part 1.

“Attention passengers for Korean Air flight KE659. Boarding time for the flight has been pushed back to 3 p.m. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience.”

❁ ❁ ❁

Chanyeol glanced at his watch. The delayed boarding would only push his arrival time about 30 minutes, which wasn’t entirely too bad. It could’ve been worse, plus with the wedding party being on such a tight schedule, he didn’t want to burden Kyungsoo and Jongin with having to wait at the airport unnecessarily long. The two were getting married and despite the fact that they offered to pick him up, Chanyeol still felt like somewhat of a burden.

Sighing, he set aside the book in his hand on the seat next to him and quietly texted his friend about the delay. Looking on the bright side, it meant he could continue on with reading in peace until the attendants announced boarding.

Not a minute passed after he took his book off the seat that somebody sat down in its place. Usually, Chanyeol wouldn’t mind, but considering how there were plenty of empty seats around them, a little personal space would’ve been nice. Nonetheless, Chanyeol politely smiled, even going as far as giving a small nod.

Much to his hatred for all things awkward, the man didn’t return the same gestures. Inside, he looked down at the book in Chanyeol’s hand and had the nerve to scoff. It wasn’t even discrete, which made it worse. The lack of discretion really rubbed Chanyeol the wrong way, but since confronting strangers wasn’t exactly up his alley, he decided that it’d probably be best to just try and ignore him. After all, maybe he was just imagining things. Traveling can sometimes do that to a tired mind.

“‘Flowers in the Rain’...”

Chanyeol paused when he realized the man next to him was referring to the book in his hand. Regardless of his growing irritation, he still managed to offer up a small smile because… it was the only polite thing to do. Clearly.

“Oh, this?” Laughing, Chanyeol turned the book around and began awkwardly patting the cover. It was just too goddamn awkward. “I, uh, actually read this before-- like, a bunch of times. It’s one of my favorite books.”

“Hn.”

For a second, Chanyeol could’ve sworn he felt his own face twitch.

But he brushed it off. Again.

“Have you heard of it? I know it sounds tacky and all, but it’s actually really--”

“I’ve read it. It’s not that great.”

Biting down his tongue, Chanyeol stopped himself from impulsively (and sarcastically) responding. First of all, he lied. Flowers in the Rain isn’t tacky at all. Second, it’s not one of his favorite books. It is his favorite book.

Which makes the man’s remarks a lot more insulting.

Damn.

He really couldn’t stop himself after all.

“If it’s not that great, then why strike up a conversation about it?”

The man stared back at him for a moment before heaving a sigh. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you...”

For a split second, Chanyeol felt a little guilty for (mildly) snapping on the man. To be fair, aside from the cut-throat responses, the guy wasn’t trying to be intentionally rude. A bit harsh, but nothing too…bad.

And yet he spoke too soon.

“I guess we all have our guilty pleasures. Even if it’s cheap romance novels for isolated housewives.” Before the words could even begin to sink into Chanyeol’s weary skin, the man’s phone rang, drawing his attention away from their conversation. Curtly, he picked up, leaving Chanyeol gaping and wondering if he should just move to another seat just to move away from the prick. “Hello? Yes. Same terminal… That’s fine. I’ll see you soon.”

Placing his bookmark between the pages, Chanyeol shut the book and set it on his lap. For various reasons--one, in particular, being the person beside him-- he didn’t feel like reading anymore. The atmosphere was slightly tense, but he couldn’t get himself to move away either, even if he didn’t owe the man anything.

He eyed the gate and airline attendants again, silently hoping there’d be a change in the schedule and that they’d announce boarding right away. But fat chance on that.

“So,” Chanyeol said, speaking up first despite feeling as though he was just shooting himself in the foot by starting another conversation with someone who was clearly unpleasant to be around. “What’s your guilty pleasure?”

The words left his mouth before he realized how awful it sounded without any context. It almost seemed too inappropriate to ask in public, but he couldn’t do anything about it now. He had already said it.

The man blinked, almost confused yet slightly amused, but it wasn’t enough to crack the stoic aura around him. At this point, Chanyeol wondered if it was even possible for this stranger to smile at all… Maybe he had some issues that Chanyeol didn’t know about so perhaps judging him was too much.

“Oh.” The man looked down, seemingly thinking as to what he should reveal. Like he had so many secrets that he had to carefully choose while one to put under the spotlight, but Chanyeol was just grateful that he seemed to want to respond to his question at all. “I don’t have any.”

The conversation hit a dead end as soon as it started. Chanyeol bit his bottom lip, fighting the urge to laugh at how stupid he was for even trying to be nice.

From the corner of his eye, he could see the man turn his eyes back to his phone, writing an email that seemed to consume his entire attention and thought process. Thinking that this might’ve been his chance to go back inside his bubble, Chanyeol nodded to himself and replied dismissively, “Ah, that’s an interesting response...”

A few minutes passed and not another word was said between them until the man suddenly stood up. Chanyeol looked up and saw him shove his phone in his back pocket.

“Actually,” he muttered under his breath as he grabbed the handle of his carry-on. “I guess my guilty pleasures involve annoying exes. God, I need a drink.”

Chanyeol’s jaw slacked as he watched the latter curtly walk away, headed back down the food stalls of the terminal. Then, he looked at the time, wondering if the man would make it back in time for boarding.

❁ ❁ ❁

The entire flight from LAX to Incheon, Chanyeol couldn’t stop wondering about the stranger and if he managed to board on time… And what the hell was that thing about exes? It must’ve been something personal, so he tried not to let his mind wander off too deep into it. Yet, he couldn’t stop himself from eyeing every passenger that passed him during boarding, casually searching for him. For some reason, it bothered him.

Even as he stood in the line for customs, his eyes subconsciously searched for that familiar face. It wasn’t until he had his electronic receipt that Chanyeol decided that he was being an idiot. Not that he wasn’t fully aware of it before, but he just needed to draw the line before losing his sanity over a curiosity that would never be satisfied.

As he took the elevator down to the baggage claim area, he heard two overlapping voices calling out his name. It didn’t take long for his eyes to notice the people at the bottom, waving their hands in an attempt to get his attention (which it did).

“Kyungsoo!” Laughing, Chanyeol threw an arm open and gave his best friend a tight hug. Turning to the taller man beside him, Chanyeol smiled. “How’ve you been, Jongin?”

“Eh, pretty great!” Jongin gave him a pat on the back before gripping onto his shoulder. “How was the flight?”

“Not too bad. I was more worried about being an inconvenience to both of you since you still have a lot of things to do for the wedding--”

“Don’t worry about it,” Kyungsoo said, dismissing him. “Besides, we’re here to pick up someone else, too. He’s Jongin’s best man. You guys were on the same flight! Go figure.”

“Oh? Then maybe I’ve seen him before. Where is he?”

Jongin scratched the back of his neck. “He said he needed to use the restroom real quick, so he should be back pretty soon--”

“I’m sorry. Did I keep all of you waiting for long?”

Chanyeol turned around at the sound of the voice, but he couldn’t get himself to say anything at all… Meanwhile, Kyungsoo filled the void with his reassurance.

“Not at all! Chanyeol just got through customs a few minutes ago.” Chanyeol watched as Kyungsoo, his best friend, grabbed the hand of the man who single-handedly insulted Flowers in the Rain. “Baekhyun, this is Park Chanyeol. And… Chanyeol, this is Byun Baekhyun. He’s Jongin’s best man.”

They’d already met before… but judging by the way Baekhyun gave him a tight smile, Chanyeol took it as a sign that the latter didn’t want to mention it at all.

“Hi. Nice to meet you.”

Baekhyun extended a hand… which Chanyeol took hold of as a courtesy. “It’s nice to meet you, too. It’s really a weird coincidence that we’d be on the same flight, isn’t it?”

“Small world.” Short and curt… but what did Chanyeol expect?

Interrupting, Kyungsoo couldn’t help himself from joining the conversation. “Oh, Chanyeol! I have a fun little fact for you. Did you know that Baekhyun over here is also--”

Baekhyun was quick to stop him by politely squeezing his hand. “Kyungsoo… You know how much I hate being the center of attention. Since we’re both here for your wedding, shouldn’t we focus on the two of you instead?”

He said it so smoothly that Chanyeol was mildly impressed.

Scoffing, Kyungsoo shook his head. “Please. We all know that this wedding ceremony’s entirely Jongin’s idea. His whole family’s been looking forward to it. I would’ve been fine with a court wedding just to get it over with.”

As they started walking to the pathway exit for the parking garage, Jongin asked, “Are you guys hungry? We can stop somewhere. It’s going to be an hour or so before we get to Seoul-- if traffic isn’t bad.”

“It’s up to you guys! I can wait until we get to the hotel,” Chanyeol replied.

Kyungsoo turned to Baekhyun. “What about you? Are you hungry?”

“I don’t have much of an appetite right now.”

“Okay, if you guys say so.” Kyungsoo shrugged. “Well, once we get to the hotel, we’ll get you two set up before heading to the venue. There’s still a few things that we need to do in terms of decorating. It’s actually driving me a little crazy.”

“Oh, the joys of organizing a wedding. How romantic.”

Chanyeol glanced at Baekhyun from the corner of his eye following the latter’s obvious sarcastic remark. It seemed a little rude considering the soon-to-be-newly-weds were right beside him, but he was surprised to see Jongin take it lightly.

“You’re right. It’s not romantic until Kyungsoo has to look me in the eyes and say he loves me in front of everyone we know.”

Groaning, Kyungsoo rolled his eyes. That reason alone was enough for him to dislike his own wedding.

❁ ❁ ❁

Chanyeol couldn’t help but wonder when (or if) they would ever stop pretending like they didn’t already meet prior to landing at Incheon, but there wasn’t much he could do. The entire drive to Seoul, he was busy making conversation with the two people in the front while Baekhyun seemed glued to his phone, seemingly writing an email that never had an end. From the look of it, the man, himself, was frustrated every few minutes, deleting and rewriting whatever needed to be said.

❁ ❁ ❁

Kyungsoo and Jongin worked relatively normal, middle-class lives; however, it was almost comical to Chanyeol how filthy rich the Kims were. Having invested in the right type of stocks at the turn of the 21st century (including real estate gambles and residual tenant income), Jongin’s parents had more money in their accounts than they could possibly spend for the rest of their lives. Each one of their children received an extravagant wedding, and Jongin was not an exception to the tradition.

It might’ve given Kyungsoo a headache, though… Knowing him, Chanyeol could only guess how much the man probably had to argue and fight with the Kim family’s wedding planner about everything. For someone who constantly complains about how he doesn’t “care about a dumb wedding”, he still wanted control over everything.

Once they arrived at the hotel, Chanyeol could only guess that Kyungsoo’s first feeling when he heard the Kims had booked the Four Seasons as his wedding venue was nothing but “excessive”. From what he gathered on the car ride over, they also booked an entire floor just for guests who were coming in front outside Seoul, which…

Chanyeol almost died in the car.

And if he did, he had to wonder what Baekhyun would do. Judging from what little he knew of the man, he probably wouldn’t hesitate to open the side door and kick him out of a moving vehicle.

Maybe that was an exaggeration.

When Chanyeol looked over to the man next to him, he saw that Baekhyun was still hyper focused on his phone. It wasn’t until they reached the front desk to check in that he finally gave the device a well-deserved break.

“Hi, reservation under the Kim family,” Kyungsoo said to the woman over the counter. “They’re for two of our guests. Byun Baekhyun and Park Chanyeol. The rooms should already be pre-assigned.”

“Pre-assigned? That’s fancy,” Chanyeol heard himself say.

Jongin managed to catch it. “For precautionary reasons, you know. Not everyone in the family likes each other.”

“Makes sense.”

Chanyeol couldn’t help but glance at Baekhyun again, except this time, the latter had turned to him simultaneously and they ended up locking eyes. Instinct told Chanyeol to look away, but he figured he’d stick his ground. After what felt like forever, Baekhyun broke the air.

“So, how do you know Kyungsoo?”

Did he always speak so in that monotone?

“We met in college as roommates. After that, we became housemates with two other guys until we graduated.”

“Hm.” Baekhyun looked ahead, watching as Jongin stepped forward to help assist with the check-in. “You’re not in love with him or something, are you?”

Collapsing on his knees at that point would’ve been valid, but Chanyeol just gripped onto his luggage handle even harder than before. To say that he was shocked was a bit of an understatement, but he needed to keep his composure.

Was he that transparent about his past feelings?

No. He didn’t even do anything that would suggest the idea, first of all. And on another note, how could Baekhyun have come up with something that absurd when his face was plastered to his phone the entire drive there..? How could he even have seen anything? It wasn’t like it was tattooed on his goddamn forehead.

Scoffing, Chanyeol rolled his eyes. It was the first time he dropped the whole “be polite” facade. “Honestly, I’d say you’re the one who’s reading ‘cheap romance novels for isolated housewives’.”

Initially, Baekhyun said nothing in return… Then he laughed. “Not bad.”

Drawing his brows together, Chanyeol’s frown deepened. What the hell did that mean?

“You paused a little longer than I thought you would,” Baekhyun said in a quiet tone that only Chanyeol could catch. “It must’ve been my imagination, yeah?”

When Baekhyun smiled, Chanyeol couldn’t help but notice how it made him look more lively (and handsome?). Yet, the undertone in his words did nothing but make Chanyeol feel like he was mocking him. There was no time to respond. As soon as he said those words, Kyungsoo and Jongin walked back to them with hotel keycards in hand.

Kyungsoo handed one to each of them.

“You guys are going to be right across from each other since you’re both our best men. It’ll probably be easier to plan with each other about what to do with the wedding parties on each side if you’re in close proximity.”

Baekhyun looked at his room number without commenting on that particular arrangement. “And what about…?”

Putting a hand on his shoulder, Jongin gave a sympathetic smile. “You don’t have to worry about that.”

Chanyeol gave the two of them a curious eye.

Nodding, Baekhyun looked up. “What’s the itinerary from here?”

“We’re having lunch with Jongin’s family in an hour. Would you two like to join us?” Kyungsoo asked.

“I don’t want to intrude,” Baekhyun replied, giving him a small smile. “You two can go ahead. I have some work-related things to finish doing.”

“Okay. And what about you, Chanyeol?”

Despite how he did feel a bit hungry, he wasn’t about to be the fifth wheel. Politely declining, Chanyeol shook his head. “I’ll pass, too. I think I’m going to call my family since I’m back in Seoul for now. I may meet up with them.”

“I don’t know why I forgot your family’s here,” Kyungsoo muttered, slapping himself on his forehead. “Seeing them would be a good idea. There’s really not much to do except this evening. We’ll be taking a look at the ballroom and scouting out where the decorations should be placed within the following days. Will you guys be alright?”

“They’re not kids, Soo. I’m sure they’ll be fine,” Jongin said, scoffing. Turning to Baekhyun, he grinned. “Play nice.”

Baekhyun gave him an unamused expression.

“You’re my best man so be on your best behavior!”

Their exchange was somewhat interesting to Chanyeol. Jongin seemed like the type of person who enjoyed poking a baby lion with a stick.

❁ ❁ ❁

Although there wasn’t much to do on a plane besides sit down for 10 hours, Chanyeol was exhausted. As soon as he got inside his room, he plopped on the bed and closed his eyes. It was only the sound of his phone’s Twitter notification ring that made him reopen them again. Glancing at the screen, he read the announcement.

B. Jang-Mi Tweeted:

Hello my dear readers! I’ll be hosting an impromptu Q&A tonight at 10pm~~ Ask me anything! Please use the hashtag #BJangmiQA so it’ll be easier for me to interact with all of you! Hehe ヽ(*・ω・)ﾉ !! 

As Chanyeol smiled, another notification popped up.

B. Jang-Mi Tweeted:

I will also be giving away signed copies of Flowers in the Rain to 3 lucky readers who retweets this Q&A tweet! I’ll see you all soon! (*˘︶˘*).｡.:*♡ 


Rolling over on his stomach, Chanyeol opened the app and dedicatedly replied under the thread a couple of heart-filled emojis because for someone who loved reading words, he could never find the right ones whenever he’s responding to his favorite author.

He’d been reading B. Jang-Mi’s work for a little over five years, having first discovered the author’s small paperback debut on the floor of Yoora’s room when he visited her during his third year of college. Despite being a short piece, Chanyeol really found himself in love with the writing style, especially how Miss B. Jang-Mi captured authentic emotions, almost as if she was projecting her own experiences through the eyes of her characters. Seemingly venting, seemingly distraught, yet hopeful… Her work was tragically beautiful and resound, if not bittersweet and happy.

Thinking that he might forget to tweet later, Chanyeol sent one out in that moment--just in case.

❁ ❁ ❁

That evening, Chanyeol decided to accompany Kyungsoo and Jongin down to the hotel ballroom with Baekhyun nowhere to be seen. It made him wonder how in the world he was Jongin’s best man in the first place. Their personalities seemed so incompatible. As someone’s best man, shouldn’t he be there as support for his friend?

Chanyeol didn’t understand, so he didn’t bother thinking about it any further.

It wasn’t until around 6:30 that he finally saw Baekhyun again, dragging his sluggish body out of his hotel room around the same time Chanyeol stepped out in a new set of clothes (since they were going to be dining at the 5-star restaurant). In contrast, Baekhyun was still wearing the same clothes he had been wearing all day, even all the way back to when they first met at LAX-- black leather jacket mixed with black jeans and a black turtleneck. A very lively combination--not.

Noticing the gaze that Chanyeol was giving him, Baekhyun shut the door behind him and frowned. “What? Are you in love with me or something?”

Chanyeol almost choked on air. His immediate reaction was to say something--anything--back, but he couldn’t find any words. He was left flustered and too stunned to respond. Yet, it was his lack of a comeback that made Baekhyun smile in the end. It was only then that Chanyeol realized that was the latter’s original intent.

Thinking back to Baekhyun’s relationship with Jongin, Chanyeol began to realize that the two of them were essentially just two sides of the same coin. Both liked to tease, but Baekhyun was a bit more of the type to say things with an underhanded tone. And judging from his past comments, he also liked to be blunt.

Annoyed, Chanyeol turned first and started walking down the hall. Baekhyun followed behind him, yet made no effort to catch up. As soon as Chanyeol reached the elevators and hit the button to go down, he kept praying a door would open before Baekhyun got to him. But as luck would have it, one became available as soon as Baekhyun stood behind him. Without much of a choice, they both got into the elevator together.

Inside the elevator, Chanyeol saw their reflection on the mirror-like doors. Baekhyun had his arms crossed in a defensive manner, but after a closer look, he looked like he had just awoken from a long nap. If that was the case, that might’ve explained why he was missing earlier. Inwardly sighing, Chanyeol turned his eyes to the floor.

Shouldn’t he--in the very, very least-- try to be friends with Jongin’s best man?

Then again, he had been trying, and they hadn’t made any progress. It was clear that Baekhyun already had some kind of grudge against him. For some reason, it made Chanyeol curious to ask as to why that was… It wasn’t as though he had done anything malicious other than read Flowers in the Rain in public. And in his defense, it wasn’t a crime for him to do that.

Crossing his arms together, Chanyeol bit down on his bottom lip, lost in thought. It was only when Baekhyun spoke up that he raised his eyes again.

“What’re you doing? Copying me?”

“What?” Looking down at the man beside him, Chanyeol noticed they were both crossing their arms and leaning against the elevator railing behind them. Immediately catching it, he dropped his hands off to the side and took a side step away from Baekhyun. “No!”

The expression of Baekhyun’s face didn’t change. “Hm.”

Shortly after, the doors opened and they arrived at the lobby with Jongin and Kyungsoo standing not too far away.

❁ ❁ ❁

“Sehun!” Chanyeol was met with a rough hug that almost took him right down in the middle of the restaurant, but he didn’t care. Relief had swept over Chanyeol when he heard there’d be some familiar faces at dinner, and seeing his old friends was nothing short of exciting. “Can’t believe you actually spared the time to be with us ‘normies’.”

Playfully sticking a finger in his mouth, Sehun gagged. “Stop or I’ll vomit for real.”

Kyungsoo sighed. “Please don’t.”

“Yixing, you too? When did you arrive in Seoul?”

“A couple days ago!”

As Sehun sat back down in his seat, Chanyeol followed his lead and chose to sit across from his friends.

Grinning, Jongin put an arm around Baekhyun and Kyungsoo’s shoulders and started herding the two of them to their seats. “Come, come. Baekhyun, you can sit next to Jongdae.”

Waving his hand in the arm, their old mutual friend made himself known. “Baekhyun~”

Baekhyun warmly smiled and pleasantly sang back, “Jongdae~”

Although Chanyeol was conversating lightly, he couldn’t help but notice the way the two exchanged their words. He was left speechless--again. Even if it wasn't at his (embarrassing) expense. Jongin’s best man really was complicated and...puzzling, at best.

❁ ❁ ❁

There were four levels of ‘drunk’.

The first level was Yixing; a man who couldn’t even finish a cocktail. Halfway through it, he could barely keep his head up. However, when the servers brought over his steak, he perked up a little bit and mustered up a bit of sobriety to enjoy the meal.

The second level was Sehun. Having been to his fair share of grand openings and business-friendly gatherings where drinking was considered a must, he kept his liquor down well enough. When he started to feel tipsy, he stopped because he didn’t want to risk looking like an idiot in front of other people. God forbid his shame somehow ending up on the trending page of Weibo.

The third level was everyone except Baekhyun, because despite the fact that Baekhyun knew how to deal with his liquor consumption on a god-like level when they were in the restaurant, the second Jongin and Chanyeol threw him in the backseat of the SUV, he started bawling. At this point, the only one completely sober was Jongin (the designated driver). Chanyeol and Kyungsoo were moderately tipsy, but far better off than Baekhyun who had turned his back away from Chanyeol and stuffed his face in the corner where the car seat met the door.

“Baekhyun~ Come on. Stop crying.” Jongin tried to sound sweet, but he could barely keep himself from laughing. “It’s not good for the leather seats.”

Upon hearing this, Baekhyun turned his body facing forward and stared at the car roof. “I apologize,” he said, sniffling. “It’s just that… I’m sooo happy for you two. True love and everything. A big fat wedding. …”

Jongin snorted, pulling the car out of the parking lot. “Then why’re you crying? That’s not very happy of you!”

“I am very happy!” Baekhyun insisted. “So happy… Like, really happy. I’ll write about you guys one day. You two are so cute.”

“Aw, Baekhyun!” Kyungsoo tried to reach his hand all the way from the front passenger seat but couldn’t. “Write me in as a cool character.”

“I will.”

“Don’t make me the bad guy!” Jongin scolded. “I won’t support you! That’d be slanderous.”

Chanyeol had no idea what they were rambling on about. His head hurt so he stayed on his side quietly. Checking the time, it was barely turning 9pm and he still wanted to be on Twitter by the time B. Jiang-Mi started her Q&A on Twitter. By then, he’d like to have already finished showering…

A shower sounded really nice. Probably not the safest thing to do while buzzed, but he couldn’t go to bed feeling gross either.

By the time he listened back into the conversation, Baekhyun had buried his face in his hands. Drunk Baekhyun was a talkative Baekhyun, but his personality still showed. The only difference was that he spoke more freely and was less secretive about the thoughts running through his mind.

“I’m thinking about retiring.”

Chanyeol frowned. Retirement? At his age? Baekhyun must’ve only been about 26 or somewhere along that numeral line. In any case, it was far too early to even think about retirement.

“Career change, maybe? Go back to school to figure something else out…? I don’t know. I’m stressed. It feels like I’m having a mid-life crisis in my 20’s.” Baekhyun heaved a loud sigh. “I’m sorry. I’m babbling. Probably ruining everyone’s eardrums by now.”

Turning to Chanyeol, Baekhyun looked at him for a moment without saying a single word. There was a brief split second where he almost looked sober, but then he slapped a hand on Chanyeol’s knee like they’d been friends since primary school. “Park Chanyeol. I’m sorry.”

Kyungsoo looked at the two of them, confused. “What are you apologizing to him for?”

However, Baekhyun ignored him. With his eyes still locked on Chanyeol, he slapped the knee again.

“I have every right to say that you have a ty taste in books. Every. Right.” With each word, he slapped the knee again and again. “But you remind me of a little puppy dog willing to love anything that moves, even if it’s a ty book! So, I apologize if I hurt your feelings. Okay?”

And just like before, he slapped the knee, only this time, he hit harder.

Finished with his point, Baekhyun fell back on his side and seemed to have tired out. Giving no chance for Chanyeol to respond, he sighed, “Are we almost there?”

“In 10 minutes,” Jongin answered. “Are you okay, though?”

“I’m fine… Kind of want another shot of vodka or whatever.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Chanyeol looked over. Looking right back at him was Baekhyun’s frowning expression. “Maybe water would do you better.”

“You’re probably right, Chanyeol, but drinking sounds more fun.”

Clearing his throat, Kyungsoo tried handing Baekhyun an unopened bottle of water. “Here. Chanyeol’s right. You’ll feel better tomorrow if you just drink water instead,” he said, smiling. “You can thank him tomorrow morning.”

❁ ❁ ❁

After he finished his night routine, Chanyeol managed to drag his tired body on the bed and tuck himself in. And just to keep his future self happy, he also put a glass of water on the bedside table for that morning hangover. When B. Jiang-Mi began her Q&A exactly at 10pm--very prompt and professional-- she started it off with a photo of a finger heart gesture against a glass window overlooking Seoul. It’s an aesthetic photo. The mole on her thumb is prominent, but it was essentially part of her brand. A lot of fans thought it was cute-- Chanyeol included.

B. Jang-Mi Tweeted:

It’s Q&A time~~ Don’t forget that I’ll be announcing the winners for the signed books at the end! Let’s get started, okay? (*^^*)♡ 

B. Jang-Mi Quoted A Tweet:

Tracer-85 was sending memory data to the central system the whole journey. Perhaps if A-Xian can find the central system, then maybe he can… make a new Tracer? Heheh (^.~)

@cqlmxtx: Hi authornim ^^ I was wondering what happened to Tracer-85 at the end of your short story ‘Stars of Metal’? Was he really stuck on the Stardust planet after sending A-Xian off in the last escape pod? Please tell me they have a happy ending :( #BJangmiQA 

B. Jang-Mi Quoted A Tweet:

That’s so hard! I’m not really sure, but since my editor is telling me to promote it more, I will say Flowers in the Rain!

@xlkslb_ccdtks: Of all your stories, which one’s your favorite? Thanks #BJangmiQA 

B. Jang-Mi Quoted A Tweet:

It’s very exciting, Chanyeol. Would you like to visit the set when filming begins? ∠( ᐛ 」∠)_ Hahah

@pcy1127: Congratulations on Flowers in the Rain getting a tv drama adaptation. It’s my favorite. Are you excited since it’ll be your first tv adaptation since your debut? #BJangmiQA 

Chanyeol had to rub his eyes a few times and sit up, finding it difficult to process that his tweet was actually noticed. Considering the large pool of tweets under the hashtag, he considered his luck for a moment, somewhat doubtful that this was real, but after refreshing his notifications again and again, he concluded that his favorite really did respond. Yet, for some reason, the response felt different than the other ones B. Jiang-Mi was tweeting. It was most likely due to the fact that he was the only one addressed by name, but at the same time, he did write his full name on his handle, so then…

He liked and retweeted her response.

Figuring that she probably wouldn’t see it, he decided to reply back: That sounds fun lol ^^ Please introduce me to Suzy!.

A few minutes later, B. Jiang-Mi liked his throwaway tweet.

❁ ❁ ❁

The morning after, Baekhyun looked angry and annoyed, but maybe Chanyeol was reading him wrong again. It was most likely due to a massive hangover, but he had to give the guy props for waking up early. As they were waiting for the elevator to reach their floor, Chanyeol asked, “So… How’re you feeling?”

Baekhyun raised his head, but continued to keep his eyes on the elevator doors. “Fine.”

By now, Chanyeol was used to short responses that always felt a bit distant. It didn’t bother him as much as it did before. Considering he witnessed the other faces Baekhyun put on for different people around him, this was just one of them. They were acquaintances now at best, so Chanyeol didn’t have a problem trying to have a more amicable relationship.

“How was the hangover this morning?”

Although he didn’t receive a response immediately, Baekhyun eventually shrugged, quietly muttering, “ty.”

When they entered the elevator with Baekhyun leading the way, Chanyeol stayed close. “They’re going to have their bachelor parties later tonight, right? What’re you planning for Jongin?”

Baekhyun shrugged again, taking out his cellphone a few seconds after feeling a short vibration. “The other groomsmen are arriving later today, so I thought about taking everyone to a bar, then later a Casino. The uncles wanted to take him to a strip club so I had to fit that into the itinerary.” He paused. “Jongin doesn’t want to go to the strip club, though.”

“Can’t you find another thing to do?”

“His uncles are using him as an excuse to go, and he can’t really say no, so that’s just how it is.” Baekhyun silently stared at his phone for a second before quickly locking the screen, more pissed than he was before. Yet, he kept his tone even when he spoke. “What about you? What do you have planned for Kyungsoo?”

Chanyeol looked away, a bit embarrassed. His plans weren’t extravagant. It didn’t involve anything provocative like s or drinking games. In fact, it seemed a little on the cheap side despite the fact that he tried to tailor it to Kyungsoo’s taste. “Sehun booked the presidential suite in the hotel, so we’re going to have a movie night.”

“That’s it?”

“Well, Sehun pulled some strings so he invited one of Kyungsoo’s favorite actors to come by and surprise him-- but that’s a secret. Don’t tell him.” Chanyeol smiled. “Soo’s always been a homebody, so I think seeing everyone get together for the first time in years is enough for him.”

“Hm.”

Turning his eyes over to the man beside him, Chanyeol nudged him with his elbow. “What do you mean ‘hm’?”

“Nothing in particular. It’s a cute idea.” Baekhyun glanced at him; his eyes suddenly showing a hint of interest. “Are you ever going to tell him?”

Drawing his brows together, Chanyeol could only stare back. “What--”

As he cocked his head, Baekhyun leaned, grinning. “Or… are you saving it for the ‘speak now or forever hold your peace’ part of the ceremony?”

This man was toying with him, and Chanyeol didn’t know why. Baekhyun played around like he was observing other people’s lives, but he was the first person in Chanyeol’s life who seemed that way. No matter how hard he tried, Chanyeol couldn’t figure out why Baekhyun operated the way he did.

Maybe to Baekhyun, it was interesting to poke other people for a reaction.

However, Chanyeol was still suffering from a minor hangover, so he wasn’t entirely in the mood to be provoked. He glanced at the floor numbers, seeing that they were nearing the ground floor. “What about you?” Chanyeol asked, turning the question back at him. “Do you plan on being drunk this whole wedding to cope with the fact that one of your exes was invited as a guest?”

The elevator began to open, but Baekhyun grabbed Chanyeol’s wrist before he could even begin pulling away. At first, Chanyeol thought he had made him angry, but when he looked, he saw that Baekhyun was… laughing.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing, Chanyeol.” Baekhyun let go and gave Chanyeol a quick pat on the arm on his way out. “Come on-- unless you want the doors to close on you.”

❁ ❁ ❁

Gradually, more guests began occupying the floor the Kim family had reserved. By the time they were starting to prepare the presidential suite, Chanyeol was already well-acquainted with everyone in the party, both old and new faces. Sehun brings the hard liquor into the suite despite knowing that if there was going to be drinking involved, at most, everyone was just going to get buzzed. The atmosphere and mood of the bachelor party didn’t exactly call for being wasted drunk.

They played a few friendly games with Kyungsoo-- the kind that was meant to embarrass him-- before Chanyeol started preparing the movie. Sehun’s actor friend (the one Kyungsoo was obsessed with--much to Jongin’s dismay) hadn’t arrived on time as planned, but they had a strict itinerary to follow if they were going to finish around 11pm and allow Kyungsoo to get his beauty sleep. Otherwise, he’d probably be too tired to start the day early tomorrow and Chanyeol didn’t want to get blamed for that, considering he’s the best man and this whole party was his responsibility.

After glancing at his watch, he figured they should start the movie soon since it was nearing 8 p.m. and the movie was about an hour and 20 minutes. Down to the literal tee.

❁ ❁ ❁

Around 9 p.m., a knock on the door disrupted the (very quiet) bachelor party. Sehun yawned (possibly bored out of his mind) and looked over at Chanyeol. “Hey, it’s probably-- you know.”

Frowning, Chanyeol excused himself from the area and made his way to the front door. If it really was the actor Park Go-Bum, then Chanyeol would be sorely disappointed in his lack of timeliness. At this point, that man was 2 hours late already… But then again, it was Park Go-Bum. Chanyeol didn’t have any room to scold him; he simply didn’t have the right.

He mentally prepared himself to face the actor before opening the door-- only to see no one in the hallway until he lowered his eyesight. There, in front of him, was Baekhyun.

And Baekhyun was smiling at him… which he never does.

“Hi, Chanyeol.”

Confused, Chanyeol closed the door just enough so that the others wouldn’t see Baekhyun or hear their conversation. “Hey… Uh, what’re you--”

“I have an idea and since we’re supposed to be the best men at this wedding, I thought we should collaborate.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be at Jongin’s bachelor party? The one you’re in charge of?”

“I left them at the strip club.”

Chanyeol was still confused, except this time, he can smell the faint scent of alcohol coming from the man in front of him. “Are you drunk?”

“No. Not yet.”

“Then what’re you--”

“Jongin doesn’t like the strip club, and neither do the other guys.” Baekhyun tried to peer inside the suite, but Chanyeol moved his body to block him. “So, let’s all go to this club in Gangnam. Both parties. It’ll be fun.”

Chanyeol realized Baekhyun was trying to hijack his bachelor party plans. Albeit it’s not as loud or crazy as what Baekhyun planned for Jongin’s party, this quiet and moderate setting was very much fitted for Kyungsoo’s preferences and--

He stopped.

Glancing over his shoulder, he saw that half of the people they had invited for the party were either dozing off or thinking of some way to excuse themselves for the night… In truth, after they played the games and took a shot or two, the party itself had peaked and could Chanyeol even call it a party anymore? It seemed more like a movie gathering post-funeral.

He looked back at Baekhyun who never took his eyes off the giant.

The chaotic air around him was…

Ugh.

Chanyeol’s grip on the door tightened. Baekhyun may be a hot mess when he drinks but at least he knew how to plan a good time. Despite his quiet demeanor on a typical day, Baekhyun was actually quite clever, judging from his snarky comebacks. So, when it came to good ideas, Chanyeol felt like he should give the man a chance to sell him on the idea.

“What club do you have in mind?”

Seeing that he had won the giant over, Baekhyun clasped his hands together. “I can’t believe you’re agreeing with me so easily, Park.”

“Get on with it,” Chanyeol muttered… Then he added, “Please.”

“Club Answer. It’s in Gangnam.” Baekhyun pulled out his cellphone. “Give me your number. I’ll text you the address.”

“Can’t we all just take a cab over there together?”

“I’d love to, but I have to go back and save Jongin from the strippers, silly.”

Ah, right.

Baekhyun had ditched his party at the strip club.

After giving him back his cellphone, Chanyeol took the time to look over Baekhyun from head to toe. As usual, he was dressed primarily in black. For a moment, he wondered if Baekhyun owned clothes that were… not black. The thought must’ve slipped out.

“Why do you always look like you’re dressed for a funeral?”

In the midst of typing out the address, Baekhyun raised his eyes at him. The smile on his face grew softer. “Well, why’re you always looking at me?”

“I’m not.”

“I can tell when people are lying, you know.”

Chanyeol hated when Baekhyun did that thing.

The thing where he twists his words around… Or when he throws back the question without answering it first.

Leaning against the door frame, Chanyeol crossed his arms. He might’ve seemed a little defensive, but it wasn’t far from the truth either. “I mean, by default, I kind of have to look at you every day. Like you said, we’re their best men.”

“Well, I guess that’s logical.” After he sent off the address, Baekhyun slid the phone back into his back pocket. “Anyways, I’ll see you... and the rest of your party at the club. Call me when you’re on the way. I reserved a private room and I got Park Go-Bum to come.”

Park Go-Bum?

“He was supposed to come to this party--” Chanyeol stopped himself when he saw Baekhyun turn his head off to the side, trying to hide a laugh… But he wasn’t doing a very good job at it. “Are you kidding me? You stole our celebrity guest?”

“I didn’t steal him, Chanyeol. You can’t steal a person-- Well, I guess you could. But that’s another subject, isn’t it?”

Glaring at him, Chanyeol reached out and gave Baekhyun a light shove on the shoulder. Nothing too serious, but enough to get the point across. “Who are you? Sehun had to pull connections just to get him to agree to come here.”

“I have my ways.”

That much was obvious, but Chanyeol decided that even if he wanted to keep pushing for an answer, Baekhyun would probably just run circles around him. “Fine. I’ll text you when we’re there.”

“I’ll see you later, then.”