Madness. Utter madness. I had always hated parties like this. What's the point of gyrating to pulsating beats and filling your throats with fiery liquids when you can lie on a soft comfy bed, read a book and sleep? Never understood. Not with my aching feet, splitting headache and almost deaf ears. 

"Boys. Stay in the club, no sneaking out, no getting drunk and definitely no hanky pankying around with the dancers," I shouted over the loud club music. Jinwoo smiled widely, looking in awe of his surroundings, Mino was already off to station himself at the blaring speakers and Seungyoon was ready to sit and drink at the bar. Taehyun disappeared into the darkness and Seunghoon was off with the boys from Team B. So much for listening to their manager. 

I stationed myself on the second floor,  overlooking the dancefloor in order to keep an eye on the boys. Try as hard as I may, I could not keep my eyes off Seunghoon. Just like in Busan, that boy was a dancing machine, moving like a pro to the beats of the music. Somehow I felt that that was good enough for me, being able to watch him from a distance, just like old times. 

I scanned the crowd and could only spot Mino and Seungyoon acting like dorks beside 2ne1 noonas. Where were Jinwoo and Taehyun? 

"Looking for me?" Taehyun's question startled me but my intensive self-control overruled my instinct to scream. 

"Actually, yes. I am looking for you. All of you are supposed to be within my line of sight, as much as I detest it."

"Then how come you are staring at Seunghoonie hyung for so long?" Taehyun asked in a lint. 

I swallowed a lump of saliva and replied,"Well he is surrounded by a group of dancers. I have to make sure there is no girl trouble right?"

"Jealous much?" Taehyun teased.

"Yes." He was momentarily stunned by my answer.

"Wished I could have that sort of attention from the dancers too. Been checking some of them out. Would you know if anyone of them is... you know... like me?" I smiled as wide as I could at the droopy eyebrow diva maknae. 

Taehyun choked on his vodka and shook his head, too shocked to continue a decent conversation with me anymore. All I could say was good riddance.  That chap had a recent unhealthy obsession with my ual orientation.  It's starting to freak me out. 

I returned my attention to the dance floor and Seunghoon looked up to where I was. Our eyes met. His eyes seemed to pull me in, refusing to let me look anywhere else but at him. That same indescribable expression he had on 4 years ago in the dance studio. I shut my eyes to wake up from my daze and opened them to find Seunghoon gone from the dance floor. 

I slumped unto the side of the stairs, not bothering if there was human traffic pushing and shoving their way through.  Perhaps I really need a drink or 2. 

"Konnichiwa. You alright?" A tall guy asked in Japanese. 

"I'm alright. Just resting," I replied in my halting Japanese. He shruggged his shoulders and walked off. 

Soon, he was back with a cup of iced water and he held it out to me. "Arigato," I gulped the water down with much gusto and smiled at him. 

"Name's Kento," he held out his hand. I briefly shook it and introduced myself. Before I could let go, Kento dragged me to the dance floor rather forcefully and started to dance close to me, putting his arms around me. This was definitely not something I was used to. And it was definitely not something I want to do. I scrunched up my face in disgust with his every move. 

Before I could punch the daylights out of him, Seunghoon sauntered up in between us and fist-bumped with that disgusting male specimen.  "Kento hyung! Long time no see!"

"Ah Seunghoonie!"

I stared blankly at both men and decided it would be best for me to scoot off then. Seunghoon slung his arm around my shoulders and shouted,"This is one of our managers, Byul. She not taken but she doesn't take to men if you know what I mean." 

I didn't know whether to be grateful or shattered at those word. Without hesitation,  I freed myself from Seunghoon's shoulder grip and scampered off.

"Fresh air! Finally!" I almost tumbled out of the club and the bouncers gave me amused looks. The gleaming sign of the 7-11 was too hard to resist and my tummy gave the loudest growl ever. 

Cup noodles never tasted better. I sat at the windows slurping my noodles and soup, looking out into the empty streets with blinking lights and wandering cats. Peacefulness is absolute bliss indeed. 

"You know that sharing is caring right?"

I froze with my chopsticks in mid-air and Seunghoon sat beside me, grinning from ear to ear with crescent moons for eyes.

God help me.