Illa Illa - Juniel

“I hate ties,” Sehun hissed with so much hate, meddling helplessly with the cloth around his neck. “The stupidest invention human kind ever made,” he cursed under his breath, this time yanking the black tie away and glared at it.

Jongin glanced at the younger through his reflection in the mirror, busy with his own tie. “How come you can’t tie it? You wore tie for three years at high school.”

“Noona. Mom. Soojung,” Sehun said, slinging the tie around his neck once more. “And who said I wore it for three years? I didn’t even bother at all during the third grade.”

Seeing Sehun struggled a lot, Jongin sighed and turned around. “Come here,” he gestured for Sehun to come closer. He complied, and Jongin’s fingers quickly wrapped around the silk fabric.

“Have you memorized your speech?” Sehun asked, eyes down to Jongin’s fingers.

“I still think you should be the one who does it,” Jongin answered quietly.

Sehun snorted. “Me? I’m not the one who stays beside her for years.”

“… You know her before me,” still Jongin tried to argue.

“Hyung, just because I know Noona longer than you, doesn’t make me her maid of honor,” Sehun snickered but then yelped the next second because Jongin purposely tied the tie too tight. He glared when Jongin chuckled. They had been joking about that, saying that if Jongin was a girl, he’d definitely be the maid of honor.

Jongin took a step back to take a better look at Sehun. “Where’s Soojung?” he asked after he’s satisfied with Sehun’s appearance.

Typing something on his phone, Sehun replied, “On her way.”

“I heard she’s bringing someone…,” Jongin let his tone hanging on purpose.

This time, Sehun turned his head to him, scowling. “It’s her friend,” he bit grumpily and Jongin tried to hide his smile.

Suddenly the door opened and a head peeked in. “Hello, gentlemen, are you ready?” it was one of the bride’s relative, the one responsible to handle the wedding.

“Yes, we are, we’ll be out in a second,” Sehun pocketed his phone. The relative nodded and left. Sehun heaved a long sigh after that, “Well… at least I am ready.” He glanced at Jongin, and the worry was evident on his eyes. It was so rare for Sehun to look like that, Jongin would had if it’s not for the drop in his stomach.

Even though Sehun was in front of him, what Jongin saw was the empty lot in their neighborhood, a girl waved to him with two hands.

Echoes of, Hey, Seoul Boy! I’m Yoon Bomi! was playing in his head.

Seoul Boy, Seoul Boy, Seoul Boy.

…

Thank you, Jongin.

Jongin took a deep breath and smiled. “Yes. Let’s go.”

***

Jongin and Sehun helped around, greeting the guests and directing them to the seats. A lot of people from their high school were invited. After a while the same relative told them the ceremony would start soon, so the two made their way to the seats in the second row, behind the bride’s family. Naeun was already there, dressed in a pretty pastel pink dress, and Jongin pecked her cheek before he sat beside her. Sehun looked a little bit restless until Soojung showed up, with a tall, handsome guy behind her. He narrowed his eyes slightly at the sight, still not smiling when Soojung introduced the guy as Choi Minho, her senior.

Kyungsoo was standing in front of the altar in a black suit, his hair was no longer reddish, he dyed it back to black. He seemed tense, and the best man, his brother, talked to him to ease him out. His eyes met Jongin’s and Jongin smiled to encourage him, which Kyungsoo returned with a rather nervous smile.

As soon as Kyungsoo looked away, the smile Jongin had faded a little.

It’s a lie if he said he didn’t wonder what if; would it be him instead of Kyungsoo.

At that time, the pianist in the corner of the room started to play, and the murmurs of the guest died down with it. It got Kyungsoo, who’s receiving another pep talk from his brother, startled, and he quickly faced the aisle, looking even tenser than before if it’s possible. It’s the first time Jongin ever saw him looked like this.   

The guests turned their head, waiting for the bride to come in. Jongin only turned his head slightly, enough to make people thought he’s doing the same, even if he didn’t.

“Hey, Seoul Boy!” The girl had her shoulder-length hair tied up into a messy bun high on top of her head, and she’s waving with two hands.

Sehun leaned onto his side, his chin’s brushing Jongin’s shoulder when he murmured to his ear, “… She’s beautiful.”

Jongin shifted his eyes back to Kyungsoo, and Kyungsoo’s expression could only be described as mesmerized. He didn’t look tense anymore, as if someone had taken away the burdens off his shoulders, and his eyes were beaming.

 “Can you see over me?” she asked, and Jongin glanced into the room. “Don’t be too obvious, okay? But… can you see a boy there? The one with the blue apron?”

Once again Jongin glanced over her, and he did see a boy wearing a blue apron. “Yes, why?”

She giggled. “What do you think about him?”

One could tell that he’s in love.

Finally, the bride made it to the altar, and when she turned to stand in front of Kyungsoo, that’s when Jongin saw her, brown hair pulled up into a neat bun, blushing cheeks, glowing eyes.

“I love you, Kim Jongin. Always.”

All the years he went through with her flashed through his mind, from the very first smile she gave him at class, the way she called his name, how she always took care of him and never asked for anything in return…

All the years he spent by her side, searching for something that’s been right there all along.

Yet Jongin realized, never before he saw the look on his best friend’s face right now.

He wondered if once, he was the receiving end of her look, but failed to notice.

He wondered if she could look at him like that, like he’s the only person she needed in the entire world, like the rest of them didn’t matter.

She probably couldn’t.

Jongin probably couldn’t make her smile like that, like she’s the luckiest person in the whole world for having him, like he completed her.

Jongin probably couldn’t love her like Kyungsoo did, couldn’t make her happy like Kyungsoo did.

And Jongin would never know.

But there’s one thing that Jongin knew for sure.

Forgetting the current ceremony in front of them, Jongin took Naeun’s hand and squeezed it fondly, taking Naeun’s attention to him. The girl needed a moment to peel her eyes away from the ceremony, and she raised her eyebrows questioningly at Jongin.

Jongin smiled, keeping his gaze right into Naeun’s, and he whispered quietly, “… I love you.”

Naeun’s eyes widened immediately, and she stared at Jongin in shock for a while. “It’s… It’s the first time you ever say that…,” she looked like she’s about to cry.

He brought Naeun’s hand to his lips and kissed it. “I’m sorry. I’ll say it more from now on.”

There’s confusion on Naeun’s eyes, but in the end she just chuckled lightly, wiping her eyes carefully before the tears slipped down. “Is it the wedding? Should we go to weddings more often?”

If there’s one thing that Jongin knew for sure, it was this; his feeling for the girl that sat beside him, her hand on his, his heart on her. 

***

After the ceremony, all the guests moved to the dining hall, sitting according their name plates on the table and enjoying the feast. Jongin seated between Naeun and Sehun, alongside Soojung and Minho.

“It’s weird,” Sehun muttered into his champagne glass and he’s frowning. Jongin glanced at him – he’s the only one who heard Sehun. “I can’t believe she’s already married. To Kyungsoo Hyung.”

Jongin didn’t comment, sticking to cutting the steak on his plate. He looked up briefly when Soojung excused herself to the bathroom.

“I thought you two would always be together…,” Sehun muttered again without thinking, and he sounded like a disappointed kid that had been told that his favorite fairytale didn’t have the happy ending he wanted.

For a split second Jongin stilled.

“… Sorry,” Sehun quickly mumbled, catching himself. “I wasn’t thinking—That was rude, I’m sorry.”

Jongin looked at him and smiled, hand automatically reached out to ruffle Sehun’s hair. Sehun’s eyebrows twitched slightly – always pretended he didn’t like being treated as the youngest – and Jongin stopped himself – Sehun had his hair styled, it would be a waste if Jongin messed it up.

“It’s okay…,” he said instead, “I thought she would stay by my side forever too.” Sehun looked at him, frowning, but it’s not his angry frown, it’s his concerned frown. Jongin chuckled and pat his back. “Don’t worry. We will always be together. With you too, of course.”

Sehun made a small nod, but still it didn’t lift up his mood.

“Sehun-ah,” Jongin called, turning his head to the middle of the room. Sehun followed Jongin’s vision and saw Soojung who’s chatting with a guy on her way to the bathroom. “I hope you don’t have the same thought as me.” And then Jongin looked back to Sehun, glancing briefly at Minho on the other side of the table.

Sehun didn’t say anything for a while, but suddenly he wiped his mouth clean and stood up, taking big strides to Soojung.

“What happened?” Naeun asked, looking at Sehun confusedly.  

“Nothing,” Jongin assured her, chuckling. “Sehun just has a realization about his feelings.”

Naeun gasped and quickly turned her head to look at Sehun, on time to see him grabbed Soojung’s arm and dragged her with him, deaf to the girl’s protests. “I guess it really is the wedding…”

Sehun and Soojung came back to the table right before the speeches started, and Naeun stared at them worriedly because Sehun had this big, red slap mark on his face while Soojung clearly had been crying, but Jongin saw their intertwined hands under the table, so whatever it was that happened, it must be ended well.

 “—and now, we will hear a word or two from the bride’s best friend, Kim Jongin,” the MC announced.

There were customary claps, and Sehun squeezed his shoulder before Jongin stood up from his seat.

“Good afternoon,” his voice was clear in the quiet room. “My name is Kim Jongin, and I’m the bride’s… best friend.”

He took out his note, ready to read from there, but then he glanced at the newlywed’s table.

His best friend was smiling, staring at him with the same look she always gave Jongin through these years; it’s tender, full of encouraging, support…

Slowly, Jongin folded the paper and put it back into his pocket.

Jongin cleared his throat. “At fourteen…,” he started without his note, “My father lost his job in Seoul, and as the result, I moved to my grandfather’s house in the town with my mother.”

“Hey, Seoul Boy!”

“At fourteen… I met her.”  

Thank you so much for reading until the end ♥ If you enjoy this fic, please do comment?