He watched the white gown swish across the aisle, and heard the congratulations around him. She was smiling and he inhaled the champagne. It wouldn’t do to get drunk, not tonight. He admired from afar the smile that lit up her face and the high twinkle of her laugh as she was surrounded by well-wishers.

            He stared at the drink in his hand. The bubbles were spiraling upwards in a pretty design and he was tempted, so tempted to drink it. She was across the room now, still encompassed by everyone and he knew it wasn’t the right time to tell her that he was there.

            As he had questioned all night, Daehyun wondered what made him decide to come. What had compelled him to put on the suit that had been shoved in the back corner, never to be worn again? What had told him that he wanted to spend the night here and watch.

            A long time ago, this had been his dream, his life to live. But that was then and this is now. And things were different now.

            “Daehyun?” He startled and nearly knocked over the beautiful glass of champagne. The glass that he had been preserving ever since he had taken it from the well-dressed waiter with the red bow tie. He watched it tilt a little and saved it, buying himself time before he had to answer.

            He looked up and saw that in his revelry she had somehow found the time to make it through the throng and was now in front of him. She smiled, a little hesitantly, unsure of how to react and then she allowed the mood to overcome her and she gave him a full megawatt smile, the one that had swept him off his feet before.

            “I didn’t realize you would make it.” Even now, two years later, the accusatory tone was in her voice and he knew. She may have sent him the invitation but she didn’t want him to make it. It had all been a test, and he had failed.

            But because the time for fights was over, and it was no longer his place to do so, he only lifted his left shoulder in a mild shrug. “I can always find time for you.” It was ironic, considering how this was exactly what she had said he couldn’t do, but that was then. And this is now. And now things will be different.

            She was dazzling in the white gown. He forgot how good this was on her, as if marriage suited her. Being in love suited her, and clearly, she was no longer in love with him. She pursed her lips and like clockwork, Daehyun could parrot to her the words that must have run across her mind the moment after he had uttered his sentence. “You never found time for me before.”

            She nodded and straightened a little, furthering the distance between them and he felt disappointment. Even when it wasn’t his ring on her hand, even if she wouldn’t be going home with him tonight, he had still appreciated the intimate way they stood. Three years together and two married surely gave him the right to crave her presence, didn’t it?

            “Well, why aren’t you dancing? Everyone else is!” she said this in a chipper voice. “Did you use your guest ticket as well?” She was probing to see if he had brought someone. If the pieces of his broken heart could be taken out and counted as another whole person, then indeed he had brought a guest. But instead Daehyun shook his head and he saw the emotions that ran through her eyes.

            He saw relief, pity and then a quick resolve and he felt slightly lighter. He still meant something to her. She would probably have felt a twinge of jealousy if he had said yes, but that twinge was nothing compared to anguish he felt when she had sent him the invitation to her second wedding, to the love of her life, as she had proclaimed it. And thinking back on it, she had never said that for theirs.

            “Well if the bride herself isn’t dancing at her own wedding, what good would the guests be, twirling away? The guest of honor is currently missing out on the fun.” He meant it to be a joke, to be taken lightly, but she bit her lip and his heart twisted. She thought she had offended him. He reached out a hand and almost touched her but pulled away. “Go, dance. I think the groom is waiting.”

            She straightened and looked behind her but there were too many people. She turned back to her and opened . “Dae,” and that shortened version of his name, the one that fell so sweetly from his mouth, almost brought back his craving and he tightened his grip on the champagne stem. But tonight wasn’t the night to get drunk. He had to stay clearheaded. He had promised her before they parted ways to stay sober.

            Her eyes fell on the champagne and she closed her eyes. “You can drink. It’s no longer my place to say anything.”

            His jaw tightened and he knew that before the tears came, he had to change the subject. The air was becoming too much. He desperately wanted the drink and his hands were trembling. There were no longer bubbles and the beverage just looks like another discolored liquid. He looked up at her and he knew she was melting. Coming over to confront him was a poor mistake, she was beginning to realize.

            “Go dance,” he urged her. His throat was scratchy and hoarse from the emotion he was being overwhelmed with.

            He saw her struggle and then she reached out to grab him. He moved his hand away slightly, and she missed. “Dance with me. You can’t come to a wedding and not dance with the guest of honor anyway. It’ll be a way to get me back into the action and pull you into it as well.” Daehyun smiled at her, proud of her ability to always pull herself together and change the situation.

            Someone called out her name and the male lead of tonight’s entertainment appeared in front of them. He narrowed his eyes, recognizing Daehyun and she stepped into his waiting arms. “I was trying to get Daehyun to dance. He was just sitting here.”

            The groom, knowing that he had already won, had nothing to say. “Then you two go ahead. I think I see a few cousins of mine whom I haven’t said hello too.” And with a bow to the sitting man, he left.

            But Daehyun stood up. “Go. Go dance, and enjoy. Today’s your wedding to the love of your life. Did you know that the chance of meeting true love is calculated by Poisson’s curve? You got really lucky.” He had gotten lucky too, but all good things came to an end. He smiled lightly at her and he saw the tears well up in her eyes. He had to go. He couldn’t comfort her, couldn’t risk toppling any of the emotional barriers that they had set up. Before, he could have held her and kissed each tear away but that was then and this is now. And now, he will make things different.

            He pushed in his chair, unfurled his hand from the champagne glass and tipped his head to her. “I wish you the best of everything.” And that was it. He exited the wedding hall, passing by guards who nodded to him and stepped into the air.

            It was still bright outside and he took a step forward. He let his feet carry him, as he walked and as he passed by the familiar bridge, he paused. He remembered the multiple suicidal attempts taken after she left him and kept walking. She was happy. And that was good enough for him. He passed by the ledge and stared at it.

            He hadn’t drunk today. He made it to her big day. Daehyun let out a tiny smile. He had made mistakes once. But that was then. And this is now. And this time, he intended on learning from his mistakes and maybe, maybe, like Poisson’s curve said, you can meet true love once, twice, three times in your life. He’s missed his first, maybe now, he can make it right the second time around.

Daehyun for Honoka

I was really into this and so I just kept writing and writing LOL