Work Text:
Going to the wedding reception of his ex girlfriend had actually been a compromise. It was a matter of Jeno’s family and his ex’s family being close friends since before Jeno was born. Jeno’s mom had originally wanted to attend the ceremony too. Jeno hadn’t wanted to be a part of anything, but his mom had nagged him about it, repeating how important it was to support a family friend. He ended up striking a deal with her to attend the reception only.
It wasn’t ideal, but at least he wouldn’t have to witness his ex and her fiance give each other their vows.
Jeno’s clothes for the reception rested on the hotel’s bathroom counter. The large mirror above the counter was foggy and Jeno wiped it with his hand, revealing his reflection. He picked up the hair dryer and plugged it in, turning it on and beginning to dry his hair.
The plan was to arrive a half hour after reception officially again, giving everyone who had been at the ceremony time to make their way to the venue before Jeno arrived. He wanted to leave as soon as possible, but his mom had been insistent on making him promise to stay until the end. He still planned on leaving earlier, as soon as everyone was intoxicated enough for him to slip away.
He finished drying and styling his hair, then got dressed, putting on a dark gray button up and his nice, expensive pair of slacks. He checked himself in the mirror as he put his belt on. He would have normally added some accessories, but his outfit tonight was meant to be simple. Satisfied with how he looked, he grabbed his dirty laundry and stepped out of the bathroom.
Jeno walked over to his suitcase, stuffing his laundry haphazardly in it. Sitting on the hotel bed, with a camera in hand, was Jeno’s best friend and plus one for the evening, Jaemin. He was wearing a soft pink button up, the sleeves rolled up a bit, and white slacks. His friend looked up from his camera, then pouted at Jeno’s outfit. “I still think we should have done matching outfits. We would have looked sexy.”
Jeno shook his head, walking over to the room’s window. They were on an island currently, surrounded by beaches and the tropics. Their hotel was on a hill near the coast, giving them a nice view of the ocean. “It would have been awkward and drawn too much attention.”
Jaemin stood up from the bed. He set his camera on the nightstand, then walked over to his own suitcase. “The night is already doomed to be awkward.”
“That’s true,” Jeno left the window and went to put on his dress shoes, “I wasn’t ready to commit to pink, though.”
Jaemin finished putting on his watch and shoes. “Suit yourself. Hey, do you know what kind of food they’re going to be serving tonight? Anything good?”
Jeno shrugged. “I’m not sure. I didn’t ask much about what Minya was planning for her wedding.” He checked his phone, his mom having ordered them a cab to pick them up. A text alerted him their ride was waiting outside.
“You haven’t spoken to her much at all, for good reason,” Jaemin said. He had made his way over to Jeno’s side. “We could ditch, you know. Go get dinner elsewhere and enjoy a night in a nice hotel.”
Jeno sighed, pocketing his phone. Jaemin may have agreed to be Jeno’s plus one, but that didn’t mean he approved of the situation. He kept trying to give Jeno an escape from the situation and it was very tempting to take. “My parents have already paid for our entire stay. I don’t think I can back out now without them demanding compensation.”
The island the wedding was on was beautiful, but the flights to it and the hotel stay was definitely expensive. He may be going to the wedding reception of his ex, but at least he didn’t have to pay for it.
Jaemin shrugged, seeming to understand that.
They headed towards the door to leave for their cab. Jeno’s hand had barely touched the door when Jaemin suddenly grabbed his shoulder, forcing his attention on his friend.
“Seriously though, if anything gets too much or if you feel overwhelmed, say the word and I’ll get us out. I’ll fake being sick, or something, I don’t know. I’m good at fake throwing up, you know.”
Jeno smiled, rolling his eyes fondly. “Please don’t fake puke at the reception. I’m sure we’ll be fine.” He opened the door and the two stepped out into the hall. They began to head towards the elevators. “Or you can figure out a better way to get us out.”
Jaemin shook his head in disbelief. They reached the elevators and he hit the down button. “But throwing up is dramatic and gross and no one is going to question it! You can’t tell me there’s a better way to get out of something.” The elevator door dinged and opened.
They entered it and Jeno pressed the button for the ground floor. The doors closed. He turned to Jaemin, pointing a figure at him. “No puking, please.”
Jaemin sighed, slumping forward dramatically. “Fine, I’ll figure something else out.”
Jeno patted Jaemin’s back, fond. The elevator dinged and the doors opened again and they walked out into the hotel lobby. As they crossed the lobby, passing by other guests, Jeno felt his phone buzz in his back pocket.
They stepped outside and the humid, tropical air greeted them. Small, green plants along the entrance swayed their leaves as the cool hotel air reached them.
“This reception is at the beach, right?” Jaemin asked.
Jeno spotted their cab, a sleek black vehicle waiting idly by the entrance. The two made their way over. “The venue overlooks the beach, but we won’t exactly be on it.”
He opened the car door and the two got inside the cab. The seats smelled like leather. The driver greeted them and confirmed their destination.
“Damn, I was going to pretend like I had spotted a shark,” Jaemin slumped a bit in his seat, looking out the window and thinking.
Jeno hummed, pulling out his phone to check his notifications. “That would have gotten the whole reception shut down anyways. It would have been too much.” His mom had texted him, asking if they were on their way. He sent back a confirmation, feeling dread settle heavy in his gut.
“Good point,” Jaemin conceded.
The drive to the venue was scenic, with tropical trees hanging over the roadway and a sunset colored sky hanging above and soaking everything in golden. Everything about the island was beautiful, but Jeno found himself unable to fully enjoy it.
His ex, Minya, had become like an old injury over the past year and a half. Occasionally, her presence would flare up in his life, causing an ache that more annoyed him than caused real discomfort. He had learned to cope with this kind of ache. If he could have it his way, however, Minya would be cut out of his life completely.
Unfortunately, his family and Minya’s family had been close since forever. It had been cute, at first, when they started dating each other. His mom had certainly been over the moon with their relationship. When they broke up three years ago, however, Jeno found their families too intertwined to remove her completely from his life.
A string of happy faces and heart emojis came over text from his mom. It only served to grow the pit in his stomach.
Next to him, Jaemin leaned over and poked his cheek. “Feeling nervous?”
Jeno hummed, shoving his phone into his pocket before crossing his arms.
“Would it make you feel better if I trash talked your ex to remind you that you deserve better than her?”
Jeno considered it. “You know, some people say it’s important to learn to forgive and move on from your past grievances.”
Jaemin was unimpressed.
Jeno put his hands up. “I’m just saying! Maybe it’s time I forgave her for some things. Like the first time she told me she cheated on me, then started bawling when I got mad at her for it ‘cause she was ‘just being honest’.”
Jaemin quickly picked up on what Jeno was doing. “I suppose then, we’re also forgiving her for the time she didn’t speak to you for three days when you told her you were busy with work? After she had spammed you with twenty calls?”
Jeno groaned at the memory. “God, she was so annoying.” At the time, it felt like the end of the world. “And stubborn. Like, that one she thought I had fucked up a dinner reservation for us and some frineds and held it against me. Then I found out later she had told me the wrong time, and even then she refused to admit she was wrong!”
Jaemin shook his head. “I’ll never understand her logic.”
“The only way to understand her logic is to always blame yourself. I’m glad I’m not the one marrying her. That would destroy me.”
He remembered hearing the news of Minya’s engagement from his mom, during a phone call after work. He had felt strangely numb about it, having vaguely known she had gotten together with someone yet never expecting her to commit to marriage. When he saw pictures of her with her fiance, he felt disconnected from the world.
“I don’t know if I should feel worried or sad for her husband or not,” Jeno admitted.
Jaemin tsked, leaning towards Jeno. “You stay strictly out of her business now, remember? That includes her husband. Whatever happens with him is not something you need to worry about.”
Jeno felt Jaemin’s words ground him a little. “Yeah, you’re right.”
Their cab passed another streetlight, then turned into a parking lot. A large, cottage style building was at the end of the lot, with the beach as its backdrop. There were lots of people walking in and their driver maneuvered them slowly to the entrance.
They stopped at the curb in front of the entrance. Everyone who passed by seemed to have a large smile on their face, excited to celebrate. Jeno wanted to throw up.
Jaemin unbuckled his seatbelt. Before he opened the door, he looked at Jeno. “Well? Very last chance to back out.”
Jeno sighed and unbuckled his seatbelt. “Let’s get this over with.”
Jaemin opened the door and stepped out. Jeno scooted across, thanking their driver, then followed suit.
In front of the entrance, there was a large sign with two bouquets of flowers at the bottom corners. They looked pretty in the golden light, petals soft and delicate. In curly, elegant writing, his ex’s name and her now husband’s were paired together, announcing their union.
Behind them, their cab drove away. Jeno took a deep breath and began to walk towards the entrance.
Out of the pot, and straight into the fire.
-
They found Jeno’s mom standing at a table towards the back of the venue, waiting for them with a glass of wine in hand. She had a shawl wrapped around her upper arms, hanging loose and elegantly. She practically squealed when she saw Jeno, setting down her drink to rush over to him. She had on her favorite heels, the ones that clacked obnoxiously against the floor.
“You made it! Oh my goodness!” She reached out to her son and hugged him, bringing his head down to her hair. He could smell her perfume, something flowery and sweet. It did nothing to comfort him. “I’m so glad you’re here, sweetheart.”
Jeno hugged her back, his grip a little looser. “It's good to see you, Mom.”
His mom pulled back, her face full of fondness. She moved her chair and sat down, prompting the two men to do the same. “And Jaemin, you made it as well. How was the flight in? Have you visited the beach yet?”
Jaemin smiled. “It went smoothly. We walked along the beach a bit earlier today and I took some photos. The island is quite beautiful, thank you for bringing us here.”
Jeno’s mom waved him off, though it was obvious she was pleased with the compliment. “It was no big deal. It meant that Jeno got to be here tonight and that’s what really mattered.”
Jeno forced his grimace to be a smile. He looked around the rest of the table. It was a smaller table than most at the venue, with only four chairs surrounding it. Jeno was thankful for it, however, as it meant that his family had their own table to hang out at. In the empty chair, he could see his dad’s jacket. “Where’s Dad?”
His mom gestured towards the bar area, set up along the nearby wall. Different groups of people were milling about there, hands holding different kinds of glasses. “He’s catching up with some of the boys over by the bar.”
Jeno scanned the people and finally spotted his dad’s familiar figure. He was standing with a couple of older men Jeno vaguely recognized from other social events, a beer glass in hand.
“Oh, speaking of which,” his mom started to stand up, adjusting her shawl, “do you two want anything to drink? It’s an open bar, with some specialty cocktails! I can bring you a menu, if you’d like.”
Jeno couldn’t hide his grimace this time. “I’ll stick with water.”
His mom gasped, flushing as she realized her mistake. “Oh, sorry, I totally forgot. I can get you some water.”
“I’ll have a sprite,” Jaemin chimed in.
Jeno’s mom nodded. She hesitated for a second, then grabbed her wine glass and walked towards the bar with it.
Jeno couldn’t help the small sigh that slipped out once she was out of hearing range.
Normally, his mom wouldn’t have mentioned anything about alcohol to Jeno. He had struggled with alcoholism for a few years, having fallen into drinking towards the end of his relationship with Minya. Jeno’s mom had been understanding when he had opened up to her about trying to get sober and stuck to offering him non-alcoholic drinks.
As his mom got closer to the bar, she made a beeline for his dad. Jeno watched as she tapped his shoulder, then handed him her wine glass. They appeared to chat for a moment before his mom walked away, the ends of her shawl drifting behind her.
“I would have preferred her to keep her drink rather than give it to Dad,” Jeno muttered, bitter.
Jaemin raised his eyebrows. “She knows you’re fine with people drinking around you, right? I think she’s just embarrassed about offering you alcohol.”
“Yeah, but I don’t think Dad needs the extra drink.”
Jaemin’s eyes flickered between Jeno and his dad, seeing the same strong frame, the similar eyes. “You said your dad isn’t a big fan of wine, though. Maybe he’s just holding it for her.”
Jeno shrugged. He shifted his gaze away from his dad, instead taking in the rest of the venue.
The space was decently sized, but not too big. Wooden beams were located throughout the space, with string lights and vines wrapped around them. The decor consisted of a lot of plants and earthy color tones, pairing well with the cottage-esque architecture. The back of the venue was lined with large paneled windows, providing guests with a gorgeous view of the ocean. In the middle of the windows was a set of double doors that lead out to a patio. The doors were propped open, allowing guests to move in and out as they pleased.
“I would have had the reception right on the beach,” Jaemin said. “The venue is pretty, but if you’re going to have a destination wedding, you might as well embrace what the destination is about.”
Jeno didn’t quite understand. “But this venue is on the beach?”
Jaemin tutted. “I mean a reception in the sand, right up against the water. Not in a building.”
“The sand would be pretty uncomfortable after a while, especially if everyone’s wearing dress clothes. It’d be a hassle getting everything set up on the beach as well.”
“Everyone can just wear beach clothes instead. People have unconventional weddings all the time,” Jaemin pointed out.
Jeno supposed that was true.
His mom approached the table, carefully setting down three glasses. She handed the sparkling drink to Jaemin, who thanked her, and divided the waters between herself and Jeno.
“There’s dinner and some dessert being served, if you guys are hungry,” his mom informed them. “I had some of the food and it was simply divine.”
At least they would get good food out of this. “We’ll grab some food later,” Jeno said.
“You know, I got to see some of the wedding plans ahead of time,” her eyes shined with fondness, “and even knowing what they had prepared, I’m still blown away by it all.”
Jeno tried to remember if she had told him about any wedding plans, but his mind came up with nothing. If she had, he must have purposefully ignored it. “The venue is quite nice. It’s not too fancy.”
“It suits Minya, don’t you think?”
Jeno fiddled with his glass.
His mom smiled to herself. “I remember how excited she was when she told me about this venue. She was debating between two different spots, but once she came across this one, she was in love right away. She said that it was exactly what she had wanted.”
Jaemin tilted his head, curious. “So, you were a part of the wedding planning?”
Jeno’s mom laughed, shaking her head. “Oh no, dear, I only heard all of the details. Minya’s mother is one of my closest friends, so she always kept me updated. You can imagine how thrilled she was about it all.”
Minya’s mother was always a romantic. Jeno had dealt with it firsthand while dating her daughter. “She must have been over the moon.”
“She could hardly talk about anything else! But it was so nice to see her so happy.”
Jeno’s dad was approaching the table, carrying the wine glass his wife had given him and a half full glass for himself. He smiled as he set them down at the table, then pulled out his chair and sat down.
“Jeno, how have you been?” his dad asked. His eyes turned into crescents, the same way that Jeno’s did when he smiled.
“I’ve been well, all the same old stuff.” Jeno tried to recall if the lines around his father’s eyes had been as deep as the last time he saw the man. His dad had always appeared a little worn down, like a well-loved, faded jacket.
“Is your new job going well still? Anything exciting there?” Jeno’s dad pushed the wine glass back over to Jeno’s mom.
Jeno shrugged. He had started a new job about six months ago. “Things are going good, my coworkers are nice.”
“That’s always good.” His dad nodded, then turned to Jaemin. “Ah, Jaemin. I forgot you were coming.”
Jaemin laughed lightly. “Jeno needed someone to keep him company and I wasn’t going to turn down an island vacation.”
It wasn’t the exact reason why Jeno had asked him to come, but bringing up the truth would only cause trouble.
“We’re so glad you could come along,” Jeno’s mom said.
Jeno’s dad drank from his glass. He set it back down, but kept his hand on it. “Minya’s dad was asking about you, Jeno. He wanted to catch up with you.”
“Ah,” Jeno shifted awkwardly in his seat. Minya’s dad was nice, maybe too nice, and it made Jeno feel bad. “We haven’t talked in a bit.”
His dad hummed and drank some more, tapping his finger on the glass. He kept gazing at Jeno, a faraway look coming over his eyes.
His dad hadn’t been understanding like his mom had when Jeno told him about his drinking problem. From his dad’s perspective, a cold beer or two after work was a part of daily life and grabbing a few drinks with friends was a great way to catch up. Him and Jeno used to talk over a couple beers together, as a sort of father-son bonding activity.
When Jeno had to put an end to those get-togethers, it drove a wedge between them.
A sudden applause interrupted them, catching everyone’s attention. Jeno’s mom looked behind him and gasped. “There they are!”
Jeno turned in his seat, naturally curious. He instantly regretted doing so.
In the middle of the dance floor stood the newly weds, their hands intertwined and large smiles donning both of their faces. The man wore a crisp black suit, complimenting his body shape flawlessly while the woman wore an elegant white dress, the skirt puffy and long. They took a moment to wave at everyone, then the husband swooped the wife into his arms and kissed her passionately, making everyone cheer even louder. The wife, Minya, laughed as she ducked her head into his chest.
From a distance, she looked like the picture perfect bride. It made something rotten unfold in Jeno’s chest, to see Minya standing there in a wedding dress and looking so happy. He quickly turned back around, only to find his mom staring at Minya with watery eyes. Across the table, his dad looked indifferent, more focused on his drink.
Jeno held back a sigh. It was going to be a long night.
-
Jeno had come to the reception with plans to never interact with Minya. He had no desire to talk to her, preferably ever again. He thought he might have been able to pull it off, with how much attention Minya would be receiving from everyone else.
The universe, and Minya, unfortunately, had other plans.
Jeno and Jaemin eventually got sick of Jeno’s mom gushing about how pretty Minya was and decided to grab some food. Jeno’s dad also took this as an opportunity to return to his friends.
The food tables consisted of multiple platters of main dishes and side dishes, most having already been dug into. There were plenty of options to choose from, plus dessert at the end of the row. It was a bit overwhelming. Jeno wasn’t very hungry, his nerves ruining his appetite. He picked a couple different side dishes to put on his plate to pick at.
Behind him, Jaemin struggled to decide what he wanted. “They sure didn’t hold back on the food budget either.”
Jeno agreed. It hurt his wallet to think about how much everything cost. “I don’t think they held back anywhere.”
Once Jaemin made a decision and grabbed the food he wanted, his plate much more full than Jeno’s, they made their way back to their table. Halfway there, however, Jeno suddenly stopped and stiffened.
Standing by his mom, in her sparkling wedding dress, was Minya. Her long, dark hair had been curled, with some pinned back. The parts that weren’t spilled over her bare shoulders elegantly, held in their perfect shape by hairspray. She practically glowed.
Before Jeno could make a move to avoid her, his mom spotted him. She pointed him out to Minya, who looked up at him and gasped. She waved excitedly, calling out his name. Despite everything in him telling him to flee, Jeno forced himself to walk towards the table.
Minya rushed forward to him, pulling him into a one-armed side hug.“Jeno, oh my god, you actually made it!”
Jeno was grateful for his food plate for preventing a full hug, at least. Her touch felt like pinpricks on his skin. He could feel his mom’s eyes on him, a burning reminder to behave. “Hi, Minya.”
“I’m so glad you’re here,” Minya beamed, then looked over at Jaemin. She stuck out her hand to him. “You must be Jeno’s friend. My name is Minya.”
Jaemin leaned forward and took her hand, smiling too widely to be natural. “Jaemin. Congratulations on your marriage.”
Minya blushed, giggling. “Thank you, it’s been such a magical day.” She pulled out a chair from their table and sat down in it, much to Jeno’s dismay.
Reluctantly, Jeno and Jaemin moved to their own respective chairs and sat down. Jaemin sat himself between Jeno and Minya.
“See, I told you he would come,” Jeno’s mom touched Minya lightly on the shoulder, a teasing tone to her voice.
“He’s missed out on so much this past year,” Minya sulked, tapping a manicured nail on the table, “can you blame me for doubting?”
Jeno had been avoiding any events that she could be in the past year, and had managed to not see her for quite some time.
“But seriously, it means so much to me that you’re here. We’ve known each other since we were in diapers and I can’t imagine this day without you being a part of it.”
Jeno’s mom cooed, clasping her hands together with nostalgic fondness. It took everything in Jeno not to outwardly grimace.
“Oh, by the way, you haven’t met my husband yet, have you?” Minya pointed out.
Jeno shook his head. He had no interest in meeting the man, who she had started dating two weeks after they broke up. He was pretty sure he was one of the men she had been cheating on him with too. Her husband could be the nicest man in the world and Jeno would still associate him with bad memories. “The circumstances have never been right.”
Minya looked giddy, clapping her hands together. “Now is the perfect time, then! I think you’ll really like him, he’s super fun and easygoing.”
Jeno thought now was the worst time to introduce your ex to your husband, but what did he know? “I’m sure we’ll run into him tonight.”
Minya opened her mouth to say something, but stopped when she heard someone calling her name. She looked around the venue, confused.
“I think your parents are calling for you,” Jeno’s mom explained, pointing them out for Minya.
“Oh!” Minya stood up, bunching up her dress skirt and pulling it out of the way as she did so. “I bet they want more pictures with me.”
She winked at Jeno. He had no idea how to respond.
“Come find me later, okay?” she told him. “We have so much to catch up on, and I want to know all about how you met Jaemin.”
She walked over to them, patted Jeno on the head, then rushed off to her parents. Jeno could feel Jaemin shudder next to him.
“What a lovely day,” Jeno’s mom sighed, dreamily. “Honestly, this has to be the best day of her life.”
This was shaping up to be one of the worst days of Jeno’s life. He squeezed his hands underneath the table. “Yeah, the best day ever.”
-
Jaemin met Jeno on a park bench at 3am. Jaemin had been cycling through a weird sleep schedule and had taken to going on walks when he couldn’t sleep. Jeno had gotten kicked out of a nearby bar after getting too drunk. He had been attempting to get home, but after stumbling around and throwing up in some poor bushes, he had given up and elected to rest on the bench instead.
Jaemin had recognized him as a friend of a friend and decided to help him. After getting Jeno home, Jaemin had left without leaving any contact information. Neither had thought much of it, at the time.
Then, a month later, Jeno had nearly drowned in the city’s river. He had been too intoxicated to realize what was happening. It was by pure chance that Jaemin was there again, this time pulling Jeno out of the river and calling an ambulance. He had ridden with Jeno to the hospital and stayed with him until morning.
If there was someone who made Jeno feel glad to be alive, it was Jaemin. Minya did the complete opposite.
“Wow, Jeno, have you been working out again?” Minya asked, eyeing Jeno’s figure. She had, unfortunately, made her way back over to Jeno’s table after the first dance and cake, bringing with her a flute of champagne.
He shuddered under her gaze. Meanwhile, next to him, Jaemin laughed. “Was there ever a time he stopped? Jeno’s always working out. I think they need to close the gyms to keep him from getting too buff.”
Minya frowned, tilting her head a bit. “He had stopped going the last year when we were dating. He had worked out a lot before, but our schedules got so busy after graduating university that he fell out of the habit. He turned into a complete twig.”
Jeno had gotten back into weightlifting while working on getting sober, needing an activity that brought some structure and challenge into his life. “I’ve worked it into my routine again.”
Jaemin glanced at Jeno, a knowing look on his face.
“Well, it’s nice to see you taking care of your body again,” Minya complimented, tapping her nails on the table. “I’m sure plenty of people have complimented you on your body. Maybe plenty of girls, if you know what I mean.” She lifted her champagne and winked behind the glass.
“It’s mostly my friends who say something.” Jaemin, in particular, loved to tease Jeno about his muscles. This was usually coupled with some grabbing of his arms and obnoxious yelling whenever Jeno flexed. “And some other men at the gym.”
Minya lowered her flute and smacked her lips together. She blinked. “Oh, interesting.”
A duo of older women, noticing Minya, stopped at their table. They cooed loudly over her, complimenting her dress and congratulating her on the wedding. Minya beamed at their attention, laughing sweetly and complimenting them back. She gently touched their hands, thanking them for coming. Suddenly, she was the picture of the perfect bride, in love and happier than ever.
Jeno felt even more out of place, listening to the older women giggle sweetly at Minya. He exchanged an uncomfortable look with Jaemin.
Once the ladies had walked away, Minya downed the rest of her drink and stood up, dress skirt rustling with the movement. “I’m going to grab another drink, want one?”
Jaemin shook his head.
“I’m good,” Jeno denied.
“Are you sure?” Minya looked a bit confused. “Drinks are free. I know how much you like champagne, Jeno.”
Jeno could feel Jaemin wincing behind him. He sighed. “Nope, I’m good.”
Minya hummed. “Suit yourself, I guess. I’ll be right back.” She walked away, waving at a nearby group of people as she went.
Jeno exhaled, weary.
Jaemin placed a hand on his shoulder, leaning in. “You okay?”
“As good as I can be.” Jeno shook his head, rubbing his hands down his face. “She never really knew about my drinking problem. Or like, she knew I drank, but she didn’t think it was a problem.”
Jaemin squeezed Jeno’s shoulder, his hand warm and comforting. “Are you sure you don’t want me to fake being sick? I’m pretty sure that would scare her away. She’s kind of unbearable.”
Jeno huffed, though he did smile a little. “I told you, no vomiting.” It would have worked, though. “That would traumatize me as well, you know.”
“Fine, fine.” Jaemin pulled out his phone. There were a couple of notifications on the screen and when he opened them up, he smiled and wiggled his phone at Jeno. “Could I offer you a distraction, in the form of cute cat videos? Renjun just sent me a bunch.”
Jeno immediately was interested. He loved Jaemin’s cats, even if he was very allergic. “You absolutely can.”
They were in the middle of watching Lucy pounce on her toy when Minya returned, giggling to herself. The champagne sloshed in her flute as she plopped herself back into the chair next to Jeno. She flipped her hair back behind her shoulder and sighed. “Ah, this night is really so perfect. I’m having so much fun.”
Jeno’s mood, which had been lifted by the cats, plummeted.
Jaemin paused the video and put his phone away. “It’s good that you’re having fun at your wedding.”
“What about you two?” She pointed at them. “Are you guys having fun?”
Jeno suspected being mauled by a bear would be more fun than this. “Yup.”
Minya’s smile faded off her face, noticing the lie. She didn’t call him out for it, instead turning to look around the venue in search of something. Her eyes landed on the dance floor. It was currently filled with mostly older couples swaying awkwardly to some cheerful, calm pop songs. She lit up with an idea. “We should go dance!”
Jeno laughed, hollow. “What?”
Minya stood up. “It’ll be just like old times, when we used to dance at clubs! Don’t worry, I’ll get the DJ to switch playlists.”
The memory of them dancing at clubs didn’t bring back the nostalgic joy that Minya assumed it would for Jeno. Rather, it filled him with embarrassment.
“Come on, it’ll be fun.” She reached down and grabbed Jeno’s wrist, tugging him by it to get him to stand up. She tried to get him to follow her, but he stayed frozen by the table.
“I don’t want to dance,” Jeno said.
Minya’s grip tightened on his wrist, her dark eyes turning sharp and voice growing an all-too familiar steely edge to it. “Why not? Don’t you want to celebrate my marriage?”
Jeno felt cold sweat creep down his back.
Jaemin cut in, standing and peeling her hand off of Jeno. He smiled at her, white teeth shining with a sharpness. “He said no. Why don’t you find your husband, I’m sure he’d love to dance with you.”
Minya stepped back, flustered. Her mouth twisted and she brushed out the skirt of her dress, composing herself. “Yeah, I suppose he would.”
She glanced between the two, eyes lingering on Jeno. It was obvious that she wanted to say more to him, but Jaemin’s presence deterred her.
“Well, you’re always welcome to join us on the dance floor,” she invited. She snatched her champagne and turned around, walking away and searching for her husband.
Jeno watched her walk away, still stuck in place. He could feel his hands tremble by his side. Jaemin put a hand on his arm and he exhaled, letting out the breath he didn’t know he had been holding.
“Let’s step outside for a moment and get some fresh air.” Jaemin’s voice was soft, so different from the cold tone he had used with Minya.
Jeno nodded in agreement. Jaemin tugged him, gently, with the hand on Jeno’s arm and Jeno willingly followed it. He let Jaemin lead the way, weaving them through groups of people and tables. He only felt grounded by Jaemin’s touch, the rest of the world turning into a mix of vague sensations of blobs of color, and he feared he would drift away without Jaemin holding onto him.
They were right at the doors leading out to the patio when they ran into Jeno’s parents, who were coming back inside. His dad had one hand wrapped around his wife’s waist while the other held a mostly full cup of golden liquid. Jeno hated how his eyes focused on it.
“Oh, are you two checking out the patio?” Jeno’s mom asked. Her own hands were fixing her shawl, which had been blown around by the ocean breeze.
“Yes, we figured we’d grab some fresh air. It’s getting a little stuffy in here,” Jaemin answered for them.
Jeno’s mom nodded in sympathy. “It feels wonderful out there. The wind will cool you off in no time. Let me know if you guys need anything.”
Jeno was still staring at his dad’s drink, not out of desire, but out of the spiraling past that played out in his mind. He didn’t notice the man shifting uncomfortably. Jeno felt Jaemin tug him and let himself be pulled out of his thoughts, leaving his parents and exiting out onto the patio.
The patio, despite being smaller, was much less crowded than inside the venue. The wind greeted them as soon as they stepped through the doors, blowing Jeno’s hair into his eyes and carrying the salty scent of the sea.
Jaemin led them to the back of the patio, stopping by the railing and finally letting his hand drop from Jeno’s arm. As it was night, they could only make out the small outlines of the beach, but the sound of waves crashing onto the beach diminished the music and chatter from the reception. Jeno listened to it, imagining the waves crashing over him and washing everything away.
The sound and breeze of the ocean helped calm him, bringing him back down to earth. He leaned against the railing, gazing over the dark ocean and the twinkling night sky.
Jeno sighed and turned around, facing Jaemin and the patio now. “So much for avoiding her. It’s like she’s on a mission to involve me in as much stuff as possible.”
“She’s way too comfortable being pushy,” Jaemin criticized. He shook his head. “This night is kind of fucked up, huh.”
Jeno made a noise in agreement. He found his attention drifting to the other people out on the patio. There was an old couple talking quietly in the opposite corner, their hands intertwined. A teenager dressed in an overly cutesy dress stood with their phone out, tapping rapidly with a deep frown on their face. Two young kids were playing some sort of sneaky tag behind their mother’s back, giggling to each other when they thought they got away with it. Their mother shook her head and drank from her wine glass, knowing what her kids were up to.
Most people, on the patio and inside the venue, Jeno hadn’t recognized. While Minya’s family and friends were present, they were intermingled with plenty of strange faces. He was grateful for it, as it meant the majority of people didn’t see Jeno as Minya’s ex and rather assumed he was a friend or family member.
The members of Minya’s family that Jeno did see had pretended he didn’t exist. Their breakup had gone over poorly with both families, creating a tension between them. It had made his mom cry on multiple occasions, when her own friends were excluding her because of her son’s actions. Even after that tension had passed, he knew that most of Minya’s family was hesitant about him.
A bunch of laughter from the patio doors caught everyone’s attention. A group of people spilled through the doors. In the middle of them was Minya and a man holding her hand, their faces filled with joy as their friends moved them outside. The men wore crisp black suits and the women wore the same pastel pink dresses. It was evident that this was the bridal party.
All of them had glasses of champagne in hand.
Jaemin pulled Jeno away from the group as they moved towards the back of the patio, eager for them not to catch Minya’s attention. Thankfully, two of the men, both taller than them, moved in front of them and effectively hid them from her.
There was so much chatter that words blended together. Things only quieted down when someone tapped their glass with a fork, signaling attention for a toast. Jeno couldn’t see the announcer, but he could hear the man’s booming voice.
“I know there have already been a bunch of toasts tonight, but I would like to add one more while we are out here.”
There were general murmurs of excitement, encouraging the speaker on.
“I would like to congratulate my dear friends, for not only finding true love, but for inviting us to be a part of it,” the man continued, his words powerful alongside the sound of ocean waves, “I would have been happy seeing you married in a backyard, but you guys went all out, as expected. This island is beautiful, but not nearly as beautiful as your guys’ love.”
That brought a chorus of cheers, as well as some cooing from the women.
“So here’s to Minya and Jin!” the man said, and everyone lifted their glasses. “May their future forever be bright and full of joy!”
The bridal party shouted in agreement, then drank from their glasses. Jeno heard Minya cheer excitedly, living off of the attention.
There was a moment like this, years ago, at a club for Minya’s birthday party. Jeno and Minya had been at the center of Minya’s friends, drunk off of overpriced cocktails. Minya’s arm had been looped around Jeno’s shoulder, holding him close as the world spun dizzyingly around him.
When Jeno had looked around, Minya’s friends had all become blurry, unrecognizable shapes. He couldn’t place any of their faces, not that it had really mattered. He hadn’t really known them, anyways, even though he hung out with them every weekend. That realization had made him feel hollowed out and alone.
The two men in front of them moved away, giving Jeno a view of Minya kissing her husband once again. Her arms were flung around his neck, holding him passionately. Jeno turned away to face the ocean. Jaemin followed along with him, leaning into subtly.
Jeno had known that he would relive some of his past here, but that didn’t mean he liked it.
Behind them, a girl squealed loudly. “Minya, your song is on! You have to go dance to it!” More girls shouted in agreement and Jeno heard their footsteps rush out of the patio, heading towards the dance floor. A few from the bridal party lingered, enjoying the cool breeze.
“She’s had quite a bit to drink, hasn’t she?” Jeno heard one man say.
“Eh, it’s her wedding day,” his friend replied. “She deserves to celebrate as much as she wants.”
Jeno sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. He could feel a headache behind his eyes, a subtle sign of stress.
“You know, maybe she’s drunk enough that we can convince your mom she won’t notice you leaving,” Jaemin suggested, trying to find a way out for his friend.
Jeno thought about it. “I’m not sure that she’d care if Minya was drunk. She was quite insistent that I promised to stay.” He was starting to doubt that he could make it through the full reception, however.
Jaemin reached out and squeezed Jeno’s hand. “Well, I’ll keep trying to find a way to get us out of here in the meantime.”
Jeno gave Jaemin a brief, but appreciative, smile. He kept a hold of Jaemin’s hand and let it comfort him. At least someone was on his side and understood how painful being here was for him.
Even if the whole universe was currently against him, at least there was Jaemin.
-
Jeno had managed to keep Minya from catching him alone, thanks to Jaemin sticking firmly by his side. Eventually, however, he really needed to use the bathroom. While he could have had Jaemin follow him and wait outside of the bathroom for him to be done, Jeno thought it was a bit much. After all, why would someone purposely catch their ex outside of a bathroom in the middle of their own wedding reception where they had married someone else?
Jeno should have known better with Minya.
He wasn’t sure if Minya had followed him to the bathroom or if she somehow had coincidentally happened to be in the same area. The moment he stepped out of the bathroom, however, she was grabbing him and pulling him down the hall, away from prying eyes.
He had been too surprised to resist her and found himself eventually backed up against a wall with Minya standing imposingly in front of him, forcing all his attention on her.
“Minya,” Jeno said, trying to figure a way out of the situation. “What do you want?”
Minya blinked innocently at him, as if she hadn’t just trapped him alone with her. “Jeno,” her voice dripped with fondness, “I really didn’t think you would come tonight. Your mom kept telling me you would, but I didn’t dare get my hopes up.”
Jeno tried to side step her, but she was quick to block him. Her dress gave her a wider space to cover and Jeno was too polite to ruin something that had to have been thousands of dollars.
“You’ve been so… distant, this past year.” Her voice sounded a bit unsteady, likely from the alcohol she had been drinking.
Alarm bells were ringing like crazy in Jeno’s head. He looked behind Minya, but there was no one in sight. “I’ve been busy.”
“Too busy for me?” she giggled, using a cutesy voice, but quickly stopped. She stepped closer to Jeno, who pressed himself even harder against the wall. “Or maybe, you were avoiding me.”
Jeno’s heart pounded. With Minya now even closer, he couldn’t avoid making eye contact with her. He wanted to scream, but his voice had left him.
“I’ve been wanting to talk to you for a while now, Jeno. Tonight isn’t ideal, but you haven’t given me any other opportunity.”
Jeno begged the universe to send somebody, anybody, to disrupt this. He could feel time slowing down until he could feel every painful second pass.
Minya’s dark eyes bore into him, big and wide. “Jeno, I’ve missed you,” she whispered. A soft, warm hand touched his cheek. “I’ve missed us.”
She always touched his cheek when she said something life changing to him. She did it when she admitted that she liked him, romantically, and again when she told him that she loved him. She did it when she admitted she had cheated on him the first time, when she later told him he wasn’t enough for her anymore. She did it when she broke up with him, a sad smile on her face as Jeno fell apart. All those times, he had leaned into her touch. He had chased the feeling of a connection between them because she had been everything to him.
Jeno slapped her hand away from his face. “You literally just got married, what the fuck?”
Minya ducked her head for a moment, then laughed. She lifted her head, tossing some curls back behind her shoulders. “Yeah, but he’s nothing like you. He doesn’t love like you do. You’re special to me.”
Jeno scoffed and rolled his eyes. His chest burned. “If I’m so special, then why did you cheat on me so damn much?”
Minya at least had the awareness to look guilty, eyes drifting away from Jeno momentarily. “I was wrong to do that, and I’m sorry for all the hurt it caused. I let my selfishness blind me to what I had.” She returned her gaze to him. “I lost the best love I’ve ever had.”
It was an apology far too late.
“Please, Jeno,” Minya begged, moving closer until their faces were inches apart. “I swear I’ve changed. I’ll do anything to have you again. I need you.”
Something in Jeno, something that had been building for years, finally snapped. “No.”
Minya stared at him, blinking rapidly. “What?”
Jeno pushed her away from his face. A tsunami of hurt, anger, and sadness rushed through him. He was tired of dragging this part of his life along. “You say you’ve changed, but here you are, chasing after a man when you’re supposed to be committed to another. I’m not interested in this and I’m not interested in you.”
Minya spluttered. She had obviously envisioned this going in a different direction. “What about all of our history together? Do you not miss what we had? Everything was so good back then, our love was so good.”
Jeno barked out a laugh. It was loud and humorless and cold. “You mean the most miserable period of my life? My spiral into alcoholism? Your constant manipulation of me?” His hands clenched into fists, nails digging into his skin. “There’s nothing for me to miss. I’ve realized how terrible our relationship was and how terrible you were to me. The only reason I came to this stupid reception was because my mom begged me to, for the sake of our family’s history.”
Minya opened her mouth to beg some more, but Jeno wasn’t finished.
“It was a mistake to come here tonight. I want absolutely nothing to do with you anymore.”
Minya stood frozen, processing the rejection. Jeno used this as an opportunity to properly step around her, avoiding her dress. She reached out and grabbed his hand with both of hers, looking at him with pleading eyes.
“Jeno, please, I love you.”
Jeno yanked his hand from hers, scowling in disgust. “That’s too damn bad.”
With that, he stormed down the hall. He could hear her weakly calling after him, her voice choked with tears, but he didn’t care. This all was a horrible mistake.
He should have never come to this reception in the first place.
-
In the hospital, after nearly drowning, Jeno felt he had finally hit rock bottom. Next to him, someone he barely knew waited. He was there out of no obligation than wanting to make sure Jeno would be okay.
Jeno had turned his head to Jaemin and said, “I’m going to die if I continue like this, but I don’t know how to stop.”
Jaemin had shrugged, and simply replied, “Maybe try a beginning instead.”
Jeno was ready for another new beginning.
His steps felt purposeful as he walked through the venue, making his way back to Jaemin. His friend was sitting at their table and staring at the dance floor, observing the dancing, but his head turned when he heard someone approach.
Jaemin immediately looked concerned when he saw Jeno, standing up to meet him. “Jeno? You okay?”
Jeno grabbed Jaemin’s hand. “I’ve been better. I’ll be better once we leave this stupid reception. Which we’re doing, right now.” He turned to the exit and began to make his way to it, pulling Jaemin along behind him.
“Woah, okay,” Jaemin sounded surprised, but went with his friend easily. “I mean, I’m not opposed, but why now?”
Jeno spotted Minya’s figure entering back into the venue’s main space. There were tear tracks on her face and people took notice right away. Jeno looked away, walking faster. “Some people never change, Jaemin. The universe decided I needed to be brutally reminded of that one more time, apparently, before that finally stuck.”
They dodged a screeching toddler. They were nearing the entrance of the venue.
“Was it Minya?” Jaemin took an easy guess.
Jeno looked back at Jaemin, long enough so his friend could see the fire in his eyes. “You fucking bet it was.”
There was an older couple exiting the venue in front of Jeno and Jaemin, forcing them to slow down a bit. They didn’t have a ride waiting, but Jeno would walk all the way back to their hotel if he had to. Anything to get away from this place. He could feel the adrenaline firing through him as they made it through the doorway of the venue. The distinct clicks of his mom’s heels echoed behind them.
They made it a couple feet outside of the venue before Jeno’s mom began calling after them. Jeno grimaced and reluctantly stopped, knowing he had to face his mom at some point.
Jaemin squeezed his hand. “I can lie for us and take the blame.”
Jeno felt strengthened by his friend’s support. “No, it’s okay. I can handle this.” He dropped Jaemin’s hand and turned around to his mom.
Her face was pink, frazzled from having to chase them down. She had abandoned her shawl somewhere, exposing her thin arms. “Where are you going? The reception isn’t over yet and you promised you’d stay until the end.”
“I need to leave, Mom,” Jeno said, voice steady.
His mom blinked, confused. “Why? Is something wrong?”
Jeno sighed, shaking his head. “I just can’t stand being here any longer. It’s too much.”
“What about Minya? What will she think?” His mom placed her hands on her hips. “I had to beg you to come out and support her. Do you not know how much this wedding means to both our families? How much this means to me?”
“Because she’s like a daughter to you,” Jeno filled in the rest of the argument for her, having heard it too much. He was tired of his mom ignoring his feelings and after the encounter with Minya, he was feeling particularly vicious. “Did you ever consider how I feel about all of this? Actually, no, you did consider, because I told you multiple times how miserable being around her makes me feel. You’re perfectly fine ignoring how I feel. You care more about her than your own goddamn son.”
Jeno knew his voice was getting louder and attracting the attention of bystanders. He knew he was being disruptive. He didn’t care.
His mom grew livid at his accusations.“You have no right accusing me of baseless things. Everything I do is for your own good, so I apologize if trying to keep our families connected offends you. This is more than you and Minya and I thought you were mature enough to realize that.” She jabbed a finger at him. “I paid so much to get you and Jaemin to this reception.”
“You could have saved yourself the money,” Jeno sneered. “In fact, I really would have preferred if you had. Then I wouldn’t have wasted my time at this stupid fucking reception of my stupid fucking ex who made me nearly drink myself to death.”
His mom threw her hands up in the air, frustrated. “Oh, stop being so dramatic. It’s your own damn fault you became an alcoholic.”
A strong breeze blew past them, blowing rocks across the ground. Jaemin stepped forward to speak, but Jeno held up his hand to stop him. He’d rather Jaemin stay out of this argument. “Do you know why I started drinking so heavily? It’s so I could handle dealing with her whenever she got home from whatever man she was fucking that night. She stopped hiding that she was cheating on me, by the end of our relationship.”
There were a few people watching them now, perhaps ready to intervene if things got out of hand or perhaps people who recognized Jeno’s relation to Minya.
“If I got drunk enough, I was able to pretend like our whole relationship was okay. I could convince myself she still loved me,” Jeno laughed, bitter and sad. “And when she broke up with me, the drinking followed, because I had no other way to cope.”
Jeno remembered, fresh off of the breakup, texting Minya and begging her to let him fuck her. He told her she could treat him like one of those guys she cheated with, that she could use him as a quick pleasure fix. Anything with her was better than nothing. She had told him that he was too pathetic for her to have sex with. He fell asleep that night crying in the bathtub, an emptied bottle of liquor in his hand. He threw up all over himself the next morning. He had never felt more humiliated in his life.
“You can say that the alcoholism is my fault, and it might be. I’ve been sober for a year now, by the way. But you cannot deny that she hurt me.”
Jeno’s words hung heavy in the air. He watched his mom and the anger on her face. He knew she hated it when plans fell apart, but this one never should have been formed in the first place.
She swallowed and struggled to find words. She settled on the first thing she could think of. “You’re only so upset because you’re still in love with her.”
Jeno rolled his eyes. She once again was brushing his feelings under the rug. He looked his mom in her eyes. “I’d rather drown than have anything to do with her again. I hate Minya.”
His mom inched back and flickered to the people surrounding him. She spluttered and made a strange, high pitched noise. It was clear she was panicking.
Behind her, Jeno spotted his dad walking towards them. He steeled himself for another fight, though his dad’s expression was unreadable.
“Wonyoung.”
His mom startled at her name, turning to see her husband. He placed a hand on her shoulder. She started to speak, but he shook his head, shutting down the argument. He looked back over at Jaemin and Jeno and sighed. “You two can leave. You don’t need to be here, not if it’s making you miserable.”
“What?” his mom gasped, utterly betrayed.
Jeno was also surprised. Their argument had been quite loud, he realized. “How much did you hear?”
His dad’s eyes held a strange sadness to them. “Enough out here. And enough in the hall, with Minya.”
Jeno hadn’t realized his dad was near. It was possible, in his rush to leave, that Jeno had walked right past him. He found himself speechless.
“Jeno, I’m sorry. I should have listened to you better,” his dad apologized, sounding deeply sincere. “Please, go back to the hotel. Enjoy the rest of your stay here. Don’t worry about any more obligations with us.”
His mom started to protest, but his dad pulled her away and back to the venue. The people around them dispersed, gossiping amongst themselves.
Jeno turned and found Jaemin staring at him, eyes full of wonder.
“You know I’m like, insanely proud of you right now,” Jaemin said, the end of his sentence trickling into a breathy laugh. “I’m calling us a cab. Let’s blow this popsicle stand.”
-
After the near drowning incident, Jaemin and Jeno found themselves becoming fast friends. Maybe part of it was trauma bonding from the incident, but Jeno had found himself gravitating towards Jaemin’s personality, their conversations flowing naturally.
Getting sober had been ugly and a frightening wake up call to how destroyed his body had become from addiction. Jaemin had a friend that had struggled with drinking before and they were able to direct Jeno to some resources. There was a lot of therapy and a lot of breakdowns, as well as some fights with Jaemin and other friends, but one day, Jeno woke up and realized he had gone over a month without drinking.
No drink could replace the absolute joy and pride he felt that day.
Jeno laid on the hotel bed, having changed into his casual clothes as soon as they got back. He could hear Jaemin finishing up washing his face in the bathroom, the splash of water followed by the faucet turning off.
Jaemin walked out of the bathroom, dressed in an oversized shirt. The faces of his cats decorated it. He raised an eyebrow at Jeno and walked over, leaning his face over Jeno’s. “You good?”
Jeno shrugged. He’d been rolling through his thoughts, trying to figure out how he felt. What he felt was a whole lot of everything. “Meh. That was a lot.”
Jaemin nodded and patted Jeno’s chest. “Understatement of the year. I know it’s late, but I kind of want to walk down to the beach. There’s a trail next to the hotel.”
Jeno sat up. “I’m going with you. A walk sounds really nice right now.”
“I figured you’d say that,” Jaemin said, already moving to put on his pair of beach sandals.
Jeno followed suit, then the two made their way out of the hotel.
Outside, the night sky was clear and the temperature had cooled down significantly from the day time. They walked to the trail, a dirt path that winded from the parking lot and through some trees. There were some small lanterns alongside the trail, to ensure that anyone walking it during the night could still see the way. They walked down the trail in silence, with nothing but the sound of nature and their footsteps in the air.
One thing Jeno appreciated about Jaemin was that Jaemin could stand silence. He didn’t need to fill the void or make small conversation. He also had an intuition for when someone wanted to talk and when someone just wanted to think, allowing space for both. The silence never felt awkward like it did with some of Jeno’s more extroverted friends.
They walked close to each other, their hands and shoulders repeatedly brushing up against one another. It was a nice rhythm and the walk did wonders to help untie the knot of thoughts in Jeno’s head. He could see why Jaemin used to do it, before he fixed his sleep schedule. By the time they reached the beach, Jeno no longer felt like his mind was about to explode.
They walked a little ways on the sand, then Jaemin gestured towards a fallen log. They sat down on it, their shoulders side to side. With it being night, there wasn’t far they could walk on the beach before things would be too dark to see, so Jeno was fine sitting instead.
The ocean before them looked like a sea of ink. The moon hovered a ways above it, shining down into the water. Nature continued on as usual.
“I’m glad you brought me here,” Jaemin broke the silence.
Jeno frowned. “I have good reason to doubt that.”
Jaemin shrugged. His gaze stayed focused on the water, watching the outline of waves hit the shore. “No, I’m serious. I would have felt bad if I wasn’t here to support you. It was a lot for you to handle, yet you stood up for yourself in the end. Not a lot of people can do that.”
Despite how awful the night had gone, between the horrible conversations Jaemin witnessed and partook in with Minya, then seeing Jeno and his mom argue, Jaemin didn’t seem upset or disturbed. He didn’t act awkward or treat Jeno like fragile glass. He was still content to be by Jeno’s side.
Jeno laid his head on Jaemin’s shoulder. He felt Jaemin put his head on Jeno’s.
“She had asked me to take her back,” Jeno admitted, finally. “She grabbed me right as I left the bathroom. She told me that she missed me and loved me.”
Jaemin winced, hissing. “Damn, at her own wedding? That’s… that’s so fucked up, Jeno. I’m so sorry.”
“Yeah.” Jeno thought about her naive husband, who had been so happy with her on the patio. There was nothing he could do but hope it worked out for the man. “You know, I think if she asked me two years ago to take her back, I might have given in. Even if she had gotten married. I would have put up with anything, back then, to have her back.”
Jaemin reached down and grabbed Jeno’s hand. “But you changed.”
Jeno smiled. “I changed. God, I’m so glad I changed.” The wind blew his hair around and gave him goosebumps all down his arms. “I wish she could have changed, too.”
“You can’t force another person to be good,” Jaemin said.
They sat out there for a while longer, silent and listening to the ocean. Eventually, Jaemin got too cold and Jeno started yawning, so they decided to head back.
The walk back was as quiet as the walk to the beach, but it felt more peaceful. The tree leaves rustled in the wind, bidding them good night.
In their hotel room, after rinsing the sand off their feet, they retired to the bed. Jaemin turned on the TV and flipped to a random channel. He ended up on some nature documentary about octopi. Jeno curled up under the bedsheets, half watching it.
“We still have one more full day left on the island,” Jaemin mentioned, tapping on his phone. “What do you want to do tomorrow?”
Jeno thought about it and shrugged. “I have no clue. Are there any cool places nearby we could visit?”
Jaemin searched the internet and pulled up a travel guide for the island. “We could go to the beach again. Maybe we could rent some supplies for scuba diving. Oh, there’s a few hiking trails too. There’s also a boardwalk, I think I overheard some people talking about it at the reception. It sounded pretty cool.”
Jeno waved his hand, sleepy. “How about all of it?”
Jaemin laughed, fond. “A day out on the island it is, then.”
Jeno looked back at the TV. He watched a camouflaged octopus wait for its prey to swim closer. Once it did, the octopus shot itself at the fish in the blink of an eye. By sheer luck, the fish was able to get away, bolting from the danger.
Jeno looked back over at Jaemin. His friend was looking at tourist reviews of different places on the island, occasionally taking screenshots of places that he thought could be interesting.
Jaemin, the man who helped Jeno become confident in himself again, who supported Jaemin’s recovery without ever asking anything in return. Jaemin, who had agreed right away to go with Jeno on this trip even before he knew that it would be paid for in full.
Jeno smiled and closed his eyes, sinking back into his pillow. He thought of his years with Minya and all the hurt, followed by the years of alcoholism. He imagined it as two blocks tied to him, their strings having been too thick to cut through before but now thin and fraying.
Finally, he cut the strings, and moved on.