+++++

"A house-warming party?"

Yifan nods, sipping his coffee. "Bella's idea."

Luhan should have known. His best friend isn't the kind to have a gathering like that. "When?"

"This Saturday."

"Yeah, okay." He stares at the taller. He barely remember anything on the night of his wedding party and he wasn't even sure it was Yifan or nor that was with Minseok when he found them. "Bella is one tough woman, huh. Managed to make you stay."

"Just for a few months."

"Still..."

Yifan takes a deep breath. He really doesn't want to talk about this.

"When is the wedding? You guys have been engaged for like, almost three years. I really thought you guys would get married right after we graduate."

"Engage."

Luhan's brows furrow.

"We haven't even engaged." Yifan had expected that expression from the male. Everyone around him except his relatives probably have the same thought too. They started seeing him with Bella more often and rumors about his 'arranged marriage' spreaded among the batchmates so being 'engaged' with Bella was the appropriate conclusion.

"And  you are just telling me now?!"

"Everyone was satisfied with their own assumption. Nobody ever bothered to ask."

Luhan's back hits the back of the chair. He has nothing to say as he too recalls the question about Yifan's relationship with Bella had never came out from his mouth in the last two years. More so after 'that' night. He had to be careful around him. "Then..."

Yifan looks up from his drink.

"When is the engagement?"

Yifan leans back, shrugging. Both sides of the parents aren't pushing them and Bella doesn't say anything about it either. "When the time come, I guess."

Luhan purses his lips at the answer. He knows so little about Yifan and Bella as the taller rarely talks about what is going on between them but for most couple that their marriage was arranged, there is one thing in common and he can't think of another reason for Yifan still being a bachelor. "Bella."

His friend is staring at him and it makes him uncomfortable as he can tell Luhan's next words won't be his liking.

"Do you love her?"

+++++

Joonmyeon glances to his side and sees Baekhyun is waving back at the male that is walking towards them.

"Hey."

"Hey, Joss hyung." Baekhyun looks up at the older. "What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you, have something to ask you. Do you mind..."

Joonmyeon realizes the question was directed to him and shakes his head, watching Baekhyun following his friend. He didn't know the younger and Joss knew each other, and being that close as the tall male is picking out a small leaf that had fallen on Baekhyun's hair. He has never seen Baekhyun with the Medic student before.

He sees Joss leaving with a smile on his face but not the younger when he turns around, walking back toward him. He waits as Baekhyun stands before him but his eyes are looking pass by him. "Hey, what's wrong? Baek?"

"He..." Baekhyun purses his lips, doesn't know how to tell his senior when he is still trying to believe it himself.

"Baekhyun."

"Joss hyung asked me out." He sees Joonmyeon's suprised expression. Did he look like that when Joss asked him? Did Joss really just ask him out? But the taller is a man, and so does he. He doesn't know about Joss' preference but he likes girls. Right?

The roubled look the young is showing him is a feeling he understand too well. He was lost when he finally accepted it but the moment Sophia hugged him, it felt like all the that burden just magically disappear. "Did you accept?"

Baekhyun nods.

Joonmyeon breathes out as he steps closer to his junior, hugging the small body gently. "Then go. Spend some time with him and figure out. I won't tell you what you are or who are you supposed to be because you need to figure that out by yourself, but I will tell you that I am here if you need me. Okay?"

Baekhyun's hands are his own shirt, trying to stop the trembling that he doesn't know why he is having. He always thought that it is because he hasn't found the perfect girl yet when being asked about dating. Never because the 'girl' itself.

"Hyung! Baek!"

He pushes himself out from Joonmyeon's embrace as the footsteps are getting closer. He looks at the older in the eye and shakes his head, taking a deep breath when Joonmyeon nod and turns around to meet with his out-of-breath friend.

"What are you guys still doing here? I thought you already brought that croquette lunch. I was so looking for to eat it. Hyung!"

"Well, I realized you didn't even give me the money for it so..." Joonmyeon side-eyes the younger.

Chanyeol pouts. "I... I would pay you back."

"You wouldn't."

"He wouldn't." Baekhyun ignores his best friend's laser-eye as he follows Joonmyeon that is already walking towards the cafeteria. He will tell Chanyeol about that later. He breathes out. Or never.

+++++

"Where is she?"

"She went out to meet a client." Yifan opens the door to the office, letting Grace enter first before he follows suit and closes the door. "Why are you here?"

Grace turns to face her cousin. "Shouldn't you ask yourself that? What are you doing here helping her when you should be helping me?! Yifan, work with me."

He gives the mineral water he got from the mini fridge to the older before heading back to the desk. Making himself comfortable on his seat, he looks at Grace. "Don't you get tired, saying the same thing over and over?"

She bites her lower lip as Yifan continues to work on the computer and ignoring her. How the heck was that woman managed to get Yifan to work wiht her when she has been trying to do that for the past two years? The two may promised-to-be-wed but she and Yifan are family. "She is nobody."

"Did you come here to tell her that?"

Grace looks down at ther bag. No matter how much she hates Bella, a promise is a promise. She chugs down the water and takes a seat on the sofa. "When will she be back?"

Yifan shrugs. "I'm not her assistant."

Grace sighs, eyes fixed at his little cousin. She is the older one between them but being a man and all, Yifan has grown taller than her, but she is still the only one Yifan would be drinking with. He has found her annoying with her fights with Bella and all but the younger relies on her more than with Bella so it's a in for her.

"What are you doing here?"

She turns to the voice to see Bella standing by the door, one hand on the waist with a teasing smile on her face.

"Grace wants to see you."

Bella closes the door and walks to the sofa, looking down at the older. "For what occasion do I have the pleasure for you to come all the way to my humble shop?"

She really wants to slap that smirk away but Grace calms herself down. Getting up on her feet, she takes out a small box from inside her bag and puts in upfront the younger, earning a knitted brows.

"What is this?" Bella takes the box the size of her palm and opens it, her eyes widen as the diamond bracelet blinding her eyes. She glances at Grace with a suspicious gaze. "Are you really giving me this for Mr. Lee? For real? I know you were looking for a supplier but you were that desparate?"

"Do you want it or not?!"

Bella shuts close the box and holds it against her chest, her lips smiling widely. "My cousin-in-law giving me such an expensive gift for helping her, of course I want it! Yifan, look!"

He moves his head slightly to the side, just enough to see Bella waving the velvet box at him while Grace tries not to show how much she appreciate the other's reaction. Finally, he can live his life in peace. "Bella, the party."

The event jogs her memory and she turns back to the older. "We are having a house-warming party this Saturday. Please come."

Grace purses her lips. She had heard about the two living together now and although she doesn't like it, she really want to check and see the place. She nods for accepting the invitation and nods again for the address that Bella say she will text.

+++++

"What are you watching?" The question earns him a head turn and he takes a seat beside his father on the sofa.

"I'm not sure either."

The small laugh makes him smile and he shakes his head when his father offers him the remote, telling him to change to something else if he wants too.

"You are not going anywhere tonight?"

"No." He scoots closer, leaving no gap between their shoulders. "Too lazy to go out."

"Great. Just rest and watch the movie with me. Oh, do you want me to get the leftover cake? There won't be any left when Sophia come back later."

Joonmyeon holds his father's arm tightly, preventing him from getting up and going anywhere. "I am still full. Let's just watch the movie. Let her have all the cake."

"Okay, okay."

The movie shows the king forces his crown prince to get inside a wooden chest as a punishment for trying to kill him. He glances at his father as memories flooding back in his mind and what happened with Baekhyun earlier today mix inside him.

He was only being himself but his mother thought it is the same as trying to kill her. He never blamed his father that couldn't do anything at the time. He was shocked as well but she was also his wife. He was busy working while she took care of him and Sophia. He probably felt he didn't have the right to interfere.

"How can he do that to his own son?"

Joonmyeon watches as the locked crown prince trying to drink the rain water that sipping through between the gaps of the chest and he is thankful that his own father doesn't do that to him. He rests his head on the broad shoulder, earning a head pat as he continues watching the movie. "Dad."

"Hm? What is it?"

"Thank you for coming back for me."

+++++