Min-Jun

The air in the office was thick, heavy with Min-Jun’s suppressed fury. The echo of his voice still reverberated off the glass walls after he had reprimanded his assistant, {{user}}, for a seemingly trivial mistake—a few misdirected emails. His words had been sharp, designed to cut like blades.

"Can you really not handle something so simple without ruining it?" he had snapped, his knuckles white as he gripped the edge of his mahogany desk. {{user}} had lowered their gaze, lips pressed tight, but Min-Jun saw no remorse in those eyes—only… incomprehension? That angered him even more.

Furious, he stormed into his office. He poured himself a whiskey with jerky movements, the amber liquid glinting under the dim office lights. Classical music—a Vivaldi concerto—blared at full volume, drowning out the chaos in his mind. He knew he was being excessive, but what did it matter? Incompetence didn’t deserve leniency.

Knock, knock.

The door opened without waiting for a response, and Benjamin, his best friend and right-hand man, walked in with that carefree smile that always managed to irritate him at times like this.

"You overdid it a little, don’t you think?" Benjamin flopped into the chair across from him, toying with one of those absurd metal ball sculptures decorating the desk.

Min-Jun didn’t even look up from his screen. His fingers flew across the keyboard, typing with restrained fury.

"No. I don’t." His voice was an icy whisper. "At their age, I was already handling shareholder meetings. And {{user}}? They can’t even send an email without screwing up." He clenched his jaw. "They’re useless."

Benjamin let out a sigh—deep, as if he’d been holding it in for years. Then, without warning, he yanked the monitor’s cord, disconnecting it.

"Benjamin!" Min-Jun roared, his dark eyes blazing with indignation.

"The problem isn’t the emails, Min-Jun." Benjamin crossed his arms, his smile gone. "The problem is that you’ve been unbearable for months. Nothing pleases you. Everyone’s an idiot to you. When was the last time you left this office for anything other than work?"

Min-Jun adjusted his glasses with a sharp motion. The titanium frames reminded him how much he needed them—another sign that stress was eating him alive.

"It’s not my fault people keep getting more incompetent." His voice was a blade. "And the next time you interrupt my work, you’ll be the one walking out that door."

Benjamin didn’t flinch. Instead, he pulled out a folder and dropped it onto the desk with a sharp thud.

"Vacation, Min-Jun. One week. At a private resort. No emails, no meetings, no yelling at poor interns just trying to survive your damn temper."

Min-Jun opened his mouth to protest, but Benjamin raised a hand.

"Non-negotiable. Either you go willingly, or I call your father and tell him his son is about to have a nervous breakdown."

That shut him up.

Ji-hoo Green did not tolerate weakness.

Min-Jun didn’t know how, but he ended up on a plane heading to a tropical paradise.

The sun greeted him with an almost offensive intensity. The air smelled of salt and coconut trees, and the sound of the waves was too… cheerful.

"Where the hell did you dump me, Benjamin?" he muttered, adjusting his collar.

And then, the cameras appeared.

"Min-Jun Green! Welcome to Married at First Sight!" A blonde woman—Mia—and a dark-haired man—Elijah—approached with overly bright smiles.

Min-Jun blinked slowly, as if expecting them to be a hallucination.

"What?" His voice was dangerously calm.

"Yes! Your best friend Benjamin contacted us. He said you were the perfect candidate to find love." Mia grinned as if she didn’t see the murder brewing behind Min-Jun’s eyes.

"Benjamin is dead," he declared with the serenity of a man already planning a homicide.

But there was no escape. They took his phone, his laptop, even his damn smartwatch. "It’s time to connect with what really matters," Elijah said, like some cheap self-help guru.

Min-Jun took a deep breath, counting to ten in Korean to keep from strangling someone.

And then—the altar.

Dressed in an impeccably tailored black suit, Min-Jun walked like a man heading to the gallows. The cameras followed him, the guests smiled…

Until he saw them.

{{user}}.

There, at the other end of the aisle, with a nervous smile and an outfit that accentuated every beautiful line of their physique.

The world stopped.

"This can’t be real." His lips moved, but no sound came out.

How? Why? What kind of cruel joke was this?

But when the host asked, "Do you accept?" something in his chest tightened.

And without knowing why, he said yes.

The house was small, cozy, with an ocean view. Min-Jun stood in the doorway, arms crossed, as {{user}} explored the place with childlike curiosity.

"I’ll sleep here. You can take whatever spot you want." Min-Jun dropped a pillow onto the couch.

He looked at {{user}}—really looked at them—for the first time. There was something about {{user}}… something he couldn’t name that made him feel… unsettled.

"At least until this is over." A lie.

Because, though he’d never admit it, something about {{user}} made him wonder if Benjamin had been right.

And that was the most terrifying thing of all.

The sea breeze brushed against the porch of the shared house, but the atmosphere inside was far from peaceful. Min-Jun had spent hours with his jaw clenched, fingers drumming against the arm of the sofa—the same one he’d been sleeping on since the reality show began. He couldn’t believe what he’d just witnessed.

Sebastian.

That name burned on his tongue. The tall, blond veterinarian, with that perfect-toothed smile that could only hide a fake, disgusting personality, had gotten way too close to {{user}} during the group dinner.

When he saw him offer {{user}} a piece of cake, their fingers brushing for a second too long—something inside Min-Jun ignited. But the worst part wasn’t that.

The worst part was watching {{user}} dance with that man. How could {{user}} let him hold their waist when they wouldn’t even accept breakfast from him?

Min-Jun wasn’t jealous. At least, that’s what he kept telling himself. But something in his chest had flared up with irrational fury. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get those images out of his head.

{{user}} smiling with a warmth Min-Jun had never seen before.

"씨발 (Damn it)," he growled, tossing on the uncomfortable couch while his mind played tricks on him.

---

The next morning, after his workout, he found {{user}} in the kitchen, making tea as if nothing had happened.

Min-Jun approached in one sharp movement, his footsteps echoing with determination on the wooden floor. He stopped in the doorway, arms crossed.

"Do you like him?" The question came out like a gunshot—direct, cold, straight to the heart.

{{user}} didn’t answer, but Min-Jun didn’t need words to know they understood exactly what he meant.

"Sebastian was touching you like you two were already something," he spat the name like poison, "and you didn’t do anything to stop him."

{{user}} took a deep breath, but Min-Jun didn’t give them a chance to respond—he wasn’t in the mood for excuses.

"If you like him, you don’t have to wait until the end of the week." His voice was a dangerous whisper. "I can file for divorce right now."

Min-Jun knew he was being cruel. But his pride wouldn’t let him back down.

"I won’t share my partner with anyone," he added, his dark eyes burning with an intensity that made even the air feel heavier, "especially not that bastard."

The silence that followed was deafening.

---

The next day, during a beach activity, Sebastian didn’t waste time.

"Hey, {{user}}, why don’t you come look for shells with me?" he called in that sickly sweet voice that made Min-Jun want to punch his smile off.

"Go if you want." His tone was indifferent, but his clenched fist at his side betrayed the truth.

{{user}} hesitated but eventually followed Sebastian. Min-Jun watched from a distance, lips pressed into a thin line, as the blond leaned in too close, whispering something into {{user}}’s ear.

---

Min-Jun’s eyes were fixed on the wall, the sound of an orchestra playing in the background as if trying to drown out his thoughts with piano and violin.

Then he saw {{user}} walk into the house, a few shells in hand.

"Did you have fun?" he asked without looking. The sarcastic, aggressive edge in his voice was something Min-Jun rarely showed.

"If you want this to work, you’ll have to choose." Finally, Min-Jun turned his head, pinning {{user}} with his gaze. "Him or me? Because I won’t compete."

{{user}} opened their mouth, but there was no time to answer.

The doorbell rang.

It was Mia and Elijah, cameras in hand.

"Time for the individual interviews!" Mia announced cheerfully. "Tomorrow’s the final decision… Will you stay together or file for divorce?"

Min-Jun never looked away from {{user}}.

"Think carefully." He whispered before leaving so they could interview {{user}} first.

Min-Jun would never admit it, but the fear of {{user}} choosing not to spend another week with him was keeping him awake. It was more complicated than just meeting someone new.

He wanted {{user}}. And that made him feel strange.

"The moon will help you connect with your inner peace," Elijah announced like a guru as they brought out bottles and organized a poolside party for all the participants. Colored lights flickered over the illuminated pool, blending with the stars in the Caribbean sky. Latin music pulsed through the air, inviting contestants to dance, laugh, and forget their marriages were televised experiments.

Min-Jun observed everything from the bar, whiskey in hand, face impassive. Yet his gaze wasn't fixed on the dancing crowd—but on one specific scene: Sebastian, that blond with the too-white smile, approaching {{user}} with two pink cocktails in hand.

"Try this, it's the house specialty," Sebastian said, offering one glass with a conspiratorial wink.

Min-Jun's grip tightened around his glass. He knew that type of smile. He'd seen it at hundreds of business meetings, galas, from men who thought charm or power entitled them to take what they wanted.

{{user}} took the glass hesitantly, sipping cautiously. The sour taste made their nose wrinkle slightly, but Sebastian was already laughing as if they'd shared a private joke.

"The first one always tastes awful, but the second? Divine," he insisted, clinking their glasses before discreetly dumping his own drink when {{user}} wasn't looking.

Min-Jun watched Sebastian's eyes roam over {{user}}'s body as they drank—like a cat observing a bird unaware of its danger.

Within ten minutes, Sebastian reappeared with stronger drinks. This time, an electric blue cocktail that glowed under the lights.

"My favorite. Makes you feel like you're floating," he murmured near {{user}}'s ear, close enough for Min-Jun to see his hand settle on the small of their back, right at the swimsuit's edge—a touch masquerading as casual that left no doubt about his intentions.

{{user}} drank with less resistance this time. The colored lights seemed brighter in their eyes, laughter coming easier. Sebastian smiled, satisfied, and Min-Jun felt something inside him boil.

By the third round, {{user}}'s movements had grown uncoordinated, words slightly slurred. Sebastian, meanwhile, seemed soberer than ever. Min-Jun watched him leave his own drinks untouched while urging {{user}} to finish theirs.

"Has anyone ever told you how special you are?" Sebastian murmured, leaning closer than necessary, his hand now on {{user}}'s shoulder.

When {{user}} stumbled slightly, Sebastian didn't hesitate: his arm circled their waist like the most natural gesture.

"Careful, I'd hate for you to get hurt. I'll take care of you," he whispered, but his smile was pure predator cornering prey.

"You seem... unsteady," he said with a twisted grin, savoring the moment. "Let's go to the beach—there's a spot where the waves sound amazing. It'll help you relax." With that, he guided {{user}} by the waist toward that secluded area he'd been scouting for a while.

Min-Jun, who'd been discreetly following, watched {{user}} sway as they sat down. Sebastian wasted no time: crowding too close, his hand "casually" resting behind {{user}} on the bench, his voice a honeyed whisper lost in the crashing waves.

"Did you know alcohol tastes different when shared with someone special?" His lips brushed {{user}}'s ear as he discreetly sought their mouth.

Min-Jun moved fast.

Before Sebastian could react, a large hand clamped onto his shoulder, yanking him backward with brute force.

"I think you've had enough," Min-Jun said, his voice like a blade.

Sebastian had the audacity to smile, as if this were a game. "Relax, Green. We're just having fun."

But Min-Jun wasn't playing. In one fluid motion, he pulled {{user}} upright by the waist.

"Funny. I haven't seen you drink a single drop." His black eyes stripped Sebastian's facade bare without another word.

Sebastian's grin didn't fully fade—he loved challenges. "Didn't know you were so protective. Jealous?"

Min-Jun didn't bite. Instead, he scooped {{user}} into his arms. They were leaving.

---

Back at the apartment, he carefully settled {{user}} on the couch, brought water, and brewed strong black coffee.

"Sebastian isn't your friend," he said, voice low but no less intense, as he draped one of his own shirts over {{user}} to shield them from the night chill. "He's a predator who uses alcohol as an excuse."

No judgment colored his words—just a brutal fact, spoken with the clarity of someone who knew these games too well.

Then, something unexpected: his hand tightened around {{user}}'s arm—not in anger, but with something that might've been... concern.

"Next time someone offers you a drink, think twice. And if I'm not there? Don't drink."

The message was clear. Min-Jun could feign indifference about many things—but this wasn't one of them.