It was Saturday, and Seolhyun didn’t take long to get to Mall and find the dress shop the girls had wanted to go to. She had expected there to be nothing left to pick from when they walked into the store, but their racks were full. Pretty much Seoul.

Jieqiong and Doyeon already had an idea of what they wanted: something tight. Mina seemed to navigate toward the pink and frilly. Seolhyun wanted a dress that didn’t look like it’d been knitted by a grandmother or swallowed by a bow factory.

Mina ended up picking out a red dress for Seolhyun that cinched under the waist and hung loose around her hips and legs. It had a scallop neckline, a little daring but nothing like what Doyeon and Jieqiong strutted out in.

“What I wouldn’t do for a chest like that,” Doyeon muttered, looking disgusted as she stared at Jieqiong’s chest spilling out of her dress. “It’s not fair. I have an and no s.”

Jieqiong eyed herself in the wall mirror while Mina tried on a pink knee-length dress she’d found. Twisting her hair up off her shoulders, Jieqiong grinned at her reflection. “What do you guys think?”

“You look hot,” Seolhyun told her. And she did. She had the perfect hourglass figure.

Mina stepped out, looking absolutely stunning in pink. Her dress had tiny straps and hugged her willowy frame. She took one look at herself, nodded, and went back in to change.

Seolhyun exchanged a grin with Doyeon. “Our opinion was not needed.”

“Yeah, cause there isn’t anything in this world that Mina doesn’t look good in.” She rolled her eyes, grabbing her dress to try on.

When it came Seolhyun’s turn to try her dress on, she had to give it to Mina. She had a remarkable eye for style. The dress fit Seolhyun’s body like it had been made for her.

“You should pull your hair up,” Mina said, appearing beside her. Seolhyun reached up, artfully twisting her long hair atop her head. “You have such a long neck. Show it off. I can do it for you if you like and your makeup, too.”

Seolhyun nodded, thinking it would be fun. “Thank you. I would’ve never thought I’d look good in this dress.”

“You will look good in any of these dresses.” Mina let go of her friend hair. “Now you need shoes.” She nodded over to the shoe racks. “Anything red or clear would work. The more strappy the better.”

Seolhyun poked around the shoes, thinking of a pair of strappy heels she had at home. God knows this dress was going to cost every last cent her mom had happily handed over this morning. She picked up a pair of red heels, though. They were divine.

Coming out of nowhere, a skeevy feeling coursed over Seolhyun as she stood there. She glanced around. The girls were in the back, looking at clutches, and the clerk was behind the counter. The door opened, making a wind chime sound. No one was there.

The clerk looked up, frowning. Shaking her head, she returned to reading her magazine.

Seolhyun shivered as her gaze crawled past the door to the windows in the front of the store. Beyond the mannequins, a man stood on the sidewalk, looking in. His dark hair was combed back from his pale face. Most of his features were covered with a pair of oversized sunglasses that seemed out of place on such an overcast day. He was wearing dark jeans and a leather jacket.

And he gave her the creeps.

Seolhyun moved behind the racks and pretended to be checking out another dress. Causally, she lifted her head and peeked over the rack.

He was still there.

“What the hell?” She muttered. Either he was waiting for someone in here or he was a total creeper. Or a Kloom. Seolhyun refused to consider the last one. Glancing around the near-empty store, she was going to go with creeper option.

“What are you doing?” Jieqiong came out. “Hiding behind racks?”

Seolhyun started to point out the stalker, but when she looked at the window, he was gone. “Nothing.” She cleared . “You guys ready?”

She nodded, and Seolhyun darted back to the dressing room and quickly changed.

The whole time they checked out, she kept glancing at the window. That eerie feeling was still there, following them back to where Mina had parked. She expected the dude to jump out and scare the living crap out of her at any moment.

They folded up their dresses carefully and placed them in the trunk while Jieqiong and Doyeon climbed in the backseat. Shutting the trunk, Mina turned to Seolhyun.

A small smile was on her face. “I didn’t tell you this because I’m sure you would’ve changed your mind about the dress.”

“What?” Seolhyun frowned. “Does it make my look big?”

She laughed. “No. You looked stunning in it.”

“Then what’s the deal?”

Mina’s smile turned downright mischievous. “Oh, you know, just that the color red is Hyejeong’s favorite.”

***

Slapping the mayo on the piece of bread, Hyejeong hummed under her breath, as loudly as she could to drown out the conversation from the kitchen. It wasn’t working.

“He’s going to think you’re the hottest chick there,” Mina said, her voice pitched obnoxiously loud.

Hyejeong glanced up at the ceiling, exhaling loudly through her nose.

“Uhm, that’s good.” Seolhyun cleared . “I guess.”

Picking up the lid, Hyejeong nearly broke the mayo jar as she screwed it back on.

“You guess?” Mina laughed. At this point, Hyejeong would swear her sister was yelling. “Girl, he’s not going to be able to keep his hands off you!”

She smushed the slice of bread down, her jaw grinding until there was a good chance she was going to crack her molars.

“I’m pretty sure the same thing can be said about Minhyuk when he sees you in the dress you got,” Seolhyun replied.

Mina giggled. “That’s what I’m hoping for.”

Oh for the love of everything in this world and the universe...

There was a pause. “You sure about the dress, though? It’s kind of low-cut.”

Hyejeong closed her eyes, swallowing a groan.

“Oh, I’m sure,” Mina assured her. “I’m so sure.”

All but slamming the sandwich down on her plate, Hyejeong was seconds from tossing herself out the kitchen window, but then she heard Seolhyun saying she was heading back home and a few seconds later, the door shut.

Hyejeong moved silently to the window by the table that overlooked the front yard. Seolhyun appeared in the light steps, her backpack bumping off her lower back as she crossed the driveways. That ponytail of hers swayed with each step. As did her hips.

Hyejeong’s gaze dropped.

It was a couple of days after the day at her car and the tiny trace wasn’t at all visible. Thank God. But she still worried and–

“What are you doing?” Mina asked.

So caught up in being... well, sort of creepily watching Seolhyun, her sister had sneaked up on her. Hyejeong turned around slowly. “Nothing. What are you doing?”

The look on Mina’s face screamed she didn’t believe Hyejeong. “Nothing.”

Hyejeong arched a brow.

Mina mirrored the gesture. “My ‘nothing’ means I’m not checking someone out from the kitchen window.”

Hyejeong’s eyes narrowed.

“You know,” she continued, walking over to the counter. “You could’ve come into the living room and stared at her in person. You didn’t have to hide in your bedroom and then in the kitchen.”

“I wasn’t hiding.”

“Oh.” She spotted Hyejeong’s sandwich. “Did I tell you–”

“That’s my sandwich. Don’t...” Too late. Hyejeong sighed as she watched Mina take a huge bite. “Help yourself, sis.”

“Thank you,” Mina said as she chewed. “You make awesome sandwiches.”

“I know.”

She grinned as she leaned against the counter. “Did I tell you about the awesome dress Seolhyun bought?”

Pulling out the kitchen chair, Hyejeong dropped down in it and stretched out her legs. “Why would you tell me about her dress?”

“I didn’t, but I’m sure you heard us talking about it.”

“People in the next block even heard you talking about it, Mina. You were so loud.”

She ignored that. “It’s stunning and Seolhyun looks amazing in it.”

Hyejeong’s jaw was starting to ache again.

“Like she’s going to look so hot at the dance, so hot.” She paused, taking another huge bite of her sis’ sandwich. “Oh, and did I tell you Joongki is taking her out?”

Hyejeong counted to five before answering. “Yes, you told me, and I think you’re a crappy friend for allowing her to go with him.”

“I am not a crappy friend!” She stomped her bare foot and rattled the chairs. “I know Seolhyun isn’t in trouble with him. She’ll be fine. Anyway, did you know about the party after the dance?”

“Everyone knows about the party after the dance.”

She waved the sandwich like she was saluting Hyejeong with it. “Well, since you know everything, smartass, then you know Joongki invited Seolhyun.”

Hyejeong stilled. “She’s not going with him to that damn field party.”

“Oh. Yes.” Mina smiled broadly and downright evilly. “Yes, she is.”

No way. All anyone did at the party was get drunk and get laid, namely Jonggi. If he was taking her there...

Hyejeong’s stomach churned.

“Don’t worry, Minhyuk and I are going. She’ll be okay there.” Mina finished off the sandwich, not even saving Hyejeong a tiny piece. ”Too bad you’re not going to see Seolhyun in her dress since you’re too cool to go to homecoming.”

“I never said I wasn’t going.”

Mina plastered a blank look on her face. “You didn’t? Hmm. I was pretty sure you said something like...” She deepened her voice. “‘I’d rather punch myself then go to that stupid dance.’ Or something like that.”

“That was last year.”

“When you were dating Chaeyeon.”

Hyejeong said nothing.

“So you’re going to the dance?” Mina asked, flipping the not-that-long-tho black hair over her shoulder. “I bet you’re going to that damn field party, too.”

“What color is Seolhyun’s dress?”

Mina struggled to keep her expression bland and failed. Her eyes glimmered. “You’re going to love it. That’s all I’m going to say. You’re just going to have to wait and see.”

Ugh, .

Well, homecoming?

Practically the last place on earth Hyejeong wanted to be. A night of watching sweaty, gawky human teenagers paw all over each other wasn’t her idea of a fun night. But she had little choice.

She glanced over at Chaeyeon. Standing beside her brother, dressed in a white gown, she really did look great. Too bad it was never, ever going to work between them. Their feelings for each other, even if Chaeyeon refused to admit it, had eventually turned into a more familial thing.

Yonghwa looked over at Hyejeong as he messed with his tie. His brows inched up. “I don’t even know why you’re coming to this.”

His sister made an impatient noise in . “I have to agree, but can we move this conversation inside?” Chaeyeon waved a slender hand at the gymnasium. “I have people I need to make jealous.”

Hyejeong smiled. “Do tell?”

“My dress.” She twirled around, and Hyejeong swore it was see-through for a second. She squinted. She couldn’t help it. Her smile spread, and it was definitely see-through in certain areas.

“Well, these people must haven’t ever seen the likes of such beauty and perfection,” Chaeyeon continued.

Shaking her head, Hyejeong laughed.

As the three of them headed in, Hyejeong knew they’d never believe her if she told them why she really was here. There was no way she could stay home. Instinct was screaming that Seolhyun was going to need her.

Or it was a really messed-up territorial need to... to do what?

Go in there, beat the crap out of Joongki, and claim her girl?

Uhm, no, because beating the crap out of humans would probably end in death, and Seolhyun wasn’t her girl. No way in holy hell was Seolhyun her girl.

Chaeyeon disappeared into a flock of several girls who were already squawking and squealing about her dress. Forcing herself to breathe and not zoom around the room, popping all the balloons that probably took an entire day to blow up, she found the nearest empty table and sat. Following, Yonghwa did the same. He started talking about some football game, and Hyejeong zoned him out.

And she waited.

And waited some more.

And then she saw Joongki’s douchebag friends head toward the door, and she knew that meant Seolhyun was there. Leaning back in her chair, Hyejeong casually looked over her shoulder. Something unexpected happened to her chest. It felt like someone had walked right up to her and socked her in it.She might have stopped breathing. Right there, surrounded by humans, in front of Yonghwa, who was still running his mouth about some game.

“Oh Mary, mother of baby Jesus,” Hyejeong muttered, eyes narrowing.

Seolhyun stood by the door, her hands clasped around a tiny clutch as her gaze bounced around the gymnasium nervously. The dress... aw man, that dress should be illegal. Tight around the bre*sts and waist, then flowing over her hips like a river of crimson silk. Her hair was up, revealing a long, graceful neck Hyejeong had never really noticed before. Then again, that amount of cle*vage was never showing before. Except when she wore that bikini in the lake. Speaking of red...

Red.

Red was her favorite color.

Mina had been so right about the damn dress.

Tonight, Seolhyun wasn’t cute. She wasn’t even y. She was beautiful, absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. Not that Hyejeong hadn’t noticed that before, but now? Now was something entirely different.

She watched her bolt as soon as she spotted Doyeon, and an approving smile spread over Hyejeong’s lips. Yeah, stay away from Joongki. She had no idea how long she watched her, but she eventually lost s