Chapter Text
“Do you, Seo Woobin, take Koo Jungmo to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
“I do.”
“Do you, Koo Jungmo, take Seo Woobin to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
“Are you seriously asking me that right now?” Jungmo jokes. “Of course I do.”
Minhee chuckles at Jungmo’s little jab. He always loved his best friend’s playful attitude.
“You may now kiss the groom,” announces the pastor. Jungmo immediately grabs the lapels of Woobin’s suit and pulls him close. His new husband simply laughs at his antics, smiling wide as he leans in to seal their long-lasting future with a heartfelt kiss.
Minhee awkwardly claps his hands and presses his lips into a forced smile as he watches the lively couple share their first kiss as newlyweds. He should be happy—his best friend is getting married after all.
But as he stands on the side of the altar, Minhee can’t help but wish he was Jungmo's groom instead of his best man.
—
“Minhee, there you are!” a voice calls out during the reception.
Minhee looks up from his meal and turns around to see his best friend’s new husband.
“Woobin!” Minhee says congenially, plastering on a smile. In all sincerity, Minhee has no hard feelings towards Woobin. He treated Jungmo well the past two years, always painting him canvases of affection, with each new brushstroke being a testament to their relationship. Jungmo was incredibly lucky to find someone as gracious and compassionate as Woobin. Minhee felt incredibly grateful that his best friend ended up with him.
Even so, a small part of him can’t help but resent Woobin, because he gets to live out Minhee’s now-gone dream of spending the rest of his life with Jungmo.
“So, it’s official,” Minhee says. “Congratulations, you’re married to Jungmo.”
“Yeah, I’m married to Jungmo,” Woobin says dreamily, smiling to himself.
Minhee can’t help but wish he was the one saying that sentence.
“It’s still hard for me to process. Like, I actually get to spend the rest of my life with him.”
“Both of you are so lucky, I can only imagine.”
Because that’s all I can do at this point: imagine.
“Anyway, I was hoping you could give us a toast?” Woobin suggests, “A quick speech, perhaps?”
“Oh, I’m not really one for speeches.”
“Please? I’m sure Jungmo would appreciate it. After all, you’re his best man.”
And that’s all I am to him.
“So, what do you say?” asks Woobin. “For Jungmo?”
Despite his reluctance, Minhee nods his head in agreement and gets on the stage a few minutes later.
“Hello, hello, is this thing on?” he says into the mic, catching the attention of the rest of the guests. “Okay, cool, I’ll take that as a sign that it is.”
“To be transparent,” he begins, “I didn’t really prepare anything for this speech. I know, I know, worst best man ever. But hey, Woobin asked me to say something, and it’s his night, after all, so I might as well conjure up a last-minute speech.” He scans the room, making eye contact with the other attendees until his eyes land on Jungmo and his groom.
“First off, congratulations!” he says to the couple. “You two found the one thing that everyone in this room has spent their whole lives chasing: true love. The love, compassion, and trust you have for each other is unimaginable. But, you two are living proof that it’s possible to find true love. You know, I always did believe in soulmates.”
I always believed mine was Jungmo.
“Gosh, Jungmo’s gonna kill me as soon as I get off the stage,” Minhee chuckles, “But Woobin, he was actually dead-set on marrying you right from the beginning.” The memory suddenly flashes in his mind, and Minhee can feel himself slipping away from the present and back into the past.
“I’ve met someone,” Jungmo said dreamily.
“Oh,” Minhee responded ambivalently, “Tell me about him.”
“How do I even begin to describe Seo Woobin!” sighed Jungmo, completely wonderstruck by the thought of his new lover. “Well, we started off as co-workers at the marketing department for the company we work at. During one of our larger projects, we had to pull a lot of all-nighters and spend time outside of the office to get it done.
Eventually, we were spending so much time together that our work-related meet-ups became more platonic.
As I got to know him, I realized how comfortable I felt around him. Our personalities and interests meshed so well together. Our times together would always go so quickly because we’d just spend hours and hours talking.
Then, he asked me out. We went on our first date the other weekend, and, Minhee, remember when I told you about my dream date?”
“You guys had dinner on a yacht?” Minhee questioned, recalling the fantasy Jungmo raved to him about years ago.
“Yes! Can you believe it? I had never even told him about my dream date, and when I asked how he knew, he just said it seemed like something I’d enjoy.”
“He sounds perfect,” Minhee said solemnly, trying to hide his disappointment.
“I think I want to marry him,” Jungmo admitted unexpectedly.
“M-Marry?” stammered a shocked Minhee. “You just started dating the guy!”
“I know, I know,” Jungmo said. “But Minhee, have you ever met someone, and you can just see your future play out with them by your side?”
“Yes.”
I felt that way when I first met you.
“That’s how I feel whenever I’m with Woobin.”
“So, you’re dead set on marrying him?”
“Well, it’s only been a few months, but that doesn’t mean I don’t fantasize about him walking down the aisle.”
“I’m-I’m happy for you.”
“Thank you. Hey, can you promise me something?”
“Anything for you.”
“When I get married—whether it be with Woobin or someone else I cross paths with—will you promise to be my best man?”
He’s not even considering me as a potential future groom. That’s all I am to him:
a best man.
“I promise.”
“As I was saying,” Minhee says as he forces himself to snap back to the present, “Jungmo and Woobin getting married was never out of the question. After all, they’re perfect for each other.” Minhee chokes on his last sentence, unable to accept the truth to his own words.
He hates seeing Jungmo with someone else, but even then, he can’t deny how well they fit together, like two halves of a heart finally being stitched into a whole piece.
“I always thought I was the person who knew Jungmo the best,” he continues. “But I think Woobin’s about to take my spot.”
He already did.
“I’m convinced Woobin knows Jungmo better than Jungmo knows himself. When Jungmo and I first became friends, he always told me what his dream date was: dinner on a yacht and sipping glasses of expensive chardonnay while looking at the moon reflected over the waters. And Woobin? He made that little dream of Jungmo’s come true. Jungmo didn’t even plant the idea in his mind. Woobin just knew it would be something Jungmo would appreciate. He just knew who Jungmo was.”
“That was only the first dream of Jungmo’s that he was able to bring to life. Tonight, Woobin brought another one of his dreams to life.”
And he crushed mine in the process.
That’s when Minhee starts tearing up.
“Gosh, I don’t even know why I’m crying right now,” Minhee laughs cynically, quickly wiping his tears with his fingers. “I-I guess, I just never thought I’d see this day come.”
But now it’s here. Now the day is here, and now Jungmo is married, and now any delusions I had about spending my life with him have evaporated before my eyes.
“I love you, Jungmo,” he says suddenly, looking his best friend straight in the eye. “I-I love you so much. And all I can hope for is that Woobin will spend the next years loving you just as much as I love you. I kept my promise to you, and I hope he’ll do the same as you two begin your lives as husbands.”
Woobin holds his pinky up to Minhee, silently promising to cherish his new husband for the rest of his life. It should comfort Minhee, knowing that Jungmo is with someone who loves him dearly, but the small gesture makes him want to break down on the stage. The subtle pinky promise is just another reminder that Minhee has lost Jungmo. There’s nothing else he can do except for dwell and—
“Drink!” Minhee blurts out. “I need a drink! So, enough with the sappy speeches, and let’s get back to celebrating!” The other guests chuckle and cheer at his closing statement as he hops off the stage. He picks up his pace, automatically heading towards the bar, but before he can make it to the wooden counter, someone places his hand on his shoulder. Minhee turns around, and his breath stops when he faces the man of the hour.
“That was great,” compliments Jungmo. “Although, you exposing me in front of everyone was pretty uncalled for.”
“Hey, it was funny!”
“I guess so; I always did love your witty humor and natural charm.”
“I-I just said what I felt needed to be said,” Minhee says, letting out a forced laugh. “Including the part about needing a drink.” Because after tonight, I’m definitely going to need a lot of alcohol.
“You go do that,” Jungmo laughs, playfully punching Minhee in the arm. “Oh, and thanks, by the way.”
“For what?”
“For keeping your promise and being my best man.”
Why couldn’t I be your groom instead?
“Of course. Can I go get a drink now?”
“Right, sorry for holding you back,” Jungmo chuckles, shaking his head at Minhee’s urgency. Minhee attempts to depart once again, but Jungmo pulls him close into a tight hug.
“I love you, too, by the way.”
Those last few words ring in Minhee’s ears, painfully piercing them like a high-pitched alarm. Before Jungmo can say any more to him, he’s pushing his best friend off of him and running off to the bar to drown away his sorrows and regret.
Maybe it was his fault, he thought to himself as the first sip of soju slid down his throat.
Maybe he should have confessed to Jungmo. Maybe he should have protested against the wedding. Maybe he should have told Jungmo to not marry Woobin, and marry him instead.
Maybe when the pastor called for any objections, he should have spoken up, ran towards Jungmo, grabbed his hand, and confessed right then and there, instead of biting his lip and standing still, forever holding his peace.
Maybe he should have told Jungmo he loved him long before Woobin even entered his life. Maybe then he and Jungmo would’ve started dating. Maybe then they would have fallen in love and done all the idealistic domestic stuff Minhee always dreamt about, like moving in together or raising a family. Maybe then Jungmo would have proposed to Minhee. Maybe then he would be the groom instead. Maybe then he wouldn’t be stuck as the best man, forced to stand on the stage and bullshit his way through a speech while having to look at his lover and his new husband in the eye.
Maybe then things would be different.
But Minhee didn’t do any of those things, so the only thing he can do now is spend the rest of the reception drinking the night away and hoping tomorrow’s hangover will hurt more than the heartbreak.