Sanggyun worked on buttoning the last of the buttons on his dress shirt while checking his reflection in the mirror. When he was done with that, he made sure his hair hadn’t messed up before walking out the bathroom, earning himself a whistle from Taeyang who worked on cleaning up after their dinner.

“Hyung~” Sanggyun said, but not bothering to hide his grin. He felt really good if he was honest and he hasn’t really felt that way about his appearance for a while.

“Those rich guys better hide their girls.” Taeyang chuckled. Jiwoo looked up from his coloring book, ‘ooo’ing at his dad’s look.

“Appa! You look great!” Jiwoo complimented, Sanggyun grinning even wider as he picked up his son with a small spin.

“Thank you, Jiwoo! I feel even better after your compliment.” Sanggyun laughed, giving his son a kiss on the cheek.

“Oh so my compliments don’t mean anything? Okay, that’s cool.” Taeyang shrugged.

“Hyung! Thank you for appreciating my good looks.” Sanggyun grinned.

“Fine, fine, you’re welcome. You better leave soon or you’ll be late.” Taeyang advised.

“Alright, hyung. Jiwoo, I’ll be home late okay so uncle is in charge. Don’t give him a hard time at bath time or bed time. I love you.” Sanggyun gave Jiwoo a tight hug.

“I love you too, appa. Fighting!” Jiwoo said as he was set down. Sanggyun ruffled his hair before leaving their apartment, making sure his house key, wallet, and phone were in his jacket pocket. He called out a quick ‘bye’ and ‘thank you’ to Taeyang before leaving the apartment completely. Sanggyun took the subway to the nearest stop of where the event he was working would be.

Meanwhile in a limousine on the other side of the city sat Sarang between her two brothers, their father sitting across from them. All four of them dressed to the nine, the men looking dashing in their suits while Sarang looked stunning in her dress, her makeup and hair making her look even more stunning.

“Your grandmother is asking if we are wearing all black again.” Sungwoo said as he looked at a text from his mother. Yooncheol, Jiho, and Sarang all looked at each other before laughing, Sungwoo laughing along with his children.

“She might as well ask if the sky was blue.” Jiho laughed. With every event that the Shins had attended as a unit, they were always seen in black even when the Shin siblings were children. Their outfits and uniformity was always praised by fashion blogs and magazines and as the children got older and more mature, the black just complimented them more. Aera always complained though, as with everything they did, and insisted they were different colors and not look like they are attending a funeral but they never listened.

“Now, now children, her intentions are in the right place.” Sungwoo lightly reprimanded, earning an eye roll from all three of his children.

“Sure and a rattlesnake isn’t poisonous.” Sarang sarcastically said.

“Sarang.” Sungwoon said with a warning undertone. Sarang merely flashed her father a bright smile.

“Yes, dad.” Sungwoon wasn’t even given the chance to say anything because the driver announced they had arrived to the event. Their door was opened for them and flashes from the cameras was all they could see from inside the limo. Sungwoon got out first, followed by Yooncheol then Jiho and last, Sarang. The four kept on straight faces, only Sungwoon and Jiho allowing very small, closed lip smiles to show. Jiho’s smile was more of a smirk, very mischievous but it also got him all the girls. Yooncheol and Sarang allowed their brother and father to walk ahead since their father was the head of their empire and Jiho was his heir.

The reporters threw comments at the family as they made their way to the entrance, Sungwoon and Jiho occasionally giving a slight wave to the cameras while Sarang and Yooncheol paid the cameras and reporters no mind, Sarang holding on to Yooncheol’s arm so she lessened her chance of falling. They made their way up the steps leading to the entrance where two doormen waited. The family turned for one last picture before making their way inside, the doormen holding the doors opened for them. Once inside, they were greeted by the other guests there, many of them they knew through their father’s work. While Jiho had to stay with their father, Yooncheol and Sarang were allowed to walk around and mingle. They would politely greet those who greeted them but it never went past there until they got to where Sehyuk and Minsung were.

“Hyung! Sarang!” Minsung happily greeted. Yooncheol greeted them with a bro-hug while Sarang gave them a small smile and slight head nod. Minsung was instantly by her side, linking their arms.

“Where’s Dongsung and Hyunho?” Sehyuk asked.

“Dongsung hyung was given the day off and Hyunho hyung, according to Sarang, is still on vacation.” Yooncheol explained.

“It wasn’t fair for Hyunho oppa to have to follow me around to different countries for small things. If I needed him, I called him but now that I’m back permanently, he will start working for me again when I do a modeling gig.” Sarang said.

“Aigoo, our Sarang is so sweet.” Sehyuk grinned, reaching over as if he would ruffle her nicely done hair.

“I know you’re not about to mess up Sarang’s hair, oppa.” Se Hee said as she came over with a glass of champagne in her hand, looking gorgeous in her pastel blue dress.

“Thank you, eonni.” Sarang thanked, glaring at Sehyuk before going over to greet Se Hee. Minsung happily greeted Se Hee with a ‘Hi, Se Hee’ while Sehyuk let out an exasperated sigh.

“I wasn’t going to mess up her hair, Se Hee.” Sehyuk said.

“Your makeup and hair look even better with the full outfit. Shin family going all black again, I see.” Se Hee smiled, ignoring her brother, earning a laugh from Minsung.

“Likewise, eonni. And of course. You look beautiful in your dress.” Sarang complimented.

“Fine, ignore me.” Sehyuk grumped. “And how is Minsung’s bathroom remodeling going, Sehyuk oppa?” Sarang turned to him. “Keep on ignoring me.” Sehyuk sheepishly said.

“Aigoo, my poor brother. Well, it was nice catching up with you all but I must go make my rounds since somebody” Se Hee gave a pointed look at Sehyuk “Won’t. If you’ll excuse me.” Se Hee gave them all one last smile and a bow before walking away from the group.

The rest of the group stayed where they were, talking and catching up. They would take a drink off of a passing waiter’s tray when they got thirsty, not bothering to leave from their spot until they were told to and that was when it was announced that the meal was going to be served soon.

“Hey, isn’t that Sanggyun?” Minsung nudged Sarang, pointing to where he thought he saw Sanggyun. Sarang looked and sure enough, there was Sanggyun with the other waiters, going into the kitchen.

“Is he the one, Sarang?” Yooncheol questioned, also looking at the waiter that Minsung pointed out having heard his comment.

“Yes.” Sarang simply said as they got to the table they would be sitting at with their father, Jiho, Aera. Minsung, Sehyuk, Se Hee, and their parents were also sitting at the table with them which Sarang was thankful for. Sungwoo stood up from his chair so he could pull his daughter’s chair out for her, receiving a simple ‘Thank you, dad.’ In return.

“Don’t do anything to embarrass me, Sarang.” Aera warned, ignoring the looks that Minsung’s, Sehyuk’s, and Se Hee’s parents gave her.

“You don’t need me for that, grandmother. You do that perfectly fine on your own.” Sarang sweetly said but the look in her eyes was anything but, ‘grandmother’ was also said with an icy tone.

“Sarang.” Sungwoo said with a bit of a warning tone. Sarang just responded with a bright smile.

“You look beautiful, Sarang.” Bo Kyung, Minsung’s mom and Sehyuk’s and Se Hee’s step-mom, complimented.

“Yes you do. Very beautiful.” Won Sang, Sehyuk’s and Se Hee’s dad and Minsung’s step-dad, agreed.

“Thank you auntie and uncle. But I think the real beauty is Se Hee eonni and you, auntie.” Sarang said.

“You should learn how to properly compliment someone through Sarang, oppa.” Se Hee said.

“I can compliment people well, thank you very much. How do you think I get girls?” Sehyuk smirked.

“Your repertoire of girls isn’t the best, hyung.” Jiho said.

“Yeah. Only gross ones would be fine with doing things in someone’s bathroom that isn’t hers or your own.” Minsung said, still salty about how his bathroom was used.

“Oh my word.” Aera groaned under her breath.

“Speaking of bathrooms, when will the work on Minsung’s begin, Sehyuk?” Won Sang asked. Sehyuk began to stutter, trying to explain but he was saved by the waiters coming out with plates of the first course. Sarang kept a look out for Sanggyun, part of her hoping that he would bring plates to their table or at least in their vicinity.

And that’s how the evening went, Sarang watching Sanggyun and wishing she could talk to him but making sure Aera didn’t notice. She began to lose hope though because it seemed that the waiters were assigned to certain tables and Sanggyun wasn’t assigned to her table or any table nearby. Just as Sarang was about to contribute to the conversation going on at the table, a loud commotion could be heard.

The evening had been going well for Sanggyun. He got along well with the other staff, the work was easy, all in all, it was a good evening. The rich people that he had interacted with before dinner weren’t so bad, many of them just taking the hor d’oeuvres or drinks off whatever tray he had and carrying on. The very few—it was only five—that did interact with him were very kind. When it came to serving dinner, Sanggyun was assigned to certain tables and while that wasn’t difficult, it seemed that one guy became set on making Sanggyun’s work miserable. It started with just comments, making those at the table laugh while the other waiters gave Sanggyun sympathetic looks. It wasn’t until he was taking back plates that had left over food—it seemed like some of the people barely touched their food—that Sanggyun was regretting taking this job. The guy had tripped him, causing Sanggyun to fall and the food going everywhere, mainly on him though. The commotion had been loud enough to get everyone’s attention and all the conversations going on had stopped. Sanggyun scrambled to get everything cleaned up, trying to ignore the laughter and hushed whispers but all that stopped when a chair could be heard scrapping loudly against the floor.

Sarang could see that it was Sanggyun that had caused the commotion and judging by the traveling whispers, he had created an accident.

“That Chung-Jae probably brought one of his punk friends.” Jiho sneered.

“It looked like his friend pushed that poor waiter. He looked like the one you had been talking to, daddy and uncle.” Se Hee said. Sarang had heard enough to get angry. She pushed her chair back, making sure it scrapped against the floor to make an unpleasant noise and get everyone’s attention.

“What are you doing, Sarang?” Aera hissed but was ignored. Sarang made her way to where Sanggyun was struggling, the other waiters unsure what to do. Sarang ignored the looks she received, hearing some passing comments suggesting that she would do something horrid to Sanggyun for ‘disturbing the atmosphere’.

Sarang wanted to laugh but she kept her straight face. She stole a napkin off of a table close to Sanggyun and squatted down next to Sanggyun who had stopped his cleaning and just stared at her. She tried to not let the fear in his expression deter her from her mission.

“Hello. Here, use this to clean yourself off.” Sarang said, trying to keep her voice as steady—and gentle—as possible. Sanggyun still made her nervous, just like in high school. She handed him the napkin, Sanggyun shyly thanking her. As Sarang moved to stand up, she grabbed on to Sanggyun and pulled him up with her, surprising him and everyone else.

“Get someone here to clean this up.” Sarang ordered the waiters who quickly hurried off to do just that.

“Go and try to clean yourself off as much as possible and tell your manager to come see me at my table.” Sarang told Sanggyun, her tone softening but she made sure her chic appearance was still present. Sanggyun quickly bowed to her before hurrying back to the kitchen, leaving Sarang to deal with the stares.

“Who did it?” Sarang asked the table of people that Sanggyun had been closest to. They all became nervous under her harsh stare and when Sarang repeated her question with a harsher and louder tone, a few pointed at the man who had been making the snide comments and tripped Sanggyun. Sarang stared at the man who tried to seem like he didn’t care but Sarang could see how scared he actually was.

“Leave.” She simply said.

“What?” The guy balked. “Sarang, this is insane. He is my plus one, he’s not leaving.” Chung-Jae insisted.

“Then you both can leave. If you don’t cooperate while I’m being nice, then I will get security.” Sarang said, daring them to disobey with just her eyes alone. The two listened but not without complaining as they marched out the ballroom. Sarang made her way back to her table, the conversations in the room slowly starting back up as she did. She loved using her name to get what she wanted.