Meanwhile Baekhyun worked like the workaholic he is until late at night, Yixing and Junmyeon prepared themselves to attend a dinner none of them wanted to attend. And they were definitely getting into an argument about it, both of them trying to put the blame on the other.

« Why did you have to be Chanyeol’s bestfriend in the first place ? » asked Junmyeon, while readjusting his husband’s collar.

Yixing answered on a sarcastic tone, feeling slightly offended. « Excuse me ? May I ask why you befriended Baekhyun back in high school then ? »

« Okay, okay… You have a point. But honestly, is Chanyeol really in love with Mabel ? I mean, when I heard they were going out at the time, I thought this was set up by their agencies. Now they’re getting married. Like, for real. »

« It’s more complicated than that. »

« And it might be the hundredth time you told me this. That doesn’t matter to me, okay ? The only thing I’m worried about is the fact that my friend might be silently suffering because he is still longing for an old love. He deserves his own happiness. I want to know if Chanyeol has moved on for real. If he is going to go through all the way with his wedding, don’t blame me for making sure he doesn’t leave any useless hope to Baek. »

« I can’t tell myself either. However, I do believe we shouldn’t meddle with their business, babe. Let’s go, or we’re going to be late. You look stunning, by the way. »

« You sure know how to change the topic… »

« Do I ? »

« Are you mocking me ? » questioned Junmyeon, leaning forward to plant a kiss on the photographer’s plump lips.

« Never, sweetheart, never… » Yixing teased playfully.

« Mabel is beautiful, and truly nice. She is the woman most people expect me to marry. And she loves me. » This was what Chanyeol kept repeating in his mind these days. However, the mantra looked more like a miserable attempt to convince himself than an actual declaration of love. And the progress of the dinner he was taking part in was only going to reinforce this idea, despite how hard the actor kept rejecting it.

For now, everything ran as smoothly as can be. Junmyeon and Yixing had reserved a table for the four of them at a fancy restaurant they liked to go to from time to time, especially because the place was quite intimate and allowed them to speak comfortably. Their food, absolutely divine yet innovative, had arrived in the shortest delays, and was now complemented by the dim lights of the dining room they were in, which contributed in creating a nice ambiance.

Chanyeol took a look at his fiancee, who was sitting by his side. With her long and shiny hair cascading down her back, which was revealed by a backless rose-gold cocktail dress, the actress showed off her splendid features. Her face, complemented by heavily made-up eye makeup and understated cheeks and lips, couldn’t offset the natural beauty she flaunted. Everything a man would ever wish for. Only being next to her should be a dream come true. But what if Chanyeol’s dream was to be with someone he could never ever have ?

Apart from that, if he wasn’t so distracted, perhaps he would have realized the couple’s facing him and Mabel uneasiness. The tall guy, oblivious of his friends’ attitude, was about to see how the comfortable atmosphere was going to go down the drain at any minute.

The glasses clinking broke him out of his reverie, as Mabel exclaimed. « I’d like to offer a toast in honor of Mr and Mr Zhang. You two look radiant ! » « So, how does it feel like to be newlyweds ? »

« Actually, it hasn’t changed our routine too much. But I have to admit that I’m excited to go on a honeymoon. I’ve been wanting to travel for a while. We never had time for ourselves though. So this is the perfect pretext to go on a short trip. » Junmyeon said with a smile, while Yixing didn’t reply, remaining as silent as a grave. « I really don’t know why her boundless energy is getting on my nerves. »

Mabel tilted her head slightly, envious. « It must be so nice. Where are you going to ? »

« Baek booked us a secret location, since we were too busy to choose ourselves the destination we wanted to go to. »

« Oh, I see…I wonder what kind of travel Baekhyun and Chanyeol are currently planning for me. Will it be a tropical vacation ? Or maybe a romantic trip somewhere in Europe ? »

Confused, Yixing blinked twice, and Junmyeon choked on the last piece of meat he was chewing.

« Ah, yeah ? But, hmm, what do you mean ? Baekhyun… as in Byun Baekhyun ? The same person who planned our wedding ? » the latter asked, his eyebrows slightly raised.

« Yup ! He is the best in the industry, so no surprise there. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be right back » she simply stated, pushing aside her finished plate.

As he adverted his sharp gaze on Chanyeol, Yixing responded a quiet « Sure. » Mabel smiled a gracious smile at that, grabbed her clutch and got up ; she didn’t seem to have noticed the guys’ reactions, or if she did, she hadn’t showed any sign of discomfort.

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