Although there wasn't much to do on a plane besides sit down for 10 hours, Chanyeol was exhausted. As soon as he got inside his room, he plopped on the bed and closed his eyes. It was only the sound of his phone's Twitter notification ring that made him reopen them again. Glancing at the screen, he read the announcement.

B. Jang-Mi Tweeted:

Hello my dear readers! I'll be hosting an impromptu Q&A tonight at 10pm~~ Ask me anything! Please use the hashtag #BJangmiQA so it'll be easier for me to interact with all of you! Hehe ヽ(*・ω・)ﾉ !!

As Chanyeol smiled, another notification popped up.

B. Jang-Mi Tweeted:

I will also be giving away signed copies of Flowers in the Rain to 3 lucky readers who retweets this Q&A tweet! I'll see you all soon! (*˘︶˘*).｡.:*♡

Rolling over on his stomach, Chanyeol opened the app and dedicatedly replied under the thread a couple of heart-filled emojis because for someone who loved reading words, he could never find the right ones whenever he's responding to his favorite author.

He'd been reading B. Jang-Mi's work for a little over five years, having first discovered the author's small paperback debut on the floor of Yoora's room when he visited her during his third year of college. Despite being a short piece, Chanyeol really found himself in love with the writing style, especially how Miss B. Jang-Mi captured authentic emotions, almost as if she was projecting her own experiences through the eyes of her characters. Seemingly venting, seemingly distraught, yet hopeful... Her work was tragically beautiful and resound, if not bittersweet and happy.

Thinking that he might forget to tweet later, Chanyeol sent one out in that moment--just in case.

❁ ❁ ❁

That evening, Chanyeol decided to accompany Kyungsoo and Jongin down to the hotel ballroom with Baekhyun nowhere to be seen. It made him wonder how in the world he was Jongin's best man in the first place. Their personalities seemed so incompatible. As someone's best man, shouldn't he be there as support for his friend?

Chanyeol didn't understand, so he didn't bother thinking about it any further.

It wasn't until around 6:30 that he finally saw Baekhyun again, dragging his sluggish body out of his hotel room around the same time Chanyeol stepped out in a new set of clothes (since they were going to be dining at the 5-star restaurant). In contrast, Baekhyun was still wearing the same clothes he had been wearing all day, even all the way back to when they first met at LAX-- black leather jacket mixed with black jeans and a black turtleneck. A very lively combination--not.

Noticing the gaze that Chanyeol was giving him, Baekhyun shut the door behind him and frowned. "What? Are you in love with me or something?"

Chanyeol almost choked on air. His immediate reaction was to say something--anything--back, but he couldn't find any words. He was left flustered and too stunned to respond. Yet, it was his lack of a comeback that made Baekhyun smile in the end. It was only then that Chanyeol realized that was the latter's original intent.

Thinking back to Baekhyun's relationship with Jongin, Chanyeol began to realize that the two of them were essentially just two sides of the same coin. Both liked to tease, but Baekhyun was a bit more of the type to say things with an underhanded tone. And judging from his past comments, he also liked to be blunt.

Annoyed, Chanyeol turned first and started walking down the hall. Baekhyun followed behind him, yet made no effort to catch up. As soon as Chanyeol reached the elevators and hit the button to go down, he kept praying a door would open before Baekhyun got to him. But as luck would have it, one became available as soon as Baekhyun stood behind him. Without much of a choice, they both got into the elevator together.

Inside the elevator, Chanyeol saw their reflection on the mirror-like doors. Baekhyun had his arms crossed in a defensive manner, but after a closer look, he looked like he had just awoken from a long nap. If that was the case, that might've explained why he was missing earlier. Inwardly sighing, Chanyeol turned his eyes to the floor.

Shouldn't he--in the very, very least-- try to be friends with Jongin's best man?

Then again, he had been trying, and they hadn't made any progress. It was clear that Baekhyun already had some kind of grudge against him. For some reason, it made Chanyeol curious to ask as to why that was... It wasn't as though he had done anything malicious other than read Flowers in the Rain in public. And in his defense, it wasn't a crime for him to do that.

Crossing his arms together, Chanyeol bit down on his bottom lip, lost in thought. It was only when Baekhyun spoke up that he raised his eyes again.

"What're you doing? Copying me?"

"What?" Looking down at the man beside him, Chanyeol noticed they were both crossing their arms and leaning against the elevator railing behind them. Immediately catching it, he dropped his hands off to the side and took a side step away from Baekhyun. "No!"

The expression of Baekhyun's face didn't change. "Hm."

Shortly after, the doors opened and they arrived at the lobby with Jongin and Kyungsoo standing not too far away.

❁ ❁ ❁

"Sehun!" Chanyeol was met with a rough hug that almost took him right down in the middle of the restaurant, but he didn't care. Relief had swept over Chanyeol when he heard there'd be some familiar faces at dinner, and seeing his old friends was nothing short of exciting. "Can't believe you actually spared the time to be with us 'normies'."

Playfully sticking a finger in his mouth, Sehun gagged. "Stop or I'll vomit for real."

Kyungsoo sighed. "Please don't."

"Yixing, you too? When did you arrive in Seoul?"

"A couple days ago!"

As Sehun sat back down in his seat, Chanyeol followed his lead and chose to sit across from his friends.

Grinning, Jongin put an arm around Baekhyun and Kyungsoo's shoulders and started herding the two of them to their seats. "Come, come. Baekhyun, you can sit next to Jongdae."

Waving his hand in the arm, their old mutual friend made himself known. "Baekhyun~"

Baekhyun warmly smiled and pleasantly sang back, "Jongdae~"

Although Chanyeol was conversating lightly, he couldn't help but notice the way the two exchanged their words. He was left speechless--again. Even if it wasn't at his (embarrassing) expense. Jongin's best man really was complicated and...puzzling, at best.

❁ ❁ ❁

There were four levels of 'drunk'.

The first level was Yixing; a man who couldn't even finish a cocktail. Halfway through it, he could barely keep his head up. However, when the servers brought over his steak, he perked up a little bit and mustered up a bit of sobriety to enjoy the meal.

The second level was Sehun. Having been to his fair share of grand openings and business-friendly gatherings where drinking was considered a must, he kept his liquor down well enough. When he started to feel tipsy, he stopped because he didn't want to risk looking like an idiot in front of other people. God forbid his shame somehow ending up on the trending page of Weibo.

The third level was everyone except Baekhyun, because despite the fact that Baekhyun knew how to deal with his liquor consumption on a god-like level when they were in the restaurant, the second Jongin and Chanyeol threw him in the backseat of the SUV, he started bawling. At this point, the only one completely sober was Jongin (the designated driver). Chanyeol and Kyungsoo were moderately tipsy, but far better off than Baekhyun who had turned his back away from Chanyeol and stuffed his face in the corner where the car seat met the door.

"Baekhyun~ Come on. Stop crying." Jongin tried to sound sweet, but he could barely keep himself from laughing. "It's not good for the leather seats."

Upon hearing this, Baekhyun turned his body facing forward and stared at the car roof. "I apologize," he said, sniffling. "It's just that... I'm sooo happy for you two. True love and everything. A big fat wedding. Fuck..."

Jongin snorted, pulling the car out of the parking lot. "Then why're you crying? That's not very happy of you!"

"I am very happy!" Baekhyun insisted. "So happy... Like, really happy. I'll write about you guys one day. You two are so cute."

"Aw, Baekhyun!" Kyungsoo tried to reach his hand all the way from the front passenger seat but couldn't. "Write me in as a cool character."

"I will."

"Don't make me the bad guy!" Jongin scolded. "I won't support you! That'd be slanderous."

Chanyeol had no idea what they were rambling on about. His head hurt so he stayed on his side quietly. Checking the time, it was barely turning 9pm and he still wanted to be on Twitter by the time B. Jiang-Mi started her Q&A on Twitter. By then, he'd like to have already finished showering...

A shower sounded really nice. Probably not the safest thing to do while buzzed, but he couldn't go to bed feeling gross either.

By the time he listened back into the conversation, Baekhyun had buried his face in his hands. Drunk Baekhyun was a talkative Baekhyun, but his personality still showed. The only difference was that he spoke more freely and was less secretive about the thoughts running through his mind.

"I'm thinking about retiring."

Chanyeol frowned. Retirement? At his age? Baekhyun must've only been about 26 or somewhere along that numeral line. In any case, it was far too early to even think about retirement.

"Career change, maybe? Go back to school to figure something else out...? I don't know. I'm stressed. It feels like I'm having a mid-life crisis in my 20's." Baekhyun heaved a loud sigh. "I'm sorry. I'm babbling. Probably ruining everyone's eardrums by now."

Turning to Chanyeol, Baekhyun looked at him for a moment without saying a single word. There was a brief split second where he almost looked sober, but then he slapped a hand on Chanyeol's knee like they'd been friends since primary school. "Park Chanyeol. I'm sorry."

Kyungsoo looked at the two of them, confused. "What are you apologizing to him for?"

However, Baekhyun ignored him. With his eyes still locked on Chanyeol, he slapped the knee again.

"I have every right to say that you have a shitty taste in books. Every. Right." With each word, he slapped the knee again and again. "But you remind me of a little puppy dog willing to love anything that moves, even if it's a shitty book! So, I apologize if I hurt your feelings. Okay?"

And just like before, he slapped the knee, only this time, he hit harder.

Finished with his point, Baekhyun fell back on his side and seemed to have tired out. Giving no chance for Chanyeol to respond, he sighed, "Are we almost there?"

"In 10 minutes," Jongin answered. "Are you okay, though?"

"I'm fine... Kind of want another shot of vodka or whatever."

"I don't think that's a good idea." Chanyeol looked over. Looking right back at him was Baekhyun's frowning expression. "Maybe water would do you better."

"You're probably right, Chanyeol, but drinking sounds more fun."

Clearing his throat, Kyungsoo tried handing Baekhyun an unopened bottle of water. "Here. Chanyeol's right. You'll feel better tomorrow if you just drink water instead," he said, smiling. "You can thank him tomorrow morning."

❁ ❁ ❁

After he finished his night routine, Chanyeol managed to drag his tired body on the bed and tuck himself in. And just to keep his future self happy, he also put a glass of water on the bedside table for that morning hangover. When B. Jiang-Mi began her Q&A exactly at 10pm--very prompt and professional-- she started it off with a photo of a finger heart gesture against a glass window overlooking Seoul. It's an aesthetic photo. The mole on her thumb is prominent, but it was essentially part of her brand. A lot of fans thought it was cute-- Chanyeol included.

B. Jang-Mi Tweeted:

It's Q&A time~~ Don't forget that I'll be announcing the winners for the signed books at the end! Let's get started, okay? (*^^*)♡

B. Jang-Mi Quoted A Tweet:

Tracer-85 was sending memory data to the central system the whole journey. Perhaps if A-Xian can find the central system, then maybe he can... make a new Tracer? Heheh (^.~)

@cqlmxtx: Hi authornim ^^ I was wondering what happened to Tracer-85 at the end of your short story 'Stars of Metal'? Was he really stuck on the Stardust planet after sending A-Xian off in the last escape pod? Please tell me they have a happy ending :( #BJangmiQA

B. Jang-Mi Quoted A Tweet:

That's so hard! I'm not really sure, but since my editor is telling me to promote it more, I will say Flowers in the Rain!

@xlkslb_ccdtks: Of all your stories, which one's your favorite? Thanks #BJangmiQA

B. Jang-Mi Quoted A Tweet:

It's very exciting, Chanyeol. Would you like to visit the set when filming begins? ∠( ᐛ 」∠)_ Hahah

@pcy1127: Congratulations on Flowers in the Rain getting a tv drama adaptation. It's my favorite. Are you excited since it'll be your first tv adaptation since your debut? #BJangmiQA

Chanyeol had to rub his eyes a few times and sit up, finding it difficult to process that his tweet was actually noticed. Considering the large pool of tweets under the hashtag, he considered his luck for a moment, somewhat doubtful that this was real, but after refreshing his notifications again and again, he concluded that his favorite really did respond. Yet, for some reason, the response felt different than the other ones B. Jiang-Mi was tweeting. It was most likely due to the fact that he was the only one addressed by name, but at the same time, he did write his full name on his handle, so then...

He liked and retweeted her response.

Figuring that she probably wouldn't see it, he decided to reply back: That sounds fun lol ^^ Please introduce me to Suzy!.

A few minutes later, B. Jiang-Mi liked his throwaway tweet.

❁ ❁ ❁

The morning after, Baekhyun looked angry and annoyed, but maybe Chanyeol was reading him wrong again. It was most likely due to a massive hangover, but he had to give the guy props for waking up early. As they were waiting for the elevator to reach their floor, Chanyeol asked, "So... How're you feeling?"

Baekhyun raised his head, but continued to keep his eyes on the elevator doors. "Fine."

By now, Chanyeol was used to short responses that always felt a bit distant. It didn't bother him as much as it did before. Considering he witnessed the other faces Baekhyun put on for different people around him, this was just one of them. They were acquaintances now at best, so Chanyeol didn't have a problem trying to have a more amicable relationship.

"How was the hangover this morning?"

Although he didn't receive a response immediately, Baekhyun eventually shrugged, quietly muttering, "Shitty."

When they entered the elevator with Baekhyun leading the way, Chanyeol stayed close. "They're going to have their bachelor parties later tonight, right? What're you planning for Jongin?"

Baekhyun shrugged again, taking out his cellphone a few seconds after feeling a short vibration. "The other groomsmen are arriving later today, so I thought about taking everyone to a bar, then later a Casino. The uncles wanted to take him to a strip club so I had to fit that into the itinerary." He paused. "Jongin doesn't want to go to the strip club, though."

"Can't you find another thing to do?"

"His uncles are using him as an excuse to go, and he can't really say no, so that's just how it is." Baekhyun silently stared at his phone for a second before quickly locking the screen, more pissed than he was before. Yet, he kept his tone even when he spoke. "What about you? What do you have planned for Kyungsoo?"

Chanyeol looked away, a bit embarrassed. His plans weren't extravagant. It didn't involve anything provocative like naked strip teases or drinking games. In fact, it seemed a little on the cheap side despite the fact that he tried to tailor it to Kyungsoo's taste. "Sehun booked the presidential suite in the hotel, so we're going to have a movie night."

"That's it?"

"Well, Sehun pulled some strings so he invited one of Kyungsoo's favorite actors to come by and surprise him-- but that's a secret. Don't tell him." Chanyeol smiled. "Soo's always been a homebody, so I think seeing everyone get together for the first time in years is enough for him."

"Hm."

Turning his eyes over to the man beside him, Chanyeol nudged him with his elbow. "What do you mean 'hm'?"

"Nothing in particular. It's a cute idea." Baekhyun glanced at him; his eyes suddenly showing a hint of interest. "Are you ever going to tell him?"

Drawing his brows together, Chanyeol could only stare back. "What--"

As he cocked his head, Baekhyun leaned, grinning. "Or... are you saving it for the 'speak now or forever hold your peace' part of the ceremony?"

This man was toying with him, and Chanyeol didn't know why. Baekhyun played around like he was observing other people's lives, but he was the first person in Chanyeol's life who seemed that way. No matter how hard he tried, Chanyeol couldn't figure out why Baekhyun operated the way he did.

Maybe to Baekhyun, it was interesting to poke other people for a reaction.

However, Chanyeol was still suffering from a minor hangover, so he wasn't entirely in the mood to be provoked. He glanced at the floor numbers, seeing that they were nearing the ground floor. "What about you?" Chanyeol asked, turning the question back at him. "Do you plan on being drunk this whole wedding to cope with the fact that one of your exes was invited as a guest?"

The elevator began to open, but Baekhyun grabbed Chanyeol's wrist before he could even begin pulling away. At first, Chanyeol thought he had made him angry, but when he looked, he saw that Baekhyun was... laughing.

"You say that like it's a bad thing, Chanyeol." Baekhyun let go and gave Chanyeol a quick pat on the arm on his way out. "Come on-- unless you want the doors to close on you."