Chapter Text
“And this is why this is probably the only decent pizza we can find in Seoul. Boo Seungkwan, are you even listening to me?”
No, he isn’t. He should, really. Mingyu is one of his best friends, probably one of the few people in the world nice enough to be friends with him. So really, he should be listening to Mingyu.
But he isn’t.
Even though he might have a good reason for not listening: a letter.
All Seungkwan can think about is the stupid letter he received in the mail that same morning.
A letter bearing horrible news. A letter destined to change his life forever. Followed by a phone call that bore even worse, if possible, news.
Jeon Wonwoo, his kind, nerdy, funny, loser, lifelong best friend is getting married. And he is getting married to Kwon Soonyoung, a guy Wonwoo allegedly met only three months ago, and decided that he’s the love of his life in this short amount of time. Hence why it led to a proposal. Three months into dating. For a second, Seungkwan wonders if he has ever known Wonwoo at all. This is rather unlikely of him.
The point is: Wonwoo wants to marry that guy, when Seungkwan is right there. Single. Hot. With an amazing job, a nice apartment, a good fashion sense, and an awesome personality (okay, maybe not that awesome, but Mingyu says so and Seungkwan has decided to believe him).
Seungkwan shouldn’t have the right to be this mad. Wonwoo and he aren’t as close and don’t meet as much as they used to. They have naturally drifted apart without any hard feelings between them. Wonwoo lives in Busan, Seungkwan lives in Seoul, it’s only natural.
Well, maybe natural isn’t the exact word to use to describe the situation. There is a little more to it, the little more that might explain better why things have unfolded in the way they did. Why it’s a little weird for the two of them to talk on the phone. Why they don’t talk that much to begin with. Why Wonwoo doesn’t come back to Seoul like he promised he would have. Why Seungkwan avoids Busan like the plague. Why things changed even if they promised they would have never changed.
Four years ago, before moving to Busan for work, Wonwoo confessed his feelings for Seungkwan, asking him to move there with him. Four years ago, Seungkwan apologized.
Back then, he didn’t love Wonwoo. There was nothing he could do about it, just like he couldn’t know that four years later, the roles would have been inverted. How ironic life is, right? He could have had it all, dating the perfect guy and living by the coast. But he was stupid.
He was 24 and stupid. He’s now about to turn 28, and he is probably even more stupid, considering that only now he has realized that he likes Wonwoo.
“He’s getting married, Mingyu.”
Mingyu first tilts his head, and then sighs. “Is it about him?”
Mingyu has definitely had enough. Ever since Christmas, when Wonwoo came back to Seoul for a couple of days to celebrate the holidays with his family — which is when Seungkwan realized he has feelings for him — their conversations have been rather monothematic. Wonwoo this. Wonwoo that. Mingyu is the kindest and most supportive friend, but he’s probably reaching his limit.
“Five minutes. I need five minutes of complaining and I need you to be supportive. Then I will do the same thing for you and I promise I’ll listen to you talking about your favorite restaurants. The food here. Anything you want, and I’ll listen without thinking about anything else.”
Mingyu steals a slice of pizza from Seungkwan’s plate, which is basically still full. With his brain too busy thinking and his heart too busy crying, he couldn’t even touch his delicious, at least according to Mingyu, pizza.
“All right, you have my attention,” Mingyu puts his elbows on the table, intertwines his fingers, and rests his chin on top of them. “Okay, getting married, you said. To you? Didn’t you two make that contract like 10 years ago? The due date is coming, right?”
Contract. Yeah. What contract? Easy. When Wonwoo and Seungkwan were 18, both young and recovering from break-ups, Seungkwan proposed that, if by the age of 28 they still had been single, they would have gotten married to each other.
Wonwoo turned 28 last year. Seungkwan is about to turn 28. Seungkwan is single and in love with Wonwoo. And Wonwoo, well. Seungkwan thought that Wonwoo was single too, and maybe in love with Seungkwan, counting down the days until his birthday so he could propose. Apparently, instead, Wonwoo is 28 and engaged.
“And weren’t you waiting for your birthday to confess to Wonwoo by reminding him of that promise you made as children? You realized your feelings for him this Christmas, right? You have been waiting ever since.”
Oh, Mingyu really listens to him and he also remembers the abnormal amount of things he blabbers about. Seungkwan realizes that he doesn’t deserve him one bit.
“You did your homework.”
“It’s basically all you have been talking about for the past few weeks.”
Seungkwan gulps down the last drops of beer he has in his glass. “He’s getting married. To someone else. A guy he met like three months ago and that apparently is his soulmate or something. I don’t even know.”
“Isn’t that nice?”
“Nice?” Seungkwan stops his hand right before it becomes a fist and hits the table. “Nice? Nice, you say? Have you heard what you said? I like him, he should be in love with me, not with that Kwon Soonyoung guy.”
“I’m sorry, you usually like that soulmate stuff. I thought maybe this was the case too.” Mingyu is lucky both that they are in a public space and that there’s a whole table separating him from Seungkwan, preventing him from jumping on him. “Of course I do, but not when it is my soulmate being soulmate with someone else!”
“Maybe you should use this experience to write—” There might be a table, but Seungkwan suddenly remembers that he can kick Mingyu’s leg under the table, so he does. Not too much though. Hey! Why did you hit me, I was still supporting you!”
“I was counting down the days, Mingyu. I thought he was waiting too. At Christmas he told me he couldn’t wait for the new year and that he might have a huge thing to tell me. I didn’t expect this to be the surprise. He called me earlier today —right after I read the letter, as if he knew — asking if I got the invite and he sounded so… excited talking about Soonyoung. The wedding is this early because there was an opening for their favorite place, so they thought why not? This is hell, Mingyu. Hell. That should be me. I should be the one making stupid decisions with Wonwoo, not Soonyoung.”
Seungkwan dramatically sighs and takes Mingyu’s glass to drink his beer too. “He has never been that spontaneous. In his previous relationships he didn’t even want to get married. What does this Kwon Soonyoung have?”
“He’s such a dick,” Mingyu says. Definitely lying just to support Seungkwan, but he still appreciates the effort. “He should be in love with you. He should be on his knees proposing to you. Right now at this table. At this restaurant that makes the best pizza.”
“Yeah!”
“Look at you! You’re such a catch, he has no idea what he has lost by not proposing to you. He better break off that engagement to get you instead. Someone should appear in his dreams telling him to dump Soonyoung for you. I would definitely do that myself if I could.”
“Exactly!”
Wait.
Mingyu is exaggerating to make Seungkwan happy. He doesn’t really mean that. Neither he nor Seungkwan are the kind of people to go after people who are engaged, married, or in relationships. They aren’t the kind of people to make engaged people break off engagements either. That’s awful, and very low.
Unless…
Unless it’s for a good cause.
Seungkwan smirks.
This is a good cause. Even Mingyu thinks so!
“Don’t you dare.” Mingyu says, worried, as if he's perfectly read Seungkwan’s intentions. “You are not going to win Wonwoo back. He’s engaged. He’s in love. It’s time for you to let him go. Move on. Let him get married.”
“You promised me your undivided support for five minutes.”
“I did, but not for things this stupid,” Mingyu seems exasperated, brushing his hand through his long hair and then fixing his glasses. Seungkwan, instead, has finally gained back his appetite. “Seungkwan. You can’t do that. You can’t go to Busan to make Wonwoo fall for you. You have to promise me. You are better than this. You can move on. I— There are plenty of fish in the sea! You are hot, you can get anyone you want!”
Seungkwan shrugs. They might be engaged, but they are not tied to the duty of marriage yet. Wonwoo and Soonyoung have known each other for less than three months, they are in their honeymoon phase, they don’t really know each other yet, they don’t really know if their relationship is strong enough to last forever. On the other hand, Seungkwan perfectly knows Wonwoo, just like Wonwoo perfectly knows Seungkwan. Seungkwan perfectly knows how their relationship will unfold. Seungkwan perfectly knows that they are perfect for each other.
He has to do it. He has to break off their engagement and prevent their wedding from happening.
“But I want that one. I want that engaged and unavailable fish. He’s the love of my life, Mingyu. No one is as perfect as him.”
Mingyu shakes his head, defeated, and Seungkwan, who has found his full appetite again, finishes his slice of pizza. And then another one. And then another one. Maybe Mingyu is right, this is a delicious izza. Mingyu, on the other side of the table, keeps shaking his head as he watches Seungkwan devouring his pizza, without saying a single thing. The five minutes must not be over yet.
“I want to put this out there for the records. I do not support you. I will not support you. You are alone in this madness. Promise me I won’t get involved further than this.”
Okay, they must be over now.
“I can’t make any promise,” Seungkwan hums satisfied. “So, it's your turn now. What’s about this place that makes it so special and your favorite Italian restaurant? And the premises are good, this pizza is the most delicious one I have ever had.”
𓍯𓂃𓏧♡
“You are completely out of your mind.”
Hansol scoffs, trying to focus on finishing writing the review of one of a movie he has had the opportunity to watch a preview of. He wishes he could write, but he can’t seem to focus with a little radio going off in his ears. Seungkwan has been at his cubicle for the past few minutes complaining, once again, about Wonwoo involuntarily breaking his heart, like the broken record that he has become.
“I know, thank you.”
“No, really, Seungkwan. This is crazy even for you,” Xu Minghao, their colleague and Hansol’s (not so) secret boyfriend, joins them. “You can’t just do that. How are you even planning on doing so?”
“What are you doing? Don’t ask him that!” Hansol groans and, at his boyfriend’s reaction, Minghao realizes what he has asked and regrets it immediately. He even tries to take his question back, but unfortunately, it’s still late. Seungkwan is quicker and starts to explain his plan.
“Thank you for asking. First of all, I’m going to be the perfect boyfriend. I’ll be so disgustingly kind and perfect that everyone is going to think why on Earth is Wonwoo marrying that guy and not me, his perfect best friend,” Seungkwan sits on Hansol’s desk. “And you know how much his family loves me and that they have all hoped for the two of us to date? I’ll make sure to remind him of that.”
Hansol and Minghao exchange a look. “Is that all?” Minghao asks, masking a laugh, which deeply hurts Seungkwan.
“Yeah, I mean, you’re planning on breaking off an engagement and this is all you have thought of? Being someone you’re not and hoping that Wonwoo’s mommy and daddy will tell him to choose you instead?”
Probably, being shot in his heart and then being thrown off the cliff of a mountain would have hurt way less than his friends’ words.
“What do you mean someone I’m not? I am kind and nice! And selfless! And lovable! Maybe not perfect but–”
“Are you actually kind and nice and selfless if you are planning on breaking off an engagement for selfish reasons?” Minghao inquiries.
“Of course! I mean, they just believe they are soulmates because they have been dating for only three months. We all agree the three months aren’t nearly enough to get married. Their marriage will surely end and I, selflessly, don’t want them to make this mistake and I want them not to waste their time.”
“Are we talking about Wonwoo again?” Mingyu joins them, as his cubicle is right next to Hansol’s.
“So, did our annoying boss like your article about the best Italian places in Seoul?” Hansol asks, taking the article from Mingyu’s hands, definitely dreading to change the topic. Unfortunately for them, the Seungkwan’s show isn’t over yet, it’s only a quick intermission Seungkwan himself doesn’t mind. He loves talking about work, and in particular he loves when Mingyu talks about it.
“She liked it. Maybe too much. She’s thinking about turning it into a Top 10 by the end of the month to publish it on the physical copy of that week. And also to make it a periodical feature, not only online but in the magazine too. Even though I have to go café hopping to the newest most viral places for the article on the site this week.”
“Isn’t that awesome?” Seungkwan asks rhetorically while clapping his hands. He has to be honest, he is somehow sad that he isn’t the center of the conversation anymore, but he’s genuinely happy for Mingyu. “You should be way more proud of yourself! You should be cocky and flash your success more! This is huge Mingyu!”
“Let’s go celebrate later,” Minghao proposes and everyone agrees enthusiastically. Everyone except Seungkwan, who has to finish an article about Why not to despair if you’re single on Valentine’s Day and What you can do as a single person on Valentine’s Day . He’s been a journalist for 4 years at this editorial and for 4 years he has been posting about Valentine’s Day from mid January until mid February.
Maybe it’s his fault for choosing to write about love, heartbreaks, and being the agony aunt alongside writing about sports. Maybe it’s his fault he chose to do both in high school, defining his career from his early days. Maybe it’s his fault that he became fairly known for those love articles that eventually got him into that journalism program. Maybe it’s his fault for enjoying it a little too much, definitely more than talking about sports at times.
“Thanks,” Mingyu smiles shyly, throwing himself on the chair. “Seungkwan-ah, can you help me later at finding all the newest cafés? I know you’re usually well informed and you know where to look.”
“Only if I can come with you. And if we use the company card to pay,” Mingyu shrugs but ends up agreeing, a big smile on his face. It’s cute when he smiles, his curly hair and his big glasses. He wonders if he’s secretly Superman. “Nice! Now, back to my problem—”
“Sorry, I have to go. I need to finish writing this, the movie comes out in two days and I have to challenge my inner Shakespeare because all I wrote is Meh. ” Hansol excuses himself out of this insufferable conversation and picks up his portable computer. It doesn’t escape Seungkwan’s ears when he whispers a “Good luck” towards his boyfriend and Mingyu. “You too.” Is what Minghao says, brushing Hansol’s buzzcut.
“Seungkwan,” Minghao places a hand on Seungkwan’s shoulder. “I love you. Hansol and I love you. Hansol, Mingyu, and I love you. But this is crazy. You need to drop this. It won’t work. And even if their marriage will eventually end, it will end. But it’s not your problem. You have to let them make this mistake.”
“Hao, I like him though.”
“Why couldn’t you like him when he was available? When he liked you back and confessed years ago?”
Wonwoo, Seungkwan, and Minghao all took the same journalism classes, so Minghao has known the two of them long enough to know every little detail about their relationship. In particular, he has known Seungkwan enough to perfectly read him.
Initially, Minghao’s plan was to stay in Seoul to study abroad for just one year. To his fortune, or misfortune, he ended up sitting next to Seungkwan on his first day of classes, and he couldn’t escape him after that. The one year became two. And then three. And then a visa for work reasons.
The two of them stuck together until the end of university, and they’re now still stuck together since they have found a job at the same place. They inevitably bonded and it’s probably thanks to Minghao that Seungkwan was able to push through all those years in the first place. Wonwoo, one year older, didn’t bond with Minghao as much, but since he was also extremely connected to Seungkwan, they all used to hang out a lot.
“You know why! I didn’t feel anything for him!”
“You had like 23 years to fall for him and you realize only now? That he’s engaged? Isn't it maybe because you know that he isn’t available anymore and it’s much more fun and simpler for you to go after unavailable people and then back out the moment they are available again?”
Maybe Minghao knows him a little too well. Seungkwan shouldn’t have let him inside his life.
“It happened just once!” Minghao raises his eyebrow. “Okay, it happened three times. But that’s different for Wonwoo! I realized I liked him before knowing he was engaged, so your point doesn’t stand.”
Seungkwan pouts and decides to take Hansol’s place on his chair, spinning around in desperation.
Maybe Minghao is right, Seungkwan has a little problem at committing and maybe this is why he turned Wonwoo down when he confessed years ago. But this doesn’t mean that his feelings aren’t true now. Right? There’s a precedent but it’s a singular event, not a rule. He isn’t afraid of commitment anymore. He wants to fall in love and live happily ever after.
“I like Wonwoo, don’t get me wrong. But is he really right for you? Is he really worth all this trouble and you touching your absolute lowest? I’m sure there’s someone who’s more perfect for you, who can support all of your bullshit,” Minghao stops Seungkwan’s chair from spinning and looks straight into Seungkwan’s eyes. “And maybe this person is even closer than you think. You know, maybe just a few steps away. Someone who knows you, likes you, and can perfectly put up with you.”
A loud thud comes from Mingyu’s desk followed by a shit coming from Mingyu’s mouth instead. Seungkwan quickly stands up to help him, but the situation seems irreparable. The coffee has already spread all over the desk, even if luckily Mingyu was able to save the keyboard from a horrible destiny – he was also able to save himself from many hours at the IT guy's office begging for a new one.
“Are you okay? Did you get burnt?” Seungkwan asks, looking at Mingyu’s drenched pants and taking Mingyu’s hands into his to check for eventual burns.
“I’m fine, I made it before the meeting. It’s practically an iced americano.” Mingyu chuckles embarrassed. Seungkwan gives him a reassuring smile. It’s part of Mingyu’s personality being this clumsy, there’s nothing they can do about it. And honestly, Seungkwan finds it adorable. It makes Mingyu so Mingyu.
“I can take you with me to the fashion department. Maybe we have some pants and a new shirt you can wear.”
“I’ll go and ask for something to clean up,” Seungkwan finally lets go of Mingyu’s hands.
“I can go and ask for it,” Mingyu says, but Seungkwan is already making him stand up so he can follow Minghao to the fashion department.
“You two go. I can handle this. It’s not the first time you spill or break something, they already know me.”
“See,” Minghao looks at Seungkwan. “You are a nice person, after all. Don’t go and taint your reputation by trying to ruin a marriage.”
“I can’t hear you!”
Seungkwan screams back, trying to ignore Minghao’s words as much as possible. He has decided already, at this point, he has to try.
𓍯𓂃𓏧♡
“What do you mean you haven’t told your parents that you are getting married?”
Wonwoo is standing right out of Seungkwan’s door, holding a little bag in one hand and Soonyoung’s hand in the other.
This isn’t exactly what Seungkwan expected to open the door to. He expected Mingyu, dinner in a bag, asking him for help to write something or to just cook together. Not Jeon Wonwoo and his fiancé Kwon Soonyoung asking him for a favor.
Wonwoo briefly introduced Soonyoung to Seungkwan – and Seungkwan tried his best to smile and be complaisant – and then Wonwoo didn’t lose time e dropped the bomb.
“You can come to dinner with us to tell them.”
Seungkwan is already wearing his house clothes after an exhausting day at work in which he had to reply to many love letters asking for help, while also helping everyone else in the office. He shouldn’t love his job this much.
He was dreaming about having the marinated crab his mom dropped him at work today, paired with his favorite beer, and Too Hot To Handle , his newest obsession.
“Why?”
“My parents can’t get mad if you’re with me.”
“Has it occurred to you that we aren’t 9 anymore and that it won’t work?”
“But they love you, I’m sure they’ll be way more accepting if you are with us. You know, if you show your support for the wedding, I’m sure they can’t say no to you.”
They love you .
Wonwoo is right. His parents love him, they always have. They have always thought Seungkwan is the right match for their Wonwoo.
This is the perfect opportunity to show them how perfect he is. How Wonwoo chose a guy he has known for only three months over Seungkwan, the perfect guy they have known and loved their whole lives.
“All right. I’ll come,” Seungkwan forces a smile when the couple excitedly kiss in front of him. “But you owe me one. Big time. I’ll go and change, wait for me.”
“Seungkwan-ah, we love all of your articles. They keep getting better and better. Our Wonwoo has taught us how to save them, right honey?” Wonwoo’s dad nods in agreement to what his wife has said. “We even subscribed to the physical copy of the magazine, the site, and the newspaper you write for occasionally so we have full access. We are so proud of you.”
The three of them are owned by the same bigger company, but if the newspaper comes out every day, where usually Seungkwan freelances and writes about sport, the magazine, where Seungkwan instead holds the love letter space instead alongside other articles here and there about sports, comes out once a week. On the site, instead, he is used as a wild card, writing about different topics, depending on where his intervention is needed. It’s a stressful job, but the reward he gets is worth every sleepless night.
“Wait, really? I don’t think my parents are subscribed to all of them either! You’re way too kind.”
“We would do even more if we could,” Wonwoo’s mother turns her head towards Soonyoung. “What is that you do Soonyoung?”
“I’m in between jobs. I used to work at a tech company, but I got tired. The work environment wasn’t exactly nice, it was overly competitive and toxic.”
“So you’re a quitter hoping on relying on Wonwoo’s kindness and money?”
“Dad!” Wonwoo scolds his father, but Soonyoung tells him that’s okay and he’s the one following up in the conversation. Seungkwan, instead, bites his lips to hide a chuckle.
“My father owns a big company. I don’t dream of working for him or to replace him eventually, but for the time being I’m working there. I don’t want to be a burden to Wonwoo. Even if I don’t like the idea of working for my father and I prefer working in a place where they actually want me for my skills, it’s still better than my previous company.”
That seems to work pretty well on changing the atmosphere, but maybe it’s not the effect the couple was hoping for. Seungkwan would say that the atmosphere at Wonwoo’s parents' side of the table has gone from smugness and disappointment to extreme mortification. Either way, the overall atmosphere remains pretty tense.
Seungkwan should say something to defend Wonwoo, and by extension Soonyoung too, but he doesn’t really want to. He isn’t doing anything and the impression Wonwoo’s parents have of him keeps improving, he shouldn’t ruin that.
“I think a friend of mine wrote an article about your father’s game company. I helped him, it’s pretty impressive. Are you sure you don’t want to take over?” Seungkwan doesn’t wait for Soonyoung to actually say anything. “What you’re doing is impressive, but I think that if I were born with a silver spoon, I would have enjoyed every last drop.”
Seungkwan should have stayed quiet, but he could sense that Wonwoo was plotting something that would have made the situation even worse. As much as he doesn’t like Soonyoung, he likes Wonwoo too much to have him destroy his relationship with his parents for this guy.
“I’m not a big fan of the gaming industry and games. Unlike my Wonwoo here,” Seungkwan has to keep trying to keep his facade. Is this what he’s being rewarded with to help Soonyoung? My Wonwoo? Really? “And I also really like to challenge myself, but maybe because I know that if I fail I have a safety net I can come back to. If I were you, I would probably think the same way.”
The conversation dies down after it, but it lasts just a couple of seconds. This time, before Seungkwan can do anything, it’s Wonwoo the one who talks. He intertwines his fingers with Soonyoung’s. Soonyoung’s left hand, where his engagement ring is sparkling.
Seungkwan is regretting not ordering that red wine to go with the meat that Mingyu told him is amazing at this place. Honestly, he has no idea how he even thought about going through this night sober.
“Mom, dad,” Wonwoo squeezes Soonyoung’s hand. “Soonyoungie and I are getting married next week.”
Maybe Wonwoo was right. Maybe it’s Seungkwan’s presence that doesn’t send Wonwoo’s parents into complete rage. Maybe it’s also the fact that they are in a public space and they have never been the type to make a scene in public. Still, they seem fairly calm. Not too happy like the parents would be upon hearing the news that their oldest son is finally getting married, but they aren’t too sad or mad either.
“Next week?” Wonwoo’s mom reaches out to grab the wine glass. Yes, maybe Wonwoo made the right call when he thought about telling them on this occasion. If it was just the three of them, without Soonyoung or Seungkwan and all the other people around them, this conversation would have taken a completely different turn.
“It’s in Busan. We have found this perfect place in a garden for the ceremony. We booked it almost as a joke because they told us they have almost a 2 to 3 years waiting list. As soon as they escorted us to the office to book, right at that moment, they got a call for a cancellation. Since we were there, they offered the place to us. We thought it was a sign of the universe, so we said why not? ” Wonwoo and Soonyoung chuckle, looking disgustingly in love, but no other person at that table chuckles with them. “I know it looks a little rushed, but it’s not for us. We love each other. We want to do it. We want to get married.”
Wonwoo’s parents, like they agreed with their minds, turn towards Seungkwan, who has probably found himself in the worst position ever. Why the hell has he even agreed to something like this?
“You know Wonwoo better than us. What do you think?”
Seungkwan has found himself with much more power than he ever expected to, like Wonwoo expected instead. Seungkwan could cut it off now. He could say: I think Wonwoo is rushing too much. They should wait. No sane person would marry someone they have known for only three months.
However, he’s hit with a wave of rationality and critical thinking. If he says that he doesn’t think it’s a good idea, he believes that not many things will change: Wonwoo and Soonyoung would still get married in secret, with or without their approval. And, judging by the hopeful eyes Wonwoo is giving him, saying the truth would make Seungkwan lose Wonwoo, maybe definitely.
No. This isn’t the right time.
“I think it’s a great idea. No one knows Wonwoo better than he knows himself. If he thinks it’s right, then it is. From what I have seen, they love each other. I can’t wait to go to their wedding.”
Seungkwan is, once again, being such a selfish person. Once again proving that he should be the one with Wonwoo.
“All right then. It’s not like our opinion would have changed anything,” Wonwoo’s father says, confirming Seungkwan’s train of thoughts. “But we’re happy you told us and that you want us there. We’ll make sure to come.”
The atmosphere is suddenly back to a relaxed one, where Soonyoung and Wonwoo explain everything about their wedding in extreme detail. The theme, the location, the catering, the cake, the flowers. Everything. Every single detail, most of them chosen by Soonyoung.
What Seungkwan will never admit though is that his choices are fairly good, so he stays quiet for a while. He has already been in this restaurant with Mingyu a couple of times when he had to write a review about it, so he knew exactly what to order and how to perfectly taste it.
“See, you have to take all the ingredients together and wait for every single flavour to explode in your mouth,” Mingyu said, while creating the perfect bite on his fork for Seungkwan to taste. He then fed it directly to him. It was rather intimate, it almost made Seungkwan’s heart flutter. Whoever is going to date Mingyu will be extremely lucky.
“It’s good. Very good! I love it.”
Seungkwan said, more about Mingyu being excited about this place and the dish he ordered rather than the dish itself.
Seungkwan wonders if Wonwoo read Mingyu’s review and that’s why he decided to bring his parents here. It’s a rather new place with a small but loyal clientele.
“And you Seungkwan, is there anyone special in your life?” Wonwoo’s mother asks and all the focus suddenly shifts on him, again. When did it even happen? How did they even end up talking about his personal life?
“Me?”
“Honey,” She chuckles. “Is there any other Seungkwan at this table?”
“As far as I know, you’re one of the few people who still hasn’t replied to our invite about a plus one.” Soonyoung comments. “I’m personally taking care of the seating, and I still don’t know if I need to add a chair at your table.”
“Oh, well…”
Technically speaking, Seungkwan doesn’t have anyone because the only person he is interested in is sitting at this same table engaged to someone else instead. There shouldn’t be anything wrong with being single. Seungkwan loves being single.
Most of the times.
And, even if he wanted a relationship – beside the small commitment issues that he is working on – he is too busy in a situationship with his job to be fully focused on an actual relationship. He needs someone who can understand him and how he feels about his job, but at the same time someone who makes him want to leave work and take a break. Someone who loves Seungkwan as he is, but that also makes Seungkwan want to be better (and less obsessed with his job, to be healthily obsessed with his partner instead).
In Seungkwan’s head, Wonwoo would be the perfect, and maybe only, person for this role.
“He isn’t dating anyone, except his job, of course. Right? You would tell your hyung , right, Seungkwan-ah?”
He should tell the truth. He should say that he isn’t dating anyone, there is nothing wrong with that. He has a successful career that he actually really likes, so this should be enough. There’s nothing embarrassing about it.
And yet.
It’s the pitiful look Soonyoung is giving him paired with Wonwoo’s smug one that makes being single suddenly mortifying and humiliating. There are two couples in love at this table while he’s the only single, who ditched his open relationship with marinated crabs and Too Hot To Handle to be here.
But he has to resist, he has to tell the truth before he digs himself into something he can’t escape from.
“I have been dating someone actually. For a couple of months now.”
Well, he fucked up. This isn’t exactly the truth. But it’s not like there is the possibility of turning back now.
“I have asked him if he wants to come to the wedding. He doesn’t know if he can come because of work. That’s why I still haven’t replied, I’m sorry.” Seungkwan adds, mentally cursing at himself.
Soonyoung seems genuinely happy for him. Wonwoo, on the other hand. Well. Wonwoo seems shocked. He is definitely the most shocked one at the table.
So wait. Perhaps he didn’t actually fucked up. Is this perhaps making Wonwoo jealous, hence contributing to the success of his plan to make Wonwoo break off his engagement?
“Why didn’t you tell me during Christmas?” Wonwoo asks, a little hurt.
“It’s not like you told me about Soonyoung either.”
“Why didn’t you tell him?” Soonyoung is the one that seems a little hurt now, so Wonwoo tries to reassure him. Seungkwan didn’t even think deeply about what he’s just said and the consequences of it. He shouldn’t be happy that it hurt Soonyoung.
So he won’t be. From the outside, he's just a little happy on the inside.
“Because I was planning on asking to marry you already and I was too afraid to jinx it,” He kisses Soonyoung’s temple and Seungkwan feels like puking this perfect meat Mingyu waxed poetry about. “Can you forgive me?”
“Okay, I accept it. You’re forgiven,” Soonyoung kisses Wonwoo on the cheek. Seungkwan isn’t happy on the inside anymore, so he finally gives up and fills his glass with some wine. “So, back to Seungkwan now.”
“Oh, right!” Wonwoo claps his hands. “Who is it that you’re dating? Do I know him?”
I mean, as of now, even Seungkwan doesn’t know whom he’s dating.
“No. Yes. I mean. You met a couple of times.”
The real question here is whom the heck is Seungkwan talking about. Why is he digging his grave this further down? Seungkwan doesn’t have many friends, and even fewer are the friends Wonwoo has met. What is he thinking? And he isn’t even drunk.
“So is someone from work?”
“Come on, Seungkwan! Tell us,” Wonwoo’s mom vibrates on her seat. “We’ll see him at the wedding anyways! We’re curious, you’re usually pretty picky with the guys you date. He must be the perfect guy for you to invite him to a wedding.”
“I’m not sure he’ll–”
“Well, we’ll surely have other occasions to meet if he won’t come to the wedding,” Wonwoo remarks. “We can even go on double dates when we’re back in Seoul.”
He takes a bite of his meat to buy some time. A bite of the delicious meat Mingyu strongly suggested he should order every time he comes to this fancy place. Paired with a wine Mingyu adores.
Oh.
“Mingyu. He’s a colleague. A dear friend first, actually.”
Well. Fuck. It’s all Mingyu's fault though. It’s him and all the praises he sang about this restaurant. If it wasn’t for him… Well, if it wasn’t for him, Seungkwan probably wouldn’t have found a way out and would have had to admit that he was lying. No one else in his office is good enough to, and maybe eventually willing to, pretend to be his boyfriend, and the only two that might be, are dating each other already.
“Tell us more!” Wonwoo’s father says instead.
“More?”
“Yeah! Like how it started, when did you realise your feelings for each other?”
“It’s never easy realising you feel something for a friend,” Wonwoo adds, with any reference to past events purely random.
“Isn’t this night about Soonyoung and Wonwoo and their wedding?” Seungkwan, for the first time, tries to switch the focus on the people in an actual relationship. “Shouldn’t we know more about those two?”
“We already know everything. But you,” Wonwoo’s mother says. “You being in a committed relationship to the point of bringing him to a wedding is huge news.”
Seungkwan inhales. He deals with love problems for a living. Okay, they are for other people, but he still does. He reads dozens of them every day. He replies to some. He laughs at many. He archives others because they are just too absurd. He can invent something romantic on the spot that is credible but that will also make everyone jealous. Right?
𓍯𓂃𓏧♡
“Can you promise me you won’t get mad and that you won’t scream at me?”
It’s been less than 24 hours since the most embarrassing dinner ever with Wonwoo’s family. It’s been three days since he’s received that damn invite to his best friend’s wedding. There’s a week left until the wedding. Time is running away from Seungkwan’s hands.
Mingyu has asked Seungkwan to accompany him in one of the newest and trendiest cafés in Seoul, where everyone goes for the pictures for Instagram rather than to enjoy the food itself. And Seungkwan, with his heart heavy with the lies from the previous night, couldn’t even dare to say no (not that he would have anyway).
Mingyu has taken the occasion to offer to snap some pictures for Seungkwan, who loves curating his spam Instagram account down to the detail. And Seungkwan has gladly taken the opportunity, he loves Mingyu’s eye for pictures.
Seungkwan has also taken the opportunity to snap a few pictures of their two drinks with just one dessert and two spoons and also a couple of boyfriend pictures of Mingyu —even if he has enough already— to make his Instagram more credible for the story he invented. After all, he’s going to hard launch him soon, if Mingyu accepts, of course.
Let’s also add, Seungkwan has taken the opportunity to finally talk to Mingyu and ask him to be his fake boyfriend for the wedding, taking inspiration from Wonwoo and doing it in a public place.
“This doesn’t sound promising. I’m actually kind of getting mad already.”
“I wouldn’t ask you if it wasn’t a life or death situation.”
“Do you need me to help you write an article? Do you need me to ask Minghao for a favor so he will do it without complaining first because you don’t have time to lose?”
“No,” Seungkwan looks down at his hands. His drink is half gone already just like the cake in between them, mainly eaten by Mingyu, the one who doesn’t have to ask his best friend, probably, the biggest request ever. “Are you free next weekend?”
“Isn’t it the wedding weekend? I am free but I don’t think you are. Wait, are you planning on skipping the wedding to behave like a mature person and not ruin it?”
Seungkwan wants to roll his eyes, but he can’t. He needs to have Mingyu on his side, ready to agree with him and his stupid plan he has found himself trapped in.
“Nope. I still think Wonwoo is the love of my life and that he shouldn’t marry that Soonyoung guy, who was pretty mean to me, by the way.”
Mingyu, instead, has the possibility to roll his eyes, so he does. “What is it?”
“Do you want to come with me to the wedding? As my plus one, I have heard they splurged on the food, and you’re a food critic and maybe you can get a good article out of it.”
And when Mingyu says: “That doesn’t seem like a bad idea I need a weekend off—”
“And can you also pretend to be my boyfriend? You do? Thank you! You are the nicest person alive!” Is what Seungkwan says instead, pretending that the affirmative reply was to his insane request rather than the sane request instead.
Mingyu, who was just about to taste another bite of the cake, lets the spoon go and the sound echoes in the jellyfish themed café.
“What did you say? You want me to … what?”
“To be my plus one!” Seungkwan replies, innocently.
“What you said after.”
“That you are the nicest person alive,” Seungkwan says, again, very innocently. “But it’s a little egocentric of you to want to hear the compliment again.”
“Boo Seungkwan.”
“Kim Mingyu.”
They hold their gaze for a few seconds. Usually, that’s an easy win for Seungkwan, because for some reason, Mingyu can never look him in the eyes for too long. This time though, Seungkwan can’t hold up his gaze, guilt eating him from inside. It’s not like he can avoid the topic for much longer, he needs to ask Mingyu properly and then he needs to convince him in case of a negative response.
“Okay, I did something stupid! But if you were in my position, you would have done the same thing! They were all assuming I was going to stay single for life and that I didn’t have any love in my life and that I would have never had it!”
Seungkwan might be overselling his point of view of what happened, but he needs Mingyu to pity him for this to work. Unfortunately, Mingyu doesn’t seem to believe him.
“I… Okay. I was put on the spot. Wonwoo kept saying that I’m married to my job and that I can’t have a serious relationship. And Soonyoung said that I’m the only one who didn’t cross for a plus one. I don’t know, I think I wanted to come out as the winner so I lied and I said that I was dating someone,” Seungkwan stares down at the slice of cake. “And you know, we were in that fancy restaurant you took me some time ago for the opening and I kept thinking about how you told me to order the steak and how to perfectly savor it. I couldn’t stop thinking about you—”
Seungkwan lifts his eyes only when he hears someone coughing. Soon enough, he realizes it’s Mingyu. A little crumb must have slipped down into his throat because he doesn’t look sick but has started coughing out of nowhere. Seungkwan, all worried, hands him his iced coffee, which he gladly accepts and chugs it down.
“Are you all right? What happened? Do you need me to bring you some water? I can go and ask.”
“I am all right, really. Thank you Boo. Go on, please.”
Seungkwan isn’t fully convinced, but he complies to Mingyu’s request without further questioning. “As I was saying. I kept thinking about you so your name slipped out. Wonwoo, more than everyone, couldn’t believe it. Then everyone started asking me questions about where we met, how it happened, and everything.”
“And what did you say? How did we start dating?”
“Really is that what you—” Mingyu raises his brow. “I said that I have been feeling something for you for a while. I said that you are hot, funny, smart, a great cook, kind, everything really. Everything the perfect guy for me has –with a couple of flaws just to make it more realistic. Because of that I was too scared to confess because I was sure you would have never reciprocated my feelings. Furthermore, since we were friends, things were even more complicated, since you would talk to me about your other crushes. Wait, now that I think about it. You haven’t talked to me about your crushes after Seokmin two years ago. Do you have a crush on someone?”
“Seungkwan, you better continue with your story if you want to have the remote possibility that I’ll accept.”
“Okay, okay,” Seungkwan takes a sip of his drink to rehydrate his throat. “As I was saying, I have always felt like you were out of my league. Until the company retreat happened, and that’s where things changed. On the last night we got drunk and kissed, a full make-out session by the way, but I was scared you would have regretted it, because you know, you are out of my league, so I told you to forget it happened in the first place.”
It’s funny, Seungkwan thinks, because at their company retreat Mingyu and Seungkwan actually got drunk, but didn’t kiss. Seungkwan got too drunk and Mingyu had to take care of him the whole night, even drinking the shots for Seungkwan when he lost some drinking games.
This proves that another part of Seungkwan’s made-up story is right: Mingyu is
actually
out of Seungkwan’s league, everyone will probably wonder how he managed to get him.
“You– you really invented quite the story there, I almost forget it didn’t even happen,” Seungkwan smiles and takes the compliment. If it can be classified as one. “But how did we end up dating from that?”
“See, this is where giving love advice for a living comes in handy,” Seungkwan giggles, Mingyu doesn’t, so Seungkwan starts explaining. “You ‘ anonymously ’ left a love letter to me for my column explaining the situation and asking me for advice, telling me that you were secretly in love with this secret colleague and that I kissed him at the company retreat but that he told me to forget him, but I have now realized that I love him. What should I do? Does he actually like me back, or was he just drunk ? You asked me to meet you at the rooftop of the building, and we kissed. Nice story, right?”
Judging by Mingyu’s expression, he might agree with Seungkwan. However, he’s being a little difficult to fully decipher. Seungkwan can still decipher the most important thing though: Mingyu isn’t fully convinced and Seungkwan needs to do more.
“I’m begging you, Mingyu,” Seungkwan grabs Mingyu’s hands and holds them tightly into his own. “Help me, please. I’ll do whatever you want, if you need a hand with your articles. If you need me to fake date you for whatever reason. Anything. I would do anything.”
Mingyu thinks about it for a while. He frees his hands from Seungkwan’s hold. He takes a bite of the cake. He takes a sip of his drink first and then of Seungkwan’s second. “Isn’t saying that you would do ‘anything’ a little too much?”
“It proves that it’s that important to me,” Seungkwan flaunts his innocent face. “And I think you are a very honest and rightful guy. I have high respect for you and I know that you wouldn’t take too much advantage of it.”
“I hope you are aware that you are one of the most annoying and insufferable people on the planet.”
“Totally.”
“And I hope you know that I might also be a very annoying and insufferable person taking advantage of your ‘anything’ .”
“You aren’t insufferable or annoying. Minghao and Hansollie are, you are way too good to be hanging out with us. And me in particular. We are all annoying in different ways, maybe mine is the worst kind, but you, Mingyu, you are way too good.”
Seungkwan isn’t overdoing it, what he is saying is the pure and simple truth. In their little group one thing is sure: Seungkwan is the most annoying and Mingyu is the one that puts up with it the best. Hansol and Minghao have been doing for much longer, Minghao since university and Hansol since high school (but not during university since he studied abroad), so maybe this is why they are full of Seungkwan and his endeavours – but they still love him to death at the end of the day.
Mingyu, on the other hand, sweet and nice Mingyu, tries to support Seungkwan and to take his side as much as possible. On his part though, Seungkwan never takes advantage of it. Mingyu just does it, and Seungkwan is grateful for it. This is why they have a special and different bond, and this is why it grew quicker than ever. Mingyu joined the office and, one week later, Seungkwan called him his best friend. Mingyu joined the office, and in four years, the two of them have created a bond Seungkwan has never experienced before.
They get along in a way Seungkwan hopes he will never lose, so he really hopes this request isn’t going to weaken their friendship. Seungkwan is already mourning three of the best years of his life spent being friends with Mingyu.
“I think you are flattering me way too much, I’m not as good and selfless as you want me to be.”
Seungkwan struggles to believe what Mingyu’s said, but he knows that this would just open a conversation leading to the exact same outcome every time they have it: nowhere. Mingyu will still undermine himself and Seungkwan would get too flustered and kind of mad at him.
“Well, I will stand by my point. It’s Saturday now, I promised Soonyoung I would have given them an answer before the end of the weekend because you were still unsure due to work matters. You can think about it and let me know.”
Mingyu smiles, for the first time in a while.
“I’ll do it.”
“Are you sure? I can invent an excuse why you couldn’t come but I need you to sign the money card with me–”
“I’m sure. I’ll do it. It will be fun. You chose a cute story for us, in which you described me pretty well,” Mingyu’s smile gets even bigger. “And I’m also curious. How will Seungkwan ruin the wedding? How is Seungkwan as a boyfriend? Why not? It can be fun! And then it’s only for one day.”
Seungkwan clears his throat.
“What? What is that?”
Seungkwan chugs down the rest of his iced americano.
“I don’t really like the food and the drinks here. I mean, the location is aesthetically pleasing but I don’t think the food is worth the price.”
“Boo Seungkwan.”
“Kim Mingyu.”
“You’re hiding something. You still have something you have to tell me, don’t you? Tell me, now. Or I won’t help you.”
Seungkwan hasn’t considered that from now until the wedding, Mingyu has the upper part of the knife.
“You know, Busan is far away. We need more than just one day.”
“The whole weekend? That’s doable.” Seungkwan clears his throat again. “From Friday to Sunday?”
“Well…”
“Boo Seungkwan.”
“It’s from Thursday. I was planning on leaving work right after lunch to go there. I have that important meeting in the morning I can’t skip, not even to ruin a wedding.”
“Thursday? You’re crazy. Thursday? That’s four days, Seungkwan. They aren’t rich CEOs, his wedding shouldn’t last this long.”
“Well, technically Soonyoung’s father is. But the main reasons why I accepted are two. I am weak. And a loser. I’m a weak loser.”
“Care to elaborate?”
Seungkwan is still embarrassed thinking about it. Embarrassed of himself because he had no reason to agree to that.
Wonwoo and Soonyoung escorted Seungkwan right in front of his door. Thanks to the wine, the ride back home was enjoyable and Soonyoung became slightly more tolerable to Seungkwan. But again, it was all solely because of the alcohol.
“You didn’t need to.”
“We did,” Wonwoo said, looking down. “I kind of have another small favor to ask you. But it might be good for you too.”
“Should I be scared?”
“You know, since it all happened in a rush we still have a few things to take care of and well. All the other guests will join us on Saturday, but would it be a problem for you to join us on Thursday? We need all the possible help, I wouldn’t ask you if I didn’t desperately need you. You’d be perfect for the job. I also know you probably haven’t used your paid leave and that you have accumulated a lot from previous years too.”
“And Mingyu can join you too! Wonie told me that Saturday is your birthday, you can consider it as a getaway. It will be everything at our expense, of course.”
Right, because what’s better than celebrating your birthday with your fake boyfriend at your best friend’s, who is also probably the love of your life, wedding all paid by said best friend and his fiancé?
“I don’t think… Mingyu too, I don’t know if with work he can come to the wedding in the first place.”
“Come on! This might be a nice experience for the both of you! I bet it’s the first occasion you get to have a little vacation and spend time with your boyfriend that isn’t in Seoul.”
“I–”
And then, it hit Seungkwan. Being there longer would have meant having more time to show Wonwoo how amazing Seungkwan was. Being there longer would have meant showing everyone how much better and more loved he is compared to Soonyoung. Being there longer would have meant more chances to ruin the wedding.
“I’ll ask Mingyu, and I will let you know. But you can count me in.”
“You are batshit crazy and insane.” Mingyu shakes his head when Seungkwan finishes telling him the whole story. “I can’t believe you’re actually planning on going through with it.”
“I know, thank you.”
Mingyu exhales, loudly.
“And I think I’m even crazier and more insane,” Mingyu extends his hand. “I’m in. I think a trip to Busan is also a good excuse to try restaurants in that area. I haven’t had time to go there since I started working. Plus, I’d never say no to a vacation, in particular if it means you’re taking a break too. So yes, I will help you, I’m going to pretend to be your boyfriend. Your perfect boyfriend that Wonwoo will be jealous of to help with whatever plan you are planning in that odd brain of yours.”
“Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Seungkwan ignores the hand and gets up to hug Mingyu, placing a quick kiss on his cheek since he’s already at it.
Wow, have his shoulders always been this wide? Why do they feel wider than Wonwoo’s?
“Slow down with the PDA, we’re not fake dating yet,” Mingyu inhales and turns around to look at Seungkwan. “You’re paying today. And you will also help me write the article. But once we’re there, promise me you won’t work.”
“But the company’s card…” Mingyu doesn’t need to say anything for Seungkwan to get the message.
“I can promise I’ll pay today and you can even order a second or third round, even if everything is way too expensive for what it is. I don’t know how much I can promise about not working once we’re in Busan, but I can promise I’ll try my best.”
“As your future pretend boyfriend, I think I should be allowed to take your phone and computer and tablet away if I see you working too much while we’re on vacation.”
“As your future pretend boyfriend, I think I would never allow that. You have a lot to learn about me.”
“As your future boyfriend, I think I know you enough already,” Seungkwan can’t really rebut to what Mingyu has said because he quickly asks him the perfect question, as the journalist that he is. “So, what are you planning? How are we going to act? How will it make Wonwoo fall for you?”
Seungkwan, who at first was sitting in front of Mingyu, now takes the chair and places it right next to him.
“Okay, first of all…”