Kai and Hae Jung were strolling through a street lined with trendy clothing stores. Hae Jung’s face would light up every time they walked into one, and Kai promised her he would buy whatever she wanted. They spent about three hours there, all because Hae Jung was very indecisive about what to get. In the end, Hae Jung ended up with three shopping bags. Now, there were no other stores to go into.

“Perfect,” Kai whispered to himself.

Hae Jung turned her head, “Huh?”

“We have to catch the next bus there,” Kai explained, pointing to the bus stop across the street. They crossed, Kai swinging two of Hae Jung’s bags in his hands. Hae Jung held the other.

When the bus came, Kai paid for their fares. “Geez, Kai, if I knew we were taking the bus, I would’ve at least brought bus fare. I feel so bad.”

Kai shrugged. “It’s fine.” Just like always, they nabbed some seats in the back, but they weren’t together. They sat across from each other, smiling awkwardly if they caught the other’s eyes. The bus was filled with people, but it wasn’t a problem for them.

“Where are we going?” Hae Jung mouthed to Kai. She didn’t want to have to raise her voice for him because she realized that she’d bother the people around them.

Kai gnawed on his lip. He began to do all these unusual gestures, popping his chest, waving his arms in his lap, moving his head side to side.

“Dance studio?”

Kai shook his head. He pulled his phone out and texted something to Hae Jung. Her phone vibrated in her pocket, and before she pulled it out, she flashed a look of puzzlement to Kai. “We’re going to watch some dance crew performances at that club place near our school.”

Kai could see Hae Jung’s mouth form into a little circle when she finished reading. She looked up and bobbed her head up and down.

The club he was talking about was somewhat similar to a night club. It was never open late night, and they didn’t exactly promote drinking alcohol.

The pair only had that one bus to take, and they had arrived to their designated bus stop. It would take them another fifteen minutes to walk there. On their way, Kai bought two milk teas served hot. It was getting a bit chilly despite it being July.

“Kai, where are you getting all this money?” Hae Jung wondered out loud after taking a long sip of her drink. The two had to stick close together for fear of losing each other in the crowd. Kai even hooked his right arm with Hae Jung’s left. Hae Jung was surprised, but it was comforting nonetheless. She was becoming used to skinship with him.

“I had a job back in Seoul with one of my friends,” he answered. “My dance crew and I also get paid to perform in certain places.”

“Oh, yeah, how’s your dance crew?” Hae Jung drank another bit of the milk tea.

“Everything’s good. Sehun has, um, surprisingly been a little more talkative. I guess it takes him a while to get comfy with people.” Kai shrugged as he put his cup to his lips.

“Are you going to be performing tonight?”

Kai turned his head to look at Hae Jung who stared back with wide eyes and curiosity. “It’s a secret,” he winked.

Hae Jung wore a blank expression. “So, you will be performing?” Why does he need to keep it a secret if he wasn’t? So that means he probably is.

Kai was defeated. “Yeah,” he chuckled.

“So, does that mean I have to sit alone?” Hae Jung questioned. I don’t want to sit alone though! If Kai is going to dance, then what about me?

Kai shook his head.

“Um…”

“My other friends will sit with you.”

“O-oh, okay.”

*****

There were a lot of people when they walked in, but it wasn’t crowded. It was very bright inside despite all the black and silver decorations. There was a dance floor that jutted out from the wall opposite of the entrance. Booths and tables were scattered everywhere else. It wasn’t all that fancy, but it wasn’t a shabby place either. Hae Jung was nervous. She didn’t really like places like this, and Kai knew. He only brought her there to see him dance and meet his other friends. She’ll be fine without me. Plus, the guys will be friendly, right?

Kai began to walk ahead, still pulling Hae Jung along by her arm. She pushed her glasses up and scratched her nose. He pulled her to a booth closest to the dance floor. The booths were attached to the bar right beside it. Hae Jung liked booths more anyway.

When Kai brought Hae Jung closer to his side, she could see who sat in the booth he brought her to. She wanted to cover her face, or hide behind Kai. Sitting on the black, cushiony seats, there were four handsome males sitting there, putting a pause to their conversation after hearing the two come up. Hae Jung never showed her nervousness, or embarrassment (she never turned red, and she could never blush). She smiled at them, and they did the same.

“Guys, this-”

“Hi!” the one with deep brown hair and a welcoming smile greeted. It was out of the blue to both Kai and Hae Jung. “I’m Baekhyun!” He sat at one end of the semi-circle shaped booth.

Hae Jung gave out a short, weak laugh. “Hi,” she smiled.

“This is Hae Jung,” Kai spoke for her.

“Ah, this is Hae Jung?” Baekhyun exclaimed. “Kai’s told us about you! He says-”

Kai growled, “Shut up, Baekhyun.” With the playful smile still on his face, Baekhyun shrugged and zipped his mouth shut. “Anyway, Hae Jung, this is Baekhyun, as you already know.” Baekhyun’s grinned widened.

“This is Kris.” The male next to Baekhyun was intimidating, but his smile was warm. “He’s an exchange student in Suho’s university, and he’s Chinese, but his Korean is fine.” Kris nodded his head in agreement. Hae Jung grinned.

“This is Chen.” To Kris’ left was a dark-haired boy. He seemed a bit shy, but his smile made Hae Jung’s heart melt. He’s really cute.

“This is Kyungsoo, but just call him D.O.” Hae Jung took her eyes off of Chen and laid them on the boy next to him on the other end of the booth. He was looking around the club with wide eyes. “Yah, Kyungsoo!” Kai called out. D.O’s eyes shifted to Kai.

“O-oh, hi,” D.O muttered. “Sorry.”

“Hi,” Hae Jung awkwardly said once again.

Kai rubbed the back of his neck. He let go of Hae Jung’s arm. “So, sit here with them because I have to go find my crew.”

Hae Jung nodded her head with a smirk on her face. “You have to find your crew, huh?” she teased.

“Shut up,” Kai snorted, rolling his eyes. Without another word, Kai left.

Hae Jung stood in front of the table. She felt so out of place as she chewed on her lip.

“Hae Jung-ah! Come sit next to me!” Baekhyun chirped. He scooted to his left, pushing Kris, to make some room for Hae Jung.  Kris let out a groan.

“No!” D.O protested. “Let her sit in the middle. What if some guys walk by and hit on her or something?” Hae Jung’s lips parted slightly.

Baekhyun pouted, “Fine.” He crossed his arms and slid out of his seat, Kris following after him.

“Um, t-thanks,” Hae Jung mumbled as she shuffled into the middle. Kris sat back, and Baekhyun sat beside him even though he asked Kris if he could sit next to her.

“It’s fine,” Kris shrugged. “There are some sleazy guys here, so it’s best if you stay safe here.”

“Um, can they not still hit on me from here?” she questioned awkwardly.

Kris answered, “Well, I guess, but they must have some kind of nerve to. It’d be easier for them to pick up girls in convenient places…and sitting in between four guys is not a very convenient spot.”

Hae Jung nodded her head. She put her hands on the black, marble table and folded them together neatly. She sat up with a straight back, but she felt a bit stiff. People were coming in and out so casually, but Hae Jung couldn’t feel comfortable. I just want to see Kai dance.

“What time do the performances start again?” D.O’s eyes were still scanning the area, and Hae Jung wanted to laugh at the cute, confused face he wore.

“6:30,” Kris replied. Instinctively, Hae Jung turned her hand to check the time. 5:49.

“Why are you guys here so early?” Hae Jung questioned with a quiet voice.

Baekhyun sat up. “Because a lot of people want to see these guys dance.” Baekhyun leaned on his elbows closer to Hae Jung. “Especially girls.” He sat back. “So, a lot of people are going to fill the seats fast.” Hae Jung looked around. There were a lot of empty tables, but at the same time, there were a lot that were filled entirely.

“Um, are you guys not part of the dance crew?”

They shook their heads. “We’re only friends of theirs. Plus, we're not really dancers ourselves.” Kris sank into the seat with his arms crossed. His light brown hair was messy. “We all hang out at the dance studio, and some of us met that way.”

“Oh. How do you guys know all of them?”

“Well, like Kai said, I’m one of Suho’s friends from school, and he made me meet his dance crew, but then, I ended up also meeting these idiots.”

“Hey!” Baekhyun frowned.

“I’m just kidding, Baekhyun. Calm down.”

“Chen and I know Chanyeol because we’re all family friends,” Baekhyun delightfully told her.

Hae Jung nudged her glasses higher with her hand. “Sorry,” she frowned, “I haven’t met Chanyeol yet.”

“Oh, he goes to your school…you go to Kai’s school, right?”

Hae Jung nodded her head. She remembered Kai telling her that two of his dance crew members were from their school. She had already met Sehun, so she guessed that the smiley one he said to be was Chanyeol.

It was D.O’s turn to explain. “I’m in the same grade as Sehun and Kai, and I’m in Sehunnie’s class.”

“Oh, you also go to Yeongu?”

D.O nodded and then went back to looking very lost. It was quiet amongst their table, but around them, it was all chatter. Some were talking about their plans for summer. Some had conversations about what to order from the bar. Some talked about how excited they were to see these dance crews.

Hae Jung opened once again. “Does their dance crew have a name?”

“Exo.”

“Exo?”

“Exo.”

This was all very exciting to Hae Jung. She was always interested in dancing, but she never did it herself. She took ballet when she was younger, but was pulled out for some reason she didn't know. She also thought guys who danced were very attractive. Geez, Kai, is there anything unattractive about you? Oh, wait, there’s your player-ness ways. Hae Jung sighed, remembering last Friday. She was pulled away from her thoughts when her cellphone began to ring.

“Um, hello?” the girl answered.

“Hae Jung-ah, where are you?” It was her mom.

“I’m still out...with Kai.”

“Okay, I picked up Min Jung, but what time will you be home?”

“Uh…” Hae Jung brought her phone away from her ear. “What time does this end?” she asked the four.

“8:30.”

“Um, I’ll just call you when I’m done. I’ll just bus home and bring Kai with me.” Her mom hung up after muttering an “okay” into the phone. Hae Jung slipped her phone back into her pocket. She ran her fingers through her choppy bangs as she her lips.

Hae Jung studied each of the four males around her. They were strangers, but she felt safe with them. Maybe it’s because they’re Kai’s friends. She was determined, though, that by the end of the night, they wouldn’t be anymore.

The five spent the rest of the time talking. Hae Jung learned more about the four and even the eight who were part of Exo. They all sounded like interesting characters to Hae Jung.

“I’ll just tell you who’s who when they go up,” Baekhyun suggested.

“Sounds like a good idea.”

They had about ten minutes left until the dances would start. The place was packed and Kris got out of his seat (with struggle) to get drinks for everyone. “Hae Jung, do you want anything?”

“Nah, that’s okay, Kris.”

“Come on, Hae Jung. Kai told us he was treating you for everything today, so I’ll treat you, too. What do you want?” Kris was really handsome as he smiled.

“It’s fine, Kris!” she exclaimed. “I don’t really drink much.” She wasn’t talking about alcohol because there was no way she would drink that. She didn’t drink much because she hated anything carbonated (any kind of soda/pop).

“Fine, I’ll surprise you then,” Kris smirked.

Hae Jung was about to protest once again, but before she could, Kris already left. She talked a bit more with Baekhyun, Chen, and D.O. She thought they were all very attractive, but there was something extra attractive about Chen to her.

There were two minutes left until 6:30 when Kris came back with five drinks. How he managed to hold all of them without spilling anything, or dropping them was a mystery to Hae Jung. “Here’s your drink, Hae Jung.” Kris placed a glass in front of Hae Jung. He wiggled back into his seat next to her.

“What is this?” Hae Jung blinked slowly. What is this, Kris? She stifled a laugh. The drink was a light pink. It appeared to be a bit milky and creamy. “Kris?”

“Just drink it.”

She pressed her lips together. The four males turned their heads to her once she picked up the glass. Hae Jung smiled, but she bit her lip. She brought the glass to her lips and tilted it. Here goes nothing. It was sweet. The taste was a bit fruity, but Hae Jung couldn’t pick out what it was, and she knew it wasn't a smoothie or milkshake. After a long drink, she placed the glass back down. “It’s delicious,” she delighted. “What is it?”

“It’s a secret,” Kris replied with a laugh. She stuck her tongue out at him and drank some more of the mysterious drink.

Suddenly, the lights went out. The lights that lined the perimeter of the dance floor , brightening it. The ones that hung over the dance floor . Everyone, including the four at her table, hollered and cheered when a male with an oversized hoodie and skinny jeans came out.

“Hi, everyone!” he greeted. The people around Hae Jung screamed even louder. She wrinkled her nose, her only sign of discomfort. “So, tonight, we have a very good show for you guys! Dance crews from all over the city are here today! So, pleeease, make some noise for our first crew tonight, Mastermind!”

Applause erupted through the crowd. The four peered at Hae Jung and smiled once they saw her clapping ecstatically. Hope she enjoys herself the rest of the time, they all thought.

Performances went on and on, but the only one Hae Jung and the four males were looking forward to was Exo’s. Hae Jung was impressed by all the dances. She was jealous of all the girls that were part of the dance crews that night though. Does Kai know who they are?

“…and that was Eye Candy!” The sounds of clapping filled the room once again. Cheers sounded as well. “Next up, we have Exo!”

There was almost no doubt that Hae Jung’s table was the loudest when it came to applauding and cheering for Exo, but it was debatable. Hae Jung sat up straighter, and her smile grew wider.

A group of eight males came up on stage and bowed. They were all dressed in black sweaters with their hoods on and white skinny jeans. They all had hats on, excluding Kai. He looked up from the ground nervously and met eyes with people in the crowd.  They made contact with Hae Jung’s. A faint smile appeared on her face as she tried to reassure him and calm his nerves. It worked.

They cued the music. The eight began to move. It seemed as though Hae Jung was captivated. If anyone had tried to talk to her, they wouldn’t have been heard. She was too intrigued by it all, but it also overwhelmed her.

Baekhyun reached his arm for Hae Jung’s. She tried not to take her eyes off of the eight members on stage for too long. “Yes, Baekhyun?”

“The solos are coming up, so I’ll tell you who’s who!”

“Oh, right.”

There were a couple more seconds until the first solo occurred. It was done by the shortest member of Exo. He had a handsome face, and he looked friendly. “Suho.” Suho? The leader? He’s so cute. Hae Jung didn’t have an ideal type, nor did she believe in having an ideal type, but she could guess that Suho was the ideal type of almost all girls.

“Chanyeol.” A tall, lanky boy was next. He danced well for someone with long arms and long legs. He looked even friendlier than Suho, or Baekhyun. Hae Jung and Chanyeol met eyes, and he winked at her. Ah, seriously, this is so embarrassing, she cried in her head as she sunk into her seat.

Next was Sehun, and Hae Jung already knew who he was even though Baekhyun told her his name. He was a great dancer. It didn’t really fit with the quiet image Hae Jung knew he had.

Hae Jung swallowed the lump in . She was growing nervous thinking about how many males she would probably be introduced to after this. Calm down, Hae Jung. You’re already doing fine with D.O, Baekhyun, Chen, and Kris. Was there some kind of reason behind Kai bringing her to this?

“Luhan. He’s another Chinese exchange student from Suho’s university.” There was a doll-faced male shredding it up on stage. His dancing skills were very refined, and Hae Jung didn’t believe that he could be such a great dancer with such a pretty face. He’s so adorable, Hae Jung squealed.

Another boy with a cute face had his solo next. His lips moved to the lyrics of the song, and he looked very concentrated on both dancing and getting the words right. “Min Seok.” Are there any of them who are not cute?

“Lay,” Baekhyun named the next Exo member. He was very clean with his moves, and he looked very charismatic. His lips formed a straight line as he moved with the music. “He’s Chinese as well, and from their university.” Hae Jung smiled when he caught her gaze, and he returned a smile, too.

“Of course you know Kai.” Hae Jung did not blink at all when it was Kai’s time to shine. Hae Jung had to admit that he wasn’t the best dancer of Exo, but he definitely deserved to be a member. He may have missed a beat or two, but it wasn’t noticeable. Hae Jung was sure to speak to him about it after.

Kai’s solo came to an end, and the last member was up. “He joined the group right before Kai. His name is Tao, and he’s another exchange student from China, but he goes to my high school.” Tao looked quite intimidating, but Hae Jung thought he was very attractive. He was very sharp with his moves. Hae Jung was impressed.

Their dancing continued for a couple more minutes. It was amazing. Hae Jung didn’t want their performance to end, but it had to. After it ended, Hae Jung clapped wildly and even let out a few cheers. She felt embarrassed, but it didn’t matter, and she wanted to show her support somehow.

By now, Hae Jung realized that these males were a very diverse group of friends. Some came from the same university and were not even Korean. Lay, Kris, Luhan, Min Seok, and Suho were from the same university and befriended each other that way. Kai, Sehun, D.O, and Chanyeol attended the same high school as her. Baekhyun and Chen were family friends with Chanyeol and hung out at the dance studio as well. The pair befriended Tao, and after finding out he danced, they brought him to the studio, too. She found it interesting how all came together despite their backgrounds.

Hae Jung and her four new friends sat through the rest of the performances happily. They weren’t as excited, but they displayed their support anyway. It was very hot inside, and Hae Jung wished to go outside. She finished the drink from Kris a long time ago, but she was still thirsty. I’m lucky my hair’s up. She let out a sigh of both relief and sadness when it all ended.

“Are we going to go now?”

“Not yet-”

“Hey, guys.” Hae Jung looked away from Baekhyun to see Kai standing in front of their table, and behind him stood seven familiar faces. Hae Jung gulped nervously.

A/N: I don't know what to do with aff's mishaps. Anyway, I put this chapter back up :3 And the next chapter shall be out soon, and I might do a double update. I'm going to California this Thursday, so if I have any readers from Cali, then...I might see you there lol ^^ Um, anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope that the next chapter will be good as well. This was a pretty long chapter, I know. Ugh. I'll try to update as soon as possible just because I kind of had all this time to work on it, but lately, I haven't been in the mood to write. /sigh/ I've been getting back into mood though so yeah :) Thanks for reading! Have a good day :3 Comment and subscribe if you would like to ^^