Everyone froze. JaeHwa turned around slowly, scared to face the couple who had barged in.

"Answer me. Now!" Demanded the scary woman.

"What a nice way to say hello to your daughter." JaeHwa remarked sarcastically.

"JaeHwa, just answer your mother." Said a tired-looking man standing behind SookYung.

"Fine. I didn't attend your stupid gala because I want absolutely nothing to do with you guys!" Said the blonde-haired girl, glaring at her parents. 

"We will disown you!" Snarled SookYung, leering at her daughter.

"Now, now. There's no need to do something so drastic!" Exclaimed JunHwa, panicking a bit. He didn't want to ruin his public image.

"Fine. But you will go to your sister's birthday ball Tuesday night." SookYung would not allow her reputation and image to be ruined.

"Why would I? Formal events are boring!" Cried JaeHwa, hoping that Onew. Key, Minho, and TaeMin wouldn't ask too many questions. JongHyun wouldn't ask any, because he knew everything already. He was her cousin after all.

"I'll even let you bring your... band of misfits. But please, do dress elegantly. It is a ball." SooMi raised an eyebrow at JaeHwa's mother. Misfits? Please. They weren't that bad.... She hoped.

"Fine. Now please leave. I'm tired and I don't want to talk to you guys." JaeHwa ushered her parents out the door, bracing herself for the questions to come.

"That was your mom?" MinHo asked, looking shocked. JaeHwa nodded glumly.

"She's a ." Key remarked, nodded decidedly. SooMi laughed.

"So are you gonna go to your sister's birthday ball?" JongHyun asked, curious as to what her ansswer was.

"yeah. Syung-Sook unnie's not that bad. Besides, you six are coming as well. It won't be that bad." There way in hell she would go alone.

"What?" TaeMin exclaimed, feeling very awake now.

"You guys are coming with me to my sister's birthday ball. I'm not going alone. M sister might not be that bad, but my parents are horrible and the guests will be insuffereable fools." JaeHwa complained, huffing.

"Did you just say 'insufferable fools'?" Onew asked, grinning.

"Ohhh, her breeding is showing!" MinHo said, making the blonde girl stick her tongue out at him.

"Okay, well, I'm going to bed now. G'night everyone." SooMi said, yawning as she trudged to her room.

"Well, we might as well go now." JongHyun said, hugging JaeHwa.

"Bye guys!" JaeHwa was glad they had decided to leave. She just wanted to curl up in a ball and cry.

*****************************************************

"I don't understand why I can't wear the dress that I already own." SooMi said, glaring out the window of JaeHwa's car.

"Because it's no where near formal enough for a ball. Now come on, we're here." JaeHwa replied, parking her car in front of the mall. Her orange-haired friend grumbled, but complied. She hated shopping.

   The girls spent two hours looking for a dress that net borth of their standards. They finally found one. It was a long, black strapless dress. It was beaded under the bust. It flowed beautifully and hugged her body in all the right places.

"This is the one!!" JaeHwa exclaimed,grinning.

"It would be, if it wasn't so expensive! I can' afford this!" SooMi told her, smoothing down invisible wrinkles and looking at herself longingly in the mirror.

"I'll pay for it." Said the bloonde girl, holding out her debit card.

"JaeHwa, no. I'll just find something else. It's not a big deal." It was a big deal, but she wasn't about to admit that out loud.

"SooMi, I'm paying for it. I want to. Now go take it off." She pushed her friend into the changing room, ignoring her protests. 10 minutes later, they walked out of the store with SooMi's dress.

"Now we go home." JaeHwa said, linking her arm with SooMi's.

"Finally!" Exclaimed the martial artist, dragging her laughing friend out of the mall. 

*Tuesday evening at TaeMin and Onew's dorm*

"Hyung~! Can you tie my tie?" TaeMin asked, trying to figure out the starnge contraption.

"Sure. Come here." Onew replied, laughing at what his friend had done.

"Remind me again why we're going to this thing." TaeMin said, frowning when he saw how easy it was to tie a tie.

"Because JaeHwa asked us to go." Replied the older boy.

"Right, and because you like her, you agreed."

Exactly.... Wait, what? No!! I do not like JaeHwa!" Onew exclaimed, eyes wide. TaeMin laughed.

"Yes you do. It's obvious to everyone except her. And I'm pretty sure she likes you too." He said, a mischevious glint in his eyes.

"... Yeah, well what about you?" Onew asked, quick to change the subject. "You like SooMi, don't you?" TaeMin froze, his eyes going wide as he spluttered. His hyung laughed at him.

"Hyung, you can't tell her!! Or anyone! If you do I'll... I'll... I'll tell JaeHwa about your feelings for her!" He cried, turning around.

"Alright, deal. I won't tell anyone." Onew assured, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Komawo. I won' tell JaeHwa." The dancer sighed with relief. His secret was safe.

"Arasso. You ready?" Onew asked, grabbing his suit jacket.

"To face a bunch of snobby rich people? Nope."

"Then let's go."