𝐚 𝐭𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦•𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐥

3: just a friend

"WHAT?!" minghao facepalms as his roommate is constantly causing minghao's death. from embarrassment. "why can't i just disregard the seating arrangement and sit with you?! i'm stuck with seungcheol again!"

"that's seungcheol-hyung." minghao corrects, but chan only stuck out his tongue at minghao. "yeah, what he told you is true. you're childish."

"mean!"

the guests were waiting in the garden (near the wedding venue) trying to find their seats and chatting. meanwhile, jisoo and jeonghan were taking solo pictures for their wedding photobook thing since they'd taken pictures with all the guests already. this may be memorable for them, but for chan, it's not. salty.

the newlyweds chose the afterparty/reception to be in the garden as well. they really love nature, huh? didn't they consider the weather? if it rains, the guests will get soaked.

whatever. they do what the fancy doing.

"i've not spoken a single word with the two of them ever since i came here," seokmin walks to where minghao and chan stood, chatting with them. "they're so busy."

"of course they are. there are a lot of things to take into account when you get married." minghao replies. seokmin shrugged, taking a look at chan. seokmin turned to minghao with a questioning look, jerking his thumb at chan. "oh! yeah, this bitch is stuck with seungcheol the whole wedding, and now, he's going to be stuck with seungcheol the whole party."

"don't you hate each other?"

"exactly!" chan points to seokmin. both minghao and seokmin laugh at chan's antics. "what if i just..leave?"

"jeonghan will be upset." seokmin raised an eyebrow, before chan whined like a bored kid in a family gathering. minghao and seokmin laugh again. "just bear seungcheol for like—"

"THE WHOLE NIGHT. I CAN'T BEAR HIM FOR THAT LONG."

"keep it down, jesus christ!" minghao glares at chan, placing his index before his mouth. everyone's literally sushed him all day. "come on, you're a big boy, suck it up and just accept the truth." to which chan rolled his eyes at.

"see 'ya later. goodluck with seungcheol, and don't get too drunk, minghao." seokmin waved goodbye, which chan acknowledged by a subtle nod.

"i'll get going." minghao brushes off dust from his clothes, turning to chan. "remember, suck it up and accept the truth."

chan heads to his seat, thinking about what minghao said. suck it up and accept the truth. has minghao ever been so madly in love? he doesn't understand how hard it is to even forget jeonghan even just for a minute.

it's hard to accept, your love is getting married and you realise that you just wasted your time making efforts for jeonghan, because he won't even pick you in the end. all he thinks of you is his baby.

"thinking about that missed chance to object?" seungcheol asks playfully as chan sits beside him with a grunt. gladly, the table was circular so chan won't brush shoulders with seungcheol, or get kicked again. "you suck."

"you suck too."

"i hate you."

"i hate you even m—"

"PLEASE WELCOME, MR. AND MR. HONG!" chan and seungcheol's bantering session gets interrupted when the host's voice boomed, followed by a wave of applaud. jisoo and jeonghan enter the venue, meanwhile; jeonghan was smiling at jisoo as they walked, jisoo was holding jeonghan's hand carefully. like it's the most precious and beautiful thing in the world, yet the most fragile thing.

no, not 'like'. jeonghan (and his hand) is the most precious and beautiful thing in the world, yet it is fragile.

the newlyweds started making opening remarks, while the waiters were serving drinks. chan and seungcheol got into a staring contest when they both grabbed the glass of juice at the same time.

the voice of the speaker (seungkwan, thankfully) drowned out seungcheol and chan's voices.

"there's literally another one in front of you!" seungcheol growled, pointing to the other glass of juice with his free hand. seungcheol is so not letting go of the juice. "this is mine!"

"i held it first!" chan protested, pulling the glass of juice closer to him. seungcheol pulled it back.

"no, give it to me! have respect, i'm older!"

"what fucking shit do i get if i acknowledge that you're older?"

seungcheol huffed, a little surprised that chan cussed without stuttering. "i'm born first so i get the drinks first!"

"and you die first too!"

the glaring intensifies. nobody plans on letting go, until seungcheol was called out. chan grimaces when he finally gets the drink to himself.

"please welcome, choi seungcheol, a close friend of our couple!" the host calls, handing the mic to seungcheol as he stood up. seungcheol glanced once at chan, who stuck out his tongue. seungcheol shook his head before turning to the audience, and the newlyweds.

"hello, i'm seungcheol. i've been friends with jeonghan since middle school, and joshua, since childhood." chan halts drinking, surprised at the information. "both of them were cringey in puberty, i'm telling you."

the audience laughed, including jeonghan and jisoo. chan didn't laugh. no, not that he was stolid, or still salty about jihan getting married—jisoo and seungcheol were friends?

and seungcheol is totally okay with his childhood friend getting jeonghan away from him? they met chan in high school, so he's not really relevant—chan didn't know that they had a rich past.

after chan confessed to jeonghan, seungcheol followed. the two men were the only suitors of jeonghan, until they were 17, when jisoo added to the list of jeonghan's suitors.

if chan was seungcheol, he'd be atleast a little upset. but friends do that for friends, right? they don't hold you back because they want you to be happy.

maybe chan should also let jeonghan go.
friends want their friends to be happy, right? and that's what chan is to jeonghan. just a friend.