The closer it got to the wedding, the more Joonmyun was ed into different preparations. A practice run through here, deciding on what rings to have there. He didn’t do much in these things. He kept quiet, and only said something when his mum or dad had forced him to. Both they and Soojung’s parents knew that their children didn’t want the wedding to happen, but neither sets cared. As long as there was money involved, they were going to push for them to be married as soon as possible.

Fighting his parents was hard. They had managed to dictate every other moment of his life so far, even as a man nearing his thirties, he still had limited power over them. A couple of times, he had tried to call Yixing. On those occasions however, either Yixing didn’t pick up, or Joonmyun would let it ring for a couple of seconds and then hang up because he chickened out.

Then there came the day Joonmyun went for his final suit fitting. If he had been distracted, he wouldn’t have noticed Yixing dart past and try to avoid him. If he had been distracted, he wouldn’t have made eye contact with Yixing and been left shocked at Yixing’s appearance; he looked like he hadn’t been sleeping well, or eating well for that matter. His eyes were so red, Joonmyun wondered how much crying he had been doing since he left that night. Their brief moment together ended when Joonmyun’s dad pulled him up to the front, and Joonmyun had lost Yixing all over again.

“Stop looking at me like that” Joonmyun had begged Tao when the latter wouldn’t stop glaring at him throughout the fitting.

“I’m sure you’ve heard what everybody else has had to say about this mess. I’ll spare you my thoughts on this for today”.

Joonmyun’s frustration only built up when he saw Soojung doing absolutely nothing. She just went along with whatever was happening, not once raising a single protest.

“I did my bit the first time around” she had replied angrily when Joonmyun had brought the matter up. “And look at where that’s gotten us now”.

Joonmyun could try to protest all he wanted, but his parents and Soojung’s parents were going forward with this wedding whether they wanted it or not. They had even pushed it forward a couple of days to make sure there was no possibility of either of them getting away this time. It was all too much, and Joonmyun realised that the further along these preparations went, the more he found himself losing Yixing.

“Yixing, open up.”

Joonmyun stands in front of Yixing’s apartment, continuously knocking on his door. It was late afternoon, it was cold, and to make Joonmyun feel just that bit tier, it had been pouring with rain on his way over, not even his car could protect him from the elements. He was cold, damp, and desperately trying to get Yixing to come out and talk to him.

“Look I know you’re home, so there’s no point ignoring me. Kyungsoo told me you were here” he tries this time, and still Yixing doesn’t open the door.

Joonmyun had gone to the café earlier in the afternoon. It had taken him the whole morning to convince himself to go. When he got there however, he was met with no Yixing, and a Kyungsoo angrily telling him to get his act together and to go get Yixing before pushing him down onto a seat, and shoving a slice of cake into his face.

“Now eat this before you go! It looks like you haven’t had anything decent to eat in days!”

Which was why he was stood outside Yixing’s apartment, still knocking on the door, still trying to get him to come out.

“I’m just gonna keep doing this until you open the door. I’ve got all day, I can hang out here until midnight if I wanted to”.

He really didn’t want to, but if that was what it took to get Yixing to talk to him, then he would stay outside for longer.

He doesn’t have to wait long though. With the threat of staying out until midnight hanging in the air, Yixing finally opens the door to his apartment, hiding behind it to let Joonmyun inside. Now that they’re alone and with no one else to interrupt them, Joonmyun can finally take in Yixing’s appearance. He looked the same as he did in Tao’s shop. His eyes were less red this time, but he still looked tired, so tired. What shocked Joonmyun the most was that whilst previously Yixing looked at him with warmth and happiness, it was now replaced with coldness and anger.

“What do you want?” Yixing asks angrily, letting the door go and moving down the hall, away from Joonmyun.

“I need to talk to you” Joonmyun replies, walking after him and into the living room.

“There’s nothing to talk about. I thought I made that clear already.”

Joonmyun opens his mouth to reply, but stops himself when he notices two large suitcases in the living room. One is already half packed with clothes, the other has a couple of Yixing’s things already thrown into it.

“What’s this?” he asks.

“I’m going back to China at the end of next week. I need to get away from here for a while” Yixing replies.

“How long are you going for?”

Yixing shrugs, folding up some nearby t-shirts and packing them away. “However long I want. Kyungsoo’s giving me an extended holiday. Not that you should care about it.”

“Yixing I do care” Joonmyun sighs, but it only makes Yixing angrily chuck some clothes into his suitcase.

“Do you really? Because from what I’ve heard, you haven’t done much to stop this wedding from happening.”

Joonmyun’s shocked by Yixing’s little outburst, composing himself before he answers. “I am doing something about it. I am trying my best!”

“You’re a liar” Yixing laughs bitterly. “You’re not trying at all. You still went for that suit fitting the other day, you’re still tagging along to all of these pre-wedding practices. That’s definitely doing something.”

Joonmyun never thought he could get angry at Yixing. Yixing was the type of person you couldn’t get angry at. Hearing him talk to Joonmyun like this however, it was making the latter grow increasingly moody.

“Why am I the bad guy in this situation?” he asks angrily, “You were the one who walked out on me, and yet I’m the one who everybody else is angry at!”

“Because it’s three days before the wedding and you’ve done all to stop it!” Yixing replies just as angrily. “Because I had to do so much to get you to even notice me in the first place. Because Soojung did everything the first time and you just wallowed in self-pity!”

“You knew why it took me ages to confess to you Yixing, don’t try using that against me!”

“If you’re so comfortable with your uality, why haven’t you told your parents? I’ll tell you why; you’re scared of them. Even as an adult, you’re parents still scare you. I’m waiting, Joonmyun. I’m waiting for you to come to me and say that everything is sorted, that it’s all over. But I’m getting tired of this, and I don’t think I can do it anymore.”

Yixing’s voice cracks and he moves away from Joonmyun when he tries to reach out towards him.

“Leave”

Joonmyun doesn’t want to. He wants to prove to Yixing that he’s trying and that he’ll come back to him. He just can’t find the words to tell him.

“Joonmyun, leave. Please!” Yixing pleads as he begins to cry. Reluctantly, Joonmyun listens to him and leaves Yixing crying in his living room.

Two days before the wedding, and Joonmyun and Soojung are thrown into an engagement party. It’s been cleverly set up by their parents; none of the guests are close family or friends, instead they’re old business friends, guests who their parents want to be there so that they can show off the soon to be married couple.

Joonmyun wanders aimlessly around the hall. What’s the point in trying to please people? He’s going to Yixing. Who else is there to please anymore?

“Oh, I do think this will be such a beautiful match!” one of the guest gushes, Joonmyun attempting the best fake smile he could send her. “Think of the financial security that you two will have once you’re married!”

Joonmyun frowns, confused by her words. Then it all makes sense. Their parents were making it out that this marriage was for their children’s financial future, not theirs. Well, this guest was certainly about to get a nasty shock.

“Financial security?” Joonmyun asks, laughing slightly. “I think you’re mistaken. Myself and Soojung are very well off. I have my job at Samsung and she lives comfortably as a translator” he continues, playing dumb and attracting the attention of his parents. “Oh. Unless that’s what they wanted you to think to save themselves the embarrassment.”

Joonmyun’s mum jumps in before her son can say anything else, laughing at the guest and dragging her son away with her husband to somewhere private.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she asks angrily, letting go of Joonmyun’s wrist and turning to face him.

“You told the guests that me and Soojung were getting married for financial reasons?” Joonmyun asks in return, scoffing, “Don’t make up stupid lies to cover your asses! It’s both yours and the Jung’s faults that you’re in this mess in the first place!”

“Joonmyun! Stop this right now!” his dad shouts, “We’ve been through this countless of times. This wedding will happen whether you want it to or not. Give it some time, you’ll come to love Soojung eventually.”

Oh the irony in the statement. Joonmyun laughs at both of them shaking his head. “I’ll never love Soojung and she’ll never love me” he states. “She has someone she already loves and I… I have someone that I…”

The feeling hits Joonmyun like a tidal wave. He can’t finish his sentence. This feeling is all too new to him.

“We don’t care!” his mum exclaims. “This wedding has to happen. Soojung knows and accepts that she can’t be with who she wants to be with. As for you, you need to tell this girlfriend of yours that she-”

“He” Joonmyun interrupts, not waiting for his parents to react. “His name is Yixing. I’ll never be able to love Soojung because my heart is set on somebody else. Even if the wedding goes ahead, I’ll keep fighting. I’m not your puppet and you need to accept that you’re only this mess because you got yourselves in it, leaving me to dig your pathetic asses out.”

Joonmyun’s mum slaps him across the face. Hard. His dad has to stop her from slapping him a second time. Saying nothing, they both walk away and re-join the party. Joonmyun doesn’t join them, instead going straight home. He was going to fight this until the end. He was not going to lose Yixing.

Omg, have you guys heard EXO's new Japanese album? It's so freaking good! And I'm so glad that some of the songs have Lay in them (God only knows how much I've missed hearing his voice T_T) 

Until the next chapter!!