I highly recommend watching the INFINITE 1,2,3 SHOWCASE IN SEOUL before reading this chapter.

C H A M P A G N E - 2

May 21st, 2014

The after-show party was overwhelming. It was in a villa around the corner of the venue, and when SeRi and I arrived, it was already crowded with people in glamorous party and stage outfits. Even though we had put effort into our wardrobe, we felt oddly out of place between all those rich (and probably famous) people. While SeRi sometimes pointed out the one or other celebrity, I didn’t find any of the faces familiar. Since Infinite was now more or less part of SM Entertainment, SungGyu had warned me that the party would be quite the big event. Even so, I wassail surprised. With idols, their managers and friends, reporters and the likes, I roughly guessed that there were about 400 people attending.  

In the beginning we were standing around helplessly since apparently everybody already knew each other. I overheard some conversations about new deals and comeback related topics but mostly I didn’t really bother with it. I wasn’t even minimally involved in the business, so why risk getting in trouble for mistakenly eavesdropping on something I wasn't supposed to hear.

After we hungrily observed how most people went into another room to come back with plates full of delicious looking snacks, SeRi and I eventually gathered our courage and followed them to the buffet; we even managed to get some champagne from the many waiters and waitresses that were walking around, offering all kinds of beverages.

Not too long after, Infinite came in. I managed to catch a glimpse of HoWon and SungGyu (who had especially nicely done hair for tonight) before they were surrounded by flashlights and reporters, who had been swirling around the other idols until then. After the main commotion died down, the seven boys and their managers scattered through the crowd to personally pay their respects to the higher ranked people. SeRi and I stayed aside from the main bulk as we waited for SungGyu to find us. But from the look of it, they’d be busy for quite some time.

Still, after a few minutes, WooHyun quickly walked over to us.

He glanced over his shoulder shortly before lowering his head to my level. „Are you free?“ he whispered, barely audible.

He didn’t even wait for me to answer, when he already gestured toward the outside area. „I'll follow you after a minute. Too many cameras. There’s a maze outside. Go in and turn to the right. Wait for me there.“

Then he shortly bowed to SeRi, smiled a very business-like smile and vanished into the crowd. 

„Wow,“ SeRi just laughed incredulously. „That was rude. And thinking he’s the group’s fan-service-king...“

I nodded. „Guess they are being monitored. It’s their first comeback after MyungSoo’s scandal.“

„You have a point,“ SeRi agreed. Then she crossed her arms in front of her chest and sighed heavily, clinking her right index fingernail to the empty champagne glass. „But it’s such a disappointing encounter. First, the member I want to meet most is not WooHyun but MyungSoo. Second, WooHyun’s a lot less hot in real life than on screen.“

I laughed out loud at SeRi being SeR, adding, „But you saw him live at the New Life For Children event?“

„Yeah but I was focusing on MyungSoo,“ SeRi explained, rolling her eyes as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Then I suddenly remembered my task. „Shoot, WooHyun wanted me to meet him outside. Is it okay if I leave you alone?“

„Go,“ she grinned, waving me off. „But come back soon. I’ll be at the buffet. Those salmon biscuits were a whole new level of delicious. I want an idol-gossip report when you come back. And if you see MyungSoo, send him over to the salmon biscuits, too." 

„Will do,“ I promised, and then quickly headed for the outside area, where I looked for a maze, as WooHyun had called it. Luckily finding the maze was easy. There was a sign at the veranda pointing toward the left, where, only 100 meters away from the main building, tall, dark green bushes formed a natural wall. It was obviously a big, well-kept maze for party-fun purposes; for people who liked a thrill or just wanted to spend some time alone. The alleys were dark except for the occasional lantern that had been placed along the way, and, me being me, I was thankful for only having to walk to the first Y-point alone.

WooHyun arrived about two minutes later. He greeted me with a nod, and gestured further into the maze. „I know the way out, no worry,“ he reassured me. „I’m sorry about this inconvenience. I just don’t want any misleading pictures to be taken of the two of us leaving for the garden together."

„It’s okay. I figured something like that was going through your mind."

„So,“ he started when we were a few turns into the maze. But he didn’t even get to continue talking because what we saw then made us both instantly halt in our tracks.

Lit up brightly by a phone screen were a girl's and a boy’s faces. They were sitting on one of those stone benches usually placed in secluded parts of labyrinths or in old parks, made for lovers who wanted some privacy. There was only one row of seven-foot tall bushes between us, but since we were in the dark they couldn’t possibly see us, while their brightly lit screen easily gave their features away to us. With horror I recognized the girl’s delicate features - her long hair, her pale skin and brightly red painted lips. HyeMi.

WooHyun tugged at my hand, and placed his index finger on top of his lips, indicating to be quiet. Luckily, 

the pair was deliberately laughing about something, and hence hadn’t noticed us yet. They whispered something into each other's ears, and then started kissing passionately.

My eyes widened in realization at the boy not being SungYeol. He was unknown to me, and for all I knew he had to be Zhang YiXing.

But I didn’t get to look any closer because WooHyun grabbed me by my hand and quietly led me away from the couple, further into the maze. After what felt like an eternity of walking in silence, he eventually stopped. Even though he had used his cell-phone flashlight to light out the way, I had already completely lost orientation at this point.

„They are becoming really careless,“ WooHyun stated, shaking his head. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. „I don’t usually like hurting girls, but damn, I wanna kick her so bad."

Since I was unsure about how to react, I just nodded. But WooHyun was too caught up in his rage to notice anyways.

„She is part of the biz. She should know best what this will ultimately lead to. She should know the consequences. Plus, she has known SungYeol for six years. How could she not care? They were good friends even before they started dating!“ WooHyun kicked one of the bushes next to him in frustration. 

We stayed silent for a few seconds, before he found his composure again. „I am sorry. I’m not usually like this,“ WooHyun then apologized.

„It’s okay. I mean, I feel you,“ I replied, trying to sound understanding, yet not pretentious. Because who was I, really, to completely understand his situation?

WooHyun gave me a small, half-forced smile. „Thanks."

„Uh, no problem."

„What I actually wanted to talk to you about…how is it going with HyeMi?"

I flinched at the question. I’d much rather had avoided the subject. „Uh, she told me she’d hang out with me for a while tonight….“ I tried, dodging his question since things weren’t exactly going anywhere with HyeMi.

WooHyun nodded grimly and quickly glanced toward the direction where HyeMi was. „Good. Let’s hope she doesn’t forget you over some guy."

I nearly laughed out. Judging from the situation we had run into, this was very probable. „Uhm…“ 

At my lack of excitement on this whole issue, WooHyun laughed. „Now I get why SungGyu says you’re always chill about everything."

I raised an incredulous eyebrow. „He says that?"

„He does,“ WooHyun confirmed. „All the time."

In my mind, a series of situations rolled past: the Professor-Lee-and-Hoya-issue; the HyeMi-SungYeol-issue; the SeRi-wants-MyungSoo’s-phone-number-issue. How did SungGyu ever get the idea of me being chill about everything. I shook my head. „Couldn’t be further from the truth."

WooHyun shrugged mischievously. „I guess SungGyu just likes bringing you up all the time. Or maybe he’s trying to brag with his commoner-friend."

I was about to complain, but WooHyun just laughed and patted my shoulder in brotherly manner as he spoke. And while normally I would have been weirded out by his sudden physical contact, to my surprise it felt pretty natural. So I decided to let his last comment slide. 

Just that moment, I heard the loud rumbling of a stomach, followed by WooHyun clearing his throat. „Uh, aren’t you hungry?“ WooHyun then asked, his voice suddenly the epitome of innocence.

„I ate some salmon biscuits earlier,“ I grinned. „But I guess someone else is hungry."

„Yep. I am. Didn’t get anything to eat since breakfast. So let’s go back,“ WooHyun suggested, pointing in a particular direction. „Since I’m hungry and…granted, I’d rather not run into Lady and Mister X in here."

I nodded. Running into HyeMi would be extremely awkward. Thinking about it, she’d probably get the wrong idea of WooHyun and me, too.

Still, there was one thing I wanted to know. „How do you even know the way out? The maze looks all the same to me."

It was obvious that WooHyun enjoyed my indirect compliment. „It’s magic,“ he proclaimed, grinning smugly.

„Seriously,“ I just deadpanned. And here I had hoped all those rumors of him being an incredible grease ball, who was impossible to normally talk to, were wrong. Way to go.

He chuckled. „Come on. It’s no fun if I tell you everything."

We kept joking back and forth until he finally told me how he had checked out the maze from the third story of the main building, which was closed to guests. He and the rest of Infinite had used it for changing into new clothes and getting their make-up refreshed for the party.

When we reached the end of the maze, WooHyun told me to go first since people might become curious if they saw him leaving first, and might spot me leaving the maze after him, creating unnecessary troubles. I mentally applauded his sense of privacy. He then told me to just wait for him in the main hall, as he would catch up to me in a few minutes.

----

I had killed some time texting JaeJin about picking me up later in an hour or so. He had kindly offered to pick me up the other day, when I found out that there was no public transportation option near the venue. Apparently, everybody else had come by car. Rich people will be rich people, I guessed.

SeRi was nowhere to be seen, but the main hall had been turned into a club-ball-room where people were either dancing to the newest music, or only standing around with their champagne glasses in their hands. When I spotted HyeMi taiking to SungYeol on the other side of the room, I felt oddly sick. How could people be so heartless?

Just as he had promised, WooHyun reached me in the main building in no time. He barely managed to excuse his tardiness and offer to introduce me to Infinite’s English assistant (sneaky boy, he remembered my confession of failing my English Class), when I was suddenly jerked by my right arm. As I looked up in surprise, I was confronted with a rather furious looking SungGyu.

„Come with me.“

„Hyung…“ WooHyun started, but was cut off by a harsh hand gesture of SungGyu. 

„Later,“ he just said, pulling me with him to the outside garden I had just come back from. 

As soon as we were out of hearing distance from the main party, he slowed down, without releasing his tight grip around my right wrist. It was just about to ask him to loosen up, since I was starting to hurt, when he suddenly halted and let go of me.

„MinAe...,“ he started, still looking away.

I waited for him to continue but he remained silent. „Yes?“

SungGyu sighed deeply and laid his head back into his neck. Still in that position, he finally turned around. We spent another few seconds in painful silence, during which I observed him bite his lower lips. Then he lowered his head and looked at me.

He took a deep breath. „Are you and WooHyun…going out?“

I had been expecting him to tell me something about our favorite head-ache topic - HyeMi, or about today’s stage, maybe ask me how I liked it. But I certainly hadn’t been expecting that question. 

He shuffled his weight from one foot to the other, burying his hands in the bags of his dress pants. 

I was still too taken by surprise to answer, and only managed to choke an „Uh…" Had WooHyun and I ever looked like we were going out? 

„It’s fine, if you’re…together,“ SungGyu started again, staring at somewhere between my knees and the floor. "I mean, it’s okay if you do - well, technically it’s not since he’s an idol and basically he shouldn’t date...even though he isn’t banned from it anymore…“ he stuttered, losing his train of thought, and awkwardly cleared his throat, shooting me a short glance.

I tried to recall any misleading situation WooHyun and I had been in, and when I did so, I unfortunately remembered a few things - us texting about HyeMi and HoWon; secretly meeting at the karaoke; talking for an unusually long time alone in the garden just earlier. In retrospective, it did look wrong from the outside. If you were paying attention to us, that is.

When I still remained silent, SungGyu continued blabbering. „As Infinite’s leader of course I should be against it. But personally I am okay with it….Well that’s not it, either. Ahh,“ he sighed in exasperation, and met my eyes as he ruffled through his perfect hair-do in desperation. „Just tell me…since when have you two been going out?"

I cleared my throat, suddenly feeling uneasy. „Uhm, Sunggyu, WooHyun and I...we’re not together.“

He instantly halted his movements, his hands still tangled up in his now completely messed up hair. „You’re…not….dating?"

I shook my head. „Nope. Not even close.“

SungGyu swallowed. „But…why do you seem so close then?“

I tried to summarize WooHyun and my complicated relationship. „He’s just a new-found friend I got to know thanks to you.“

„But..how and why did you two get close? When even I could barely get a hold of you! It’s such a pain to only even get you to text back!"

That was exactly the question I had dreaded. I couldn’t exactly tell SungGyu WooHyun asked me for help on the HyeMi issue, since that would jeopardize WooHyun’s attempt to help SungYeol. But luckily, I remembered something WooHyun told me when I met him for the first time. I looked anywhere but SungGyu’s eyes as I tried to make my lie as natural as possible. "He needed some more of my…advice for his pimples.“

I inwardly cringed at my bad lying skills, and only hoped SungGyu would buy into it. SungGyu broke out in loud laughter, seemingly oblivious to my fidgeting hands. 

„Seriously?“ he asked, gasping for air. „He could’ve just asked me!“

„Uh,“ I stuttered. „I…am not involved in your personal affairs. I just tried to help out when he asked.“

SungGyu nodded. „This boy. But still, he’ll have to pay for going through my phone without my permission."

I laughed awkwardly; I couldn’t possibly talk WooHyun out of this now, could I? He did secretly go though SungGyu’s contacts after all.

But SungGyu turned serious again, as if suddenly remembering something. „And what about Hoya?"

„What about him?“ I asked back, the uneasy feeling which had just started to loosen up, returning full force. Where was he going with this? HoWon was a touchy subject to me, since I didn’t want SungGyu to find out about me using him for teacher Lee.

„If it’s not Woohyun…“ SungGyu slowly concluded. „Do you like Hoya then?"

I furrowed my eyebrows; yet another question I hadn’t been expecting. „Why would I like HoWon?“

„I saw him texting you, too.“

I tensed up at this new revelation. This was unfortunate. Leave it to those two boys to have only one task. One single task.

SungGyu cleared his throat. „So…concluding from your reaction I am right about you liking Hoya?“

„No!“ I said, a bit too fast. Damn this. I didn’t want SungGyu to find out about teacher Lee. SungGyu had been so relieved about me never having done anything of the likes. But how could I talk myself out of this? Without me thinking about it, the words came out of my mouth on their own. „WooHyun told me…HoWon had another personal beauty issue to tackle and asked if I could help.“

„Geez,“ SungGyu exclaimed, and pushed his fringe back in place with his ring finger. But his hairdo was now messed up beyond repair. "They could just ask me.“

„He was too ashamed to ask.“ I said, and mentally slapped myself. Damn. Now I had to hurry up and catch HoWon before SungGyu got to him. What if SungGyu tried talking to HoWon about his inexistent beauty problems? 

„So you don’t like either WooHyun nor Hoya?“

I laughed. „No.“ 

„That’s a relief.“

„Why?“

SungGyu flinched. „Uh…well…it would be  pain to take care of another love triangle. Plus one member dating is enough scandal potential for us. We barely just got over the MyungSoo scandal. I’d be glad if we could keep it quiet for some more time. At least during promotions.“

„Makes sense.“

„Do you wanna take a walk?“ SungGyu offered. „I’m kinda sick of people…“

„You sure? It’s your party. Your long awaited comeback….“

He shrugged, and we started walking toward the maze Woohyun and I had gone into. „There will be more parties. I just want to be let alone right now.“ 

„Oh,“ I said and stopped in my tracks. „Do you want me to go?“

„No, no! you is fine here. You don’t count.“

„Why thank you.“

„No, that’s not how I meant it.“

I chuckled.

„Why do you always twist my words around?“

I said nothing and just started walking into the maze, since it only felt natural.  

SungGyu followed suit. „This is great,“ he uttered, looking around in awe. „I just hope we don’t get lost.“

The lanterns and lights from the party barely illuminated the darkness of the maze, and without WooHyun’s cellphone lamp, it was definitely dark. And creepy. Luckily, I did remember the first few turns through the bushes from before. But soon enough we both were pretty lost. 

When SungGyu eyed me suspiciously as I stopped at a crossroads, I explained, „The exit is on the other side so we have to get through completely.“

„Yeah, I saw you and WooHyun come out of it,“ SungGyu said. "So you should remember the way. And i’ll be safe as long as I stick to you.“

I coughed. „WooHyun actually guided us through.“

„So you don’t know the way?“ SungGyu asked, sounding a lot more worried all of a sudden.

„Nope." 

„.“ He looked around, only to find himself completely without orientation. „."

I shrugged. Panicking wasn’t helping in this situation. We could still climb one of the many stone benches placed thorough the maze and check our location if need be. „Chill, we’ll find our way out.“

SungGyu scoffed, „I can’t chill. I have to make a speech!“

This was new to me. „Speech? When?"

„In…like,“ SungGyu checked his watch and his smile dropped, "Twelve minutes.“

„,“ I said, joining in SungGyu’s discomfort.

„YES!!“  he cried out, stressing every single letter.

„I have no idea how to get out of here,“ I confessed, feeling guilty of having brought SungGyu here with me, without even giving his importance to today’s event a second thought. Stupid me.

We spent a few seconds staring at each other in distress, before SungGyu had an idea. 

„Climb on my shoulders,“ he suggested.

„What?"

„Come on. I don’t have the nerve to go look for a stone bench. If you sit on my shoulders you’ll be tall enough to check out the situation. Take a picture of the maze with my phone, here,“ he gave me his phone, turned around and squatted down in front of me.

He wanted me to climb on his back? I was wearing a dress for crying out loud! How exactly was he imagining this would work? This was awkward enough even with jeans, not to speak of my current attire. „No,“ was all I managed to utter.

„Please,“ SungGyu begged, "Don’t be such a girl. You usually aren’t."

„No. Just no."

„Come on,“ he turned his head and gave me his puppy eyes look. "We’re good friends, aren’t we?"

I swallowed hard. „Still not happening. And don’t look at me like that."

„Look at you like what?“ SungGyu purred innocently, not even trying to hide the grin spreading on his lips. 

How old was he? Five? I sighed. From experience, I knew too well that he was probably going to get his way, if he kept it up. Unfortunately, he knew this too. 

„Please, MinAe? I need to get back in time to give my speech. I swear I won’t do anything to you."

I raised an eyebrow. Him mentioning not doing anything to me was making it even more suspicious. 

„I’m not like some...WooHyun-guy,“ he grumbled the last words, as if only the thought of WooHyun was making him have a bad mood. Suddenly, SeRi’s words echo-ed in my head: He’s so jealous.

SungGyu checked his watch. „MinAe, I know you’re against this but please. I need to get back in time,“ he cleared his throat and suddenly turned a light shade of pink. Or maybe it was just me seeing things. "I swear, I won’t peek or anything.“ 

I humph-ed loudly. I already knew how this would end. So I finally - but still reluctantly - gave in. „You owe me for this. Big time."

As predicted, his begging stare instantly vanished, and made place for a bright smile. „You are the best!"

He crouched down in front of me, and after some struggling with my dress, I managed to get on. He lifted me up on his shoulders as if I weighed no more than a toddler. He held on to my legs to stabilize me in my elevated position. I could easily look over the structure of the maze from here. Almost instantly, I spotted the exit, since it was marked with a lantern, marking the way. I quickly took a few pictures of the maze. We were lucky to be only a few turns away from the exit. Maybe SungGyu could even hold his speech in time.

SungGyu shifted beneath me, giving me the sensation of falling for a fracture of a second. Still, it was enough to send me in panic-state. 

„Don’t drop me!"

„Don’t worry, I got you,“ he chuckled. „Did you take all the pictures you need?"

„Yep.“ In retrospective, this was really high. I wanted to be back down, with solid ground beneath my feet.

„Okay, I’ll set you down now,“ SungGyu announced. With that, he let go of my legs, grabbed me by my waist and lifted me back down to earth. I instantly handed him his cell phone, hoping he didn’t notice my shaking hands. Stupid fear of heights.

Luckily, SungGyu was busy checking out the photos I had shot. „I think I got the way now. We’re pretty close to the exit, actually."

„Good,"I just said, still feeling a bit wobbly.

„Come on, it wasn’t half bad now, was it?“ SungGyu laughed at my short-spokenness, ruffling my hair.

I shooed his hand away and shook my head. „I don’t want to talk about it.“ I shuddered, thinking of how much it would’ve hurt if he had let me fall down. „Let’s get you back in time."

SungGyu nodded in understanding although he couldn’t completely hide his grin. But being the veteran idol that he was, he managed to play it over by changing our conversation topic, „Do you want our manager to give you a ride home after the party?“

„Uh, no I’m fine. JaeJin is picking me up,“ I explained.

SungGyu made a face. „I’m not too sure whether that’s good or bad.“

„He should be here in half an hour. Well, he told me he’d text me 5 minutes before he arrives so that I can get ready.“

SungGyu tilted his head. „Are you sure he doesn’t like you?“

„Yes,“ I repeated, rolling my eyes. "Why do you ask?“

SungGyu shook his head. „Why do you seem so incredibly popular?“

„I’m not,“ I groaned.

„You are.“

„Am not.“

„Realize the facts. I mean, Hoya never talks to girls. Like ever.“

I swallowed. If he only knew that HoWon wasn’t exactly talking to me out of his own free will…. 

SungGyu raised his arms, commenting jokingly, „What are you doing to my small idol group?“

I laughed at his exaggerated notion, and thought about the whole WooHyun-SungYeol-HyeMi issue. Plus the Hoya-Professor-Lee-issue was partly SungGyu’s fault. It was his stupid selfie that got me in this situation to begin with. „More like, what are they doing to me.“ 

But SungGyu didn’t even bother to let me finish my sentence, because he suddenly exclaimed, „THERE’S THE VILLA! We made it!"

I looked up to see the various lights and decorations surrounding the festive hall. Good. I smiled in relief at having made it out of the maze just in time for SungGyu’s speech. „Let’s go."

„Wait, MinAe….“ SungGyu called out.

„Yes?“

„There’s something….“

I turned around and looked at him expectantly.

He cleared his throat. „Do you remember what I told you that time I went to your job and gave you the tickets to the showcase?“

I tried to recall, but miserably failed to do so. I guiltily shook my head. Had it been something important?

SungGyu scratched his neck as he thought about how to put his thoughts into words. „About our new single. How you should listen to the lyrics.“

Ah. That did ring a bell. I nodded. "Yes. I did."

„And?“ He inquired.

How was I supposed to describe it? It was a love-song, typical Infinite, with a boy chasing a girl. Fan-Service. But it would’ve been a bit harsh to voice it out to SungGyu like this. Therefore, I set for a simple but soothing, „Very...romantic.“

„Yes,“ SungGyu suddenly turned serious and let his eyes wander over my face.

What was the point of this? I thought we were in a hurry to get him back in time for his speech? I cleared my throat. „Uhm…?“

SungGyu scratched the back of his neck again and sighed. „The thing is…“ he looked away from me, shuffled from his left to his right foot, and shortly bit his lip. „Nah, forget it."

Now he got me curious. „Yes?"

But SungGyu had already moved on. „No, it’s okay. Maybe later. I need to go now,“ he nodded towards the main building. "Would be a shame if I was late to the speech after all I put you through,“ he added, teasing me.

„Yah,“ I exclaimed. „Try getting on a guys shoulders with a dress on first."

SungGyu grinned sleazily. „Thank you but no thank you."

I just shook my head at his childishness. At least he was in a good mood, right? „Okay, back to topic. How about I go first? If you go first the reporters might wait for someone else to come out. Since they don’t care about me, they won’t even notice.“

„So complicated,“ SungGyu moaned and rolled his eyes. I instantly took back what I thought about him being in a good mood.

„I think it makes sense. It was WooHyun’s idea earlier,“ I explained.

„See how well WooHyun’s idea worked out,“ he scoffed. "I still realized the two of you had been in here together.“

What’s it with his sudden change of mood? I raised an eyebrow. „Do you have any better idea? Still, going out together isn’t the best way to go about this."

„No, I totally agree with you. WooHyun’s idea is great,“ he said, stressing his friend’s name.

Why the attitude? Hadn’t we been joking around just now? „What exactly is your problem, SungGyu?“ I asked, coming off maybe a bit too strongly.

But SungGyu wasn’t one to let my aggressive tone slide. Instead, it enraged him even more, „Well, obviously you are lying to me!"

I couldn’t help but snort at his stupid accusation, „Lying? Where? When?"

„I don’t like WooHyun,“ SungGyu said, ridiculing me, „And I don’t like Hoya either. And not even JaeJin Oppa."

What the hell? SungGyu had never been this disrespectful to me. I was so much taken aback by his behavior that it took me a few seconds before I managed to reply, „I don’t, so what’s your problem?!"

„Took you long enough to make up your mind just now,“ he shot back.

How did we even end up talking about this again? I sighed in exasperation. Arguing was clearly not something I had been looking forward that evening. But obviously, SungGyu was quite set to enrage me. So I bit back the sassy remark that was already on my lips, and instead said, „Even if I liked any of them you’d probably be the first person to hear, okay? Who else would I tell it to?"

This shut him up for a few seconds. I used them to calm myself down, and remember why i was here in the first place - to celebrate Infinite’s comeback. And arguing sure wasn’t the best way to go about this. So I counted to ten, forced a smile on my face and tried for my best make-up voice: „I think we should hurry up or you’ll be late for your speech."

SungGyu just looked right past me.

Well, if he wasn’t giving me any reaction, might as well follow WooHyun’s plan. „I’ll be going then,“ I announced, and turned away from him to walk toward the main hall. But I wasn’t prepared for what came next. 

„Well, this,“ SungGyu hissed under his breath and jerked me around by my shoulders. He only hesitated for the blink of an eye before he unexpectedly crashed his lips to mine. Although I closed my eyes by reflex, my brain failed to realize what was happening. I could only think of how soft his lips were. They tasted of sweet champagne, and adding to this, his body scent was quickly making my head spin. Before I knew, he deepened the kiss and moved his hand down to my lower back, hugging me closer, completely surrounding me with his scent of patchouli and lavender. He lifted his free hand to cup my neck, while his thumb caressed my cheek. 

Before I knew, I found myself tearing away from the kiss, gasping for air, trying to get my heartbeat rate back under control. But he didn’t let me. Seemingly without effort he broke my resistance, his arms bringing me closer to him again. He playfully bit my lower lip, only to give it a shy peck afterwards, as if asking for forgiveness. Then he leant his forehead against mine, making our noses touch. 

Through the rushing of blood in my ears, I heard him clear his throat. "MinAe, I…“

„DIDN’T I TELL YOU TO GET THE AWAY FROM HER?!“

If you would kindly excuse my now while I go and find myself a black hole to hide...

Please don't kill me. ._.