Worlds Apart - Taekook - Book 2

Chapter 300 - Mind Games

"That was a beautiful ceremony... are all weddings like that?" Embarrassment crept up into Phoenix's cheeks and she knew it showed over the make-up when Smiler put his arm around her waist and tugged her close. He protected her and made her feel safe in ways she didn't know she needed and he didn't need to say a word.

"Is this your first wedding?" Emi asked, unable to hide the tinge of surprise. She really liked Phoenix... she liked everyone but there was something about the make-up artist that made her feel a certain way which she couldn't put her finger on. The only way she could describe it was like a protective feeling, a warmth, Phoenix was endearing. Emi didn't know the details of what Phoenix had been through but she knew she'd had a difficult past.

"This is my first, second wedding..." she giggles, "... I was a guest at Jungkook and Taehyung's wedding at Neverland. That was my first wedding."

"I've heard a lot about it. A whole theme park! It looked magical." Emi had been filled in by Jara, mostly. She'd seen photos and would've loved to have been there.

"The best bit was when my girl won the game..." Smiler was the embodiment of his nickname as he spoke, "... she single-handedly saved Neverland."

"She what?" words delivered with a sigh and raised eyebrows. If his brother had just done the normal thing and had his wedding in a hotel, Han-Shik could've sneaked off and wouldn't have to endure talking to people that he wouldn't usually speak to.

Han-Shik frequented a variety of bars and clubs during his untamed, pre-wedding days and still managed to find people he liked... or perhaps 'like' was too much of a strong word... he did mostly just find people he tolerated long enough to have sex with. If he thought about socialising, he'd realise that it wasn't something he did. He may speak to the odd person at the gym but outside of his apartment, the majority of conversations he had were business related at Yang Corp.

Phoenix blushed. Her boyfriend told everyone and anyone that she saved Neverland, as soon as the topic of conversation allowed. Most people knew instantly what Smiler was referring to, if they'd been on the laser quest ride and others tended to smile and look at him like he needed admitting to a psyche ward. It was a strange thing to be proud of but he was proud of her and that was that.

"We went on the laser quest ride at Neverland in the evening and we won the couples competition." Phoenix looked briefly at Han-Shik, she thought he was rude so directed her answer at Emi, even if she hadn't been the one to ask.

"We might've been a couple but it was your score that kicked everyone's butt." Smiler says, choosing to ignore the impertinent brother.

"Jara did tell me that it was a lot of fun. And you've got Ash and Heeju's wedding in July?" Emi asks. She wished she could go but they were never going to be invited given how popular her husband was with Ash.

"Yes... on Ma'Ohi... Jungkook's island." Phoenix knows that it's not solely Jungkook's but she didn't see any harm in making out that it belonged to the dancer. Her boyfriend and Ash often took great delight in referring to it as 'KM island', which always got the response they wanted. Confrontation wasn't her forte, she preferred to be the silent, undetected person in the room and she reasoned with herself that this wasn't provocation for the purpose of an argument, it was stating a fact... in a roundabout way.

Phoenix had met men like Han-Shik before. Those who thought they were better than everyone, who believed the world owed them something. Perhaps that wasn't what the middle brother was like but that was the impression he gave. Those type of men were adolescents once who bullied others because other boys weren't as fortunate as they were or they were different. The dangerous ones were the closeted, popular guys who liked to throw their weight around. They picked on the boys who were openly gay or rumoured to be gay... they hated what they were because it represented what they couldn't escape entirely within themselves.