Work Text:
Junmyeon Ian "Yan" Kim was your usual queen bee at school. Dance team captain, amazing hair, nice voice, cool circle of friends, pretty face, a hot boyfriend, straight As. Siya lang 'yung hindi straight kamo. His bestfriend was Sehun Shawn Oh. Cliche, noh? Shawn was the basketball team's captain ball, in the same circle with Yan, and is a scholar.
The two have been best friends since 7th grade and hindi na sila mapag-hiwalay ever since. Kahit sa loob ng barkada, sawang sawa sina Chanyeol makitang laging magkadikit ang dalawa.
"Yan, we're going na!" Baekhyun's voice rang through the hallway. Nasa bahay sila ngayon ni Chanyeol at naghahanda for prom and sabay silang pupunta kasi si Chanyeol lang naman ang may car sa kanila. At 15, he drives around the city without a license kasi nga his mom is a councilor naman. Even the police bows down to the Parks. Classic Filipino bigotry towards political dynasty families.
Junmyeon straightened his suit and headed out of the CR. "Let's go." He says, sashaying his way to the Land Cruiser waiting for the group of friends.
"Love." Sehun drawled out, eyeing Junmyeon in a clad all-white suit.
Don't get me wrong, ha? They're just best friends na may halong feelings. Napulot lang ni Shawn 'yung pet name na love from the Vampire Diaries and Klaus Mikaelson. It was his and Yan's guilty pleasure. They even refer to themselves as characters from the said show. Dorks.
"Hello, love." Yan responded with a British accent, mocking their favorite show. "You look beautiful." Shawn greets him with a beso and helps him inside the SUV. "My god, naglalandian na naman sila." Baek commented from the passenger seat, making Chanyeol howl with laughter.
Nagsimula nang magmaneho si Chanyeol out of the driveway and into the street. Nag-ring bigla ang iPhone 13 Max Pro, 256 GB, fully paid ni Junmyeon na sinagot naman niya agad. "Hello?" He answers the phone after fishing it out of his suit's pocket. "Yan, I'm gonna be late." His long-time on and off boyfriend, Jongin Kai Sy, says through the phone.
"Of course, you are. The one time I ask you to be present, Kai, you choose to bail on me!" Naiinis na sigaw ni Junmyeon, seething with anger. "I'm just getting a fucking haircut! And I'm not bailing on you, male-late lang ako! Hindi ka ba makaintindi?!" Kai shouts back with the same intensity.
This was their usual set-up. Toxic na magkasintahan si Kai and Yan at mas madali pang magsigawan sa kanila kaysa pag-usapan ang problema ng maayos. Kai was hot-headed and liked his bad reputation way too much for his own good. He was the polar opposite of Yan's perfectionist persona. Kaya when they have conflicts, they clash so loud and bad, everyone knows and finds out about it. Blame it on their anger management issues, I guess.
Tears threatened to spill out of Junmyeon's eyes. "You know, what? Just don't come to prom at all. We're over!" Yan screeched, making his friends in the car flinch.
He ended the call with a huff.
They broke up again, for the hundredth time this year. Baekhyun could only sigh, ang damaging kasi ng relationship na 'to kay Yan. Everyone in school knows that, hindi nila alam bakit hindi nalang naghihiwalay ang dalawa for good. They were some sort of Maddy and Nate na no matter how twisted they were, they still stuck with each other and forgave one another every damn time.
Sanay na dapat si Shawn na nakikitang ganito si Yan but hindi. Nasasaktan pa rin siya kapag nakikitang nagkakaganyan ang best friend niya sa isang lalaking patapon.
"Hey, Yan." Baek says in a comforting voice kasi umiiyak na naman ang kaibigan dahil sa gagong boyfriend. "Tangina, bare minimum nalang nga hinihingi ko, hindi pa mapagbigyan." Junmyeon spits with so much hurt in his voice. Shawn can only feel his own heart breaking. Bakit ba kasi nagtitiis pa ito? May iba namang handang ibigay kung ano ang deserve niya.
Shawn reached for Yan's head and ipinatong ito sa balikat niya, hoping this would comfort the shorter man. "Don't let anyone ruin this day for you, okay? 'Di ba you've always wanted to dance with me in a ball ever since we saw Damon and Elena do it?" He says, trying to lift Yan's spirits. Tumango lang ito habang nakatingin sa kalsadang walang laman.
Soon, they arrived at the venue. It was adorned with flashy decors and flower walls that screamed privilege. They went to a prestigious Catholic school, after all. This was expected.
Junmyeon socialized with the rest as if walang nangyari sa car ni Chanyeol. He's back to being a social butterfly and talking to everyone kahit ang bigat ng loob niya deep inside. Shawn only stayed beside him, hindi umiimik at tumatango lang sa usapan.
The program started and the professors gave out speeches. Pina-upo ang lahat para makinig. Shawn, on the other hand, has other ideas.
"Psst, let's go out." He whispers to Yan's left ear. "Huh? Saan?" Naguguluhang tanong ni Junmyeon. "Trust me." With this, he intertwined their fingers together and lumabas ng venue.
He brings Yan to a garden behind the tall hotel kung saan ginanap ang kanilang prom. Malaki ito at may roses na nakapalibot sa kanila. Parang nasa fairytale silang dalawa ngayon.
"How did you know about this?" Yan asks with an amused smile. "I have my ways.." Shawn cheekily answers and reaches for Junmyeon's wrists. He places them on his shoulder blades then he puts his hands on the shorter man's waist.
"Sasayaw talaga ta'yo here?" Yan giggles.
Shawn then starts humming, swaying their bodies to the beat. Slowly and surely. It was Junmyeon's favorite song. Wildest Dreams by Taylor Swift. He lets out a breath looking Sehun straight in his eyes.
The man was breathtakingly handsome. Hindi niya rin alam kung kailan nagsimula but he knew somewhere along 8th grade, he fell for Sehun Shawn Oh. It was easy to fall and even easier to tell. He has always been there since the beginning. Even before Kai and Yan met. But of course, in true Junmyeon Ian fashion, he ran away from these feelings.
Running away when what you're running away from is always beside you was the hardest. He had to ignore the butterflies in his stomach whenever Shawn let out a hearty laugh, or that hollow pit inside his heart digs whenever Shawn's too busy to watch Vampire Diaries with him. Being his best friend was already enough for Yan. Just loving him from his side and calling him 'bestie' whenever Kai was around. But Shawn was right. He was his love. Since the very beginning.
Slowly, inilapit ni Shawn ang mga mukha nila, his eyes on Yan's lips. He stared into his eyes as if he was searching for a specific north star in a galaxy.
And fuck, was it the look of love types na makikita lang natin sa K-drama.
Konti nalang magdidikit na ang mga labi nila, maipararamdam na rin ni Sehun ang kanyang pagmamahal na ilang taon na nilang kinikimkim sa isa't isa. And out of nowhere, the back door to the garden opens. It revealed Baekhyun.
Napaatras agad si Junmyeon at tiningnan ang kaibigang bagong dating. "Yan, Kai arrived. He's with his parents." Naalarma naman si Junmyeon at agad na tumakbo pabalik sa venue, leaving Sehun alone and staring at an empty space.
"Ian!" Kai's mother, Mrs. Sy, cheered when he saw Junmyeon enter the hall. "Tita, tito, good evening." Junmyeon greets back with a formal voice and hugs Mrs. Sy na amoy 24 Faubourg Hermes.
Kai was smart, he knew he had Yan wrapped around his finger as long as his parents were around. Hindi sa pagmamayabang but he belongs to the Sy clan which says something. He may ignore it but he knows Junmyeon cares so much about things like these, especially since Junmyeon is the eldest in the family and expected breadwinner. It goes unsaid that these things matter to Junmyeon and Kai uses that to his advantage.
"I'm sorry.." Kai hands a bouquet of peonies to Junmyeon which somehow symbolizes Junmyeon's obsession with perfection and luxury. "It's okay." Yan lies through teeth and accepts the beautiful flowers.
On cue, a bunch of fireworks went off outside the venue. It could be seen through the glass walls of the hall and all the students were in awe at the beautiful sky. "Sana nagustohan mo." Kai whispers, indicating he was behind all that.
"Ito naman kasing si Kai, he keeps on getting your nerves! Ngayon, hihingi hingi samin ng tulong on how to win you back." Mrs. Sy explains at naintindihan naman agad ni Junmyeon. This translated to, ikaw lang ang gusto namin para sa unico hijo namin.
"Thank you po, tito and tita." Junmyeon plasters a practiced smile as a pair of eyes watched the entire scene happen. "We'll go now, enjoy the evening." Pagpapaalam ng magulang ni Kai sa dalawa. Tumango lang si Junmyeon in a formal way.
When the two adults leave, Kai kisses Yan on his lips with vigor, knowing that a certain best friend was watching them from a far. Junmyeon didn't even had the chance to move. He could only smile bitterly.
It was easy with Kai because all he had to do was act interested. Kai was convenient, it was sure. Most of all, Kai was the boy who could lead him and his family to a better life. Kaya siguro ang dali dali lang para kay Yan kasi wala namang pag-ibig at pagsugal na nakasali. Kailangan lang niyang tanggapin kung anong kaya ibigay ng nobyo niya because it would mean assurance in his future.
With Shawn, it was different. May possibility na magkamali. May tsansang pumalpak. Maaaring hindi niya matulungan ang pamilya niya kung mas pipiliin niya ang tinitibok ng puso niya at ipagwalang-bahala ang tinutugon ng utak niya.
At hindi iyon pwede. Hindi pwedeng padalos-dalos lang. Hindi pwedeng isugal kasi future niya ito at ng pamilya niya. Siguro, never siyang magiging handang piliin si Sehun kasi hindi naman siya mapapakain at mabubuhay sa pag-ibig lang. Kinailangan niyang i-sali ang mga kapatid niya sa mga desisyon niya sa buhay kasi wala namang iba itong aasahan.
Nagtama ang kanilang paningin habang nakapalupot pa rin ang kamay ni Kai sa bewang ni Junmyeon. Umiinom sila ngayon ng mamahaling champagne at nakikipag-plastikan sa ibang mayayamang studyante.
Siguro, dito nalang muna. Ito na talaga ang kanyang tadhana.
Sorry, Shawn.