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“This can’t be happening to me,” Jeonghan murmured to himself as he read the text message over and over.
His supposed date cancelled on him, saying he was moving to another city as soon as possible. Jeonghan, of course, knew that he was lying because who the hell moves to another city after agreeing to be a plus-one for a wedding happening tomorrow!?
Jeonghan blocked the number without a second thought and threw his phone onto the bed. Sitting on the edge, he put his face in his hands and groaned.
“What the fuck am I supposed to do now!?”
Jeonghan was a floral designer—arguably one of the best and youngest ones in Seoul. So good was he that even his ex-boyfriend availed of his services for his own damn wedding.
Granted, they’ve been over for nearly two years but, still, Jeonghan would be hard put to say that it didn’t hurt his pride.
He simply thought that it was pitiful enough that he was designing the flowers for Minjun’s wedding, so the least he could do for his wounded ego was to bring a wedding date.
“Why me? Why are all of these happening to me!?”
He fell back on his bed and stared at the ceiling.
“I’m toast…seven years down the drain and now I have to go dateless.”
He heaved a deep, heavy sigh and dreaded what his college acquaintances would say about him.
It was so hard not to expect the worst murmurs of gossip around the reception since he and Minjun shared way too many friends and acquaintances.
“Maybe I’ll wither and die tonight…that’s alright because the flowers are taken care of already! Right, right…”
But then his furry little white cat jumped onto his tummy, meowing like the arrogant animal that he was.
“But then, who’s gonna take care of Ddoljjong? Joshua’s probably gonna feed him canned liver spread by mistake!”
Jeonghan sat up. “What am I gonna do, Ddoljjongie? Your dad’s gonna look like a sad spinster!”
Meow, which roughly translated to Beats me. I’m hungry.
So, being the slave that he was to his cat, Jeonghan stood and despondently prepared Ddoljjong’s afternoon snack.
Coming up with no idea at all about what he was going to do, Jeonghan did the next best thing he knew—go to the local sports pub.
He, of course, dragged along his friend Joshua—who swore he wasn’t going to drink anything, yet there he was with a second drink in his hands.
“My face is gonna be so puffy tomorrow, I swear to God,” Joshua lamented, sipping his cosmopolitan.
“You’re not the one getting married tomorrow. Shut up,” Jeonghan replied with a scoff. “Also, we need to fix my problem!”
“Just don’t attend.”
“I can’t. I’m the floral designer, remember?”
“Just say you’re down with something contagious.”
“That’s so unprofessional. It’s still a job, you know.”
“Then I have no other solution to offer you,” Joshua downed the last of his drink.
They were seated at the bar where, in Joshua’s words, a very attractive bartender was vigorously shaking a cocktail shaker. “Why don’t you ask him? He’s hot.”
Jeonghan followed his gaze. Joshua was right, the bartender really was hot. In fact, he’d been stealing glances at him for the past two months since the bartender started working at the pub.
“You’re crazy,” Jeonghan said. “I’d look desperate if I asked a random guy to be my plus-one.”
“Well, you don’t have any other choice, do you? Well, except if you wanna try renting a boyfriend.”
“Is that even legal!?”
“Beats me,” Joshua shrugged casually. “Hey, order us another round.”
Jeonghan squinted at his friend. “What happened to not drinking tonight?”
“I’m on my second, so I might as well get a little smashed.”
“I’m not paying for this one,” Jeonghan replied, faux annoyed, but raised a hand to get the bartender’s attention.
The guy looked up, and Jeonghan realized that in the last two months, he never got over the electricity that shot down to his guts every time the bartender gazed at him.
Silly. Just plain silly, Jeonghan, he scolded himself.
The guy moved over to stand right in front of the two friends and Jeonghan was hit by his perfume—a perfect mix of citrus and musk, and a hundred-percent manly.
“Hi. What can I get you?” the bartender said.
Joshua, brazen Joshua, downright fluttered his eyelashes at him. “Your number. If that’s alright with you.”
“Shua!” Jeonghan looked over at his friend, scandalized, then looked back at the bartender apologetically. “Sorry. He’s shameless when he’s tipsy.”
“Hey, I’m not tipsy!”
The bartender laughed. Jeonghan supposed it sounded genuine. “It’s fine. Nothing I haven’t heard since working here.”
Joshua smiled mischievously. “Ah, because you’re so handsome, you’ve gotten so used to it.”
The bartender nodded. “I guess so? Anyway, anything you want me to fix for you?”
Jeonghan was about to open his mouth but Joshua beat him to it. “Are you gonna be doing anything tomorrow?”
The bartender tilted his head, confused, but replied anyway. “Nothing particular as of now. Why?”
“Shua…please, shut up,” Jeonghan murmured under his breath.
Joshua ignored his friend completely. “You see, Jeonghan’s date bailed on him and he needs someone to take to a wedding tomorrow. Do you wanna be his date?”
“Oh, my God!” Jeonghan ran a frustrated hand down his face, getting completely flushed to his ears. He turned to the bartender. “I’m so sorry about this. We’ll just have one more cosmopolitan each, and then we’ll leave.”
“It’s fine. Don’t be sorry,” the bartender offered a kind smile that reached his beautiful eyes. “I’ll get you your drinks.”
And then he went about taking other people’s orders before making their drinks.
“I so hate you right now,” Jeonghan muttered loud enough for only his friend to hear.
“It worked. Trust me,” Joshua winked.
“What the hell are you talking about? You just made me look desperate!”
“No, I didn’t. I made it obvious that you’re available.”
“And why does that matter?”
“Because that guy has been eyeing you every time we come here.”
“No, he hasn’t.”
Joshua smirked knowingly, shaking his head as if Jeonghan was being utterly dense.
Jeonghan, meanwhile, wanted to rid himself of the secondhand shame he felt. He turned his seat and looked around the pub for anything else to do—any reason at all to get as far away from the bar and its very hot, very smiley bartender.
He spotted the pool table.
“Play billiards with me,” he told Joshua over the music.
“Nope. I’m a bit tipsy already, so I’ll defo lose.”
“You said you’re not tipsy!”
“I lie sometimes, Jeonghan…”
“You’re so useless where you’re needed!”
“I’ll play with you,” the bartender suddenly materialized in front of them with their drinks. “Two cosmopolitans.”
“Perfect!” Joshua said, reaching for the cocktail—whether he was pertaining to the drinks or the bartender’s sudden appearance, Jeonghan wasn’t sure.
“Aren’t you supposed to…you know, bartend?” Jeonghan turned to the bartender, cheeks burning ever so slightly again.
“I’m off duty now. Jihoon’s taking over the bar.”
“Great! You guys should play and I’ll watch!” Joshua said with a subtle but painful kick to Jeonghan’s foot.
Before Jeonghan could protest, hot bartender was already dumping his apron and making his way around the bar to where the friends were seated.
“I’m going to dismember you later,” Jeonghan hissed at Joshua.
“Shall we?” the bartender asked Jeonghan with a tilt of his head to the general direction of the pool table.
Jeonghan slipped off his barstool and trailed after the guy.
As soon as they began playing, Jeonghan realized that the guy was very good at the sport. He casually controlled the cue ball’s spin and direction, and did draw shots like it was a walk in the park.
However, there was one particular moment—when the guy did an effortless jump shot—that Jeonghan allowed himself to think, Hmm. Maybe I really should ask him out—Nope! That’s too insane!
He shrugged off his intrusive thoughts by doing follow shots which were, obviously, not as good as the bartender’s.
Needless to say, Jeonghan lost way too quickly. Especially as he was too busy ogling the other’s tattooed arm—a whole sleeve of tattoos!—and the way his biceps flexed every time he positioned for a shot.
“What do I win?” the bartender said, a victorious smile after finishing off the game.
“I didn’t know we were betting on anything?” Jeonghan asked, leaning a hip against the pool table.
“Don’t people usually bet when they play billiards?
Jeonghan hummed, noncommittal. “I didn’t know about that.”
“Well, it’s a universal rule, I’m afraid,” the bartender grinned, his dimples showing, and Jeonghan thought his knees might buckle.
The bartender stalked closer until he was standing right in front of Jeonghan, not too close but close enough for Jeonghan to hear his own heart beat in his ears.
“Tell you what…I’ll be your plus-one tomorrow.”
Jeonghan stared into his eyes, searching for something he couldn’t quite identify yet. “I don’t even know your name…” he murmured.
“It’s Choi Seungcheol,” the guy reached over and booped his nose with an index finger. “But pretty guys like you can call me Cheol.”
Jeonghan was transfixed. “I’m pretty?”
“Definitely.”
“And desperate?”
“Not exactly.”
Cheol smiled at Jeonghan, making the latter’s heart skip a beat. Oh, already Cheol was causing him some serious heart problems.
“Give me your phone. I’ll type my number in so you can text me the time and place,” Cheol said, his hand outstretched to a dumbfounded yet elated Jeonghan.
“It’s my ex’s wedding, by the way,” Jeonghan told Cheol when the guy handed him his phone back some moments later.
“Oh, crud,” Cheol’s eyebrows raised just the slightest bit before he once again donned a nonchalant expression. “More fun for us, then.”
˖ . ݁𝜗💐𝜚. ݁₊
It was late afternoon when Jeonghan stood right outside the wedding hall. The bride insisted that the wedding be held late—something about the magic of twilight etcetera, etcetera.
Jeonghan rolled his eyes at it before but now he was nervous.
He had texted Cheol the time and venue, yet he was nowhere to be seen.
Jeonghan’s mind began to race with anxious thoughts about being stood up, looking quite pitiful and being shredded to pieces by gossip.
Poor little florist designing the bride’s flowers…
Dateless at his ex’s wedding as if being invited wasn’t bad enough…
Minjun really had an upgrade, no? Imagine if he was getting married to that sad spinster…
But before he could completely spiral out of control, he caught sight of his wedding date.
Cheol walked across the gravel path like a miracle. It was as though time slowed down for Jeonghan as Cheol swaggered in his pristine black suit and tie and his neatly pressed black pants.
The suit couldn’t quite hide his build, however, because when Cheol raised his arm to run a hand through his thick, chestnut hair, his biceps flexed against the fabric impressively.
Jeonghan was sure his jaw was on the ground just like the other guests who couldn’t help but turn their eyes toward the handsome newcomer.
“Hey,” Cheol said when he was in front of Jeonghan. “Sorry I’m a little late.”
“That’s okay,” Jeonghan said, sounding a little dumb to his own ears.
Internally, he shook his head to clear out thoughts of Cheol, so handsome…so buff…Cheol, my date…so hot…
“There you are!” Joshua thankfully butted in—with Wonwoo trailing behind—before Jeonghan could make a fool of himself. He extended a hand toward Cheo. “Hi, I’m Joshua; but you probably know that already.”
Cheol accepted the handshake. “Glad to finally have a name.”
“And I’m Wonwoo.” Wonwoo likewise shook Cheol’s hand. “So, you’re Jeonghanie’s date?”
“Seems like it,” Cheol placed a hand on Jeonghan’s shoulder, making the guy jump a little at the touch.
“Perfect!” Joshua gleefully clapped his hands. “Well, we better get in. Make sure you look at the flowers—Jeonghan designed them!”
Jeonghan rolled his eyes at his friends before the two turned to the wedding hall.
“Sorry about them—they tend to act like proud soccer moms about my flowers.”
“So, you’re the wedding’s florist, huh?”
“Yeah…which makes this whole thing worse.”
Cheol nodded sagely. “Now, I see why you needed a wedding date.”
“You get me?” Jeonghan bit his bottom lip nervously. “No judgment?”
“Zero,” Cheol offered him a warm smile. “You look really good, by the way.”
Jeonghan looked down at his own black ensemble, and thought that he wasn’t that astounding. Instead of the usual black suit, though, he settled with a simple black off-shoulder top and tied his blond hair into a neat, low ponytail.
“I look alright, I guess,” Jeonghan said.
“Nah. You look stunning,” Cheol said without hesitation. “I think you’re the prettiest here.”
Jeonghan flushed but settled with, “You’re really getting into this fake wedding date role, huh?”
“Not acting,” Cheol grinned. “Now, come on. I wanna see your flowers.”
When they got into the wedding hall, they were ushered by the wedding planner to the second row, right behind the groom’s immediate family.
“There must be a mistake,” Jeonghan told the planner. “I was expecting us to sit at the very back.”
“No. The groom really insisted for you to be seated here. You must be VIP,” the planner argued kindly.
And so, too polite to protest, Jeonghan and Cheol settled into their seats, with Jeonghan getting stiff and fidgety while Cheol was busy looking at the flowers—he found each arrangement more delightful than the other.
“Wow, you’re good,” he murmured almost right at Jeonghan’s ear.
“Thanks, I did a quick last-minute check before you came. And I had some help from Joshua and Wonwoo.”
“Speaking of…why are they here, too?”
“They’re workmates with the groom.”
“Ah, I see.”
There was a short silence as they waited for the ceremony to begin but then—
“Jeonghan-ah!” the groom’s mother turned in her seat to face Jeonghan. “Good to see you again, darling!”
“Hi, ma’am. Good to see you, too,” Jeonghan smiled uncomfortably.
“‘Ma’am’? You used to call me mom!”
“Well, it’s a bit…you know…impolite now.”
“Nonsense!” she smiled fakely before turning her gaze to Cheol. “And who is this good-looking fellow?”
Cheol casually draped an arm around Jeonghan and smiled dashingly. “I’m his date, ma’am.”
There was a short but very, very stunned silence that ensued.
Then the groom’s mother laughed loudly, definitely fake as it didn’t seem to reach her eyes. “What an upgrade, I suppose!”
“Thank you…” Jeonghan smiled sheepishly and he supposed it was enough because the woman finally turned in her seat to face the altar once again.
Jeonghan quietly let out a heavy breath as he sank into the pew, closing his eyes like he was praying for lightning strike, while Cheol simply smiled victoriously.
The stained glass windows were casting soft colors around the hall while the guests were murmuring quietly as they settled into their seats.
“Bury me at the back of the wedding hall, will you, Cheol?” Jeonghan murmured quietly to his date.
The wedding ceremony (mostly) ran smoothly, with Minjun briefly casting glances at Jeonghan while the bride was marching toward the altar.
Jeonghan found it really weird and uncomfortable. He thought he should make it a point to avoid talking to him—or even being near him—for the rest of the night.
The ceremony was indeed going pretty well until the part where the preacher said, “Turn to your neighbor and offer a sign of peace.”
Jeonghan’s social panic once again kicked in. He was beyond flustered because Minjun’s relatives—who were right in front of him, and whom he knew well—would have to turn and, when they did, their eyes would land right on him.
So much for going under the radar.
Flustered, anxious and downright out of his wits, Jeonghan turned to Cheol and kissed him full on the mouth—not a nod of the head and a simple “Peace be with you” like a normal churchgoer, but a full kiss on the mouth.
And instead of flinching or stepping back, Cheol, like the devil that he was, returned the kiss with vigor.
It wasn’t a passionate kiss, per se, but there was full mouth-on-mouth action which made a lot of the guests gasp, including one lady who clutched her pearls.
Jeonghan was the first to pull away, eyes wide and surprised at Cheol’s response.
Cheol blinked at him once. Twice. Then he smirked. “Peace be with you.”
“Peace be with you,” Jeonghan whispered back, sounding like he was dazed.
The preacher cleared his throat way too loudly, capturing everyone’s attention back to the altar, the bride and the groom.
Cheol whispered right into Jeonghan’s ear, “That was the most aggressive peace offering I’ve ever gotten.”
“Oh, God…I’m so sorry. I panicked,” Jeonghan hissed back.
“Stop explaining. It’s chill.”
Jeonghan sighed for the nth time that night. “I’m not kidding. Bury me after this.”
˖ . ݁𝜗💐𝜚. ݁₊
Only when Jeonghan and Cheol were seated right next to each other at a round table with floating candles and pastel flowers did Jeonghan allow himself to properly breathe.
A live band played in the background as Cheol sipped on a flute of champagne while Jeonghan picked on his salad.
He cleared his throat, preparing himself to make conversation. “So…how are things going for you so far?”
“I like the free champagne,” Cheol smiled over the glass. “And for you?”
“This salad’s kind of mid,” Jeonghan muttered back.
“Ah, so that’s why you already look mildly bored and emotionally unavailable.”
“Do I really?”
Cheol nodded solemnly. “Still pretty though.”
Jeonghan’s cheeks instantly flushed. “Do you just throw compliments like that in the air?”
“Hey, I’m only telling the truth.” Cheol put his drink down on the table with a soft thud.
“Right,” Jeonghan looked away. “So you’re an honest man, not a flirt?”
“No, I am a big flirt.”
Jeonghan snapped his head way too quickly at Cheol. “Really? Then why haven’t you flirted with me before?”
Cheol shrugged. “You just seemed so…out of my league.”
“What!?”
“You seemed reserved and… prim .”
“Should I be offended?”
“Nope,” Cheol placated immediately, a smug smile on his face. “Definitely not.”
“Okay…” Jeonghan said dumbly. He shoved a forkful of vegetables into his mouth and looked around the reception.
“Hey,” Cheol nudged him lightly with an elbow. “I’m just gonna grab some prawns for a bit. Are you gonna be okay alone?”
Jeonghan smiled. “You’re here to be my date, not my babysitter.”
“Right…Of course,” Cheol agreed and made his way to the buffet.
Jeonghan looked around again, observing each face in the reception party. Minjun really went all out on the invitations because it seemed like all of his relatives were around—even good ‘ol Aunt Hejin from Busan who can’t couldn’t keep her tongue in check.
Of course Jeonghan knew all of them, much to his chagrin. He knew them all because Minjun was painfully family-oriented. In the course of their relationship, he introduced Jeonghan to everyone—and he meant everyone —from his second cousin, to his great-nephews, to his great-great-grandfather.
Jeonghan silently thanked God again that Cheol insisted on being his wedding date or else everything would have been nothing short of pitiful for him. Minjun’s relatives would’ve given him sad little smiles and gentle pats on the shoulder or hand, or worse, they would’ve hounded him with questions about what went wrong in his romantic life.
“I’m back,” Cheol said when he settled back to their table with a plateful of scrumptious-looking buttered prawns.
“That’s a whole lot of prawns!”
“I got some for you, too. You know, in case you wanted them instead of your goopy salad.”
Jeonghan laughed breathily. “Thanks. You’re a life saver.”
“By the way, an ajumma tried to small talk me while I was in line,” Cheol said, pushing the plate between him and Jeonghan. “She tried hooking me up with her dentist.”
Jeonghan reached for a prawn with a fork. “Well, isn’t that cute?”
“Hannie, her dentist is a fifty-year-old divorcé.”
Jeonghan laughed with his whole chest, ignoring the flutterings in his tummy at the nickname. “Still cute, though!”
“Sure,” Cheol frowned. “I admire your optimism.”
They chowed on the prawns for a while, listening to the soft jazz in the background. Then, Cheol broke the comfortable silence first.
“So, what’s your real story?”
Jeonghan swallowed a prawn. “I was with the groom for seven years. We’ve broken up a year and a half ago, so he’s been with the bride for only a year before he proposed.”
“Wow…” Cheol’s brows raised. “I was gonna ask professionally , but that works, too.”
“Oh,” Jeonghan flushed for the nth time that night. “Well, you already know that I’m a florist. I operate my own flower shop, too…I thought that was obvious enough?”
“I had an inkling but I was too shy to ask earlier.”
“You were shy? ”
“Why do you sound unconvinced?”
“Nothing! You just…seemed like a straightforward guy.”
“Really, huh?” Cheol reached for another prawn.
“So, how about you? What’s your story?” Jeonghan asked, forking up another prawn
“Well, I’m currently taking up my law degree. I’m trying to specialize in marriage-related legal matters. Ironically, I hate weddings.”
Jeonghan hummed in surprise around a mouthful of seafood. “That is ironic. Like a chef who hates food.”
“Or a wedding florist who hates weddings, too.”
“I don’t hate weddings…I just don’t like this one…”
Cheol hummed then swallowed his prawn. “You’re kind of giving off misanthropic vibes right now.”
“Observant…” Jeonghan took a sip of his own champagne.
The groom was still nowhere to be found after his grand entrance with the bride over thirty minutes ago, and Jeonghan found it odd.
They stayed in comfortable silence after that, completely focusing on finishing the entire plate of prawns while observing the wedding party.
Minjun’s best man—Ryuji, who was obviously tipsy already—was breaking into a silly dance in the middle of the dance floor. It seemed like he was trying very hard to start a conga line but was failing miserably as there weren’t too many guests dancing and because the music playing was way too jazzy for a crazy party line.
“Poor guy,” Jeonghan thought out loud.
“Who? They guy on the dance floor? Isn’t he the best man?”
“Yeah…”
Cheol clicked his tongue. “He already looks like he’s not gonna make it for his speech.”
“Meh. He’s probably just going to gloat about how he introduced the bride to the groom.”
“Oh, so he’s not useless?”
“Kind of. Too bad he introduced them while I was still with the groom.”
“Definitely useless.”
Jeonghan hummed, his lips touching the edge of the champagne flute when an idea came to him. “Hey, wanna take a breather outside?”
Cheol visibly brightened. “I was waiting for you to ask.”
And so, with their champagne flutes refilled, Cheol and Jeonghan snuck out of the wedding hall, escaping the mild chaos, and walked the short distance to the garden patio overlooking Seoul, the lights of the city looking like distant starlights.
There, the night breeze was crisp yet it felt pleasant as it hit Jeonghan’s face—a stark contrast with the slightly stuffy air at the reception.
The garden was illuminated only by the fairy lights strung around it, while the sound of music and laughter drifted faintly from indoors.
It was, indeed, a very ideal spot.
Jeonghan leaned over the viewdeck’s railing, closing his eyes as he inhaled some fresh air. Cheol sipped his champagne yet his eyes were glued to Jeonghan’s face, much like he was taking him in.
“Weddings are so exhausting, no?” Jeonghan said, still gazing at the view.
Cheol hummed in agreement. “Too many plastic smiles and small talk.”
“And slow dances.”
“That, too.”
“Good thing the prawns were good,” Jeonghan sipped generously.
“I’m gonna regret that tomorrow,” Cheol lamented with a soft laugh. “We practically ate our weight in prawns.”
“So, do you work out? I mean—obviously, you do.”
Cheol raised a brow. “Obviously?”
Jeonghan panicked, internally scrambling for an answer and intelligently came up with, “Well, you’re big.”
That made Cheol smirk and come a step closer, and Jeonghan regretted ever opening his mouth.
“Care to elaborate?” Cheol asked.
“I mean, you have big…arms…it’s hard to miss them, especially after playing billiards.”
“Ah, so you were looking at my arms?”
“I told you, it was hard to miss them since you were practically flexing them in front of my face.” Jeonghan thought he should really learn to shut up.
Cheol laughed, his chest rumbling, and Jeonghan felt himself flush in embarrassment.
“Okay, I do work out,” Cheol said once he stopped laughing at Jeonghan. “About five times a week.”
“What? How are you able to do that on top of bartending and studying?”
Cheol shrugged coolly. “I multitask. I’m talented like that.”
“So you’re smart, buff and you make mean cocktails…”
“You forgot handsome.”
“And modest, too,” Jeonghan said sarcastically.
Another comfortable silence fell upon them. Then—
“You know, you’re funnier than I thought,” Cheol said, matter–of-fact.
“Right, because you thought I was prim .”
“You still kind of are.”
“And why do you think so?”
“Well, first of all, you’re not busting out your dance moves in the middle of the party like that guy back there.”
Jeonghan laughed. “Point taken.”
Cheol took another sip before muttering, “You’re kind of dangerous, actually.”
“Huh?” Jeonghan looked over at him.
“You’re also kind of like a femme fatale in a way…or male fatale, I don’t know.”
It was Jeonghan’s turn to raise an inquisitive brow. “Should I be offended?”
“I don’t think so,” Cheol blinked at him. “You just got this vibe like you’ll flirt with someone and then disappear on them the next morning.”
Oh, if Cheol only knew of Jeonghan’s internal struggles around him. He seriously wondered what kind of inaccurate image the bartender had of him.
“Kinda rude and so untrue,” Jeonghan said instead.
“So you don’t string people along?”
“Nope. Unless they deserve it.”
“So, you’re just borderline judgmental?”
Jeonghan frowned in confusion, his forehead creasing slightly. “Are you trying to pick a fight or…?”
“No, I’m just thinking—never mind.”
Jeonghan stepped closer, his frown deepening. “Please, I’d like to know what kind of judgment you already have of me.”
“And he likes pushing buttons, too—”
“Only the ones that blink red.”
Cheol sighed, a little frazzled by Jeonghan who had come way too close that his heart began doing little flips.
Cheol found that, even with a frown, Jeonghan looked so beautiful; and that perhaps it wasn’t so bad to piss him off a little sometimes.
“Maybe we should head back,” Cheol said.
“Sure. Wouldn’t wanna miss your next act of charming sarcasm.”
“Chaming, huh?”
“Selective listener much?”
“Let’s just get back in there, Hannie.”
That damn nickname almost made Jeonghan’s resolve crumble. Almost. “You go back. I don’t wanna be back in that party.”
“You’re saying it like it’s a dumpster or something.”
“It’s not like that—”
“Do you always do that?”
“Do what?”
“Acting like you’re above it all. Like you can’t have fun unless you’re in control of everything”
“I don’t act like that.” Jeonghan crossed his arms across his chest in defiance.
“You were finicky over the flowers. You only ever relaxed a little after the reception began.”
Jeonghan stiffened, obviously affronted. “I’m sorry, what ?”
“Nothing,” Cheol sighed once more, also regretting letting his mouth run at horsepower again—an aspiring lawyer’s curse, he supposed. “Just forget I said anything.”
“No, no,” Jeonghan stepped closer and closer, effectively backing Cheol until the guy was leaning against the viewdeck’s railing. “I’m so curious about what else you have to say about me, and how almost two hours of banter turned into an unwarranted personality critique.”
“It’s not a critique!” Cheol gazed down at Jeonghan’s furious face. Oh, hell. He’s so pretty.
“What is it, then!?” Jeonghan spat.
“Just—you’ve been acting like you’re just observing people but don’t want to be a part of anything. It’s like you’re trying to find reasons to be unimpressed.”
“And people like you love throwing scrutiny in the air like it makes you seem so deep. Well, it doesn’t!”
“Wow! Okay!” Cheol threw his hand in the air, only then did Jeonghan realize that he was standing way too close for comfort.
He stepped back and took a deep steadying breath. “I was having fun, Cheol. Then, you decided to pick a bone with me out of nowhere.”
Cheol straightened up, too. “Yeah, well, maybe I got tired of your uptightness.”
“Sorry, I’m so prim, then,” Jeonghan said, eyes rolling sarcastically.
“I’ll head back inside because, unlike some people, I actually know how to appreciate free drinks, free food and a good time.”
“Whatever. Do what you want.”
And with that, Cheol brushed past Jeonghan and marched back into the reception hall where he planned to enjoy the rest of the evening.
Funny how a small misstep in playful (and flirty?) banter could take a turn and hit a nerve.
˖ . ݁𝜗💐𝜚. ݁₊
“Hey,” Cheol said, settling in the empty seat beside Joshua.
“Oh. Hi, Cheol. Where’s Jeonghan?”
Cheol set his now-empty champagne flute on the table with a thud. “Back at the garden. We kind of had a spat.”
Joshua tsked. “You’re not even official yet, and already you guys are fighting?”
Cheol shrugged and raised his hand to get a server’s attention.
“Can we get refills please?” he told the guy who immediately went about his task.
“So,” Cheol turned to Joshua. “Does he cool off easily or does he ruminate on his anger?”
“Ruminate!” Joshua looked astonished.
“I’m a law student,” Cheol simply said as though that could explain everything right away.
“Ah, that’s why,” Joshua nodded slowly, apparently getting it. “He’s kind of a vengeful bitch, I gotta be honest.”
“Yikes.”
“Yikes, indeed. But I’m pretty sure he’ll come around. He’s not a bad guy, you know…”
The server came back with their refills and Cheol thanked him.
“Also,” Joshua continued after the server left, “he thinks you’re hot, so he’ll definitely come around.”
“You think so?”
“Hell yeah. In the meantime, you might as well enjoy the party.”
Just then, Wonwoo came over to their table and pulled Joshua up and off his seat.
“I requested a song,” he said, looking a little flushed, probably from alcohol. “And you know we can’t pass the night without dancing.”
As if on cue, the lights went down the slightest and the jazzy music immediately switched up to a livelier tune as the singer announced into the mic that the party had really, finally begun.
“No way,” Joshua told Wonwoo, eyes wide. “Is that ‘Shut up and Dance’!?”
Wonwoo nodded then waggled his eyebrows.
Joshua screeched. “Shut up, bitch! You know I love this song!”
“Then, come on!”
Joshua turned back to Cheol and tried to pull him off his seat, too. “Dance while you wait for your future boyfriend to cool off.”
“Future what—” he was cut off by his own huff as Wonwoo helped Joshua pull him up harshly.
And thus, Cheol spent the past hour with Jeonghan’s friends—shaking their butts on the dance floor and having fun with the rest of the guests like they were truly enjoying the party.
At one point in the evening, one of Minjun’s friends—Seokmin, who was also Joshua’s longtime crush—stepped onto the stage and impressively belted out the Bee Gees’ “More than a Woman.”
So good was Seokmin that even the bride decided to step onto the dance floor. The groom, however, remained seated while he looked downright miserable sipping on what appeared to be wine.
In spite of the argument with Jeonghan—if he could call it that—Cheol was having the time of his life while Jeonghan made the best out of the mobile bar, watching his friends and date resentfully.
He watched while Wonwoo and Joshua laughed as Aunt Hejin pulled Cheol into a dance that was a little too scandalous for a woman her age.
“Traitors,” Jeonghan grumbled to himself before downing another shot. Yet his eyes remained glued to the scene, especially at how beautiful and carefree Cheol’s smile was.
Jeonghan began to feel guilty, however. Maybe Cheol wasn’t trying to pick a fight. Maybe it was him and his own damn pride that made him think that the guy didn’t mean well. Maybe he should just come over there and actually have fun.
Ah, Jeonghan and his defensiveness and paranoia.
He downed another shot.
Across the hall, Joshua made eye contact with him and his friend’s eyes suddenly twinkled suspiciously. Then, Joshua began to move through the crowd and whispered something to the wedding singer.
Oh, no.
Jeonghan should’ve walked out the door as soon as he caught Joshua’s eyes. He should’ve known his friend had something purely evil up his sleeve, like he always did.
“Next on the stage,” the wedding singer boomed into the mic as the band continued to play, “is one of the prettiest faces tonight! Can we give a round of applause to Yoon Jeonghan!?”
Jeonghan choked on his shot. “What!?”
Everyone turned, eyes gazing around the hall in search for him
Then, Joshua yelled and it sounded like a criminal verdict, “There he is at the mobile bar!”
Like slow motion, everyone’s eyes turned to Jeonghan and it was like he couldn’t move. Not even when people began ushering him—more like passing him around almost like he was crowd surfing—across the hall, to the dance floor and up onto the stage.
The guests cheered jovially, wholly unaware that Jeonghan’s blood began to run cold. Even Minjun had set his wine down and turned in his seat to face the stage and watch Jeonghan make a show of himself.
“So what are you gonna sing?” the wedding singer asked Jeonghan and he sounded like he was underwater.
“Oh, my God. I can’t be doing this,” Jeonghan murmured under his breath, his palms feeling clamier by the second.
But then his eyes found Cheol.
In an instant he remembered the bartender’s words. “Acting like you’re above it all. Like you can’t have fun unless you’re in control of everything.”
This freakin’ guy. Jeonghan gritted mentally. I should show you who can’t have fun.
“Earth to Jeonghan?” the singer tried again. “Are you gonna sing or are you gonna pass out—”
“‘Juno’,” Jeonghan said way too quickly, his voice faltering the faintest bit.
“What’s that?”
“I’ll sing ‘J–Juno’ by Sabrina Carpenter.”
“Ooh, gutsy! Alright, let’s give it up for Jeongbrina Carpenter who will sing ‘J–Juno’!”
The guests laughed and cheered but Jeonghan was laser-focused on Cheol as though standing up to him and silently challenging him.
See what I can do, asshole.
Cheol merely smiled up at him—partly confused, partly amused—and gave him a thumbs-up.
The band began playing their own rendition of the pop song and there was a split second when Jeonghan contemplated bolting from the stage and never showing his face ever again in polite society. But then, Cheol whipped out his phone and snapped a photo of him.
Fine! I’ll give you a goddamn show!
“This one’s for the guy who told me I can’t have fun,” Jeonghan said dramatically into the mic, then began singing. “Don’t have to tell your hot ass a thing. Oh, yeah, you just get it…”
Jeonghan, surprisingly, sounded good on the mic and it was apparent in the guests’ astonished expressions and agreeable nods.
With the seemingly positive reaction, Jeonghan began getting into the song, slightly swinging his body along to the music and bopping his head.
What began as an awkward on-the-spot talent showcase soon turned into something quite interesting for Jeonghan.
By the time he got to the chorus, the guests were back to dancing along energetically, some—mostly the younger ones—even began belting the words with Jeonghan.
When the second chorus came in, Jeonghan was already feeling himself as though he was performing at a music awards stage. Suddenly, he was full-on dancing, which was a bit confusing but otherwise entertaining to the others.
Everything was going smoothly and he was beginning to forget that he was doing everything just to spite Cheol. Really, everything was going so well…until the interlude.
Jeonghan got way too bubbly—partly thanks to all the shots he’d taken prior to his onstage performance—because before the interlude ended, he kneeled on the floor to imitate a rockstar doing a guitar riff and then—RIIIIIIP!
It was like Jeonghan’s life flashed before his eyes as his pants split, very loudy, right down the seam.
“Oh, fuck.”
There was a collective gasp then an awkward silence before Aunt Hejin yelled, “Encore! Encore!”
That made the guests break into laughter, clapping as they did so.
Jeonghan chanced a glance at Cheol and the man was standing frozen, eyes wide and mouth agape.
So much for showing off, Jeonghan!
Quickly, Jeonghan left the stage and gave the mic back to the singer who introduced his next victim, brushing off what had happened to Jeonghan as if it wasn’t social suicide.
Jeonghan frantically looked for a staff to ask where the farthest restroom was—far away from the other guests, as far away from his shame as his current predicament could allow.
The server he found pointed him to the one across the garden, and Jeonghan bolted for it.
Unbeknownst to him, Cheol was brisk-walking right after him but not fast enough because he was able to hear the same server speak with another staff—probably his supervisor.
“Why’d you point him to the garden restroom?” the supervisor asked, voice rising over the music. “The restroom door’s jammed there.”
“I didn’t know, boss!”
“Well, go run after the guest!”
“Can’t. I have to bring another wine bottle to the groom.”
“That drunkard of a groom—”
“Excuse me,” Cheol chimed in. “Did you say the restroom door’s jammed?”
“Yes, sir. That’s why we usually don’t let guests wander off to the garden.”
“Oh, crud,” Cheol sighed, distressed. “Alright, listen…I’ll go after my friend and if anyone looks for us please tell ‘em we’re over there.”
“Got it, sir.”
Cheol sprinted then, hoping that Jeonghan hadn’t accidentally locked himself inside yet.
As Cheol came closer and closer to the damned restroom, Jeonghan had just stepped inside and before he could close the door, Cheol had grabbed its doorknob and pried the door open.
“What the f—what are you doing here!?” Jeonghan’s initial surprised expression immediately morphed into a scowl.
“Here to rescue you,” Cheol put on his charming smile.
“Well, too bad. I don’t need rescuing. Unless you have spare pants on you,” Jeonghan tried pulling at the door but Cheol was too strong.
Interesting… he mentally shook off the thought.
“Joshua’s taking care of it. He’s fetching you some new pants from Wonwoo’s car.”
“I see you’ve gotten chummy with my friends.”
Cheol grinned. “Well, they’re fun—”
“Unlike me?” Jeonghan rolled his eyes, annoyed. “I know what you’re going to say.”
“No! You were fun, too. I especially loved the part where you guitar riffed.”
“Ha-ha. Very funny.”
Jeonghan stepped away from the door, giving up on trying to brute-force it. He walked to the countertop and hopped so that he could sit atop it.
“Why’d you follow me here? To mock me? To tell me I really shouldn’t be having fun after all?”
Cheol swung the door fully open and leaned his shoulder on the doorframe. “Why do you think so badly of me?”
“Well, I don’t know, Cheol,” Jeonghan said sarcastically. “Probably because you’re mean?”
“ I’m mean? You’re the one who spat vitriol at me.”
“Vitriol!”
“I told you, I’m a law student, dammit!”
Jeonghan fought the twitch at the corner of his lips. He was not about to find this man funny.
“Okay, fine,” Cheol said, voice a little softer now. Unwittingly, he began stepping closer to where Jeonghan sat like gravity was pulling at him. “I’m sorry I implied that you’re a no-fun spinster. That was pretty dickhead of me.”
Jeonghan hesitated. “Are you for real?”
Cheol nodded.
“Fine,” Jeonghan sighed. “I’m sorry I got too defensive and kind of yelled at you…truce?”
“Truce,” Cheol smiled kindly and Jeonghan found it strangely comforting.
But just as the two were beginning to open up to each other again, a strong gust of wind blew through the garden.
Cheol hadn’t noticed that he was farther from the door and was now almost in front of Jeonghan at the sink, so it was too late for him to catch the door before it slammed shut aggressively.
“Ah, fuck!” Cheol yelled as he turned the doorknob frantically. “Shit, it’s really jammed!”
“Why?” Jeonghan asked, confused. “What’s the problem?”
“This is what I was supposed to tell you—the staff said the door here’s jammed.”
“Shit…So, we’re stuck here?”
“Not unless Joshua and Wonwoo find us quickly.”
“Oh, no! Why do bad things keep happening to me!?” Jeonghan groaned in frustration, putting his face in his hands.
“Come on,” Cheol tried placating him. “It’s not too bad because you’re stuck with me .”
“Oh, shut up, you narcissist!” Jeonghan countered, to which Cheol guffawed.
He stalked closer to the countertop again and hopped onto it, imitating Jeonghan.
“I can’t believe this is how I’ll die…stuck in a cramped restroom with Prince Charming from Shrek,” Jeonghan lamented.
“Hey, watch your mouth! Shrek’s a classic!”
“No, it’s not. It’s a silly kids’ show.”
“When we get out of here, we’re watching Shrek together. I’ll change your mind.”
Jeonghan felt his face heat up at the implication, but chose to ignore it. “We’re still going to see each other after this?”
“You need to be lectured by a film connoisseur.”
“Jeez, you’re really a narcissist.”
“Nah, the film critic’s my brother Hansol.”
Jeonghan’s face felt even hotter, making it harder for him to ignore it. “So not only are we meeting again, but you’re also going to introduce me to your brother !?”
Cheol winked playfully from the side. “I move fast like that.”
“You’re insufferable,” Jeonghan whipped out his phone. “Great…no signal!”
“Your friends will find us soon enough! For now, let’s get to know each other.”
“You’re so greasy!”
“Not even in a romantic way, damn!”
Jeonghan giggled. He supposed Cheol was right, sooner or later someone was bound to find them there, so he might as well make pleasant conversation with the guy. “Fine…”
“So, uh…” Cheol began. “Are you always sarcastic, or is it just when you’re trapped in small spaces with extremely handsome guys?
“I guess my sarcasm gets activated around inflated egos.”
“Harsh. But fair,” Cheol shrugged.
“Are you always this annoying, or just when you’re flirting with someone?”
“Defo when I’m flirting with someone…especially ones who look like you.”
“Wow…you’re so good at this,” Jeonghan blushed even harder. He was beginning to guess that he’d be red as a tomato by the time someone rescued them.
Cheol chuckled. “I can’t tone down the charm, Hannie. It just comes out naturally.”
Jeonghan scoffed.
They were quiet for a short while, listening to the muted sounds coming from the reception hall.
Jeonghan spoke again first, turning slightly to face the other. “I still can’t believe you danced like that with Aunt Hejin.”
“Ah, you saw that, huh? She was the same ajumma who tried hooking me up with the dentist.”
“I thought as much.”
Cheol also turned to look at Jeonghan, eyes intent yet kind. “I still can’t believe you came on stage.”
“I’m pretty sure I traumatized some flower girls.”
“You were so good, though!”
“The audience was laughing at me, not with me…”
“Nah. They were impressed.” Cheol’s voice turned softer, eyes suddenly earnest when he said, “You have a really beautiful voice. You should sing more often.”
“Oh…” was all that Jeonghan could think of as he took in Cheol’s sincerity.
“You made the night more interesting, Hannie.”
Jeonghan couldn’t say anything for a few beats that seemed to stretch an eternity. He searched Cheol’s eyes for a sign of a lie yet he found none.
Meanwhile, Cheol felt his heart slowly begin to race. Perhaps it was time to be serious. Perhaps it was time he asked Jeonghan what he’d been meaning to ask in the past two months…
“Jeonghan…” he said softly, unconsciously leaning forward.
“Yeah?” Jeonghan breathed, he wasn’t sure why he suddenly needed to whisper like there was something fragile in the air.
“Do you think we could—”
Joshua busted the door open, with Wonwoo and the staff supervisor behind him.
“We’ve come to rescue you!” Joshua said dramatically, effectively cutting through the thick air that formed between Cheol and Jeonghan.
Like they touched something hot, the two jumped away from each other, but not fast enough for the intruders not to sense the tension.
“Ooh…Something’s going on…” Wonwoo teased, eyes glimmering behind his glasses.
“Did we interrupt something?” Joshua supplied.
“What are you even doing here!?” Jeonghan asked stupidly, voice rising suspiciously.
“We got you some pants!” Wonwoo piped up. “Good thing I have spare clothes in the trunk.”
And with that, Jeonghan changed into Wonwoo’s emergency pants while Cheol, with his back to him, stood by the doorframe to make sure that the door didn’t close on its own again.
Jeonghan discarded the ripped pants in the trash and came to meet Cheol at the door. “Where’s Joshua and Wonwoo?”
“Back at the party. They said the bartender busted out the Bacardi so they had to be first in line.”
“Why is everyone trying to get smashed tonight?”
“Maybe we should follow suit?”
“Good idea.”
They went back to the party, forcefully trying to forget whatever happened to them before Joshua and Wonwoo’s intrusion. Perhaps they could jump right back into it at the end of the night, under the streetlights and with liquid courage.
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When Cheol and Jeonghan got right back to the reception hall, it was time for the bride to toss her bouquet.
Jeonghan remained at the back with his arms crossed on his chest, totally uninterested. Cheol, however, was very enthusiastic.
“Come on, Hannie. Get to the front a little bit so you can catch it.”
“You know it’s just a dumb superstition, right?”
“Yes, and?”
“A bouquet won’t guarantee love!”
“But it guarantees a thrill—which I live for!”
After teasing the nearly-rabid guests three times, the bride finally threw her bouquet at them, totally not expecting the chaos that would ensue.
A dozen guests dove for the flowers like a bunch of hyenas—a child even ended up ducking under a table from fear. Cheol, somehow along the conundrum, managed to body-check an old lady by accident.
“Don’t bite the old lady!” Jeonghan yelled from the sideline.
“She bit me first!” Cheol yelled back.
“I regret nothing!” the feisty old lady screeched as she pried the bouquet from Cheol’s hands.
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After the wedding bouquet debacle, Cheol and Jeonghan settled back to the table they were assigned to, and Jeonghan finally thought, This night is turning out pretty well after all.
That is, until the band began playing an upbeat song that was so unsuitable for a wedding party.
“Gather up folks, it’s time for the TikTok dance showdown!” the singer—who seemed like he was intent on embarrassing each guest that night—yelled into the mic.
From the main table beside the stage, the bride cheered, raising her hands in the air while her husband remained glowering at the general direction of the dance floor.
Looking giddy, she whispered something to him that turned his expression harder. The smile instantly dissipated from her face and Jeonghan felt sad for her. Minjun had that kind of temperament—always grumpy, always with a frown marring his face. Looking back, Jeonghan wondered how he ever spent seven years with such a bitter man.
He looked over at Cheol who was sipping his drink while smiling at the crowd and thought that, although he had only known the bartender for a very short time, he already knew that he was a better, more pleasant man to be around with.
Jeonghan smiled to himself.
“Hey, are you on TikTok much?” Cheol suddenly turned to Jeonghan, almost catching him with the goofy smile on his face.
“No. Why?”
“We gotta join.”
“ You are going to join, not me.”
“Oh, come on, Hannie! Look at the prize!”
Jeonghan turned his attention to the stage where a small cask of wine was being presented by the singer. “A cask of wine for the public humiliation, Cheol!?”
“You just need to get the right steps to three songs—that’s easy!”
“No!”
“We need to win! We’re drinking that on our second date!”
“Our what—”
Jeonghan’s voice was overpowered by the suddenly loud music. Promptly, “Savage Love” began to play and Cheol ran to the dance floor like his life depended on it. Jeonghan couldn’t believe anyone could run that fast for free alcohol.
Of course, Cheol was successful in getting to the center of the floor first and dancing the steps right. And, of course , he was an impressive dancer.
He just keeps outdoing himself in perfection! Jeonghan thought with a fond scoff.
Cheol dove to the dance floor three more times and, as expected, he won the cask of wine. He raised it to his head like some football champion and yelled, “Jeonghan, we’re drinking this on our next date!”
Jeonghan sank lower into his seat, partly wishing for the ground to open up and swallow him.
The guests cheered while some recorded the whole ordeal, much to Jeonghan’s horror.
But what he thought was horrifying was nothing close to the horror of what happened next.
While the guests were busy having the time of their lives, they were unaware of how—behind a huge flower arrangement at the main table—the groom and the bride had begun a quiet scuffle.
Well, quiet until Cheol accidentally backed into the mic stand, causing it to fall right on the main table. Feedback echoed through the hall and everyone covered their ears, then—
“I should’ve married any of my exes instead of you!”
The bride, Cheol, Jeonghan, everyone at the reception fell into a painful and eerie silence while Minjun’s drunken remark echoed through the sound system.
Minjun froze in place while the bride put a hand to her mouth.
“Why can’t you try to be a polite person for just once, Minjun?” she said, stunned.
Since the cat was out of the bag, Minjun—in his stupid, drunken stupor—supposed he might as well announce what he felt. “Because this fucking wedding is a mistake! I’m not ready to marry—no, scratch that! I should’ve married the stripper last night instead of you!”
The bride, with her trembling hands, slapped him across the face hard —the sound reverberating even louder than his twisted confession. She, then, picked up the mic and screeched, “I’m divorcing this prick tomorrow! Don’t stop the party until midnight!”
And then she left.
The party remained frozen until Minjun, like the sad, defeated asshole that he was, scrambled after her.
“Let’s keep partying!” Aunt Hejin yelled yet again from somewhere in the hall, and only then did the band and singer pick up where they left off.
When Cheol got back to the table, Jeonghan was still laughing his ass off. “I’m sorry, but what the fuck did you just do?”
“Guess I broke up a marriage before it actually began,” Cheol grinned and set the small cask on the table.
“Oh, God—I feel so bad for laughing, but that was something straight out of a comedy film!”
“I think I wanna get buried behind the wedding hall with you, after all.”
“Okay, but only if we can bring your prize with us.”
“Deal,” Cheol picked up his flute and clinked it with Jeonghan’s.
˖ . ݁𝜗💐𝜚. ݁₊
It was close to midnight and the party didn’t look like it was about to dwindle down any time soon.
Cheol and Jeonghan, both undoubtedly tipsy by then, had been glued at the waist. Their conversations and banters began to flow effortlessly again, much like they hadn’t been quarreling earlier.
Jeonghan discovered that Cheol’s eyes burned with passion whenever he talked about law school and his hopes of bringing more good into the world once he got his degree. While Cheol discovered that Jeonghan’s eyes glimmered with wonder whenever he talked about his flower shop and showed photos of all the best arrangements he ever did.
Jeonghan found out that Cheol had two younger brothers—Mingyu and Hansol—and that his mother made, arguably, the best kimchi in all of Daegu. While Cheol found out that Jeonghan had a hopeless romantic secretary who he thought would be a perfect match for Hansol.
Really, their conversation was easygoing and playful, and a couple of times flirty thanks to Cheol’s coquettish nature. So inseparable were they that people around them stopped trying to butt in to make conversation. It was like they got the message that the two wanted to talk to nobody but each other.
Cheol was in the middle of explaining the secrets to his mother’s legendary kimchi when the lights began to flicker before going completely out.
The guests gasped, some murmured frantically.
After about a minute of darkness, the lights flickered back on and then a bloodcurdling scream echoed through the reception hall.
There, in the middle of the table where the wedding cake would’ve been, was the body of Ryuji the best man—sprawled face-down and covered in what appeared to be blood. A chunk of cake was lodged in his hair.
The guests stared for a beat too long before all hell broke loose.
“He’d been murdered!” Aunt Hejin screamed frantically. “The drunk bastard got murdered!”
The wedding singer—who’d been, practically, the lead character in this tale—shouted into the mic, “Nobody move! The killer is among us!”
Minjun’s mother fake-fainted into the arms of a muscular server, while two groomsmen tried to “secure the perimeter” by waving at people to stop scrambling.
A waiter ducked under a table, shaking. “This so isn’t worth minimum wage!”
Meanwhile, someone knocked over the champagne tower and the flower girls began to wail.
The bride and the groom were still nowhere to be seen but still, one of the bride’s uncles accused, “I bet Minjun killed him because he introduced him to Sora!”
“Someone call 911 already!” another man yelled.
Suddenly, Ryuji groaned from above the table.
“It’s a zombie!” Aunt Hejin announced.
Ryuji sat up, holding his head. “Ugh—wha’ haffen, you guys?”
Everyone froze.
“Wait…” Joshua piped in from somewhere across the dance floor. “Is that red velvet cake?”
And sure enough, in the whole minute of darkness, the very drunk, very rowdy Ryuji had knocked the cake off of the table and managed to get himself covered in red frosting and cake.”
Minjun’s mother suddenly “regained consciousness” and screeched, “Goddammit, Ryuji! You ruined the expensive cake!”
“The floor was slippery, auntie. I blacked out on the second tier,” Ryuji scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “Sorry?”
“Aww, man,” Wonwoo told Joshua, but in the silence of the hall, it was as if he was telling the entire party. “So, no murder? I thought this was gonna be my Agatha Christie moment!”
Everyone groaned in unison and from the stage the singer announced, “Let’s wrap up this party, folks!”
More disappointed groans and “Aww!” resounded in the reception hall.
While all of this chaos unfolded, Cheol and Jeonghan remained beside each other, snickering like children with their own little secret
“What the hell was that?” Cheol chuckled breathily. “He’s obviously covered in cake.”
“Ryuji’s dramatic, drunk ass,” Jeonghan rolled his eyes with a giggle. “He always gets into accidents like this.”
Cheol reached under the table, squeezing Jeonghan’s hand. “Wanna sneak out while everyone’s distracted?”
Jeonghan squeezed his hand back just as tightly. “You know what, I think that’s very on-brand of us.”
Cheol grabbed the wine cask and secured it under his arm while his free hand found Jeonghan again.
Once they were out into the gravel path, they breathed in the cold night air and smiled at each other.
“Since the groom and bride are probably not gonna have their honeymoon tonight, what do you say about doing it ourselves?” Cheol chided, waggling his manicured eyebrows at Jeonghan.
Jeonghan hit his arm without much force. “Greasy ass motherfucker. You’re an opportunist!”
“Just kidding!” Cheol guffawed. “Wanna hang out at my place so we can shit talk the wedding over a cask of wine?”
Jeonghan pretended to think. “Hmm…Okay, fine. I’ve done worse for alcohol.”
“Oh, really now?”
“I’ll tell you about it later,” Jeonghan winked and suddenly it was like Cheol’s heart was shot with an arrow. He never thought that he’d be even more attracted to Jeonghan.
“Hey,” he said, his face leaning a little further into Jeonghan’s space. “Wanna get married?”
Jeonghan rolled his eyes. “I’m pretty sure the local chapels are closed by now.”
“Don’t worry, we can just sign papers. You hate ceremonies, right?”
“What—you’re gonna marry us, yourself?”
“I’m still studying, baby, but I have lawyer friends.”
“You’re crazy!”
“For you, yeah.”
“Take me on a second date. Italian.”
“Not a problem.”
Cheol closed the distance between them and planted a gentle kiss on Jeonghan’s slightly parted lips.
When they pulled apart, Jeonghan’s eyes were dreamy and oh so beautiful.
Cheol murmured, his voice dropping low and dangerous. “So what do you say?”
“Wait—” Jeonghan said dazedly. “You were serious!?”
“For realsies.”
Jeonghan giggled and hit Cheol’s chest this time. “Okay, Elle Woods. Take me on more dates and we’ll see how it goes.”
Cheol grinned and kissed the tip of Jeonghan’s nose before they began the short walk to where Jeonghan’s car was parked—hopeful and giddy, with the promise of a potential new love blooming on the horizon.
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