My Love That Is Forever (EXO FF)

52: Gilded Cages

“Are you wondering the same thing as me?”, Baekhyun asked his friends, his eyes not leaving the two men in suits who seemed to be following Kyungsoo everywhere in the hall.

“Are they watching him or are they watching over him?”, Chanyeol wondered out loud, his eyes narrowed.

“Both probably. I’ve seen them in uni too”, Junmyeon responded.

Just then, across the hall, Chanyeol caught Kim Minjun’s eyes. He smiled cheerily, without a hint of the displeasure that he was currently feeling towards the guy.

“The Dog’s seen us”, He said in between gritted teeth.

“Where?”, Yixing caught his eye just in time too. “Let’s go meet him then, and where’s Jongdae?”

“Already after Mrs. Do probably”, Chanyeol responded, walking in line towards the man waiting by the bar at the other end.

The hall was pretty posh, full with the spiral stairs reaching down on one side of the room (which Kyungsoo and Nayeon were expected to walk down soon), the chandeliers hanging in all for corners and a large one in the center. The music seemed decent too, he hoped he wouldn’t have to dance though. He was surprised to find several familiar faces in the room, ones that were definitely not included in their close friends list. He assumed Nayeon had some friends in their university too.
They met politely, and he introduced those of their friends to Minjun who he hadn’t met, before moving on to merge and mingle.

“Are Taeyeon and Soojung coming?”, Baekhyun asked him, trying hard to sound casual, as they both ordered cocktails at the bar.

Chanyeol smiled. His friend was so into the girl, he didn’t know what the problem was anymore. “Why? You missing her?”

Baekhyun shrugged casually again. “No, just wondering”

Chanyeol made a face. How long was the guy going to remain in denial and not do anything? “Well I guess you should keep wondering then”

He noticed how Baekhyun almost gritted his teeth, but didn’t say anything. Just then the music changed, and their attention was diverted to the stair case, coming down which, arm in arm were Kyungsoo and the girl he assumed was Kim Nayeon.

Kyungsoo was smiling artificially and Chanyeol wondered for a minute how anyone bought that he was in love with Nayeon. But then again, not everyone could see through Kyungsoo as they could, he was a fine actor. Nayeon, clad in a beige empress gown, looked even younger to Chanyeol than she did in the pages and she was glancing at Kyungsoo like he was the only cure to a deadly disease she had. Chanyeol resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Her acting was to be commended as well.

They both first went to her father and exchanged pleasantries, and after that to Mrs. Do. Chanyeol could see Jongdae right behind the older woman, but he was merged in the crowd enough to not be conspicuous. She looked somewhat more aged to him, the worry so obvious behind the smile she was wearing for show.

Finally, it was their turn. Chanyeol put on his best charming smile, and looked to find the others doing the same, some less so than others, he gave a look to Jongin that said buck-up to which the later just rolled his eyes.

“It's so nice to meet you all”, Nayeon said, genuinely beaming at each of them.

Let’s see how long you can keep up that charade, Chanyeol thought, smiling sweetly at her.

_

“Dude, you ready? So just go up to her and…..“

Chanyeol zoned out, listening to Yixing drone to Baekhyun in the background as they stood in the otherwise empty men’s room.