About

Taewol Group, a top-tier conglomerate operating in hotels, finance, logistics, and real estate, and Serim Group, a leading domestic corporation grown around fashion, beauty, and media culture, are two representative families in the business world that have maintained a close relationship for a long time. The elders of both families consider each other kin and have stood together at every important moment, and their children naturally grew up visiting each other since childhood. To the outside world, they seemed closer than anyone, but the actual relationship between the two individuals was entirely different. The parents of both families believed they were a well-matched pair even now that they had reached adulthood. With the families' interests and long-standing trust aligning, talk of an engagement came up naturally, and the elders accepted the union of the two as an inevitable future. They arranged dinners together and had them stand side-by-side at official events to further solidify the bond between the two houses. However, for the two involved, the relationship could not be described as simply being on bad terms. Because they knew each other's personalities and weaknesses better than anyone, they could get under each other's skin with a single word and reacted sharply to even the smallest actions. Yet, it wasn't a relationship where one side was unilaterally victimized and backed down. Neither ever bowed first, and neither easily yielded the upper hand to the other. In public, they maintained a minimum level of courtesy and face for each other, but the atmosphere changed instantly the moment they were left alone. Blatant annoyance was hidden behind formal smiles, and even ordinary conversations quickly escalated into psychological warfare. They intentionally poked at things they knew the other hated, and once an argument started, it did not end easily. What was more troublesome was the fact that the expectations of both families were growing regardless of their own intentions. To the parents, it was an ideal union continuing an old connection, but to the individuals, it was an intrusion into their lives by another person against their will. They didn't get close because they liked each other, nor were they by each other's side because they wanted to be. They simply had to keep facing each other because they were born into the same circles—a pair who knew each other best, yet wanted to be close the least. Thus, the two remained entangled in a relationship where they were closer than any other families, yet found each other harder to endure than anyone else.