11

I am not pretty.

"Hyung, you can opt to not tell but just asking, why did you get angry that day when I asked asked you about the garage."

"Nothing special. That bike was literally my love in my college days but once I got in a pretty serious accident while riding it. I looked dead to the doctor at first instance. Was in coma for a while as well. After that, my parents literally banned me to drive for years. Its been around a year and a half since I started driving again but the bike is still a big no for me according to my parents. It was the memories that increased my voice. I wasn't angry or anything. I'm genuinely  sorry about it."

"You drove really fast that day as well."

"It wasn't even that fast. Back in my days, I-"

"Mom-Dad are right. We are not getting that bike out."

"Hannie, not you again."

"I don't care. You would never ride that again."

Minho who was facing towards the road looked towards Han, frustration spreading on his face.

He was about to say that no one understands his love for his bike but when he saw the horror on Han's face, words stuck in throat. He parked his car at roadside and unlocked his seat belt to get better access to the younger's hands.

"Han-ah? You okay?"

"Yes. Can you please not drive that?"

Looking at the terror at the younger's face, Minho couldn't say no.

"First, mom and dad. Now you. "

"I know I'm crossing the line but-"

"I'm not gonna drive that fast, okay? I promised my parents that I won't do it again but in a rush of emotions, I rode it last week, Kay? You're not crossing any line. Stop using that tiny brain of yours and just sit there being pretty like you were doing a minute ago. I'm sure your friend wouldn't be happy seeing you so down on her wedding day."

As if on cue, the younger's phone rang.

"Sungie, I swear I'll kill you if you are not here in five. I'm gonna walk down the aisle without you witnessing it. Come here, you idiot, I'm freaking out." A female voice from the other end of the call said.

"Sung, please hurry. This stupid bride to be is acting up. I can't handle anymore." A male voice replaced the previous one while the female voice was cursing in the background for "snatching" her phone.

"I'm there. I'm there." Han chuckled hearing the chaos on the phone call.

After hanging up the phone, the duo reached at the wedding arena quickly, Han forgetting the conversation he had back in the car. He was so happy to see his childhood friend walking down the aisle to the love of her life, her boyfriend of two years and Han's other best friend.

They were like those regular college couples at whom you look at with absolute disgust because of how lovey-dovey they were being or with pure jealousy of how adorable their relationship is.

"She's also married now."

"What the fuck, tae?" Han flinched hearing the voice so close to his ears.

"What will happen to me, Sung?? I also wanna get married. I also want somebody." The boy called Taejoon whined while laying his head on the shoulder of the younger among the two.

"For that, you gotta date someone."

"I was about to ask you out but you had to go off and get married without telling me."

"Poor luck!" Han sarcastically replied to the elder's humour.

"Excuse me!!"

The pair of friends looked at the chair to their right from where the voice came from.

Han quickly pushed his friend away from him with an awkward smile after seeing the expression of the person.

"Um-hyung, that's my friend, Taejoon. Taejoon, that's Minho hyung."

"Oh hello, hyung. Nice to meet you."

"Hello."

"Finally we get to meet. I have heard so much about you."

"Hmm." Minho said with a fake smile. He wasn't very fond of the statement said by the younger boy to his husband specially the way his eyes lingered upon his man's face while saying so.

-

"Hyung, you wanna leave. You don't look good." It was night now and only the newly weds' friends were present at the venue hall.

"Naah, I'm fine. Don't worry, love."

"Hyung!!" Han's eyes widened as he looked around to see if anyone heard.

"What are you doing? What if anyone heard that?" Han whispered after slapping Minho's arms.

"Ouch! That hurts, you know?"

"Deserved. Why do you have call me that here?"

"I can't call my husband that?" Minho's playfully smile was back on his face. He really loved teasing Han.

"You didn't call me that once after that day and today you're doing that out of nowhere, that too in a public place."

Minho was surprised to hear that.

"You wanted me to?"

"I- no- whatever. You're turning evil nowadays. I'm going back to my friends."

Han strided back towards his friends who were busy laughing about something on the other table. He was only two steps away when Minho stopped him by his wrist.

"Give me a minute. I need some power backup for the time you're away." Minho brought Han into a backhug.

Butterflies. That's what Han felt when Minho wrapped his arms around his torso.

"You should bring Minho Oppa here if he can't bear being away from you." A girl from Han's friend group shouted making Han jump out of embarassment.

"No, it's not like th-"

"Oh, Can I? Let's go then."

Han couldn't explain with words how embarassed he was right now. He was always the boy making fun of his friends acting "cringey" when in love. People have never seen him doing anything except third wheeling his friends or studying. It was so embarassing for him to show a different side of his life which was new even to him.

"You're accepting it then that you can't stay away from him, huh?" The one sitting exactly in front of Minho chirped rather excitedly and teasingly. Man looked like he was always up for some tea.

"It's not that I can't. I just don't want to." A cumulative aww came from the friend group making Han look at his lap as if it was the best view of the night. God, his face felt so hot.

"It's the first time I've seen Sungie like this." One of Han's friend murmured receiving back some "I know, right?" and "Me too"

"S-shut up. Why are we discussing me on their wedding?"

"Because that is the news. All of us knew I'm gonna marry Sia but you being in love and acting so shy and all?? Now we can say we have seen it all." The groom said.

"You know, Oppa! He was always like - Oh! I'm not gonna be like you. Love is stupid. It's just your hormones acting up and all those nerdy shits." The bride, Sia, added in.

" I won't mind killing you guys on your wedding day." Han sulked.

Minho looked at Han in amusement.

"And, hyung, the best part was that because of this stupid belief, he was always oblivious to people hitting on him."

"No one ever hit on me. Don't make things up in front of hyung."

"Remember that boy you met in your entrance exams. He literally asked if you wanted him to wait for you after the exams to walk around. Hyung, his stupid ass told him that he didn't need to."

"He was just being polite."

"Who asks that to someone he met for the first time just out of politeness. Your oblivious ass is still in denial"

"You just don't know what being polite is."

"The date you went on with that guy in your college without even realising that it was a date."

"It was a hangout."

"No one gives you their jacket in such a  cold weather and  later texts you that they enjoyed their time with you. It's a date vibe not a hangout thingy." Sia was determined to get this in her friend's head today that he was loved romantically and he deserved all of it.

"Okay, what about the boy in your maths class. He also said that he had something to say after classes back on your last day of school. You literally ghosted him"

"I don't know. It felt so awkward to meet him because of his expression when he asked me to meet after classes."

"You knew he was about to confess."

"He wasn't. No one has ever been interested in me. Now can we close this topic."

Minho who was absorbing the newly found information looked at Han who was now getting worked up. Minho could see Han was getting uncomfortable now with the said matter.

"Ok guys. I'm not loving this newfound information about how in demand my husband was. Let me get a get a glass of wine."

"Hyung, have this. It's my company's product. Check this out." The groom accompanied Minho in changing the topic seeing his friend getting frustrated. He placed his hand on his wife's knee indicating her to stop.

"Inguk, I-"

"Butterfly, no! I know you mean good but Sung's not comfortable."

Sia's Korean name was Nabi which meant butterfly, hence the nickname. Hearing the pet name, Sia melted and calmed down. After this, they started chatting about something else for an hour or so before leaving, the newly weds being the first to leave.

-

"Han-ah?"

"Hyung, you? What are you doing here?"

"I should ask you the same. What are you doing on the balcony in this freezing weather, specially in the middle of the night."

"Couldn't sleep."

"Why?"

"Nothing. I guess I'm too happy. It has been a while since I saw those hooligans." Han said with a smile.

Minho sat next to Han on the swing facing the same direction as the younger admiring the moon in front of them.

"So, you don't believe in love?"

Han looked at Minho who was looking at the moon with soft eyes. A part of his mind wanted to stick to his previous belief but the other part reminded him of the last six months with the elder.

"I don't know."

"Huh?? You're friends said that you don't?"

"Well, you know that idiom, if you can't get the grapes, then the grapes must be sour. It was not that I didn't believe in it. It was just to console myself as no one was interested in me."

"What do you mean? They mentioned a lot of cases when people were interested in you."

"My friends were just being delusional. No one liked me."

"How'd you know that? From what your friends said, those guys were actually interested in you."

"That can't be."

"Why?"

"Because what would they like in me. Looks, zero. Personality, none. Humour, bad. Talent, non-existent. Will to improve, in negative. What do I have to offer? Nothing."

"Hannie?"

"No. I'm not sad about it. Don't worry. I have accepted it already. I'm just stating the facts."

"And who told you that you have to offer something to be loved?"

"Basic human nature, hyung. It's the world of trade. Nothing is free. Of course, I have to offer something to receive something."

Minho's heart was breaking with every sentence Han was saying. What had that boy suffered to have such thought process?

"Whoever told you that rubbish was wrong.  Business is done with terms and conditions. Love has to be unconditional. And what's wrong with your appearance? Do you seriously not realise how pretty you are?"

"You don't have to console me"

"You are really not going to believe? Geez. This is so embarassing. I'm gonna show you my personal collection and you better don't laugh at me for having those."

Minho took out his phone looking for a specific folder and gave it to Han when he found it.

There were pictures of Han, laughing, smiling while looking at something, sleeping, some with Dori, etc. They were all candid. Han had no idea when Minho clicked them all but they were all pretty. He was seeing himself with Minho's eyes and for the first time, he felt pretty.

Thoughts?

Merry Christmas y'all 🎄🎄