

The 9 PM news reported that an apartment building under construction in a rural area had completely collapsed due to ground instability. The rumors of financial strain, barely suppressed until then, spread, leading to a cascade of canceled investments.

With external and internal audits underway and even existing contractors canceling contracts one after another, the company fell into complete chaos.

Starting with that construction site, the series of collapses affected the affiliated companies that had expanded recklessly, and Se-ah’s household was thoroughly swept away, plunging into bankruptcy in an instant.

There wasn’t even time to lean on or seek help from Junhyuk’s family; everything ended abruptly.

Still, Se-ah was firmly convinced she could recover someday.

However, the executives who once treated her like a treasure gradually disappeared without a trace.

Even the senior executive she trusted emptied all the company’s assets under his name and fled abroad, causing her father to collapse unconscious.

At just 27 years old, Se-ah was left to shoulder all the responsibilities.

In the midst of this chaos, her in-laws arrived at the house even faster than the creditors.

Junhyuk’s family came to deliver divorce papers on behalf of her absent husband.

"We heard you haven’t even registered the marriage. Leave this house immediately before we suffer any damage."

Since they hadn’t registered the marriage, it wasn’t technically a divorce; she just needed to pack and leave.

Se-ah had no intention of staying, so she packed her belongings that very night.

Junhyuk, apparently just back from his business trip, entered the front door of their newlywed home and stopped her in her tracks as she confidently walked past him.

"Are you leaving now? I thought you’d beg for help."

"Would you have accepted if I did?"

"No."

Se-ah couldn’t help but laugh at his blunt response. It was what she had expected, so she felt no disappointment.

"This isn’t something that can be fixed with just a few dollars, so don’t feel guilty. If the roles were reversed, I’d leave without a second thought."

"Do you have somewhere to go after you leave?"

"I’m not a criminal. Of course, I have places to go."

She answered confidently, though she had no intention of returning to her family’s home, where creditors awaited her. Her plan was to find a cheap hotel near her company.

More importantly, she needed to track down that senior executive who had fled abroad with the remaining assets.

"I’ll make sure to send enough alimony so there’s no room for complaints later."

"I won’t refuse that. Thank you, Mr. Do Junhyuk. Live well."

"Sure... you too."

Her husband, whom she had barely seen, became a stranger for good that day. If not for the wedding photos stored on her phone, she might have forgotten their short-lived marriage entirely.

And yet.

Three years after separating from her ex-husband…

Somehow…

By some twist of fate…

They ended up stranded together.

On a deserted island.

🌼; An easy man, describing himself as someone who is effortlessly popular with women or who easily attracts their attention. It suggests he sees himself as charming or desirable in a casual, confident way, implying that relationships or interactions with women come easily to him.

🌼; Upstarts, refers to someone, often recently successful or wealthy, who behaves arrogantly or presumptuously. This usage implies a sense of disdain, as the individual is seen as acting above their station or overstepping social norms. Or It can refers to emerging companies or entrepreneurs disrupting established markets or industries. These "upstart" businesses are often small, agile, and innovative, challenging larger, more traditional competitors.

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