CLOUD9 - EXO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjNe38k7gE4

The party was held at a fancy five star restaurant down in Gangnam, where only elites, entrepreneurs and celebrities are known to dine in. Kai had filled you in on most of the details, about how Chanyeol had planned the whole thing and that the restaurant had closed one section of it down just for the private gathering.

While you waited at the front of the restaurant for Kai, a pang of guilt rang through your body after you ended the call on Mingyu. Since your phone died you had to borrow Kai’s. The sound of Mingyu’s voice sounded so deflated, as if whatever he had planned today must have been something really important to him. In case Mingyu had heard Kai’s voice, you hung up before he could get the wrong impression. You didn’t plan on ditching him today, or ever, but sometimes things come up and you were left with no other choice.

Turning to face Kai, you noticed that he was holding a wine bottle in one hand while the other hand was now holding a Louis Vuitton gift bag.

“Here, this is a gift from you and I. Sehun had mentioned how he needed a card wallet awhile back so I figured this would come in handy when he goes to Alaska,” smiled Kai, offering the gift bag for you to take.

Your frown deepened. If you had known that Sehun’s birthday party was happening so soon and that he was due to leave in a couple of days, you would have bought him his gift a month beforehand. You traded his phone for the gift bag in your hands. “I can’t believe I was left in the dark for so long about this.”

Kai pinched your cheeks, naturally as he did before whenever he saw you pout, “Technically, this is news to all of us, too. Except for Chanyeol… apparently there is a good reasoning behind it but don’t be too hard on him. We all know how Sehun can be a little… impulsive in his decisions.” He held the glass door open for you, making sure that you were inside until he followed in behind

In no time, you heard voices chattering about and a large table with thirteen seats welcoming you. Everyone had arrived, even the guest of honour himself. Kai was saying something but you didn’t hear him, instead you began to storm up to the guest of honour and landed a hard slap on the back of his head.

“Ow!” winced Sehun, his hands immediately flying to the part of his head that was hit.

You tossed the gift bag to him and glowered angrily in his direction. “How could you not ing tell me that you are leaving Oh Sehun!”

Instantly, the chatters that were going around died down and everyones eyes grew big as they stared at you. Behind you, Kai smirked in amusement and shrugged nonchalantly. He pulled out a seat, anticipating the awaiting drama to unfold before his eyes. You had always been quite the entertaining angry person.

A guilty smile came over Sehun’s face as he turned around to face you, his senses were telling him that you had been more angry than he initially thought you would. He stood up, lifting up his arms to hug you but you took a step back and crossed your arms.

“Hey noona, I missed you!” Tao exclaimed.

“You look rather beautiful today, Hari,” said Xiumin, trying to ease off the tension, but you did not reply to the both of them. Your eyes were glued solely on Oh Sehun.

Sehun chuckled nervously. “How about we take a step outside in the patio, noona?”

You rolled your eyes, “Oh, so when I am angry, you finally decide to call me noona huh?”

Sehun’s cheeks turned a little red at the remark, as he chuckled some more. “Oh don’t be so mad… come on noona!” He took you by the shoulders and began to lead you out. “We’ll be right back so you guys order food first.”

As everyone watched them leave, Kris turned his attention to Kai. “How was the ride? Did she give you ?”

Kai shook his head with a small smile. “She was upset, just as anyone in her shoes would be, but… she was mostly quiet. I think that’s a good sign?”

“Oh really?” gawped Chen. It was hard to believe that you, out of anyone, would have taken such news so lightly. The high school Hari would have had a complete melt down and yelled at anyone who was in her path.

Chanyeol let out a heavy sigh. “She didn’t even greet any of us.” He pouted and looks at Kris with urgency in his eyes. “You think she’s still mad at about what happened at the restaurant?”

Upon hearing that, Kai looks up at his friends. Before he could ask about it, Yixing and Baekhyun had beat him to it.

“What happened at the restaurant?” Yixing asked.

“Did you guys get into a fight again?” teased Baekhyun.

Chanyeol’s ears turned red in confession. “A small one.”

Luhan shook his head, “Why are you always picking a fight with Hari? High school is long over and you guys still cannot meet each other without bickering with one another.”

“It’s not like that, I was just worried about her and some douche—” Before he could blurt out her secret, Kris gave Chanyeol a stare down to shut him up.

Suho, who was quick to hearing, quickly sat up. His eyebrows knitted together in concern. “What douche?”

“Nothing,” Kris quickly replied. “Just the waiter was giving us a hard time.”

“Was he trying to hit on Hari and little Chanyeol got worried?” joked Kyungsoo, his grin growing wide and cheesy as he mocked his best friend.

Chanyeol cleared his throat, opening up the menu to distract himself. “It’s nothing we should concern ourselves over. Anyways, the waitress is coming our way… what’re you guys planning to get?” At the reminder that they have yet to order food, everyone grew distracted and began to open up their menu. Meanwhile, Kai on the other hand, was quick witted and did not succumb to this distraction. After working with the mafia for a time now, he had become more perceptive and observant of peoples words and actions, and judging from the way Kris and Chanyeol interacted with one another, he had already figured out that they knew something that the rest of them did not know.

He took a sip of his water again, carefully eyeing the way Chanyeol would nervously fidget in his seat and the way Kris would often look up to watch him, ensuring that he would not let whatever secret out.

What are they trying to hide from us… And what douche could have possibly come between Hari and Chanyeol to the point they had a fight at a restaurant? His eyes narrowed in thought as he glanced down at his own menu.

Was Hari seeing somebody? If she was, she had made no mention of the person to him at all. Although he had only recently repaired their friendship, Hari would have at least told him if she was dating someone, right?

Yes, yes she would have. Hari tells you everything, she would never hide anything from you. You’re overthinking again, Jongin. With one wave of a hand for the waitress’s attention, Jongin ordered a bottle of red wine for the table, hoping that the drinks would release the anxiety that he felt in his chest.

---

“You’re what?” You felt your jaw drop to the floor.

Sehun let out a big smile with hands out in the air in a shrugging motion. “I’m getting married?”

“Since when the did you start dating?!” You yelped.

Sehun threw an arm around your shoulder, pulling you close to him. He placed a finger on his lips, “Shh. Noona, not so loud! You’re embarrassing me!”

You pulled away from him with a mortified expression painted all over your features. “I don’t get it. How are you… why are you… what?” You couldn’t find the right words to justify what you were feeling. Sehun had always had the nature of a child, and yet now this child of yours was now moving to Alaska… just to get married?!

You placed a palm over your heart, “I think I’m about to get a heart attack.”

Sehun was about to burst out into laughter at your reaction to his news, but remembered that heart attacks were not a joke. The smile he had on earlier slipped off his face. “Don’t say like that, Hari. You know how much I worry over you and the last thing I want to hear from you before I leave is that you are going to have a heart attack.”

When you didn’t reply, Sehun sighed loudly. “You’re so overdramatic, you know that? Come here.” He pulled you in for a tight embrace, making sure that you wrapped your arms around his waist so that he could hug you even tighter.

“I’ve got to get my life moving. Sure I’m at the beginners stages of my fashion career, but it’s not enough. This marriage is to seal the deal between my fathers company and her families company. They own the banks in Alaska, by the way and she’s not so bad, pretty cute. She’s two years younger than me and she loves dogs and fashion so major points right there,” said Sehun as he patted your back in comfort.

“I didn’t ask for you to tell me about her,” you mumbled against his shoulder.

“Whoa, sassy girl here. Okay,” teased Sehun. As he pulled back to take a look at your face, you began to notice how much he has changed in a year. Instead of the chestnut brown hair he had since high school, he now dyed it back to black. Even his chubby cheeks that he had in high school were gone, and was now replaced with matured eyes and apparent jawline. Since when did Oh Sehun grow up? “Hari, you’ll always be my best friend, confidant and the only girl I’ll love first. I will always run to you whenever I have problems, no matter who my girl is, even if she won’t like it, I don’t care because you were here first!”

Tears began to swell up in your eyes. “You say that now but later on you’ll become a husband and a husband cannot disagree with his wife.”

“What? Pft, no way, do I look whipped to you? You were here before she was, why would I listen to her?” snorted Sehun.

Your frown slowly curved into a weak smile. “Do you really have to go? Are you even ready to make that kind of commitment to someone you barely know?”

Sehun nodded his head and wiped away the tear in the corner of your eyes. “I’m a little scared, but if we don’t match at all, there’s always the option of a divorce.” He noticed the frown that was reappearing on you and quickly added in, “I’ll be gone for a year or two, but after that my dad promised me that he would move me and her back here. I don’t know how I’m going to survive it over there, but at least I’m going to have a hot wife to take care of me.”

“If she doesn’t take care of you, I’m going to buy a one way ticket to Alaska to kick her and stay there with you,” you threatened. “I mean it, I’ll spend all of my savings on ensuring that will happen!”

Laughing, Sehun pulled you back in for another embrace. “I’m going to miss you so much Hari… I’m sorry we haven’t been able to catch up but knowing that you have my back no matter where I am in this world makes me so happy! I love you!”

You hugged him back, just as tight. “Call me every