16. Time after Time

If it weren't for the slight nudge on her arm from Jongin's side or the weird look the woman in front of her gave her right as she started clapping, Seulgi would have never figured there was something wrong.

"Wendy?" Wendy read again with a questionable expression while the whole room exchanged curious looks. 

There was obvious confusion in her tone if it wasn't enough to realize that there was something strange with this event. The room was dead silent and everyone seemed to have replaced the excitement they built up all week for this event in an instant with confusion. It didn't add up.

"What happened?" Seulgi whispered to Jongin as she examined the room.

"You weren't paying attention?" Jongin turned to ask her with surprise. "Wendy just won her own prize," he explained.

"How is that possible?" she asked again. "Wendy would have never put her own name in the box, I could swear it on my job."

"No need to go to such extent. She didn't," Jongin chuckled as he watched Seulgi's confused expression worsen. "Just wait a bit, you'll understand."

The duo then returned their attention back to the centre of the room where Wendy was still left with her numerous questions and her single paper with her own name. To say Wendy turned white was an understatement: she turned so pale that Seulgi was worried for her friend who usually had to have everything under control. If this was a joke, this was the type of joke Wendy despised.

The latter turned to Chanyeol as she could easily recognize his handwriting on the piece of paper and gave him a murderous glare before chuckling awkwardly to the public.

"This has to be a mistake," Wendy smiled. "Everything is fine, I just have to draw another one," she said as she put her hand into the large box. "Everything is fine," she then mumbled to convince herself.

Seulgi had to painfully watch Wendy's face crumble as she read her own name again in front of every person in the room. Wendy apologized and quickly found a joke "what are the chances to pick your name twice in a box full of 100 other papers, I must be unluckily lucky", which relaxed the public. Wendy picked her name a third and a fourth time. By the fifth, Seulgi could see that she was starting to feel uneasy and her eyes were sparkling with unshed tears. That was enough. It was supposed to be a lovely and merry party and this event was supposed to be an opportunity to give to the people Wendy and Chanyeol loved, not Wendy's worst nightmare.

As Seulgi was walking up to stop her best friend from crying in front of the whole crowd, Chanyeol finally decided it was enough too and took the box from Wendy's hands. In a swift motion, he took off the lid and emptied its content on the floor in front of everyone. Wendy silently gasped when she saw that her name was written on every single piece of paper the box contained.

"This can't be true," she blabbed. "This was not meant to happen. This has to be a joke, a very bad joke," Wendy kept repeating.

"This is not a mistake," Chanyeol said with a smile that seemed to calm Wendy a bit.

She anxiously watched Chanyeol fiddle with the papers while people started to whisper and exchange curious glances. The room was finally alive once again.

As the chaos took place, Seulgi heard from the back the sound of a door being closed. If it hadn't been for the fact that she had been waiting for it since the moment she returned to the party, Seulgi would have never heard it with all the comments the people around her were making. Sehun was finally back from the rooftop.

It wasn't intentional and even if she knew she should have given her friend her whole support and attention in this messy situation, Seulgi's thoughts were now filled with Sehun. Her eyes naturally followed him as he made his way through the crowd towards the back and finally decided to join Jongin who seemed to have given up on to idea of finding Seulgi again.

She couldn't really grasp the reason behind the sudden palpitation in her chest or why she felt like there was something stuck in her stomach since this was not really romantic. It didn't feel like butterflies, more like birds migrating at the pit of her stomach. Seulgi took a deep breath and decided to look elsewhere before Sehun would notice that she had been looking his way. 

Seulgi continued to walk to the front towards Wendy and refrained from getting too close after receiving a signal from Baekhyun to not interfere. He motioned her to come closer to his side and to watch silently.

"Chanyeol has everything under control," he whispered in her ear.

"Does he really?" Seulgi asked with a doubtful raised eyebrow after glancing to her brother who was still crouched on the floor, obviously looking for something he lost in the big mystery box. "This honestly just looks like a miserable joke."

"It wasn't supposed to happen like that and Wendy wasn't supposed to tear up so early, but that's what will make it even more memorable," Baekhyun smiled. "They will probably talk about this until they're old and crippled."

Seulgi frowned before glancing back to the messy scene in front of her and then returned her attention to Baekhyun who was giving her a mischievous smile. She repeated the same action again before loudly gasping and making everyone around her turn to her direction.

"You mean he is—" Seulgi almost yelled out of surprise. Baekhyun hurriedly put a finger over his own lips to shush her and remind her that Wendy was still not aware of this whole surprise. "Why didn't you tell me?" Seulgi pouted. "Don't I have the right to know as the sister and the best friend?"

"It was Chanyeol's decision," Baekhyun chuckled. "He said it was too risky, Wendy and you are too close."

"He has a point," Seulgi agreed. "I'm not a great liar and Wendy is not good at pretending to be surprised either."

There was maybe another minute of complete confusion in the room with Wendy  anxiously watching Chanyeol anxiously looking for something that wasn't there before someone finally decided to save the situation.

Jongdae who had been watching the scene unfold from the start with a warm smile right next to Baekhyun turned sour when he felt a velvet box at the bottom of his pants' back pocket. There it was.

"Chanyeol," Jongdae whispered not so subtly in the nervous boyfriend's direction. "Chanyeol! It's here. I forgot to put it in the box!" 

Chanyeol released a deep sigh before standing up and walking to Jongdae with a soft glare. The tension and stress he had been accumulating in the past three minutes exhausted him to the point where he couldn't even be mad at his friend for forgetting to do the only job he had. Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun for reassurance and then to Jongdae and Seulgi who both gave him a smile.

You can do it! Seulgi mouthed as Baekhyun gave a last pat onto his friend back. It was the time, Wendy had waited long enough.

Chanyeol cleared his throat as he turned to Wendy who was still so clueless and pale as the event was obviously ruined and her party was going down the same tragic fate. Their eyes locked and Wendy seemed to be momentarily destabilized. 

"What do we do now?" Wendy whispered to her boyfriend who didn't look very stressed by the fact that about 50 people were still waiting for them to name a winner after all this mess. "Should we cancel Mistletoe Duo?" she added with a disappointed frown.

"No way, you just won," Chanyeol disagreed. "You read it yourself, your name was on the paper."

"My name was on every paper!" Wendy almost yelled. "I'm going to lose my mind."

"Before you completely lose your mind, may I ask you a question first?" Chanyeol asked hesitantly.

"If we can have another dog? No Chanyeol we can't," she breathed deeply. "I don't think it is the right time to be talking about dogs when— Chanyeol?"

The room got quiet all of a sudden when the tall man put a knee on the floor.

"Chanyeol what are you doing? Get up," Wendy panicked. "Chanyeol?"

Chanyeol cleared his throat once again and took a deep breath as Wendy continued to tell him to get up. He took out the small blue velvety box from his pocket and opened it in front of his shocked girlfriend who gasped loudly.

"You did not!" Wendy exclaimed. "You really did? Oh my God you did, you really did it." She flapped her hands in the air.

Seulgi and Baekhyun exchanged a warm smile.

"So can I ask my question now?" Chanyeol chuckled.

"Please do," Wendy hurried him.

"Son Seungwan, do you want to marry me?" he shyly asked.

"Y-Yes!" she answered as soon. "Of course what kind of question is that?" Wendy blushed. Her answer was so fast that many guests in the room smiled because of the couple in front of them. Wendy and Chanyeol had to be the most adorable fiancés they had ever seen.

Chanyeol glided the ring onto Wendy's hand and let out a breath of relief when as it was the perfect size. He watched her giggle in excitement while looking at the ring before giving her a celebratory kiss in front of everyone  who cheered for them. 

As the two celebrated their new title and the huge step they made in their relationship, Jongdae went to get the champagne and loudly opened the bottle right next to Wendy and Chanyeol.

"I think I am tearing up," Seulgi confessed to Baekhyun who was smiling from ear to ear right next to her.

"It's not the time to cry sweetheart," he said before patting her arm. "We have a wonderful Mistletoe Duo this year."

"They truly win at life," Seulgi nodded.

"They deserve each other," Baekhyun smiled.

Baekhyun gave her one last pat to comfort her before walking towards Jongdae who was having a bit too much fun filling up glasses with champagne for the guests. Seulgi watched the room get livelier and happier as everyone went to congratulate the new fiancés who were both wrapped around each other.

Baekhyun was right, Wendy and Chanyeol really deserved each other. They were made for each other.

It was a match made in heaven, Seulgi thought with a smile.

She couldn't imagine someone else with her brother just like she couldn't imagine someone who understood Wendy as much as Chanyeol did. From the first moment they started dating until now, Seulgi never questioned their relationship and she didn't think they ever did neither. Even with all the ups-and-downs, Chanyeol and Wendy always found a way to get through the obstacles together.

"It's all about compromising and getting your priorities straight Seulgi, it can't always be perfect," Wendy would always tell her when she asked how they could last so long. It had been 6 years, six long years and their feelings remained the same even after all this time.  And they were obviously ready for the upcoming 6, 10 or 20 other years. To Seulgi, this was unthinkable.

Chanyeol and Wendy made it seem so easy to be in love and yet Seulgi couldn't understand. It would be a lie to say that she wasn't a bit jealous of all the love and support her brother and best friend gave to each other throughout their whole relationship but first and foremost, Seulgi didn't see how it worked for them. She understood the theory, but in action it was a complete different story for her.

Seulgi bit her lower lip as she watched Wendy and Chanyeol exchange those warm and fuzzy smiles, those bubbly and excited laughs and joyful glances.  Wendy could be at the other end of the room to talk to this friend or to call that  one family member to tell them she was getting married and yet, her eyes would always land on Chanyeol, and he would not so surprisingly be looking back with a shy smile. They were the happiest people she had ever seen.

"Is this what love is?" Seulgi mumbled without noticing.

It has to be, she answered to herself as she saw the couple reunite at the centre of the room.

Seulgi pursed her lips as she remembered the last words Sehun told her. What did he mean by letting herself be loved? What did those words mean in reality? She glanced up to see Wendy and Chanyeol again.

To be happy like them? Seulgi thought.

But happiness was never meant to be a constant feeling: it comes and goes through time. Loving someone meant to risk being hurt and she knew that too well no matter what Sehun said. And she was scared.

Seulgi felt an electric shock run through her body as she felt a cold hand onto her bare shoulder. She turned to her side to see Jongin giving her a smile that disappeared as soon as he saw her face.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" he asked her with worry .

"Yes, of course! I was… I was just thinking," Seulgi reassured him with a smile.

"Thinking…?" Jongin repeated with a raised eyebrow. He was obviously asking her what she was thinking of so hard to make her look so grim and sad in her corner alone after the news of a happy marriage. Jognin didn't push it since Seulgi had obviously no intention to tell him anything before changing the subject to a happier one. "Have you congratulated Wendy and Chanyeol yet? I was on my way to do that until I saw you."

"I haven't," Seulgi shook her head.

"Great, then we'll do it together," Jongin smiled.

He put his hand onto her back as he guided her towards the Mistletoe Duo winners who were thanking everyone who passed by them for their kind words. As soon as he noticed them, Chanyeol grinned and welcomed Jongin and Seulgi with a hug.

"Congratulations!" Jongin smiled. "About time right?" he turned to ask Wendy.

"Indeed," Wendy nodded. Sure, she didn't like any of Seulgi's exes, and Jongin wasn't an exception, but tonight was different. She was too happy to be mean. Wendy then turned to Seulgi with an excited giggle before giving her a tight hug. "We are officially sisters-in-law can you believe it?!" she exclaimed.

"I know! That's crazy!" Seulgi laughed. "Well, not so crazy because we always acted like we were related anyway but that's not important," she brushed off. "You are going to get married Wendy!"

"I know! That's crazy!" Wendy squealed. "We have so many things to do Seulgi, you don't know how much I will count on you, my soul sister."

"Soul mate and soul sister," Chanyeol chuckled as he pointed to himself and then Seulgi. "Isn't that funny?"

"What would you have done if I never became friends with her huh?" Seulgi brother before slightly punching his arm. "

"I would have been unhappy all my life," he realized. "It's all thanks to you, isn't it?" Chanyeol added before giving his sister a warm bear hug. "You're the matchmaker!"

"Ha… how ironic," Seulgi couldn't help to add. "Me of all people."

Jongin gave her a slight nudge as if he understood what she meant right away which made Seulgi blush out of embarrassment. 

"I mean, yeah, it's all thanks to me," she awkwardly smiled. "You should be grateful that a love… expert like me made you two meet…" Seulgi adde