Chapter Text
August 1, 2026
In the greater scheme of things, Chan should have known that making Changbin his best man was a bad idea.
Well, no. Not bad, per se. Like, Changbin is Chan’s baby brother and also his best friend, and Chan loves him to death. So, in all honesty, there is no one Chan would want to see by his side on the biggest day of his life. Besides, he really doubts there’s anyone who could have taken and performed the role of his best man half as good as Changbin has been doing it this whole time. Like, Chan hasn’t had a thing to worry about since the day they had started planning the wedding — which, let me tell you, says a lot since Chan is the biggest busybody of the family — all that thanks to Changbin who’s been nothing but brilliant in his best manning.
So, if anything, it was probably the best idea — and the only decision Chan had to make so far. Which is, once again, all thanks to Changbin and his scary efficiency.
‘What in the ever loving fuck is the problem then??’ One might ask.
Well, it’s not really a problem — more like miscalculation on Chan’s part. Because, as good as Changbin is at being Chan’s best man, he is also a little shit who thrives on making his older brother drown in self-pity and all-consuming embarrassment. And Chan should have taken it into account, really, since this kind of stuff (read: giving an hour long speech that will probablymost likely bring the groom to the point of almost combusting in flames of embarrassment in public) is usually solved by a best man, and… yeah, well. Kind of a lost cause now, isn't it? Considering that the man who gives the said speech is his best man.
And since Chan hasn’t ever considered the possibility (even though he really should have) of being embarrassed before the eyes of fifty people until the very moment when the said best man’s sent him a shit-eating grin and raised a glass to start the said speech, now he’ll have to do just that.
Sit there and be embarrassed before the eyes of fifty people.
“So, I really hate to interrupt all the mingling, y’all, but it seems that I am the only one who hasn’t said a toast and it is really unacceptable since I’m, like, the groom’s best man.”
Everyone boos and hoos playfully at that, and Changbin, that charming fucker, smiles just as playfully as he goes on with his speech.
“Oh, come on! You all had your say! It’s only fair for me to have mine!” He whines, all cute and frisky, and Chan hates how endeared he feels looking at his brother who is making an introduction for something that will make his face burn in mere minutes.
“Oh, just go on, Changbin-ah,” Chan mutters, dejected, and Changbin beams at that, pointing at Chan wildly.
“See? The groom has spoken!” He boasts, and everyone laughs because of course they do. It is the wedding, after all, and Changbin is being nothing but delightful in his antics. So Chan can’t even be really mad at him, to be honest.
“Let’s get this over with, shall we?”
Changbin winks at him.
“I’ll be quick,” he says and turns back to the audience, “So, uh, first of all, I’d really like to thank you all for being here today and giving the couple all your love and warmest wishes. Y’all said so much that there’s nothing left I could wish them myself, huh?”
At that, he sighs dramatically, and the room is once again filled with laughter.
“But that’s okay, you know? Great, actually! Because these two?” Changbin nods their way, Chan’s and his beautiful bride’s, his wife’s, “They deserve to be showered with love, am I right?”
Not a second later Chan goes literally deaf as the room erupts with applause and cheers and wolf-whistles (courtesy of Wooyoung no doubt). And then, on his right, there’s a laughter, rich and melodic, quiet in the chaos of the room, and yet the only sound Chan can hear clearly.
He turns his now wife’s way and feels his breath being taken away.
Because Yongbok is a vision. She always is, sure, but today with all her tender smiles and shy laughter, with flowers in her hair and stars in her eyes, with his ring on her finger, she glows brighter than ever before. And that, the fact that after everything they are here, surrounded by their loved ones as husband and wife… it makes his heart grow ten times bigger.
Changbin doesn’t give him a chance to bask in the feeling for long, though.
“Yah, hyung! Are you in the Mood already? Did I send you into the Mood?”
“I’m always in the mood,” Chan retorts, not sparing his brother a glance, “whatever it means.”
“But hyung, I haven’t finished my speech!”
At that, Yongbok butts in, giving Changbin a pointed look. “Well, hurry up then, oppa. You promised to be quick, remember?”
“Oh, I did, didn't I?” Changbin drawls as if not sure if it’s true. Chan can barely contain the urge to roll his eyes at this point – he would do just that if it didn’t mean he had to turn away from his wife to do it.
“Oh, you definitely did,” she says, “and I’d really appreciate you doing that, oppa. Otherwise my husband here will combust, and I don’t want that.”
“Hey!”
“Oh, right, we can’t let this happen,” Changbin laughs, turning back to the guests, “So, where was I?”
“You’re not serious, right?”
“You were in the middle of thanking us,” tells one of the guests.
“Yes! Said how amazing we are!” That one comes from Wooyoung to no one’s surprise. It, in turn, makes Changbin roll his eyes, but he doesn’t comment on a witty remark, just goes on with the never ending toast.
“Yeah, right, I remember now. Thanks. For that and for sharing this day with the happy couple. I have already said it and I really want to say it again. You guys are really awesome — yeah, Wooyoung, you too.”
“Hell yeah!”
“And it really warms my heart that you came here to celebrate these two and their love tonight. And for that I would love to thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Changbin adds, eyes unbearably soft, so soft it makes Chan’s insides melt a little, warms him up from the inside, fills his body with some giddy excitement. Suddenly, he doesn’t feel even slightest bit annoyed about this whole mess his baby brother calls ‘the best man’s speech’ , because at the end of the day it is so, so genuine and warm that Chan doesn’t mind it if he ends up thoroughly embarrassed by it, after all.
“And, uh, one more thing before I can finally move on from this whole ‘thank you’ thing,” Changbin looks almost shy as says that, turning his head toward Chan, “I know that, first and foremost, weddings are about two people, so it is probably so weird to focus on one person, even for a moment, but I guess you could cut me some slack — I am this guy’s best man, after all.”
He laughs softly.
“So, I would really like to thank you all, again, for being here and expressing your love and appreciation for my big brother, Chan-hyung.”
This makes Chan groan because somehow this kind of words coming from his brother’s mouth makes him more flustered than any embarrassing story ever will. Unable to bear it at all, he hides his face in hands, feeling the tips of his ears burning.
“Bin-ah, you can’t say that!”
Changbin only smirks. “Oh, but I just have. And I am not planning on stopping because you,” he points right at Chan, “must hear it over and over until you finally believe that you deserve love, and deserve happiness, and you deserve the woman who sits next to you.”
Yongbok, who loops her arm around his, rests her cheek on Chan’s shoulder and hums softly in agreement.
“And I really want you to remember it next time you get in your head and decide to let her go because you, for some fucking reason, are ‘not good enough’ for her.”
And then Changbin makes the ‘mic drop’ move as the room once again drowns in applause and laughter and delighted shouts full of (very aggressive) approval.
Chan wants to strangle him so bad.
Instead, he hugs him so tight that he might get his wish if he’s not careful.
“I fucking hate you, you cunt,” Chan tries to make it sound threatening or like he’s pissed and disappointed at least, but in the end he sounds like he’s on the verge of tears, “I hate you so fucking much.”
“Well, wait till I actually finish my speech, old man,” is all Changbin says before he manhandles Chan back into his chair.
He’s pretty sure he hears Wooyoung wolf-whistling from somewhere.
Again.
It takes everyone some time to calm down, but Changbin waits, patient, until the room is quiet again before he goes on.
“Well, that was soft, huh?”
A pause. Chan makes use of it to take a sip of champagne.
Big mistake, now that he thinks about it.
“Can you imagine that we might have not be here today because the groom can be a stubborn idiot when it comes to emotions?”
Because of course he chokes on it the moment Changbin opens his mouth again.
And of course everyone laughs — at Changbin’s witty comment or Chan’s misery Chan himself is not sure.
“Excuse me?” Still, Chan manages to caugh out as Yongbok beside him hits him on the back while trying (and failing, fairly) to stifle her laughter, “How did we get from giving me love to bullying me?”
“Who is bullying you?!”
“You do, Changbin,” their mother, god bless her, butts in, levelling her youngest with stare, “Stop being so mean to your brother.”
“Am I wrong, though?” Changbin shrieks, throwing his hands in the air. He pauses then, brows furrowed, before adding, “Well, some of you people might say that… And I don’t blame you, really. I mean, half of you have probably witnessed Chan-hyung falling in love with Bok-ah in real time.”
As if on cue Wooyoung decides to contribute to the statement.
“Oh, yeah, we all remember hyung’s raging boner—”
Smack.
“Ouch!”
Chan feels the utmost satisfaction when he hears Wooyoung being smacked in the back of the head.
He will send San a fruit basket or two as soon as he recovers financially from all the wedding costs.
“Yes, thank you, San,” Changbin says, awfully casual, “As I was saying, we all might have not be here today because, let me tell you, the happy couple’s way to the altar was thorny. Not without our families’ contribution, by the way.”
Chan can see the said families tense up at that. In all fairness, Chan himself — along with Yongbok on his right — tense up at that.
The Story is definitely not something to be told about during the wedding.
Or during any other occasion, for that matter.
But for some reason Changbin doesn’t share the sentiment. “Our families share some interesting history, now that I think about…”
“Changbin.”
Once again, god bless their mother.
Her glare? Sharp. Her tone? Sends shivers down everyone’s spine. Chan wouldn’t want to receive this kind of attention from his mother.
And Changbin, at least, seems to share this sentiment.
“Uh, yeah, well,” he mumbles, fidgeting. “It’s not that interesting, honestly. Not worth telling in front of forty-something-people…”
He swallows, side-eyeing their mother to check for her reaction — whatever he sees, it satisfies him enough to carry on with the story.
“But! It’s still interesting enough to tell you that their story started long before the ‘raging boner’ incident!”
Amidst the chaos of ohs and ahs, Chan groans. “For fucks sake, one more word about my boner—”
But then it hits him.
“Wait, what?”
And then it Bokkie’s turn to groan. Chan blinks, surprised, and turns her way to check on her.
She looks mortified as she says, “Changbin-oppa, please, no.”
“Why not?” Changbin whines in response, “It’s a cute story!”
“There’s nothing cute about it!” Yongbok retorts.
“What is he talking about?” Chan asks her but doesn’t get a response.
Changbin barrels on, unwilling to give up.
“Come on, it is a cute story!” He insists and looks almost giddy doing it. Like he was waiting ages to tell it. “A cute story about cute little kids.”
That, surprisingly, unlocks something inside Chan’s mind. Some distant memories of his childhood, the time their families were close. So close it could have been called friendship.
Not for him or Yongbok, though. If he remembers correctly…
“Can you, guys, imagine little Chan and Yongbok, all chubby and cute, mingling in Bokkie’s family house?” Changbin asks, eyes sparkling with glee. “Except it wasn’t cute, like, at all.”
“Oppa, please, no one needs to know that…”
“Oh, on the contrary, Yongbok-ah!” He insists. “I’m sure everyone’s dying to know how it all started.”
Immediately, the room fills with a chorus of giddy shouts.
Yongbok groans.
Changbin, the fucker, the absolute moron, cackles before he pauses dramatically and starts his tale.
“So, this story started with Yongbok bringing Chan to tears…”