One day, Kiha groaned and slammed his face against the table, surprising Jieun and Chanyeol.

"W-What's wrong with him?" Jieun stuttered, worried.

"Oh, he just got an invitation to go to some rich man's party," Jungkook explained. "He's allowed to invite two people." He looked at his uncle. "You're taking me, right, Uncle Kiha?"

"I'm not going," he mumbled through the table.

"What? No, you have to go," Jungkook said. "This guy invited you instead of my father for a reason."

"But that guy is such a drag. I hate talking to him. I can never figure out what he wants to say or what he means," Kiha muttered. He narrowed his eyes as he raised his head a little. "I hate that man so much, but he likes me because he thinks that I'm somewhat like him. Bleh."

"Is that all?" Jieun asked.

"Under normal circumstances, that would be all, but I really don't want to go because of my job right now," Kiha said. "I mean, yeah, I don't want to go because he's annoying, but I also don't want to go because I need to talk to Minah about her role. She's pretty okay with some parts of the characters, but other times she's kind of off. I need to be there with her so that she can fully understand what the main character is going through."

Jieun nodded her head. It was still weird knowing that she was the base for Kiha's main female lead. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to feel honored or freaked out. 

"Well, we have to go," Jungkook stated. "I'll go in your place, then. Should I bring my dad along?"

"No, not your dad. Your dad screws everything up." Kiha looked at Chanyeol. "Chanyeol, you go with my nephew."

"Huh?" Chanyeol raised his eyebrows while Jungkook handed him the invitation card. "Why should I go there? I don't know anything about rich parties."

"You don't do much there. All you're going to do is talk about politics and business. It's boring, seriously. You don't even need to talk. Just stuff your mouth and stay close to Jungkook. He knows how to do most of the talking," Kiha said. "Or if you don't want to go, Jieun can go."

"Me?" Jieun asked. She slightly looked up at the ceiling. "Well, I am curious about fancy parties…"

"Yes," Chanyeol said, his eyes skimming over the invitation. "Go in my pl—" He stopped and stared at the name who sent the letter. He glanced at Jieun, then back at the card. "On second thought, I'll go."

"Why?" Jungkook asked. "Jieun said that she'd go—"

"No. I'm going," Chanyeol said. He glanced at Jieun.

"You don't have to do this, Chanyeol," Jieun said, trying to force a smile. "I don't mind going."

"No, I have to go. Just let me go and fix things, okay?" Chanyeol said. Jieun frowned a little, but slowly nodded her head. "Besides, you don't even seem to be the type who goes to fancy parties. I'll go. Anyway, I have some business with the host."

While Jungkook kept protesting, Kiha stared deep into Chanyeol's eyes. They two exchanged a quick, meaningful look before Kiha let out a sigh. The older man waved his hands, as if he was swatting a fly.

"Jungkook, Chanyeol, you two go," Kiha said. "This is my final decision."

Jungkook dropped his jaws. "But Uncle Kiha—"

"Jieun, why don't you go and hang out with Minah and Jiho?" Kiha suggested.

Jieun pointed at herself. "M-Me?"

"Yes, you," Kiha said. He got up from the table. "Jungkook, Chanyeol, let's go shopping."

"I already have a suit," Jungkook said.

"Chanyeol doesn't."

"Oh, no, sir. I can't—"

"Relax. We'll find a cheap suit that fits your taste," Kiha said, smiling. "Get ready, boys." He turned to Jieun. "Have fun with your little crew, okay?"

~ ~ ~

A few hours later, Jieun found herself sitting at a café, drowning herself in the scent of coffee beans and vanilla. She held up a latte near her pink lips as her eyes rested upon the two friends sitting across from her. Jiho casually drank his black coffee, occasionally scrunching his nose from the bitterness. On the other hand, Minah continued to sip her caramel frappé and adjusted her large sunglasses to avoid any potential fans from spotting her.

"So," Jieun started, "I heard that the movie was going to take place here?"

"Only the first couple of scenes," Minah said. "Then, it's back to the studios."

"Is Jiho being a good manager?" Jieun asked, looking at him teasingly.

"I'm the best manager there is!" he exclaimed.

"He doesn't do much," Minah declared. "I do all the work."

Jiho stared at her while Minah smirked and delicately sipped her drink. He rolled his eyes, but stopped for a moment when he heard his phone ring. He looked down at the number, then got up.

"Excuse me," he said, "I need to take this."

He stepped outside for a brief moment, leaving the two girls alone in the café.

In matter of seconds, Minah lowered her sunglasses and gave Jieun a wide grin. Jieun looked at her, unsure of what she was trying to say. Then, the celebrity groaned and adjusted her sunglasses back to its place.

"Jieun, tell me," Minah said, "is there anyone you're interested?"

The older neighbor appeared in her mind. Jieun nearly choked on her latte, then frowned at Minah.

"Minah, stop. I'm not a child," Jieun said.

"Hm. To be honest, it's a little obvious that you're interested in Kiha," Minah said. "I just can't tell if you guys are really into it."

"We're not. Trust me," Jieun told her. It hurt a little to say such a thing, but she bore the pain.

"Okay. How about that student? Jungkook?" Minah asked.

"Minah. Stop. Seriously? Are you telling me to get into a romantic relationship with my student?" Jieun asked.

"It happens all the time in dramas," Minah said.

"Right, but is drama real life?" Jieun pointed out. Minah sighed and shrugged her shoulders. There was a short pause before Jieun asked her, "Aren't you going to mention Chanyeol?"

"As a candidate? Pft, no. It's clear that the romance between you is dead," Minah said. She tightened her grip around her drink. "To be honest, I was kind of mad to see you defend Chanyeol. I would've loved seeing Jiho beat him up for us. He doesn't deserve forgiveness. He doesn't."

Jieun looked down at her drink. "You know, I thought the same, but when I met Kiha, he kind of changed my perspective."

"You think Chanyeol changed for the better?"

"Possibly."

"You're an idiot," Minah blurted.

Jieun smiled a little. "Well, that part of me hasn't changed. I've always been stupid at love."

Minah's eyes softened. "Jieun, no. You know that I don't mean it."

"Why? It's true," Jieun bitterly stated. "I at loving the right people. I generally at love." She looked at Minah with hollow eyes. "That's why Jiyong left, right?"

Minah pressed her lips together, unable to say anything to comfort her friend. A few moments later, Jiho returned to the table.

"What are you guys talking about?" he asked.

"The past," Jieun said, forcing a smile. "Specifically Jiyong."

Jiho gave Minah a quick glare.

"She started it," Minah murmured, avoiding his gaze.

"Let's not talk about Jiyong," Jiho said tiredly. "He's…a thing in the past." He looked at Jieun. "Look, I've been trying to do everything in my power to get in touch with him. The only thing I can do is get in touch with people working below him and not the guy himself. The other three idiots see him time to time, and I even asked them to bring me to one of their little spy-schemes, but they say that they can't directly meet up with him and can only see him when Changmin sees him."

Jieun stared at Jiho for a long time, trying to absorb every little bit of information she could from him. 

"Honestly, I can't get anywhere near his company. I could talk about his company outside and spread its name on television, but I can't do anything that will get me physically near him," Minah added. "I always say how much I want to meet him on live television, but that wish never came true."

Jieun looked at both her friends. Here she was, listening to her friends try all sorts of methods to get closer to Jiyong, while she had been moping around and doing absolutely nothing. She was doing nothing except for wishing to see him and wondering how he's been doing, and she knew that doing so wouldn't get her anywhere near Jiyong. She gulped nervously, feeling guilty.

Does that mean that I want to see him? Jieun wondered. I'm always talking about how much I want to see him, but I didn't do anything to show that. I haven't done anything at all to get near him. I'm always going farther away from him. How pathetic.

Jiho, noticing that Jieun wasn't looking too good, was quick with his words. "I'll promise that I'll find a way. I swear! Don't give up, okay, Jieun? I'll find a way to get him back."

But do I really want that? she wondered again. She bit her bottom lip. She had made Jiho make so many useless promises. She wouldn't be surprised if he ever collapsed and broke all of his promises with her. The man had done such a wonderful job to keep everything the same, but did everything necessarily have to be the same?

"So you're expecting him? You're expecting his return?"

Kiha's words echoed in Jieun's head. She wasn't sure why, but for that small moment, she was thinking about all the things that Kiha told her.

"Let's not make a promise like that right now," Jieun said gently. She gave him a small grin. "Let's just do what we're doing in life. Don't make a promise like that for me, Jiho. I'd rather live to see you have a good life."

Jiho opened his mouth to protest, to convince her that he could keep his promises. However, Minah squeezed his hand, gesturing him to accept Jieun's offer and to keep low. He hesitantly nodded his head.

At that moment, his phone rang an alarm. He looked down at the device, then turned off the alarm.

"Break ended," Jiho said. "Come on, Minah. We need to go and shoot the scenes."

"Oh, right," Minah said, laughing a little. "I almost forgot that I had a drama to film." She looked at Jieun while getting up. "Hope to talk to you soon!"

"See you," Jieun said, smiling and getting up. She gave Minah a hug before the star skipped away. Jiho approached Jieun and gave her a sheepish smile.

"I'll call you as soon as I can," Jiho promised.

"I'll be expecting it," Jieun said, nodding her head. She watched Jiho and Minah leave the café. 

After a few minutes of just standing near the tables, Jieun took a deep breath and started to walk at the opposite direction, heading straight to Kiha's house.

~ ~ ~

"I hate tuxedos."

"Sh. Don't say anything unnecessary or else you'll ruin it for our company," Jungkook whispered. He looked around the crowd. "Remember, just smile and greet yourself as my assistant."

"Okay, but I'm going to drop the act once we find the host," Chanyeol said.

"Why?" Jungkook asked. Before he had the chance to listen to Chanyeol, a few people came up to him. In a blink of an eye, Jungkook flashed his most charming smile and introduced himself and Chanyeol. 

Chanyeol rolled his eyes secretly. He looked around the crowd, trying to find a specific person. He was thankful of his tall height since it allowed him to tower over most people and get a good view. Without telling Jungkook, he crept away, squeezing himself through the crowd with eyes scanning the room.

After a few minutes of roaming around, Chanyeol felt a small tap on his leg. 

"Oof!"

He looked down, noticing a young toddler who had just bumped into him. The toddler stared up, straining his neck as he tried to meet Chanyeol's eyes. Chanyeol frowned a bit.

This guy looks familiar, he thought.

"Woah! You're huge!" the toddler exclaimed, nearly shouting.

I'm not good at dealing with little kids, Chanyeol thought weakly. "Um, hi. Go to your parents."

"Hey, can you give me a shoulder ride?" the boy asked.

"Where's your daddy? Mommy?" Chanyeol repeated.

"Father is talking to people and Mother is finding my little sister." The boy gestured Chanyeol to kneel. With a heavy sigh, Chanyeol did what the boy was asking for. "To be honest, my sister and I are playing hide-and-seek. We're both hiding from our younger sibling."

"You're playing hide-and-seek in this building?" Chanyeol repeated. The boy nodded. "Well, that's not very fair to your younger sibling."

"He doesn't do much. He only kicks," the boy said, raising his foot in an awkward manner.

"Let's go find your daddy and mommy, okay?"

"You know, you look kind of ugly," the boy remarked. "Father and Mother look a lot more better than you."

This punk, Chanyeol thought irritatedly. Before he had the chance to say anything, he heard someone call his name. He turned around and saw Jungkook walking after him.

"Dude, you can't just leave me alone," Jungkook said, frowning at him. "What if I needed back up?"

"You looked like you could handle everything," Chanyeol said.

Jungkook looked down at the boy. "Oh. I see that you've met Minho."

"Minho?" Chanyeol looked at the boy. "You even know the kid's name? My gosh, that's ridiculous."

"That's not it. This kid is important," Jungkook said. "He's the son of the guy who's hosting this party."

Chanyeol stared at Jungkook for a long time. "You're kidding."

"No," Jungkook answered. He kneeled down to the boy. "Hi, Minho! Do you remember me? The last time I saw you you hardly spoke!"

The toddler stared at Jungkook. "You existed?"

Jungkook clicked his tongue. "You were cuter when you weren't talking."

"That's what Mother says!"

"Come on, Minho. Let's go find your dad," Jungkook suggested.

"Okay!" Minho exclaimed.

I've been freaking suggesting that for the past fifteen minutes and you listen to him? Chanyeol thought, completely annoyed. He paused for a second. Minho… Kind of sounds like Minah's and Jiho's name put together. Chanyeol stopped himself, then scoffed. No, no. It's just a coincidence. There's no way.

"Where's your dad, Minho?" Jungkook asked him.

"Over around the corner of your ," Minho said, grinning as if he said something amazing.

Jungkook pressed his lips. "Yep, you were definitely cuter when you didn't speak."

"I want a shoulder ride!" Minho shouted, looking at Chanyeol.

"No," Chanyeol said.

"Shoulder ride!"

"Hell no."

"Chanyeol?" Jungkook said in a pleading manner. "Please? Think about the company's sake. Do it for Kiha."

Chanyeol gritted his teeth and looked at the boy. "Gosh, why are you so important…"

He picked up Minho and placed him on his shoulders. Minho cheered loudly, embarrassing him. The three walked around a bit until Minho started tapping Chanyeol's head and pulled a handful of his hair. Chanyeol groaned in pain while Minho frantically pointed at a certain direction.

"Father! There's Father!" Minho shouted.

"Get ready," Jungkook whispered to Chanyeol. "This is the guy we need to make a good enough impression on."

"Ow, ow, ow," Chanyeol complained, not listening to Jungkook. The pain on his head was much more important than listening to any of Jungkook's instructions.

The three continued to walk until Minho started to hit his head, which forced Chanyeol to pick up the boy from his shoulders and placed him back on the ground. Minho started dashing over to a particular figure while Jungkook and Chanyeol slowly approached the boy's father. The two were only a couple of feet away from the host, but Chanyeol could already sense an intense aura surrounding Minho's father.

"Father!" Minho exclaimed. "Father, I brought more people!"

The host turned around, causing Chanyeol to freeze and remember all the bitter memories he had with the wealthy man standing in front of him. The father displayed a rather smug smile as his eyes dawned on the two boys.

"Well, well," the host murmured, carefully examining the men. "I've invited two quite unexpected guests today."

Jungkook bowed. "I'm here as my uncle's replacement. My name is Jung Jungkook, son of the Jung Financial Group."

"Aha," the host murmured, amused. However, his attention was quickly diverted to Chanyeol, who paled but kept his composure. "I believe this isn't the first time we've met, am I right, Park Chanyeol?"

Chanyeol—with all the courage he had—faked a smile as he extended his hand to shake the host's hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you again," Chanyeol said in a tight tone, "Kwon Jiyong."