Despite keeping her eyes peeled, Dara didn't spot her middle school friend for a whole week. It was with some anticipation that she got ready to go to another party the next Friday, especially when Daesung arrived to the room Dara shared with Chaerin and said the party was even on the same floor as the week before.

They arrived near eleven o'clock, having chatted and drank in Dara and Chaerin's room for longer than they'd realized. After one round of the common room, during which she lost Daesung to Top's clutches and Chaerin in pursuit of a drink, Dara went back out into the hallway.

She drifted, liquor kicking in, not in the direction of Jiyong's room but the opposite way, back to where she'd been standing the week before when she saw Jiyong and the girl kissing. As soon as she got to the end of the hall, she felt silly and laughed to herself. She was striding back to the party when a girl came out of Jiyong's room.

It was a different girl; Dara noticed that right away. She was very pretty, with hair so short it was nearly buzzed and facial features so striking that Dara stumbled.

Jiyong followed the girl into the hall, taking her hand and tugging her in for a languid kiss. Despite her inexperience, Dara instinctively knew it was a goodbye after having spent time in bed together.

Dara couldn't stifle her giggles quickly enough this week, but she managed to turn around before either of the two could catch her face. She stumbled backwards the few steps left to the common room and managed to get through the door without knocking her head into the frame.

"There you are," Chaerin said. She looked flushed but collected. She was very pretty with her hair pulled back and glasses on, Dara mused.

"I think we drank too much before coming," Dara said solemnly, leaning her hot face against Chaerin's bare shoulder.

"No need to tell me," Chaerin said. She was swaying slightly, so Dara figured she meant herself, but then she pointed across the room. "See, Dara, our friend is making friends. So many new friends."

Dara blinked and tilted her head. There was Daesung with cheeks red as a tomato, nearly toppling into a group of people but saving himself just in time.

"Friends!" Daesung yelled, collaring someone around the neck. "Here, let me just – ouch! No one's going to be friends with you with an attitude like that."

"I think he's trying to get enough pictures to last him the whole semester," Chaerin said, snickering quietly.

"When did he get so wasted," Dara breathed, impressed despite herself. The room was spinning a bit, but only a bit, and Daesung seemed to be doing most of the spinning himself. He kept bouncing from one group to another, getting a grudging picture there, a shove here, a cheerful mugging for the camera over there.

"Top was following him around for a while, but I think he thought it was too funny? And now he's on the floor."

Dara followed Chaerin's pointing finger and saw, indeed, a curled up figure wedged between a group of three girls and a wall.

"He's been laughing for the last five minutes." With this, like she'd discharged her duty and it was Dara's now, Chaerin wrapped an arm around Dara's shoulder and leaned hard.

Distracted by her uncharacteristically sloppy roommate, Dara was trying to remember what they'd had that had been so potent in their room, but then she registered an odd noise out of the general hubbub.

"Oh, I thought that was part of the ty music," she said, laughing herself. "He sounds like a hyena!"

"You'd think he'd run out of air eventually," Chaerin said. She sounded dreamy and amused. "Have you seen your old friend?"

Dara froze, picturing Jiyong kissing – first the girl from last week, then the androgynous beauty from tonight. "Um."

"New friends!" came a bellow from across the room. Dara's eyes bulged to realize the deep voice came from Daesung. "I must go and greet my other friends now, the ones, ahem, that I already had, and who poured me such delicious beverages, and who aren't coming over to greet me so I must greet them."<