Boss Complex

36. Engagement Banquet

Alcohol.

He needs a drink. He needs lots and lots of alcohol.

Kyungsoo had begged him not to come but he can't skip this. His parents would never understand and he wanted to show Chanyeol that he's fine without him. Marry, Baekhee! Do it! He wouldn't care. He doesn't care. He really shouldn't care. And this is why he needs alcohol.

Because the whole scene is just so elegant, so well coordinated, so lavish and overdone, so perfect. And he wanted all of this with that awful man. He wanted to be his sister now, more than ever. He wanted to be in her shoes, those uncomfortable pearl white heels with the dainty silver clasps. Her trim figure in a coral lace dress that flutters around her knees. Her eyes sparkle in the attention, hair pulled up in an elegant updo, looking nothing like herself these days. She's trying so hard to be the perfect CEO's wife, and she can't be enjoying it, but she's really trying and Baekhyun wishes that he could take that burden from her and be in her shoes. Her fiance at her side, reaching over to press his hand into the small of her back as they greet guests...

Alcohol. He really needs alcohol. And he needs it now.

"Baekhyun." His attention is pulled from the sight of his sister back to his best friend at his side and he lowers his gaze in embarrassment.

"He's... taller than I've been thinking." Kyungsoo offers.

"Sorry, I promise I'm not going to be fixated on him. He's in the past, I'm moving on."

He looks over at one of the ornate mirrors on the wall, fixing his pastel pink tie beneath his navy blue button down collar, feeling self conscious and stupid dressed up in a suit. He was wrong about Park Chanyeol. He had thought... He had honestly thought that they had a future together somewhere. That there was going to be some kind of magical moment in the office where Chanyeol took his hand and they collided together, kissing passionately. He had been wrong. It was meaningless sex, it was the kind of sex he had always heard about but never experienced until now. Not like this. Not this.

There he goes again, lost in his thoughts. In the mirror he can see Kyungsoo at his side, white white button down with a black tie, silver vest buttoned up, looking like he was a groomsman at Baekhee's wedding already. And Kyungsoo is probably here to celebrate for Baekhee. He should be doing the same. He's such a sick, selfish bastard in the end.

"Hey babe." Jongin comes up behind Kyungsoo and comfortably slides his hands onto his best friend's waist. "What are you doing here?"

Baekhyun tries to act casual about the slightly sobering comfort with which they look at one another, and there, in his eyes, Baekhyun sees a flicker of relief where Kyungsoo is genuinely happy that Jongin is around.

"Oh." Jongin says when Kyungsoo quietly motions to Baekhyun.

"Hi." Baekhyun offers, meeting the man's gaze in the mirror rather than face to face.

"Hey... Baekhyun."

"I'm going to get a glass of champagne, can I get some for you?" Jongin says putting a modest space between them.

Kyungsoo nods and looks to Baekhyun for a reply and Baekhyun gives a gracious smile as well.

There was no reason to be upset about whatever may or maynot be going on between them, but the fact that they were able to touch one another so freely and in public wasn't helping his current wallowing in self loathing.

"Look, Baekhyun, you've got to calm down. You're panicking already and the party hasn't even started yet." Kyungsoo offers putting his hand to Baekhyun's shoulder.

Baekhyun watches Chanyeol pull Baekhee in and giver her a kiss to her forehead for the gathered crowd around him and rolls his eyes. That man loves nothing but himself and money. He almost felt sympathy for his sister but for the fact that she's been such a bitch to him recently.