I lowered the tube of lipstick and spread the bright red color with a smack of my lips.

                “You sure this looks okay?” I asked my friend, who was checking her hair in the mirror beside me.

                “Yeah, you look good!  You can show all those boys what they were missing,” she exclaimed with a wink.

                “I don’t know,” I said, self-consciously adjusting the short skirt she had leant me.

                “Stop doing that,” she scolded, swatting my hands away.  Outside, there was a sudden, impatient honk.  “There’s our ride.”  She shouldered her purse and motioned for me to follow her.

                “Our ride?” I questioned as I stepped out the door.

                “I called Seunggwan to come pick us up.”

                My eyes widened and I stopped in my tracks.  I glanced at the car waiting at the curb.  “Seunggwan?  As in Bu Seunggwan?”

                “Yeah.  Is something wrong?”

                I pressed my lips together, suddenly even more embarrassed with my getup.  My friend didn’t know, but I had a one-sided crush on Seunggwan when we were still in school together.  We were in the same group of friends and saw each other all the time, but I could never bring myself to confess my feelings.  I finally gave up on him when we graduated and moved on to different universities. 

                I hesitantly slid into the backseat of the car. 

                “What took you so long?” Seunggwan asked my friend, irritated.

                “You know how girls are,” she said simply.

                I clasped my hands together, suddenly envious of how close they were, close enough to bicker.  Seunggwan looked at me from over his shoulder.

                “Long time no see,” he murmured with an acknowledging nod.  He did a brief once-over of my outfit.

                I could feel myself blushing and I tugged the neckline of my top higher.  “Yeah, it’s been awhile.”

                The restaurant that the reunion was taking place in was crowded and noisy, especially our table.  Guys who I’d barely known in high school cheered as my friend and I reached the table.  People scooted over to make room for us.  Seunggwan sat in front of me and I was flanked by two men I vaguely remembered. 

                “Wow, it’s been awhile,” the one on my right said, slinging his arm over my shoulders like it was the most natural thing in the world.  “How have you been?”

                “I’ve been fine,” I replied quietly, wary of his proximity.  I tried to inch away.  He smelled like alcohol. 

                “Do you want to eat something?” Seunggwan asked suddenly, passing me the menu.  I felt the arm around my shoulder slip off and the man started talking to someone else. 

                This cycle continued for awhile – one of the other guys would start pestering me and Seunggwan would suddenly cut in, asking me random questions or cracking an occasional joke.  I started feeling more assured with him there.  He was probably one of the only males in the room that wasn’t giving me a predatory look.

                Halfway through the evening, I excused myself to use the bathroom.  When I finished, I encountered the person who was sitting beside me at the table. 

                He drawled my name.  “You really do look nice.  Time was good to you,” he slurred, stepping closer to me.  I backed away.

                “Can you please stop?” I asked timidly.

                “Why?  Obviously you came for the attention wearing that kind of outfit.” 

                I was pressed against the wall now, my eyes darting left and right, looking for an escape. 

                “We should get out of here,” he murmured in my ear, his breath foul.  “We could go to my place.”  He placed a cold hand on the side of my thigh. 

                “Get away from me!” I shrieked, panic rising in my voice as I shoved him away.  He stared at me, his eyes half angry and half glazed over from the amount of beer he’d been drinking. 

                He let out a sharp laugh.  “Oh, okay, I get it.  Saving yourself for Seunggwan, huh?”

                My anxiety faded and I raised my eyebrows.  Why had he suddenly mentioned Seunggwan?

                The man narrowed his eyes.  “Don’t try to act innocent.  He’s been protective of you all night.  I should’ve known that he never let go of that stupid crush he had on you.”

                He stalked away.  I tried to write off his words as drunken talk, although a part of me wished he was right.

                At any rate, there was no way I was going back to that table.   It was suffocating and I was sick of all the guys trying to come onto me.  I escaped the restaurant.

                The air outside was cool and relaxing.  I slumped onto a bench outside, thinking about ditching my friend and going home in a taxi.  I never should have let her convince me to come like this.  I felt childish, like a kid playing dress up with her mother’s things.

                I heard footsteps approaching me and tensed, praying that it wasn’t the guy from the hallway coming back for more.

                “Are you okay?” Seunggwan asked as he sat beside me.

                I mentally sighed of relief.  “Just getting some fresh air,” I said, trying to make my voice chipper.

                “Those guys were bothering you, weren’t they?”

                I laughed bitterly.  “It’s my fault – I shouldn’t have come dressed like this,” I replied, hugging myself in an attempt to cover my exposed shoulders.

                Seunggwan shrugged off the jacket of his suit and draped it over me.  “You look nice.”

                I smiled at his gesture.  “Really?”

                He nodded.  “Just…”  He trailed off and suddenly became interested in a spot on the sidewalk.

                I raised my eyebrows.  “Just?”

                “Don’t wear stuff like that when there are a lot of people around.”

                I let the words sink in. “What do you mean?” I asked cautiously, my heart starting to beat faster. 

                He looked me in the eye then.  “In the future, you should only look like this when you’re with me.”

                My eyes widened.  Was this what I thought it was?

                Seunggwan let out an embarrassed sigh and glanced at me.  He took the handkerchief from his pocket and held it out.

                “Wipe off your lipstick.”

                I looked warily at him as I took the cloth.  “Why?”  I removed the color carefully, trying not to get it smeared all over my face.

                He smirked then.  “I don’t want to taste that when I kiss you.”