"Attention passengers for Korean Air flight KE659. Boarding time for the flight has been pushed back to 3 p.m. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience."
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Chanyeol glanced at his watch. The delayed boarding would only push his arrival time about 30 minutes, which wasn't entirely too bad. It could've been worse, plus with the wedding party being on such a tight schedule, he didn't want to burden Kyungsoo and Jongin with having to wait at the airport unnecessarily long. The two were getting married and despite the fact that they offered to pick him up, Chanyeol still felt like somewhat of a burden.
Sighing, he set aside the book in his hand on the seat next to him and quietly texted his friend about the delay. Looking on the bright side, it meant he could continue on with reading in peace until the attendants announced boarding.
Not a minute passed after he took his book off the seat that somebody sat down in its place. Usually, Chanyeol wouldn't mind, but considering how there were plenty of empty seats around them, a little personal space would've been nice. Nonetheless, Chanyeol politely smiled, even going as far as giving a small nod.
Much to his hatred for all things awkward, the man didn't return the same gestures. Inside, he looked down at the book in Chanyeol's hand and had the nerve to scoff. It wasn't even discrete, which made it worse. The lack of discretion really rubbed Chanyeol the wrong way, but since confronting strangers wasn't exactly up his alley, he decided that it'd probably be best to just try and ignore him. After all, maybe he was just imagining things. Traveling can sometimes do that to a tired mind.
"'Flowers in the Rain'..."
Chanyeol paused when he realized the man next to him was referring to the book in his hand. Regardless of his growing irritation, he still managed to offer up a small smile because... it was the only polite thing to do. Clearly.
"Oh, this?" Laughing, Chanyeol turned the book around and began awkwardly patting the cover. It was just too goddamn awkward. "I, uh, actually read this before-- like, a bunch of times. It's one of my favorite books."
"Hn."
For a second, Chanyeol could've sworn he felt his own face twitch.
But he brushed it off. Again.
"Have you heard of it? I know it sounds tacky and all, but it's actually really--"
"I've read it. It's not that great."
Biting down his tongue, Chanyeol stopped himself from impulsively (and sarcastically) responding. First of all, he lied. Flowers in the Rain isn't tacky at all. Second, it's not one of his favorite books. It is his favorite book.
Which makes the man's remarks a lot more insulting.
Damn.
He really couldn't stop himself after all.
"If it's not that great, then why strike up a conversation about it?"
The man stared back at him for a moment before heaving a sigh. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you..."
For a split second, Chanyeol felt a little guilty for (mildly) snapping on the man. To be fair, aside from the cut-throat responses, the guy wasn't trying to be intentionally rude. A bit harsh, but nothing too...bad.
And yet he spoke too soon.
"I guess we all have our guilty pleasures. Even if it's cheap romance novels for isolated housewives." Before the words could even begin to sink into Chanyeol's weary skin, the man's phone rang, drawing his attention away from their conversation. Curtly, he picked up, leaving Chanyeol gaping and wondering if he should just move to another seat just to move away from the prick. "Hello? Yes. Same terminal... That's fine. I'll see you soon."
Placing his bookmark between the pages, Chanyeol shut the book and set it on his lap. For various reasons--one, in particular, being the person beside him-- he didn't feel like reading anymore. The atmosphere was slightly tense, but he couldn't get himself to move away either, even if he didn't owe the man anything.
He eyed the gate and airline attendants again, silently hoping there'd be a change in the schedule and that they'd announce boarding right away. But fat chance on that.
"So," Chanyeol said, speaking up first despite feeling as though he was just shooting himself in the foot by starting another conversation with someone who was clearly unpleasant to be around. "What's your guilty pleasure?"
The words left his mouth before he realized how awful it sounded without any context. It almost seemed too inappropriate to ask in public, but he couldn't do anything about it now. He had already said it.
The man blinked, almost confused yet slightly amused, but it wasn't enough to crack the stoic aura around him. At this point, Chanyeol wondered if it was even possible for this stranger to smile at all... Maybe he had some issues that Chanyeol didn't know about so perhaps judging him was too much.
"Oh." The man looked down, seemingly thinking as to what he should reveal. Like he had so many secrets that he had to carefully choose while one to put under the spotlight, but Chanyeol was just grateful that he seemed to want to respond to his question at all. "I don't have any."
The conversation hit a dead end as soon as it started. Chanyeol bit his bottom lip, fighting the urge to laugh at how stupid he was for even trying to be nice.
From the corner of his eye, he could see the man turn his eyes back to his phone, writing an email that seemed to consume his entire attention and thought process. Thinking that this might've been his chance to go back inside his bubble, Chanyeol nodded to himself and replied dismissively, "Ah, that's an interesting response..."
A few minutes passed and not another word was said between them until the man suddenly stood up. Chanyeol looked up and saw him shove his phone in his back pocket.
"Actually," he muttered under his breath as he grabbed the handle of his carry-on. "I guess my guilty pleasures involve annoying exes. God, I need a drink."
Chanyeol's jaw slacked as he watched the latter curtly walk away, headed back down the food stalls of the terminal. Then, he looked at the time, wondering if the man would make it back in time for boarding.
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The entire flight from LAX to Incheon, Chanyeol couldn't stop wondering about the stranger and if he managed to board on time... And what the hell was that thing about exes? It must've been something personal, so he tried not to let his mind wander off too deep into it. Yet, he couldn't stop himself from eyeing every passenger that passed him during boarding, casually searching for him. For some reason, it bothered him.
Even as he stood in the line for customs, his eyes subconsciously searched for that familiar face. It wasn't until he had his electronic receipt that Chanyeol decided that he was being an idiot. Not that he wasn't fully aware of it before, but he just needed to draw the line before losing his sanity over a curiosity that would never be satisfied.
As he took the elevator down to the baggage claim area, he heard two overlapping voices calling out his name. It didn't take long for his eyes to notice the people at the bottom, waving their hands in an attempt to get his attention (which it did).
"Kyungsoo!" Laughing, Chanyeol threw an arm open and gave his best friend a tight hug. Turning to the taller man beside him, Chanyeol smiled. "How've you been, Jongin?"
"Eh, pretty great!" Jongin gave him a pat on the back before gripping onto his shoulder. "How was the flight?"
"Not too bad. I was more worried about being an inconvenience to both of you since you still have a lot of things to do for the wedding--"
"Don't worry about it," Kyungsoo said, dismissing him. "Besides, we're here to pick up someone else, too. He's Jongin's best man. You guys were on the same flight! Go figure."
"Oh? Then maybe I've seen him before. Where is he?"
Jongin scratched the back of his neck. "He said he needed to use the restroom real quick, so he should be back pretty soon--"
"I'm sorry. Did I keep all of you waiting for long?"
Chanyeol turned around at the sound of the voice, but he couldn't get himself to say anything at all... Meanwhile, Kyungsoo filled the void with his reassurance.
"Not at all! Chanyeol just got through customs a few minutes ago." Chanyeol watched as Kyungsoo, his best friend, grabbed the hand of the man who single-handedly insulted Flowers in the Rain. "Baekhyun, this is Park Chanyeol. And... Chanyeol, this is Byun Baekhyun. He's Jongin's best man."
They'd already met before... but judging by the way Baekhyun gave him a tight smile, Chanyeol took it as a sign that the latter didn't want to mention it at all.
"Hi. Nice to meet you."
Baekhyun extended a hand... which Chanyeol took hold of as a courtesy. "It's nice to meet you, too. It's really a weird coincidence that we'd be on the same flight, isn't it?"
"Small world." Short and curt... but what did Chanyeol expect?
Interrupting, Kyungsoo couldn't help himself from joining the conversation. "Oh, Chanyeol! I have a fun little fact for you. Did you know that Baekhyun over here is also--"
Baekhyun was quick to stop him by politely squeezing his hand. "Kyungsoo... You know how much I hate being the center of attention. Since we're both here for your wedding, shouldn't we focus on the two of you instead?"
He said it so smoothly that Chanyeol was mildly impressed.
Scoffing, Kyungsoo shook his head. "Please. We all know that this wedding ceremony's entirely Jongin's idea. His whole family's been looking forward to it. I would've been fine with a court wedding just to get it over with."
As they started walking to the pathway exit for the parking garage, Jongin asked, "Are you guys hungry? We can stop somewhere. It's going to be an hour or so before we get to Seoul-- if traffic isn't bad."
"It's up to you guys! I can wait until we get to the hotel," Chanyeol replied.
Kyungsoo turned to Baekhyun. "What about you? Are you hungry?"
"I don't have much of an appetite right now."
"Okay, if you guys say so." Kyungsoo shrugged. "Well, once we get to the hotel, we'll get you two set up before heading to the venue. There's still a few things that we need to do in terms of decorating. It's actually driving me a little crazy."
"Oh, the joys of organizing a wedding. How romantic."
Chanyeol glanced at Baekhyun from the corner of his eye following the latter's obvious sarcastic remark. It seemed a little rude considering the soon-to-be-newly-weds were right beside him, but he was surprised to see Jongin take it lightly.
"You're right. It's not romantic until Kyungsoo has to look me in the eyes and say he loves me in front of everyone we know."
Groaning, Kyungsoo rolled his eyes. That reason alone was enough for him to dislike his own wedding.
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Chanyeol couldn't help but wonder when (or if) they would ever stop pretending like they didn't already meet prior to landing at Incheon, but there wasn't much he could do. The entire drive to Seoul, he was busy making conversation with the two people in the front while Baekhyun seemed glued to his phone, seemingly writing an email that never had an end. From the look of it, the man, himself, was frustrated every few minutes, deleting and rewriting whatever needed to be said.
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Kyungsoo and Jongin worked relatively normal, middle-class lives; however, it was almost comical to Chanyeol how filthy rich the Kims were. Having invested in the right type of stocks at the turn of the 21st century (including real estate gambles and residual tenant income), Jongin's parents had more money in their accounts than they could possibly spend for the rest of their lives. Each one of their children received an extravagant wedding, and Jongin was not an exception to the tradition.
It might've given Kyungsoo a headache, though... Knowing him, Chanyeol could only guess how much the man probably had to argue and fight with the Kim family's wedding planner about everything. For someone who constantly complains about how he doesn't "care about a dumb wedding", he still wanted control over everything.
Once they arrived at the hotel, Chanyeol could only guess that Kyungsoo's first feeling when he heard the Kims had booked the Four Seasons as his wedding venue was nothing but "excessive". From what he gathered on the car ride over, they also booked an entire floor just for guests who were coming in front outside Seoul, which...
Chanyeol almost died in the car.
And if he did, he had to wonder what Baekhyun would do. Judging from what little he knew of the man, he probably wouldn't hesitate to open the side door and kick him out of a moving vehicle.
Maybe that was an exaggeration.
When Chanyeol looked over to the man next to him, he saw that Baekhyun was still hyper focused on his phone. It wasn't until they reached the front desk to check in that he finally gave the device a well-deserved break.
"Hi, reservation under the Kim family," Kyungsoo said to the woman over the counter. "They're for two of our guests. Byun Baekhyun and Park Chanyeol. The rooms should already be pre-assigned."
"Pre-assigned? That's fancy," Chanyeol heard himself say.
Jongin managed to catch it. "For precautionary reasons, you know. Not everyone in the family likes each other."
"Makes sense."
Chanyeol couldn't help but glance at Baekhyun again, except this time, the latter had turned to him simultaneously and they ended up locking eyes. Instinct told Chanyeol to look away, but he figured he'd stick his ground. After what felt like forever, Baekhyun broke the air.
"So, how do you know Kyungsoo?"
Did he always speak so in that monotone?
"We met in college as roommates. After that, we became housemates with two other guys until we graduated."
"Hm." Baekhyun looked ahead, watching as Jongin stepped forward to help assist with the check-in. "You're not in love with him or something, are you?"
Collapsing on his knees at that point would've been valid, but Chanyeol just gripped onto his luggage handle even harder than before. To say that he was shocked was a bit of an understatement, but he needed to keep his composure.
Was he that transparent about his past feelings?
No. He didn't even do anything that would suggest the idea, first of all. And on another note, how could Baekhyun have come up with something that absurd when his face was plastered to his phone the entire drive there..? How could he even have seen anything? It wasn't like it was tattooed on his goddamn forehead.
Scoffing, Chanyeol rolled his eyes. It was the first time he dropped the whole "be polite" facade. "Honestly, I'd say you're the one who's reading 'cheap romance novels for isolated housewives'."
Initially, Baekhyun said nothing in return... Then he laughed. "Not bad."
Drawing his brows together, Chanyeol's frown deepened. What the hell did that mean?
"You paused a little longer than I thought you would," Baekhyun said in a quiet tone that only Chanyeol could catch. "It must've been my imagination, yeah?"
When Baekhyun smiled, Chanyeol couldn't help but notice how it made him look more lively (and handsome?). Yet, the undertone in his words did nothing but make Chanyeol feel like he was mocking him. There was no time to respond. As soon as he said those words, Kyungsoo and Jongin walked back to them with hotel keycards in hand.
Kyungsoo handed one to each of them.
"You guys are going to be right across from each other since you're both our best men. It'll probably be easier to plan with each other about what to do with the wedding parties on each side if you're in close proximity."
Baekhyun looked at his room number without commenting on that particular arrangement. "And what about...?"
Putting a hand on his shoulder, Jongin gave a sympathetic smile. "You don't have to worry about that."
Chanyeol gave the two of them a curious eye.
Nodding, Baekhyun looked up. "What's the itinerary from here?"
"We're having lunch with Jongin's family in an hour. Would you two like to join us?" Kyungsoo asked.
"I don't want to intrude," Baekhyun replied, giving him a small smile. "You two can go ahead. I have some work-related things to finish doing."
"Okay. And what about you, Chanyeol?"
Despite how he did feel a bit hungry, he wasn't about to be the fifth wheel. Politely declining, Chanyeol shook his head. "I'll pass, too. I think I'm going to call my family since I'm back in Seoul for now. I may meet up with them."
"I don't know why I forgot your family's here," Kyungsoo muttered, slapping himself on his forehead. "Seeing them would be a good idea. There's really not much to do except this evening. We'll be taking a look at the ballroom and scouting out where the decorations should be placed within the following days. Will you guys be alright?"
"They're not kids, Soo. I'm sure they'll be fine," Jongin said, scoffing. Turning to Baekhyun, he grinned. "Play nice."
Baekhyun gave him an unamused expression.
"You're my best man so be on your best behavior!"
Their exchange was somewhat interesting to Chanyeol. Jongin seemed like the type of person who enjoyed poking a baby lion with a stick.