Chapter 22: Doubts

“We met at a wedding.”

Saying it like that sure made it sounded like it was such a fateful and ideal kind of meeting. I figured leaving out some important details actually made the story a whole lot better.

A lot of couples met through their friends’ weddings. A lot of people were set up at wedding. We weren’t that much difference except we actually didn’t came for a congratulating purpose. Not to forget, someone even came uninvited.

“A wedding? ” Baekbeom repeated, I noticed the faint tone of disbelief in his voice.

“A friend’s wedding.” Baekhyun added.

“I know the groom while Baekhyun came for the bride.”

“Right, my friend.”

“We bumped into each other at the wedding, then we had a small talk because I was all alone. Besides, we both had nowhere to go since it’s in Ok – “

“Orchestra! The orchestra! Remember?” I shook my head cluelessly but it was unnoticed since the whole table looked at Baekhyun in bewilderment. “The orchestra they hired – wow – do you remember? It was really spectacular. You told me you love wind instruments and we began talking from there.”

“You,” Baekbeom pointed his finger at Baekhyun, with a look in disbelief. “Talking about orchestra? What were they playing? Girls’ Generation’s songs?”

Baekhyun threw his napkin right into Baekbeom’s face, obviously getting annoyed with him. “So, it was love at the first sight?” his mother interrupted, ignoring her sons’ banter.

His brother snorted at his mother’s question and it was followed by Baekhyun’s light laughter like it was ridiculous. “How can I fall in love just at the first sight of – “ I glared at him that stopped him midsentence and swallowed. “I – I think she was pretty though.” And then he mouth “happy?”  at me which made me astonished but he continued casually like he didn’t just offended me. “She was in a floral dress when I first saw her that she caught my attention. She looked so lovely in that dress with her long straight hair was loosely covering her bare shoulders, except behind that façade, she was devouring all she could by herself at the buffet table.”

I was almost too sure that Baekhyun was so good at making up stories because he spoke about it too smoothly when suddenly, I did have a memory of wearing a floral patterned dress during my stay at Okinawa.

“Ooh, never seen that one before.”

I looked to who she was talking about and held my gaze on this man in bronze coloured suit that looked a little big for him, and his hair was a slight shade of pink that was surprisingly look classy while Hyeri was describing the man in our focus point. Like he’s aware of our gazes, he glanced in our way and I looked away in reflex to other side casually like he was the sight I passed through. “Oops, we were caught red-handed staring at him.” Hyeri spoke up.

 He saw me. He noticed me before we even met behind the tennis court.

~~~

Phew.

Baekhyun pulled me upstairs after he was sure I was done eating without his family realizing our absence. I was wondering at first where did he want to bring me to, only to have that question for a short while when it was answered as I stepped into a simple looking bedroom. It looked like it was unoccupied for quite a while and he told me it was his room as I was studying the surrounding.

Pictures of Baekhyun during the years since he was little till the time he was in high school were arranged on a high table. I realized there were one from his winter trip, from the summer trip to the beach with his friends, a picture of him with his brother and his grandmother during Christmas and every picture was filled with smiles.

“If Baekbeom knew I went to Yerin’s wedding-“ I broke my attention from the set of pictures and saw Baekhyun sighing in relief.

“Your brother knows her?”

“He’s the first person who told me about the wedding since he got invited.”

“And he didn’t go?”

“All of them don’t. Everyone who is close to me didn’t go on my behalf. They just felt it’s not right for them to go.”

My lips twitched, thinking how everyone around him didn’t even make an effort for the wedding in order to support him yet he was the one eager going to the wedding. “Yet, you go.”

“I did.” He grinned sheepishly as he raised his left eyebrows at me.

Baekhyun went straight to plop on his bed, lying flat as he watched me walking around, touching all the stuffs in his room. I saw the collections of trophies and a few certificates hanging, recognitions on a few fields like singing, writing and there were also sports like running. He was such a bright student that it made me digging into the past of what I ever achieve during high school.

Right. Nothing. Life is so unfair.

I sat at the edge of his bed later when I was done getting to know the Baekhyun that I missed to know. “Your family is nice.” I told him.

“I told you, there was nothing to worry about. Did mom tell you about her work? She’s the most passionate when it comes to her job. But she also thinks that not everyone was worth explaining it to.”

I pursed my lips. “She told me not to tell you about it.”

“Wow, you guys are best friends already.” He sarcastically commented. “Listen Hana, you’re not going to Uganda. I won’t let you.”

“I’m not.” I chuckled at his overreactions. “This is so fascinating. Suddenly, I feel much, much closer to you.”

He sat up to meet my eyes on the same level. “I have nothing hiding anymore. You know exactly everything about me.”

I gave a thought to his words for a moment. It would be only right if I did the same in return, right? “On this 23rd would be my parents’ anniversary. Would you like to come?”

Baekhyun’s face changed to somewhat surprised to my invitation. And then he was back smiling widely at me. “I thought you’d never ask.”

~~~

Somewhere near noon, with clock ticking about 30 seconds to 11:59 a.m was a time where my head usually lost its attention and search for a clock to look at. It was the same for today.

Jinae decided to stay at the office, saying that she was getting anxious of procrastinating by the look at the piled files she had on her table. Seeing that a deliveryman from the nearby Chinese food chain coming in, sending black bean noodles to her table convinced me that she was really determined not to leave for lunch.

“I’m leaving.” I send her a wave as I walked passed her while she was busy slurping on her noodles. With full, she managed to let to what seemed near to sound like “Say hello to Baekhyun and Chanyeol for me.”

I walked out and it surprised me that I saw Jongin’s face first thing as I passed the glass door. “Hey.” He casually greeted me.

“Hey back at you. What are you doing here?” I asked, no reason except I was plainly curious.

“Oh. I want to meet Jinae for a while. Going out for lunch?”

I hummed in response. “But Jinae is not.”

“Yeah, that’s what I’ve been told which is why I’m here. So Hana-“

“Hana.” Another voice said my name at the same time stopped Jongin midsentence as both of us turned to look towards the owner. There was Baekhyun, standing right before us, with a straight face that I’m not used looking at. He had his gaze stayed long on Jongin’s before his attention moved to me. “Let’s go.” he said, the stern tone didn’t went unnoticed as it sounded more like he was ordering me to follow him instead of inviting.

“It’s been a while, Baekhyun-sshi.” Jongin spoke, totally undeterred by Baekhyun’s dark vibe.

“Yeah.” He faintly answered before he turned around as I followed him on his heels. I mouthed “Go in. She’s inside at the usual spot.” and waved a little in his way which he responded with a bright smile.

“Got it.” He gave a thumb’s up.

Baekhyun went straight to the driver’s seat and I began wondering if something was wrong with him today. Who had made my cute puppy looking boyfriend so upset? I had wary eyes on him every time he moved, from starting the car’s engine and so on as I pulled on the seatbelt.

He was silent and cold that it shuddered me. Was he originally like this since before he met me or did I just do something wrong?

I knew by trying to lighten up the atmosphere would work on him. I shouldn’t think too much. “Baek honey, why are you so serious today?” I asked playfully as my hand went up to his nape and massaged the tension building in. “You look so hot like this but I want my boyfriend back.” I continued and I felt the tension in him loose at hearing my voice.

My hand then moved to his arm and brushed it gently, knowing that kind of action could calm him.

“Stop meeting Jongin. I don’t like it.”

~~~

We came into a restaurant, meeting two grown up men trying to get ketchup on each other. Baekhyun sighed heavily as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I knew that it’s a bad idea to meet them both at the same time.”

I laughed lightly as I pulled him from the spot he halted when he saw his friends. “They’re your friends. Come.”

“I know, but can we get another table instead? They’re too embarrassing to watch.” Baekhyun frowned more and more as he watched his friends any longer.

“I’m sure you are like that too when you’re with them.”

“I’m not!” He protested. “I’m a really mature 25 years old man, overflowing with classiness.”

I rolled my eyes. “More like sassiness.” I murmured to myself.

“What did you say, sweetheart?”

“Nothing, boyfriend. Now that I look at you closely, why do you look so handsome today?” I faked a smile before darting closer towards the table.

“YA, KIM JONGDAE!”

“If this ketchup is spread all over your face, you look effortlessly like the cosplay you had on during Halloween last year.”

A strong dragging sound of chair stopped them doing from whatever I supposed they were doing – it was obvious Baekhyun purposely did it just to screech their ears – and Chan