Chapter Text
"It's really beautiful out here," Mari remarks absentmindedly as she peers outside. The vast plain of white envelopes the view for the whole car ride up the hills. They have been invited to a family friend's wedding. The mountain lodging that the ceremony will be held is a private estate owned by the host's family.
"They went for a winter wedding huh," she continues thoughtfully, "I don't want ours in the winter. I prefer spring."
Jongin replies to her with a hum. He has been looking over at the finalization of the take-over for a pharmaceutical company that he recently acquired. Actually, in courtesy of the Ahn's, his betrothed has mentioned his troubles and they graciously lent him a hand.
It has been three hours since they drove out of Seoul and to the mountains, Mari isn't a particularly chatty person but today her mood seems to be good. Jongin doesn't know for sure. He had just met her three months ago and they were already arranged to be wed. His father delivered the news with absolute nonchalance, right when Jongin came back from a two-week business trip in Japan.
Ahn Mari, the sole heiress to the Fantasia Department Stores Group. Jongin has heard about her, she is always on the news and not in a bad kind of way. She runs multiple non-profit organizations and her PR department sure does a good job. To say Jongin was shocked when his father announced their engagement is an understatement.
His family is wealthy. But not in the same level wealthy like her family. If Baekhyun were to hear Jongin's monologue, he would choke him to death. In his best friend's words, "You guys run 10 train lines in the metropolitan areas alone!" or so how Baekhyun would shriek.
"Sir, we have arrived," the driver addresses politely. He looks up from the report that they have indeed reached the place. Jongin grabs his briefcase and walks over to the other side of the car where Mari is waiting patiently for him.
When he opens the car door for her, she gingerly takes his extended hand to move out of the seat. Her cheeks hues a soft pink as the bone-chilling air harshly brush through them.
He gestures the driver to put all their belongings into the building after he had parked their car. They will be here for the whole weekend.
***
"I don't think I can do this," Junmyeon whispers nervously as he chews on his fingernails. He is clutching at his white dress pants so hard that there are almost fingerprints on the pristine fabric. Kyungsoo moves to hold the elder's shaking hands into his.
"It will be alright, you have been dreaming about this since you were like 7," Kyungsoo teases him, hoping a little joke would unnerve the groom-to-be. Junmyeon swaps his arm and glares at him for a good minute.
"Shut Up! He was only three then and that would be creepy! Just so you know, I have been only dreaming about taking over the company since I was six!" Junmyeon retorts childishly. Kyungsoo lets out a full belly laugh at how ridiculously ambitious Junmyeon is even on his wedding day. At least the elder is no longer acting like an unfriendly skittish cat.
"I am sorry," Junmyeon speaks again while looking down at the plush carpet beneath his bare feet.
"For what?" Kyungsoo questions him nervously. The time for the ceremony is getting closer. And if he cannot stop Junmyeon from getting cold feet, his cousin would raise hell, even the middle of dead winter.
"I invited him," Junmyeon continues, his lips wobbling as if he is about to brawl his heart out.
By him, Kyungsoo knows who Junmyeon meant. If this was a year ago or heck even three months ago, Kyungsoo would leap and jump and also kiss Junmyeon for his kind, kind soul but situations are different now and Kyungsoo can no longer say he is happy to see him.
"It's okay, Hyung," Kyungsoo soothes Junmyeon, "He's family. He's your cousin. Of course, you have to invite him."
"You are my cousin too," Junmyeon responds emotionally.
"Well~ I can be your cousin by law only if you stop sobbing and walk down the aisle," Kyungsoo jokes good-naturedly.
Just when he is about to call back up on the emotional groom task-force, Baekhyun and Jongdae burst into the room with borderline shrieks and yells.
Thank goodness, they both halt their petty yelling match when they see the cry baby groom.
"Oh my god! I knew it, you're pregnant!/leaving Sehun!" Jongdae and Baekhyun exclaim simultaneously.
Kyungsoo walks over to the annoying hooligans and smacks them both on their heads.
"Shut up! He's already nervous enough. Stop spewing stupid shit!" He whisper-yells at them all while pulling their ears as if they were children.
"It's okay," Junmyeon reassures," he's right anyway." The other three look at Junmyeon confused but Kyungsoo looks pale as a sheet, he stares at Junmyeon stupidly.
"Who's right?" Sehun questions as he walks into the room with a smile. As if timing shouldn't get any better.
"I am pregnant! You idiot! It's all your fault!" Junmyeon shouts at the younger who just entered the room, Kyungsoo gapes at the sudden outburst of the groom.
"No! My 50 dollar," Baekyun wails from the side while Jongdae wears that annoying shit-eating grin on his face.
Just then Kyungsoo really wants to fly back to London.
***
Even though Jongin knows its a small wedding, the hall can hold up to 300 people if his cousin wanted to. But there are only about 70 people or so gathering around the lobby area, waiting for the gift register to open. Mari wants to go to the washroom so, with the help of a sweet receptionist, she went on her merry way while Jongin stands awkwardly alone.
"Mister, would you like some tea?" A small voice reaches to his ears and Jongin looks around confused to find no one in his vicinity.
Only when he feels someone tugging his dress pants then he looks down. A young girl around six or seven in a pink poofy dress is looking up him with big ole eyes. Her skin is pale as snow while her hair and eyes are dark as the winter nights.
He bends down and braces his hands on his knees, "Oh why thank you, sweetheart," he smiles at her sweetly. She simply nods and throttles away as soon as she hears his request. He waits for her until she returns with two paper cups and a plate of cookies on a silver tray.
The little girl gingerly gestures Jongin to sit on one of the many sofas in the lobby. Jongin complies well because he is being taken care of by such a hospitable little girl. "Uncle Junnie is taking a bit of time. What is your name Ahjuusi?" She questions him.
"I see. My name is Kim Jongin. I am Uncle Junnie's cousin and who are you?" Jongin questions her back, amused by the way she speaks like a little old lady.
"Nice to meet you, Jongin Ahjussi. I am Uncle Sehun's niece and my name is Do Mi-rae," she replies slowly and clearly.
Jongin couldn't help but take in a sharp inhale. No wonder the little girl looks so similar, her deep dark eyes, her pale skin, and that seriousness in her speech all scream a Do after all. All the Do he knew recently are unmarried aside from Seungsoo who just got married 3 years ago. She is a little too old to be Seungsoo's. Unless it's him.
"Hello, Jongin," A deep smooth voice startles him back to reality, " I see you have met my daughter."
Jongin looks up at Kyungsoo who is smiling at him. His chest aches from seeing that smile from the older. "Hi, Soo-," Jongin fumbles, "ah... I mean, it's nice seeing you again Kyungsoo-hyung."
Kyungsoo kneels down to keep eye level with his daughter who is seating next to Jongin. "This is Appa's friend, Kim Jongin-ssi." Kyungsoo softly informs his daughter. Jongin couldn't peel his eyes away from the duo. The tender way that the elder holds his daughter's hand makes Jongin yearns for things he kept buried 8 summers ago.
"I am back," A soft female voice leans into his ears and when Jongin turns over Mari kisses him softly on his cheek. He can feel Kyungsoo's eyes follow his fiance's movements.
Mari looks at Jongin hopefully, prompting him to introduce her to his friend.
"Mari, this is Kyungsoo, my old friend. Kyungsoo, this is Mari, my fiance." Jongin informs robotically like he's used to, despite all that his heart is beating out of his chest.
Kyungsoo offers his hand for Mari to shake and the gold band in his ring finger gleams beautifully. Jongin can almost hear his heartbreaking.
Mari gratefully takes Kyungsoo's hand in a soft clutch and not noticing how the other is staring at the emerald ring. "Nice ring," Kyungsoo comments softly.
"Thank you. It belonged to Jongin's grandmother," she explains to which Kyungsoo just nods. He knows.
"Well, it's nice meeting you. We better get inside before the grooms get cold feet," Kyungsoo jokes with a serious face, to which Mari falls for immediately as she starts to look panic.
Jongin laughs lowly and genuinely smiles at the older since he met him again after all these years. "He's joking." Jongin simply explains.
Kyungsoo has this down-turn grin he does only when he's amused and waves the couple goodbye. Jongin begrudgingly lets the elder go as Kyungsoo holds his daughter's hand and walks toward the hall.
"He's nice," Mari comments sweetly and holds Jongin's elbow when he prompts her to move as well.
But he couldn't take his eyes off the retreating small back of the other man. Especially when a tall man with the matching gold ring band holds Kyungsoo's shoulder when he reaches the entrance. And not when Kyungsoo gives that man, the heart-shaped smile he used to give Jongin 8 summers ago.