AJ called his closest friend Eli, who usually kept him sane during events like the one he was being forced to go to. The two were in AJ’s apartment getting ready, standing next to one another in the mirror. They were sort of cramped in the small space, but it was nothing to really complain about.

                “Dude, you are so lucky that I’m friends with you. What would you be doing if this were your wedding? You’d have no groom’s men.” Eli said as he finished adjusting his tie.

                “The others would totally come for that. Besides, this is some stupid socializing thing for my parents really. We could really just stay an hour and sneak out or something.

                “You can handle a rich people’s party, AJ. I also didn’t get dressed like this for a simple hour. I might as well have a chance to show off to these people when I can and have some fun.” Eli replied, double checking everything before looking at his friend make his own final touches. The two then stepped out and headed over to the event.

                At the event, it seemed that they had just finished decorating their royal palace type of style and opened the velvet roped bars. Many of the people around were older and there were a couple of younger people, but AJ avoided being in their line of sight because the last time he went to an event they hadn’t shut up the entire night and made it more unbearable then it had already been. It was also part of the reason why the two headed straight for some of the seating in a back table where they could just observe everything.

Behind AJ, was Eli, who spotted a man he hadn't seen in a long time. Chin Hwa, their mutual friend, was with a young lady Eli assumed to be Chin Hwa's childhood friend. The only reason that the lady was identifiable was because Chin Hwa expressed ages ago that he had a thing for her. He had even texted saying that he was so excited to be spending more time with her because they were going to the event.

Glancing back at AJ, he saw that AJ was glancing around the room with a bored expression before his eyes landed on Chin Hwa's friend.

"And three...two...one" Eli mumbled to himself as he watched AJ make his way across the floor for the first thing in the room that had AJ move more than a single step the entire time they had entered the room. Eli hoped that this young lady understood what was coming her way because there was no turning back now as long as AJ grew more interested.

---------------

                Ae Sook felt unsure of herself and hadn’t even had a chance to adjust before someone already approached them. Chin Hwa turned instinctively to the person.

 

                “AJ, it’s nice to see you! You usually skip out on these so I haven’t seen you for a while. How are you?”

 

                “I’m good. I brought Eli with me.” AJ replied and Chin Hwa glanced around the room and nodded to Eli when he spotted him. Ae Sook glanced over and found that Eli appeared to be handsome like most of the young men that came in.

 

                “Oh, I haven’t introduced you guys. Ae Sook, this is Kim Jaeseop, but he likes to be called AJ. AJ, this is my best friend Ae Sook.” Chin Hwa explained, gesturing between them.

 

                “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Ae Sook said formally, remembering that everyone around her probably had the power to control her entire life.

 

                “Likewise, and forgive me for being so forward, but you’re dress is really beautiful.”

 

                “Thank you.” The music in the room finally started and Chin Hwa placed his hand on the small of Ae Sook’s back. Ae Sook understood and excused herself from AJ and smiled as she and Chin Hwa joined a few other couples on the dance floor. As they were walking, she glanced back and noticed that AJ was rejoining his friend who she had heard was Eli. They only greeted each other for a second before he sat himself in a position that he could watch her. Ae Sook knew that most girls would feel as if they had acquired a new stalker, but she decided to let it slide. He was a chaebol so it wasn’t like they’d run into each other. She would even put up with a dance if she had to. Whatever made him happy for the night and then it would be all over.

 

                “Is everything okay? You seem to be spaced out.” Chin Hwa asked in a slightly curious but also concerned tone.

 

                “Yeah, I was just thinking.”

 

                “You know, you really think too much sometimes Ae Sook. Just let everything happen naturally and lead with your heart sometimes.” Chin Hwa smiled and gave their joined hands a squeeze followed by a small pat from his hand placed on her waist. Ae Sook nodded and gave a squeeze back from the hand on his shoulder. She tried to ignore the whispers of the couples who moved around them that were discussing how lucky she was to be with a guy like him or how the two would have to worry about their future children getting too much beauty from their parents.

 

                Feeling a tap on her shoulder, Ae Sook turned around to see that Eli was standing behind her. He was smiling and behind him it looked like AJ was perplexed about something and slightly frowning.

 

                “May I have this next dance?” Eli asked. Ae Sook looked at Chin Hwa as if asking for permission.

 

                “Go ahead, it’s fine by me. My parents have been hinting from their table that I need to go meet some of their people anyway. I’ll come back as soon as I’m done. Plus, I trust Eli. He won’t bite you.” Chin Hwa replied with a chuckle as he gave Ae Sook an affectionate petting on her head and a loving look before nodding to Eli. As Eli placed his hands on her and led her away, Ae Sook watched Chin Hwa walk away. She knew that Chin Hwa would never put his best friend in a bad situation, but Ae Sook always felt weird around strangers.

 

                “So, are you having a good time?” Eli asked her, his question coming off as genuine. It didn’t appear that he had an intention to try anything or get something from her.

 

                “I’ve never danced so much to classical music, but I would say yes.”

 

                “AJ has me come with him every now and then, so I was the same way in the beginning.”

 

                “You mean you aren’t a chaebol?” Ae Sook looked at him with shock. She hadn’t expected there to be another person who wasn’t from this type of lifestyle either.

 

                “Me? No way,” Eli laughed, “I wouldn’t be able to handle all the stinginess!”

 

                “I would say my family is upper middles class because we have some money, but it’s not as nearly as much as some people here.” Ae Sook said and Eli answered that his family was in the same position. As they were still moving around the floor, Ae Sook heard from Eli about how he met Chin Hwa while being here with AJ the first time about two years ago. They hit it off quickly and became friends after AJ had suddenly decided to bail and Eli had been left by himself. The more than she and Eli talked about random things they came up with, the more she understood why Chin Hwa liked him. He had the sense of a tough and muscular guy with a big heart. He was slightly taller than Chin Hwa so her finger tips were all that were holding on to his shoulder and his habit to flick his hair revealed his eyebrow piercing that he wore on the right side.

 

                The two were about to talk about their favorite places to eat, when Chin Hwa came and encircled his arms around Ae Sook’s waist. Ae Sook turned her head to greet him and noticed that Eli smiled and slightly rolled his eyes. Eli started to walk away, but Ae Sook took hold of his hand. Eli stopped and turned, and smiled when she placed her phone in his hand and said that she needed to have his number so they could eat together sometime. Eli didn’t hesitate to do so and then asked for her number in return.

 

                “You know you could just stay with us. You don’t have to go over there and just sit the whole night.” Ae Sook said to Eli with a slight pout. Chin Hwa who stood next to her nodded in agreement.

 

                “It’s okay. Dancing with you and talking was the best time I’ve had here, but I want to make sure AJ isn’t alone for very long.”

 

                “I’ll let you go, but you have to promise to eat with me tomorrow then!”

                “Alright, alright, I promise!” Eli said as he grinned from ear to ear, “It was really awesome meeting you Ae Sook. I’m glad Chin Hwa decided to invite you.” Then with a small wave, Eli left back towards AJ. They watched him walk over to AJ who looked like he had been on his phone the entire night. Ae Sook quickly turned to her best friend and patted his arm gently before heading over to their table. Eli looked up with question and when she silently gestured to AJ, he nodded and just watched her move behind him. Ae Sook stood behind AJ, waited three seconds, and then said,

 

                “What are you doing?”

 

                “I’m playing-” AJ stopped when he recognized who it was and turned to see Ae Sook smiling at him. He couldn’t finish his sentence and simply stared at her.

 

                “Come on, I think there’s a couple songs left. Why don’t you get up and dance with someone?”

 

                “I…don’t really like dancing to this type of music.”

 

                “I bet you’d like it if you gave it a try.” Ae Sook said as she set his phone on the table and offered her hand. AJ decided to comply and slowly stood up, and let himself be led to the dance floor. Ae Sook took a glance back at Eli who nodded and gave her a “thumbs up” in approval. Chin Hwa looked surprised to see AJ out of a chair for something other than food and the bathroom.

 

                Out of the three men she had interacted with, AJ was the tallest. Her right hand could only reach barely to his shoulders and her hands were small in his. His hand that wasn’t holding hers cupped just about an entire side of her waist. She always felt platonic love around Chin Hwa, with Eli it was a feeling of just pleasure in the sense of friendship and fun, but with AJ…what exactly did she feel? There wasn’t really a name for it. It was like something good and also something she hadn’t experienced before. They started dancing and she felt entranced into his gaze. It was as if nobody else was in the room and all she could see and hear was him. AJ must have sensed something similar because he wasn’t saying anything either. He was just gazing at her as they floated around the room.

 

                After what seemed like ages, AJ looked as if he was finally going to say something. He didn’t get the chance though because Chin Hwa came and led her away while saying that it was late and they were reaching the end of the event. Ae Sook shook off the feeling from earlier and she bargained with Chin Hwa to let them go get ice cream if she promised to go straight to sleep when he dropped her off. He agreed and it was while they were outside that Ae Sook had the events of the night flash back in her mind. She hadn’t expected to have so much fun and also be left in such a state of confusion.

 

                In that moment she wished that the moon sent messages to people because she would have loved to ask AJ many questions. What did he want to say before she had left? What made him get up and dance with her when it seemed like he had never done if before? More importantly, was there a reason he had come so quickly over to them when they entered the room besides meeting Chin Hwa?