“Are you okay in there, Donghae dear?” His mother asked through the door.

Donghae was looking in the mirror. He was wearing an all-white suit with a red tie. His husband-to-be had chosen the white suit, but he insisted that he pick his tie color. It was his wedding, too, so he should be given at least some kind of choice.

So he went with a red tie.

“Honey, the wedding will start in 15 minutes, make sure you’re all ready okay?”

“Okay, eomma!” he answered.

So this is what wedding anxiety feels like. Now he understood why people panic during weddings in movies. This was so nerve-wracking. 

He was going to spend a lifetime with his husband-to-be. An entire lifetime.

Was he really going through with this?

He thought about the previous day…

“Donghae…please don’t do this.” Hyukjae said. “You don’t have to marry him. Don’t let them dictate what you should and should not do in life. Money isn’t everything.”

“Hyukjae, please… Don’t make this difficult. It’s over now.”

“You don’t love him. I know for certain you don’t.”

“...I need to go, Hyukjae. Good bye. Please don’t contact me again.”

Chaeho had forbidden him from seeing Hyukjae but he managed to sneak out last night. Just one more meeting, to finally end things with Hyukjae.

They had met when Donghae was already engaged. Chaeho was the son of the CEO of HARU Inc., which meant he was the inheritor of the business. Donghae’s father works with Chaeho’s father and they had arranged this marriage between their sons to strengthen their connections. 

But Donghae never expected to fall in love. 

And not with Chaeho. Instead, he fell in love with a barista he met while he was hiding from his parents. They have been fussing over him ever since he got engaged, and it got too overwhelming for him. He needed to get away, and he ended up at a small cafe on the outskirts of town. 

And it was there that he fell in love at first sight with Hyukjae.

The two had hit it off. When giving Donghae his coffee order, he had written “You are cute” on his coffee cup, and that’s how they started talking. 

Donghae started skipping breakfast just so he could sneak out and go to the cafe. There, he can be himself. Hyukjae was funny and charming. And so very handsome. The man was prettier than anything Donghae has ever seen.

For weeks, they just kept meeting up at the cafe. Until one night, Donghae stayed until closing hours. And right before he left, Hyukjae held his arm to stop him. And then he leaned in to kiss him.

Fireworks bursted in Donghae’s chest. He’s kissed other men before, but this was a first for him. 

This must be love. He thought at the time.

But that was before his father had told him their business was going bankrupt. And the only way for them to save their business is to marry his business partner’s son. That way they can still live comfortably.

Donghae stared at his reflection in the huge mirror in his dressing room.

Their wedding organizers had prepared a grand wedding for him and Chaeho. They were holding it at the city’s biggest cathedral, they even invited all of the people Chaeho knew. Celebrities, businessmen, politicians. Everyone.

But Donghae knew none of them. They were all strangers to him. 

It’s funny because this was supposed to be his big day–so why does he feel like he’s about to attend a funeral instead?

“Just breathe. You can do it. It’s just for an hour.” he told his reflection in the mirror.

But marriage is forever… 

—

Hyukjae’s heart was about to explode in his chest. It was thundering, like the ticking of a bomb. 

He adjusts his duffel bag on his shoulder and approaches the guards in front of the cathedral. 

There were many paparazzis standing outside the funeral, waiting to get a look at the grooms after they exchanged their vows.

If they exchange their vows.

“So you’re the one who’s been taking up my fiance's time.” Chaeho drawled.

Hyukjae was on closing duty when Donghae’s fiance suddenly entered the coffee shop. He strode in as if he owned the place–wearing a tailored suit, expensive watch, and shiny black dress shoes.

Donghae followed quickly behind Chaeho. 

“Chaeho, please. Leave him alone. He didn’t do anything.”

“Oh, yeah? Then what the were you two doing all this time?” Chaeho growled. He walks up towards Hyukjae, and Hyukjae grips the mop he was holding tighter. As if he was going to use it as a weapon.

“What?” Chaeho threatened. “You think you can fight me? You’re nothing. You’re not even worth stepping on. Dirt is worth more than your life. Stay away from my fiance. Or else.”

“Chaeho, stop!” Donghae pleaded, trying to pull at Chaeho’s arm. “Leave him alone!”

Chaeho turned around and slapped Donghae on the face.

Donghae was caught off gu