Krystal stood in the corner, awkwardly tapping her foot and bopping her head to the rhythm of the dance music that boomed throughout the house, her red cup filled with water rippling as the vibration permeated even her beverage. She couldn't help but feel uncomfortable at the sight of all the drunken people trudging around the apartment, all 20-somethings trying to grasp onto the last of their youth whilst they had the opportunity. Yet even Krystal struggled to join in on the novelty.

Old habits die hard.

She carefully eyed Taemin talking to one of the beautiful girls who interned at his office, Wendy, her big eyes and batting eyelashes making Krystal feel slightly ill - and certainly not out of jealousy. More a distaste for all things girly and pretty that she once loved so much as a teenager. Amber was clearly enjoying herself for once (perhaps a little too much) in comparison to her usual nagging and complaining. Krystal was very aware of how concerned her best friend was over her mental wellbeing, and Krystal couldn't deny relief in seeing her best friend let loose for once. Even if she was standing dangerously close to the drunken Eric, a friend from college who clearly had eyes for Amber.

"Is this what you usually do at parties nowadays?" 

Krystal jumped at the appearance of Kai besides her, eyes curious as he held two red cups of alcohol.

"What?" 

"People watching," Kai shrugged, nodding to the sea of drunken party-goers wreaking havoc upon Irene's apartment, "Vodka-Coke?" He held the cup up in offering.

Krystal instinctively shied away from it, "No thanks, I'll stick to water."

Kai pulled a face, "The Krystal I remember never turned down alcohol - especially when it was free!"

Krystal couldn't help but smile - Kai's easy-going nature and warm smile was infectious, "Well, time changes people."

Something close to fear or sadness flashed in Kai's bright eyes for a second, "Yeah, you can say that again."

Krystal couldn't help but get a sneaking suspicion that Kai meant something entirely different with his words. She couldn't help but be so, she'd grown accustomed to expecting the worst from people - but there was something about Kai that made it so darn difficult, especially when he began to crack mercilessly savage jokes about Key's dance moves.

"I'm serious," Kai choked out amidst his and Krystal's outrageous laughter, "That is not a dance move you want to do in that state!"

"And how would you know that?" Krystal raised an eyebrow at his comment, as if he had the experience to make some sort of judgment on dancing that was above reproach.

Kai shrugged, a mysterious grin appearing on his face, "Dancing was sometimes what got me by in my time abroad,"

"Okay, forget I asked - I don't wanna' know what that's supposed to mean," Krystal laughed at the comment, genuinely amused and taken with Kai's perfect comedic timing. She sighed, "Gee, I almost forgot how painful laughing can actually be."

Kai immediately calmed down from his laughter too, sensing the sensitivity behind Krystal's words, "What makes you say that?"

Krystal was normally a very private person. Countless press confrontations in her youth taught her it was better to keep quiet and suffer in silence that let anyone know how you were feeling. Yet again, Kai had a way of breaking through that barrier she'd built around herself, and he'd done it as easy as breathing or smiling. 

"I guess there's not really been a lot of reasons for me to smile nowadays," Krystal sighed as she swished around her water in her red cup, watching the bubbles and drops of water rising and falling from the surface, "I'm sorry- I- I must be pretty morbid company."

"Don't be," Kai said softly, "I guess you just never found the right opportunity and motivation. You just need someone to give you a reason to laugh."

Krystal raised an eyebrow at Kai's notion, "How do you suppose doing that?"

"Watch me," Kai shrugged before disappearing off into the crowd, dipping out of sight for one second, before appearing besides the birthday-girl, Irene as she and Wendy shuffled the playlist. She watched very carefully as Kai introduced himself to the girls, apparently comfortable despite his usually reserved nature that was so similar to Krystal's own. 

"Who was that guy you were with?"

"Huh?" Krystal slurred at Taemin's question, all the while her eyes trained on Kai's movements as Irene, suddenly grinning and blushing as Kai spoke to her, gulped down the rest of her drink.

"That guy," Taemin nodded to Kai, his voice filled with sheer distaste as he too began to watch Kai - eyes like a hawk.

"Friend from high-school," Krystal shrugged as Kai continued to mince his words with Irene and Wendy across the room, a mischievous grin on his face.

"I don't trust him," Taemin sighed, ever the stronger judge of character than other mere mortals, "Didn't he puke in your house?"

Krystal glared at her ex-boyfriend, "He's done more than that,"

Yet little did Krystal know, that as her eyes glared at the smirking Taemin, Irene had marched up to Kai's friend Sehun across the room, and threw her drink over his head, more than interrupting his conversation with Luhan. The room around them burst into outrageous laughter at the embarrassing scene, more so when Irene drunkenly leapt on Sehun and gave him a passionately-sloppy kiss. Krystal couldn't help but laugh - not at the scene itself, but at Kai's devilishly satisfied smirk from the other side of the room. 

"Oh yeah?" Taemin scoffed, "What exactly does he do in that case? Beside from pranking his friends?"

Krystal grunted and downed her water, before turning onto Taemin, "What's your problem?"

Taemin sighed before staring at Krystal with begging eyes - eyes that still had a strange way of making her stomach flutter in ways she wished didn't, "Isn't obvious?"

Krystal raised an eyebrow - she could guess pretty easily, but figured it would sound better confessed from his own lips.

"I still care," Taemin shrugged, his lawyer's swagger and confidence at an all-time high, "And like I said at Lotte World, I want to fix things rather than forget about him."

Krystal scoffed, averting her eyes as Kai approached them, "You sure sound like you have motivation for that,"

Taemin paused for a moment, his voice going slightly quiet, "You have no idea," Krystal didn't even notice how pained or thoughtful his eyes had grown.

"I see I got you laughing then?" Kai chuckled as he made his way over to the two, sky-high on energy (and alcohol) as Krystal high-fived him.

"I didn't think you had it in you," Krystal smiled as Kai picked up an unopened bottle of beer from the table, opening the cap with his bare teeth.

"Sorry, who are you?" Taemin asked rudely, cutting into the conversation unwanted, clearly getting territorial where need not be.

Kai cleared his throat, clearly struggling holding back a sarcastically-satisfied smile at Taemin's clear irritation, "Kim Jongin - Kai. I'm Krystal's new knight in shining armour,"

Krystal couldn't help but flush scarlet at the comment.

Taemin on the other hand, couldn't help but grow irritated, "Right, is that what they call it?"

Krystal glared up at Taemin's uncalled for rudeness - yet before she could even defend her newfound friend, Kai piped up, "Yeah, it's either that or something close to a control freak that's popular nowadays. Wonder where these people get their inspiration from." Kai smirked as he brought the bottle to his lips, graciously drinking up his beverage as Taemin sent him a glare that would make him push up daises.

"Kai's come back from traveling," Krystal interjected, anything to stop the awkwardness, "He's enrolled in the college at last."

Taemin scoffed, "Where'd you go, to find yourself or something?"

Kai shrugged, clearly un-threatened by the lawyer's offensive - an offensive that cut most people down within seconds, "I guess, but it's crazy the kind of people you can meet around the world, though I suppose the worst kinds are always right behind you, right at home."

Taemin pulled a smile that reeked of sheer sarcastic friendliness, "Well, it's nice meeting you, but we better get going."

"Oh really?" Kai mused, clearly unconvinced.

"Yeah," Krystal scoffed, turning to Taemin with unforgiving eyes, "Really?"

Taemin smiled a knowing grin at Krystal, blatantly satisfied with whatever trump card he was about to play, "Don't you remember?"

"Enlighten me,"

"You're supposed to be meeting my friend Victoria tomorrow? And since your friends will probably be in no driving state, and Sulli probably staying with Minho again, I doubt you'll ever make it on time!"

Krystal huffed, frustrated at Taemin's logic. After all, it was him who drove them tot his party, and they were supposed to be meeting his friend tomorrow for tuition. Krystal sent Kai an apologetic look, "I'm sorry, I've gotta' go,"

"No worries," Kai shrugged, "Clearly it's something important - to one of us at least," he smiled.

Krystal couldn't help but wryly smile at the sheer look of anger Taemin sent Kai. Krystal pulled Kai into a warm hug, uncommon for her, "Don't be a stranger now! I wanna' see you soon!"

Kai smiled, "Believe me, I don't plan on it."

~

"Krystal, we've been over this topic a dozen times - at least," Victoria groaned as Krystal failed yet another impromptu-test on