In These Arms [mxm]

Chapter 16 - Chanyeol POV: White knight

A/N: Ya boy's drunk so i tried to make it obvious through making his thoughts jumpy and careless and nonsensical. hopefully it works. 

R18+ Enjoy some sexy time. I felt like the situation called for it. 

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Every member of the board would be attending this work function, so I had no means of an out. Most of them were known for enjoying their drinking, but some in particular were more notorious than others. And while my work superiors poured me drinks one after the next, it was unnecessarily impolite to refuse. It didn't take long before its affects took a deep hold of me.

The conversations around work were obscenely monotonous, enough that I wanted to end the night even though it had barely begun. We were brought to the Grand Hyatt Seoul Hotel where the CEO regularly boasted about its Western menu options. The restaurant interior had a timeless appeal, settling its guests in comfortably with warm mixtures of brown, red, and wooden textures. Mr. Kim sat beside me on the couches which lined a wall, where he discreetly took my hand in his and hid it behind the yellow cushions. Nobody was the wiser.

There was soft chatter from the patrons at different seating's, with my work superiors making the most ruckus out of the lot. Being here was both simultaneously relaxing, providing me the opportunity to clear my head with the inward battle with Haneul, and distressing while I had to deal with this raucous laughter and chatter. It would not have surprised me if a member of security requested that we leave. While I inwardly hoped that this would be the case, the drinks simply kept pouring.

"Director Han," said one of the executives through fits of raucous laughter. A robust man who turned rather jolly after a few mixed drinks of soju and beer. "You haven't yet taken a wife, have you, man?" he asked, lifting his beer jug into air. "Isn't it about time you married? I can set you up with my niece. Graduated K University top of her class. The best should only marry the best, right?"

I felt Mr. Kim gently squeeze my hand and stroke my thumb. The talk of marriage was an unwelcomed burden that weighed too heavily on my shoulders. As something that took me years to come to terms with for the fact that Haneul Bom and I would never wed, it was an unwelcome conversation that opened unnecessary wounds that I had no time nor patience to tend to.

"She sounds like a fine prospect," I said, forcing an interested smile. "However, there is already somebody who I am seeing seriously right now."

There was a lot of clanking and chatter around the table as every drunken man seemed to hear it. I noticed Mr. Kim looking at me awestruck from the corner of my eyes, and I could not help but looking back at him. It was my hope that he did not misinterpret what I said as intended towards him.

"Oh, bollocks," he answered, looking for agreement from his peers as my attention turned back to him. "If you're not dating to marry then there's no use dating at all. Aren't you already in your thirties? You're certainly not getting any younger, Director Han."

"I appreciate your concern," I said, "but I am comfortable where I am at. Should I take further interest in marriage prospects any time in future, then I'll be sure to come to you."

He appeared satisfied with this, and he turned his head to engage in conversation with another senior seated beside him. I took a sigh of relief and mirrored Mr. Kim's expression, one of incredulity. We both smiled, knowing fully well that none of the garbage I spouted was close to the truth. The closest I ever got to that truth was seven years ago when I was so confident that I would not marry anybody except for Haneul. To this day, that fact remained remotely the same.