Archive of Our Own ^beta

The year 2045. It might come as a surprise but humanity is still alive and doing pretty well actually.

After successfully having conquered the environmental problems thanks to the brilliant head of a scientist whereupon the war, people had believed to be inevitable, had been able to be prevented, the world is now peaceful again.

Cities are growing and technology is developing faster than ever before. It is an era which would have stunned people in the past, full of amazing discoveries and brilliant geniuses.

Byeongkwan is one of them. He is an engineer with a bright future and a big brain. Therefore he doesn’t know what exactly it is that has made him give into Yuchan’s stupid dare. He should have known better.

Overtime things have rapidly gotten faster. Everything is designed to be efficient and save time and Byeongkwan loves that. He is busy with work and that means he can’t spend his precious time on useless and unprofitable things.

There are many people just like him which has led  to more and more businesses getting handled online over the past couple years. Not only shopping but also restaurants which deliver any food you could think of, cooked with the exact ingredients you want. Letters and packages have died too, what has stayed are online orders and a few years ago they even launched an app with which one could get married in less than a minute and only a few clicks. At least that’s what the advertisement always says while it plays this annoying old love song that must be at least a hundred years old by now. Of course it’s not romantic at all but people don’t care about stuff like that anymore. There are more important things and who even still gets married? Byeongkwan definitely won’t.

However, said app called “Love Forever” (which already sounds horrible if someone asks him) is what Byeongkwan has just downloaded onto his screen while Chan watches him with eager eyes, excitement glowing in them.

“This is a stupid idea...” Byeongkwan remarks but still proceeds to click onto the small white icon, decorated with two intertwined rings, followed by a page opening that tells him to log in, using his face and fingerprints. He sighs and does as the app says, waiting for the next page to load while Chan snickers amused.

“C’mon! It’s gonna be fun! It’s not my fault that you lost.” Byeongkwan huffs and makes a note to himself to never play rock, paper, scissors against Chan ever again, just like he has done it a thousand times before. In the end he never learns from his past mistakes.

“So...What now...?” He asks Chan as if he isn’t capable of reading the words on the screen that are telling him to create a profile for himself. Byeongkwan has never been a big fan of apps like this but he also never has really had the time to meet new people outside of the online world. Not that he feels like he is missing out on something. Spending time with his work, colleagues or Chan makes him happy enough, thank you very much.

“Well we’ll search for your hottest pic and use it for your profile, what else?” His friend quickly takes the screen out of his hands and opens his gallery, scrolling through it for some minutes before he shakes his head in disbelief.

“How is there no good picture of you? Do you never take any?” Byeongkwan shrugs.

“What for? I don’t upload stuff on ‘Look’ too often...” His friend sighs and then gestures him to back away a bit. Byeongkwan frowns and then gets hit by bright light. Surprised he closes his eyes shut.

“Open your eyes!” Chan commands him, “How am I supposed to take a good picture of you like this?” Byeongkwan does open his eyes but only to glare at the other.

“Are you stupid? I’m wearing my pajamas! I’m not even wearing makeup right now!” But his friend doesn’t care, the clicking noise telling him that he has already taken several photos. Byeongkwan doesn’t get why Chan is so keen on creating a good profile for him anyway. It’s not like he is seriously trying to get married. This all is just a joke; the loser of their battle signing up, them maybe texting a few candidates until the whole thing gets boring and they will delete his profile again.

“This one is ok, I think.” Chan’s voice sounds satisfied and Byeongkwan can’t help but curiously lean closer. He finds himself disagreeing with his friend’s opinion.

The picture looks a bit blurry, even though the camera provides perfect lighting and is also supposed to focus on its own. Byeongkwan himself also doesn’t really make up for the bad quality of the picture. He is frowning, a pout on his lips while his hair is sticking into every direction and his bare face is graced by red cheeks.

“Are you kidding? That looks horrible!” He exclaims and wants to rip the device out of Chan’s hands again but his friend is faster and taller, holding it out of reach for him.

“It’s not that bad and it’s only a joke! We’ll delete it later, I promise. Let’s just keep going.” Byeongkwan thinks about it for a second before he sighs defeated.

“Okay...”

After the picture incident, there are a bunch of questions that he has to answer. They go from basic stuff like his height (not too tall but tall enough), occupation (an engineer) and living situation (middle sized apartment in a nice and quiet area) to his favorite food (is it even possible to choose?), his biggest dreams (seeing the ocean maybe?), music taste (he doesn’t listen to music a lot) and favorite hobby (engineering and maybe gaming). At the end he also has to answer preferences and things he is looking for in a partner and add a text about the reason why he wants to get married so quickly, using this app.

“Just write that you are getting lonely because of your job so you are trying to find someone who wants to spend time with you.” Chan suggests which once again causes a frown to return to Byeongkwan’s face.

“I have you and I don’t feel lonely.” His friend only rolls his eyes but then starts chewing on his lower lip.

“This is just a joke and also...” He stops and takes a deep breath and immediately Byeongkwan knows that there is something going on that he hasn’t told him about. It confuses him. Chan usually always tells him everything first before anyone else knows about it. Has something bad happened?

“Donghun proposed to me yesterday. We’ll get married soon.” Everything in Byeongkwan stops. Even his heartbeat seems to halt before he exhales and throws himself onto his best friend.

“You are getting married and you are telling me only now?” Chan’s giggles fill the room while Byeongkwan tickles every inch of his body that he can reach. He releases him after some minutes and they both lay next to each other on his bed, panting heavily from the action.

“I didn’t know how you would react.” Chan’s tone varies and Byeongkwan turns his head to look at him. 

“I’m happy for you, what else?” At least he tries to be. Chan shrugs.

“Yea but you hate marriage. Like...you said only stupid people would bind themselves to someone else and dedicate all their time to them.” It’s true. Beyongkwan has indeed said that and he still believes these words to be true. In his opinion only fools get married and he isn’t alone with this thought. It’s how many people think. Still, Chan isn’t a fool and he knows what a great guy Donghun is. Byeongkwan has seen them together; glowing full of happiness and love and for a second, he questions if marriage might not be something pleasant after all. There are studies that show most of them don’t work out but he really hopes that Chan’s will.

“Congratulations.” He only says, returning Chan’s bright grin and meaning it, when the chime of his phone reminds them of the “Love Forever” app that is still illuminating the room. Chan quickly sits up and takes the screen back into his hands, his face glowing in the light.

“You’ve got your first match!” He announces and immediately Byeongkwan is up too.

“What? So fast?” Even though his picture looks horrible? Chan nods, a satisfied smile on his face and turns the screen to Byeongkwan so he can catch a glimpse of his matche’s picture. When his eyes fall on the photo, he sucks in the air in surprise. Byeongkwan doesn’t really know what he has expected. Actually, he hasn’t expected anything at all but the man that is smiling at him from the screen looks stunning and he hates that he makes his heart beat faster, even if only a little.

“Can this be a catfish?” He wants to know and Chan shrugs.

“I don’t know. The profile has to belong to him. I mean they check the fingerprints with all the data and stuff. He might have used a filter though...Or he is rich enough to afford surgery.” That’s true. It’s easy to make yourself look the way you want to nowadays. Spend some money and voila you look like a new person. Surgeries like that have become a lot more popular since the success rate has risen to nearly 95%. However, most of the time people tend to look weirdly similar to a certain template and therefore it’s possible to tell if they have undergone surgery. At least when you are standing right in front of them.

Not that Byeongkwan usually cares if people change their appearance. He doesn’t judge. But just how could someone who is naturally this beautiful be interested in him after having seen his red-cheeked bare face?

“Should I text him?” Chan asks, his finger already hovering over the message symbol. Byeongkwan shrugs. What does it matter? They’ll have to delete his profile soon anyways since after the chatting part, there is the marriage part and he has no intentions on going through with that.

It would mean the app informs the government, followed by them sending both of them several new documents, a place and a time for a first meeting and a wedding catalog just in case they decide on holding a ceremony after all. That, too, is what he has learned from the advertisement that one seems unable to avoid. 

Even though Byeongkwan hasn’t really given him his permission, Chan apparently decides that the shrug was enough of a yes. He clicks on the symbol and then starts typing away, reading his message aloud so Byeongkwan knows what he is writing,

“Hey...How...are you doing...” They don’t have to wait for long. Only some seconds later, the reply shows up on the screen.

“He says, he is fine and asks you if you are having a nice evening.” They keep up the small talk like that for a while until Chan complains that it’s getting too boring.

“Let me ask something funny!” He begs and eventually Byeongkwan gives in with a huff. He doesn’t read his message aloud this time but his amused giggle makes Byeongkwan throw him a suspicious glance.

“What did you write?” he wants to know.

“I asked him if he wants to marry me...uhm I mean you, because your best friend is getting married soon and now you feel lonely.” The pillow that flies through the air a moment later only hits the wall where Chan’s head has been. His friend has reacted too fast and is now holding his stomach while he is laughing.

“That’s not even funny!” Byeongkwan exclaims but it drowns in his friend’s laughter. Then the reply shows up and it shocks both of them.

“He said yes! Apparently he feels lonely too?” Hell no!

“Delete my profile now!” He orders Chan who immediately starts whining.

“But why? It’s finally getting interesting!”

“I’m not letting you marry me off to some random freak that apparently thinks it’s a good idea to get married to a stranger online!” He tries to grab the screen but like earlier Chan is faster. However, this time Byeongkwan doesn’t give up so quickly. He jumps up and puts his full weight on his friend, tackling him onto the bed where they end up wrestling for the device until a sudden loud melody startles them both enough to stop. Byeongkwan has finally managed to get his hands on the screen but the words that are framed by golden glitter make his stomach turn itself upside down,

“Congratulations on your marriage, Kim Byeongkwan!”

They both stare at the screen in shock and it takes what seems to be an eternity until the words finally sink in. Then the panic hits Byeongkwan with full force.

“Shit!” He exclaims and tries to click onto the screen in an attempt to undo his mistake but without any success. The words stay and he doesn’t seem to be able to do more than close the app and maybe drown in self pity. Chan watches him silently and with guilty, wide eyes.

“What am I supposed to do now?” Byeongkwan buries his head in his hands in frustration. He should have never participated in Chan’s stupid dare.

“It’s gonna be fine. You can just get a divorce or something? Meet up with the guy and tell him it was...a joke...” It’s obvious that even in Chan’s ears that sounds cruel. Yes the app might be stupid and perhaps most people also only sign up for fun but at the end of the day, a few of them probably still hope to actually find a partner for life and playing with their feelings is an asshole move through and through. They should have realized that sooner.

“I’m gonna call Donghun. He should pick you up.” Byeongkwan announces, getting up slowly only for Chan to yelp and grab his arm.

“No! Don’t do that! You know how he will react!” Yes, Byeongkwan knows but he is angry at Chan. After all it’s him who has gotten them into this situation. However, he should have known that Chan’s pleading voice would make him go weak again immediately,

“I don’t want him to be disappointed...” Byeongkwan sighs and lets himself fall back down onto the bed, all anger suddenly gone and only exhaustion staying.

“Then what now? I just got married...on accident.” Chan thinks about it before he answers,

“I could ask Donghun about it, tomorrow... You know about how divorces work and stuff...” Byeongkwan nods slowly. That’s probably the best idea. Chan’s boyfriend - pardon - fiancé is a lawyer so he hopes that he can help him somehow. If he finds out about the accident however, he’ll definitely laugh at them or maybe just shake his head. Or both, Byeongkwan isn’t sure. It’s difficult to understand the other and even though Chan is his best friend and will marry Donghun soon, Byeongkwan and him aren’t really close.

They decide to go to sleep which ends in Chan snoring loudly while Byeongkwan lays next to him, wide awake. The entire time his thoughts circle around the handsome stranger who is now his husband. The word sounds weird in his brain, as if it shouldn’t be there and no, it shouldn’t. Byeongkwan never wanted to marry and that’s what he will tell him once he gets to meet him. Finally, the tiredness wins and he slowly drifts off to sleep, his last thought being the realization that he can’t even remember his husband’s name.

On the next day Chan says his goodbye not without promising Byeongkwan to talk to Donghun as soon as possible. The other tries to get some work done afterwards but catches his thoughts wandering to the app and the former evening again and again instead of focusing on his project. Eventually he gives up with a frustrated sigh and orders himself some food instead. It’s afternoon already and he isn’t satisfied with his own performance today.

The ringing at his door makes his stomach grumble loudly and he goes to get his food only to find a small pastel pink package instead. He picks it up and immediately his eyes fall on the ‘Love Forever’ logo. Right...His marriage starter kit.

He only opens it because he knows there will be more information about the stranger from the app as well as an appointment for their first meeting inside. He needs both so that he can convince the other to get a divorce as soon as possible.

The package consists only of some nice smelling flowers and a code which he scans with his screen. Marriage is kind of an old fashioned tradition but sending packages fits right in with that. They could have simply sent him a message but Byeongkwan does have to admit that it gives everything a nice, somehow romantic touch. Not that he cares.

The code opens a page that includes all the things they have listed in the advertisement and if this would have been a normal product, Byeongkwan might have considered giving them a five star review for it but since he is still angry about the entire situation, he presses one star on his screen instead. Then he scrolls through the information and the first thing he notices is the fact that there is no contact number. He huffs.

“They are eager to make us meet in person as soon as possible huh?” Luckily they have left the middle ages behind themselves a long time ago and therefore he opens ‘Look’.

Look is the most popular social media app at the moment, including all kinds of old apps in one so that everything has gotten a lot more efficient and personalized. Byeongkwan doesn’t know anyone who doesn’t own that app since it’s a necessity for things like handling money or even work sometimes and after glancing at the stranger’s name once, he types it into the search bar.

“Kim...Sehyoon...” He mumbles to himself, testing how that name sounds on his tongue. He has no idea if they already changed his last name or if they simply happen to share the same one but he has to quickly realize that there is more than only one Kim Sehyoon in this world and he sighs frustrated. There are 63 to be precise and one of them is now married to him.

Usually Look updates stuff like the relationship status on its own but the first profile that shows up definitely isn’t the right guy. It’s a different face and Byeongkwan curses the fact that luck apparently isn’t on his side any longer.

He begins to click through one profile after the other but all of them don’t resemble his mysterious husband in the slightest. The Kim Sehyoon he got married to by accident was gorgeous but not a single one of the people he sees on the profile pictures seem to come even close to his beauty. Once again the thought that he might have gotten catfished somehow or that the other has used some sort of really good filter crosses his mind but he quickly brushes it away. It only makes him feel worse than he already does.

Eventually one last profile is left. It was one of the first ones to show up but Byeongkwan hasn’t been able to look at it properly since the owner is on private mode. He groans. Who even goes private? Only snobs and boring people do that or criminals that have to hide their identities.

The fact that the profile picture is a picture of a flower meadow doesn’t help either. How is he supposed to know if that person is his husband? How is he supposed to reach out to him now?

But would someone as handsome as Kim Sehyoon put a flower meadow as a profile picture and go on private mode instead of showing his face off to the entire world? Probably not. After all he could earn some extra money with his pictures. People with many followers tend to get sponsored by the app and it’s many people’s dream. Apparently it’s good money for little effort.

Also why should a person that hides their identity on Look go and post their pictures on an app like Love forever? It literally makes no sense at all and because of that Byeongkwan goes back to his own profile.

Seems like he really has gotten catfished...

His eyes fall onto his relationship status. It had been changed just like he expected but it still makes him feel sick. The word ‘married’ seems to laugh at him maliciously and he throws his screen onto the table.

He sits in silence for a while, simply staring out of the window and into the darkening sky when he remembers something and reaches for his screen again. He opens the information on Kim Sehyoon and finds the one page he is looking for at the very end:

“There will be an arranged meeting tomorrow at 3pm in the Love Forever company Café. Please try to put this appointment in your schedules since it is very important to get to know each other better and in person after having taken such a bold step! If you cannot make it, please let us know immediately! Your Love Forever team.” Byeongkwan nods to himself, followed by his eyes wandering back to the window.

Great. Seems like he is going on a blind date tomorrow.

“What do you mean I’ll have to stay married to that guy for an entire year?” The people around Byeongkwan give him curious glances at the sound of his loud voice but he doesn’t care. How is he supposed to stay calm after his best friend has just told him that no matter how long the marriage, there apparently is a stupid rule that says one can’t get a divorce until having lived separately for an entire year?

“I know, I know...It’s a dumb rule....” Chan tries to calm him, putting a comforting hand on his arm which Byeongkwan shakes off. After all, this is mainly Chan’s fault!

“Are you sure that it’s true?” His friend nods, biting his lower lip guiltily.

“Donghun even called his colleague who works in the legal department that deals with divorces...It’s stupid but true...” Byeongkwan groans, throwing his arms in the air in frustration.

“Then what am I supposed to do now?”

“Well it’s not like you have to move in together, right? You can just start the year immediately and keep on living separately.” That is true but he will still be legally married. Friends and family will ask him about it (some already have sent him surprised messages after having noticed his changed relationship status) and if there are company gatherings, they usually expect you to bring along your partner. Of course, Byeongkwan could tell them that his husband is too busy to attend but after a while it would get suspicious and there is no way that he can tell all his colleagues about his stupid mistake without looking incredibly dumb. He had been hoping for a promotion but if his boss hears about his incompetence, his dream will disappear into thin air.

“We’ll find a solution. I promise.” Chan’s words pull him back to reality and he notices that they have reached the Café where he is supposed to meet his husband. He blinks at his best friend who gives him an encouraging smile. “Who knows, maybe you’ll even like him. I mean he looked pretty hot.” At this he rolls his eyes.

“I told you, there is no profile on Look which means he is either a crazy, jobless freak or he catfished me....” Chan only shrugs.

“You’ll see soon enough. Call me if something happens, I’ll wait here and come in in around ten minutes so it doesn’t look suspicious.” Byeongkwan nods, suddenly unable to speak before he turns to the door. Anxiety boils in his stomach and he feels sick. He tries to convince himself that everything will be fine but it doesn’t work. There are too many things that are not fine right now, starting with the fact that this is not a normal blind date. Husband... He’ll never get used to the sound of that word.

Byeongkwan takes a last deep breath and then opens the door.

Inside he gets greeted by a lot of white and the same pastel pink as the package. There seem to be pastel colored roses everywhere and the cheesiness of the place makes him want to gag. This is nearly as horrible as the idea to create such a stupid app. Still, he has no other option than staying and because of that he carefully lets his eyes wander over the people. There are quite a lot of couples actually, more than he has expected, and he can’t help but ask himself if they have discovered the Café by coincidence or if they also got married recently.

Then his eyes fall on a familiar face and his heart stops before it continues beating in double speed. There he is; Kim Sehyoon, the stranger who is now his husband, easily to spot between everyone else. Byeongkwan’s first thought is that he looks even more handsome in real life than in the picture on his profile which he claimed was impossible just some seconds ago. The next thing he notices is the fact that Sehyoon is returning his stare and sudden panic makes him trip and nearly collide with a waitress. He apologizes, his face glowing brightly red, and he is glad that he has gotten an excuse to break the eye contact with the other.

Because it turns out that Sehyoon is not only incredibly handsome but also looks like he isn’t excited at all about being Byeongkwan’s husband either. It should be a relief to him, after all that fact will make the divorce thing a lot easier, but at the same time Byeongkwan can’t understand how Sehyoon has been able to change his mind so fast. After all he has told Chan that he wants to marry Byeongkwan because he feels lonely not even 48 hours ago.

Does he perhaps dislike Byeongkwan’s appearance? Has he imagined him to be more handsome just like Sehyoon himself? Or has he also only meant everything to be a joke? There are many questions like that buzzing around in his head and he hasn’t gotten an answer to even one of them, when he eventually reaches Sehyoon’s table and stops in front of it awkwardly.

“Hello...?” He greets the other who sighs in return.

“Hi.” He replies and Byeongkwan is relieved that his voice doesn’t sound annoyed but rather a bit uncomfortable. “You are Byeongkwan?” He asks and Byeongkwan nods.

“Yes. You must be Sehyoon, I guess? My husband?” Sehyoon flinches at the word ‘husband’ but then nods too and gestures Byeongkwan to sit down. They sit in silence for some time, both not really knowing how to start a conversation until a waitress appears and takes their orders.

Once she has left again, Sehyoon turns to Byeongkwan,

“Look, about the whole marriage thing—“

“Oh yeah, there has been a misunderstanding!” Byeongkwan blurts out, realizing too late that he has just interrupted Sehyoon to who this must be an extremely bad first impression. However, the other gives him a confused look.

“Yes, that’s true...” He says, running a hand through his hair and taking his coffee from the waitress with a grateful nod. When he turns back to Byeongkwan his eyes are not only filled with guilt but also something like determination. “I don’t want to be married to you.” His voice sounds clear and steady, making Byeongkwan’s mouth drop open in surprise. Then there is a sting in his heart and he bites his lower lip in the try to stay composed. Sehyoon’s words shouldn’t affect him. After all he has wanted to say the exact same thing. But hearing it coming from someone else still hurts for some reason. He knows it’s not what Sehyoon means but they sound like Byeongkwan isn’t worth getting married to. Perhaps a tiny stupid part of himself has actually hoped for the handsome stranger to have fallen in love with his ugly picture on first sight, even though Byeongkwan wouldn’t call himself romantic. Dammit, he doesn’t even want to marry!

“Byeongkwan?” Sehyoon’s soft voice is it that reminds him that he is still sitting in the Café. He realizes that his confused feelings and thoughts must be showing on his face by the way Sehyoon’s eyes shine full of sympathy. Byeongkwan clears his throat awkwardly, cursing himself and the other silently while he tries to get his expression under control. Great, now Sehyoon thinks that Byeongkwan has been serious about their marriage and he probably won’t believe whatever he is about to say. It will all sound like an excuse to him; a pathetic lie in the try to appear less hurt.

“Uhmm...That’s good actually...” He starts stammering and a confused frown appears on Sehyoon’s face.

“It is?” It’s clear that he hasn’t expected an answer like that.

“Yes...” Byeongkwan continues in the meantime, noticing in the corner of his eye how Chan sits down some tables away from them. He immediately feels more confident again. “You know the whole thing is a funny story actually. Uhm...” This time the other’s eyebrows crawl upwards and he leans back, crossing his arms with a curious expression.

“Feel free to tell me about it.”

“Yes so...On Saturday my friend Chan came over and I can’t remember how exactly it happened but he tends to have stupid ideas...” Byeongkwan interrupts his own rambling to take a big sip of his water, before he continues, “The details don’t really matter but I lost a game so he dared me to sign up for ‘Love Forever’ as a joke. I know that’s a dumb idea and I should have said no but I didn’t expect anything to happen...Well, in the end I accidentally clicked on the wrong buttons and here we are...married.” When he finishes his explanation, Byeongkwan feels kind of sick and he is glad that he hadn’t ordered anything else than his glass of water. Cake probably would have come right up again.

“I agree.” Sehyoon eventually speaks up and Byeongkwan gives him a confused glance.

“With what?”

“That was a stupid idea.” It’s a dry statement. No amusement in Sehyoon’s voice nor sympathy. For some reason Byeongkwan feels small under his piercing eyes until he remembers that Sehyoon has been the one to call of their marriage first.

“So, what about you? How did you end up changing your mind? Were you joking too?” Sehyoon snorts.

“I was sleeping actually.” There have been many confusing statements from the other so far but this one seems to beat all of them. Sehyoon notices his bewildered expression and keeps going, “The only stupid mistake I made was letting my idiot of best friend drink with me, because when I woke up the next morning, I was suddenly a married man.”

“Wait...So the one who was texting us wasn’t you but...”

“My shitty best friend Park Junhee, yes.” Sehyoon finishes Byeongkwan’s sentence and the latter has a hard time not bursting into laughter. That Park guy sounds like a very interesting person if he thinks it’s a good idea to find his best friend a husband and marry him off all while he is asleep. “Yes, well you probably understand why we can’t stay married now, right?” Byeongkwan nods slowly.

At least it’s not because of him. And why is he even still thinking about that? He has no place for a partner in his life, especially not a husband so this is a better outcome than he could have hoped for wouldn’t there be the thing about the divorce rules...

“Did you know that a couple has to stay married and live separately for a year until they can get a divorce?” His voice sounds small and he feels sympathy rush through his veins when Sehyoon’s eyes widen dumbfounded. So he didn’t know. Who could blame him?

“What?” Byeongkwan tries his best to smile.

“Yeah...Sucks, right?”

“Are you sure?” Sehyoon’s reaction is very similar to his own and he can’t help but glance at Chan who pretends to be reading something on his screen while sipping on a cup. Then he turns back to Sehyoon who apparently hasn’t taken his eyes off him for even a second as if he could make him take his statement back this way. Still, Byeongkwan has to disappoint him.

“I’m 100% sure...A friend of mine is a lawyer.” Sehyoon slumps back on his chair, looking as if all life has just left his body.

“Shit...” He mumbles and Byeongkwan couldn’t agree more. “So what now?” He shrugs.

“Nothing, I guess. We’ll keep on living our separated lives and in a few months we can sign the documents to get a divorce. There is no other option, except you want to stay married.” Sehyoon chuckles dryly.

“Sorry. You are cute and all but I’d rather not. I want to be sure to have met the right person before taking a step like this and I certainly don’t want to use a shitty app to do it.” Byeongkwan feels his face turning hot at the compliment, even though it was only a small one. He quickly takes another big sip from his water, hoping to hide his burning cheeks.

“I can understand that.” He eventually says, meeting Sehyoon’s eyes, who seems to be able to stare into his soul. He doesn’t like that feeling but he also doesn’t want to look away again.

“What about you? Do you want to stay married?”

“Oh hell no! I don’t do marriage.” Or even relationships, he adds silently. That seems to surprise Sehyoon.

“Really? Why?” Byeongkwan absentmindedly starts playing with the rim of his glass while he thinks about the other’s question.

“I don’t know...It just seems like a waste of time and also I’ve never really been the romantic type.” His answer seems to be satisfying enough for Sehyoon and he nods before a genuine smile spreads on his face and he reaches out a hand.

“Well, then I suppose this is a goodbye for now. We can settle the rest via messages and I’ll see you in a year.” Byeongkwan hesitantly grabs the offered hand, noticing the soft but strong grip and enjoying it a lot more than he should. Then Sehyoon lets go again and gets up, walking to the counter where he pays for both of their drinks before giving Byeongkwan one last smile and disappearing through the door.

“Uhm...Yeah...See you.” Byeongkwan says though Sehyoon can’t hear it any longer. The thought that he still doesn’t know how to reach the other crosses his mind but he doesn’t have enough time to curse about it before Chan suddenly appears in front of him and commands him to retell every last tiny detail of their conversation.

Byeongkwan wants to forget about Sehyoon and the fact that he is married and he nearly does. Apart from occasionally getting questions about his changed relationship status (which he usually answers with the lie that there must have been a bug) or messages from the ‘Love Forever Team’, there is nothing that reminds him about the incident. Not even Chan who seems relieved once Byeongkwan stops being angry at him.

Then after a while, Sehyoon does turn out to be the flower meadow profile which surprises Byeongkwan nearly as much as the fact that he hasn’t gotten catfished...Well okay that isn’t entirely true since Sehyoon had been knocked out but whatever. Still, once he is finally allowed to see the other’s profile, that excites him more than he would ever admit aloud, only  for Byeongkwan to find himself staring at an empty feed in disappointment. There is the picture of the flower meadow and nothing else. No pictures of Sehyoon, no food, not even a photo of a dog.

Byeongkwan can’t help but ask himself what it is that the other must be hiding but then decides to forget about the entire thing together with their marriage. There are more important matters that he needs to worry about. His work for example and the promotion he is still hoping for.

That is until a few weeks later, his boss suddenly shows up next to him, nearly making him drop the piece of metal that he is holding in his hands.

“Mr. Kim!” She exclaims, her bright smile scaring him a bit. This is a greeting Byeongkwan hasn’t expected.

“Good morning.” He returns it politely, putting the metal down onto a table just to be on the safer side. His boss is still smiling at him when he looks back up and Byeongkwan doesn’t know how to react. They usually don’t talk much. After all, she is a very busy woman. “Is there something I can help you with?” He carefully asks, trying to not sound too bewildered.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Her question confuses him even more. He has no idea what she is talking about but his boss looks at him with an expecting expression.

“Tell you what exactly?”

“That you got married recently!” She exclaims and Byeongkwan’s face falls. Shit. He has completely forgotten about that. “I had to find out through everybody else! Apparently nobody from work got invited to your wedding...To be honest, I didn’t even know that you were dating...” Beyongkwan tries his best to ban the panic from showing on his face and forces himself to smile instead.

“Ahh...Well uhm that is...” He thinks about if he should tell the lie about the ‘Look’ bug again but the next words of his boss surprise him too much to go on,

“You were scared, I’m one of these bosses that don’t like to see their employees starting relationships because they think it’s inefficient, huh?” No, that thought hasn’t even crossed his mind but he has no time to think about how to react before his boss holds her hand right in front of his eyes. “See?” She asks but Byeongkwan doesn’t know what he is supposed to see until he notices a golden shimmering on her ring finger. “I’m married too!” She exclaims and confirms his speculation.

“Oh...I didn’t know.” Byeongkwan says weakly and it’s true. He really hasn’t known about this...He doesn’t know much about his boss, if he is honest...Again she gives him a bright smile.

“While other bosses see a marriage as a bad thing, I think it shows off important values like loyalty, determination, dedication and commitment. I want you to know that you don’t need to hide your marriage from me. Rather you should bring your husband to the company dinner tomorrow. I think he should be present because there might be some good news for you.” She gives Byeongkwan a wink and then walks away, not caring that he stares after her with an in bafflement opened mouth. It takes his brain several minutes to process everything that has just happened and once it does, he quickly pulls out his screen, unfolds it and searches for the information about Sehyoon. Byeongkwan hates to admit it but he needs his help.

Byeongkwan checks the address again and again but the outcome is always the same; he is in the right location.

Still, he hasn’t expected this.

Living space has become more and more precious over time and the cities bigger. Because of that they eventually started growing upwards instead of outwards and the prices for apartments have reached a new peak not too long ago.

Therefore finding himself in front of a small house with a pretty front yard and even space at the sides, surprises Byeongkwan a lot. It looks like a dwarf between the high buildings around it and he automatically asks himself how expensive the property must have been. Once again he checks his screen but even after the tenth time it still shows the same address. He is in the right spot but there is no way that someone like Sehyoon could afford a house like this, right?

It’s true, he is incredibly good looking but he can’t be working as a singer or model or else he would have to use his “Look” page and Byeongkwan would definitely have heard about him. The thought of his ‘husband’ being a criminal comes back to his mind and this time it’s not so easy for Byeongkwan to just brush it off.

All the evidences start to add to a dark apprehension and he becomes even more nervous. Asking Sehyoon to accompany him to his company dinner as his husband is nerve wracking already but doing so with the knowledge that Sehyoon might be selling drugs or even killing people for a living makes Byeongkwan start sweating in fear. Still, he is determined to get the promotion towards which he has worked for so long and he needs Sehyoon to secure it.

Byeongkwan rings the doorbell three times without Sehyoon opening him and he has already accepted the fact that he must have gone out, when suddenly the door gets ripped open.

“Sorry, I was working outside and didn’t hear the bell until I was getting myself something to drink and—“ Sehyoon’s rambled excuse dies as soon as his eyes fall onto Byeongkwan. He stares at him in surprise for some seconds before he frowns.

“What are you doing here?” It’s obvious that he isn’t happy to see Byeongkwan, not that he has expected that.

“I need to talk to you.” Byeongkwan says, feeling similar small as in the Café some weeks ago. Just what is it about Sehyoon that makes him feel so intimidated? Sure, he is handsome but Byeongkwan has talked to many handsome people before and they never have had an impact like that on him. Meanwhile, Sehyoon rubs his face with his right hand, spreading something on his cheeks which Byeongkwan recognises as paint. Wait...paint?

“You can’t just show up here unannounced whenever you want. I thought you agreed that we aren’t actually married.” Byeongkwan gulps before he nods, his attention shifting from the paint stain back to Sehyoon’s annoyed stare.

“I know, I’m sorry but it’s really urgent.”

“Then you could have called me and we could have met somewhere else.” Suddenly, Byeongkwan feels extremely stupid. It’s true; he could have at least sent a message to let Sehyoon know about his visit. He simply has been so occupied with the try to come up with a good solution for his problem that he has completed forgotten about knowing how to reach Sehyoon on social media now.

“I’m sorry...I...I forgot...” Byeongkwan whispers and the sincere guilt in his voice must be what makes Sehyoon sigh, followed by his eyes softening.

“If it’s that serious then why don’t you come in so we don’t have to talk about it on the street?” He fully opens the door and Byeongkwan hesitantly walks past him, trying to not look too curious while he inspects Sehyoon’s home. It looks as out of the ordinary on the inside as on the outside. While most people these days put big screens on their walls or have all kinds of smaller robots to keep their homes clean at all times, Sehyoon’s walls are filled with real pictures and there seems to be stuff laying around everywhere. At the same time, Byeongkwan can’t spot any kind of technologically anywhere. There isn’t even a TV in the living room but instead an opened glass door leads out towards a beautiful small garden, light by bright sunshine.

Byeongkwan can’t keep his amazement to himself any longer and walks over towards the garden without asking for permission. This is the first time that he sees a house like this with his own eyes and it overwhelms him a bit.

“Wow, your house is crazy! It must have cost millions!” Sehyoon shows up behind him, handing him a glass with water.

“Well...It definitely was worth the price I payed.” He answers vaguely but the compliments seems to lighten his mood and he doesn’t tell Byeongkwan to stop when he sets foot outside. He gets greeted by a small tree, some bushes and two flower beds with spring flowers. In the middle of it all, Sehyoon has put up an old canvas stand and that’s what really catches Byeongkwan’s attention. Most people paint digitally these days and even in art class he has never gotten proper paint to work with. Curiously he walks closer, finding an unfinished painting of one of the flower beds that reminds him of a very old movie he has watched a long time ago.

“You are a painter?” He asks, not able to hide the curiosity in his voice and to his surprise Sehyoon smiles.

“I’m an artist. I do all kinds of things.”

“Ah...” An artist...Well, that sounds a lot better than mafia boss if someone asks Byeongkwan. However, that still doesn’t explain all the money. After all, artists don’t usually earn much.

Sehyoon watches Byeongkwan look around while he sips water from his own glass. “So, what’s urgent enough to excuse you showing up unannounced?” He eventually wants to know and Byeongkwan tears his eyes away from some red tulips in one of the flower beds. He has been so occupied with gaping at Sehyoon’s house that he has already forgotten about what made him come here in the first place. Immediately his heart speeds up nervously, while he tries to find the right words for his request. This is a pretty big favor to ask of Sehyoon; he knows that. In the end he decides to just get over with it as fast as possible,

“My boss found out that I am married and now she wants me to bring my husband to our company dinner tomorrow...” Sehyoon stares at him in silence for some seconds.

“Are you asking me to accompany you and pretend to be your real husband?” Byeongkwan starts laughing nervously.

“No...I mean, yes I—“ But he doesn’t even have enough time to fully explain himself.

“No.” It’s a short and clear answer and Byeongkwan feels his hope vanish into thin air. Of course, Sehyoon would say no. He doesn’t even know why he has tried to convince him in the first place. Still, for some reason he can’t just give up. Not now, after he has embarrassed himself in front of him anyways.

“I know it’s a big favor to ask but it could probably cost me my promotion if I show up alone...” Sehyoon shakes his head, arms crossed in front of his chest.

“No.” He repeats his former answer and turns to go back inside.

“Please! They need to see you at least once while we are married. I know you don’t like it and neither do I but if they find out about me being stupid enough to make such a mistake, it could ruin a lot for me.” Byeongkwan looks at Sehyoon with pleading eyes. The latter doesn’t seem to be convinced and Byeongkwan expects him to throw him out of his house at any minute, when Sehyoon suddenly sighs; catching Byeongkwan completely off guard.

“You owe me...” He can’t believe his ears, a bright smile spreading on his face and he nearly pulls Sehyoon into a hug. That’s how relieved he is about his his agreement to help him.

“Thank you!” Sehyoon sighs again and it’s clear that he is already regretting his decision.

“Yes, whatever. Just tell me when and where I have to be.”

“I’ll text you the time later! Don’t worry about the place, I’ll pick you up of course! Again, thank you so much and I’ll see you tomorrow!” With these words Byeongkwan storms back inside and towards the door, nearly forgetting to leave his empty glass behind. There is a lot to prepare for tomorrow.

Just as he has promised, Byeongkwan shows up at Sehyoon’s house the next evening to pick him up. Like the day before he feels nervous but this time it’s a different kind of nervousness...more excited? He hates to admit it to himself but he is actually looking forward to meeting Sehyoon again even though their last two meetings have been emotional roller coasters. Still, he has taken a lot longer in front of his mirror than he usually does for a company dinner and now that he doesn’t look like a mess for once, Byeongkwan feels more confident to face his husband. Well, accidental husband.

Today, he doesn’t even need to knock. Byeongkwan has barely reached the tiny gate that leads to the front yard, when the door opens and Sehyoon steps outside. He is wearing a dark blue shirt, his hair neatly styled unlike yesterday and without really noticing it, Byeongkwan stops and just stares at him. It’s really not fair that Sehyoon’s effortless beauty makes his heart flutter like this all the time. He blames it on how intimidated the other still  makes him feel sometimes but deep down he knows that he is heading into a direction he never has even wanted to consider.

“Hey.” Sehyoon greets him once he is closer and Byeongkwan gulps, forcing his voice to return to him.

“Hey, you look great.” It isn’t a lie but it also hasn’t been the things he has planned on saying and his face turns bright red while Sehyoon gives him a surprised glance. However, when he smiles, Byeongkwan relaxes again.

“Thanks. You’re not looking bad yourself.” Byeongkwan only nods as a sign of thankfulness for the compliment and then hastily heads towards the car. This is already a mess and he is nervous about how the rest of the evening will turn out.

The drive to the restaurant is mainly silent, only interrupted by the radio and Sehyoon humming along to some of the songs. He probably doesn’t even notice. He is too occupied with staring out of the window, his expression telling Byeongkwan that he is completely observed in taking in everything that flies past. One could think he has never seen their city before.

“It inspires me, you know...Seeing life all around me.” Sehyoon still doesn’t take his eyes off the view but Byeongkwan gives him a surprised glance. He hasn’t expected the other to say anything until they arrive. Especially not something that sounds so personal.

“Huh?”

“Sometimes it’s difficult to come up with new things for my art but then I go outside and watch the people around me and it helps me to get back to work.” Byeongkwan thinks about that for a second before he nods.

“I get that I think... I mean I’m not an artist myself but I do create things even though they are made out of metal. Still, they are art in their own way.” That seems to interest Sehyoon enough for him to finally turn to Byeongkwan with a curious expression.

“You work with metal?”

“With all kinds of materials...I’m someone who creates technology.” He laughs softly and Sehyoon gives him a small smile.

“I guess we will not really get along then...I don’t like technology.” Byeongkwan has figured that out already but now he finally sees the chance to ask,

“Why, though? What’s wrong with it?” Sehyoon shrugs.

“Nothing but it distracts me. I prefer to focus on myself and work.” Again Byeongkwan nods. Even though they seemed to be so different that is a trait they share.

They go silent again until Byeongkwan pulls into a parking lot in front of the restaurant the company dinner is taking place in.

“We’re here.” He states the obvious, followed by him taking a small box out of his pocket. “Uhm...here take this.” Sehyoon eyes it questioningly.

“What is this?” He opens the lid and then stares at Byeongkwan flabbergasted. “Are you kidding me? A fucking ring?” And there he is again; the Sehyoon that has told Byeongkwan he doesn’t want to have anything to do with him. Byeongkwan rolls his eyes but still isn’t able to do anything against the heat creeping up his neck.

“We are supposed to be married, did you forget? How does anyone believe us if you aren’t even wearing a ring?” Sehyoon stares at him for some more seconds, clearly debating whether he should do as he says or just walk out on him instead but then he sighs defeated and puts on the ring. Byeongkwan is already wearing a matching one on his ring finger and the weight still feel weird but not as uncomfortable as he has expected.

“Then what about our story?” Sehyoon wants to know and this time it’s Byeongkwan who blinks at him confused.

“What story?”

“Well, our story from first meeting to us deciding to get married. Have you never read any old books? I can’t believe you thought of getting us rings but not that...” A pout appears on Byeongkwan’s lips. It’s true; he doesn’t often read or watch old movies and yes he has forgotten about an important detail like this. But it’s not like that can’t get fixed right away. He thinks about it.

“Uhm...We met through our friends?” At least that isn’t a complete lie. Sehyoon nods in agreement. “We got along immediately and started talking and meeting more often afterwards. We didn’t tell anyone because of my job...You know some people have prejudices about marriages. That’s also why we decided to get married in a small circle of only close friends and family.”

“Sounds good enough, I guess.” They get out of the car and Byeongkwan feels his anxiety return with full force. There seems to be no way that this will go well. They nearly reach the door, when he suddenly feels soft fingers brush against his and it’s like an electric shock that makes his arm go stiff for a second.

“Take my hand...We are married. Also you should smile instead of looking like I’m about to murder you.” Quickly Byeongkwan forces his face to relax, putting on a fake smile while he allows Sehyoon to intertwine their hands. He has done this with Chan many times before but for some reason it feels different with Sehyoon. Maybe it’s because he is basically a stranger...

“Byeongkwan, over here!” The voice of one of his colleagues pulls him out of his thoughts and they make their way over to the wildly waving woman. He greets his colleagues but nobody even pretends to care much about it while they all stare at Sehyoon with wide eyes. It’s clear that they haven’t expected his husband to be this handsome. For a moment Byeongkwan is scared Sehyoon will feel uncomfortable under all the attention but to his surprise there is a bright, charismatic smile on the other’s face while he greets everybody in a way that makes it seems as if they have known each other for ages.

“This is my husband...Sehyoon.” Byeongkwan eventually introduces him and they sit down, all attention still on them. He decides that he doesn’t like it, shifting nervously on his chair only to freeze when Sehyoon puts the hand which has still been holding his not long ago, onto his upper leg. He gives him a glance that is easy to read; ‘relax’ but Byeongkwan isn’t able to take off his attention from where Sehyoon’s hand is touching him and once again he feels heat crawling up his body.

“I’m glad you were able to make it on such a short notice.”

Byeongkwan is more than thankful that in contrast to him, Sehyoon doesn’t seem to have lost his composure and therefore is able to thank his boss for inviting him while Byeongkwan himself feels sweat gather in the palms of his hands. This is a stupid idea...And it was is own idea. He is so damn stupid.

They order the food, Sehyoon getting pulled into small talk and luckily nobody seems to care about the fact that Byeongkwan keeps silent. They are too curious about Sehyoon and whether his beauty is natural or if he can give them his surgeon’s address. He laughs at that question, reassuring them with a polite smile that he was born like this and doesn’t intend on undergoing surgery any time soon.

“I don’t care too much about looks. I think there is beauty in everything and everybody.” While saying that he suddenly turns to Byeongkwan, giving him a smile that makes his female colleagues squeal and Byeongkwan turn into a human tomato. He hasn’t expected Sehyoon to be such a good actor.

“You are adorable!” His boss says, “We need to know everything! How did you two meet?” There it is; the beginning of questions which will probably make their entire act go downhill. Feverishly, Byeongkwan tries to remember what story they have made up earlier outside but his brain seems to be empty all of a sudden. The only things he can think about is the weight of Sehyoon’s hand on his thigh and the curious eyes that bore into him like drills.

“I...We...” He begins to stammer but again it’s Sehyoon that safes him,

“My friend introduced us.” He says in a voice that sounds so calm that one would never question the truth of his words, “It was at a birthday party of a mutual friend. It’s funny because we both didn’t feel like going out that night but we were lucky to get dragged along.” Byeongkwan forces himself to nod and smile.

“Yes...We never would’ve have met otherwise.” It’s easier to tell this story since it’s not completely a lie and Byeongkwan prays that they won’t ask any other questions even though he knows it’s false hope. His colleagues look at them with expecting expressions.

“And then? How did you start dating?” Again it’s Sehyoon that answers,

“Well as soon as I saw Byeongkwan for the first time I just couldn’t stop thinking about him. My eyes always went back to him no matter where he was in the room...” He pauses to give Byeongkwan a smile which the others clearly take as a loving one because his boss sighs touched. This time he doesn’t add anything to Sehyoon’s story. Everything that will follow now will be lies and Byeongkwan has always been an extremely bad liar.

“At some point I gathered enough courage to approach him and we started talking and haven’t stopped ever since.” What follows is expecting silence until Byeongkwan feels how Sehyoon squeezes his thigh. He barely manages to suppress a surprised yelp but the message is clear; say something too. He takes a shaky breath.

“Ah yess... Sehyoon is so smart. He sees things a lot different than me but it’s what makes our conversations so interesting. After our first meeting I couldn’t get him out of my head because of that. He was a mystery to me and I wanted to get to know him better. It’s the first time that someone captivated me like this...” It takes Sehyoon’s widening eyes to make him realize that once again, his tale isn’t a lie. He really does find Sehyoon more and more interesting with every meeting. While Byeongkwan had thought he could simply ban him from his mind after their first meeting in the Café that has definitely changed since yesterday. No, now that he thinks about it, Sehyoon has always been ghosting around in his head.

At that realisation his body turns cold and the other’s hand on his thigh now feels too hot. What if he is developing a crush on Sehyoon? What if he already did? It’s the one thing he has wanted to prevent from happening because it has always been like that. He is better off on his own without binding himself to someone who distracts him instead of being a help.

“Byeongkwan...Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” His boss’ question is it that reminds him of all the eyes that are currently staring at him worriedly. His inner emotional conflict must have been showing on his face.

“Uhm...yeah...I just forgot to call my parents. It’s their wedding anniversary today!” A lie and a bad one at that. Like most couples, his parents have never been married. Neither are they still living together. They separated when he had still been 13 years old and aren’t even talking to each other nowadays. However, his colleagues don’t know that and therefore it’s a perfect excuse to leave the restaurant and get some fresh air outside.

Here there are no eyes to watch him, no smile that makes his limbs go weak or a hand on his thigh that sends him straight into gay panic.

Byeongkwan takes a deep breath, watching it turn into white fog in the cold night air while the wind makes goosebumps crawl up his skin. It’s nice; cooling his too hot cheeks.

“Hey.” The soft voice immediately makes his body go back into alarm mode. He should have expected Sehyoon to follow him. After all he is doing a much better job at pretending to be his husband than him.

“Hey...” Byeongkwan doesn’t turn to him, too scared that like so often his expression will give away his inner conflict. Who would have thought that all it needs for him to crush on someone is a pretty face and a soft hand holding his or resting on his thigh.

“You forgot your jacket and it’s cold.” He feels how the material of his coat brushes against his arm, followed by Sehyoon putting it around his shoulders like a warming cloak. “Is that better?” Byeongkwan hums in response, watching a mother and her child pass by on the other side of the street. The girl has sulky crossed her arms in front of her chest, unwillingly following her mother who drags her along while inaudibly scolding her until they disappear out of sight.

“Is everything all right? You know if you want to we can make up an excuse and leave. It was your idea so I’m gonna do whatever you want me to.” Byeongkwan thinks about that for some seconds and then feels how soft hands slowly turn him around. Sehyoon is wearing his own coat and observes him with enough sympathy to help Byeongkwan calm down.

“We should at least eat something first, don’t you think so?” Sehyoon shrugs.

“Whatever you want.” He repeats his former words and gives him a small smile. Byeongkwan can’t help but return it thankfully. He is glad that Sehyoon doesn’t expect an explanation but has still offered him his help. And all that even though he hadn’t originally wanted to accompany him. Byeongkwan takes a deep breath and then nods to encourage himself.

“Let’s do this then...” Sehyoon’s smile grows wider at this.

“Let’s do this.” He takes Byeongkwan’s hand and even though it makes the weird tingling return and his skin grow hot again, it also helps him to feel surer of the whole act. They can do it.

Back inside, the food has already arrived which seems to have shifted the attention away from them. Instead everyone is busy shoveling food into their mouths and Byeongkwan and Sehyoon quietly join them.

The meal passes smoothly. Someone has started a discussion about a new drama everybody seems to be watching at the moment and while Byeongkwan has no idea what they are talking about, Sehyoon appears quite passionate about the topic which kind of ruins his whole “no technology in my household” act but Byeongkwan can’t help but find it endearing. The image of Sehyoon watching dramas on his screen at 3am in the morning pops up in his mind and a small smile spreads on his face while he watches Sehyoon animatedly talking about the two main leads nearly dying after having gotten separated or something.

He is so passionate actually that he nearly forgets to keep on eating and following a sudden impulse, Byeongkwan takes a piece of cauliflower and plants it in Sehyoon’s mouth who is forced to stop talking and stares at him in surprise.

It looks funny, the way his eyes are widened while there is cauliflower sticking out of his mouth and even though Byeongkwan should probably be horrified about having angered the other, he can only laugh at him.

At first Sehyoon really does look offended   but then that suddenly turns into raised eyebrows and a dangerous shimmering in his eyes. He chews, swallows...

“You’re gonna regret this later...” He smirks in a way that makes all blood shoot back into Byeongkwan’s face and his colleagues gasp.

“Ahh...The first couple months are the best...” His boss looks like she is remesising her own past and the others nod in a agreement while Byeongkwan wants to disappear under the table. He doesn’t want to keep on thinking about Sehyoon’s implications...Not when this is only their third meeting.

A piece of meat finds its way into his open hanging mouth and this time it’s Sehyoon who starts cackling.

“Eat up, babe” He says sweetly and Byeongkwan hates that the pet name makes his heart flutter.

They keep on eating, somehow managing to finish all the food even though his boss has ordered quite a lot, and Byeongkwan can’t wait to finally drive back home and hide under the blanket of his bed, when his boss suddenly stands up.

“So, now that we are all full and happy, it’s time for the highlight of this evening, don’t you think so?” Everybody agrees, raising their glasses and giving Byeongkwan knowing looks. Only now does he remember the original reason why he had begged Sehyoon to accompany him and suddenly he feels sick. What if all of this has been for nothing? What if his boss doesn’t promote him after all? Then she is smiling at him and it needs Sehyoon squeezing his thigh once again for him to realize that she has said his name.

Quickly Byeongkwan jumps up.

“Huh?” He earns amused smiles from everybody on the table, including his boss.

“I said, Byeongkwan, you’ve been part of our team for so long and now that you want to start a family, I think it’s only fair to finally make you the group leader for one of our next projects.” She gives him a warming smile while Byeongkwan just blinks at her for some seconds. Then her words finally hit and his eyes widen.

“Thank you!” He exclaims, accepting all the cheers and congratulations from his colleagues when he suddenly feels a hand on his shoulders and turns around. Sehyoon looks convincingly proud, his smile only disappearing when he gives him a soft kiss on the cheek.

“Congratulations.” He mumbles, loud enough for the others to hear who all seem to be holding their breaths. “I’m really proud of you.” Byeongkwan’s heart speeds up unhealthy but he is too happy to worry about anything and simply returns the smile brightly.

“It’s all thanks to you.” He swears he can hear some of his colleagues sigh in awe.

After the dinner Byeongkwan still feels content and giggly and before he can think about it too much, he asks Sehyoon to join him on a walk instead of driving home immediately.

To his surprise the other agrees and they both make their way through light up streets, a silence surrounding them which is a lot less uncomfortable than Byeongkwan has expected.

“You know, I really have to thank you.” He speaks up after a while and Sehyoon gives him a questioning glance.

“For what?”

“Being such an amazing actor. I’m an incredibly bad liar so they would have definitely found out otherwise.” Sehyoon just shrugs at this, not meeting his eyes.

“Your colleagues are nice and I got free food so it’s fine...”

“Yea...But still...If there is anything I can help you with, just ask me. I owe you.” Silence falls over them again, like an invisible veil and Byeongkwan thinks about how he can continue their conversation, when Sehyoon speaks up,

“There is something actually...” An excited smile spreads on Byeongkwan’s face. He is glad that there is something to repay the debt between them. He really hates owing people.

“Really? What is it?”

“There is an art exhibition I would like you to see. I don’t really know who else to take...” An art exhibition? Byeongkwan has never really been interested in art before but it sounds like a pleasing activity compared to convincing someone’s co workers of being married.

“Sure! Just tell me the time and place and I’ll be there.” Finally Sehyoon meets his eyes and a small smile appears on his lips. It makes him look soft, yes, even shy, and suddenly Byeongkwan feels the urge to fondly brush the curl out of his face which has somehow found its way there.

He had seen Sehyoon in quite a lot of moods by now but never before has he looked this adorable. It’s so different from how he acted around him just yesterday and Byeongkwan asks himself how fast things can change between two people.

By now they make it back to his car and in contrast to earlier, they spend the entire drive to Sehyoon’s house talking. Byeongkwan finally finds out about Sehyoon having wanted to become an artist and painter since he was little as well as all kinds of funny stories about his childhood best friend Park Junhee. The latter doesn’t only marry off his friends online when he is drunk but is apparently also a really good cook and works as a chef in a small restaurant not far from Byeongkwan’s home.

Meanwhile Byeongkwan tells him about his own life; the love for his job, how interesting he finds modern technology and how nerdy he can sound when he talks about it. He, of course, can’t keep Chan a secret either and soon they are laughing about him accidentally shaving off his left eyebrow before his first date with Donghun in an attempt to impress him.

“We are both chaos but I can always trust him to have my back.” Byeongkwan explains with a fond smile while he is pulling into Sehyoon’s street. They stop in front of the other’s house and suddenly he regrets not having taken the longer way. He really hadn’t expected them both to get along this well after having had such a clumsy start.

“Well...” Sehyoon says and then simply stares at Byeongkwan for some seconds. He could swear that his eyes flutter to his lips but they are looking into the depths his soul again so fast, that he blames it on his own stupid hope. Still, he can’t stop his face from turning hot and his heartbeat from speeding up and suddenly there doesn’t seem to be enough space in the car. Byeongkwan’s own eyes fall on Sehyoon’s lips now and his face turns even hotter while he quickly looks back up.

Then Sehyoon clears his throat and keeps on talking,

“I had a surprisingly nice evening.” Byeongkwan nods, still not able to take his eyes off his face. There is this weird feeling in his chest that is pulling him forward; wants him to move even closer to Sehyoon as if there isn’t only the gearshift separating them.

“Yes...Again, thank you for your help.” Just like earlier Sehyoon shrugs it off.

“You’ll go and see the exhibition with me in exchange so we are even. I’ll see you then.” He turns to open his door and whatever moment they have just shared gets lost.

“Yes...See you then.” The door shuts close and Byeongkwan drives off.

Byeongkwan should have known better than to expect his life to return to normal after that night.

He can’t escape his colleagues comments and questions nor is he able to suppress his excited squeal when he receives a message from Sehyoon the next day. Byeongkwan knows it’s not going to help to get rid of his crush but he still texts Sehyoon back and a soon they both are animatedly talking about whether the voices of trashbots sound cute or utterly terrifying.

“I don’t need anyone to thank me for disposing my trash correctly. Especially not in a high pitched baby voice.” At some point Sehyoon had needed to get back to work even though it’s a Sunday and since he needs both of his hands for that, they are calling each other now. All of it is kind of old fashioned in Byeongkwan’s opinion but he notices himself enjoying listening to Sehyoon’s voice without having to care about how he looks while lazily laying on the couch, stuffing chips into his mouth.

The other’s comment however, makes him sit up.

“They seriously aren’t that bad! Everybody finds them cute.”

“I can’t believe that.”

“It’s the truth! Everybody except you...because you want to be special!” The fact that he is laughing makes Byeongkwan sounds a lot less accusing.

“Thank you soooo much for thinking of the environment, Mister.” Sehyoon’s attempt to imitate the small robots, collecting the trash, with their baby-like voices sends Byeongkwan straight to the floor where he is laughing and then coughing when some chips crumps find their way into his windpipe.

“Byeongkwan, are you okay? You sound like you are in need of medical attention. Should I call an ambulance?” Sehyoon seems sincerely concerned but all Byeongkwan can do is to gasp for air with tears in his eyes. After two more minutes—Sehyoon has already announced he will call for help—Byeongkwan has finally calmed down enough to speak again.

“I’m fine...” He gets out, his voice raspy, followed by a smile spreading on his face which Sehyoon can’t see. “I didn’t know you can be so funny.”

“It wasn’t even that funny!” Sehyoon sounds clearly relieved but still tries to overplay it by acting annoyed. “You sounded like a dying cat! What the fuck, Byeongkwan! You scared me.” He knows it isn’t right but for some reason Sehyoon’s worrying makes him feel happy. It’s good to know that he cares about him after how they have started off.

“So you won’t take me to this art thing next week?”

“That’s not what I meant.” Byeongkwan smiles to himself, looking at the picture his boss sent him earlier today. It’s a group picture of the company dinner but he hasn’t even bothered to look at the others or himself before zooming in onto the beautiful face which has haunted him in his dreams the last night again.

“I’m looking forward to it...” Byeongkwan doesn’t know where the sudden courage to admit this has come from but he knows that it’s the truth and he holds his breath while he nervously waits for an answer. There is silence for some seconds and he is already expecting the worst, when he gets the mumbled response,

“Me too...”

The day of the art exhibition isn’t far, when one of Byeongkwan’s colleagues excitedly calls his name. Confused he looks up from his work which he has been observed in until now.

The small woman is grinning brightly, making sure everybody sees the envelope she is holding in her hand. This only confuses Byeongkwan even more. Why is she making such a big fuss about some additional work?

“Your husband was just here and left a surprise for you.” She announces once she nearly reaches him and then hands Byeongkwan the envelope while he is still trying to process the situation. Sehyoon has come here and given her a present for him?

“What is it?” He asks, only realising how stupid that question sounds after his colleague gives him an offended look.

“How should I know? I obviously didn’t look inside!” He quickly apologizes for his accidental accusation before observing the envelope. It’s quite heavy and seems to scream Sehyoon’s name. Nobody else still sends letters in this century. Well, except some people that think old fashioned stuff like this will come off as romantic.

At that thought his heart skips a beat. Is that perhaps it? Is Sehyoon trying to make a romantic gesture? But as quick as that idea has come to his mind, he brushes it away again. There is nothing romantic between them except for having gotten married without their consent and even that isn’t romantic if one thinks about it. Not romantic at all. Letters and old fashioned things are simply Sehyoon’s aesthetic. After all, he doesn’t even own a television!

“So...Don’t you want to open it?” Byeongkwan has already forgotten about his colleague still standing next to him and her voice startles him.

“Uhh...sure...” He mumbles and then carefully opens the envelope. Inside he finds something that doesn’t turn out to be a letter but might even be older. He frowns while his colleague gasps.

“A ticket! I didn’t know you could still get something like this. Haven’t all kinds of entry tickets been digital for years now?” Byeongkwan nods slowly while he eyes the thin piece of paper in his hands. It’s decorated with beautiful flowers and butterflies and black letters inform about the name and the time of the event.

“Wonderland...” He reads aloud, “isn’t that from the really old book that they make you read in primary school?” His colleague nods, a thoughtful expression on her face.

“This sounds really familiar but I don’t know why...” Byeongkwan only shrugs, followed by realization hitting him when he reads the other information.

“Ahh! It’s from the art exhibition Sehyoon wants to take me to! He didn’t tell me much about it until now.”

“Yes! That’s it! That’s why this looks so familiar!” His colleague seems excited to finally have remembered only for her eyes to widen. “Wait, you’ll go to this exhibition?” Byeongkwan shrugs, confused by her question.

“Seems like it?” His answer makes her sigh.

“Ah...I’m so jealous. This artist is incredibly famous!”

“They are?” She nods eagerly.

“Nobody really knows who they are, they apparently love privacy. They always sign their art with a K but that could mean literally anything. Ah...Getting tickets to their exhibitions is super hard...”

Byeongkwan can’t stop thinking about this even after he gets off work. Apparently Sehyoon has given him a really expensive present and he feels like he doesn’t deserve it. He was never interested in art until now nor has he even known about the existence of K, whoever that is.

Still, he can’t bring himself to stop smiling, when he finds a message waiting for him on his screen,

“Did you receive the ticket?”

“Yup. Really pretty, thanks.” He is surprised to get a reply nearly immediately.

“No problem. I’m excited to see you on Friday.” At this Byeongkwan feels butterflies beat their wings in his stomach and it takes all his willpower to type out his next message,

“I thought about it and maybe you should take someone else?” Sehyoon’s reply takes longer this time,

“Why?” Byeongkwan bites on his lower lip while he thinks about it. What exactly is it that makes him feel so uneasy about accepting an invitation to an art exhibition?

“I don’t know if I deserve a present like this. Especially since I don’t know much about art. I feel like it would be wasted on me.” In nervous anticipation he watches Sehyoon type for what feels like hours until a short answer pops up on his screen,

“Nothing would make me happier than wasting this on you.” Byeongkwan stares at the message pleasantly surprised, not knowing what to reply nor feeling capable of thinking of anything while his heart is racing in his chest. He doesn’t want to crush on Sehyoon but he knows that he is helplessly lost. He buries his head in his hands, not really knowing if he should cry or laugh when he receives another message from Sehyoon,

“Also you don’t need to know about art. I can try to give you a better understanding of it if you want me to.” Byeongkwan smiles.

“Yea...That would be really nice :)”

Byeongkwan shifts nervously while he is waiting for Sehyoon to show up in front of the huge entrance to the art gallery, the following Friday. For some reason, art is one of the few things many people still prefer to enjoy in person rather than to sit at home and look at it through a screen on their wall. Therefore the old building still looks grand and well maintained. Though it’s not as tall as the skyscrapers next to it, it makes Byeongkwan feel weirdly intimidated and he turns his back towards the entrance. He is nervous enough already.

People hurry past him, most of them mumbling something into earpieces or listening to music and Byeongkwan tries to relax. Sehyoon will show up soon. He knows he will. Without really noticing it, he starts playing with the silver ring on his finger. He probably should have taken it off after the company dinner but at first he forgot and then he told himself that it will be better to keep on wearing it since it makes his marriage look more convincing. His colleagues are very observant people so they will definitely ask questions if the ring is suddenly gone. Yes, that’s the reason; the only reason.

Eventually he puts his now cold hands into his pockets, observing each passerby while shifting from one foot to the other. It’s already past two...

He will show up soon...He’ll definitely show up...

“Hey.” The familiar soft voice startles him and he shoots around surprised.

“Sehyoon!” He hasn’t expected him to come from this side since there is merely the entrance of the gallery but apparently he hasn’t paid enough attention to the people around him.

Another thing he hasn’t expected is for Sehyoon to look this formal. He is wearing a dress shirt and immediately Byeongkwan feels underdressed in his bright blue hoodie and black jeans. However, Sehyoon doesn’t seem to mind and only flashes him a sheepish smile.

“You got your ticket?” Byeongkwan nods eagerly and holds up the envelope.

“Great. You won’t actually need it but I thought you might like it.” That information takes Byeongkwan by surprise and he frowns, noticing a blush on Sehyoon’s cheeks that is gone too fast for Byeongkwan to really be sure about its existence. The other clears his throat in a try to ease the sudden tension that is hanging between them. Byeongkwan doesn’t know what it is or why but for some reason Sehyoon seems actually nervous.

“So, you ready to go in?” Again Byeongkwan nods and Sehyoon leads him inside, putting a hand on his back when he nearly walks into the wrong direction and the touch makes him hold in his breath. They hand Byeongkwan’s jacket to a staff member and then pass some corridors and halls that show off the most different paintings that leave Byeongkwan in awe. However, the further they are walking, the more confused he gets, because there is one thing that the rooms all have in common...

“Sehyoon...Where are all the other people?” He whispers, not daring to speak up loudly into the silence around them.

“We are the only ones allowed inside for now.” Sehyoon answers as if it’s the most normal thing in the entire world, observing some of the paintings they pass with an interested expression. Byeongkwan simply stares at him for some seconds and then softly shakes his head in a try to clear his mind. He has forgotten just how wealthy Sehyoon must be, considering the fact that he is owning a small house in the middle of the city and can afford to rent out an entire gallery. Not to forget that the tickets for the exhibition they are about to see are difficult to get hands on.

Still kind of in shock, Byeongkwan nearly collides with Sehyoon when the latter suddenly comes to an halt. He yelps surprised and then turns to see what has made Sehyoon stop walking. He is observed in a painting that shows a snowy forest lightened by soft sunshine and even though Byeongkwan doesn’t know much about art in general, he thinks that it looks beautiful.

“I really like this painting...It’s very old.” Sehyoon’s voice sounds like he is deep in thoughts but when he smiles at Byeongkwan, all his attention is entirely focused on him. “I’m sorry that we are hurrying past all these great artists and paintings but we only have two hours before the exhibition will open officially. I promise to show you the rest of the gallery on another day if you want me to.” Once again Byeongkwan believes to see a faint blush on his cheeks while he feels his own face grow warm at the implication that Sehyoon wants to see him again.

“Sure.” Byeongkwan returns his smile which immediately deepens. “Let’s find Wonderland.”

They find the entrance to the exhibition behind the next corridor and after stepping inside the room, Byeongkwan gasps astounded.

“Wow,” He hasn’t really thought about the name of the exhibition being “Wonderland” but now that he sees it with his own eyes, it all makes sense. The walls are decorated with paintings; showing flowers in bright colors and other things Byeongkwan can’t immediately put a name on. However, they make him feel like he has stepped into a crazy, magical world. He walks closer and notices that between some of the paintings there are also a few photographs and he can’t help but think that the exhibition looks a bit like a chaos but in a good, fitting kind of way.

Then his eyes falls on a pedestal with a glass cube on top of it, in the middle of the room and curiously he approaches it while feeling Sehyoon’s presence right behind him. When he is finally close enough to see what the glass cube is holding, he feels his mouth open a second time in the period of five minutes.

“Woah...”

“Do you like it?” Sehyoon is right beside him and he seems eager to hear Byeongkwan’s opinion.

“It’s beautiful!” That statement makes the other smile.

“Yea...It’s the centerpiece of this exhibition.” Byeongkwan doesn’t question this for even a second and his eyes quickly wander back to the cube. Inside lays a small bouquet of metallic roses, crafted from what Byeongkwan recognizes as old mechanical devices. The delicate petals, leaves, and even thorns shimmer in different colors and Byeongkwan thinks that it’s one of the most beautiful art pieces that he has ever seen. Not that he has seen many except in art class back in school.

“This is really...wow!” He turns back to Sehyoon who isn’t looking at the rose but him and while feeling a new wave of butterfly activity in his stomach, Byeongkwan asks himself if Sehyoon perhaps has been looking at him the entire time.

“Well...It’s not the first time that something like this was done and it was very-last minute but roses play quite a big role in Alice in Wonderland so I thought it fits well.” Ahh, right. Alice in Wonderland. That is the name of the old book they had to read in school. Byeongkwan smiles content, now that he finally remembers the book title after it having caused him quite a headache before falling asleep the past two nights. It all makes sense now, even the rabbit painting Byeongkwan is sure to have seen hanging somewhere in this room.

He looks around, trying to find it, when his brain finally processes all of Sehyoon’s words and his mouth drops open for a third time.

“Wait...What do you mean ‘you’ thought the roses fit well with the exhibition?” Sehyoon looks confused for a second, only for realisation to dawn on him a second later.

“Ah...Shit...” It escapes his mouth and that nearly makes Byeongkwan laugh. However, Sehyoon’s flustered expression makes him hold in any kind of amused reaction and instead he patiently waits for an explanation. Sehyoon takes his time, apparently still trying to find the right words before he bites on his lower lip and gives Byeongkwan an apologetic expression.

“I should have told you sooner...Or well, I at least planned to do it differently but uhm...”

“You are K? The mysterious artist that made this exhibition?” Sehyoon looks like he isn’t sure if he should simply deny everything but then apparently comes to the conclusion that it would be pointless and Byeongkwan silently agrees. He nods.

“Yea...It’s not like I wanted to hide it from you...I mean my profile picture is one of my most well known works...” Well, that explains why Byeongkwan has thought it looks so familiar. However, he keeps that comment to himself and gives Sehyoon a smile instead.

“To be honest...If you had told me sooner I would have probably not reacted much differently. I didn’t know a mysterious artist named K existed until you sent me that ticket.” After saying it aloud Byeongkwan suddenly feels embarrassed. Sehyoon cares a lot about art while he doesn’t seem to know anything about it. Not to forget that the guy he has fallen for turns out to be the super rich, extremely well known artist himself. It’s probably the fact that Byeongkwan’s brain still can’t fully grasp it that he is reacting so calm.

They stand in silence for a while, both not really sure what to say next and Byeongkwan already thinks about telling Sehyoon that it doesn’t matter to him if he is famous, rich or none of the both when he speaks up first,

“The roses are inspired by you actually...” He points at the bouquet with his chin, “you telling me about your work and how much you love creating technology and all kinds of things...That was what gave me the idea to make this.” The confession makes Byeongkwan’s heart beat faster and he looks at the roses, imagining Sehyoon working on them while thinking about what they had talked about. Suddenly something else comes to his mind,

“But that was only last weekend. Don’t tell me this took you only a week!” The blush on Sehyoon’s cheeks is darker this time and he avoids Byeongkwan’s eyes while nodding slowly.

“I might have missed some meals...” Byeongkwan already wants to start lecturing him on how unhealthy such kind of behavior is, but Sehyoon is faster and his next words make him shut up immediately, “But I really wanted them to be done on time so I could show them to you. I...” He stops while carefully glancing at Byeongkwan, who stares at him with wide eyes, waiting for him to keep on talking, “I made this for you...as uhm...as an act of confession? Ugh, now that I’m saying it aloud it sounds pretty stupid.”

Sehyoon laughs awkwardly, raising his hand to scratch his head in embarrassment but before he reaches his hair, reflexes take over and Byeongkwan pulls Sehyoon forward.

It’s action without any kind of thought process behind it and Byeongkwan realizes that when he notices himself lose his balance under both their weights. Luckily, Sehyoon awakes from his surprised daze fast enough to pull Byeongkwan forward again and they steady themselves on wobbly legs.

“Oops...That was close...” Byeongkwan mumbles, not knowing what else to say while he feels Sehyoon’s body pressing against his own. He has protectively wrapped one arm around Byeongkwan’s waist while the other hand is still grabbing his hoodie.

“Why did you pull me?” Sehyoon wants to know and the sincerely confused tone tells  him that the reason for action hadn’t been as clear as he thought.

“Not everybody can be crafty and corny enough to make an entire bouquet of roses from old technology trash...” Byeongkwan tries to sound annoyed but he knows that he is failing miserably and he doesn’t care when he sees how Sehyoon’s face lights up.

“You called them beautiful though...” Byeongkwan returns the smile that is spreading on his face and nods.

“I did.” He mumbles before he stands up on his tiptoes, wraps his arms around Sehyoon’s neck and closes the gap between them that has been too annoyingly big for too long now. Sehyoon returns the kiss, putting the hand that grabs his hoodie onto his cheek instead. He doesn’t pull it away once they break apart again and warmth spreads through Byeongkwan’s entire face and body from where it’s resting.

“Can’t believe I finally did it.” Sehyoon mumbles.

“Correction; I was the one who kissed you.” They both laugh and then simply look at each other with fond expressions.

“You know, when you first walked into that Café I would have never thought that I would fall for you so fast but then you just...” Sehyoon’s voice fades but Byeongkwan nods.

“Yeah same...And that even though you were trying so hard to get rid of me.”

“I wasn’t! I was just scared you would turn out to be a crazy fan or something.” Byeongkwan rolls his eyes at this.

“Sure...Believe me, you were much scarier. At first, I thought you were a mafia boss or something.” The soft fingers leave his face at this and Byeongkwan misses them instantly.

“What? Why?” He pretends to think about it.

“Mmh...Maybe your weird ‘Look’ profile or the fact that you own a freaking expensive house in the middle of the city?” Sehyoon looks offended.

“There are some crazy rich people that love to spend money on art!”

“Apparently but I didn’t know that back then!” They look at each other with knitted eyebrows before they can’t take it any longer and start laughing again.

“Well I think we both are looking stupid right now. By the way, are we still gonna get the divorce?” Sehyoon eventually wants to know and Byeongkwan shrugs.

“I don’t know...We can’t get it right now anyways so let’s see...” The thought of marriage makes him shudder. He might be ready to change his opinion on relationships now that he believes to have found a person in Sehyoon that he actually wants to commit so much energy and time to but marriage...? He feels how Sehyoon slowly breaks away, followed by him grabbing his hand.

“We don’t have to know now. We should take it slow and ignore the whole marriage thing. So instead of husband, do you want to be my boyfriend first?” Byeongkwan blinks at Sehyoon, feeling a bright grin spreading on his lips.

“Yes, boyfriend sounds nice.” He says, before something else comes to his mind, “How will we tell Chan and Junhee though?” In the way in which Sehyoon’s face darkens he knows that he immediately understands what he is referring to. They share a pained look.

“They will never let us live after this, right?” Byeongkwan nods.

“We can never let them meet each other.” Even though they are looking at each other in determination, they both know that this isn’t a realistic thing to say. Their friends will meet and it will happen much sooner than at their wedding two years later.

But they don’t know that yet and simply enjoy their new closeness while Sehyoon shows Byeongkwan every piece of art in his exhibition and promises him to not sell the cute painting with the white rabbits. Sehyoon explains ideas and little details and Byeongkwan listens to him while feeling the butterflies in his stomach dancing polka. It is endearing to see Sehyoon talk about his paintings with so much passion and Byeongkwan realizes just how happy his presence makes him.

He always thought he would never find someone whom he could imagine spending his life with but he also doesn’t complain that fate apparently had other ideas for him.

The end.