Jaekyeom slumped back in his chair, rubbing his temples as Hazel’s laughter echoed in the room.
“I hate you,” he muttered.
“No, you don’t,” Hazel said, wiping a tear from her eye. “But wow, Jaekyeom. Of all people, you being the one to obsess over marriage? That’s rich.”
Elliot, still struggling to process, leaned forward. “So, when did this start?”
Jaekyeom sighed. “I don’t know. Ever since she told me she loves me, I just… see things differently.”
Hazel smirked. “Oh? Let me guess. You’ve started noticing married couples everywhere?”
Jaekyeom blinked.
Hazel gasped dramatically. “Oh my God, I was right!”
Jaekyeom groaned. “It’s not like that—”
“No, no, let me enjoy this.” Hazel grinned. “Let me guess, you’ve started paying attention to wedding rings? Or maybe seeing couples with kids and wondering—”
“I did not think about kids,” Jaekyeom snapped, feeling his ears burn.
Elliot chuckled. “But you did think about marriage.”
Jaekyeom exhaled, shaking his head. “I know it’s insane. I know it’s too soon. It’s just… I can’t help it.”
Hazel leaned her chin on her palm, studying him. “You’ve had feelings for Yue for a while, huh?”
Jaekyeom didn’t answer right away. He just stared at the table, thoughts spiraling.
“Yeah,” he admitted, quieter now. “A long time.”
That shut Hazel up.
Elliot, ever the steady presence, offered a small smile. “Then it makes sense.”
Jaekyeom looked up. “What?”
“It makes sense why you’re thinking about it,” Elliot said. “You’ve waited so long for her. It’s natural that the moment she finally reaches back, your mind jumps ahead.”
Jaekyeom frowned. “That doesn’t mean it’s normal.”
Hazel shrugged. “Honestly, I think it’s kinda cute. You, Jaekyeom, the guy who plays it cool with everything, suddenly spiraling over the idea of marriage.” She grinned. “I wish Yue could see this.”
Jaekyeom rolled his eyes. “She’d probably run in the opposite direction.”
“True.” Hazel snorted. “But still, don’t be embarrassed. It just means you’re serious about her.”
Jaekyeom ran a hand through his hair. “I already knew I was serious. But this…” He exhaled. “It’s messing with my head.”
Elliot chuckled. “Then take a breath. You’ve got time, Jaekyeom.”
Jaekyeom knew that. He knew.
But still—
The thought wouldn’t leave.
Jaekyeom leaned back, exhaling sharply as he stared at the ceiling. "I know I have time. But my brain won't shut up about it."
Hazel smirked, stirring her coffee. "Maybe because, deep down, you're more traditional than you pretend to be."
Jaekyeom shot her a glare. "I'm not."
Elliot hummed in thought. "You do like stability, though. And you’ve never been the type to waste time on things you don’t see a future in."
Jaekyeom opened his mouth to argue, but no words came out. Because—damn it, Elliot had a point.
Hazel grinned, catching the hesitation in his silence. "See? That’s why the thought of marriage won’t leave you alone. You’ve already decided that Yue is it for you."
Jaekyeom ran a hand over his face. "You guys make it sound so simple."
Elliot shrugged. "Well, is it?"
Jaekyeom hesitated. Was it?
He thought about the way Yue had looked at him that night, the quiet certainty in her voice when she said she loved him. He thought about how natural it felt to wake up beside her, how badly he had wanted to stay.
Then he thought about how she shut him out when it came to her family. How she rejected his offer to drive her home. How even now, there was still a part of her that felt far away.
His stomach twisted.
"It's not that simple," he muttered.
Hazel sighed. "Yeah. I figured."
Elliot studied him for a moment before asking, "Are you worried she doesn’t want the same future?"
Jaekyeom didn’t answer right away. Instead, he let his fingers tap against the table, thinking.
"I don’t know what she wants," he admitted finally. "I know she loves me. But Yue… she doesn’t let people in easily. And the idea of family, of commitment—"
"—is complicated for her," Elliot finished.
Jaekyeom nodded.
Hazel set her cup down with a small clink. "Okay, so what’s the plan?"
Jaekyeom blinked. "Plan?"
Hazel rolled her eyes. "Are you gonna talk to her about this? Or are you just gonna keep suffering in silence and overthink yourself into a coma?"
Jaekyeom huffed. "I just got her to say she loves me. You think I'm gonna sit her down and be like, 'Hey, so what are your thoughts on marriage'?"
Hazel burst out laughing. "Please, actually say it like that. I’d pay money to see her reaction."
Jaekyeom glared. "You're not helping."
Elliot, who had been quiet for a moment, finally spoke. "Then don’t think about marriage. Not yet. Just focus on being with her."
Jaekyeom exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah. Maybe you're right."
Elliot smiled. "I usually am."
Hazel groaned. "Oh my God, shut up."
Jaekyeom couldn't help but smirk, the tension in his chest easing just a little. Maybe they were right. Maybe he was overthinking this.
For now, Yue loved him. That was enough.
At least, that’s what he tried to tell himself.
Jaekyeom leaned back, exhaling sharply as he stared at the ceiling. "I know I have time. But my brain won't shut up about it."
Hazel smirked, stirring her coffee. "Maybe because, deep down, you're more traditional than you pretend to be."
Jaekyeom shot her a glare. "I'm not."
Elliot hummed in thought. "You do like stability, though. And you’ve never been the type to waste time on things you don’t see a future in."
Jaekyeom opened his mouth to argue, but no words came out. Because—damn it, Elliot had a point.
Hazel grinned, catching the hesitation in his silence. "See? That’s why the thought of marriage won’t leave you alone. You’ve already decided that Yue is it for you."
Jaekyeom ran a hand over his face. "You guys make it sound so simple."
Elliot shrugged. "Well, is it?"
Jaekyeom hesitated. Was it?
He thought about the way Yue had looked at him that night, the quiet certainty in her voice when she said she loved him. He thought about how natural it felt to wake up beside her, how badly he had wanted to stay.
Then he thought about how she shut him out when it came to her family. How she rejected his offer to drive her home. How even now, there was still a part of her that felt far away.
His stomach twisted.
"It's not that simple," he muttered.
Hazel sighed. "Yeah. I figured."
Elliot studied him for a moment before asking, "Are you worried she doesn’t want the same future?"
Jaekyeom didn’t answer right away. Instead, he let his fingers tap against the table, thinking.
"I don’t know what she wants," he admitted finally. "I know she loves me. But Yue… she doesn’t let people in easily. And the idea of family, of commitment—"
"—is complicated for her," Elliot finished.
Jaekyeom nodded.
Hazel set her cup down with a small clink. "Okay, so what’s the plan?"
Jaekyeom blinked. "Plan?"
Hazel rolled her eyes. "Are you gonna talk to her about this? Or are you just gonna keep suffering in silence and overthink yourself into a coma?"
Jaekyeom huffed. "I just got her to say she loves me. You think I'm gonna sit her down and be like, 'Hey, so what are your thoughts on marriage'?"
Hazel burst out laughing. "Please, actually say it like that. I’d pay money to see her reaction."
Jaekyeom glared. "You're not helping."
Elliot, who had been quiet for a moment, finally spoke. "Then don’t think about marriage. Not yet. Just focus on being with her."
Jaekyeom exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah. Maybe you're right."
Elliot smiled. "I usually am."
Hazel groaned. "Oh my God, shut up."
Jaekyeom couldn't help but smirk, the tension in his chest easing just a little. Maybe they were right. Maybe he was overthinking this.
For now, Yue loved him. That was enough.
At least, that’s what he tried to tell himself.
Jaekyeom frowned. "Hold on—you two dated for years, broke up and got back together a million times, and you’re telling me you just knew one day?"
Elliot chuckled. "Yeah, pretty much."
Jaekyeom narrowed his eyes. "No way. What about all those times you swore you were done with each other? What changed?"
Elliot exhaled, glancing at Hazel. She was leaning back in her chair, arms crossed, watching him with an amused glint in her eyes.
"It wasn’t just one thing," Elliot admitted. "We spent years figuring out what we meant to each other. And yeah, there were times we thought we were better off apart. But even when we weren’t together, Hazel was still the person I turned to first. She was still the one who knew me best."
Hazel snorted. "That’s code for: he realized no other woman would put up with him like I do."
Jaekyeom smirked. "Sounds about right."
Elliot shook his head, laughing. "You’re both impossible." Then, he turned serious again. "But really, it was after one of our bigger breakups. We had been apart for a while—longer than usual. I tried dating other people. She did too. And then one day, we ran into each other again at some friend’s wedding."
Hazel rolled her eyes. "Worst wedding of my life."
"Yeah, because we spent half of it arguing." Elliot grinned at the memory. "But when it was over, and I went home alone, I realized I didn’t want to do life without her. Even when we were a mess, I still wanted her. So I stopped fighting it. Stopped looking for reasons why it wouldn’t work and just—let it happen."
Jaekyeom was quiet for a moment.
He wasn’t sure if he could relate. His relationship with Yue was nothing like Hazel and Elliot’s. There were no loud arguments, no passionate breakups, no years of push and pull. But there was distance. There was hesitation.
And yet… he still wanted her.
Hazel arched a brow at him. "Why so serious? You regretting telling us about your little marriage crisis now?"
Jaekyeom scowled. "I never said crisis."
"You didn’t have to." Hazel smirked. "It’s all over your face."
Jaekyeom groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. "This was a mistake."
Elliot laughed. "You’ll be fine. If it’s really bothering you, maybe you should just—talk to Yue about it."
Jaekyeom hesitated. He wanted to. But at the same time… he was scared of what she might say.
Hazel must have read the uncertainty in his face, because she rolled her eyes and kicked his shin lightly under the table. "Oh my God. You’re worse than Elliot used to be. Just talk to her, dummy."
Jaekyeom scowled but said nothing.
He didn’t know if he could bring it up yet.
But the thought of marrying Yue?
It wasn’t going away anytime soon.