She has been sipping on the same glass for at least twenty minutes and eyeing her company around the table. Hannah isn’t good at social meetings, to sit down to drink and eat just … because it’s fun. It’s not that fun, she admits to herself. It’s not the company because everyone around the table are fun people, from dancer Myung to a producer, there is Manager Lee, then a song-writer Jonghyun knows and his friend and also a staff at the MBC radio who somehow is now working tonight though he is invited out. In other words, it’s Hannah, a friend and a bunch of guys. Probably that’s why Hannah isn’t having the best night; or she is just not the social type. She is more into movie nights.

But she has dressed up a little with a black top short enough to show the belt to her black jeans, a simple necklace, her red knitted cardigan and a pair of nice boots. All black with the red cardigan. She likes it, her own simple style that is comfortable but not too laid back.

“You,” Manager Lee leans over the table to tap the surface to get Hannah’s attention. “You want one?”

He points at the shot glass he has put next to her drink. Hannah grimaces a bit but ends up lifting it. Manager Lee is already drunk, they haven’t been here for long but it turns out he was drinking before coming here.

“For love and life!” Manager Lee calls out to not just the table but for those around too.

Hannah watches him empty his glass before she swallows the contents in her own. Manager Lee is having it quite bad with his love life at the moment, as his latest date didn’t turn out well. With a real grimace over the taste of the liquor, Hannah gets up on her feet, waving her hand to say she has to go pee before she heads to the bathroom. Jonghyun is still at work, so the whole thing to come out here to look at him hasn’t really paid off yet. All she has been hearing is the bad love life of their friends and some funny work-related stories.

In the bathroom she picks up her phone, seeing Ana has sent her a picture of Ace sleeping on Maria’s chest. Maybe she should’ve stayed at home instead, to give Ana some company as Maria can’t seem to be much of it. She writes to her friend, asking if she wants her to come home, then Hannah uses the toilet as she said she would.

Jonghyun’s radio is about to end too, which means it won’t be too long until he is here. Washing her hands, Hannah looks in her mirror-reflection, wondering if Ana will want her to come home or if she will stay for Jonghyun. Taking a deep breath she head out to go back to her friends, to tell her manager to take it a bit easier on the drinking. She keeps her eyes on her phone, waiting for Ana to answer but when heading out the bathroom she comes to think of the time she received Ana’s text, her friend might have fallen asleep by now.

Stepping outside, she almost bumps into someone. With her eyes on her phone she just saw someone in front of her.

“Sorry,” Hannah mumbles and looks up.

Her whole face drops at the sight of him and he looks quite surprised to see her too.

“Honggi…” Hannah breathes out.

“What are you doing here?” Honggi chuckles, looking nervously up and down at her. “I thought you were on tour.”

“What are you doing here?” Hannah grimaces back at him.

“I’m here with friends,” Honggi answers. He looks good. His hair is black and cut nicely, he is handsomely dressed in a sweater and jeans and he looks really good, and a bit drunk. “And you aren’t on tour?”

Hannah’s grimace has turned into a small frown looking at him. She did not expect to see him, she has been avoiding everything about him. She has listened to his solo album, the great album she really likes but can’t openly promote because she isn’t on good terms with him, but she has avoided a lot about him.

“We’re coming and going,” Hannah mumbles, glancing around them before frowning at him again. “I have to go.”

“Oooooh hold it right there, Sunshine,” Honggi chuckles and steps to the side to stop her from going. To be called Sunshine she finds herself glaring at him. With just one nickname she gets furious at him. He doesn’t like that she is engaged with Jonghyun, he is like her mother, too selfish to know it has nothing to do with him. “I see you are still upset-”

“I’m not upset,” Hannah shakes her head, but her eyes are not in a good mood. “I’m furious.”

“I can understand that,” Honggi nods at her. The way he nods makes her think he is not serious right now. “I said some bad things last time we met and- Um, where is Jonghyun?” Honggi glances around. “Should I worry about a fist in my face again?”

Hannah takes a step to the side, testing him if she can get past but once again he follows her step to block the way.

“If anything, it’s my fist you should worry about,” she threatens him, “If you don’t let me go.”

Honggi laughs, completely drunk, and raises his hands when taking a step back. “I’m not holding you back, Sunshine.”

“Don’t call me that,” Hannah mutters and when walking by she pushes his shoulder as he did still block the way for her.

Her emotions are all over the place again just like when her mother had called during the day. But this time, she can do something about it. Reaching the table she picks up her drink before even sitting down, swallowing what’s left in it and when she does sits down she grabs the bottle to fill up another shot glass to herself and this time to Myung sitting on her left side. She pokes his leg to get his attention when shoving the glass to him.

Myung is a year older, he is handsome and has such a kind face that even after drinking and looking tired he can’t get that kindness away from him. His smile is dazzling when looking at Hannah as he picks up the glass.

Without a word they tilt their heads back and take the shot together. As soon as the strong liquor has gone down Hannah grimaces and looks at the table for something more to drink. It’s not that she wants to swallow as much as possible, her thought is more directed to distract her from ranting out about meeting Honggi.

“What made you suddenly change your mind?” Manager Lee asks with a nod at the next glass in her hand.

Hannah never said she was going to take it easy with the drinking tonight, but for someone who spends a lot of time with her, Manager Lee noticed by the way she took her time with the first drink that she was going to spend the night sober.

“Frustrations,” Hannah simply answers.

To her surprise, Manager Lee takes the liquor bottle to pour her a drink, giving her two as she already had poured up one. “You need it,” he explains before showing his hand for her to drink.

She looks at him with small eyes. It is rare for Manager Lee to tell her to drink, he usually the responsible one thinking of her image as a member in 5 Pieces and following the rules of not letting her drink much, but she doesn’t have a schedule the upcoming day and he isn’t really working now, so it feels really nice to not have her manager tell her to take it easy with the alcohol. She drinks. Everyone drinks. She doesn’t talk much though she does her best to listen, but it hasn’t even gotten five minutes and she only wants to keep drinking if she is going to stay here without Jonghyun.

“Look who I found!” the staff member from the radio comes back from ordering more drinks and he looks proudly at the person Hannah is frustrated at.

“Hi,” Honggi in his drunk state holds out his hand to greet those around the table. Myung takes his hand, the others do too, but when he reaches Manager Lee, he is given a questioning look along with the hand. And the questioning look turns to Hannah, who looks down at the drink she is pouring up for herself.

There the answer as to why she is drinking more than she expected has arrived.

Honggi is friendly when sitting down next to Hannah, though he is talking to the others. Feeling him sit down next to her, Hannah gives him a glare that she hopes no one else sees. Honggi tells them he is on another floor with some friends, but apparently he doesn’t have a rush to go back to them as he sits there for a long time. Hannah leans back in her seat, looking at her phone and trying to ignore Honggi completely while everyone is talking happily. She wonders if Myung is aware of that she and Honggi had a fight last time, if he knows he must’ve forgotten it at the moment because he is talking happily and friendly. Manager Lee has not forgotten. He keeps asking Honggi if his friends aren’t wondering where he is, asking if he is going to be here for long, he is quite open with that he isn’t happy with Honggi’s presence, though everyone else just waves his words off and happily tells Honggi to stay for as long as he want – they even tell him to forget the other friends or invite them over, the more the merrier.

It isn’t until Hannah’s name is brought up that she shows a reaction. It was the song-writer’s female friend who asked if Honggi and Hannah are close, as she has heard they are, and Honggi, the idiot he is, puts his hand on Hannah’s shoulder to tell;

“I had some bad influence on Hannah when she first came to Seoul. Her agency put a Honggi-ban for her to not see me.”

Hannah removes his hand and leans forward, hearing the laughter from their friends and questions asking what Honggi did for them to put a ban like that, Hannah finishes another glass before she stands up. With Hannah standing up, Honggi and Manager Lee both get up on their feet too; both aware of what she does, she hadn’t realised that they were too aware of her.

“Where are you going?” Honggi sounds worried, receiving a glare from both Hannah and Manager Lee.

Hannah looks at the friends though when saying she is going out for some fresh air.

“I’ll go too,” Manager Lee is fast to say and when he goes after Hannah he glares at Honggi to make sure he won’t go with them.

Hannah goes outside with a deep sigh and she walks across the small street to put some more distance. When turning around she sees Manager Lee come outside, preparing a cigarette in between his lips. He looks back and forth on the street before passing it. It’s quite a lot of people outside tonight, no one takes notice of Hannah though. A mix of young and old are at the restaurant bar they are at, a guard by the door makes sure only those of age are allowed inside and also to make sure no one too drunk is let inside. Manager Lee takes his time to come over to Hannah now when they are outside, mostly to lighten his cigarette but maybe also because there is no one near Hannah where she stands.

“You knew he was here?” Manager Lee asks when coming up to Hannah.

“No.” Hannah’s answer is quickly out and she crosses her arms over her chest before sighing again. “I met him outside the bathroom. Never would I think he was stupid enough to sit down with us.”

Manager Lee glances at her when she says the last sentence. He hasn’t been working much with her this past month, neither one of them have updated each other on how their lives are at the moment; he with his dates and Hannah with her hate and frustration towards Honggi. He was about to ask if they are still fighting, but based on her tone and words, it’s not a question he has to ask to know the answer on.

“Why isn’t Jonghyun here yet?” Hannah tiredly asks. She can’t stand still. She wants to run around, maybe go back inside and start some karaoke show. She wants Maria here to help her let out these emotions with movements through dancing.

“He’s on his way,” Manager Lee answers. “Do you want me to tell Honggi to leave?”

Hannah has to think of that. But he was nice to the others, they seemed to have fun. She shakes her head in the end. “No…” Hannah answers and looks at her manager, “Do you think Jonghyun would get upset if I went home?”

Manager Lee smiles and with his head down his eyes looks up at her. “You want to miss a chance to meet Jonghyun because of Honggi?” he asks.

She grimaces at the way he puts it. If he puts it that way, she knows Jonghyun will be upset. So instead of going home Hannah texts Jonghyun to ask if he is on his way. He is fast to answer that he is ten minutes away, adding the question “do you miss me?” that she doesn’t answer to. To tell him that Honggi is there seems like a good warning, but she doesn’t write that until they head back inside and she confirms Honggi is still sitting by the table.

He has taken her seat but as Hannah and Manager Lee approaches the table he gets up on his feet to let Hannah sit there. Hannah doesn’t though. She knew he would sit next to her so instead she sits down on a chair next to Manager Lee. Honggi sits back down next to Myung, the two of them whispers to one another while Hannah asks Manager Lee to give her something to drink. She is sitting a chair away from the table but that’s alright since Manager Lee is her bridge, sending her a glass with more alcohol. Her phone is vibrating with text messages rushing in from Jonghyun, asking tons of questions and before she has sent off one back to him, he writes that he has arrived. Hannah looks up at the friends around the table and then turns around to see when he comes.

The bar is crowded of people wanting drinks, making it slightly difficult to see anyone trying to get past, but after a few minutes she spots him. He gets past the people way too easily and while he quietly waves to his friends, he walks straight up to Honggi.

“Step outside,” Jonghyun tells him in a dark tone.

“What are you doing?” his friends laughs.

Honggi gets up on his feet with a smile to the friends before going outside with Jonghyun. Hannah isn’t sure if she is supposed to stay seated because no one even looks her way until those two are out of sight, and then everyone looks at Hannah. The questions “what’s up with them” isn’t directed to her, no one puts the pieces together but Hannah can’t sit and wait for the friends speculations to get directed to her so she decides to go after Jonghyun and Honggi. And with Hannah leaving, Manager Lee decides to follow. Only for one reason: last time the three of them were together, it caused trouble for a lot of people.

Hannah can’t find them. She searches on the second floor, then goes downstairs to look but she can’t find them there either, so Manager Lee tells her to go back to the others and he will find them. Hannah won’t go back to the others, instead she gives Jonghyun a call. He doesn’t answer. She calls Honggi. He answers, and based on his tone he is happy she calls him. He even pulls out on the greeting, saying ‘hello my sunshine friend, Hannah’, letting her know very well Jonghyun is with him.

“Where are you?” Hannah asks.

“Where are we?” Honggi asks with a smile. “Because I like you, Hannah, I will tell you. We are on the third floor, furthest corridor.”

Hannah hangs up without another word and starts walking, but when reaching the third floor she has to ask Manager Lee for directions or she is certain they will get lost. It isn’t difficult to find them but what happens when Jonghyun sees Hannah is that whatever they were arguing over is stopped, they quiets down when she and Manager Lee comes. Honggi is leaning against the wall around the corner, drunk, and Jonghyun looks angry, not drunk.

“No fists flying here,” Honggi jokes and looks up at Manager Lee. “Oh, are you the guard, Hyung? To make sure we won’t create any headlines this time?”

Manager Lee looks at Jonghyun. “Are you going to create a scene?” he asks.

“I don’t know,” Jonghyun answers without stopping to glare at Honggi. “Am I?”

Honggi holds his hands up. “How would I know?” he asks.

“I told you to stay away from her,” Jonghyun reminds him angrily.

“I remember,” Honggi nods, but he looks like he will not remember this night. Hannah feels bad for him for being this drunk, wondering if he is going to fall asleep standing.

“Then leave,” Jonghyun threatens. Hannah’s chest is shaking f