“It's finally happening! The day my son gets married. Aren't you excited?” Mrs. Kim exclaimed with a little clap of her manicured hands, her rings making a small 𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔! sound when they knocked together.
Jongin took a breath through his mouth and let it out through his nose - in all honesty, not really. He was extremely anxious and nervous, and he constantly fidgeted because of it. What if this man wasn't attractive? What if he was mean? What if they ended up fighting every day after they were married? Or worse, what if they hated each other?
“I guess so,” Jongin answered anyway, and his mother adjusted his suit jacket. He had been so intertwined with his thoughts that he hadn't taken much note of the venue when they came in, but he knew it wasn't at a church. What he did know, however, was that the press was already outside, eager to take photos of the lavish wedding with only the richest and most well-known guests in attendance. Their excited buzz of chatter was unmistakable, and it made Jongin's stomach churn; they were like rabid dogs, always pushing and shoving others to get the best photos of the most private moments. He had to put on his best face, like a mask, so that they wouldn't stir up stories about how he was upset to get married or that he didn't like his groom. Not all publicity was good publicity like most people thought.

It turned out that the wedding was at a large cathedral - not something Jongin would've chosen himself, but he hadn't had a hand in the preparations - and was decorated with flowers on stems around and on the sides of the benches. Inside the cathedral, on the sides, there were small palm trees and ferns; all of it was meant to resemble a wilderness of some sort. Jongin thought of a utopia, and he was sure this was what his mother was going for, but he couldn't seem to settle on that idea considering he felt so uneasy. A utopia was supposed to be a place where only happiness and relaxation exist, not anxiety and overwhelming pressure. Not to mention the bright flowers and fauna and little lights made to look like fireflies didn't suit the gloomy interior of the grey bricks and drywall of the cathedral.
He was sure a cathedral wasn't meant to be decorated like this (it was, after all, a religious sanctuary, right?), but he was sure his parents had made a hefty donation to the cathedral to be allowed to do whatever they wanted with it.

The reception wasn't too far away; a path had been created outlined by flowers on a makeshift half-fence to indicate people in the right direction. At the end of the trail was a large stage set up for this special occasion where a band and orchestra would play - how the whole orchestra would fit on this stage, Jongin didn't know, but he had faith that his mother had planned accordingly - and he was sure this had cost more than the donation to the cathedral and the decorations inside combined.
Around the stage beneath a large cover were the tables and nearby was the kitchen - Jongin couldn't tell where it was from his window, but he could see the round tables set up with gold tablecloths and white plumerias.

As Jongin was getting his hair done, the guests began to arrive and fill the seats within the cathedral. They talked and caught up with one another, but it was clear that even in rich circles, there were still cliques.

Sehun sat down in the back row - he had conveniently borrowed one of the reporter's identity cards to pretend he was part of the press to get in - and glanced around at all the decorations. He'd expect nothing less than the grandest type of wedding coming from one of the most prominent families of Korea, and he wasn't disappointed thus far. He still had about ten minutes before the ceremony would start if he wanted to back out, but he remained planted in the seat which was booked for someone else. Not that he cared.

Someone sat beside him, and he only barely took note of the mass of blonde hair that came with it; he wanted to see if he could spot Jongin's groom from here. Since it was so late, he guessed it would be Jongin who would be walking down the aisle. It should've been the other groom doing so since it was the Kim family that approached him about a marriage, but Sehun knew from Jongin's ramblings that Mrs. Kim wanted her son to outshine everyone at any given time, so guessing Jongin would be the one coming down the aisle wasn't so surprising either.

“I didn't know you were on the guest list,” Sehun glanced to the side when he heard someone speak in a low voice, and he noticed it was Taemin who was seated beside him. He didn't meet Sehun's eyes, only looking straight ahead at the room in front of him; there was a certain seriousness to him that the younger man hadn't seen before, and it was a little intimidating.
“I'm not,” Sehun said simply with an impish grin. Taemin cracked a slight smile, but then went serious again.
“He's doing better now,” He murmured, “he's starting to get over you for good,”
Sehun let out a low breath. In a way, he was glad to hear it, but he also felt saddened by it.
“I didn't come to cause trouble or try to get him back. I just wanted to see him one last time and make sure he's happy,” Sehun said cautiously, and Taemin smiled faintly, continuing to study the scene in front of him. The seats began to fill steadily, but everyone's voices remained low as they spoke.
“He'll be okay,” The blonde looked at Sehun now and smiled a little wider, “but I find it admirable that you came to check on him. I won't tell him you came if you don't want me to,”
“I'd appreciate it. I don't plan to stay longer than the ceremony. I don't want to talk to him or anything,” The younger man explained; now that he knew from someone close to Jongin that he was doing alright, Sehun felt much more calmer than when he had come here. He didn't expect to find Jongin in tears as he came down the aisle, but he was glad to hear he wasn't in tears in general.
“Alright,” The blonde said, turning his attention back to everyone else. His gaze seemed to assess everybody carefully, like he was trying to see into their souls - again, Sehun felt intimidated at this side of Taemin. He knew it was just because the elder wanted to protect Jongin (they were almost like brothers at this point), and Sehun was glad to know Jongin was in good hands.

An old man with greying hair - trying to be hidden by black hair dye, of course - came to claim his seat which had inevitably been taken by Sehun, and the young man convinced the stranger there had been a mistake, that this seat really did belong to Sehun. After about a five minute debate, the man left, and Sehun just managed to settle in when the wedding march began to play.

Up until now, he had been numb to all the things he should've felt about this moment; he didn't really think about what kind of emotions he'd have when he saw Jongin walking down the aisle for someone who wasn't him. He couldn't imagine it before, but now it was becoming a reality, and one he couldn't look away from. Maybe now he'd get over Jongin for good.

Everyone stood when Jongin walked in with his white and gold suit - white pants and jacket and shirt, gold trim - and although Sehun knew this meant the other groom was waiting for him, he couldn't turn his gaze away from the brunette in front of him. Had he dyed his hair a lighter brown or had it always been like that? Sehun couldn't quite remember.

There wasn't a smile on Jongin's face, nor was there an expression of sadness - there wasn't apprehension or excitement; it was a smooth blankness that still made him look handsome. His suit fit him well, too. It wasn't too loose or too tight, and it complemented his curves just right. Even without a bouquet of flowers in his hands, Jongin still stole the show.

Jongin met his groom at the altar, and his first impression of Kyungsoo was ℎ𝑒'𝑠 𝑠𝑜 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑡!
This wasn't the truth, of course - Kyungsoo was certainly shorter than Sehun and Jongin as well, but it wasn't as if he had to look down at Kyungsoo.
His second impression was how stern he looked. He seemed to be glaring at Jongin which intimidated him, but as the younger one found out later, Kyungsoo had forgotten to put his contacts in and thus had troubles seeing well, hence his squinting.

After everyone had taken their seats, the couple said their vows; everyone was eager to see how they'd get along from now since they would be officially married once they left the cathedral. This was the couple of the century! They'd be talked about for years to come; many of the guests (invited by Mrs. Kim) knew Kyungsoo already because of the rumors that came with him about his amazing acting abilities. No doubt that this wedding would open many doors for him, just like it would provide many opportunities for Jongin who wanted to pursue modeling.

The couple exchanged a small (and awkward) peck to seal their vows, turning to everyone afterwards as the cathedral erupted into applause and cheers; even though Sehun and Jongin were on opposite sides of the room, Jongin couldn't miss that gentle giant he had come to love. They were still attached to one another so strongly that they could sense when the other one was in the same room, and their eyes met nearly immediately when everyone stood; although Sehun was sad things were completely over now, he still smiled to show Jongin he had done the right thing. It didn't matter if Sehun would've fought more in Jongin's position - what mattered now was that everyone had gotten what they wanted. Everyone except him. But he was happy to see Jongin happy - that wide smile was unmistakable, even if he had tears in his eyes.
Whether it was because Sehun came to see him, or because what he had been dreading hadn't been so bad, Jongin didn't know, but he was happy.

Jongin thought Sehun would stay longer, and so he searched for him a lot at the reception; only when Kyungsoo asked him about it, did he realize he was being rude.
“Oh, I just thought one of my friends would've stayed longer than just the ceremony, is all,” He murmured, but as he said this, he saw Sehun leaving through the crowd. It was expected, and Jongin was glad since it didn't give them a chance to catch up much. He didn't trust himself; he'd find a way to end up in Sehun's arms again.
“But he's gone now,” He hummed out, then smiled a little as his husband - he had no idea what the future had in store for them, but Kyungsoo seemed nice enough already. He was on the shy side (or maybe just the quiet side), but Jongin could work with that. He had done it with Sehun, after all.

“So you saw him?” Taemin asked; the orchestra was playing a soft classical melody, but he had always found such things rather depressing, so he stood outside behind the cover where no one could see him to have a cigarette instead.
“Sehun? Yeah. You knew he was here? Since when do you smoke?” Jongin frowned. He needed some air, so he left the crowd and the fancy tent to stand outside instead.
“He stole someone's seat in the cathedral, and I happened to spot him. And I've been smoking for a long time,” The blonde waved one hand to disperse the smoke as well as the topic of his smoking, and he glanced at his best friend, “he didn't say anything to you, did he?”
“No. I just saw him in the back of the cathedral. He left already,” Jongin sighed; it was a sound of relief and sadness at the same time.
“How do you feel?” Taemin asked softly with a small smile. He knew he was one of the main people Jongin could speak to right now; they had been through a lot together, and even though they had always been on their own paths, they were still very close. They were there whenever the other one needed him, and now was no different.
“I don't know, actually. It feels...official that we're done now,” Jongin answered as he blinked at the dusky sky, “but that's a good thing...right?”
“Mhm. You did the right thing even if it doesn't feel like that right now. I know it's been hard on you, but we all know you wouldn't be able to end things,” Taemin chuckled when the other one's jaw fell open, “that's why he did it himself, but if it helps anything, I'm proud that you've tried so hard to adjust well to this new situation,”
Jongin bit his lip as tears stung his eyes; it had been so long since someone said they were proud of him for something that it made him emotional. This was also something that was difficult for Jongin to come to terms with, but he was glad he had gone through with the wedding; his parents were satisfied, and his husband seemed to be a good catch. Only time would tell how compatible they were, though.
“You're going to cry again, aren't you?” Taemin laughed as he was embraced by his friend who began to sniff and sob uncontrollably, “at least let me get my phone to take a video of this!”