Kibum quickly snatched his wrist out of who he thought was Jinki’s hands, the palms way too big to belong to Taemin’s petite ones. He quickly wipes at his eyes which have started to water despite his desire to stay completely composed throughout the ordeal. He refused to turn around however, because he can’t dare to face Jinki and his “I-told-you-so” attitude.

“Jinki you were right. I don’t think this was a good idea.” Right now Kibum just stares at his feet. He almost laughs because his shoes really are tacky. Kibum can’t believe that Taemin actually thought he would approve of these disasters. Not even in another lifetime would Kibum ever consider them wearable. “Plus these shoes are just a train wreck waiting to happen. Jinki I’m sorry, but I can’t do this.”

“Who’s Jinki?”

Kibum freezes when he hears a voice that sounds nothing like his friend Jinki’s always calm, soothing one. Still, he doesn’t dare to turn around.

“He’s a friend of mine. Who are you?”

“I’m Jonghyun. And I’m going to take a wild guess and say you’re the groom everyone is waiting for?”

Kibum is surprised by the lack of judgement in the stranger’s voice despite the fact that he had just caught Kibum in the middle of running away from his own wedding.

Suddenly Kibum just feels tired. And confused. Like he could sit down forever in this hallway with this stranger looking at him with curiosity that could kill. Forget running, Kibum just slumps against the wall and slides down slowly until his head is buried in his bent knees.

“Yup. That’s me.” Kibum waits for the big pep talk that he’s sure to come from the stranger who no doubt took off work to make it to his special day. Kibum hears ruffling next to him and looks up to see the stranger has sat down next to him. Kibum takes in how Jonghyun is dressed.

That’s an expensive suit for a wedding. Only the grooms are supposed to look that good. Hmph.

Kibum didn’t realize that he was staring until Jonghyun cleared his throat and chuckles a bit.

No one is supposed to sound that good laughing either.

“You don’t sound too enthusiastic about getting married today.” Kibum looks Jonghyun in the eyes. And something in them tells Kibum that by the time he’s done talking with Jonghyun something will have changed. Either he would walk into the sanctuary and get married, or he would make up his mind to find love on his own.

“I’m…” What? How do I feel? “I’m…just…not ready I don’t think. You know, I don’t even know who I’m marrying.”

“Well why agree to something that scares you?” Jonghyun’s questioning eyes pierces through Kibum’s sense of reason.

“Because I thought I could handle it. The thought excited me at first, meeting a complete stranger and marrying them. I’ve seen it happen where the two people are so incredibly in love.” Kibum breaks his gaze with Jonghyun and looks at his hands. They’re shaking but that’s usually what happens when he feels like he’s losing control. When he doesn’t know what to think or do next. “That’s something I want.”

Jonghyun reaches over to Kibum and stills his hands. Kibum almost flinches at the touch, but Jonghyun’s hands are so warm and comforting. Kibum squeezes them for a sense of understanding. “Well, what changed?”

Kibum isn’t shocked by Jonghyun’s question. It’s what he’s been thinking about since he decided he wouldn’t walk through those doors. “I don’t think I’m good enough for someone to fall in love with at first sight. What if the person hates me?”

“You won’t find out will you?” Kibum looks up at Jonghyun when he hears the strain in his voice. Something entirely different from how he’s sounded since he began talking. “Since you were so ready to run away.” Kibum watches as Jonghyun lets his hands go and stands up. He dusts off his expensive suit and Kibum feels guilty for making the man sit down with him. Even though Kibum didn’t really make him; Jonghyun had sat down on his own.

“Well I’m going to go back inside okay? I’ll let you sort through whatever is going through your mind and if in two minutes you’re not walking down the aisle, then I’ll tell everyone that the wedding is off.” Jonghyun doesn’t even look back down at Kibum. Instead he stares at his watch for a few seconds and reaches to open the door.

Two minutes.

“Wait Jonghyun. Do you…do you know who’s waiting for me?”

I have two minutes.

“Yes. I know the person very well.”

Jonghyun disappears through the door and Kibum checks his watch.

12:38pm

…

As Jonghyun walks back down the aisle and takes his place at the alter he sees everyone’s eyes follow him. He hears all the concerned whispers. But all he does is stare at the door, counting down in his head.

105

104

103

102

Jonghyun feels a bump from his right side and is broken from his reverie of numbers.

He checks his watch again to get back on track and then glares at the person next to him.

“So, did you talk to him?” It’s one of the men that walked in before and who tipped Jonghyun off about his fiancé being outside the door. His face seems friendly enough and he sounds so concerned.

“Are you Jinki?”

The stranger’s eyes go wide and he slowly nods. Jonghyun almost laughs at the site if he wasn’t already so worked up about his talk with…

I didn’t even ask him his name!

“Don’t worry he told me. He said that you told him this was a bad idea?”

Jinki takes a care to looking everywhere but at Jonghyun.

“No, not necessarily. I just...told him he should’ve thought extra carefully before he decided to agree to something so drastic.”

Jonghyun nods. Not exactly pleased with Jinki’s answer, but his thoughts really can’t dwell on him when he has 96 seconds until his future is decided for him.

95

94

93

“So, is he coming?”

This time the voice comes from his left side. A much softer voice. Jonghyun isn’t as irritated with it as he was with Jinki. But he’s really not in the mood to talk, especially not about something he’s not even sure of.

“I don’t know.”

“I’m Taemin by the way. Kibum’s friend.”

“Who’s Kibum?”

“Uhm, the person you’re supposed to be marrying? Did you really not know his name? You just went out and talked with him and you don’t even know his –”

“No, I didn’t ask okay?” Jonghyun almost feels sorry for snapping at Taemin when the other gives him a pout that makes him look so adorable.

“Sorry man. I just hate waiting and not knowing what’s going on.”

“How do you think I feel?”

“Oh right. Yeah. Sorry.”

At this Taemin turns back to stare at the door, bouncing on his heels with anxiety. This doesn’t make Jonghyun feel any better. Especially now that there are only 55 seconds left in the time he’s allotted for Kibum to walk through the door.

54

53

52

Kibum.

It’s such a simple name. Sharp on Jonghyun’s tongue, but soft to his ears.

Jonghyun and Kibum.

Or will it be Kibum and Jonghyun?

Will there be an us at all?

Jonghyun glances to his mother and father. They’re both whispering to each other, heads close. He knows they’re talking about him; about this terrible situation they’ve found themselves in.

And Jonghyun finds himself wondering if he will be enough for Kibum to decide to walk through that door.

38

37

36

Jonghyun decides that staring at a forever closed door is doing nothing for his rapidly beating heart and his shaking knees. He closes his eyes and gets ready to make the announcement. That there will be no wedding today. That he’s sorry everyone went out of there ways to make it to his special day.

24

23

22

He’s given up.

Jonghyun believes in fate. So he accepts that today won’t be the day he makes that promise to love and cherish for the rest of his life. He just wishes he had never walked outside, had never seen Kibum, had never touched him and seen his beautiful face.

Jonghyun takes the deep breath and the entire building erupts.