Wendy Son turned out to be a total coward, bigger than she herself had ever imagined to be.

Of course I will accompany you, unless it’s in reality yet another surprise celebration, in which case I must decline :)

Yixing’s attempt at making a joke out of his previous birthday charade did not go unnoticed, but Wendy’s heart was too weak to fully register anything beyond his acceptance of her invitation. She put away the cell phone without engaging in any further conversation and spent the night, trashing on the bed in restlessness.

The following day, that she spent with her brother and his lover in town, she proceeded to ignore the situation completely and would have perhaps succeeded if not for Baekhyun’s persistence in the matter.

‘He agreed and you just went to sleep? That was the time to start flirting.’ He whined from above his steak. Chanyeol looked like he wanted to concur, but wasn’t sure whether it was his place to lend opinions. Wendy sighed, stabbing the potato in front of her continuously.

‘I’m not going to play games with him. You yourself said that I should be clear about my feelings. I will do that… soon.’

‘How soon is soon?’ Baekhyun demanded to know.

‘Don’t push me. I’m beginning to think that it will not be easy to hide something this big for long, after all. I’ll tell him this week. Probably on Friday, after I’ve gather some more courage.’

Her brother’s eyes softened.

‘All I’m saying is that the sooner, the better. Like with a band-aid, right?’

Wendy didn’t think that confessing could be likened to taking off band aids, but she only shrugged at the suggestion.

Little discussions like this one continued throughout Sunday and inevitably, Wendy woke up to a sunny Monday morning, the day that she was dreading so much. As previously agreed with her boss, she took her time to see her family off to the airport, staying with the men for as long as she could. Annoyance and amusement fought for the better on Baekhyun’s face, while Chanyeol only smiled sympathetically.

‘He’s probably sitting in his office, wondering what’s taking you so long.’ Her brother prompted, after the second time she asked them not to go just yet.

‘He knows that I’m here. He will understand.’

‘Seriously though, this is getting ridiculous. You probably have a lot of work to do, and I won’t have enough time for shopping in the duty free zone, so will you go already? Waste your time somewhere else.’

Wendy stood up with a sigh, gave Baekhyun a brief hug and nodded at Chanyeol with a smile. The two men left for the passport control, and she was again left alone. She could probably stall some more and have coffee or look around the airport, but she decided to just direct her steps towards the express train. She did have a lot of work to do, after all.

The ride to the city lasted less than she wanted it to - she quickly changed the transportation in Sanyuanqiao and after just a few stations, she exited at her destination. Even the walk to her company’s building was shorter than she remembered it to be. She nodded lightly at the guard standing next to the main door and took the lift to the fifth floor. Soon enough, she was standing in front of her office.

She hesitated, her hand on the door’s handle. Two to twelve. Chances were that Yixing had already left for his lunch break. Maybe…

The door abruptly opened and she found herself face to face with the man that had occupied her mind for the entire weekend. Yixing stilled for what must have lasted no longer than a few seconds, before he broke into a smile.

‘You’re back. I was beginning to feel lonely.’ Wendy couldn’t help but smile back, despite the nervousness that was currently wrecking her from inside. ‘Have you eaten? I was just heading downstairs to have lunch with Luhan and Yifan. Would you like to join us?’

A part of Wendy intended to reject the friendly invitation, reasoning that it would give her more time to calm down, but then she realised that she didn’t really want to. She was in love with Yixing, but so what? Standing next to him now did not feel any different than before – if anything, it only made her happier. Everything was like it had always been… normal. Normal and comfortable between them. As if Saturday afternoon never happened. As if she had never received a phone call from Sooyoung that fateful Tuesday two weeks before. As if she were still blissfully unaware what her fondness of Yixing really meant.

‘With pleasure. Will you give me a second?’

Wendy lifted her briefcase in emphasis and he only nodded, giving way and letting her through. She left her light coat on the chair, along with her other things. She grabbed her wallet and phone, and she was as ready as she would ever be. For the first time in a week, she overlooked the new dresses that she had in her wardrobe and opted to wear a clean white shirt and simple suit trousers. With her hair back to light bronze, she finally felt herself.

There was no point flirting or pretending to be somebody else in front of the person that knew her so well. She turned around, only to see him fighting with his neck tie. It looked like he hadn’t been able to loosen it since morning. She approached him and fixed it without a word. He could only stand patiently.

‘Let’s go.’ She prompted and they left the room.

‘Have your brother and his boyfriend left already?’ He asked after a moment of silence, but Wendy heard the unvoiced concern. Are you ok?

She smiled.

‘I took them to the airport this morning. I’ve told you about the conversation I had with Chanyeol… Well, Baekhyun and I had a similar heart to heart on Saturday night. It’s going to take some time, but I think that we will be all right. This time for real.’ She mused as they exited the building.

‘I’m proud of you, Wendy.’ She turned to him, surprised. He elaborated, squeezing her shoulder lightly. ‘Forgiving. Forgetting. It’s always easier said than done. Those emotions are foreign to many. I know that I told you not to let others take advantage of your good character, but I hope that you share my opinion that it’s never wrong to be kind to people.’

They stopped next to his scooter and Wendy spoke, having taken a moment to reflect on his words.

‘One thing that I’ve learnt from all of this is that although people hurt me, I have to go on with my life. Some of them will never be sorry, you know, but if I let them get to me, I’m the one suffering the most. I’ve let certain people take advantage of me in the past… I’ve accepted less than I thought I deserved, but I won’t do that anymore.’ She sighed. ‘It was quite an emotional weekend, but at least something good came out of it. I had time to think.’

‘I feel really bad about how we parted ways on Saturday. I didn’t mean to be harsh, I just… I honestly don’t know what happened back then.’ He his lips, nervous.

‘I understand, and you didn’t do anything wrong. You merely tried to help me…. Because you care about me, right?’ She raised her head, unbeknown to even herself craving some sort of confirmation that her feelings were not entirely one-sided. Their eyes met.

‘There is no one that I could care more about right now.’ She reddened at his confession. ‘Wendy… I think that we should talk. There are some thing that I would really like to-‘ Yixing’s phone effectively ruined the moment between them, demanding its owner’s attention.

Yixing sighed and reached to his pocket to pick it up, sending the girl an apologetic look.

‘We better go. According to Yifan, Luhan is going crazy.’ He sent Wendy a small smile. She quickly put on the helmet, not giving him any time to pick up on the previous topic. She didn’t know what it was that he wanted her to hear, but either way, she wasn’t prepared for any possible confrontation in the middle of a parking lot.

He didn’t say anything more.

The ride to the chosen restaurant did not take more than 15 minutes, which for Beijing standards meant that it was situated virtually around the corner. They entered and found Yifan, who was trying to prevent Luhan from drowning himself in a bowl of soup. At Yixing’s raised eyebrows, Yifan scoffed.

‘I don’t know him.’ He only said and picked up his chopsticks. The two had already ordered.

‘What is going on this time?’ Wendy asked carefully, having taken the seat that Yixing presented to her. She looked at her other friend, who looked like a bundle of misery.

‘That Korean dude has positively emasculated my best friend. In all the years that I know Luhan, he’s never behaved like a love sick school girl.’ As soon as he voiced out his opinion, an angry slap landed on Yifan’s arm.

‘You dare call yourself my best friend? You have been nothing but judgemental this whole time. Don’t you see that I could use some support? I had to call them-’ Luhan motioned at Yixing and Wendy ‘-last week because you were just laughing, not letting me say anything.’

‘Has something happened since the last time we spoke?’ Yixing echoed Wendy’s question, still dumbfounded. Wendy often wondered how a person like Yixing even put up with the two men sitting in front of them, but the answer was rather obvious. Her boss was a saint, that’s how.

‘I’m one hundred percent sure than I am in love with him, but the moment I told him, he called me an idiot and chased me out. Then, after a few hours, he left a message, saying that I can call him if I ever wanna ‘just ’. What the hell.’ Luhan shook his head, still not able to believe in what had happened to him. ‘This is a nightmare. The man of my dreams only wants a no strings attached sort of relationship.’

‘You met him less than two weeks ago. I would really advise you to take it slow. Besides, you don’t even reside in the same country. You’re really rushing it with all those heavy confessions, don’t you think?’ Yifan reasoned, clearly tired of the conversation. ‘Yixing?’ He made a head movement towards Luhan, asking his other friend for moral support, but the latter merely tighten his lips, conflicted.

‘Don’t give up yet.’ Wendy broke the silence, her voice soft. Luhan stopped his whining and looked at her. ‘It’s true that the two of you don’t know each other very well, but if you’re sure that you feel strongly about him, don’t give up just yet. Stop showering him with burdening confessions and instead, show him that you can be there for him also as a friend. He might wake up one day and realise that you mean more to him than he had thought you did.’

‘You think?’ She shrugged.

‘There is nothing more important in a relationship than mutual trust. Take it from somebody that has learnt it the hard way.’ Wendy smiled. ‘It’s a bit ridiculous to assume that he would believe in your undying love after a week. Ever since we met, I’ve always known you to be impulsive, Luhan. I think it’s time you learnt patience. Only time will tell if that man is someone that you can make a permanent part of your life.’

She missed the way both Yifan and Yixing looked at her, because soon after, Wendy’s phone went off and she excused herself from the table. It turned out to be Sooyoung, inquiring whether Wendy could make it to the little get together that the younger girl organised for their close friends on Saturday. Saturday. Wendy hoped that by then, she wouldn’t need a bottle of good wine and a bar of chocolate to get over the disaster that was the previous night.

She hoped that she could take Yixing with her, instead.

She came back to the table just in time for the dessert to arrive.

‘That was Sooyoung, my friend.’ She answered the unspoken question of the men around her. ‘I think she wants to set me up with yet another guy, but I’m officially done with blind dates.’

Yifan almost spit out his water at her words. He coughed a few times, trying to regain stable breathing.

‘You go on blind dates? But I thought you and Yixi- Ouch!’ Luhan kicked him under the table and his friend stopped before he could say too much, but to Wendy it was obvious what he was alluding to. It wasn’t the first, the second, or even the hundredth time that she heard their friends linking the two of them together somehow, but right now she didn’t dare look at her boss, unsure whether she wanted him to understand their innuendo, or whether it was better for him to remain oblivious.

She chose to say nothing, and thankfully, nobody elaborated.

‘Do you still have the name of that restaurant that we went to three weeks ago? My father’s birthday is coming up, I need to make it seem like I’m happy that he gets older, but not that he’s one year closer to death.’ Yifan rolled his eyes and Luhan snickered.

‘You hate your father.’ He observed, to which Yifan sent him a sharp glare.

‘Exactly.’

‘Hold on, I’ll check my calendar.’ Wendy picked up her cell phone again, but suddenly halted her movements, simply staring at the screen. She had not had any time to even check her emails, let alone register the alterations made to her wallpaper.

She was going to kill Baekhyun, because who else could have possibly changed the agreeable display picture of a green landscape to the photo of her and Yixing taken last Saturday?

He was so dead.

‘Did you- wow.’ Luhan swiftly took the device out of her numb fingers before she had time to react. ‘I’m so confused right now.’ He said, alternating between inspecting the picture and looking at the couple in front of them. Wendy’s haste attempts at recovering the cell from her friend’s hands were, of course, fruitless.

Yifan tilted his head enough to look over Luhan’s shoulder. He whistled and took the device from the shorter man.

‘What the hell did you kick me for just now?’ He said to Luhan, annoyed, as he manoeuvred the image for both Wendy and Yixing to see. ‘You guys are so busted.’

‘This is not what it looks like-‘ Wendy’s defence faltered after just a few words. What could she possible say in order not to look so desperate in front of Yixing?

‘It’s not a big deal, guys.’ Yixing interrupted quietly, taking out his own cell phone from his packet. When he lit up the screen, Wendy nearly stopped breathing. ‘It’s a nice picture, I’ve also made it my wallpaper. And anyway, this is none of your business, don’t you think?’

Luhan blinked, clearly not expecting the last words from Yixing, of all people. Yifan could only snicker. He shook his head in disbelief and handed Wendy her possession.

Wendy jerked upon feeling her boss’s hand on her shoulder, demanding for her attention.

‘Shall we go?’ He asked in Korean. ‘We have that video conference at 2 o’clock…’ Wendy only nodded, still stunned, and having said good bye to their friends, they paid and left the restaurant.

Both Luhan and Yifan said nothing for some time, still looking in the direction of the front door, before Luhan sighed deeply.

‘Either this is the biggest troll case in the history of the universe, or… I don’t know.’

Yifan scratched his head, analysing the situation.

‘They probably won’t say anything until she’s given birth to his third child, and even then, they will insist that it’s strictly professional.’

Awkwardness could not have been avoided, despite Wendy’s earlier optimism. They went about their week as normally as possible, but from time to time, she caught Yixing looking at her from across the room and quickly averting his eyes when she noticed. The same could be said about her, though – she couldn’t help but stare, trying to guess what was going through his head.

But that was impossible to find out.

Despite the earlier embarrassment, Wendy knew that Yixing did not change his phone’s wallpaper, and neither did she – but the reasons behind her decision remained unclear, especially to her. She had wanted to call Baekhyun and scream at him for having surprised her with yet another one of his thoughtless actions, but somehow, it made her both flustered and hopeful, knowing that she shared something that felt this intimate with Yixing.

Yixing did not say anything in regards to Luhan and Yifan’s insinuations, and neither did he go back to the topic that he wanted to discuss at the parking lot. Wendy felt that she was getting mixed signals and with each passing day, she kept losing confidence. One minute she was full of energy and determined to just get on with it, it can’t possibly be that bad, but in the next moment, the resignation and fear nearly choked her.

There was also a strong possibility that what Yixing wanted to talk about did not have anything to do with accepting or rejecting Wendy’s feelings. Maybe something really did happen. Maybe he simply needed her help. But Wendy did not dare ask, because she was a coward - and although she gave herself until Friday night to resolve the issue once and for all, it was beginning to look like she would  indeed wait until the very last minute to take action.

She was hopeless.

They spent the whole week like this – friendly, but cautious. Wendy was conscious of everything that was related to Yixing, she had always been, but this time she felt that she was getting slightly paranoid and she hated it. She almost wished that she could go back to the days when she didn’t interpret his smiles and kind gestures towards her in three different ways.

Heck, she had had no idea that one could analyse these things so thoroughly. Depending on her mood, a smile could be pitiful, loving or just that – a smile. If she had had any doubts before, it was now obvious that she was indeed in love with him.

By Friday, she was at her wits’ ends. Not being able to take the tension anymore, she decided to end her own suffering. She owed herself this much.

‘The exhibition starts at 7.’ Wendy poked her head into Yixing’s office, offering the most comforting smile that she could muster. He immediately stood up.

‘What time should I pick you up?’ She shook her head.

‘Let’s just meet there at  7, what do you think? It’s already almost 5. If you come to find me, it will just be a waste of time. I’ll wait in the lobby.’

‘Are you sure? This doesn’t feel right.’ He looked bothered. Always the gentleman, Wendy thought fondly, before shaking her head once more.

‘Believe me, I’ll be fine. I’ll see you in a bit.’ She gave him a light wave and was about to turn around, but the sudden urge to declare herself overcame her and she spoke again. ‘Yixing, I… I have something to tell you tonight. Do you think that you can give me some of your time?’

‘You know that you don’t need to ask. I’ll always have time for you. Besides, I’ve also been meaning to talk to you. Would that be all right?’ She nodded, more to herself, and not quite meeting his eyes, said her goodbyes.

It was now or never, she thought to herself.

When she arrived, Yixing was already there, waiting for her. She wanted to run up, feeling guilty for keeping him, but high heels did not make for the best running shoes, so all she could do was smile apologetically from afar as she made her way towards him. Once she’d joined him, he visibly relaxed. She knew that he worried. For no reason, at least in her opinion, but that was just his nature.

‘You look exceptionally lovely tonight.’ He commented, handing her a single sunflower, adorned with a cute bow. She smiled wider, thankful. He remembered her favourite flower.

‘I’m sorry for making you wait. Buses and Friday nights don’t go well together.’ She made a lame joke, trying to avert the attention from her red face flaming in embarrassment, but he just continued looking at her warmly. They entered the venue arm in arm.

Wendy liked going to museums with Yixing, although it did not happen nearly as often as she would wish for it to. He would stop by every picture or exponent, commenting on its shape, size and colour, or sharing information that he held about the object. Wendy especially loved photography – and although she never had any significant opportunities to cultivate her hobby, she did pick up her camera every once in a while, when a suitable object of interest appeared in sight.

Tonight was no different. The moment they stepped into the hall, they both forgot about the feelings of mild awkwardness that surrounded them since the beginning of the week. With a glass of wine in hand - which surprisingly tempted even Yixing, who was slowly nursing his own - Wendy strolled around, discussing the lighting and angles, and before she realised how immersed she had been in the art, two hours had already passed.

‘They have opened the terrace. Shall we go out for a few minutes? It feels stuffy in here.’ She easily agreed to her partner’s suggestion. The summer was approaching fast and in Beijing it was never a thing to look forward to. Despite it being only April, the temperatures were steadily rising.

The evening was pleasantly cool. There was one more couple wandering around the spacious garden situated behind the gallery building, but otherwise, nobody bothered them as they approached the beautifully carved marble railings. Wendy put her empty glass aside and supporting herself on her forearms, looked into the distance.

‘Such a beautiful night.’ She mused in a whisper. For a moment, she felt light, all her burdens leaving her shoulders.

‘You are beautiful.’ Wendy turned around, surprised at Yixing’s earnest reply. It was then that she realised that the man never stopped looking at her. She became flustered, but nevertheless, changed her posture to face him.

She honestly forgot what the real purpose of this outing even was, and starting the conversation now seemed difficult enough.

‘You looked pretty in blond, but there is something comfortable and familiar about your brown locks. It feels more… you.’

‘I also feel more myself like this.’ She pushed a few strings behind her left ear, self-conscious, and took a deep breath. She could do this. ‘Yixing, listen, I’ve been meaning to tell you something… I-I don’t really know how to do this, but… These past two weeks have been…eye opening… Let’s just say that I’ve been thrown completely out of my element and-‘

He grabbed her hand tightly.

‘I can’t allow that.’ He whispered. She looked up, alarmed by his pained expression. ‘I think I understand what you’re trying to tell me, but I can’t agree. I apologise if I have been harsh on you lately, but you know that I never mean to hurt you. I admit that this time around, I interfered with your private life more than I probably should have…  But please, don’t leave. I can’t let you just leave.’

Wendy stared at him, stupefied.

‘You think that I’m going to leave?’

‘Aren’t you?’ He frowned, tense. ‘Your affair with that man did not work out, you said that you were not going to attend blind dates again... Your brother came back into your life and you’ve patched things up with him. You’ve been distant the whole week and honestly, I’ve never felt more out of place in my own office. I just-‘

‘Yixing…  Yixing-ah. I would never leave you, especially not like this. It’s… quite on the contrary.’ The girl sighed, lost for words. ‘Just because I’ve decided not to date random people anymore and I’m in good terms with Baekhyun now, doesn’t mean that I’m quitting my job or leaving the country. How could I… This is ridiculous. All my friends, my real family are here. You, Zhang Yixing, are probably the realest family I’ll ever have. It hurts so much, just thinking that I would ever have to leave your side.’

Wendy’s breath hitched, but she dared not avert her eyes. Yixing looked at her intensely for a few seconds, before asking:

‘Then what is it that you were going to tell me? I think I deserve to know, after all the hell I’ve been through this week, thinking that I was going to lose you.’ Yixing never cursed, but in that moment, Wendy felt strangely comforted by it. She wasn’t the only one desperate and utterly frustrated at the situation that they found themselves in.

How was she supposed to respond to that? She lowered her head. It was all so complicated, therefore she decided to go with the thing that she was most sure of.

‘I love you.’ Escaped her lips before she could think better of it. Yixing’s grasp of her hand somewhat loosened, but otherwise, she couldn’t make out any reaction. I probably shocked him speechless, she thought, grimacing but decided that she had nothing more to lose. Those three words made their presence in between them already, therefore all she could do now was explain herself. ‘I've thought about us, I've thought about what I feel for you, but no matter how I look at it, it's not a simple infatuation. It can't be. It is way too late for that with us, because even though I have only recently realised my feelings for you, it seems that they have always been with me. There is a reason as to why everyone always mistakes us for a couple, and I’ve been in denial for so long, but-‘

‘Stop. Wait a moment.’ Yixing squeezed her hand, almost painfully. She finally looked at him, barely containing herself. She didn’t realise just how fast she spoke, trying to get everything out at once. ‘Are you saying… that you love me? Not as a close friend but as… Did you just confess to me?’ With his eyes wide and mouth parted in disbelief, Wendy could only guess what was going through his mind right now.

She didn’t really know what kind of reaction she expected, so she bravely continued, trying not to get disheartened.

‘I know that this is probably sudden, and it’s only fair to give you time to think about it-‘

‘Stop. Just… stop. This is not right.’ Wendy’s lower lip quivered when she was interrupted again. She was foolish to believe that this could possibly turn out well, she thought in passing. Yixing let go of her hand and Wendy’s heart stopped. ‘This is not how it’s supposed to be. Men are supposed to confess their feelings first. What will I tell my family? That I let you propose to me?’ He looked adorably frustrated, searching through his pockets and Wendy frowned, not understanding anything.

‘Is this really the time to argue about who is going to confess to whom?’ She shot back, exasperated. ‘And anyway, don’t you think that it’s a bit ist to- Wait, what? What did you just-‘

‘I don’t care.’ Yixing’s frantic actions ceased just as he gently cupped Wendy’s face. ‘Right now, I don’t care about equality…. Or any of that. I only care about what’s proper and that’s me, courting the lady that I have feelings for.’

Ever since Wendy first met Yixing, she had never lost a verbal argument against him – he was too gentle to interrupt her, and she was too practical to give in. In this moment, however, all she could do was stare. As expected, the man would always stand for what he believed it, and his soft words were more than enough to make an impact. It’d been some time since Wendy saw this side of Yixing.

 It seemed that today was the day when both were determined to render each other speechless.

‘I have been doing a lot of thinking lately, because I just couldn’t understand myself. I’ve seen you go out with different men, I was here when Chanyeol… did that to you. I’ve held you when you cried and  I’ve continuously consoled you with good intentions in heart. We’ve been like this for five years already, and I was fine, but then that man came and you… suddenly changed your hairstyle and your way of dressing. Your attitude. You’d never done that before, for anyone. You’d always say that your beloved should accept you the way you were. You scared me, Wendy Son. Last Monday was like a wakeup call.’

‘I didn’t do that to please anyone, and certainly not Jongin.’ Wendy voiced out slowly, her lips. She wasn’t sure whether she was already allowed to feel relieved at the outcome of the conversation, but she was definitely still bewildered at the fact that Yixing was… What was he actually doing?

‘I know that… I know. It’s just a little difficult to think logically when my heart is pounding so loudly.’ He lowered his hands, away from her face and she subconsciously offered her palms for him to hold. He took them but shook his head, looking disappointed with himself. ‘I was trying really hard to accommodate you, you know. I moved the plants away from the office door, I know how much you really hated them.’ He let out a humourless chuckle. ‘I cut my hair to… I didn’t even know why. I’d almost managed to forget about your date’s existence altogether. Everything was going well and then on Saturday… I have never been more bothered my entire life, than when I saw you pick up that man’s call. That’s why I took out my anger on you, and I am deeply ashamed of that.’

Wendy frowned.

‘You did no such thing. You’ve always advised me well. You wanted me to choose wisely and you were right, as usual. Yixing, you’re such a kind person, I can’t even begin to understand why-‘

‘When it comes to you, Wendy Son, I’ve discovered that I can’t be so good, after all.’ He interrupted her impatiently. ‘In fact, I’m utterly selfish. This past week, I’ve felt nothing but jealousy. You said that you’d ended things with him, but I was still the same ugly way – jealous of your time, your friends, even people that you talked on the phone to…’

He scoffed, breaking their eye contact, too baffled at his own irrational behaviour, but Wendy did not let him put distance between them. It was her turn to frame his face with her delicate hands. He looked back at her.

‘I was angry and hopeless as the thought that you would leave me. That you would never come to know how much I actually adore you.’

An unwanted tear appeared in the corner of Wendy’s eye, formed from all the nervousness and tension that she had endured. She tried to blink it away, but she eventually lost the battle. She quickly wiped it with her right wrist. Since when am I such a cry baby.

In that moment she realised just how long she had actually waited to hear those words. And that only Yixing could do, no one else.

‘I told you that I could never leave you. I love you. I really love you. I don’t know what else to say. Your flaws, your weaknesses, your bad days… I hardly even notice them anymore. We’re grown people, it’s not some puppy love that could disappear the moment one of us makes a mistake and the illusion fades. There is no illusion between us. You’ve always been there for me, and I hope that you could feel just how invested I was in our friendship as well. You’ve seen me at my lowest and you never abandoned me. This… Your support and trust is something that I will always value more than anything.’

‘I also love you very much, Wendy.’ Yixing replied, giving her a tight smile, still quite not believing the situation. That makes two of us, Wendy thought, suddenly overwhelmed with a desire to giggle happily. ‘This thought came to me barely a week ago, but it feels so comfortable as if I had always known it. From the moment I met you, I knew that you would change my life, I just didn’t know how much. I only wish now that I hadn’t wasted so much time looking ahead, when I could have been looking at the person next to me.’ She shook her head, amused at his unfounded regrets. They looked at each other, sending each other a fond smile. Wendy reached out and did what she had always wanted to do – she touched the side of his face where the beloved dimple appeared. He tilted his head, giving in to the caress.

‘Let’s not call it a waste. Had we not been so close in the past, we would have perhaps never had these feelings in the first place. And despite what we share now, I never want to lose the Yixing that I have known all this time. The Yixing that has been my best friend, my family all along.’

He nodded, satisfied.

‘He’s right here.’

‘Then… shall I call you my boyfriend in the future?’ Wendy reddened, fully aware of how cheesy this actually sounded. He shook his head.

‘I’ve been thinking and no matter how I look at it, dating doesn’t really suit us.’ She frowned at his words. He didn’t seem to notice as he casually reached to his pocket and presented her with what he had been so frantically looking for before - a simple ring made of white gold, with a small blue diamond adorning it. That’s when Wendy’s eyes positively widened. ‘Even though we’ve agreed not to call our past a waste of time, I feel that it would be a dishonour to simply call you my girlfriend, when there are so many other things that I could be calling you from now on.’ Wendy automatically covered in surprise, not being able to hide how moved she was.

‘But… don’t you think that’s fast?’ She asked, stunned. She wasn’t exactly opposed - rather, completely taken aback. He smiled.

‘And don’t you think that five years are long enough? To prove that we indeed belong together? I can confidently say that we know each other better than most couple that decide to marry. It’s not sudden, if you really think of it. The timing is right. It just feels… right.’ He tilted his head, eyes hopeful as he waited for her answer. ‘And if you’re still hesitating, let me show you something.’ He took out a dirty, old napkin from a small envelope that he carried in his jacket’s pocket. It took Wendy a second to recognise that It was, in fact, her birthday gift to him. She paled, embarrassed. What was she thinking, giving it to him? ‘I was childish enough to actually think of using it as means to prevent you from leaving. Now I guess I’m going to change my wish.’

‘I-I…’ She eventually chuckled, surprised, seeing how a playful, albeit still warm, smirk made its way to Yixing’s lips. ‘It’s your fault, you know. The established rules were not very clear, so I’ve found a loop hole.’

She looked at him, laughing. Despite his joking attitude, she could detect tension in his eyes. She sighed, but it was a happy sigh. The sort of sigh that told the truth of how she couldn’t actually keep the smile off her face, and how she didn’t think that she would be able to, at least in the near future.

She closed the distance between them, putting her arms around his neck.

‘What made you think that you would need this to win my favour? You better leave that magic ticket for when you’re really tired of wearing your tie, because my answer has always been yes.’

The next night, Wendy brought Yixing to Sooyoung’s party. Her now fiancé had occasionally mingled with her friends before, therefore he already knew most of them, but she figured that a proper announcement was still in order.

That, and she didn’t really want to part from him. Judging from the reluctance with which he had left her apartment the night before, he shared her sentiments.

Sooyoung and Tao opened the door for them, amidst their friends’ bickering voices in the background.

‘I hope you don’t mind me inviting one more person.’ Wendy said to her friend after they had entered. Tao and Yixing exchanged handshakes and quickly engaged in an amicable discussion in Chinese, directing themselves towards the living room.

‘Well, of course not, but what gives?’ Sooyoung looked at Wendy suspiciously. ‘Do we have to have another conversation about keeping your private and professional lives apart?’

‘I don’t think so.’ Wendy smiled sheepishly. ‘Actually… yesterday, Yixing and I got engaged.’ She extended the hand with her engagement ring on for Sooyoung to see.

Wendy caught her friend just in time, before her unconscious body hit the floor.

Yifan and Luhan stared at the couple in front of them in utter shock.

‘You what?’ Yifan asked again, simultaneously patting Luhan’s back in comfort. The latter had nearly choked on the wine he’d been sipping. The taller turned to Yixing. ‘I think Wendy’s Chinese is not as good as we initially thought. I could swear that she just said that the two of you are engaged to be married.’

‘There is nothing wrong with her Chinese – in fact, it’s probably better than yours. And yes, what you heard is correct.’ He interwove his and Wendy’s fingers together, bringing her ring closer for their friends to see. They stared at it so more, wordlessly, before turning to look at one another.

‘Dibs on the best man position!’ They both shouted at the same time, nearly sliding off the couch.

‘Mum, dad, I proposed to Wendy and she said yes. I would love it if we could have your blessings.’ Yixing announced, holding his fiancée’s hand tightly. He didn’t expect any obstacles, but then again, he could never really tell with his family.

Both his parents looked at them warmly for a few moments, before his father tilted his head and asked the crucial question:

‘But I thought the two of you were already married?’

‘Baekhyun… are you seated?’ Wendy inquired lightly, changing the receiver from one ear to another.

‘It’s Wednesday afternoon, of course I’m not. I’m at my very much mobile work. We’re measuring the windows in the client’s bedroom at the moment. Is it about the money I owe you? I’ve already promised I’d pay back. With all interest.’

‘It’s not. You might want to sit down, though.’ She urged, but he only scoffed.

‘Just tell me, I don’t have all day.’

‘Fine. Yixing and I are getting married.’

She heard a loud scream and a thud followed, filled with pained noises. Her brother fell off the ladder.

'Who's... Son Seungwan?' Yixing picked up the sample of their wedding invitation. He scratched his head in confusion. 'And why am I getting married to this person?' 

 Wendy could only sigh, exasperated, praying for patience. Her Korean birth name had come back to haunt her again. If her future husband-to-be had trouble recognising her identity, she could only wonder what the rest of the guests would think.

‘Not this again.’ Baekhyun murmured to Chanyeol, resigned, as they arrived at the venue of Wendy and Yixing’s wedding reception. Both their families disappointed him greatly. With all the money that both Zhang Yixing and Kim Suho could spend on their brides, they had chosen a humble ceremony and a dinner for the family and closest friends, instead. Baekhyun knew just how stingy Suho could be, so it did not surprise him one bit, but he would think that the Chinese preferred a proper celebration.

He guessed that he was wrong.

Chanyeol only chuckled and prompted his partner to enter the building.

Neither the bride nor the groom pertained to any church, therefore it was only logical to legalise their union in the city hall. After a long discussion and countless games of rock, scissors and paper, Luhan had given in and let Yifan take the place next to Yixing as his best man, to which the latter had responded with laughter, and gracefully accepted the nomination.

Despite the tradition, Wendy had asked Baekhyun to be her witness.

‘I don’t think it’s a good idea.’ He had said once she’d made sure that the fall did not cost him a broken arm. ‘You’ll be better off asking one of your friends.’

‘This is my peace offering to you, are you saying that you’re rejecting it?’ She had joked but he’d immediately gone serious.

‘It’s the most important day of your life. I don’t want to disappoint you.’

‘You won’t. Trust me, you won’t.’

Wendy and Yixing said the vows that they’d personally written for each other, and after signing all the relevant marriage documents, invited the guests to follow them to the restaurant.

‘Is that… Sooyoung?  Chanyeol’s voice made Baekhyun turn around as well. The girl standing a few metres away look at them curiously, recognition quickly lighting up in her eyes.

‘What a strange coincidence!’ She greeted each one by giving them a brief hug. ‘I had no idea that you were acquainted with Wendy and Yixing.’

‘Wendy’s my older sister. Remember the conversation that we had two week ago at Suho and Irene’s wedding? I told you that we’d be attending another wedding soon.’ Baekhyun smiled. Sooyoung clapped her hands, laughing in wonder.

‘The world is just too small. Wendy is my best friend.’

‘I’m sorry that your parents couldn’t make it.’ Yixing whispered to his bride once all the gifts were handed and congratulations given. She smiled sadly.

‘I didn’t really expect them to. You know that my relationship with them is not ideal, and I suppose it was a short notice, so…’

‘Nevertheless, we should pay them a visit at some point.’ He replied, trying to console her. She nodded in agreement.

‘No, no, no, don’t do-’ Yifan fell off the chair, while trying to reach for yet another bottle of wine, which resulted in him shoving a few of the glasses off the table and breaking them. ‘-that.’ Luhan finished pathetically and hiccupped.

The company looked pretty smashed already, with only Chanyeol and Tao staying completely sober. Baekhyun had cried on his sister’s shoulder, shouting out praises of her beauty and brains, before falling asleep on the chair in the corner, snoring quietly. Sooyoung and Yifan had organised a drinking contest between them, but with neither of them surrendering, it soon became a mess of spilled alcohol and thoughtless anecdotes.

Yixing’s family and their other friends didn’t look any better, but it was already 3 o’clock in the morning, so Luhan supposed that it was justified.

‘Is there any honeymoon to look forward to?’ Chanyeol asked after a while of nursing his glass of Coke. There had been a lull in the conversation.

‘We’re going to spend a week in Hawaii, relaxing, and then two weeks in Alaska, helping at an animal shelter.’ Wendy responded from her place on her husband’s lap. She wasn’t exactly drunk – she was pleasantly tipsy, and sleepy, and when Yixing scooped her in his arms and led towards the seat, she couldn’t find it in herself to protest.

‘This sounds horrible.’ Luhan commented, once Yixing translated Wendy’s words from Korean.

‘It’ not for everyone, but we want to go. It’s important to give back just as much as one receives from the nature.’ He simply said, looking at Wendy fondly. The girl only nodded.

‘…Still sounds horrible.’ Luhan scoffed. ‘Anyway, I want you two to drink a bitter shot and to kiss. I haven’t seen you kiss at this reception even once. I still have a hard time believing that your wedding actually happened.’

He passed them two glasses and announced the happening, which immediately drew attention of the guests. Wendy stood up first and Yixing right after her. They looked at each other shyly.

‘Bi-tter! Bi-tter!’ Luhan started chanting and soon the whole room joined him, making the moment even more awkward for the newlyweds.

‘You’ve probably drunk more tonight than in your entire life.’ Wendy joked and Yixing only shrugged.

‘You only get married once.’ He said, kissing her forehead tenderly. ‘Let’s get the shot over with.’

Both grimaced as they gulped their respective drinks in one go. The liquid was just as bitter as they imagined it to be, but the sweet part of the deal was about to remedy their discomfort.

‘I love you, Miss Wendy Son. I can’t thank you enough for having applied for my assistant’s position.’ Yixing joked, but there was a lot of meaning behind his words.

‘You are very welcome, Mr. Zhang. Just be prepared, because I won’t go easy on you. Especially not with the neckties.’ Wendy laughed, giving him a quick peck on the cheek, before she was properly embraced and her husband leaned in for what, in fact, would be their first marital kiss.

And the rest was history.

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Changdeol says: Awww guys, I've loved writing this story and all your comments on it. I'm sorry that I reply a bit late, but i always read them and they serve as a huge motivation. This is formally the end of the story, hence marking it as complete, but within the next two weeks, I will add an epilogue to it, so i you enjoyed, please, anticipate ^^.

As you know, this is the second part of the office universe, the first being Acquisition Costs. There will be 4 more one shots to accmpany them - I will start with Jongin's and then Sooyoung's stories (both take place after Yixing and Wendy's wedding), and later have a ChanBaek story that will intertwine with both AC and AM's timelines. At the end, if I have enough strength and inspiration, I've planned to add Luhan's little love story hehe I will post the link to Jongin's at the end of this story, I suppose, and the next one at the end of the next story... and so on.

Thank you so much again for all the encouraging words, and if you have any prompts or fic idea, I am open to suggestions :) You can also follow me on twitter: @changdeol

Thank you!