2015: ethereal serendipity (Baekhyun/Suho)
Pairing: Baekhyun/Suho
From: ANONYMOUS until REVEALS
Title: ethereal serendipity
Rating: PG-13
Other Pairing(s)/Focus: Kai/D.O., Chanyeol/Chen
Length: 6,654 words
Summary: Baekhyun saves someone else’s happy ending and ends up finding his own.
Notes: This a super self-indulgent fic which is heavily inspired by my side-dream of becoming a wedding planner. I can’t promise accuracy, and some parts may confuse you. And this fic was kind of rushed as well, because college has taken over my life. But I hope those who get to read this enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it! :3
When Baekhyun accepted his mom’s job offer, he didn’t realize that it would come with this much stress. He anticipated late nights, frantic meetings, and a handful of emotional break-downs. But no one had mentioned to him that keeping the couple’s tempers in check and breaking up their fights would be part of his job description.
“Jongin, I swear to god, if you invite that girl to our wedding, I will stab you with a fork!”
“But she’s my cousin, Soo!”
“She cheated on my brother! Do you think he’ll be okay seeing that girl with some new guy she’s dating now?”
“That was 5 years ago! I think your brother would’ve gotten over it!”
“No means no, Jongin. No.”
“But-“
Baekhyun looks on as the two bicker like pre-schoolers. They’re a sweet couple most of the time - hugs, cuddles, and kisses that remind Baekhyun of how painfully single he is.
He was referred to Kyungsoo and Jongin by his best friend, Chanyeol. Chanyeol met the two in business school a couple of years back and according to him, the pair has been dating ever since.
They, Baekhyun himself included, all come from wealthy families. They all finished high school in Korea, but their fathers insisted on sending them to the U.S. for college. Baekhyun thinks he would’ve met Jongin and Kyungsoo, would’ve become friends with them even, if he went to business school with Chanyeol. But he didn’t, instead of going to UC Berkeley like his father wanted him to, he went to Parsons, a design school on the other side of the country. It started out as a ploy to simply piss off his father, he wasn’t really planning on pursuing but as the years went by, he actually started liking and appreciating his degree.
When his mother suggested that he take over her wedding planning business, Baekhyun had a lot of inhibitions. But he realized a few years into the job, that making other people’s dreams into a reality was something that made him happy. There was a lot of pressure involved in making sure that the weddings would give justice to the relationship of the couples. Baekhyun isn’t exactly a perfectionist, but he really gives his all to his projects. Because weddings, according to his mother, are supposed to be perfect because marriage is not easy at all.
Before he was talked into planning Jongin and Kyungsoo’s wedding, he already had heard and read about the grand proposal.
Jongin’s proposal, as Chanyeol described, was straight out of a romance novel. It involved a lot of flower petals, fireworks, a helicopter, and a stretch of the beach in Jeju Island. It was grand to say the least, and the wedding, of course, would be no less.
The three months he’s been meeting up with Jongin and Kyungsoo had given him enough perspective on the couple. Their personalities differed greatly, but somehow they make it work. However, when they disagree on something, well they it’s not pretty. They, more often than not, settle these differences through shouting matches. Which have caused Baekhyun nothing but intense headaches and a ton of stress.
When he first met up with the couple to discuss the basics, the two had debated on where they’ll hold the wedding. Money wasn’t an issue, both being heirs of huge companies in South Korea that have expanded internationally. So they could choose any location. Jongin wanted the wedding to be in Greece, while Kyungsoo wanted a wedding in France. Jongin insisted on a beach setting, while Kyungsoo wanted a view of the Eiffel Tower.
The long debate ended when Baekhyun suggested they hold the wedding in Anguilla, a Carribean Island, instead. After seeing the photos of the location, both immediately agreed and apologized for their embarrassing outbursts.
Two months ago, the couple had a disagreement on what flavor their 5-tiered cake was going to be. (They decided to have different flavors for each tier.) A few days after that they fought over which designer they will chose for the tuxedos. (It was a battle between Prada and Hugo Boss, but they ended up choosing Armani.) And last month, they had fought over which color will go better with gold and peach. (They ended up choosing mint green.)
It’s been a rough few weeks for Baekhyun, and he’s just thankful he didn’t take another client, focusing solely on what is to become the biggest wedding (and company merger) in Korea’s recent history.
He snaps out of his daze when he hears the door slam. Which only means that things didn’t end well.
He was about to ask Jongin what happened, but the pout on the boy’s face says it all.
💐💐💐
The levels of stress that Baekhyun is going through for this particular wedding are so intense, even his sleeping and eating patterns are affected.
The last time he encountered this much stress was about two years back when he handled the wedding of a famous Korean singer and China’s favorite leading man. He remembers how the two decided on a very public wedding since they wanted to appease their fans for surprising them with the sudden engagement. It was a whirlwind romance of some sort, and everything had to be rushed. Baekhyun and his team had roughly three months to prepare everything. Not only did he manage the wedding behind-the-scenes, he was also part of the press release team that teased the public about the biggest wedding that year. He also personally made sure that the guest list was clear of anyone who would attempt to cause a scene.
Suffice to say, Baekhyun only slept a total of 5 hours during the week of the wedding. The only consolation he had was that the wedding ceremonies and reception went smoothly, except for a slightly embarrassing moment wherein the grooms, after consuming at least 3 bottles of wine each, accidentally disclosed to public the explicit details of their honeymoon. But otherwise, it went a lot better than he had expected it to.
However, the Kim-Do wedding is well on its way on breaking the records of the Kim-Lu wedding. It’s 3 in the morning, but he is awake because he had just received an email from the flower supplier in the island. Kyungsoo specifically wanted naturally peach colored flowers (roses in particular), but Baekhyun was told that it was quite difficult to find anyone that could supply them almost ten thousand fresh peach roses.
Baekhyun is researching on possible alternatives and solutions to their problem. He could suggest that they use white roses instead, or possibly carnations.
He was already drafting an email to one of his friends who owned a huge flower shop chain when his phone starts ringing again. And he wonders why anyone would choose to be awake at this ungodly hour in the morning.
“Baek, I need your help!”
Baekhyun immediately notices the frantic tone in Chanyeol’s voice. The tone, which Chanyeol unknowingly uses quite a lot, indicates that his best friend is in trouble.
“What is it now, Park?” he replies, knowing that his best friend had managed to get himself in some sort of altercation yet again.
“Remember the guy I liked in high school?”
Baekhyun remembers, of course. How can he forget when Chanyeol always dragged him to the library for ‘study sessions’ just so he could stare at his crush for the whole lunch period. (That happened for four years.) And how could Baekhyun forget when Chanyeol, a grown man and a highly respected future CEO, gushed and fanboyed over his first love who had become a break-out Broadway actor.
“Yes, Chanyeol. How could forget him?” he says while rolling his eyes, he had expected something much more urgent than Chanyeol’s woes about his still one-sided love affair. But since he’s already awake, he might as well listen.
“I ran into him at this party, and I think I might have drunk kissed him?”
“You drunk kissed Jongdae?”
To say he’s shocked is an understatement, because the last time he checked, Chanyeol was still a little coward who refused to make a move even though it had been made clear by several reliable sources that his long-time love interest is very much single.
“I think? We met at this party. I knew he was coming, I mean, everyone’s been waiting for him. And I kept drinking because I was nervous. Then he approached me, and he remembers me. We talked, well he did. I was too shocked and drunk to even- And I- he- he brought me home. I was drunk, and I’m not sure if I did. But I remember his face being really close to mine and-“ Chanyeol continues on mumbling incoherently, debating with his judgement as if it would help him find out what really happened.
Baekhyun actually thinks, considering the fact that drunk Chanyeol is very touchy, clingy, and a lot bolder than sober Chanyeol, his best friend might have actually kissed his first love, finally, after almost 8 years.
“Look, what if you did? No big deal, he knows you were drunk. So you either you pretend it never happened,” he pauses, for dramatic purposes, “or you ask him out, and I don't know, confess?"
He hears the shattering of glass on the other line, which could only mean that Chanyeol had dropped another one of his very expensive glassware (which he could easily replace).
“Ask him out and confess? Won’t he think that’s weird? I mean we haven’t seen each other in years, and I just ask him out? And what? Tell him I've been in love with him since we were 16?"
Normally, Baekhyun would be the logical one between the two of them. He’d say that it would actually a bit weird for Chanyeol to ask Jongdae out just like that after about 5 years of not seeing each other. Especially if Chanyeol actually kissed him. But he’s been watching his best friend’s one-sided love affair for too long. And he really wants the boy to get his happy ending too. And he honestly thinks it won’t be difficult for Chanyeol to make Jongdae fall for him. Chanyeol can be very charming, and he’s kind of good looking too.
“Trust me on this one, okay? Now take a bath and sleep, it’s almost 4 AM.”
Chanyeol sighs from the other line, and Baekhyun knows, just from the sound of it, that he’s actually considering his suggestions.
“Okay, you should sleep too, Baek. I mean I know I was the one who recommended you to Jongin and Kyungsoo, but you shouldn’t pressure yourself too much. I mean the wedding is like 6 months away.”
Baekhyun lets out a slight chuckle. Even after all these years of seeing him plan weddings, Chanyeol still hasn’t gotten used to how he fixed his timetable. Baekhyun thinks it may have something to do with the fact that he was an unorganized person back when they were younger. And Chanyeol is still used to being the one putting him in line, but things have changed. He’s changed.
“Yeah, okay. Bye Yeol, don’t forget what I said.”
He ends the call and stretches himself on the couch. He’s been sitting on it for 8 hours straight. He had a mini-office set up his living room. It had rained quite hard earlier that day, so he opted to stay at home instead of going to the office. And his once relatively tidy living room had turned into a fancy dumpsite.
Bridal magazines were stacked all around the coffee table. Swatches of cloth and cut-outs of patterns were scattered everywhere. And there were a lot of loose paper and sticky notes with him on the couch and on the floor.
He’s going to be meeting Jongin and Kyungsoo again later that day. The couple will finally be picking out the invitation design. They’re already behind schedule, because the invitations should’ve been sent out a week ago. But because of the previous debate on the color scheme, they had to push back the production of the invitations. But it’s nothing Baekhyun can’t handle, he just hopes Heechul doesn’t lash out at him for rushing the production again.
There were a lot of things he still needed to settle, but he thinks he should at least reward himself with some sleep because he’s quite sure sleep will become a scarce commodity in the next few months.
💐💐💐
“So, everything’s settled. There are still minor details that need to be polished, but it’s nothing to worry about. So are you two excited?”
The meeting went well, much shorter and less stressful than the past ones. But Baekhyun can’t help but notice that there was some awkward tension in the air.
“More like exhausted, god, the merger is killing me.” Kyungsoo replies, running his hands through his hair, looking a lot less enthusiastic than he was in the past meetings.
Jongin mirrored this exhaustion, but he keeps quiet
.
Baekhyun doesn’t know what to think of it, but he’s seen these things happen before. The tiredness. The lack of excitement. The tension. And these things, they all end up badly.
“I know you’re also managing the mergers of your companies, but this wedding is important too. So, see you next week for the food tasting?”
The couple shares a look, "Oh, we forgot to tell you, but we can't join you next week..."
"So we'll reschedule then?"
"Um no..."
Baekhyun scrunches his forehead, suddenly coming to a conclusion. A really bad one.
"Oh no! No! Don't worry about us. We just have been too caught up with work so we asked someone really close to us to help."
Usually he disagrees with plans like these, because he wants the couples to personally make the decisions for their special day. But he knows that Kyungsoo and Jongin are already under so much stress and pressure from their fathers who thought it was a good idea to have the merger happen in time for the wedding.
“Okay, fine. Just don’t blame me if you end up hating the food.”
The two laugh, making him feel a lot better at least, and a lot less worrisome about the state of the couple. That’s one thing he really can’t avoid though, getting invested in his clients and feeling like their mother. It’s an instinct he acquired in the past few years he's been in the wedding planning business.
It's tiring, actually. But he can't help but care.
Jongin and Kyungsoo leave shortly after their meeting ends, and he's alone at his office again. It's a Sunday, and his staff are probably at home and enjoying what’s left of their weekend. Usually, Sundays are his rest days, but it's the only day that the couple is free, so he gladly gave away his Sunday, because work comes first.
But he has the rest of the day for himself. He's been wanting to visit an exhibit that Seunghwan has been raving about. It's an exhibit by a Korean artist who studied and made a name for himself in London. The said artist is touring the US with his art, and this one in California is his last stop. Baekhyun read somewhere that most of pieces in the exhibit have been sold already, all for very high prices. And he’s very curious about the said artist, who still remains faceless up to this date.
Majoring in design himself, he had a couple of art classes back in college which he really appreciated. He takes a special liking in modern and contemporary art. On his free time, he makes an effort to go around and visit exhibits by budding artists.
Luckily, the exhibit is located at a building that’s just a block away from his office. So he quickly gathers his things, and he heads out. As soon as he steps out of the building, a strong breeze greets him. And he’s glad he wore a jacket at least, anticipating the autumn weather.
He loves being able to go out and stroll like this, it’s refreshing and calming. And it’s exactly what he needs.
The stroll doesn’t take him much time, and a few minutes later he’s in front of Reverie, an art cafe, one of the many that have been suddenly popping out around the metro. This one’s the biggest and most visited though, and it’s where the most sought-after young artists exhibit their works.
The ground floor is where the cafe is located. He orders a green tea latte before heading up to see the exhibit. He takes a brochure from the counter, reading a bit about the exhibit.
The exhibit is said to be inspired by the cherry blossoms and the romance that come with their season. The artist, while he was in London, said that he missed walking by the streets of Yeouido during the time when the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. And despite seeing cherry blossoms in other countries, there was something about the ones in Seoul that he truly missed.
Baekhyun also grew up in Seoul, and he completely agrees with the artist. He’s seen the ones in Washington D.C., but it felt different still. So as he goes up the stairs, his anticipation only builds up even more.
When he reaches the last step, he takes in the view. And it most definitely does not disappoint.
A huge mural painting of a cherry blossom tree covers one of the walls. And several paintings and photographs lines the back wall. But the main attraction is the art installation at the center of the room, and it’s where most of the people crowd to take photos. It’s a huge floor to ceiling cherry blossom tree with a skeletal trunk shaped like a couple holding hands. The flowers are said to be hand-painted and hand-sewn by the artist himself. And looking at the entire thing, there must be more than a thousand flowers. And they all look very real.
It wasn’t exactly crowded, but there is quite a huge amount of people who came to see the exhibit before the artist packs up. At the corner of his sight, a man sitting on a bench at the side of the room, sipping his coffee, catches his eye. He stands out because while everyone seemed to be fascinated by the artworks, he just seems too placid and empathetic. But the man is handsome, very much so. And somehow, Baekhyun feels attracted. Maybe even more than he is to the art.
💐💐💐
It’s a Saturday afternoon, and he’s driving to a restaurant owned by a close friend who will be the one catering the food for the wedding. Jongin messaged him the night before that a certain Kim Joonmyun will be meeting him at the restaurant. Kim Joonmyun is Jongin’s cousin who coincidentally was Kyungsoo’s sunbae in high school. It was a coincidence that excited the couple, and that ultimately made them decide that Junmyeon was their most trusted person.
When he arrives at the restaurant, he’s ushered to the kitchen where he sees a man animatedly talking to the chef.
“Kim Junmyeon?”
The said man turns around, completely shocking him, because it’s the same guy from the art exhibit. He’s still painfully attractive, maybe even more than Baekhyun remembers. He’s wearing a simple buttoned-down shirt and a dark pair of jeans, but he looks ready for a photoshoot.
He approaches slowly, but Baekhyun thinks it’s just his emotions and his concept of slow-motion playing with him, “Byun Baekhyun?”
When they’re close enough, Junmyeon offers his hand and says, “It’s nice to finally meet you! I’ve heard great things about you.”
He blushes, and he feels awfully like a teenage girl with a crush. And suddenly, he regrets all the times he teased Chanyeol for gushing and blushing over Jongdae, because it’s exactly what he’s doing right now.
“Um- thank you?” he manages to stutter out. All he wants is for the ground to swallow him whole, because he knows he’s going to embarrass himself. It’s been awhile since he liked someone, and he hasn’t dated anyone since college which was 4 or 5 years ago.
Junmyeon smiles warmly at him, and it almost blinds him. He pulls a seat for him at the table. And he couldn’t help but think of what it would be like to date someone as much of a gentleman as Jumyeon is.
He listens while Junmyeon talks to the chef in very fluent English that lacked a Korean accent. It amused him very much, because despite living in the U.S. for almost 6 years, he still had the accent when he spoke in English.
“Oh, I almost forgot. Baekhyun, this is Amber Liu, she’s the executive chef.”
He extends his hand for a handshake, which was accepted warmly by the other. He hasn’t had the chance to speak with Amber, but he’s been talking to the owner of the restaurant and Amber’s fiance, Henry Lau.
“Oh, Henry told me that you’ll be here with the couple, but they aren’t here yet. So are we still waiting for them?”
“I forgot to tell him, but the couple is very busy right now, so they sent Junmyeon on their behalf.”
Amber nods, understanding the situation, “Well okay then, I’ll lead you to your table outside, then someone will bring the found out in a while.”
They’re led to table at the corner of the restaurant, near the window. When Amber leaves, Baekhyun realizes that he’s alone with Junmyeon. Which meant he’ll probably end up making a fool out of himself.
But there’s something he’s really curious about, “Were you at Reverie last week?”
Junmyeon looks surprised by the question, but he nods nonetheless, “I was. Were you?”
“I went there on the last day, because a friend suggested it. And well, everything was beautiful.”
Even you, he thinks. But he keeps that to himself, because he doesn’t want to seem like a creep.
“You did? Well, I’m glad. The artist is a friend of mine.” Junmyeon says, looking really happy and pleased.
“There’s a painting I really like, but I was told someone already bought it.”
Junmyeon smiles, “That happens, but I hope you find other works that you’d like.”
Junmyeon’s smile is genuine, warm, and just overall pleasant. And it makes the butterflies in his stomach go crazy.
💐💐💐
Baekhyun finds himself at the same restaurant with Junmyeon weeks after their first meeting. They’ve met briefly for coffee in the past few weeks, but all the meetings were rushed because they were both very busy. And since the couple begged off from this again and chose to trust their judgement instead, they’re going to be the ones who’ll taste the wedding cake.
Unfortunately, the French pastry chef of the restaurant doesn’t speak much English, and Amber and Henry both have prior engagements. So they try their best to communicate, with the chef’s broken English and Junmyeon’s very limited French.
“You getting married right?”
Both of them have a hard time deciphering the chef’s words because of her heavy accent. So they just nod, not knowing that they were being mistaken as the couple getting married.
The woman, who he assumes is about the age of his mother, claps enthusiastically and coos at them. That’s when they realize that they must’ve agreed to something wrong.
But the chef heads for the kitchen and leaves them dumbfounded. They share a look, which makes Baekhyun’s heart skip a beat. Although he’s stopped being an awkward schoolgirl, he still is very much attracted to Junmyeon. Especially when Junmyeon is gorgeous, smart, and an absolute gentleman. He still hasn’t thought of how to deal with his feelings, but he knows someone who can help him.
Minutes later, a platter with 10 different cake slices is served to their table. They are also given a score card and a pen, with instructions to rate the cakes which will ultimately help them choose the 5 flavors. However, there was only one plate and one fork.
The chef smiles at them and says, “I gave only one plate and fork, it’s okay right?”
He understands that one, and he’s about to protest but Junmyeon beats him to it, “Okay, thank you!”
His eyes go wide at the thought of sharing the same fork with Junmyeon. He’s fine with sharing. He often does with his friends, but it’s an entirely different story when it’s with someone you like.
And before he even realizes what’s happening, Junmyeon is already holding the fork, with a piece of cake, close to his mouth, “Say ahh!”
He blushes furiously, and he tries to hide it by laughing, “Are you serious?”, he says, hoping his pink cheeks go unnoticed.
Junmyeon brings his face closer, while he, on the other hand, struggles to keep his ground, “Just open your mouth, Baek!”
He knows pulling back and pushing Junmyeon’s hand away will be too suspicious, so he just opens his mouth and accepts the cake.
It’s strawberry flavored, and personally he dislikes strawberries. But this one has a mild but tangy and fresh taste, and he likes it. And he gives it a high score because he remembers Kyungsoo saying that he liked strawberries.
They taste the rest of the cakes, and Baekhyun still blushes each time. It’s funny how the simple gesture makes him feel really giddy. He blames his lack of romance for turning him into a sappy, hopeless romantic who sees life as a romcom.
He’s computing the scores when Junmyeon reaches out, thumb grazing the edge of his lip. He freezes, eyes wide and heart beating out of his chest.
“You had something on your lip.”
Their eyes lock for a moment, and he holds his breath the whole time. He’s sure he has never felt this way before, and he knows he shouldn’t because he doesn’t even know if Junmyeon was single. Or that if Junmyeon even liked boys. He’s just setting himself up for heartbreak, but he can’t help but think it’s worth the risk.
💐💐💐
Baekhyun wakes up to the sound of message and email alerts, all of them containing one thing.
The Kim-Do wedding and company merger have been cancelled
The Kims and the Dos end their 5-year partnership
The articles are all very vague, only stating that there was a major disagreement between the current presidents of the companies, Jongin’s and Kyungsoo’s fathers. A disagreement that couldn’t be settled, leading to the end of their companies good relationship, and of course the highly talked about merger. But what shocked everyone was the cancellation of the wedding. It’s a shocker because they’ve been together way before their companies even decided to hold a partnership.
His phone continues to ring, and without looking, he answers it, “Hello?”
“Baek, have you read the news?”
It’s Junmyeon on the other line, and his voice, although calmer than Baekhyun’s, hints that he’s also a lot worried about what’s happening between the two.
“I have, and I can’t believe this is happening.”
Just a few days ago, he video-chatted with the couple to update them about the final details of the wedding which was supposedly 3 weeks away. It’s crazy, because they were so happy and excited then. There were no signs of anything bad happening, and now everything is said to be over.
“I got to talk to Jongin, and it’s the fault of some officials in their company who disagreed with the merger. They created this false document about the Kims and sent it to the Dos. Part of it is true, but it’s not that big of a deal. The information was just manipulated really badly. And he said Kyungsoo isn’t returning his calls, so he’s really worried. Jongin’s been crying a lot too.”
It saddens him to hear about everything that’s happening to the couple. And there’s this strong urge to help the couple save their relationship.
“I think we should help them fix this… I mean this isn’t their fault, right? And their love should come first, above all this drama.”
“I know we should, but how? I heard that Kyungsoo’s dad has another engagement in mind already, and Kyungsoo is a very obedient son. I know he loves Jongin, but he values his family a lot.”
Baekhyun sighs, knowing the repercussions of disobeying the conditions set by fathers. So considering the couple’s situation, it’s going to be really difficult to help.
His silence is immediately noticed by Junmyeon, “We can try though, we can go to Kyungsoo’s apartment to explain, since there’s a higher chance he’ll listen to us compared to Jongin.”
Baekhyun agrees to that and Junmyeon’s offer to pick him up in an hour.
For a while he forgets that he’s still very much infatuated with Junmyeon, whose relationship status is still a mystery to him. He’s just thankful for the diversion, glad that he can set aside those thoughts for now, because there’s something much more important than the uncertainty of his not yet existent love life.
They need to save Kyungsoo and Jongin’s relationship, because one thing’s for sure, their love is no joke. And no business feud is big enough to come in between a love like theirs.
💐💐💐
How they ended up cramped in Jongin’s Mercedes at 7 in the morning, he’s not sure. But talking to Kyungsoo led to a lot of brainstorming which ultimately led to one thing. A civil wedding at the City Hall.
At first, Baekhyun felt disappointed. Because he had actually hoped that the plans will still push through. But the couple said that their fathers would definitely refuse to fund anything. They have their own money, but it would be impractical since all the guests have been informed that the wedding isn’t happening. So the next best thing is to get married simply. Ideas were thrown around, and it seemed like the best place to go.
“I’d marry him anywhere anyway, so let’s just go.” Jongin said, making Kyungsoo cringe and blush at the same time.
Jongin is driving, and Junmyeon is sitting shotgun. Beside him, Kyungsoo is fidgety and restless.
“Kyungsoo, are you okay?” he whispers, wanting to keep their conversation private for the other’s sake.
“I’m not, I’m shaking. I’m- I want to marry him, but my dad-”
He gives Kyungsoo’s hand a squeeze, hoping it’ll calm the boy.
When they arrived at the city hall, they’re greeted by a friend of Junmyeon’s. Luna leads them to an office, which they assume to be the venue of the ceremony.
It’s a huge leap from the white sands and gorgeous view in Anguilla, but it doesn’t matter. Because their love is the same, and that’s what’s important.
The officiator comes, and they immediately start the wedding. It’s just 5 of them in the room, but somehow the air is warm and happy. Jongin and Kyungsoo look so happy, and he can’t help but feel the same.
Especially when Junmyeon is standing so close to him.
“Do you, Jongin Kim, take Kyungsoo Do, as your lawfully wedded husband?”
“I do.” Jongin says, and the two words have so much feelings in them. It’s the promise of ever after, through adversities and challenges. It’s the promise of patience, of love, and understanding.
And when Kyungsoo utters the same two words, the feelings are the same.
Congratulations and hugs are thrown around, and the newly wedded couple is glowing and radiating so much happiness.
“Thank you, Baekhyun. For everything. We’re really sorry all your hard work went to waste.”
He smiles at Kyungsoo’s apology, because it’s too out of place. And he doesn’t need it because his hard work did pay-off somehow.
“Don’t worry about it, okay? Now, go home and tell your parents about this.”
A glint of worry flashed through their eyes, but Baekhyun knows they could easily get through it, especially since they’re together.
“Baek,” Junmyeon calls for his attention, holding his arm back. His heart skips a beat, and he can feel blood rush to his cheeks.
“Yeah?” he simply replies, to avoid saying anything that would further embarrass him.
“Let’s have dinner?”
And of course, he says yes.
💐💐💐
“We weren’t even together, but why do I feel like I’ve been left at the altar?”
He knows he sounds and looks crazy, crying and laughing at the same time. And he’s probably stealing the limited time Chanyeol has with Jongdae. But there’s no other place he could go to, only Chanyeol’s. He was already drunk when he arrived, but he’s now sobered up. He wanted to drink again, but Chanyeol refused to give him anything alcoholic, so he’s stuck with mug of warm milk.
“We weren’t even drunk when he kissed me, so he knows what he did! But he’s not even responding to my messages!”
The dinner they had after the wedding went well. They didn’t know that they shared so many interests, but it was a good sing that they clicked. There was an undeniable connection, which was proved by the kiss they shared by the door of Baekhyun’s apartment.
Chanyeol is quiet, and Baekhyun knows it’s because he doesn’t know what to do either. It’s always been him who gave advice, and Chanyeol is probably shocked to be thrown into this kind of situation.
So it’s Jongdae who gives him the words he needs instead.
“I honestly think you should wait it out, Baek. It's been a week, but he might have his reasons. If he still doesn't contact you at all within another week, then I guess he's a coward."
Jongdae side-eyes Chanyeol, who still blushes furiously despite the fact that he's been dating Jongdae for more than 3 months.
Chanyeol had followed his advice and confessed to Jongdae. It wasn't grand by any means, but it was from the heart. And Baekhyun knows that it’s Chanyeol’s sincerity that won Jongdae over.
It’s been a week since they got back from Las Vegas, and he hasn’t heard from Junmyeon since. Jongin and Kyungsoo are on their way to the resort in Anguilla where the wedding ceremonies were supposed to be help, now they’re going for their honeymoon instead. It’s been a tough week for them, but they’re happy. They got to fix the issue between their companies, and the merger will be finalized once they get back.
Baekhyun is happy for them, Chanyeol and Jongdae, Jongin and Kyungsoo, he really is. But it’s so difficult to be happy for other people when you, yourself, are miserable.
He really thought that the feelings were mutual, because that kiss was everything he imagined it to be. It was perfect, and his lips still tingle at the memory of Junmyeon’s lips on his. From the hesitant press to the insistent and intense push and pull.
It’s crazy how strong Junmyeon’s effect is on him, but it’s the realest thing he’s felt in the longest time. And it hurts him to think that it may have been just him with the feelings this whole time, and that all of these mean nothing to Junmyeon.
It’s almost 1 in the morning when he finishes sulking. Chanyeol offers to drive him home, but he refuses. He’s been too much of a bother, and he insists that he’s not drunk anymore and can safely drive himself home.
“Okay, fine. But promise that you’ll text me when you get home.”
It takes him five whole minutes to convince Chanyeol that he can take care of himself, and that he’ll remember to send a text as soon as he gets home. He shares a look with Jongdae, who gives his arm a reassuring squeeze. They’re a beautiful couple, he thinks. A perfect match.
He doesn’t want to feel jealous, but he does. And he really wants to be mad at Junmyeon, but he just can’t.
So as he drives home, when he texts Chanyeol, while he brushes his teeth, and before he falls asleep, Junmyeon’s all he thinks about.
💐💐💐
“No, sir. There isn’t any mix up, this package is really for you.”
The huge package that came to his apartment was completely out of the blue, because he isn’t exactly expecting anything. So he had to ask again to make sure that he’s really the package is really meant for him.
So despite his confusion, he signs and thanks the delivery man. The box is huge, it’s width and height are half his size. He takes the letter opener from his desk, and he opens the edges carefully.
When he pulls up the flaps, he receives the biggest shock he’s had in a very long time. Inside the box, surrounded by shreds of paper and wrapped in bubble wrap, is a painting from the cherry blossoms exhibit in Reverie. The same exhibit where he first laid eyes on Junmyeon.
It’s the painting that caught his eye then. It’s a painting of the silhouette of a couple leaning their heads on a cherry blossom tree. It’s romantic and beautifully painted. He can’t believe that someone sent it to him. But a realization dawns on him, and his heart starts beating really fast, because there’s only one person who knows about how much he liked this painting.
Junmyeon.
He almost misses it, but there’s an envelope inside the box as well. There’s first thing he sees is a note.
I know I left you hanging, but there were things that I needed to sort out. And now I’m sure, I really am. And I hope it’s not too late, but watch the cherry blossoms fall with me?
Along with the note is a plane ticket. To Seoul.
He connects the dots, and without any hesitation, he starts packing. He doesn’t even mind what he’s stuffing in his luggage, because the excitement flowing through his veins has completely distracted him from anything else.
He hails a cab to LAX, and everything happens in a blur. The delivery of the package and the schedule of the flight was perfectly scheduled, because he arrives at the airport just in time for the boarding. Many thoughts race in his mind, but all of them are overpowered by the euphoria he’s feeling in his heart. It feels surreal, straight out of a fairytale.
He’s slips in and out of sleep during the 16 hour flight. When the plane finally lands at Gimpo airport, all the exhaustion is forgotten.
But he’s hit with a strong wave of reality that this isn’t a fairytale, and he isn’t just going to be lead into a car that will bring him to Yeouido.
So as he goes through the routines in the airport, he tries to recall which line he has to ride, which station he should go down, and which exit he should take.
But apparently, his life has become a fairytale overnight, because there’s a car waiting for him outside the airport.
The familiar sights overwhelm him. It’s been a year since he last visited Seoul, and it’s been more than 5 years since he visited in time to see cherry blossoms bloom.
The drive was short, 14 minutes to be exact.
He doesn’t realize it until he takes a peek at the dashboard, but it’s 5 in the morning. And when he gets out of the car, the entire park is void of people. Except one.
“Junmyeon?”
He drops everything, and he runs. To Junmyeon, who looks as happy as he is.
They both pause, taking in the moment, each other. Because it’s unreal.
They’re in Yeouido, with the wind blowing ever so lightly. Just enough to pick up the fallen blossoms. Just enough to make the moment picture perfect.
“I’m sorry. For making you wait. But you’re here, I can’t believe it.”
Tears fill his eyes as they slowly bridge the gap, their faces inches away.
Their lips touch, and everything is perfect.
Just like Junmyeon's painting.
From: ANONYMOUS until REVEALS
Title: ethereal serendipity
Rating: PG-13
Other Pairing(s)/Focus: Kai/D.O., Chanyeol/Chen
Length: 6,654 words
Summary: Baekhyun saves someone else’s happy ending and ends up finding his own.
Notes: This a super self-indulgent fic which is heavily inspired by my side-dream of becoming a wedding planner. I can’t promise accuracy, and some parts may confuse you. And this fic was kind of rushed as well, because college has taken over my life. But I hope those who get to read this enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it! :3
When Baekhyun accepted his mom’s job offer, he didn’t realize that it would come with this much stress. He anticipated late nights, frantic meetings, and a handful of emotional break-downs. But no one had mentioned to him that keeping the couple’s tempers in check and breaking up their fights would be part of his job description.
“Jongin, I swear to god, if you invite that girl to our wedding, I will stab you with a fork!”
“But she’s my cousin, Soo!”
“She cheated on my brother! Do you think he’ll be okay seeing that girl with some new guy she’s dating now?”
“That was 5 years ago! I think your brother would’ve gotten over it!”
“No means no, Jongin. No.”
“But-“
Baekhyun looks on as the two bicker like pre-schoolers. They’re a sweet couple most of the time - hugs, cuddles, and kisses that remind Baekhyun of how painfully single he is.
He was referred to Kyungsoo and Jongin by his best friend, Chanyeol. Chanyeol met the two in business school a couple of years back and according to him, the pair has been dating ever since.
They, Baekhyun himself included, all come from wealthy families. They all finished high school in Korea, but their fathers insisted on sending them to the U.S. for college. Baekhyun thinks he would’ve met Jongin and Kyungsoo, would’ve become friends with them even, if he went to business school with Chanyeol. But he didn’t, instead of going to UC Berkeley like his father wanted him to, he went to Parsons, a design school on the other side of the country. It started out as a ploy to simply piss off his father, he wasn’t really planning on pursuing but as the years went by, he actually started liking and appreciating his degree.
When his mother suggested that he take over her wedding planning business, Baekhyun had a lot of inhibitions. But he realized a few years into the job, that making other people’s dreams into a reality was something that made him happy. There was a lot of pressure involved in making sure that the weddings would give justice to the relationship of the couples. Baekhyun isn’t exactly a perfectionist, but he really gives his all to his projects. Because weddings, according to his mother, are supposed to be perfect because marriage is not easy at all.
Before he was talked into planning Jongin and Kyungsoo’s wedding, he already had heard and read about the grand proposal.
Jongin’s proposal, as Chanyeol described, was straight out of a romance novel. It involved a lot of flower petals, fireworks, a helicopter, and a stretch of the beach in Jeju Island. It was grand to say the least, and the wedding, of course, would be no less.
The three months he’s been meeting up with Jongin and Kyungsoo had given him enough perspective on the couple. Their personalities differed greatly, but somehow they make it work. However, when they disagree on something, well they it’s not pretty. They, more often than not, settle these differences through shouting matches. Which have caused Baekhyun nothing but intense headaches and a ton of stress.
When he first met up with the couple to discuss the basics, the two had debated on where they’ll hold the wedding. Money wasn’t an issue, both being heirs of huge companies in South Korea that have expanded internationally. So they could choose any location. Jongin wanted the wedding to be in Greece, while Kyungsoo wanted a wedding in France. Jongin insisted on a beach setting, while Kyungsoo wanted a view of the Eiffel Tower.
The long debate ended when Baekhyun suggested they hold the wedding in Anguilla, a Carribean Island, instead. After seeing the photos of the location, both immediately agreed and apologized for their embarrassing outbursts.
Two months ago, the couple had a disagreement on what flavor their 5-tiered cake was going to be. (They decided to have different flavors for each tier.) A few days after that they fought over which designer they will chose for the tuxedos. (It was a battle between Prada and Hugo Boss, but they ended up choosing Armani.) And last month, they had fought over which color will go better with gold and peach. (They ended up choosing mint green.)
It’s been a rough few weeks for Baekhyun, and he’s just thankful he didn’t take another client, focusing solely on what is to become the biggest wedding (and company merger) in Korea’s recent history.
He snaps out of his daze when he hears the door slam. Which only means that things didn’t end well.
He was about to ask Jongin what happened, but the pout on the boy’s face says it all.
💐💐💐
The levels of stress that Baekhyun is going through for this particular wedding are so intense, even his sleeping and eating patterns are affected.
The last time he encountered this much stress was about two years back when he handled the wedding of a famous Korean singer and China’s favorite leading man. He remembers how the two decided on a very public wedding since they wanted to appease their fans for surprising them with the sudden engagement. It was a whirlwind romance of some sort, and everything had to be rushed. Baekhyun and his team had roughly three months to prepare everything. Not only did he manage the wedding behind-the-scenes, he was also part of the press release team that teased the public about the biggest wedding that year. He also personally made sure that the guest list was clear of anyone who would attempt to cause a scene.
Suffice to say, Baekhyun only slept a total of 5 hours during the week of the wedding. The only consolation he had was that the wedding ceremonies and reception went smoothly, except for a slightly embarrassing moment wherein the grooms, after consuming at least 3 bottles of wine each, accidentally disclosed to public the explicit details of their honeymoon. But otherwise, it went a lot better than he had expected it to.
However, the Kim-Do wedding is well on its way on breaking the records of the Kim-Lu wedding. It’s 3 in the morning, but he is awake because he had just received an email from the flower supplier in the island. Kyungsoo specifically wanted naturally peach colored flowers (roses in particular), but Baekhyun was told that it was quite difficult to find anyone that could supply them almost ten thousand fresh peach roses.
Baekhyun is researching on possible alternatives and solutions to their problem. He could suggest that they use white roses instead, or possibly carnations.
He was already drafting an email to one of his friends who owned a huge flower shop chain when his phone starts ringing again. And he wonders why anyone would choose to be awake at this ungodly hour in the morning.
“Baek, I need your help!”
Baekhyun immediately notices the frantic tone in Chanyeol’s voice. The tone, which Chanyeol unknowingly uses quite a lot, indicates that his best friend is in trouble.
“What is it now, Park?” he replies, knowing that his best friend had managed to get himself in some sort of altercation yet again.
“Remember the guy I liked in high school?”
Baekhyun remembers, of course. How can he forget when Chanyeol always dragged him to the library for ‘study sessions’ just so he could stare at his crush for the whole lunch period. (That happened for four years.) And how could Baekhyun forget when Chanyeol, a grown man and a highly respected future CEO, gushed and fanboyed over his first love who had become a break-out Broadway actor.
“Yes, Chanyeol. How could forget him?” he says while rolling his eyes, he had expected something much more urgent than Chanyeol’s woes about his still one-sided love affair. But since he’s already awake, he might as well listen.
“I ran into him at this party, and I think I might have drunk kissed him?”
“You drunk kissed Jongdae?”
To say he’s shocked is an understatement, because the last time he checked, Chanyeol was still a little coward who refused to make a move even though it had been made clear by several reliable sources that his long-time love interest is very much single.
“I think? We met at this party. I knew he was coming, I mean, everyone’s been waiting for him. And I kept drinking because I was nervous. Then he approached me, and he remembers me. We talked, well he did. I was too shocked and drunk to even- And I- he- he brought me home. I was drunk, and I’m not sure if I did. But I remember his face being really close to mine and-“ Chanyeol continues on mumbling incoherently, debating with his judgement as if it would help him find out what really happened.
Baekhyun actually thinks, considering the fact that drunk Chanyeol is very touchy, clingy, and a lot bolder than sober Chanyeol, his best friend might have actually kissed his first love, finally, after almost 8 years.
“Look, what if you did? No big deal, he knows you were drunk. So you either you pretend it never happened,” he pauses, for dramatic purposes, “or you ask him out, and I don't know, confess?"
He hears the shattering of glass on the other line, which could only mean that Chanyeol had dropped another one of his very expensive glassware (which he could easily replace).
“Ask him out and confess? Won’t he think that’s weird? I mean we haven’t seen each other in years, and I just ask him out? And what? Tell him I've been in love with him since we were 16?"
Normally, Baekhyun would be the logical one between the two of them. He’d say that it would actually a bit weird for Chanyeol to ask Jongdae out just like that after about 5 years of not seeing each other. Especially if Chanyeol actually kissed him. But he’s been watching his best friend’s one-sided love affair for too long. And he really wants the boy to get his happy ending too. And he honestly thinks it won’t be difficult for Chanyeol to make Jongdae fall for him. Chanyeol can be very charming, and he’s kind of good looking too.
“Trust me on this one, okay? Now take a bath and sleep, it’s almost 4 AM.”
Chanyeol sighs from the other line, and Baekhyun knows, just from the sound of it, that he’s actually considering his suggestions.
“Okay, you should sleep too, Baek. I mean I know I was the one who recommended you to Jongin and Kyungsoo, but you shouldn’t pressure yourself too much. I mean the wedding is like 6 months away.”
Baekhyun lets out a slight chuckle. Even after all these years of seeing him plan weddings, Chanyeol still hasn’t gotten used to how he fixed his timetable. Baekhyun thinks it may have something to do with the fact that he was an unorganized person back when they were younger. And Chanyeol is still used to being the one putting him in line, but things have changed. He’s changed.
“Yeah, okay. Bye Yeol, don’t forget what I said.”
He ends the call and stretches himself on the couch. He’s been sitting on it for 8 hours straight. He had a mini-office set up his living room. It had rained quite hard earlier that day, so he opted to stay at home instead of going to the office. And his once relatively tidy living room had turned into a fancy dumpsite.
Bridal magazines were stacked all around the coffee table. Swatches of cloth and cut-outs of patterns were scattered everywhere. And there were a lot of loose paper and sticky notes with him on the couch and on the floor.
He’s going to be meeting Jongin and Kyungsoo again later that day. The couple will finally be picking out the invitation design. They’re already behind schedule, because the invitations should’ve been sent out a week ago. But because of the previous debate on the color scheme, they had to push back the production of the invitations. But it’s nothing Baekhyun can’t handle, he just hopes Heechul doesn’t lash out at him for rushing the production again.
There were a lot of things he still needed to settle, but he thinks he should at least reward himself with some sleep because he’s quite sure sleep will become a scarce commodity in the next few months.
💐💐💐
“So, everything’s settled. There are still minor details that need to be polished, but it’s nothing to worry about. So are you two excited?”
The meeting went well, much shorter and less stressful than the past ones. But Baekhyun can’t help but notice that there was some awkward tension in the air.
“More like exhausted, god, the merger is killing me.” Kyungsoo replies, running his hands through his hair, looking a lot less enthusiastic than he was in the past meetings.
Jongin mirrored this exhaustion, but he keeps quiet
.
Baekhyun doesn’t know what to think of it, but he’s seen these things happen before. The tiredness. The lack of excitement. The tension. And these things, they all end up badly.
“I know you’re also managing the mergers of your companies, but this wedding is important too. So, see you next week for the food tasting?”
The couple shares a look, "Oh, we forgot to tell you, but we can't join you next week..."
"So we'll reschedule then?"
"Um no..."
Baekhyun scrunches his forehead, suddenly coming to a conclusion. A really bad one.
"Oh no! No! Don't worry about us. We just have been too caught up with work so we asked someone really close to us to help."
Usually he disagrees with plans like these, because he wants the couples to personally make the decisions for their special day. But he knows that Kyungsoo and Jongin are already under so much stress and pressure from their fathers who thought it was a good idea to have the merger happen in time for the wedding.
“Okay, fine. Just don’t blame me if you end up hating the food.”
The two laugh, making him feel a lot better at least, and a lot less worrisome about the state of the couple. That’s one thing he really can’t avoid though, getting invested in his clients and feeling like their mother. It’s an instinct he acquired in the past few years he's been in the wedding planning business.
It's tiring, actually. But he can't help but care.
Jongin and Kyungsoo leave shortly after their meeting ends, and he's alone at his office again. It's a Sunday, and his staff are probably at home and enjoying what’s left of their weekend. Usually, Sundays are his rest days, but it's the only day that the couple is free, so he gladly gave away his Sunday, because work comes first.
But he has the rest of the day for himself. He's been wanting to visit an exhibit that Seunghwan has been raving about. It's an exhibit by a Korean artist who studied and made a name for himself in London. The said artist is touring the US with his art, and this one in California is his last stop. Baekhyun read somewhere that most of pieces in the exhibit have been sold already, all for very high prices. And he’s very curious about the said artist, who still remains faceless up to this date.
Majoring in design himself, he had a couple of art classes back in college which he really appreciated. He takes a special liking in modern and contemporary art. On his free time, he makes an effort to go around and visit exhibits by budding artists.
Luckily, the exhibit is located at a building that’s just a block away from his office. So he quickly gathers his things, and he heads out. As soon as he steps out of the building, a strong breeze greets him. And he’s glad he wore a jacket at least, anticipating the autumn weather.
He loves being able to go out and stroll like this, it’s refreshing and calming. And it’s exactly what he needs.
The stroll doesn’t take him much time, and a few minutes later he’s in front of Reverie, an art cafe, one of the many that have been suddenly popping out around the metro. This one’s the biggest and most visited though, and it’s where the most sought-after young artists exhibit their works.
The ground floor is where the cafe is located. He orders a green tea latte before heading up to see the exhibit. He takes a brochure from the counter, reading a bit about the exhibit.
The exhibit is said to be inspired by the cherry blossoms and the romance that come with their season. The artist, while he was in London, said that he missed walking by the streets of Yeouido during the time when the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. And despite seeing cherry blossoms in other countries, there was something about the ones in Seoul that he truly missed.
Baekhyun also grew up in Seoul, and he completely agrees with the artist. He’s seen the ones in Washington D.C., but it felt different still. So as he goes up the stairs, his anticipation only builds up even more.
When he reaches the last step, he takes in the view. And it most definitely does not disappoint.
A huge mural painting of a cherry blossom tree covers one of the walls. And several paintings and photographs lines the back wall. But the main attraction is the art installation at the center of the room, and it’s where most of the people crowd to take photos. It’s a huge floor to ceiling cherry blossom tree with a skeletal trunk shaped like a couple holding hands. The flowers are said to be hand-painted and hand-sewn by the artist himself. And looking at the entire thing, there must be more than a thousand flowers. And they all look very real.
It wasn’t exactly crowded, but there is quite a huge amount of people who came to see the exhibit before the artist packs up. At the corner of his sight, a man sitting on a bench at the side of the room, sipping his coffee, catches his eye. He stands out because while everyone seemed to be fascinated by the artworks, he just seems too placid and empathetic. But the man is handsome, very much so. And somehow, Baekhyun feels attracted. Maybe even more than he is to the art.
💐💐💐
It’s a Saturday afternoon, and he’s driving to a restaurant owned by a close friend who will be the one catering the food for the wedding. Jongin messaged him the night before that a certain Kim Joonmyun will be meeting him at the restaurant. Kim Joonmyun is Jongin’s cousin who coincidentally was Kyungsoo’s sunbae in high school. It was a coincidence that excited the couple, and that ultimately made them decide that Junmyeon was their most trusted person.
When he arrives at the restaurant, he’s ushered to the kitchen where he sees a man animatedly talking to the chef.
“Kim Junmyeon?”
The said man turns around, completely shocking him, because it’s the same guy from the art exhibit. He’s still painfully attractive, maybe even more than Baekhyun remembers. He’s wearing a simple buttoned-down shirt and a dark pair of jeans, but he looks ready for a photoshoot.
He approaches slowly, but Baekhyun thinks it’s just his emotions and his concept of slow-motion playing with him, “Byun Baekhyun?”
When they’re close enough, Junmyeon offers his hand and says, “It’s nice to finally meet you! I’ve heard great things about you.”
He blushes, and he feels awfully like a teenage girl with a crush. And suddenly, he regrets all the times he teased Chanyeol for gushing and blushing over Jongdae, because it’s exactly what he’s doing right now.
“Um- thank you?” he manages to stutter out. All he wants is for the ground to swallow him whole, because he knows he’s going to embarrass himself. It’s been awhile since he liked someone, and he hasn’t dated anyone since college which was 4 or 5 years ago.
Junmyeon smiles warmly at him, and it almost blinds him. He pulls a seat for him at the table. And he couldn’t help but think of what it would be like to date someone as much of a gentleman as Jumyeon is.
He listens while Junmyeon talks to the chef in very fluent English that lacked a Korean accent. It amused him very much, because despite living in the U.S. for almost 6 years, he still had the accent when he spoke in English.
“Oh, I almost forgot. Baekhyun, this is Amber Liu, she’s the executive chef.”
He extends his hand for a handshake, which was accepted warmly by the other. He hasn’t had the chance to speak with Amber, but he’s been talking to the owner of the restaurant and Amber’s fiance, Henry Lau.
“Oh, Henry told me that you’ll be here with the couple, but they aren’t here yet. So are we still waiting for them?”
“I forgot to tell him, but the couple is very busy right now, so they sent Junmyeon on their behalf.”
Amber nods, understanding the situation, “Well okay then, I’ll lead you to your table outside, then someone will bring the found out in a while.”
They’re led to table at the corner of the restaurant, near the window. When Amber leaves, Baekhyun realizes that he’s alone with Junmyeon. Which meant he’ll probably end up making a fool out of himself.
But there’s something he’s really curious about, “Were you at Reverie last week?”
Junmyeon looks surprised by the question, but he nods nonetheless, “I was. Were you?”
“I went there on the last day, because a friend suggested it. And well, everything was beautiful.”
Even you, he thinks. But he keeps that to himself, because he doesn’t want to seem like a creep.
“You did? Well, I’m glad. The artist is a friend of mine.” Junmyeon says, looking really happy and pleased.
“There’s a painting I really like, but I was told someone already bought it.”
Junmyeon smiles, “That happens, but I hope you find other works that you’d like.”
Junmyeon’s smile is genuine, warm, and just overall pleasant. And it makes the butterflies in his stomach go crazy.
💐💐💐
Baekhyun finds himself at the same restaurant with Junmyeon weeks after their first meeting. They’ve met briefly for coffee in the past few weeks, but all the meetings were rushed because they were both very busy. And since the couple begged off from this again and chose to trust their judgement instead, they’re going to be the ones who’ll taste the wedding cake.
Unfortunately, the French pastry chef of the restaurant doesn’t speak much English, and Amber and Henry both have prior engagements. So they try their best to communicate, with the chef’s broken English and Junmyeon’s very limited French.
“You getting married right?”
Both of them have a hard time deciphering the chef’s words because of her heavy accent. So they just nod, not knowing that they were being mistaken as the couple getting married.
The woman, who he assumes is about the age of his mother, claps enthusiastically and coos at them. That’s when they realize that they must’ve agreed to something wrong.
But the chef heads for the kitchen and leaves them dumbfounded. They share a look, which makes Baekhyun’s heart skip a beat. Although he’s stopped being an awkward schoolgirl, he still is very much attracted to Junmyeon. Especially when Junmyeon is gorgeous, smart, and an absolute gentleman. He still hasn’t thought of how to deal with his feelings, but he knows someone who can help him.
Minutes later, a platter with 10 different cake slices is served to their table. They are also given a score card and a pen, with instructions to rate the cakes which will ultimately help them choose the 5 flavors. However, there was only one plate and one fork.
The chef smiles at them and says, “I gave only one plate and fork, it’s okay right?”
He understands that one, and he’s about to protest but Junmyeon beats him to it, “Okay, thank you!”
His eyes go wide at the thought of sharing the same fork with Junmyeon. He’s fine with sharing. He often does with his friends, but it’s an entirely different story when it’s with someone you like.
And before he even realizes what’s happening, Junmyeon is already holding the fork, with a piece of cake, close to his mouth, “Say ahh!”
He blushes furiously, and he tries to hide it by laughing, “Are you serious?”, he says, hoping his pink cheeks go unnoticed.
Junmyeon brings his face closer, while he, on the other hand, struggles to keep his ground, “Just open your mouth, Baek!”
He knows pulling back and pushing Junmyeon’s hand away will be too suspicious, so he just opens his mouth and accepts the cake.
It’s strawberry flavored, and personally he dislikes strawberries. But this one has a mild but tangy and fresh taste, and he likes it. And he gives it a high score because he remembers Kyungsoo saying that he liked strawberries.
They taste the rest of the cakes, and Baekhyun still blushes each time. It’s funny how the simple gesture makes him feel really giddy. He blames his lack of romance for turning him into a sappy, hopeless romantic who sees life as a romcom.
He’s computing the scores when Junmyeon reaches out, thumb grazing the edge of his lip. He freezes, eyes wide and heart beating out of his chest.
“You had something on your lip.”
Their eyes lock for a moment, and he holds his breath the whole time. He’s sure he has never felt this way before, and he knows he shouldn’t because he doesn’t even know if Junmyeon was single. Or that if Junmyeon even liked boys. He’s just setting himself up for heartbreak, but he can’t help but think it’s worth the risk.
💐💐💐
Baekhyun wakes up to the sound of message and email alerts, all of them containing one thing.
The Kim-Do wedding and company merger have been cancelled
The Kims and the Dos end their 5-year partnership
The articles are all very vague, only stating that there was a major disagreement between the current presidents of the companies, Jongin’s and Kyungsoo’s fathers. A disagreement that couldn’t be settled, leading to the end of their companies good relationship, and of course the highly talked about merger. But what shocked everyone was the cancellation of the wedding. It’s a shocker because they’ve been together way before their companies even decided to hold a partnership.
His phone continues to ring, and without looking, he answers it, “Hello?”
“Baek, have you read the news?”
It’s Junmyeon on the other line, and his voice, although calmer than Baekhyun’s, hints that he’s also a lot worried about what’s happening between the two.
“I have, and I can’t believe this is happening.”
Just a few days ago, he video-chatted with the couple to update them about the final details of the wedding which was supposedly 3 weeks away. It’s crazy, because they were so happy and excited then. There were no signs of anything bad happening, and now everything is said to be over.
“I got to talk to Jongin, and it’s the fault of some officials in their company who disagreed with the merger. They created this false document about the Kims and sent it to the Dos. Part of it is true, but it’s not that big of a deal. The information was just manipulated really badly. And he said Kyungsoo isn’t returning his calls, so he’s really worried. Jongin’s been crying a lot too.”
It saddens him to hear about everything that’s happening to the couple. And there’s this strong urge to help the couple save their relationship.
“I think we should help them fix this… I mean this isn’t their fault, right? And their love should come first, above all this drama.”
“I know we should, but how? I heard that Kyungsoo’s dad has another engagement in mind already, and Kyungsoo is a very obedient son. I know he loves Jongin, but he values his family a lot.”
Baekhyun sighs, knowing the repercussions of disobeying the conditions set by fathers. So considering the couple’s situation, it’s going to be really difficult to help.
His silence is immediately noticed by Junmyeon, “We can try though, we can go to Kyungsoo’s apartment to explain, since there’s a higher chance he’ll listen to us compared to Jongin.”
Baekhyun agrees to that and Junmyeon’s offer to pick him up in an hour.
For a while he forgets that he’s still very much infatuated with Junmyeon, whose relationship status is still a mystery to him. He’s just thankful for the diversion, glad that he can set aside those thoughts for now, because there’s something much more important than the uncertainty of his not yet existent love life.
They need to save Kyungsoo and Jongin’s relationship, because one thing’s for sure, their love is no joke. And no business feud is big enough to come in between a love like theirs.
💐💐💐
How they ended up cramped in Jongin’s Mercedes at 7 in the morning, he’s not sure. But talking to Kyungsoo led to a lot of brainstorming which ultimately led to one thing. A civil wedding at the City Hall.
At first, Baekhyun felt disappointed. Because he had actually hoped that the plans will still push through. But the couple said that their fathers would definitely refuse to fund anything. They have their own money, but it would be impractical since all the guests have been informed that the wedding isn’t happening. So the next best thing is to get married simply. Ideas were thrown around, and it seemed like the best place to go.
“I’d marry him anywhere anyway, so let’s just go.” Jongin said, making Kyungsoo cringe and blush at the same time.
Jongin is driving, and Junmyeon is sitting shotgun. Beside him, Kyungsoo is fidgety and restless.
“Kyungsoo, are you okay?” he whispers, wanting to keep their conversation private for the other’s sake.
“I’m not, I’m shaking. I’m- I want to marry him, but my dad-”
He gives Kyungsoo’s hand a squeeze, hoping it’ll calm the boy.
When they arrived at the city hall, they’re greeted by a friend of Junmyeon’s. Luna leads them to an office, which they assume to be the venue of the ceremony.
It’s a huge leap from the white sands and gorgeous view in Anguilla, but it doesn’t matter. Because their love is the same, and that’s what’s important.
The officiator comes, and they immediately start the wedding. It’s just 5 of them in the room, but somehow the air is warm and happy. Jongin and Kyungsoo look so happy, and he can’t help but feel the same.
Especially when Junmyeon is standing so close to him.
“Do you, Jongin Kim, take Kyungsoo Do, as your lawfully wedded husband?”
“I do.” Jongin says, and the two words have so much feelings in them. It’s the promise of ever after, through adversities and challenges. It’s the promise of patience, of love, and understanding.
And when Kyungsoo utters the same two words, the feelings are the same.
Congratulations and hugs are thrown around, and the newly wedded couple is glowing and radiating so much happiness.
“Thank you, Baekhyun. For everything. We’re really sorry all your hard work went to waste.”
He smiles at Kyungsoo’s apology, because it’s too out of place. And he doesn’t need it because his hard work did pay-off somehow.
“Don’t worry about it, okay? Now, go home and tell your parents about this.”
A glint of worry flashed through their eyes, but Baekhyun knows they could easily get through it, especially since they’re together.
“Baek,” Junmyeon calls for his attention, holding his arm back. His heart skips a beat, and he can feel blood rush to his cheeks.
“Yeah?” he simply replies, to avoid saying anything that would further embarrass him.
“Let’s have dinner?”
And of course, he says yes.
💐💐💐
“We weren’t even together, but why do I feel like I’ve been left at the altar?”
He knows he sounds and looks crazy, crying and laughing at the same time. And he’s probably stealing the limited time Chanyeol has with Jongdae. But there’s no other place he could go to, only Chanyeol’s. He was already drunk when he arrived, but he’s now sobered up. He wanted to drink again, but Chanyeol refused to give him anything alcoholic, so he’s stuck with mug of warm milk.
“We weren’t even drunk when he kissed me, so he knows what he did! But he’s not even responding to my messages!”
The dinner they had after the wedding went well. They didn’t know that they shared so many interests, but it was a good sing that they clicked. There was an undeniable connection, which was proved by the kiss they shared by the door of Baekhyun’s apartment.
Chanyeol is quiet, and Baekhyun knows it’s because he doesn’t know what to do either. It’s always been him who gave advice, and Chanyeol is probably shocked to be thrown into this kind of situation.
So it’s Jongdae who gives him the words he needs instead.
“I honestly think you should wait it out, Baek. It's been a week, but he might have his reasons. If he still doesn't contact you at all within another week, then I guess he's a coward."
Jongdae side-eyes Chanyeol, who still blushes furiously despite the fact that he's been dating Jongdae for more than 3 months.
Chanyeol had followed his advice and confessed to Jongdae. It wasn't grand by any means, but it was from the heart. And Baekhyun knows that it’s Chanyeol’s sincerity that won Jongdae over.
It’s been a week since they got back from Las Vegas, and he hasn’t heard from Junmyeon since. Jongin and Kyungsoo are on their way to the resort in Anguilla where the wedding ceremonies were supposed to be help, now they’re going for their honeymoon instead. It’s been a tough week for them, but they’re happy. They got to fix the issue between their companies, and the merger will be finalized once they get back.
Baekhyun is happy for them, Chanyeol and Jongdae, Jongin and Kyungsoo, he really is. But it’s so difficult to be happy for other people when you, yourself, are miserable.
He really thought that the feelings were mutual, because that kiss was everything he imagined it to be. It was perfect, and his lips still tingle at the memory of Junmyeon’s lips on his. From the hesitant press to the insistent and intense push and pull.
It’s crazy how strong Junmyeon’s effect is on him, but it’s the realest thing he’s felt in the longest time. And it hurts him to think that it may have been just him with the feelings this whole time, and that all of these mean nothing to Junmyeon.
It’s almost 1 in the morning when he finishes sulking. Chanyeol offers to drive him home, but he refuses. He’s been too much of a bother, and he insists that he’s not drunk anymore and can safely drive himself home.
“Okay, fine. But promise that you’ll text me when you get home.”
It takes him five whole minutes to convince Chanyeol that he can take care of himself, and that he’ll remember to send a text as soon as he gets home. He shares a look with Jongdae, who gives his arm a reassuring squeeze. They’re a beautiful couple, he thinks. A perfect match.
He doesn’t want to feel jealous, but he does. And he really wants to be mad at Junmyeon, but he just can’t.
So as he drives home, when he texts Chanyeol, while he brushes his teeth, and before he falls asleep, Junmyeon’s all he thinks about.
💐💐💐
“No, sir. There isn’t any mix up, this package is really for you.”
The huge package that came to his apartment was completely out of the blue, because he isn’t exactly expecting anything. So he had to ask again to make sure that he’s really the package is really meant for him.
So despite his confusion, he signs and thanks the delivery man. The box is huge, it’s width and height are half his size. He takes the letter opener from his desk, and he opens the edges carefully.
When he pulls up the flaps, he receives the biggest shock he’s had in a very long time. Inside the box, surrounded by shreds of paper and wrapped in bubble wrap, is a painting from the cherry blossoms exhibit in Reverie. The same exhibit where he first laid eyes on Junmyeon.
It’s the painting that caught his eye then. It’s a painting of the silhouette of a couple leaning their heads on a cherry blossom tree. It’s romantic and beautifully painted. He can’t believe that someone sent it to him. But a realization dawns on him, and his heart starts beating really fast, because there’s only one person who knows about how much he liked this painting.
Junmyeon.
He almost misses it, but there’s an envelope inside the box as well. There’s first thing he sees is a note.
I know I left you hanging, but there were things that I needed to sort out. And now I’m sure, I really am. And I hope it’s not too late, but watch the cherry blossoms fall with me?
Along with the note is a plane ticket. To Seoul.
He connects the dots, and without any hesitation, he starts packing. He doesn’t even mind what he’s stuffing in his luggage, because the excitement flowing through his veins has completely distracted him from anything else.
He hails a cab to LAX, and everything happens in a blur. The delivery of the package and the schedule of the flight was perfectly scheduled, because he arrives at the airport just in time for the boarding. Many thoughts race in his mind, but all of them are overpowered by the euphoria he’s feeling in his heart. It feels surreal, straight out of a fairytale.
He’s slips in and out of sleep during the 16 hour flight. When the plane finally lands at Gimpo airport, all the exhaustion is forgotten.
But he’s hit with a strong wave of reality that this isn’t a fairytale, and he isn’t just going to be lead into a car that will bring him to Yeouido.
So as he goes through the routines in the airport, he tries to recall which line he has to ride, which station he should go down, and which exit he should take.
But apparently, his life has become a fairytale overnight, because there’s a car waiting for him outside the airport.
The familiar sights overwhelm him. It’s been a year since he last visited Seoul, and it’s been more than 5 years since he visited in time to see cherry blossoms bloom.
The drive was short, 14 minutes to be exact.
He doesn’t realize it until he takes a peek at the dashboard, but it’s 5 in the morning. And when he gets out of the car, the entire park is void of people. Except one.
“Junmyeon?”
He drops everything, and he runs. To Junmyeon, who looks as happy as he is.
They both pause, taking in the moment, each other. Because it’s unreal.
They’re in Yeouido, with the wind blowing ever so lightly. Just enough to pick up the fallen blossoms. Just enough to make the moment picture perfect.
“I’m sorry. For making you wait. But you’re here, I can’t believe it.”
Tears fill his eyes as they slowly bridge the gap, their faces inches away.
Their lips touch, and everything is perfect.
Just like Junmyeon's painting.