A relationship with Sehun was a completely different experience. For starters, Baekhyun didn’t have to pretend to be someone he wasn’t. He could be himself, fully and completely, knowing that Sehun loved and understood him for who he really was. In addition, their relationship felt easy and natural. They already had in place an underlying foundation of trust and mutual affection—a product of their longstanding friendship. However, Baekhyun often had to remind himself that they were actually dating as a couple and not just hanging out as friends. It was difficult to compartmentalize Sehun into the category of ‘boyfriend’ when he had become so used to calling Sehun his ‘best friend’. Despite that, their relationship felt carefree and enjoyable, and he was infinitely grateful for how kind and patient Sehun was with him.

Sehun barely gave him time to dwell on unhappy memories. Every single day was a new adventure with Sehun, who dragged him out on eventful dates that were packed with activities he knew Baekhyun had always wanted to try. He took Baekhyun skydiving despite his fear of heights, and he also introduced Baekhyun to the wonders of snorkeling. They dined at fancy restaurants whose names they didn’t know how to pronounce, shopped at the best boutiques in town, and enjoyed a luxurious staycation at one of the hotels that the Byuns owned. Baekhyun had never felt more alive, and he had Sehun to thank for that.

“So, what have you planned for us today?” Baekhyun smiled as he entered Sehun’s car, breathing in the rich scent of Sehun’s expensive cologne.

“Before I tell you my plans for today, I have a little something for you,” Sehun said eagerly, producing a small velvet case from his pocket. “Do you like it? The salesperson said that this was one of their more popular designs.”

Baekhyun stared wide-eyed at the elegant platinum ring that was being presented in front of him. It was decorated with three small diamonds set into the surface of the band, a timeless and understated aesthetic that Baekhyun loved.

“Don’t worry, I’m not asking for your hand in marriage,” Sehun laughed at Baekhyun’s deer-in-the-headlights expression. “Yet,” he tacked on at the end, taking the ring out of the velvet box. “Take a look at the underside of the band.”

Baekhyun turned the ring over in his hand and noticed a small engraving. “Strength,” he read it aloud, cocking his head to the side in amusement. “What’s up with this?”

Sehun smiled and took the ring from Baekhyun’s hand. “By giving you this ring, I hope to give you strength,” he explained, gently sliding the band onto Baekhyun’s ring finger. “I want you to wear this and be reminded of the immense strength within you. I want you to know that you have the strength to overcome any challenge in life. And most of all, I want you to think of me when you see this on your finger. I will be your strongest shield and sharpest blade, Baekhyun. Know that you can always, always count on me.”

“Sehun…,” Baekhyun trailed off, touched by Sehun’s sincere words. He dissolved into loud sobs, surprising the younger male, who quickly pulled him into a tight embrace. “Don’t be so nice to me, I don’t deserve your love and kindness.”

Sehun exhaled and pressed his lips against Baekhyun’s forehead. “Look, Baekhyun, I know that you suggested that we date because you felt bad for me. I know that you are trying to move on from Chanyeol. I know that you don’t genuinely love me yet, or at least, not in the way that I want you to. But that is okay. I will wait for you. I hope you find the strength in yourself to overcome the sadness in your heart. I hope you find the strength to rediscover yourself, and to fall in love with life again.”

Baekhyun sobbed even louder at Sehun’s words, pressing his snot and tears into Sehun’s freshly laundered shirt. “I’m sorry, Sehun. I’m trying my best to get over him. I want to forget him.”

Sehun hummed and rubbed soothing circles on Baekhyun’s back. “I know you’re trying. I know how hard you’re trying. It will be difficult, but also necessary. Be strong, Baekhyun.”

“I’m so scared,” Baekhyun said weakly. “I’ve been trying my hardest not to think about Saturday, but the fact that it is tomorrow makes me feel nauseated with anxiety. I thought that I would be happy to finally get the truth out in the open, but honestly, I am more terrified than relieved. I don’t want to have to face Chanyeol and Irene. I don’t want to burn bridges and have everything end in a horrible mess. You know I have never liked drama,” he pulled back to look at Sehun sadly. “All I want is for Chanyeol to know the truth, and for both of them to apologize for what they did. I don’t want to think about bitter words like revenge. I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

“Don’t be scared. I will be there with you tomorrow. I will see things through to the end with you.”

--

“How do I look?”

“You look amazing as always,” Chanyeol smiled, giving Irene an appreciative thumbs-up. She was dressed in a champagne colored evening gown, a made-to-order dress that was air-flown from Paris just a few hours ago. She had the dress specially made for the Byuns’ party, an important event which she had to dress to impress. She needed to make sure that she would be able to finalize the contract with Byun Jihoon, and she also wanted to look her best in front of so many esteemed guests and paparazzi.

“Thank you,” she beamed at him brightly. “You look really good as well. The tie that I bought you really matches your suit.”

“Really?” Chanyeol laughed, fiddling with his lapel. “I feel a bit stuffy in this outfit.”

Irene smiled in amusement and linked her arm with Chanyeol’s. “Let’s go, shall we?”

Chanyeol nodded in acquiescence and led them towards his car. He did not know how to feel about the party—on one hand he was really curious to meet the Byuns, a mysterious family that he knew next to nothing about, and on the other hand, he was also secretly dreading it. Their families had agreed to announce the news of their engagement at the Byuns’ party, and Chanyeol knew that the announcement would really make their engagement plans concrete.

He wasn’t sure if he was ready.

However, seeing how excited and happy Irene looked, Chanyeol forced a smile on his face. After all, he knew that the party was important to Irene on multiple levels, and he should at least try to match her level of enthusiasm.

Breathe, Chanyeol. Everything is going to go fine, he told himself. He repeated that like a mantra, but he could not fight the nagging voice at the back of his mind telling him that he was making a terrible mistake.

Was he?

--

When they arrived, the party was already teeming with guests. The ballroom was big and luxurious, and Chanyeol found himself impressed by the tasteful décor. This was no doubt the grandest hotel that Byun Enterprises owned, and he found himself envying his father, who made frequent business visits here. The Parks were in the real estate business, and they had formed a long-standing synergistic relationship with the Byuns. His father had always been vocal about his admiration for the CEO of Byun Enterprises, an impressive businessman by his standards. Now that Irene was also in talks of working with the Byuns, Chanyeol found himself even more intrigued. He was eager to finally meet and speak with the elusive Byun family.

“Hey, you guys are here!” Kai suddenly appeared in front of them with a lazy grin. “I overheard several people talking about the both of you when you entered. What a power couple.”

“Hello Kai,” Irene greeted him brightly. “What were they saying? Good things, I hope.”

“Oh, definitely. They were talking about how good the two of you look together. And I think some of them have already caught wind of your upcoming engagement. There are so many different rumors going around.”

Chanyeol raised a brow. “Rumors? That doesn’t sound good to me. What sort of rumors?”

“Well, some people think that your marriage is going to be a business marriage. A strategic alliance between the Parks and the Baes to drive up their stock prices. But we all know that it isn’t true. The two of you are genuinely in love with each other, and I can definitely vouch for that.”

Chanyeol felt a heaviness settle in the pit of his stomach. Sure, their marriage definitely wasn’t a business marriage, but love? Was he really entering into the marriage with love on his mind?

If Kai noticed the sudden discomfort on Chanyeol’s face, he chose not to comment on it. “C’mon, let’s go mingle around. There are many big names here today. Politicians, celebrities, famous CEOs… the list goes on. I think this is a really wonderful opportunity for us to network. We should make the best of it.”

“Where’s your bodyguard?” Chanyeol commented, feeling odd to see Kai without Kyungsoo by his side.

As if on cue, Kyungsoo suddenly appeared with two glasses of drinks in his hands. “Here, I got you your wine,” he said, gaze darkening when he noticed who Kai was with.

“Why the sour expression?” Chanyeol teased lightly.

Kyungsoo’s eyes flickered over to the other end of the room and Chanyeol followed his line of sight. Upon first look, he noticed his parents chatting animatedly with someone—a person whose face he couldn’t make out clearly. However, when it suddenly dawned on him why that person looked so familiar, he felt his blood run cold and mouth go dry.

Baekhyun.

His parents were talking to Baekhyun.

Chanyeol stared at Baekhyun, feeling his heart clench painfully. He still wasn’t used to seeing Baekhyun like this—decked out in expensive labels and glowing with a completely different aura. Baekhyun looked amazing in a smartly tailored navy-blue suit, but Chanyeol could not shake off how foreign Baekhyun felt now. It was like Baekhyun had been reborn into a whole new person. He was happy though, that Baekhyun looked healthy and cheerful, exuding a completely different vibe as compared to the last time they met.

He sighed, realizing just how much he missed Baekhyun, and for that he felt sick to his stomach. How could he still be harboring such thoughts and feelings when he had a fiancée? How could he not forget what Baekhyun put him through?

And most importantly, what on earth could Baekhyun be talking to his parents about?

“How in the world did he get invited?” Irene gasped aloud when she realized what Chanyeol was staring so intensely at. Seeing Baekhyun at the party gripped her with a paralyzing fear and ignited a fresh wave of fury within her—what the hell was he doing at a place like this?

Baekhyun was a deeply unsettling presence, precisely because he knew of the bad things that she had done, and she was terrified that he might try to mess things up for her at the party. Sehun almost ruined it all for her during the meeting with Byun Enterprises last week, and she wasn’t about to take the risk with Baekhyun. The fact that he was speaking to Chanyeol’s parents amplified the intense discomfort that she was feeling, and she had to hold back from stomping over and dragging him out of the ballroom herself.

“Oh, wow. What’s Baekhyun doing here?” Kai let out a surprised whistle. “My first guess would be Oh Sehun, but isn’t this a strictly invite-only party? No one is allowed to bring anyone not on the guest list,” he trailed off thoughtfully.

“Baekhyun probably has his ways. It is important for gold diggers like him to be able to attend parties like this. The pool of eligible individuals to prey on at such events is really huge,” Irene commented with a hard edge in her voice. “We should inform security and get him booted out. I’m sure the Byuns wouldn’t want filth like him at their party.”

“Baekhyun? A gold digger? I doubt he needs to dig for gold when he is with Oh Sehun. I heard that they went steady recently,” Kyungsoo chimed in purposefully, lips curling upwards into a furtive smirk as he watched Chanyeol’s entire body stiffen at the news. Chanyeol did not understand why every single fiber of his being hurt to think about Baekhyun being with someone else.

It was laughable and very pathetic.

As if Baekhyun could feel his piercing gaze on him, he turned around and their eyes met. Chanyeol held his breath, feeling like a deer caught in headlights as he watched the smile slip slowly off Baekhyun’s face. Baekhyun stared back at him with a strange expression, eyes shining with an emotion that Chanyeol could not identify. Chanyeol contemplated for a moment if he should just it and go talk to Baekhyun, but the thought was immediately pushed out from his mind when Sehun suddenly appeared beside Baekhyun and s an arm around his waist.

A fresh wave of anger, jealousy and possessiveness washed over him, and Chanyeol had to remind himself that he had no right to feel this way. In fact, he shouldn’t be feeling this way at all. However, Baekhyun was like a difficult drug addiction, and Chanyeol was hell bent on destroying himself despite being offered a way out.

Chanyeol watched Sehun greet his parents enthusiastically, and although he was too far away to hear what they were talking about, it was obvious that they were having an enjoyable conversation. Chanyeol felt his fingers clench into a tight fist as he turned from the upsetting scene and began walking away.

“Where are you going, Yeol?” Irene called out worriedly.

“I’m going to the toilet. Stay with Kai and Kyungsoo. I’ll be right back,” Chanyeol forced a tight-lipped smile and brushed off her attempt to follow him.

When he entered the rest room, he slammed the door behind him and stared at himself in the mirror with red-rimmed eyes. With trembling hands, he the tap and splashed cold water on his face—a desperate attempt to clear his head that was swimming with erratic thoughts. Why was it that Baekhyun still had such power over his heart and mind?

He took in a deep, shaky breath, willing himself to control his emotions. He shouldn’t be like this at this juncture. Why was he so weak?

“What’s with you?”

Chanyeol whipped around to see Kai shutting the door behind him, brows furrowed deeply in concern. He took one look at Chanyeol’s face and let out a loud exhale.

“This is about Baekhyun, isn’t it? You still care. You’re still in love with him.”

“I… I don’t know,” Chanyeol replied hoarsely. “You probably think I’m a mess, huh?” he chuckled darkly, running a wet hand through his hair. “I think I’m a pathetic mess too.”

“I want to say that you are stupid for still being so hung up over someone who betrayed and hurt you so badly, but I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t say that, because I understand that love is irrational,” Kai sighed, leaning on the counter beside Chanyeol. “At the end, we are all masochists in love. We actively seek out what hurts us the most, because we are addicted to the ecstasy that it gives us. Love is a powerful drug, and we have no control over what it does to us. As much as I disapprove, I have no right to judge you. Do what makes you happy. Choose what you think is right.”

Chanyeol looked at Kai with a quiet desperation. “Are you saying that I should break it off with Irene and go running after someone who has caused me so much pain? Are you actually saying that I should do such a disrespectful thing to Irene and myself?”

“I didn’t say that,” Kai laughed dryly, shaking his head. “This is what you have been thinking. These are the words you have been thinking but are too cowardly to admit. And this is also what your heart really wants.”

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