“Yo! Donghae.”

Donghae lifted his eyes from his monitor to look at Eunhyuk who was standing in front of his desk with a bemused expression as he snapped his fingers in front of his face.

Donghae cleared his throat and returned his focus back at his monitor. “What?”

“Aish,” Euhyuk said shaking his head at him. “You haven’t heard a word I said, did you?”

“I’m busy,” Donghae just replied.

“Yeah. Too busy being comatose,” Eunhyuk said with a smirk. “Do you realize you have been staring at your monitor for about 15 minutes when I came in? Without moving? I don’t even want to ask how long you have been catatonic before I entered. What is up with you, man? You are completely so….” He looked at the ceiling as if looking for the right term and just decided on a much more general word. “…distracted these days.”

Donghae stopped moving his mouse on the graph he is working on as thoughts of Dara earlier that day entered his brain unwelcomingly. Again. “Aish!” Donghae exclaimed in an aggravated tone as he pushed his mouse and keyboard away and stood up pinching the bridge of his nose with his one hand and putting the other on his waist. Dammit, he can’t concentrate for more than a week now!

He knew what’s wrong with him. And it’s Sandara Park.

God, why can’t he get her out of his mind? He only did what he needs to do. He was just being honest with her. He can’t date at this moment. Not at this point when he’s trying to win back accounts that they have lost. His father entrusted him with this position and he had worked so hard to get this company retain its reputation. This is all he had ever cared about and all he had ever thought of.

He was always driven by his ambition, his dream. Always seeking ways on how to be better than his competitors. Better than his dad in handling this company. Working, working, working. That is his daily life and his comfort zone.

And Sandara Park is wrecking that very ideal he had set up for himself.  That goal. And the way she looked at him after that meeting like she loathes him.... Dammit, it’s bothering him so much that he couldn’t focus anymore.

Eunhyuk was surprised at his sudden show of agitation. He had never seen his friend lose his cool before. Is he that stressed? “Alright, not distracted,” Eunhyuk retracted putting his palms up like he’s trying to calm down a raging bull. Knowing Donghae, this is probably the closest to a rage Eunhyuk had ever witnessed. “Just… a little bit too… pressured?” He couldn’t think of a better word.

Donghae looked at Eunhyuk and exhlad sharply. “I need a in’ drink.” He slowly sat down on his chair feeling so exhausted.

Eunhyuk was surprised at that. Donghae rarely curse too. In fact, he could probably count the times he heard Donghae swear with just one hand. Wow, his friend is really stressed. A first time for Donghae since he’s usually the one causing everybody stress.

“Okay,” Eunhyuk said with a shrug trying to appease him. “Do you want me to get you a beer? Or something stronger?”

Donghae picked up a pen  and tapped it on his table as he regarded Eunhyuk with a reproaching look. “This is all your fault.”

“What the hell did I do?” Eunhyuk said wryly.

“I told you to get me someone unimportant. One who doesn’t matter and who did you get?” He was pointing his pen in Eunhyuk’s direction.

Eunhyuk was at a loss at what Donghae is talking about and it took a moment before it dawned on him. “Are you… talking about… that date? Dara?”

Donghae dropped the pen and leaned back on the chair giving Eunhyuk a pointed look and Eunhyuk snorted. “Uh… okay. So...what are we talking about Dara?” He sat down on the chair and prompted Donghae to explain with his hand.

Donghae pushed his hair back looking resigned. He feels like a mess. “You know what, forget it.”

“Hey,” Eunhyuk said. “In my defense, I had no idea a COO would be joining a dating site. And how can I tell she’s someone important? She looked so innocent on the picture, how the hell would I know she would turn out to be the strict Chief Officer of the biggest broadcasting company in the country? And I thought you guys are already good?” Then he gave Donghae an accusatory look. “What did you do again?”

Eunhyuk watched as Donghae returned his attention back at his computer screen looking like he decided right there and then to just ignore him. “Sheesh,” Eunhyuk muttered shaking his head. “I don’t know what to do with you anymore.”

“I’m busy,” Donghae said without looking at his friend. “Do your mutterings somewhere else.”

Eunhyuk motioned a neck slice in front of Donghae which the latter just ignored. Making a face, Eunhyuk stood up and told Donghae, “Let me know when you wanted to get a drink. I would need one too because you’re stressing me out. Aish.”

Donghae stopped working on the graph when he heard the door closed after Eunhyuk left then he leaned back on his chair again with a heavy sigh, looking up at the ceiling. Yes, he definitely needed a drink tonight. He took his phone from his pocket and dialled a number.

“Hey,” a voice answered. “What’s up?”

“Jae Hyun,” Donghae said. “You want to go out tonight for a beer with me and Eunhyuk?” Eunhyuk would probably spend the whole night making fun of him and he needed a middle man to shut his friend up.

“Tonight? I can’t. Hye Sun is organizing a dinner party and I’m required to be there.” He chuckled.

“Dinner party?”

“Yup,” Jae Hyun said. “It’s just a simple dinner with our friends.”

“Am I invited?” Donghae asked automatically.

Jae Hyun sounded like he’s choking. “Oh. Uh… of course. Yeah.”

His response made Donghae’s forehead creased in puzzlement.

“It’s uh… seven tonight,” Jae Hyun continued. “And uh… you know, the girls are just gonna be here. You know. CL, Bom… and Dara… with her date….” His voice trailed off.

Donghae’s creased forehead smoothened at the mention of Dara and her date. “Really?”

“Yeah…,” Jae Hyun said hesitantly. “It’s… uh… the girls just wanted to meet… Dara’s date so… you know. But it would be great if you could come.” His voice turned cheery.

“I’ll be there,” Donghae said sounding monotone.

“Cool,” Jae Hyun said. “Alright. I’ll see you tonight then. And… yeah if you could bring Eunhyuk too, that would be great and… we could drink.” Then he muttered under his breath, “Because I feel like I would need one anytime soon.”

“Alright,” Donghae said. “I’ll see you.”

Donghae hung up and dialled Eunhyuk’s number. He answered on the third ring. “What?” He sounded resigned.

“I need a date tonight and you would be it.”

“You invited Donghae?!”

Jae Hyun scratched his head as he told Hye Sun about Donghae coming over to dinner. “What was I supposed to do? He’s our friend. And after he lent us his yacht and everything I would suddenly tell him, no, you can’t come to this dinner that my wife is setting up because you rejected Dara.”

“It’s not that,” Hye Sun said. “I just… I don’t want Dara to be uncomfortable. I mean, she looked so happy when she started dating this Woo Young guy and I don’t want to ruin it.”

“Honey,” Jae Hyun said trying to sound reasonable. “If Dara is happy with this Woo Young guy, then I really doubt she would care whether Donghae is there or not. And it’s not like Donghae would care either since he didn’t want to date Dara to begin with.”

“Dara is gonna care because she is just starting to move on,” Hye Sun said sternly then sighed. “But of course I don’t want to be rude to Donghae too. What am I gonna tell Dara?”

“Just tell her to show Donghae she’s moved on with this Woo Young guy,” Jae Hyun said picking an apple from the counter and biting into it. He doesn’t want to stress that Donghae wouldn’t care either way in case Hye Sun chuck him with the bottle she’s cleaning at the sink. Why does women complicate such simple matters?

“You what?!” Dara hissed when Hye Sun pulled her aside to tell her something important after they entered her friend’s house. Woo Young had picked her up that night and drove to Hye Sun’s and Jae Hyun’s home so they could meet this guy who decided she’s good enough to date. He had been nothing but very courteous when he met them and Bom and CL looked like they are ready to ship them off to get married that night as they ushered him inside the living room.

“I’m sorry,” Hye Sun said apologetically then shot Jae Hyun a glare as he inched away from them. “But I can’t really uninvite him. He’s our friend.”

“I thought this dinner is because you wanted to meet Woo Young?”

“It is,” Hye Sun said brightly. “But… he found out we’re having dinner and he asked if he could join. Look. Donghae might be a cold guy but he is pretty lonely. We’re the only friends he have… I think.”

Dara scoffed. Not surprising since he is such an . She could still remember that very cold attitude when Jessica talked to him that day.

“So please, just be… I dunno. Civil?” Hye Sun pleaded.

Dara glared at her in disbelief. “What do you think I would do? I have manners and grace, you know. And It’s not like I care anyway.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder.

Hye Sun grinned. “I knew that. And you look stunning, by the way.”

Dara was wearing a halter floral dress and a white strappy sandals with her hair slightly waved down her back. “I know,” she responded then chuckled. “C’mon, let’s get inside before CL and Bom scared Woo Young.”

True enough, Bom and CL are all over Woo Young, firing questions in succession and Dara had to step in and tell them to ease off her date.

It wasn’t until they are already starting to gather on the dinner table when Donghae arrived and Dara tried to look as relaxed as she possibly can but the recollection of how he rejected her and the brutal way he did to Jessica is playing on her mind that she can’t help but shoot him a sharp glare when he greeted everybody with a small smile. Eunhyuk was in contrast as he greeted everyone with a wide warm smile, shaking hands with Jae Hyun and Woo Young.

Her friends gave Donghae a small smile but their greeting wasn’t as enthusiastic as before. Look at that. Her friends are supporting her by not being too friendly with the guy who rejected her. They are a childish bunch. Woo Young on the other hand looked thrilled when he shook hands with Lee Donghae.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said with a warm wide smile whilst Donghae just looked bored and probably only exchanging greetings as it was the appropriate response. They all seated on the table and Dara noticed Woo Young becoming animated beside her. When she found out why, she a