“You’ve been staring at that sheet of paper for days now,” Kang Seulgi, your best friend, and roommate, points out. She sits across from you at your pale wooden dining table, hands curling around the warmth of a chipped mug to press against the pout of . The elegant announcement currently clutched in your hands has your full attention, so you miss the judging lift of her eyebrow.

That being said, you do catch the amusement in her tone.

Biting your lip, you run a finger gently over the thick white parchment. In a dazzling gold script reads, “because you have shared in our lives and supported our love. We, Im Nayeon & Kim Junmyeon, invite you to our wedding….” Above the words is a picture of the two mentioned, smilingly sickeningly sweet at one another as their noses touch, arms wound around each other like the expensive ring around Nayeon’s finger.

You think you are going to be sick. 

“Have you RSVP’d yet?” Seulgi asks, oblivious to your inner turmoil. She swirls her spoon around her drink, the metal drags agonizingly against the bottom of her glass.

Her words yank you out of your dark haze, away from the invite that has been haunting you for days now.

“I will,” you answer simply.

She scoffs, eyes rolling in a dramatic flair. Leaning forward, she places her cursed cup down, focusing on you. “Honey, the wedding is in a couple weeks. You need to RSVP now before he starts harassing you. I’m honestly surprised he hasn’t yet.”

You wince. You know Junmyeon well enough to know it’s only a matter of time before he does just that.

“Do you want me to do it for you?” She gently asks. She hums and tilts her head questioningly. Reaching for your hand, she pats it comfortingly and it works in its purpose.

“Please?” You reply timidly. The relief is still evident in your voice, if her pretty laugh is any indication. You pout, rude of her to be getting a kick out of your evident distress.

“Who knew you hated weddings so much.” She shakes her head before pulling out her phone, typing away to Junmyeon no doubt.

You release a slow breath through your flared nostrils and give into the nagging temptation to peek at the invite now laying haphazardly on the table. 

No, you don’t hate weddings.

You just hate that yours wasn’t first.

You wouldn’t label yourself as a bitter person.

But ever since you received the rather abrupt news of the wedding, you have been consumed with bitterness.

Three years ago, you were planning your wedding.

You had a wonderful man in your life who you were mere months away from calling your husband. It was a relationship those around you envied, one that left little doubt for failure. Forever was inevitable. 

Unfortunately, forever was a lot shorter than anyone could have imagined.

Three years later and you now watch as one of your friends takes that dream of yours and makes it their own.

You’re happy for Junmyeon, really truly are, but his wedding is a grim reminder of your failure, only leaving you with this unanswered question:

Where did you go wrong?

“All packed?” Seulgi asks weeks later.

You nod, dragging your unreasonably overpacked suitcase into the living room.

“Thank god we’re not that close to Nayeon,” Seulgi muses. “We get to wear our own dresses.”

“And get to spend more time on the beach.” 

The both of you cackle.

Neither one of you dislike the bride-to-be, although in the five years you have known her due to her connection to Junmyeon, you haven’t really formed a bond any stronger than being acquainted. You always assumed she was probably intimidated by the fact you both were female and close to her boyfriend, bringing out that strange sense of competition, or boundaries, keeping you all from growing closer despite efforts made. She has a particular distaste for Seulgi, what with her being Junmyeon’s ex and all.

The term “ex” didn’t really fit what she is to him. More like a routine fling throughout college that fizzled out the moment he met Nayeon. The two were never official–although, you are sure, she wouldn’t have minded had they been.

“Speaking of people being in the wedding….” You begin. Seulgi, who is leaning against her suitcase that’s just as overstuffed as yours, stiffens at your tone. Her eyes widen, expectantly waiting for you to reveal the one thought that has been eating you alive since you received the invitation. You take a deep breath, here goes nothing. “Chanyeol will probably be there, huh?”

The color drains out of your best friend’s face.

“I didn’t even think of that!” She yells. Her hands cover her face in shock and she’s walking over to you in a hurry, pulling your hands into her now clammy ones, gripping them for dear life. “It won’t be a big deal, right? It’s been years! Plus, I heard he gained a lot of weight since his time abroad–you know how they like their greasy food there. Nothing to worry about! You look fantastic!”

Tears prick at your eyes as you swallow down the growing lump in your throat. Three years… and now you will have to confront the biggest regret of your life.

“You’re right,” you push through the ball of tears, feigning positivity. “We’ve had time to move on. We can totally be adults about this. I’m fine!”

You clear your throat as the crack in your voice echoes off the walls, it doesn’t ease the burning sensation.

“You’re more than fine!” Seulgi is quick to reassure, swaying your connected hands. “You’re successful and y and rich! He’s not worthy of the bottom of your heels.”

You hug her tightly, laughing at her attempt to cheer you up.

Once separated, you take a calming breath and try to smile. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

Your taxi arrives shortly after and the both of you wobble your luggage into the vehicle. Seulgi gives the driver the address to the ferry and you throw her a quizzical look. Her little sister is supposed to be joining you both as your shared plus one. Seulgi mentions something about her finding another way there and will be joining you later, much to your dismay.

The closer you get to your destination, the more your apprehension dims as excitement takes its place.

The wedding is going to be held at one of Junmyeon’s father’s swanky hotels on a beach in Jeju Island. You all had spent a spring break there your junior year of college and it was magical, for many reasons.

Despite the bittersweet memories, you are looking forward to being around beautiful scenery and old friends. Life, as always, gets in the way, and it has been a while since the whole gang has been able to spend some quality time together.

You all missed each other so much that you turned the wedding into an excuse to have a reunion vacation with the old gang. Well, minus Junmyeon who will be on his honeymoon. He did go out of his way to pull some strings to cheapen your rooms so that you all could stay longer, bless him. 

That’s all Seulgi and you can talk about on the ferry as you enjoy the cool early autumn breeze on your face, chilly from the stinging spray of water.

Finally, you arrive at the island and hail another taxi, bringing you to the vaguely familiar hotel.

Whistling slowly, you crane your neck, blocking the sun with your hand as you take in the hovering Greek inspired hotel.

“It’s bigger than I remember.”

“That’s what she said,” Seulgi mutters instantly, almost robotically as she squints up at your new home for the next few days.

Her words make you shake your head. “We’re not even with the guys yet and they’re already rubbing off on you.”

She winces, realizing what she just said. “Old habits?”

You both laugh and head inside, checking in easily. You can’t help but glance around every few minutes. One, because, holy hell this place is magnificent, all whites and golds and pillars and painted angelic sceneries on the high ceilings, seriously something straight from a fairytale. Two, because you’re keeping an eye out for familiar faces.

Your suite is on the sixth floor and your jaw drops at the luxuriousness that is your shared room.

“This is bigger than our apartment.” Seulgi states in awe. You agree with a nod, taking in the gentle fabrics of your bed and the rainforest showerheads–yes, heads, plural. There’s three to be exact–and the floor-to-ceiling windows that open up the back wall of the living quarters, revealing the tranquil scene of the beach you are going to undoubtedly be spending the majority of this trip at, hopefully intoxicated. 

You both don’t have too much time to gander, dinner is at seven and it’s already past four.

Junmyeon is a character for sure, so it comes as no surprise that his wedding will be running a little differently than the typical. That being said, the first of Junmyeon’s three day event is what has been deemed a ‘pre-ception’ party, where all the guests will be having dinner and saying hello to the lovely couple. 

Tomorrow, for those involved, will be the rehearsal, as well as the bachelor and bachelorette parties, with the following day being D-day. Both Junmyeon and Nayeon wanted to have a more western type of wedding, so they would be having a ring bearer, a reception, bridesmaids and groomsmen.

You got all of this information from your other best friend, who just so happens to be the best man to the groom, Oh Sehun. He has been texting you nonstop the past couple days, keeping you informed on Junmyeon’s big day. He didn’t want to outwardly lead it