“Over here!”

A male waved towards Baekhyun, who had just gotten out of the taxi. The male was accompanied by few other guys, each wearing an almost identical business suit.

Baekhyun joined the guys, sitting down at a roadside store nearby his alma mater. “Sorry I’m late,” he apologised, loosening his tie and ing his sleeves, allowing him to have it rolled up.

“No worries! Just have a shot!” one of the louder ones said, pushing the glass of alcohol to him.

It was a tradition in the group; whoever came late had to down one shot as a punishment. Although, one shot couldn’t possibly have made any difference to Baekhyun as he used to be one of best drinkers in the group.

That is before he met Areum.

Most of them were tipsy and half drunk, Baekhyun observed. A few of them were struggling to pay attention to the late guest but failed miserably as they dozed off to sleep.

He shot them a dirty look; all of them haven’t changed since their university days.

“Just drink!” one of the older ones urged, after finishing another shot of vodka.

Baekhyun took the glass and shoved the liquid down his throat. It left a burning sensation and a bitter aftertaste. Despite being such a drinker back then, he still couldn’t get used to the raw taste of the alcohol.

“Happy?” he scrunched his face, placing the glass down on the table.

“Another shot to celebrate your newlywed life!” the taller one refilled the glass almost immediately, earning cheers from the rest. “I’m not going to get myself drunk tonight, Chanyeol.” Baekhyun declined, pushing the glass away from him.

“Come on! Don’t spoil the fun,” another one jeered.

“One last,” Baekhyun made it clear, giving the rest looks as he took the glass.

“Come on guys, wake the hell up!” the older one called, giving the ones who dozed off a slap on the head. All of them stirred from their sleep, slowly opening their eyes.

“So, how’s your life after marriage?”

“Fine,” Baekhyun replied, recalling all the fights and arguments that he got into with Ara during the few weeks after marriage.

It was as if he married another person.

“How’s Areum?”

“Thank you for your concern, Minseok. She’s really great.”

The person he had imagined Areum to be after their wedding became distorted after the marriage. 

Areum used to be clingy, not so much of a workaholic and was pretty much only involved in the fashion industry.

Baekhyun used to hear so much about the fashion industry, both good and bad. Areum could go on all day without realising that all the talk was actually making him bored.

The Areum that he had been living with seemed so contrasting from the one he had been seeing since his university days. She was starting to act more like Ara.

Perhaps, like what he heard from her, Time really changes people.

There was one thing he was sure. 

He started loving her more.

He was sure of that, and he realised that he has always been looking forward to returning home after work despite having arguments on some of the days.

“Was she great in bed?” the one with the broadest shoulders asked, earning slaps from the rest of the gang.

Baekhyun’s mouth went dry, he wasn’t sure what to reply, but he had to give an answer. He just stared at the male blankly.

“Would you mind sharing the juicy details?” one of them prompted.

Baekhyun gulped, with furrowed eyebrows and darting eyes, he was finding ways to avoid the question.

“Aren’t you going to answer that?”

He looked at the male, with a flabbergasted expression.

“Oh god, not you too, Joonmyeon,”

“You’re the only one married,” the male shrugged. As if that was a valid excuse.

“Go get married if you want to know how it feels like,” Baekhyun replied.

The taller one with bigger ears stared hard at him, casting doubtful looks. Baekhyun looked away, avoided eye contact and poured himself one more shot of alcohol.

Baekhyun was actually sweating from all the stares. He always liked to boast about the feelings and how it was like having a girlfriend like Areum, but the cat got his tongue today.

The friend that was staring hard at Baekhyun blinked.

“Have you not slept with her yet?”

Baekhyun spluttered out the drinks he had in his mouth, Chanyeol was spot on, crazily accurate. “O-of c-course I d-did!” he stuttered, wiping away the alcohol that had dripped from his chin.

“You’re like this when you lie!” the one with whiter skin confirmed.

The rest of the gang roared in laughter, making fun of Baekhyun who has yet to consummate with his wife.

Baekhyun felt lousy. His face was steaming red and he had been trying to push down his anger and his pride to the lowest to lash out.

Was it really that embarrassing to have not consummated with his wife? It’s not like he didn’t want it, they were too busy to even have time for each other.

“Why not, she’s hot.”

“Sehun, I don’t think it’s appropriate to call her hot, especially in front of me,” he replied, returning the male with a hard glare.

“Yeah whatever, don’t man up in front of me. Do that in front of your wife,”

That remark fuelled on to both Baekhyun’s anger and embarrassment.

Laughter never died down; instead, it grew louder after the remark was made.

Baekhyun felt the need to bury himself to hide from all the embarrassment he was receiving. He clenched his fists, turning his knuckles white. “Will you guys stop now?”

It sounded more like a statement, rather than a question. Sadly, he was disregarded and the laughter continued among the guys who seemed too old to make everything into a joke.

That was it, Baekhyun couldn’t stand them mocking at him anymore. He needed to leave before he starts to lash out. One of the things he hated the most was getting mocked by people. The situation would get ugly he if stayed.

“I’m off,” he said, walking off.

Unfortunately, no one bothered to stop him and kept on giggling like fools.

“This is good stuff,” Ara remarked, sipping on the wine. She had a lit a cigarette in between her finger on her right.

“Of course, I’m an expert at picking the best wine,” Seulgi replied, sitting right opposite her, staring at the cancerous stick in between her best friend’s fingers.

Ara eyed Seulgi, she already knew what she was going to say.

“Before you open your mouth, please do know that I’m living a crazy life and this stick is the only thing that is holding me back from going berserk.”

Seulgi opens to protest, only to close and press her lips into a thin lining. “Moderately please,” she reminded.

“I know when I should stop; Baekhyun’s wife hates smokers,” she laughed.

“Are you sure you want to spend your day off like this with me? You could be out on dates with Jongin; I know he took leave too.” Ara asked, taking another puff.

“Shut up, you know there’s nothing between us,” she rolled her eyes.

Despite being friends with her for years, Ara really has no idea if Seulgi had anything towards their mutual best friend. Ara always viewed Jongin as their third sister, he wasn’t to her liking.

He was hot, but definitely not her tea.

“Jongin seemed really hurt the last time you showed up at his door crying about your ex,” Ara pointed out.

“Oh please, Jongin looked like he was going to murder someone when you fainted because of heartbreak,” Seulgi retorted with a confident smirk.

The silence lasted only for a second before the best friends burst out in laughter, it seemed like Jongin was in love with the both of them. Scratch that, more like treated them like his younger siblings when he was only a few months older.

“Oh, what would life be without him,” Ara stifled her laughter. Seulgi readily agreed, Jongin was everything in the friendship.

He acted as the lousy meditator who occasionally took sides when both Seulgi and Ara had disagreements. Being the only guy in the friendship, he was, most of the time getting ganged up by the two girls.

“I can’t imagine how Jongin would react if he realises the phrase I’m going through now,”

“Let’s find out,” Seulgi said, throwing her phone to Ara. “What do you want me to do?” Ara asked, dropping her finishing cigarette that thankfully landed on the marble floor just to catch Seulgi’s phone.

“He’s probably back at Suncheon, takes him few hours to reach your place. Sufficient time for us to get drunk and just in time to have him bring me home,” Seulgi smartly replied, pouring herself another glass of wine.

Ara gave her best friend thumbs up before unlocking the phone to dial for Jongin’s number.

Took no longer than three rings for Jongin to pick up.

“Kang Seulgi, if you have nothing to do, hang up. I’m back at Suncheon, let me have my day off in peace.” Jongin started, sounding slightly harsh.

“Wow, is that my best friend getting angry at my best friend?” Ara joked.

He recognised the voice immediately, “Why haven’t you called since the wedding day? I thought you died or something! I was this close to calling the cops,”

“Oh stop being so dramatic. The only help I need is for you to get your back in Seoul to bring this drunken lady back to her house,” Ara rolled her eyes, with a smile creeping on her face.

Oh, she missed joking with Jongin.

“Fine,” he answered. Ara heard mumbles over the phone from the male, which sounded very much like a complaint about how Seulgi and she never stopped contacting him, even if it’s just for half a day.

She found their best friend cute, but not her type.

“Will text you the address, thanks, Jongin. You’re my life saviour,” and she hung up.

“Now drink up, time’s ticking.” Ara grinned, bringing out more wine.

“Bye!” Ara cheerful waved, seemingly half-drunk. After seeing Jongin drive off, she closed the door with a bit too much strength which turned into a slam.

Ara jumped slightly. She was able to function slightly better than a few seconds ago, given the fact that Baekhyun might be home anytime now sinks into her mind.

Party’s over, she needed to clean up.

Ara strolled to the coffee table with a plastic bag and swept all the bottles into the plastic bag while having her eyes closed. The alcohol is slowing her down, by too much.

She stood up slowly, slowly navigating her way to the door. It took her so much concentration to walk in a straight line.

The door open with a loud bang, when she was counting the number of bottles both Seulgi and she had finished. It was her tenth attempt at counting while being slightly intoxicated and honestly, the reattempts are getting to her.

“What’s wrong with you?” Ara shouted.

Baekhyun staggered in with a drunken stupor. “Why do you have to be so loud?” he yelled back, landing himself on the couch in the living room.

Ara noted that he was drunk. It made Ara feel less intoxicated and she continued to clean up before fetching a fresh outfit for Baekhyun to change into.

She placed the fresh outfit beside Baekhyun as she helped him take off his blazer. Ara could hear Baekhyun grumbling about work stress and having to meet project deadlines.

It made her laugh at him for being so caught up in work even when he’s drunk.

Ara stared at Baekhyun’s tie for quite a while, struggling to figure out the next step.

Baekhyun let out a grunt, snapping Ara out of her thoughts.

She proceeded to his dress shirt, with her swaying slightly.

Just when she was about to put a clean shirt over him, Baekhyun cupped her face and pulled in for a kiss. Ara slapped his hands away from her, forcing herself to walk away.

He grabbed onto her wrist and pulled her back. Ara jolted towards him, against her will and being forced to kiss him again.

“STOP!” she yelled, trying her best to resist his strength. He might be intoxicated, but that doesn’t allow him to do stuff that Ara didn’t want.

“Baekhyun!” Ara threw punches at his arms.

He let go, with a disgruntled face.

“Why are you doing this to me,” Baekhyun muttered with a deep voice, followed by a sigh.

“What do you want?”

“I just want our first night. Is it that hard,” he questions, with tears in his eyes.

Ara could hear him sobbing; the guilt was clawing her into pieces. She felt bad for Baekhyun but then again, she wouldn’t want to give her ity to him. He was nothing to her, and she was nothing to him.

He cleared his voice, “You’ve been avoiding me physically ever since we got married. We haven’t even had any kisses, not even goodbye kisses.”

“Stop,” Ara begged. She couldn’t deal with her own guilt stabbing her each time she was reminded about having to lie to everyone. It was suffocating her, she couldn’t breathe.

“Imagine how embarrassed I was to have been ridiculed by my friends when they knew I have yet to touch my wife,” he whined.

Ara’s breathing hitched, leaving her having shorter and shorter breaths. Her view was getting blurry. She could feel her face pumping fresh hot blood, the heat that was surrounding her was choking her.

“I’m not asking for anything else, Areum.” Baekhyun continued.

Ara turned away with her eyes shut. The emotional mess they were in were both caused by alcohol.

“All I want is a kiss. Just once,” he begged.

Ara could feel her heartstrings tug. More of her was giving in. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled, with tears rolling down her pinkish cheeks and puffy eyes. Ara stared at Baekhyun and repeated her apology.

“I really am,” she choked; the tears came nonstop as if a broken tap.

Baekhyun wiped Ara’s tears away with his thumb.

“Don’t be,” he answered softly, cupping her cheeks.

The tension present in the room made them hesitate; it felt like one wrong step could set everything off.

Ara stared into Baekhyun’s dark brown orbs, there was so much sadness. It was pushing her to make a decision. There was no way she could escape this without hurting him more.

Just this one time, she thought. She had given in.

He gave a soft smile and inched in, kissed her deeply.