Forget Me Not

Chapter Thirty

"I don't know...if I asked you to make sure you were here for the bachelor and bachelorette parties, would you turn me down?"

"Never."

She already knew he couldn't make it since they'd scheduled their parties for the weekend before the wedding and he'd be hard-pressed to travel to and from Bangkok twice in a row. Her laughter filled the line at his outright lie and Korn couldn't help but follow suit. It was her one special day. He wanted her to have everything she wanted.

He shouldn't have been surprised when he received the formal invitation by courier. The official date was set and the program of events, as well as all the venues had been finalized. All without a peep from him. Nothing had changed concerning the information Yihwa had given him. That was a relief. He'd already asked for time off. Changing it would have been a nightmare.

The beautiful handwritten invitations proved no expense had been spared. It wasn't just Yihwa and Cho's hand in this; their families probably thought was about time they got married. What Korn hadn't expected was the clear 'plus one' attached to his name. He could recognize Yihwa's handwriting and he felt the not-so-subtle pressure of her expectations on him.

Yihwa expected him to go with Mew.

Korn didn't know why his first reaction was a visceral rejection. Just because he'd been at Mew's place for her Sin Sod* didn't automatically mean he wanted to bring Mew to her wedding. With all the history attached, he wasn't sure it was a good idea to bring them together again. But what was the alternative? Could he, in all consciousness, keep Mew away without it sending the wrong message?

Korn realized he wasn't worried about his friends. He was worried about Mew. He didn't want to give him the impression that he wasn't important. They were in this together. He had to find out if Mew felt the same way.

~

Mew had been secretly dreading his next conversation with Korn. After their last weekend together, he'd been careful. Choosing his words carefully and letting Korn lead their conversations. He still didn't know what had upset Korn so much but he'd felt a shift once there was some distance between them. That's why he was shocked when Korn called him and told him about Yihwa's wedding invitation.

"Is there a problem with the plans?" he asked going directly into problem-solving mode while trying to figure out if it was a good idea to offer his help.

"They seem to have everything under control. I have been rendered completely superfluous."

"That's good news, isn't it? Is there something wrong with the invitation?"

"No. Nothing at all. It's just that...Yihwa invited you as well?"

"Oh..."

On some level, Mew had expected it. The way Yihwa had given Korn a hard time when they bumped into each other and her ready acceptance that they were seeing each other again had given him hope that Korn's best friend secretly approved of them. That had been the most hopeful version.

The reality was probably a lot more cautious.

None of that mattered if Korn felt like he was being painted into a box.

"...and you were thinking...?" Mew asked.

"I was hoping you come with me?"

"You want me to be your...?"

"My date to my friend's wedding."

"Okay."

"Okay," Korn said with a deep exhale.

Mew heard the sigh over the phone. It was sad to think he'd been holding his breath. Anticipating the worst. But it was nice to know he wanted Mew there with him enough that he was invested in the simple answer to his question.

"When exactly is it?"

Korn sent Mew a copy of the invitation. It was easy to transfer the details to his calendar but he knew it wouldn't be hard to remember. There was no way to forget that he wasn't just going with Korn, he was going with him to his best friend's wedding as his date. Luckily, he hadn't planned any trips for that weekend.

"Are you sure you're alright with this?" Korn asked after Mew assured him the event was scheduled and he was all set to go. "I know in a way this is unfair to you after the way I acted but I don't want to go alone...and it feels wrong to go without you."

What? Mew didn't know which part of that statement to deal with first.

"It's fine Korn, I would love to be there with you," Mew said trying to be solicitous even though he was still reeling from what Korn had said. "You can spend the night at mine and we can go to the wedding together."

"Sounds like a good plan."

"I have a few of those up my sleeve," Mew said trying for levity but it didn't quite hit the mark.

"I'm just looking forward to spending time with you."

"Me too."

Mew hated to admit he was surprised Korn had asked him to accompany him to Yihwa's wedding. His last interaction with Korn and his friends had been a long time ago. Things had changed since then but he wasn't comfortable with the idea of being around them again. Not when the circumstances surrounding them had also changed drastically.

But was that the problem?

If Mew had been sure of Korn, it wouldn't have mattered. But nothing felt settled. It felt like everything was just piling up on a shaky foundation and it could all topple at the slightest challenge. They were too far apart and the distance only made things worse.

What about Korn and Knock?

As far as Mew knew, they had 'talked'. But what exactly did that mean? What would their interactions be like now that some time had passed since they broke up? What would it mean for Mew to be there? He'd been invited as Korn's 'plus one' but just because he was there as his date didn't mean anything. Was he Korn's boyfriend, friend, or friend with benefits?

Mew wanted to be wanted but he wasn't sure that he liked how it was happening. He didn't want to be a screen or a shield—the first to get hit if shit went flying. Then again was he letting his fears get the better of him? He didn't know how to reassure himself that it would be alright any more. He wasn't sure it would be alright. It felt like it was all coming back to the one thing he knew for sure. When he, Korn and Knock had last been together, Korn had chosen Knock.

Mew was subdued as he and Korn went through the motions; talking quietly about the time they'd spent apart and any interesting points. He found Korn's tenacity fascinating yet Korn always mentioned his dedication as something he admired. It was soft in every sense of the word.

Mew hung up, soothed by the conversation and glad he had Korn in his life—even if it was for only a short time. The weight of his worry heightened the fear of impending loss. Mew was afraid this was the beginning of the end.

~

Seven hundred kilometres away...Korn was staring up at his ceiling feeling relieved. It felt like things were finally beginning.