Dal felt tighten as she shifted her gaze towards the couple standing beside her parents as they smiled at her nicely. She couldn’t do give a smile back, afraid that her heart would combust and she would just breakdown on stage.

“And I proudly announce her engagement to Park Chanyeol!”

Her father says as she gestures the tall man who looked like a deer in the headlights to go up the stage. Dal’s eyes widened when she looked at her fiance. It all made sense now. The tall man with big eyes and ears from the elevator. No wonder he got to ride, it was because he was a special guest for her father. Dal bit her lip hard until she could taste iron coming out, she couldn’t look towards Baekhyun afraid that everything would mess up. Chanyeol, on the other hand, just stood beside his parents giving a small smile to the other couple beside them as he tried to find his best friend in the crowd. And there he was, Byun Baekhyun, staring lifelessly at the couple on stage looking like a match made in heaven. Chanyeol threw an apologetic look at Baekhyun, making the latter utter a dry laugh as if his best friend was just mocking him in the situation he was in.

The crowd went home already leaving Baekhyun and his parents in their mansion, however, his parents have already left to their rooms and Baekbeom went out with his friends leaving him him lonely in the living room. It all felt like to Baekhyun, tasting heaven early in the night only to be greeted with his worst nightmare when returning. Soft footsteps were heard approaching him as he continued to stare at the television trying to distract his mind from the worst event of his life.

Taking a sip from his Heineken, he looked up and saw Chanyeol looking at him hesitantly shifting on his feet as Baekhyun stared at him deadly. “Did you know?” He said lowly looking at the taller male shift uncomfortably.

Chanyeol took a seat towards the end of the couch, afraid that if he moved too closer to Baekhyun, a huge mess would be made. Baekhyun scoffed at the lack of response, “You knew all about this didn’t you? And yet you still helped me take your fiancee out for dinner?” He deadpanned as he glared at the male. He knew it was pathetic, to be fighting his friend just about a girl. But this wasn’t just some girl, she was someone Baekhyun talked about every day and night to his friends entrusting them with information the media and everyone would use to bring him down. He couldn’t help but feel betrayal, especially since the news didn’t even come from Chanyeol himself. “Is this what our friendship is to you? After all those years? You knew-“ Baekhyun stood up as his voice continued to raise every question feeling the anger in himself rise. 

“Let me explain, please,” Chanyeol pleaded as he stood up looking at the smaller male. He was definitely taller than Baekhyn, but the aura that Baekhyun had around him was incomparable to Chanyeol’s making him seem bigger than the other. Baekhyun didn’t say anything and continued to stare.

Sighing, Chanyeol rubbed a hand on his face as he tried to find the words to explain the whole situation. “A week ago, my dad called me and told me that I was to be engaged. He didn’t tell me who it was but he told me to go to Kim Corporations for a meeting. On the way there, I bumped into Kim Dal Byul in the elevator. She seemed kind, yeah, but not my type,” Chanyeol said wincing as Baekhyun glared at his last words as he regained his composure when Chanyeol added on it. “I met her but I didn’t tell her my name because I didn’t want her to know why I was there because I had no idea at all either,” he continued muttering lowly. “I went to the meeting only to be greeted by her mother and my mom sitting across each other talking about some arranged marriage,” he said.

“I was cool with it as first, knowing this stuff was normal especially in our world. But then later that day you called me, saying you met her in Minseok’s cafe and I knew you liked her a lot,” he said grinning remembering how enthusiastic Baekhyun was when he was talking about her. It was new to him, after Taeyeon left, no one got to enter Baekhyun’s heart again since he dedicated his life to work. “I asked my mom the possibility of continuing the agreement, and she told me it was a 50/50 since Dal Byul didn’t seem to like the idea of these arrangements,” Chanyeol added looking at Baekhyun who was nodding smally as he remembered Dal telling him that she didn’t know if she was ready for that kind of commitment yet. 

“But then the party, and everything happened. I’m sorry for not telling you earlier hyung, but I assure you I have no feelings for her at all, and I wish the best for both of you and whatever relationship you guys have at the moment,” he sighed looking at Baekhyun pleadingly and holding his shoulder. He didn’t want to lose his bestfriend, and besides, he liked Dal with Baekhyun together. Baekhyun stared at his best friend, trying to find a sign of lying, sighing in relief as he found none. He gave Chanyeol a tight squeeze on the shoulder and a small smile as the other laughed sighing loudly in relief.

“Holy , I thought I lost you for a moment hyung,” he said grinning at Baekhyun. Baekhyun laughed patting his shoulder, “I was about to end your career but I need you somehow,” he said lightly standing up smiling.

“I still love her, you know?” He said glancing at Chanyeol. “Oh you mean my fiancee?” He said teasingly as Baekhyun growled again.

“Yes, but not your wife,” he replied smirking as he downed the whole bottle of Heineken.

—

Dal sighed to herself as she laid down in bed fixing her hair. She wanted to message Baekhyun so badly, but everything just went down the drain when her dad announced the engagement. The whole world would know by tomorrow, as the media probably already made their articles as they are just waiting for the right timing to post it.

A soft knock was heard on her door before Taeyeon walked in smiling at her sadly. She sat on the edge of the bed as Dal sat up looking down. “I don’t even know what to do anymore,” she said sadly playing with her fingers remembering how tightly Baekhyun held her hand as they went out, she sighed again missing his playfullness.

“I never knew that the boy you talked to all along was Baekhyun,” Taeyeon replied.

“Yeah, but it seems that I won’t be able to talk to him ever again,” Dal said as she laughed bitterly at how short their time together was. Heck, she only saw him thrice before everything was ruined.

“Do you want to talk to him again?” Taeyeon said looking at Dal suspiciously. She knew how charming Baekhyun was, and her heart broke the moment she saw them walk hand-in-hand together before the engagement was announced. She was all too familiar with the look Baekhyun had on his face when he looked at Dal, and how hurt he was when the engagement was announced. It was because he was the same with Taeyeon last time, only that she wasn’t being engaged but only left the country. “I want to, but it doesn’t seem right anymore,” Dal said hesitantly glancing at her phone once again.

Taeyeon gulped feeling her heart being ripped into pieces. So this is what it feels like, being the third piece in their beautiful picture. She felt like she was being suffocated, but she loved Baekhyun as well and she didn’t want her younger cousin to ruin her plan of getting back to him. As she looked sadly at Dal, she tried to speak as discreet as possible.

“Well, if it doesn’t feel right then it’s definitely wrong. I think you should give him up, you wouldn’t want your parents to be dissapointed. And the company is now going to be handed over to you, I’m sure Chanyeol would be a great help,” she said faking her best smile as Dal looked at her sadly.

“Go get some rest, yeah? I’ll see you tomorrow,” she added as she quickly walked out of the room afraid that Dal would ask her more questions that she wouldn’t have the answer too.

Dal stared at the door as Taeyeon left, sighing once again. Taeyeon was right, but still, she had to think of it knowing that Baekhyun was someone who was worth fighting for.

—

Baekhyun groaned when he heard his alarm clock ring. It has been two weeks since the annual Byun party, yet he still hasn’t made any improvements on getting in contact with Dal. To say it was hard was an understatement, paparazzi new about the engagement to his dismay since all he saw online was Chanyeol and Dal’s face plastered together in articles (which made him too jealous so he had to delete all his social media accounts). It didn’t help that some articles were fake too since they claimed that it was Chanyeol who took her out in a private island dinner, Baekhyun scoffed. If only he could shout out that it was him, he would’ve.  But that would mean losing his whole company, making it more difficult to end up with Dal.

“I don’t get why we need to do this, seriously, we all know how to play golf,” Baekhyun complained as he dried his hair up after taking a bath. Baekbeom stared at him amusely, “You know, ever since that party and showing up with Ms. Fiancee, you seem grumpier as ever,” he said as Baekhyun grabbed a carton of milk pouring it from the fridge. Baekhyun glared at his older brother slamming a glass on the countertop. 

“She’s not engaged yet, I see no ring. Besides, Chanyeol said he’s not interested in her,” he shrugged confidently as he drank his milk smirking.