Gradually, more guests began occupying the floor the Kim family had reserved. By the time they were starting to prepare the presidential suite, Chanyeol was already well-acquainted with everyone in the party, both old and new faces. Sehun brings the hard liquor into the suite despite knowing that if there was going to be drinking involved, at most, everyone was just going to get buzzed. The atmosphere and mood of the bachelor party didn't exactly call for being wasted drunk.
They played a few friendly games with Kyungsoo-- the kind that was meant to embarrass him-- before Chanyeol started preparing the movie. Sehun's actor friend (the one Kyungsoo was obsessed with--much to Jongin's dismay) hadn't arrived on time as planned, but they had a strict itinerary to follow if they were going to finish around 11pm and allow Kyungsoo to get his beauty sleep. Otherwise, he'd probably be too tired to start the day early tomorrow and Chanyeol didn't want to get blamed for that, considering he's the best man and this whole party was his responsibility.
After glancing at his watch, he figured they should start the movie soon since it was nearing 8 p.m. and the movie was about an hour and 20 minutes. Down to the literal tee.
❁ ❁ ❁
Around 9 p.m., a knock on the door disrupted the (very quiet) bachelor party. Sehun yawned (possibly bored out of his mind) and looked over at Chanyeol. "Hey, it's probably-- you know."
Frowning, Chanyeol excused himself from the area and made his way to the front door. If it really was the actor Park Go-Bum, then Chanyeol would be sorely disappointed in his lack of timeliness. At this point, that man was 2 hours late already... But then again, it was Park Go-Bum. Chanyeol didn't have any room to scold him; he simply didn't have the right.
He mentally prepared himself to face the actor before opening the door-- only to see no one in the hallway until he lowered his eyesight. There, in front of him, was Baekhyun.
And Baekhyun was smiling at him... which he never does.
"Hi, Chanyeol."
Confused, Chanyeol closed the door just enough so that the others wouldn't see Baekhyun or hear their conversation. "Hey... Uh, what're you--"
"I have an idea and since we're supposed to be the best men at this wedding, I thought we should collaborate."
"Aren't you supposed to be at Jongin's bachelor party? The one you're in charge of?"
"I left them at the strip club."
Chanyeol was still confused, except this time, he can smell the faint scent of alcohol coming from the man in front of him. "Are you drunk?"
"No. Not yet."
"Then what're you--"
"Jongin doesn't like the strip club, and neither do the other guys." Baekhyun tried to peer inside the suite, but Chanyeol moved his body to block him. "So, let's all go to this club in Gangnam. Both parties. It'll be fun."
Chanyeol realized Baekhyun was trying to hijack his bachelor party plans. Albeit it's not as loud or crazy as what Baekhyun planned for Jongin's party, this quiet and moderate setting was very much fitted for Kyungsoo's preferences and--
He stopped.
Glancing over his shoulder, he saw that half of the people they had invited for the party were either dozing off or thinking of some way to excuse themselves for the night... In truth, after they played the games and took a shot or two, the party itself had peaked and could Chanyeol even call it a party anymore? It seemed more like a movie gathering post-funeral.
He looked back at Baekhyun who never took his eyes off the giant.
The chaotic air around him was...
Ugh.
Chanyeol's grip on the door tightened. Baekhyun may be a hot mess when he drinks but at least he knew how to plan a good time. Despite his quiet demeanor on a typical day, Baekhyun was actually quite clever, judging from his snarky comebacks. So, when it came to good ideas, Chanyeol felt like he should give the man a chance to sell him on the idea.
"What club do you have in mind?"
Seeing that he had won the giant over, Baekhyun clasped his hands together. "I can't believe you're agreeing with me so easily, Park."
"Get on with it," Chanyeol muttered... Then he added, "Please."
"Club Answer. It's in Gangnam." Baekhyun pulled out his cellphone. "Give me your number. I'll text you the address."
"Can't we all just take a cab over there together?"
"I'd love to, but I have to go back and save Jongin from the strippers, silly."
Ah, right.
Baekhyun had ditched his party at the strip club.
After giving him back his cellphone, Chanyeol took the time to look over Baekhyun from head to toe. As usual, he was dressed primarily in black. For a moment, he wondered if Baekhyun owned clothes that were... not black. The thought must've slipped out.
"Why do you always look like you're dressed for a funeral?"
In the midst of typing out the address, Baekhyun raised his eyes at him. The smile on his face grew softer. "Well, why're you always looking at me?"
"I'm not."
"I can tell when people are lying, you know."
Chanyeol hated when Baekhyun did that thing.
The thing where he twists his words around... Or when he throws back the question without answering it first.
Leaning against the door frame, Chanyeol crossed his arms. He might've seemed a little defensive, but it wasn't far from the truth either. "I mean, by default, I kind of have to look at you every day. Like you said, we're their best men."
"Well, I guess that's logical." After he sent off the address, Baekhyun slid the phone back into his back pocket. "Anyways, I'll see you... and the rest of your party at the club. Call me when you're on the way. I reserved a private room and I got Park Go-Bum to come."
Park Go-Bum?
"He was supposed to come to this party--" Chanyeol stopped himself when he saw Baekhyun turn his head off to the side, trying to hide a laugh... But he wasn't doing a very good job at it. "Are you kidding me? You stole our celebrity guest?"
"I didn't steal him, Chanyeol. You can't steal a person-- Well, I guess you could. But that's another subject, isn't it?"
Glaring at him, Chanyeol reached out and gave Baekhyun a light shove on the shoulder. Nothing too serious, but enough to get the point across. "Who are you? Sehun had to pull connections just to get him to agree to come here."
"I have my ways."
That much was obvious, but Chanyeol decided that even if he wanted to keep pushing for an answer, Baekhyun would probably just run circles around him. "Fine. I'll text you when we're there."
"I'll see you later, then."
❁ ❁ ❁
Chanyeol did not realize how absolutely apeshit the combined parties would be, but then again, Baekhyun was paying for all the booze somehow and Park Go-Bum was there, taking up the majority of the party's attention before Baekhyun introduced a drinking game that involved doing "missions". They take turns going around the group.
Kyungsoo's turn eventually came around and Baekhyun grinned, looking at the application on his phone. "Well, I guess it's now your turn. Let's hope for something spicy."
"Mildly spicy!" Jongin added.
"Yeah, yeah." Waving him off, Baekhyun waited for the app to generate a new dare. Judging by the look of mischief on his face, Chanyeol could only guess that it was anything but "mild"...
"Okay, Soo. It says right here that you have to kiss the person on your right or take a shot."
It took everyone a second to register, but when it became clear that Jongin was to Kyungsoo's left and Park Go-Bum was to the right, a minor argument between both parties suddenly erupted.
"That's cheating!" Sehun stood up, grabbing Baekhyun's phone. "You can't do that-- Ah, Park Go-Bum, we're sorry. That man's a little--"
Go-Bum shook his head, amused at the bickering. "No! It's fine! I'm okay! Really, so--"
Jongdae, who had been quietly observing up until that point, laughed. "Come on. Jongin's going to get his turn in a few days."
"But maybe Baekhyun can pull up another dare?" Yixing said, trying to find a compromise. "Maybe refresh the app?"
Jongin didn't say anything. Seeing your fiance kiss someone else for his bachelor party wasn't ideal, but also... he'd also probably kiss Park Go-Bum because... Well shit. Who'd pass up that opportunity. "It's fine," he finally ended up saying. "He has my--"
Before he could finish, Chanyeol interrupted with his voice booming over the others. "I'll take the dare for him."
"What do you mean?" Jongin asked.
"I'll kiss the person on my right or take the shot."
Everyone stopped arguing and looked at him. Suddenly, Chanyeol could feel his face feeling warmer than before now that a handful of drunken faces were staring him down.
"Wow..."
Chanyeol turned his head to the right.
"I didn't know you liked me that much." Baekhyun smiled at him before he leaned over and took a shot for himself. "I'll pass on the kiss, but I'll take the drink for you as a reward for your bravery..."
After the empty glass was placed back on the table, Baekhyun pointed at Jongin. "So, since Kyungsoo's turn was forfeited, that means it's your turn!"
Kyungsoo looked bummed. On the other hand, Jongin rubbed his hands together, ready.
❁ ❁ ❁
"Where the hell did you find an app like that?"
Chanyeol was practically yelling just to be heard. The music was louder on the bottom floor than it was upstairs where their VIP room was located. He had followed Baekhyun all the way down to the lower-level bar under the excuse that he needed to use the restroom.
"Uh, the App store?" Turning to the bartender, Baekhyun slid over his card. Chanyeol noticed that it was one of those cards with no limits... "Need something sweet. Can I get a long island? Do you want one, Chanyeol?"
"What? Uh, no--"
"Make that two." Baekhyun ignored the look Chanyeol gave him when he turned back around. "Oh, before I forget! Thanks for, you know, going along with it. The party thing."
"Yeah." Glancing up at the balcony, Chanyeol couldn't see their friends, but he could tell they were all probably using the ooportunity to take selfies with Park Go-Bum and asking him pointless questions... Not that Chanyeol wasn't starstruck himself. He just had too much anxiety about being responsible for everyone that he couldn't really enjoy it.
And that was something he knew Baekhyun could sense the moment the latter thrusted the drink in his hand. "Are you always this stiff?"
"What do you mean?" Chanyeol gave in and took a sip. It wasn't bad; though it definitely wasn't something that could get anyone drunk. He wondered why Baekhyun ordered this particular drink.
"I don't know. You kind of remind me of..." Baekhyun trailed off but the smile on Baekhyun's lips does nothing except make Chanyeol more curious. "Flowers in the Rain."
"Huh?"
"I mean, you overthink a lot-- Kind of like the main character of that dumb book you like so much. And you overanalyze things. Listen, I know you're worried about this unconventional double bachelor party and all, but relax. Everyone's having fun. You barely took any shots during the games."
"That's not true. I took a few." Leaning against the wall, Chanyeol looked at the drink in his hand... then back to Baekhyun. "What's up with you mentioning that book anyways?"
"What?" Baekhyun pointed at his ear. "Chanyeol, I really can't hear you. The music, it's too loud!"
"I said--"
Grabbing Chanyeol's hand, Baekhyun pulled him off the wall and led him to a sparsely occupied area before letting go. Then, he started swaying from side to side, all the while taking sips of the Long Island drink he was balancing well in between his hands. "Dance with me!"
Was it even considered dancing? They were doing side steps while drinking... But still, Chanyeol was buzzed enough to think it was actually kind of--a little bit--fun. Stupid, but fun. And for a second, he forgot about the people they had left upstairs, too focused on Baekhyun trying to instigate a dance off that definitely wasn't going to happen on Chanyeol's watch.
❁ ❁ ❁
This time around, it was Kyungsoo and Jongin who had to be piled in the back of the taxi. Surprisingly, Baekhyun wasn't as wasted as he was before. Then again, Chanyeol only knew that wasted Baekhyun liked to cry and, so far, there weren't any tears involved yet. That was a good sign.
"Why didn't you let me kiss Park Go-Buuuum!" Kyungsoo sniffled, hitting Jongin on the chest. "That would've been the best wedding gift ever!"
"I said it was fine!"
"You should've said it louder!"
Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun who was sitting in the middle of the arguing bachelors and gave him a lopsided grin. Then, he turned to the driver and gave him the address to the hotel.
❁ ❁ ❁
Once they had tucked the two in the suite that originally held Kyungsoo's bachelor party, Chanyeol managed to drag his tired feet back down to their hotel room floor with Baekhyun trailing behind. Despite all their wasted energy, Baekhyun still found it in him to hum down the corridor. The tune was unfamiliar, so Chanyeol figured that he was just making it up as he went.
"Well, that was fun," Chanyeol said, taking his hotel card out of his wallet. When he didn't hear Baekhyun say anything in response, he peered behind him and saw Baekhyun with his head against his hotel door. "Um, hey. Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I'm just thinking."
"Oh." Suddenly it doesn't feel right to just go into his room and leave Baekhyun out in the hallway to think... "So, are you going in?"
"In a minute."
Chanyeol taps his card against the reader. Then he heard a click when the lock indicator began to flash the color green. Yet he doesn't go in. After a while, he turned around again. "Look, if you feel like throwing up, just say something. I'd rather help you into your room than have you vomit out here."
"That's not it. I'm just thinking."
"Well, can't you think inside your room?"
"If I move right now, I'll lose my train of thought."
The logic doesn't make any sense, and Chanyeol didn't bother asking for an explanation on it. Instead, he just took Baekhyun's word as the truth. "Fine. I'll stay here until you're done."
It was a weird night anyways. As Chanyeol slid down to the floor, he thought about things that he could do while waiting for Baekhyun to finish his...unconventional form of meditation. However, he didn't have to wait very long. A few minutes passed before he heard Baekhyun clap his hands together.
"Are you done?"
"Yeah. I think I figured it out."
"Figured what out?" Chanyeol grunted as he pushed himself off the floor.
"You." Baekhyun was beaming... though, Chanyeol wasn't exactly sure why.
"What?"
"I think that you're a really good character model, Chanyeol." Pressing his index finger against Chanyeol's chest, Baekhyun nodded to himself. "Awfully inspiring, too. I mean, a romance novel enthusiast who's at his best friend's wedding... who he may or may not have a crush on. Then, on top of all of that, you also stress a lot, which is kind of cute, but also a bit relatable."
"What the hell are you doing an entire character analysis on me for?"
Chanyeol moved Baekhyun's hand away. For some reason, it made him nervous... He knew for a fact it wasn't the alcohol either. Maybe this was Baekhyun's way of making fun of him. Then again, he had no reason to mock Chanyeol. Didn't they just have fun together?
"I'm not doing an analysis. I just think you're interesting. It's a compliment, Park." Scoffing, Baekhyun reached into his jacket and took out his wallet. It was small, only carrying a few cards, which made it easier for him to simply slide out the hotel key and have it scanned. "If it makes you feel better, you can do one on me."
Chanyeol narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"
"Analyze me. Come on. I know you have shit to say." The grin on Baekhyun's lips was enough to tell Chanyeol that he was in a good mood.
"I don't want to." Chanyeol walked back to his door and took out his keycard again. "Anyways, if you're all done with the whole 'train of thought' thing, then good-night, Baekhyun."
When he pushed the door open, Baekhyun's voice stopped him from stepping inside any further.
"Are you scared of hurting my feelings or something?"
Sighing, Chanyeol closed his eyes before turning around. "Why?"
"To make it even."
Chanyeol stared at the floor. They were both one step into their respective rooms, yet there they were, still talking to each other across the hall. It might've looked a little childish to an outsider.
Probably because it was.
"Fine," Chanyeol eventually said, defeated. "You mutter a lot, and you have a weird tendency to always have the last word when you're having a conversation with someone. Speaking of conversations, you suck at them. I don't think you can go a second without being subtly insulting."
"Keep going." Baekhyun crossed his arms, leaning against the door frame. "What else?"
"You're always wearing black. It makes you look unapproachable, but I guess that's the vibe you go for anyways since you basically are unapproachable. Also, I don't know if anybody's ever told you this, but you're either really chill or really chaotic."
Baekhyun shrugged. "Depends on the occasion."
But Chanyeol wasn't done. "When you're drunk, you're less tense. It's easier to talk to you, even if you get a little on the crazy side."
"That's so sweet of you to notice."
"But I also feel like you being drunk is an excuse to act out and let loose. Kind of like... you're coping with something." Chanyeol knew he was wandering into territory he had no right to be wandering around, but he was drunk and couldn't help himself. Fuck it. "Back at LAX, you said something about your exes-- something like that. And when Jongin was explaining the hotel room situation, he said that he took care of some kind of special arrangement. It looked like he did it for you... One of your exes is here, right? For the wedding? Is that why you've been--"
Laughing, Baekhyun straightened his posture and put a hand on the door. The smile he was giving looked different. It felt different, too, but before Chanyeol could say anything else, Baekhyun decided to end their night on his terms.
"You really are a dedicated reader," Baekhyun said softly, almost as if he was making a note of it to himself. "I can't say I enjoyed being put on the spot toward the end there, but your analysis wasn't half bad. I'll give you an A+ for the effort. We can call it even now. Good-night, Chanyeol."
And with a small wave, Baekhyun disappeared, leaving Chanyeol in the hall still staring at his door.