Yifan waited nervously for his best friend in the rooftop restaurant. It's been a year since the last time he saw Yixing and suddenly he's going to get married?
The manager tried to calm himself, Yixing said he will come with his fiance and he kept rubbing his hands together. It wasn't because of the cold air, he was just too excited yet afraid if maybe Yixing's fiance won't like him.
After ten minutes fidgeting around the tall man finally calmed down a little bit as he choose to play on his Phone. In a minute he's too into the game that he didn't see Yixing walked to his table and only looked up when he heard someone cleared his throat and talked in his mother language.
"Are you that bored waiting for me?"
Yifan instantly smiled, standing up and engulfed Yixing in a tight hug. "Xing-ah! I miss you so damn much! What a pleasant surprise, really."
Yixing laughed, patting the taller's back before pulling away. "I'm sorry for keeping it a secret from you. I want to make sure that I got permission first before I announce it." the chinese man said in Korean.
"Is that mean you got the permission?"
Yixing gave his dimple smile to Yifan, "I did. Meet my fiance, Minseok."
Yifan tilted his head to see a man only a little bit shorter than Yixing was smiling at him. Minseok had chubby cheeks, his smile looked cute and he's wearing a long coat which made him looked so huggable.
"Hello, Yifan-ssi." he greeted.
Yifan let go of Yixing and bowed to Minseok, "You're Korean."
Minseok chuckled, eyes meeting with Yixing who smiled back at him. "He told me you will be shock when you found out."
"I am." Yifan turned to Yixing with a frown. The smaller only smiled as he took steps closer to Minseok. "What can I say, I love him."
Yifan let out an audible content sigh. He stared at the couple in front of him before a grin formed, "Congratulations you two. It's still feel like I'm dreaming."
Spending time with Yixing made Yifan relaxed, forgetting that he's actually in Korea and working on other people's hotel. Yixing asked how he was doing, Minseok was interest to know more of Yifan as Yixing's best friend and Yifan too found out many things about Minseok. Yifan booked a room for the couple after, letting them stay as an early gift and said they could come whenever they want this year while Yifan's the manager.Yifan wanted to talk more but the couple were tired from the trip so Yixing promised they will have breakfast together the next morning which the former agreed on.
***
Yifan had smile plastered on his face along breakfast. He had a good laugh with Yixing and Minseok. The couple were so full of love that Yifan felt jealous and said it out loud, making both of them blushed causing Yifan to made fun of them.
"But Yifan, you told me your father's searching you a husband." Yixing asked in both concern and to change the topic.
"Yeah. My new friends in here try to help me and I hope I can find a good husband. You know, maybe someone like Minseok who can understand you." he winked at Minseok who only laughed as he continued eating his food.
"Are you sure you don't want to search it yourself?"
"I don't have the time, Xing. I'm busy with work and I think I will try to listen to my father this time. I realized he's not that young anymore and I feel like I should do this, as his last wish before he will finally stop controlling me."
Yixing stared at Yifan and the look he gave made Yifan groaned. "What? I'm not lying."
"I know. But you sounded like you're not genuine with your decision either. Right?" he turned to Minseok who paused munching.
"Uhm. I don't know what to say..." the one with chubby cheeks covered his mouth as he speak.
"Please tell me the truth, Minseok hyung. This is important, I can't convince my father if I can't convince you."
Minseok bit his lips, turning to Yixing who gave him a nod before he saw Yifan in the eye. "You sounded tired, not excited. Like you're being force doing it...? I mean, this is marriage, Yifan. You can't just do it because you want your father to stop controlling you, you have to take care and be responsible of your family for the rest of your life."
"I know my responsibilities. That's what I'm worried about, what if I focus more on my job instead of my family? My father knows it but still he... I don't know..." Yifan sighed, body slouching on his seat as Minseok shared a worry glance with his fiance.
"You have to discuss it with your father. Show him your good intention, that you want to marry but tell him also what you're worrying about. You said he will understand, right? And don't forget to talk with your mother first as a back up so she can help with your father." Yixing suggested with his calming smile.
Yifan stared at Yixing's face. The feeling inside his chest slowly yet surely disappeared and he smiled back, knocking his fingers on the table.
"Right. Okay. I will do it and I will call you to report what happen later." the manager turned to Minseok who still had this worry look on his face. "Thank you, Minseok hyung. I appreciate it a lot that you can be honest with me."
"Hyung?"
Yifan hummed, typing rapidly on his computer with his glasses on. He looked as if he just had an overnight work where in fact it's just barely lunch time. Jacket was off, sleeves rolled to his elbows and his hair sticked out to every direction as the result of him kept running his hand through it.
"Want to eat lunch together?"
"Yeah, sure. I'm almost done." Yifan smiled up to Jongin who decided to walked around his room.
Jongin trailed his eyes slowly, from the stacks of neat books on the bookshelves. Some frames with Yifan's family portraits, and his eyes landed on maps in the coffee table. He was familiar with those maps, his parents especially his father gave it to him around two years ago.
"Is these the candidates your father chose for you, hyung?" Jongin sat on the couch and brought the maps with him. There were five maps and he immediately cringe as he opened the first map. "Your father's really serious, huh? He choose them by your type, hyung."
Yifan chuckled as he kept typing, "What can I say. Told you he wants grandchild."
"And you want a daughter." Jongin peeked from behind the map to see Yifan glaring at him.
The manager sighed, stretching his long body on his chair and turn off his computer. He took of his glasses, rubbing his temple and eyes as he felt dizzy a little. "Come on. I'm hungry."
"Yeah, let's go." Jongin said while still reading the information of Yifan's blind dates partner.
Yifan stood up and walked to sit beside Jongin, peering over to see the photos as he hadn't opened it after his father's secretary sent it to him personally.
"He's cute." commented the younger.
"Not bad."
"That means no." Jongin closed the first map and throw it to the table. He opened the next map and showed it to the older who leaned closer.
"Too young."
"Huh?" Jongin was watching for Yifan's change of expression before he turned to the map. "Oh god, he's eighteen!?"
Yifan took the map from Jongin's hand before he threw it to the table. "Next."
Jongin opened the next one and he tilted his head. A man with honey colored hair, pretty smile and feminine features wasn't an unfamiliar sight for him. "Why there's Luhan's photo here?" he turned to the older with deep frown.
Yifan scanned the information and parted his lips, "What the, he's the son of that beauty product brand?"
"What brand? How can you know the brand?" Jongin eyes him suspiciously.
"My mom wears it and it belongs to her friend, maybe that's why his photo is here. But...why is he working at your hotel, Jongin-ah?"
"Absolutely no idea. Will try to dig it later. Are you interested in him?"
"I don't know, he's cute but..."
"What?" Jongin turned to Yifan with a smirk, waiting for his reply as the older struggled with his word.
"I don't know. I just can't imagine him standing beside me as my wife."
"So it's a no, right?"
"Yeah..."
Jongin closed the map but didn't throw it to the coffee table. "I need to ask him about this. He practically lied about his background."
"Will you fired him?"
Jongin hummed before he shook his head, "I understand why he had to hide his identity. But the mistake wasn't that big and he might only got a salary cut." he opened a new map and showed it to the manager.
"I like him. Seems independent yet you can still see he's a kind man."
"Hmm...yeah, he does look nice."
Yifan took the map from Jongin's hand, flipping the page to read more information of him. "But I have to be careful not to hurt his feeling..."
"Why so?" Jongin lifted his head, trying to see what the manager was reading.
"He learnt many types of martial arts. Taekwondo, Kendo, Hapkido, err..."
Jongin suddenly laughed, imagining the man being angry and kicking the older man as Yifan tried to run away from him. "I think you need to change your mind."
"Too bad, he's my type..." Yifan gave the map to Jongin who put it on the coffee table.
"Last one. If he's a no too then we should ask if Baekhyun got someone." Jongin smiled to the older who nodded.
"Fine by me." he stared down to the map and frowned after Jongin opened it. "Why..." he took the map from Jongin who raised his eyebrows at Yifan for suddenly snatching it.
"Hyung?"
"He's my ex." Yifan flipped the page just to make sure. "He met father before and my old man quite like him."
"Why did you broke up with him?"
"It's not because of my job this time. He's cheating on me." Yifan huffed, closing the map and threw it to the table. "Appa knows too, I wonder why his picture is here."
"Maybe his secretary's the one choosing?" Jongin said as he stood up.
"I'm sure my father himself chose this people." Yifan stared for a moment at the maps on his coffee table. "Just to be safe, if my father asks, tell him I'm into Luhan."
Jongin raised his eyebrows, wanting to ask further of why but Yifan beat him as he pulled Jongin up and pushed him out of the room, saying they will continue as they eat.
Jongin kept pestering Yifan while having lunch about why he choose Luhan. The manager told him to be patient as he needed to start his big meal first, making the tanned man pouted and ate with him.
After three plates of different foods, Jongin who waited patiently finally smiled when Yifan wiped his mouth with a napkin.
"So?"
Yifan squinted his eyes to Jongin as he leaned on his seat. "He's the safest choice as he's the only one I know."
"No other reason? Are you being honest right now?"
"Jongin-ah, have I ever lie to you?"
"No."
"Then yes, I'm telling you the truth."
"I'm still curious about your ex, hyung. Mind to tell me about it?"
"No. Not now. I don't want to ruin the rest of my day because of him, it makes me angry remembering that little devil."
Jongin chuckled hearing the nickname, "Devil, huh?"
"Devil disguising as an angel. Wonder how I couldn't see it, it's so obvious actually..." Yifan folded his arms, frowning as he started to remember the small witty man he used to love.
"Why did he cheat on you, hyung?"
"Well, he--" Yifan paused, staring at Jongin's expressionless face. "I said no, Jongin. I need to talk about it while drinking..."
Jongin tsked, getting caught before succeeded. He was impatient, he couldn't wait to hear it later. "Come on, hyung. I can't drink, you know that."
"You can drink, you just don't want to. That's the deal, drink or no story at all." Yifan smirked.
Jongin pouted hard before he sighed, "Fine. You have to take care of me if I'm drunk, though."
"We can ask the other to join?"
"The couple had plan already, I think Kyungsoo can join us." said Jongin, referring to Baekhyun and Chanyeol.
"Great. Kyungsoo can handle us just fine." Yifan nodded.
Yifan was distracted when he was at work. At a random time the face of that petite man came to him and he groaned in annoyance couple of times.
"This is crazy... I forgot him already why so suddenly..." the manager had his head above his desk. Staring out to the blue sky as he tried to calm himself, by watching the clouds.
The man whose name he didn't want to mention did many things that made Yifan the happiest man in the world. It's so unfortunate that he had to cheat on him. The man said he didn't have any relationships with his so called best friend but he knew as Yixing once saw them kissing each other. Yifan of course didn't believe at first and Yixing let him but later, he started to get suspicious and followed his ex, trying to prove to his best friend (and himself) that he's right.
The day that man broke Yifan's heart was the day Yifan decided not wanting to get married. He once planned it with the petite man and he didn't want to go through that again just to get his heart became broken pieces in the floor.
He wanted to get married, sure he did, but he wanted to have someone who promised him, maybe even making a formal contract that they won't cancel the wedding. He didn't want a divorce, he knew how important marriage is that's why he tried to avoid it as long as he could until the due time came. He knew and could already imagine what will happen to him when he failed on this, only to become a man who loved his job and that's just pathetic.
"Why am I thinking about marriage... It's not like I want to marry now..." the manager lift his head, taking his phone and dialed his mother's number.
Talking with his mother made Yifan felt calm. His mother knew how to make him feel at ease, just like Yixing. His mother told him not to think of the marriage too much, that his father still want him to choose his own husband. He asked his mother about his ex and the beautiful woman said she didn't know about it, she didn't even know his father's secretary went all over to Jeju to send those blind dates photos.
Yifan could relax for a bit and focus back on his work. It's not like he had many works, but as it was the start of his second month he wanted to make sure he got all the things he needed to know so he won't miss any mistakes as he kept reading the reports carefully. By doing that he could work less the next month as he already know where to start, which to search and when to finish.
Yifan was full of smile when he met Jongin at the bar with Kyungsoo beside him. Jongin raised his eyebrows, face leaning close to the older who blinked his eyes and slowly pulling away from the younger's scrutinizing gaze.
"Why are you smiling now?"
"Cause I feel better."
"Oh?"
"Who did you talk to?" asked Kyungsoo before gulping down his drink.
Yifan saw the glass on Kyungsoo's hand, "How many have you drink?"
"He's strong he can handle it." answered Jongin.
"And you're not? Funny." Yifan smirked.
Jongin squinted his eyes, "What's that suppose to mean?"
"Nothing. Let's get to business..." Yifan asked for a glass of alcohol and the bartender gave it to him before he gulped it in one go.
"Are you sure you're feeling better now?"
Yifan hummed before asking for another glass. "I'm too happy that I feel like drinking."
Jongin gave a skeptical gaze, but held himself not to push the older about his feeling. "Let's get drunk tonight, then." he smirked.
"Won't Kyungsoo be angry?" Yifan eyed Kyungsoo who only watched them silently and enjoying his drink.
"Nah. I'm fine. He can do it once in a while." the small man smiled, leaning in to kiss his boyfriend on the cheek in permission.