Matchmaker: BOOK I [Y/N X KAI]

✨Chapter 1✨

Some people say the most important day of one's life should be wedding. And for me, that was true.

It just wasn’t my own.

Now where was I? Oh right, Siyaah and Chanyeol's wedding, AKA, the most important day of my life.

It's a little over an hour later, and Chanyeol's best man is finishing up his toast.

"Here's to Chanyeol, I've met a few with sharper brains, but none with bigger heart."

And with that, everyone raises their glasses. Siyaah stands. Oh no, that means it's time for..

"Thank you! Now it's time to hear from my maid of honor, lifelong bestfriend, and partner in crime Ms. Nikita Khan!" she says with a bright smile.

I step forward, "Thank you Siyaah! It's an honor to be your maid of honor. We’ve come a long way since childhood, moving from a small town in Pakistan to Seoul. And more than anything, I'd like to thank her for teaching me how to be able to look in the mirror and laugh. Bad stuff happens sometimes. And it sucks. But it sucks significantly less if you can joke about it. Her signature in middle life was: Don't take life too seriously. You’ll never make it out alive anyways. I think that sums it up. Here's to you, Siyaah. And here's to Chanyeol, who knows how to pick'em up."

Everyone raises their glasses. I glance over at Siyaah, to see her with the biggest grin I've seen on her face since..

Well, since an hour ago when Chanyeol slid the ring onto her finger.

Chanyeol throws a smile at me, "Thank you Nikita! Now, I'm sure you're all full from dinner. So let's work it off at dance floor."

With that, several couples head to the dance floor, and several singles head to the buffet for seconds. I, of course, am in the latter category.

Helllooooo, buffet!

I'm scooping up another of those chicken platers when I hear someone mutter next to me.

"Novelty heating devices."

Huh?!

I look up from the table to see the best man inspecting the serving stations with interest.

Okay, so this isn’t the first time I've laid eyes on Chanyeol's best man but it's first time I've gotten to really look at him. And the more I look, the more I'm convinced that this guy must be a male model or something.

"They're using a variety of quirky heating devices to keep the food warm at this buffet table. It's a nice touch," he says.

What the fuck is he saying and to whom?

Oh wait, I asked him what he was talking about. Niki what's wrong with you!

"Thank you, I'll pass on your compliment to the caterers," I tell him with a very genuine fake smile.

Fuck, what was this probably-model best man's name again?

Yeah, right, Kim Jongin.

"Please do, Ms. Khan! And while you're at it, send my regards to the florist's choice of ribbon, and the DJ's strict No Disco Holdover policy, and the choreographer's work on the first dance," he exclaims in one breath.

"Oh..those are all me, actually."

Don't blush, niki. Don't. Blush.

He stares wide-eyed, "Siyaah made you play florist, DJ and Choreographer?"

I shake my head, "Oh, no. But, I picked the ribbon and told the DJ to hold that policy actually. And I just choreographed the first dance."

He smirks, "So you're a dancer?"

I chuckle, "Not even close. But I dance occasionally."

He chuckles back, "Care to show me? We are the best man and maid of honor after all. Everyone will expect us to dance atleast once."

I grin mischievously, "Jongin, no need to bother with excuses. I'd love to dance as much as you'd."

His smile suddenly fades. My grin widens.

Wow Niki, you made the model-looking best man nervous.

But it doesn't take him too long to regain composure and come back with a reply.

"Ha. Who said they're excuses? You're just assuming I want to dance with you because you're pretty. Also, call me Nini," he says confidently.

I smirk, "So nini, you do think I'm pretty, huh?"

"A girl like you knows she is. That goes without a guy like me having to say it," he replies.

"Maybe.. but it's nice to hear nonetheless," I reply.

Especially from a guy like you.

"I simply cleared that you think I'm so shallow as to ask you to dance just for your appearance," he says.

I laugh, "Okay fine, let's dance..for reasons totally unrelated to my appearance."

He leads me back to the dance floor and wraps his arms firmly around my waist, sending a shiver up my spine like I haven’t felt in years.

"Dancing a little too close, huh?"

"I can back up if you’d want," he replies.

With a wink, I press myself even closer, so I can get a whiff of his musky cologne.

"No, I like close.." I smirk.

A little while passes. I'm thinking what to say.

"So nini, aside from the novelty heating devices and absence of disco, are you enjoying the wedding?" I ask.

Okay, that was a boring question.

"Quite. It's still hard to believe it's happening though," he replies.

"What do you mean?"

"It all happened so fast. Eighteen months ago Chanyeol hadn’t even met your friend. And now, they're getting married."

"That’s true. I could never do something like that."

He gives me a knowing smirk, like I said something wrong.

"See, Channie used to say the same thing before he met your friend. Two dates later, he calls me up and says he thinks he found the one," he giggles.

"To be fair, Siyaah is awesome. I can't blame Chanyeol for wanting to put a ring on her," I smile.

"Siyaah is awesome, huh? But you don't think anyone could feel that way about you. Or that you could feel that way about anyone else? You're an interesting woman, Nikita Khan," he grins.

✨ To Be Continued ✨