Kevin waited nervously on the couch, playing with the cuffs of his shirt, unable to keep still as he waited for the girls to get ready. Before he had left, Eli gave him a little pep talk, telling him to stay strong and such but his strength and resolve had long dissipated the second he step through Yoona’s apartment. Now he was just anxious. He leaned his head back against the couch. With closed eyes and deep breaths he tried to calm his racing heart.

It’s only Yoona. He thought to himself. We’ve been practically joined to the hips ever since we were little. There’s no reason for me to act any differently.

“Who am I kidding? I’m in freaking love with her!”

“Who are you in love with?”

Kevin’s eyes snapped open as he heard the familiar voice. He was sure that his soul jumped out of his body as he nearly fell off of his chair. He placed a hand over his racing heart, glaring annoyed at the woman leaning from the back of the couch and uncomfortably near his face. “Aish! You nearly gave me a heart attack. What are you doing sneaking around here?”

Jessica rolled her eyes, taking the chair farthest away from Kevin as possible. “I’m one of Yoona’s bridesmaid and why wouldn’t I be here?” She snarled. “I live here.” Stating the obvious.

Kevin shot her a dirty look, wishing that he hadn’t accepted Yoona request. If helping his love get married to another man wasn’t torture enough, now he had to endure the wrath of his ex. Really, he had the worst luck. “Now, now. We’re here for Yoona, let’s try not to fight alright, or at least try not kill each other.” Sunny cut in before the two could start an argument in the middle of their shared apartment.

“I can’t guarantee that.” Jessica muttered under her breath.

Taeyeon nudged Jessica in warning before shooting Kevin a smile to try and light up the awkward atmosphere. Kevin shifted nervously in his seat under Jessica’s intimidating gaze. He coughed into his hand, turning his head towards Yoona’s room. “Where is Yoona anyways?” Noticing that all the girls were done getting ready and were starting to appear, all except Yoona.

“Why miss her already?” Jessica sneered.

“Very funny.” Kevin said sarcastically, dusting off his pants as he stood up.

Eli was right.  He couldn’t do this.

Kevin was going to leave and apologize later. He’d rather face Yoona’s wrath than sit by while his heart breaks into a million pieces…that and he couldn’t stand Jessica’s attitude a second longer. What possessed him to ask her out in the first place was beyond him. As he stalked across the living room and towards the door, he ignored Jessica’s pleased smirk and Taeyeon’s and Sunny’s pleas for him to stay. Just as he was about to twist the knob, Yoona’s voice echoed from the other end of the hallway. “Where are you going Kevin?”

Kevin whirled around, caught red handed in his attempted escape. He scratched the back of his neck, grinning sheepishly. “I was just…going to…get some fresh air!” He exclaimed. “Yeah, some fresh air. It was getting a little…stuffy in here.” Kevin said, shooting Jessica a dark look.

Not missing Kevin’s glare at Jessica, Yoona nodded her head, believing Kevin’s quickly half-made up lie. Yoona had already been friends with Jessica when Kevin and her were dating in their third year of high school. She had always thought the two made a cute couple. They were complete opposites but that’s why they complimented each other. Surprised would be an understatement of what she felt when she had heard that they had broken up. She thought they would last forever. Okay…maybe forever was a slight exaggeration but she did thought they would last more than a few months. Neither Jessica nor Kevin ever told her the details, the only thing she and the others knew was that it was Jessica who ended the seemingly perfect relationship. The two had been happy together…she didn’t know what drove them apart but ever since than, the two had been at each other’s throat.  Even though it’s been four years since their sudden breakup the two still acted childish when they were around each other, fighting over a feud that happened years ago.

“Is that so?” Jessica butted in. “I thought you were just leaving.”

“Alright, alright.” Yoona said, trying to ease the atmosphere as she slipped her arm around Kevin’s, playing the buffer between the two. “We’re looking for the perfect wedding venue today so please, let’s not fight. It’s supposed to be a fun day today.”

Jessica glanced away, looking apologetic as she bit her lip. Knowing that Jessica would behave, Yoona happily slipped her arms around Jessica, pulling both Kevin and Jessica’s along with her as she skipped out the door. The two looked awkward and rather uncomfortable as Yoona pulled them together but they both forced a smile for Yoona’s sake. “If everything’s okay, shall we take our leave?” Yoona grinned, leading the way with Kevin and Jessica forcibly at her side.

The other girls followed after, smirking and shooting knowing looks at one another behind their backs.

The large group was forced to take two cars, as they all couldn’t possibly fit into one. Fortunately for Kevin, Jessica ended up picking a ride with Taeyeon, though unfortunately for Kevin, Yoona was sitting next to him, her smile brightening each second they were closer to their first venue, while Kevin slumped lower in his seat. “Kevin, can I ask you a question?”

Kevin nearly sighed with relief with Sunny’s intervention. He had just about enough of Yoona’s wedding rambling. He glanced at the rearview mirror, meeting Sunny’s eyes. “Ne?”

“You’ve been friends with Eli the longest right?”

Kevin nodded, not fully understanding Sunny’s sudden question.

Kevin had been friend’s with Eli longer than he had been friends with Yoona. The two had been best friends since they were in diapers growing up in the States because of Eli’s lack of family, the Woo’s unselfishly took him in as their own so it was more like they were brothers than friends. They learned to take their first steps together, they went to school together, they learned how to ride their bikes together and so on…there wasn’t anything that they didn’t do together. They even sat next to each other on the plane when they were eight years old coming to Seoul after Kevin’s father decided to partner with a wealthy company in South Korea, where they have lived even until now.

“What do you think of how Eli feels about marriage?” Sunny questioned again, ignoring her friends puzzled gaze by staring out the window.  

Kevin twisted his lips as he thought of a gentle way to put it. He, one hundred percent, knew that Eli would laugh out loud just thinking about marriage and that he would die laughing thinking of himself in a marriage. After growing up side-by-side with Eli, Kevin knew that Eli wasn’t a “relationship” person. Before he went out with Sunny, he would go through girls like how one would go through socks. Eli would be the last person on Earth to ever get married and as much as he liked and cared for Sunny, Kevin wasn’t so sure if Eli would ever settle down.

“Umm…I wouldn’t say that he’s too excited about the idea.” Kevin confessed.

“He’s not interested in starting a family?”

Again, Kevin hesitated to answer. “I think…family is the last thing on his mind right now.”

“…Oh I see.” Sunny continued to look out the window, absentminded as she watched the other cars go by.

Kevin grimaced as he saw Sunny’s disappointed reaction through the rearview mirror. He stumbled to find words of encouragement. “Umm…maybe he’ll brighten up to the idea once he has a taste of it? You know? Let him try out being a family man before he makes up his mind permanently.”

Sunny’s eyes lightened up at the suggestion. “Maybe I should…” She stated wickedly, causing Kevin to shrink in his seat, feeling as if he just fed Eli to a pack of hungry wolves.

“Or maybe you can just wait for Eli to grow on the idea…” Kevin added but his words were lost to Sunny, who seemed to have already made up her mind.

“Good going Kevin. Now she’s probably thinking of something crazy.” Yoona teased.

Kevin winced, knowing that Yoona was probably right. He would have to warn and apologize to Eli in advance later. Kevin glanced behind him when the car was stopped at a red light. “You’re quiet today.” He said to Tiffany who had been silent through the majority of the car ride, lost in thought.

“Hm?” Tiffany replied, still distracted and only half listening to the conversations happening in the car.

Kevin yelped when Yoona slapped him in the arm, motioning him to shut up. Kevin shrugged, mouthing “what?” as he didn’t know what he did wrong. Even Sunny and Yuri were shooting him warning looks from the backseat. “She broke up with her boyfriend yesterday.” Yoona whispered cautiously, making sure Tiffany couldn’t hear. “Turns out her boyfriend was cheating on her.”

“Oh.” Was all Kevin said.

So Tiffany gets dumped and Yoona’s getting married. As harsh as it may be, I wish it were the other way around.

Kevin inwardly sighed as he pulled into the parking lot. “Here’s our first stop.” He said as cheerfully as he could as he shifted the car gear into park.

“I’ve always wanted to get married in the middle of a garden with all the flowers bloomed and petals raining down on us.” Yoona stated, her eyes bright as she mentally visualized her dream wedding. Her walking down in her beautiful white gown, Donghae standing patiently for her, while all her close friends and family sit eagerly to witness her starting a new life with another person whom she truly loved.

“Think any harder and your head might explode.” Yuri teased as she linked her arms with Yoona, bringing her back to reality.

“That goes for you too.” Jessica sneered, nudging Kevin in the ribs as she walked by him.

Well it was peaceful while it lasted. Kevin thought somberly as he rolled his eyes and followed the girls into the lavish hotel lobby, where they were planning to meet with the hotel manager.

After politely greeting the manager, they made their way to the hotel restaurant to discuss future wedding plans over breakfast. “So when is the planned date of your wedding?” The manager questioned.

 “June of next month.”

Kevin was in the middle of taking a sip of his drink and promptly spat it back out as soon as he heard Yoona’s answer. “What!?” Kevin exclaimed, shocking everyone at the table.

Surprised would be an understatement to what he was feeling. He knew and somewhat accepted Yoona getting married but he didn’t expect that the wedding would be so soon. He still needed time to let it all sink in and adjust to the situation. “Don’t you think getting married in one month is too rash?”

Yoona frowned slightly. “Didn’t I tell you? Donghae is planning to expand his business in China. We’ll be moving there in a month.”

“You-you’re—“ Kevin his dry lips. “You’re moving to China?” He repeated, feeling as if he had been slapped in the face.

Yoona nodded. “I thought I had told you that yesterday. I guess it just slipped my mind. It’s no big deal.”

NO BIG DEAL!? Kevin wanted to exclaim out loud but instead bit his lip in an attempt to keep quiet. He was already receiving odd looks from everyone around the table, he didn’t need to make his jealousy any more apparent. Throughout the rest of the discussion, Kevin stayed quiet, nodding his head at the appropriate times and faking a smile as Yoona worked through the wedding cost and preparations. As soon as the talk was over, Kevin was the first to stand up, ready to make his escape. He bowed his head to Yoona. “Mianhe Yoon, but as much as I want to help with the rest of today’s plans I need to get going.” He lied.

Yoona seemed taken aback. “Kevin!” She cried after him.

Kevin kept his head low, his heart breaking each time from each step he took away from her. It was hard to ignore her cries after him but somehow he managed to make it out of the hotel doors.