Chanyeol and Jihyun carefully look on the magazines while Gayoon sat across them, patiently waiting for them to pick. They're looking for a good chapel for their upcoming wedding and Gayoon have so many suggestions.

 

"Well, we don't have a chapel or anything if you want beach or garden wedding instead. You guys decide," Gayoon suggests.

 

"Well. I'd love to have a garden wedding," Jihyun says. "What about you, Yeol?"

 

Chanyeol shrugs and smiles. "Same goes for me."

 

Gayoon clasps her hands in joy. "Great.”'Cause I have some pretty garden pictures on my phone. Wait a second. "She momentarily took her phone from her purse and searched for her folder of pictures before showing them to the couple.

 

Jihyun continues to brows on different pictures. "Yeol, this one's gorgeous. We'll opt this out."

 

Chanyeol nods. "Yeah."

 

They continue looking and busy themselves on the wedding themes until Chanyeol's phone suddenly rung from his coat. Jihyun stops turning the pages and looks at her fiancé.

 

"Your phone, honey," she indicates with tight lipped smile.

 

"Yeah. " Chanyeol takes the vibrating phone from his coat. He tries to get up but Jihyun grasps his arm, stopping him from doing so. "Don't answer it. We're doing a business here. I'm sure you can deal with your clients later."

 

Chanyeol sighs. "I know. But this is Yongguk." Her expression softens then. "This will be quick I promise you."

 

Jihyun contemplates for a minute but she lets go of his arm anyway. Chanyeol leans down and kisses her for cheek.  "Just wait. I'll be right back."

 

Chanyeol leaves the two ladies and headed outside the store to answer the phone. The raging sunlight quickly hits his face and sight so he puts a hand over his forehead in discomfort.

 

"Hello?"

 

"Chanyeol!"

 

"Hey, Yongguk. How have you been?"

 

"I just call to inform that I'm in the airport now."

 

Chanyeol furrows his brows. "W—what do you mean?"

 

"I'm back, idiot!"

 

Chanyeol's expression instantly changes into excitement "Really? That's great."

 

"Yeah. I just have done my business here and I'm ready to go back there. Anyway, how's our condo back at the mountain?"

 

"Still improving. I got to tell you, I just add a swimming pool area so kids will enjoy."

 

"I think that's not a bad idea." Chanyeol smiles. "Anyway, Jihyun and I are gonna marry soon."

 

There's a pause. "Really? Are you sure?"

 

Chanyeol bit his lip and ponders for a while, thinking what exactly Yongguk meant with his ambiguous question. However, he does not want anything to get complicated and troubled so, "Yes. I'm sure." He smiles, looking at a red bar across the street. "Why wouldn't I be?"

 

Yongguk chuckles. "Well then, congratulations. I'm glad for you two."

 

"Just come back here to do me a small favor, be part of the wedding. Be my best man," Chanyeol says, smiling.

 

"Will do."

 

Yongguk continues to talk on the phone while Chanyeol's just listening to him but in a midst of their conversation, he notices two familiar figures that just came out of the bar building on the other side of the road. Chanyeol does a double take and his smile slowly falters. He no longer listens to the other line of the phone.

 

The other small male is Kyungsoo for sure but he has to narrow his eyes to figure out who the other person is. He has the same height as Kyungsoo. The two figures come closer.

 

Chanyeol squints his eyes, carefully looking at the male but after three seconds, he stands rooted on the spot, recognizing the person.

 

Baekhyun?

 

He sees as Kyungsoo hail a cab, they both get in the vehicle and drives off the road until they're finally out of his sight. Chanyeol is left staring at the direction where the cab disappeared.

 

He's alive.

 

"Chanyeol, are you still there?"

 

It can't be. His eyes slowly widens while his pulse raises. He's here? Since when?

 

"Hey!"

 

Baekhyun came back...?

 

"Chanyeol?"

 

Chanyeol blinks a few times in uncertainty before answering. "Y—yes?"

 

"I thought you've already left the conversation. You seem silent. What's the matter?"

 

Chanyeol swallows and rubs his temple with his shaking his hand. You're just stressed-out, Chanyeol. You didn't see anything so stop hallucinating, he tells himself in his head sternly. "Yes. Um— I'll call you later. Jihyun is already calling me because we're currently planning on the wedding now."

 

"Oh. Okay. I'll call you after I take a rest. I still have a little jetlag."

 

Chanyeol smiles. "Yeah, sure."

 

"Bye."

 

"Goodbye," Chanyeol answers back and hangs up.

 

His mind is reeled from the guy with Kyungsoo a minute ago. Suddenly he has the urge to find and see that guy again to prove that hopely it's Baekhyun.

 

There's only one way to find out...

 

 

 

Chanyeol urgently goes back inside the store, not to continue his business choosing the wedding place with his fiancée but to confront the wedding organizer.

 

"Ms. Gayoon."

 

Jihyun, along with the wedding organizer hold their giggling and look up at him. "Yes, Mr. Park?"

 

"Can I talk to you in private just this time?"

 

Jihyun stands up in worry, easily sensing his bad mood. "Honey, what's wrong?"

 

Chanyeol shakes his head and forces a smile. "Nothing, baby. Don't worry. I'll just have a minute with her, okay?"

 

"But why?" Jihyun asks puzzledly. Gayoon starts to feel a tad confused as well beside her.

 

"It's nothing big but this really needs to be done now," Chanyeol explains. "You better go home and rest, we'll continue this tomorrow." He leans down to kiss her forehead, helping it will cease her doubt.

 

Jihyun presses her lips together in hesitation. She takes a glance at her best friend before nodding. Her face obviously shows wary but Gayoon chooses not to react on it. "Okay, I'll wait for you."

 

Once Jihyun left the store with the car, Chanyeol's face changes into a serious one. He turns around to look at wedding organizer making the latter jitterier than she already was. Gayoon cautiously stands up from her chair and visibly gulps.

 

"Is something wrong, sir?"

 

"I think there is, Ms. Gayoon," Chanyeol answers in an emotionless manner. He folds his arms across his chest.

 

Gayoon freezes. She has a bad feeling being alone with the guy.

 

"Actually I don't need anything from you but I guess you can assure me that you know your boyfriend's affiliation and friends, right?"

 

Gayoon chuckles uneasily. "What do you mean, sir? Is this something beyond wedding busine—"

 

"Sure as hell it is. I'm talking about Doojoon and the guy that you're talking ages ago as your friend and so-called matchmaker."

 

Gayoon gulps again, her fists turning into balls. Absolutely, she needs Doojoon right now because she's scared less and heck, she doesn't know what to do. She's screaming internally. Chanyeol is already interrogating and freaking her out at the same time.

 

"Tell me his name," Chanyeol commands in a low and dangerous tone. "I demand to hear his name again."

 

It takes a long moment before Gayoon speaks and answers, giving him an adamant look. "I— I don't think that's acceptable and I might risk my friend's privacy—"

 

"That's bull." Gayoon flinches at his tone. "You already said it on the first place so why can't you say it now? Did that guy tell you not to tell me that he's back?"

 

"I— I don't know what you're talking about—" Gayoon stutters, lowering her head.

 

"You and I know damn well who I am talking about," Chanyeol spits. "Byun Baekhyun."

 

 No, he can't know anything about Baekhyun but how did he—

 

"Where is he?"

 

Gayoon bites her lip as she feels the race of her heartbeat increasing from too much panic. Chanyeol has already crossed the line, here intimidating her just to get the answer he wants. However, she still needs stand on her ground and fight for her friend, whatever it takes.

 

She looks up at him with a scowl. "This is indecorous. You're forcing me to tell about my friend's name when I don't know you that well. Hell, I think Baekhyun doesn't know you as well!" Gayoon gasps and quickly covers once Baekhyun's name slipped out of .

 

Chanyeol is silent for a moment before forming a smirk. "See? Guess who's lying right now." He scoffs and crosses his arms again. "Now tell me, since when did Baekhyun come back?"

 

Gayoon flinches at the tone he used. She starts to bite her nails from so much anxiety. A manner she does when feeling scared or nervous. God, give me a sign what to do.

 

Chanyeol is about to pester her another question when something catches his eyes. The thing wrapped around her finger. In a blink of an eye, Chanyeol agitates furiously. Without thinking, he roughly grabs Gayoon's wrist, making her cringe.

 

"Sir!" She cries.

 

"Where did you get this?" Chanyeol hollers.

 

"What?!"

 

"The ing ring? Who gave this you?"

 

Gayoon furrows her brows in too much scare. She regrets taking Baekhyun's ring without permission and wearing it. While Chanyeol on the other hand silently wonders how on earth he not noticed it earlier.

 

"Talk!"

 

"D—Doojoon gave this of course!"

 

"That's a ing lie. You guys had been in Russia all the time and you two just came back. This ring can only be located in some province here in Korea." The grasp on her wrist tightens, she winces.

 

"Please, let me go!"

 

"Not until you tell me. You've already been caught so tell me how in the you got this?!"

 

"Baekhyun!" she cries and Chanyeol instantly stops shaking her. Gayoon takes the opportunity to pull her wrist from his grip. "It belongs to Baekhyun. I took it from Baekhyun's closet without permission. There I said it!"

 

"S-So, you mean that Baekhyun—"

 

"Yes, your ex! The guy with VW disease before! He's back. Alive and breathing!"

 

Chanyeol freezes with wide eyes.

 

"Now that I said everything, there's no need for you to stay here!" Gayoon yells at him before she quickly sprints to the office's door and leaves Chanyeol.

 

 

 

Chanyeol comes back home late in the evening. All he did after leaving the store was drinking a few bottles of alcohol. Good thing he had thought of Jihyun before he could drink too much. It had been a long time since he drowned his sorrows in liquor. That was the time when Baekhyun left without any trace.

 

And now, he's doing the same thing again. He gets himself drunk enough, trying to stop his mind from thinking the bastard who broke his heart several times but still couldn't get him out of his heart. All he feels in the moment is anger, frustration and a bit of relief. Chanyeol is relieved because he's given a hope that Baekhyun might still be alive. He wants Baekhyun alive so he can beat the crap out of the once seeing him. He won't stop until he gets a proof that he is back and breathing. However, Chanyeol feels a bit afraid that if he sees Baekhyun, he might just kiss the life out of him. God, he can't deny that his heart is still longing for him and the anger fails to cover it.

 

Chanyeol clenches his fist that's surrounding the door knob. He stills standing at the door and about to enter Jihyun's house, yet Baekhyun's still bothering him nonstop in the head. He rubs his temples to help soothe his blurry sight before twisting the knob.

 

 

 

He walks in the house silently. The floors creaking as he makes steps. Suddenly, there were footsteps coming from above the stairs. Chanyeol looks up and sees Jihyun already in her sleeping gown. But her pretty face shows no amusement.

 

"Good evening," Chanyeol greets with his deep voice.

 

Jihyun ignores the greeting and walks down the stairs instead. She cups Chanyeol's face and studies his eyes momentarily before pulling away and giving him a dirty look.

 

"You drink?"

 

Chanyeol sighs. It took a lot of time for him to speak. "I— I'm sorry, babe. But don't worry I drank only a bit—"

 

"You still did!" Jihyun cries. "You know how I hate men with alcohol addiction. You really don't care for my feelings, do you?"

 

"Jihyun, please—" Chanyeol exasperatedly reaches for her but Jihyun angrily steps back. He doesn't it's the right time for them to argue. Thinks his head will fall down the floor in any time.

 

"No." She sniffles. Chanyeol feels bad seeing her eyes beginning to water. "Let's just talk when you're not sober and able to talk." She dismissed and left her fiancé standing before the flight of stairs.

 

Chanyeol exhales heavily and rubs his forehead. Tonight, he doesn't have any choice but to take the couch instead.

 

He needs to sleep early for he had a few business to do with the members of the board for the next day. And he needs to settle his new problem before the wedding occurs.

 

 

Kyungsoo and Baekhyun have arrived in Kyungsoo's newly upgraded apartment. The one that they once they shared together. Baekhyun feels happiness coming over his chest, remembering the past memories they have in their apartment. Now it is bigger, furnished and newly painted. He misses the home he had two years ago.

 

"I'm so glad so made the apartment more pretty," Baekhyun comments while watching Kyungsoo unlock the door with the key.

 

Kyungsoo turns to him after twisting the key. "Yeah. It's the least I can do for our home."

 

The second Kyungsoo opens the door, Baekhyun's mouth agapes once seeing the sight behind the door. He didn't see the apartment's appearance clearly the first time he went here when Kyungsoo slammed the door. But now, he can perfectly see the view of the room, and it's more beautiful than he thought.

 

"Wow. I thought we're in a hotel."

 

Kyungsoo chuckles. "Make yourself at home, Baek," says before heading to the kitchen.

 

Baekhyun giggles, stepping inside after two years. The smell and look of the room were already different but more better and stunning.

 

"Everything's beautiful," Baekhyun utters with lips stretched widely. He walks in the living room and scans the furniture around, until he notices a figure lying on the couch. The man's facing him. And yes, he's shirtless as well. Even his pants were hanging low on his waist.

 

Baekhyun slightly glowers at him. He didn't think that some homeless lad could break in inside his best friend's lavish apartment.

 

Eventually, he gets shocked by his own thought. What if he's harmful and he might hurt us both? Baekhyun gasps. He must tell Kyungsoo.

 

He was about to turn his heels when the man lying on the couch groggily rolls over, facing Baekhyun this time. Having Baekhyun see a better look of his face. He doesn't miss those muscled abs as well. But it does quickly clicked when Baekhyun remembers his face. This is the guy who opened the door the first time he came here, the guy who called Kyungsoo his baby. Every pieces click one by one and a grin slowly crawls on the brunet's face.

 

Kyungsoo comes back with knitted brows when he sees his best friend grinning stupidly. But when he looks at the direction where Baekhyun is grinning at, his jaw drops to the floor.

 

"You didn't tell me your boyfriend is here," Baekhyun says with a knowing look. Kyungsoo briefly glares at him before storming to his sleeping boyfriend with heavy steps.

 

"Idiot, wake up. My friend's here," he yells, shaking his bare shoulder.

 

The man's face scrunches as he groan, making Kyungsoo more pissed.

 

"Babe!"

 

The guy finally opens his eyes wide and looks at Kyungsoo. His sleepy face quickly turns into a excited one.

 

"Kyung, I've been waiting for you. Where have you been? I'm hungry!" Jongin whines, jutting his lips.

 

"Baek, meet Kim Jongin, my current boarder."

 

"Hey! I'm you boyfriend, midget! And you said I can come in here whenever I like." Jongin argues childishly. "Now, come here and give me a kiss!"

 

Baekhyun burst out laughing while Kyungsoo only deadpans. "I'm sorry, Baek. You have to meet my irresponsible boyfriend in this way."

 

The said boyfriend stands up gracelessly and makes his way to his lover's best friend, Baekhyun who still have a confused look. "Hi, I'm Jongin. Pleasure to meet you."

 

Baekhyun smiles and shake hands with him. "I'm Byun Baekhyun. Kyungsoo's best friend, as I know he mentioned to you."

 

"Yes. You're Park's ex lover right?"

 

Baekhyun freezes. "H—how did you know?"

 

"He's working in Chanyeol's company as well as one of the board directors," Kyungsoo explains, wriggling his brows.

 

Baekhyun should wonder how did Kyungsoo find this guy and date him even though Jongin's way too far from his type. Instead, Baekhyun wondered how everyone feels about him from leaving the president.

 

"OK, now that you guys meet, I must proceed back to the kitchen now!" Kyungsoo announces, pulling Baekhyun back from his senses. Jongin excitedly claps his hands.

 

"Yes. You don't know how long you had made me wait."

 

"Shut up."

 

 

 

Chanyeol wakes up without his fiancée around. He assumed Jihyun is still cross with him so she left the house without his knowledge. Chanyeol couldn't blame her though. He felt sad because this the first time she got mad at him, needless to say, also to an extent. Jihyun is so kind to him and he can't afford to hurt her feelings. But he already did.

 

Chanyeol, you ing idiot...

 

He mumbles to himself before standing up from the couch.

 

 

 

After five hours of doing paper works and meeting, Chanyeol thanked god his job for the day had finished. Chanyeol quickly drove off to see Yongguk waiting in the small food stand at the beachside. The beach has many people and tourists around. It is Chanyeol's first time to be in there so he was new to the place.

 

"Where did you find this place?"

 

Yongguk snorts, removing his sunglasses. "It's just thirty—minute drive from your building, dummy. How come you don't know this place?"

 

Chanyeol shrugs before calling a waitress. "I just don't go out that much," he confesses not so proudly.

 

Yongguk fakes a pout. "Shame on Jihyun. I feel bad for her."

 

Chanyeol silently glares at him which only made Yongguk cackle. "What the hell? You sound like I'm a terrible future husband."

 

"Is it not true?" Yongguk teases and before Chanyeol cam kick him under the table, the waitress came back. Yongguk stops laughing once the waitress puts the ordered drinks on the table.

 

While having their meal, Chanyeol starts a new conversation. "So, how's China?"

 

Yongguk heaves his shoulders. "Just fine. I didn't tour around the country that much I just done my business there, helped them creating a hundred story building." He pauses to take a sip of coffee. "What about you? Why did you suddenly ask Jihyun's hand for marriage?"

 

Chanyeol shrugs. "I just felt it. I'm already twenty—seven and I ain't going to wait another twenty years before I get married," he half-joked, stirring his amaretto coffee with the teaspoon.

 

Yongguk doesn't respond to that and remains silent. He knows for the fact that Chanyeol really don't love Jihyun the way he loved Baekhyun. It's almost impossible for Chanyeol to remove the small guy from his heart even though the scar is still vile and deep. Baekhyun will always be the one in his heart so when Yongguk found out Chanyeol will gonna marry somebody else, he certainly felt sad.

 

"Are you serious?"

 

Chanyeol raises a brow in confusion. "Serious of what? Of marrying Jihyun?" He chuckles. "Yes, I am. I already asked myself with the same question a lot of times. And I figured out that I'm ready to marry her. I want her to be happy, I want to be happy. I just feel my life gonna be miserable if I would be unmarried for the rest of my life." A pause. "Marriage is not just only for those people who found love and want a happy ending with the person they love. For me, this marriage means that I won't be alone anymore, I will find sanctuary in this. It will save me for being lonesome and waiting for person that I won't ever see again... I may or may not lover her but I still want my life to have a even just a bit of peace and direction."

 

Yongguk shakes his head. "That's not good, I'm telling you. It'd marrying a girl you don't even love."

 

"Do I have any choice?" Chanyeol scoffs and his lip, looking at the beach. "Fate ed me so many times and I want to end this goddamn game. Do you know— some things are happening since I proposed to Jihyun."

 

Yongguk furrows his brows, taking another sip. "What do you mean?"

 

Chanyeol looks down at his coffee before looking back at the other. "I'm still not sure of it but it's ing bothering me since yesterday."

 

Yongguk frowns deeper. "What is?"

 

"I have an assumption that Baekhyun has returned."

 

Chanyeol's eyes turn dead serious while Yongguk stares at him with wide opened eyes. He can't believe what he just heard from the other. It is too far from what he expected to hear. Baekhyun is coming back..? It's so impossible to happen.

 

After a long silence, Yongguk averts his eyes to his coffee before clearing his throat. "What's your proof?"

 

The other crosses his arms over his chest before speaking. "There are three: Remember my former worker, Kim Doojoon?"

 

"Yeah. Baekhyun's closest friend back in the mountain."

 

"He came back from Russia just last week with her girlfriend. The girl slipped and mentioned they had friend named Byun Baekhyun who went along with Doojoon in Russia."

 

"W-wait. So you mean— Baekhyun's in Russia the whole time he's missing?"

 

Chanyeol nods, putting the cup of coffee down. "Yes. I was not aware that he still had contact with Doojoon because for all I thought Doojoon was in his hometown all the time."

 

Yongguk nods. "So technically, they ran away?"

 

"I wouldn't say that but yes," Chanyeol mutters in slight bitterness. "Next time I see that guy, I'm gonna kill him."

 

"Easy. So, what's your second proof?"

 

Chanyeol takes a sip of his drink first before continuing. "When we were in a wedding planner's shop, I saw Kyungsoo with someone walking by the bar not too far from the store. Remember we're talking in the phone at that time when you're still in the airport, yeah? I didn't see it clear but I'm sure it was Baekhyun."

 

Yongguk's eyes widen. "He's with Kyungsoo?"

 

Chanyeol nod, putting his amaretto coffee down. "And I'm sure Kyungsoo knows about Baekhyun's return as well. Damn that guy, he didn't even inform me."

 

"But you're still not sure if it's really Baekhyun who's with Kyungsoo at that time. Maybe it's just someone who just sort of looked like him."

 

"He's appearance had change but still I know well how Baekhyun's face looks like. I remember it with my heart."

 

Yongguk slightly rolls his eyes. "Fine. What's the third one?"

 

"Now this one will make it. Gayoon, Doojoon's girlfriend is our current wedding organizer and when I confront her alone about Baekhyun, she denied it but then I saw the ring I gave Baekhyun she's wearing."

 

"What?"

 

"So I forced her to tell the truth."

 

"And?"

 

"She said Baekhyun's alive and he just came back with them from Russia. She said Baekhyun has returned."

 

"You're kidding," Yongguk utters blankly. The cup his holding is starting to shake, he's close to drop it. He can't begin to describe what he feels right now after knowing about the possibility that Baekhyun is still alive and has returned. Though, he can't deny the hope and happiness building in him  since he's one of the people who loved and cared for Baekhyun the most.

 

He's afraid his love for his might come back if he sees him.

 

"If that's true," he starts. "What are you gonna do?"

 

"I don't know."

 

"You're not gonna break the engagement with Jihyun, are you?"

 

"Of course, not," Chanyeol quickly replies but his other hand is turning into ball. "That's the last thing I'll do. You know I can't afford to hurt her."

 

"Even though your heart finally finds it's true love?"

 

Suddenly, Chanyeol turns away. “We’re not sure yet.”

 

Yongguk lowers his head and presses his lips together. It’s funny how he quickly cloud his mind after Yongguk mentioned about his fiancée, Jihyun. Surely, Chanyeol can’t just leave her spontaneously, he will definitely break her heart. But if Yongguk was in his position, he would definitely go after his true love.

 

“Let’s just see,” Yongguk adds for him with an encouraging smile.