Yifan is in a bar. He looks around and he is surrounded by men and women all looking at him. Every person in the room has their attention on him and every person is vying for his attention. He walks through the sea of bodies, getting stopped on the way by touches and kisses from those who want his consideration. Before he reaches his destination, he is yanked back by a metal collar on his neck attached to a chain. The end of the chain is being held by Kyungsoo who has this smirk on his face that says Yifan is not going to be with someone besides him.

He parks his car and gets out of the vehicle. He walks to the front door and opens it. The moment the door opens, he is greeted by a dozen kids who call for him at the same time, some pulling on his legs, others hanging by his arms.

“Hi honey! Welcome home!” an obese, fat-assed, Kyungsoo greets from the kitchen and walks over to him with thick documents in his arms that he dumps on Yifan.

Yifan is sleeping but the sheets rustling makes him wake up. He turns around only to discover that someone is sleeping beside him. He is confused. He sleeps alone, and he doesn’t keep a one night stand long enough to spend the night. He pulls the stranger by the shoulder to make the man face him and he finds out that it’s Kyungsoo. The longer he looks at Kyungsoo, the older the man becomes. Wrinkles form on Kyungsoo’s face and by the time Yifan figures out what is happening, Kyungsoo’s face is a hideous painting of an old man.

He bolts up and gasps himself awake. He is grateful that he is awoken from the nightmare. He wipes the sweat on his forehead and takes a big breath to even the beating of his heart. He shivers at all the possibilities his dream has presented to him. Is Kyungsoo really worth all that? He thinks not. He decides to stop the growing feeling in his heart before he’s in too deep and can’t get out. He cannot and will not give up the things he enjoys just because Kyungsoo has made his way into his heart. No, never.

When Yifan doesn’t show himself, Kyungsoo knows that he was right. Yifan will be absent from his life and will decline all the clients they send the photographer to. He misses him. Kyungsoo misses the man who he has hated for a long time but learned to like. His relationship with Jongin is running smoothly. The guy is the epitome of all he’s ever dreamed of. But something is off. His dates with Jongin are great but he doesn’t feel the same as the times Yifan and he were going out for his lessons on how to become the perfect husband.

He sighs for a hundredth time as he wipes the glass window of his shop. It’s a Sunday, they’re closed and he doesn’t need to be in his dad’s house, so he decided to clean the place. While he cleans, his thoughts go immediately to Yifan and Jongin. The former is a playboy, a bad boy if he must say, but fun at the same time, while the latter is a gentleman and kind and everything one could ask for in a husband. He is confused. He should be happy he is with Jongin who personifies the Prince Charming his mother had told him about. But why does it feel like it’s not right? Why does his heart cling to Yifan more?

As his mind wanders off to the world of thoughts, the door to the shop opens, bringing him back from reality. He turns to the door and is greeted by a smiling Yifan who enters casually as if he hasn’t been gone long.

“Mr. Wu Yifan, you have resurrected from the dead,” Kyungsoo chimes, a smile also evident in his lips. “To what do I owe the honor of your presence?”

Yifan laughs at his question. “I’m just here to tell you that I agreed to be the photographer for Mrs. Choi’s daughter’s wedding.”

“No , for real?” Kyungsoo asks excitedly.

“Yes, for real. I know you want me to so I did.”

Kyungsoo lungs forward to the unprepared Yifan and trap the taller male in a hug. Yifan has to bend a little to accommodate the smaller male’s embrace because Kyungsoo’s arms are awkwardly circled around his neck.

“Oh my god, thank you so much! You don’t know how difficult that woman is. She only wants you to be the photographer because she saw Luhan’s wedding photos and she liked it.” Kyungsoo blabbers on while holding on to Yifan.

The longer they hold onto each other, the tighter it becomes. Kyungsoo notices that Yifan’s arms have comfortably settled around him which feels so good. He can also feel Yifan’s breath on his neck as the blonde buries his head in it. A shiver runs through his entire body when he felt Yifan’s breath touched his skin.

Slowly, he leans away until his face is inches away from Yifan’s. The latter’s eyes looks like a dark see full of longing and need that he feels like he could drown in them. Inch by inch they close the distance between each other and meet halfway in a kiss. The first touch is explosion. Kyungsoo can feel the electricity that shocked his entire body. It isn’t just a spark, its electrocution.

Their lips dance languidly, taking their time to feel each other. It’s slow but nonetheless magical. Kyungsoo opens his mouth to welcome Yifan’s tongue, hot and wet but oh so delectable. He has never tasted a candy sweeter than how Yifan’s tongue tastes like. He tilts his head to the side for a better access and he moans when the blonde starts exploring the secrets of his cavern. Yifan prods him to insert his tongue in the blonde’s mouth as well. And when he did, Yifan closed his mouth around the muscle and his tongue, making him go insane with want.

It is when the intensity of the kiss can no longer be contained that Kyungsoo is snapped back to reality. He gasps away from the kiss and looks at Yifan, unsure why they kissed in the first place.

“Jongin is already my boyfriend,” Kyungsoo blurts out with nothing else to say.

Yifan’s face drops. Suddenly hit by the realization that it’s possible for Kyungsoo and Jongin to have gotten together. “Oh. Good. That’s good,” was his response.

Kyungsoo wants to cry. Why is everything so complicated? He wishes things are a lot easier.

“I’m really happy for you, Kyungsoo. Really, I am,” Yifan says before he turns for the door and leave Kyungsoo unable to utter a single word.

For days, Kyungsoo doesn’t do anything but think about Yifan and the kiss. It felt so right and yet so wrong. He is confused out of his mind. Why did Yifan kiss him and then tell him that he was happy for him and Jongin being together. It doesn’t make any sense. People kiss people because they like them, right? He is sure that was his reason for kissing Yifan back then. He kissed back because he likes him. He may even be a little in love with him. If Yifan only said something, things would have been different.

He needs to know Yifan’s reason for kissing him. He doesn’t want to be confused anymore. He needs to clear things up between them. But when Yifan doesn’t show himself again, Kyungsoo decides to visit the blonde in his apartment.

“We need to talk,” Kyungsoo greets the moment Yifan opens the door.

The blonde widens the opening of the door and Kyungsoo moves into the living room after removing his shoes. He stops in the middle of the room and turns to face Yifan who followed him. “When you kissed me, you know, the day you went to the shop. When you kissed me, what does it mean?”

Yifan is unable to answer for a moment but Kyungsoo can see that the question isn’t unexpected. The blonde lets out a huge breath before he opens his mouth to answer.

“Why do you ask?” Yifan inquires back.

“Come on, you know me, Yifan. You know that I would ask about it sooner or later. You’re actually expecting it. So why don’t you just tell what’s in that head of yours and tell me what the reason for the kiss is.”

“Well, I kissed you because maybe I missed you,” Yifan starts and Kyungsoo holds his breath at the answer until Yifan continues. “Or maybe it just doesn’t mean anything. You were there, I was there and that was what I felt like doing at that time. You know, a meaningless kiss, something that sprung up during that moment.”

Kyungsoo feels a lump in his throat building upon hearing what Yifan said. He swallows to prevent the lump from further building up because he knows it will eventually turn into a sob. Seriously, what did he expect Yifan to say? That he loves him, that the kiss was something far more meaningful than a spur-of-the-moment action? It’s Yifan after all, the man afraid of commitments and long term relationships. He shouldn’t have been surprised but it hurts just the same.

“I see,” Kyungsoo finally finds his voice to answer. “I get it. Well, I’m gonna go. And don’t forget this coming Sunday. It’s dad’s birthday so please be there and don’t disappoint him.” He walks for the door to leave, avoiding looking at Yifan in the eyes in fear that the blonde will see the tears forming in his eyes. Yifan tries to stop him from leaving but he maneuvers away and is successful in reaching the door, closing it behind him once he is outside. He runs to the elevator and is thankful that the door to the lift opens the minute he pushes the button.

Sunday comes and Yifan finds himself conversing with Kyungsoo’s dad and the two brother-in-laws. They are talking about something important, Yifan is not sure because his mind is flying somewhere else and his consciousness has landed on the couple who are animatedly playing with the children at the garden.

“You must miss her,” Yifan suddenly interrupts and looks at Kyungsoo’s dad to let the man know that the question is for him. “I mean, Mrs. Do, you must miss her.”

“Every day,” Kyungsoo’s dad mutters and smiles at Yifan.

“But don’t you think it’s unfair? You have invested so much emotion and then just like that, she left you so early in your marriage.”

“I don’t think it is unfair. She may have spent a short time with me but those times were the most amazing ones I had. And she never left me, Yifan. She stayed here in my heart.”

“But Yifan, I think you’re not the type of person who falls in love,” Jiyong interrupts suggestively.

“Yeah,” Minhyuk chimes in. “You don’t look like you’re a believer of love.”

“Yifan, only a stupid person doesn’t fall in love. Do you want to be someone stupid?” Mr. Do adds in and Yifan just awkwardly answers with a lopsided smile.

Mr. Do’s party is spent on more chatter and laughter from everyone except for Yifan and Kyungsoo. The latter avoids him like he has contacted the plague and only acknowledges his presence once when Mr. Do asked Kyungsoo to tell him that the old man wants to talk to him.

When the night comes their attention is called for by Mr. Do as he has an announcement to make. Everyone in the room turns their heads to the birthday celebrant who is standing in the middle of the room.

“I would like to thank all of you for coming tonight,” Mr. Do starts. “This birthday celebration would have been meaningless if you didn’t attend so once again thank you very much.” The man pauses for a moment before he continues with his announcement. “And I have an announcement to make. Just a few minutes ago, two people approached me to ask for my blessing. They said they want to get married.”

Yifan’s eyes go immediately to Kyungsoo who is rather worried about Mr. Do’s announcement. It seems to Yifan that Kyungsoo doesn’t expect his dad to announce anything just yet.

“So, what else am I supposed to do but give them my blessing? Kyungsoo, Jongin,” Mr. Do motions for the two to come to the center with him. “These two decided to get married! Isn’t that the greatest news?”

The crowd breaks out into congratulations and cheers. Kyungsoo’s sisters Dara and Soojung envelop their brother in a group hug as they tell their brother their happy greeting. Everyone in the room is happy to hear the news except for Yifan. How can he when his heart is broken?

Yifan goes home with his heart in his hands. It’s damaged and broken that he feels like there’s a need for him to carry it outside his body so he can better stop it from bleeding. He sifts through the photos he took of Kyungsoo and his body shakes from the sobs he is letting out. He doesn’t care about the sea of men and women he saw in his dream, waiting for him. There’s only one person that he needs and that is Kyungsoo. If Kyungsoo will turn into someone fat and obese, he can be fat and obese with him and live a happy life with their dozen fat kids. And when Kyungsoo grows wrinkles and turns old, he will be old and wrinkly too and they can take care of each other until the day they die.

Needless to say, he doesn’t want Kyungsoo to marry Jongin. He is in love with him. But it’s all too late for him now.

Yifan doesn’t expect that he would see Kyungsoo and Jongin in the bar he frequents to the moment he stepped inside. Jongin calls out to him to join them but he declines politely, citing his date as the excuse and that they would not stay long anyway. Kyungsoo just gives him an awkward smile as a greeting. He doesn’t stay long indeed because he can’t stand to be in the same area with the man he loves and the guy he is going to marry, especially when that guy turns out to be his cousin.

Yifan glances at Jongin and Kyungsoo’s table before they leave, only to be disappointed as the couple is no longer there. They must have left when he wasn’t looking, which he was constantly doing so and he has caught Kyungsoo looking at him too. He goes outside with his date to the parking lot to go to another bar, but what he sees makes his heart stop beating, making him die for a moment.

Kyungsoo can’t make himself stop from looking over where Yifan and his date are. The elder has even caught him looking so he looks away immediately. He asks Jongin if they could leave because he isn’t feeling comfortable with Yifan just a few tables away from them, especially when the man is with someone else.

They leave their spot without letting Yifan know. He climbs into Jongin’s car and is just waiting for the younger male to finally in the driver seat before he says something. “Kiss me,” Kyungsoo utters, surprising Jongin a little. “Kiss me,” he repeats, this time with a little more conviction.

Jongin moves closer to him to adhere to his request. They have not kissed before because Jongin is too much of a gentleman to initiate. Their lips touch and soon enough the kiss turns into a synchronized dancing of the plump muscle. Kyungsoo tries to feel the kiss, to seek out the hidden feelings that may come out because of it. But try as hard as he can, he feels nothing. It’s empty, no explosion, no electrocution. It doesn’t feel quite like his kiss with Yifan.

“What’s wrong?” Jongin asks when they broke the kiss.

“Nothing,” Kyungsoo shakes his head and sits properly in the passenger seat.

Kyungsoo isn’t himself for days. He thinks about Jongin and the kiss they shared which doesn’t feel right to him. His best friend Luhan may have noticed him because the older corners him and asks him what’s wrong.

“Lu, how did you know that Minseok is the one for you?” Kyungsoo replies with a question of his own.

“I just did. There was really no particular reason why I knew he was the one. I just knew it,” Luhan looks over to his friend and a worried expression graces his face. “What brought this on? Why are you asking me this?”

“I don’t know. Am I doing the right thing? Marrying Jongin, is it the right thing to do? I mean, he’s perfect. He’s the husband I have been dreaming of. But why doesn’t it feel right?”

“Oh no, this is about Yifan, isn’t it?” Luhan asks but Kyungsoo doesn’t answer him. “You know Kyungie, Mr. Perfect doesn’t necessarily mean he’s Mr. Right. Follow your heart because marriage is a lifetime commitment. And a lifetime is a pretty long time to live in regret.”

Kyungsoo contemplates on what Luhan advised. Does he really want to live a life of regret? Jongin is great. He is lucky to receive affection from the younger male. But it would be unfair to keep receiving Jongin’s affection and not return it in the same amount. If they end up marrying each other, not only will he live a life of regret but he will also keep Jongin from finding someone else who he deserves. And Jongin is too precious to be deprived of real happiness.

He breaks up with Jongin and calls off their engagement. The younger male of course wants to know why and they can’t marry and he tells him the truth except for the part with Yifan. He is not breaking up with Jongin so that he can be with Yifan anyway. He is breaking up with him so he can save the both of them from a lifetime of misery together.

Jongin is surprisingly very understanding about his reasons for the breakup. The younger male of course doesn’t want to end their relationship but accepts that they cannot work out if either of them is not feeling the same way about the other.

After all is settled with Jongin, Kyungsoo thinks about his life. He has made amends with himself that he is going to be single all his life. Soon, he is going to be like his aunts and his uncle, living the solitary existence. Good thing that he has them though. At least he doesn’t have to go through being alone without someone there to walk him through. That sounds contradicting but whatever, it will make sense in the long run.

“Kyungsoo, I need to talk to you,” a voice interrupts Kyungsoo from talking with an old couple who are planning on renewing their vows. He looks up and sees a very serious-looking Yifan. He excuses himself from the couple to get the book containing the fabric samples to show to the old couple when Yifan follows him. “Is it true that you called off your engagement to Jongin?”

“Well, maybe there are just people who are not so lucky and are meant to be alone. And maybe I am one of those people. You know, single life forever,” Kyungsoo responds and goes back to the old couple and shows them the fabric samples.

“You’re not going to be alone forever.”

“Oh, yeah?” Kyungsoo snorts sarcastically.

“Yes, you’re not, because I will marry you.”

Kyungsoo immediate stops what he is doing and looks at Yifan confusedly.

“If you’ll have me, I will marry you,” Yifan further explains.

Kyungsoo scrutinizes Yifan’s sincerity. He stands up and observes the blonde’s face. The genuineness is there and that’s exactly what makes Kyungsoo react the way he does. He punches Yifan straight in the face. The customer’s in the shop are all scandalized by the action that in order to avoid adding fire to the already gossip-worthy action, he climbs the stairs to the second floor office. Luhan and Minseok are quick to get the attention of the customer’s back to them while Yifan follows him upstairs.

“Why only now?” Kyungsoo attacks as soon as Yifan steps inside the office. “I asked you then, I swallowed my pride and asked you about the kiss but you didn’t tell me then. So why only now?”

“I don’t know. I was scared. It was scary to suddenly let go of things I’m used to doing if I was going to be with you. But I realized that losing all those things is worth it if it can give me you. I love you, Kyungsoo. And I don’t want you to spend the rest of your life alone when you can choose to be with me. I’m here. I’ll marry you if you’ll have me.”

“Why do you love me? Tell me, what makes me different that you want to marry me?”

“I have no answer for that,” Yifan replies rather exasperated. “Loving someone doesn’t need to have a reason, right? Or that wouldn’t be love. It just happened. I woke up one day and felt it. I just know you are the one, Soo. And I think that’s already enough for me to want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Kyungsoo doesn’t stop it when the tears start to wet his face. He doesn’t even care that he must look like an ugly sobbing mess. What he only cares about is that the man in front of him is so wonderfully amazing and that he loves him.

He closes the distance between them and envelops Yifan in the same awkward embrace in the blonde’s apartment. It’s awkward but equally comfortable at the same time.

“I love you,” Yifan whispers in Kyungsoo’s ear and the latter responds with the same three words.

They shared a kiss to seal their promise and three months later, they wed at the same hill overlooking the city where Yifan’s feelings for Kyungsoo have changed. Kyungsoo’s mother was right after all: Prince Charming exists, just not the way he expects him. Most importantly, he has proven that their family curse is not true. Their wedding is a month after Kyungsoo turns twenty five, and nothing is going to stop him, not even the threat of the curse, from marrying the man who may not be Mr. Perfect but definitely Mr. Right.

sunskyivee