The room is silent. Yong-sun's runs her finger up and down King's grey fur, half-mindedly watching an episode of the lastest drama 'everyone should know about', as Hyejin has told her. Her thoughts drifts away: she thinks of Jongdae and of the way he has been silly enough to get drunk at a welcome party. She thinks of Minseok, who was kind and proposed to take him home, even though her dino-colleague is the worst person to be with once intoxicated. She hopes they are home by now. Unable to cross this thought out of her mind, she extends her arm and takes her phone to have a look at the lockscreen. 

From Jongdae: M home. Good Nite.

She replies quickly and lays the phone on the table, thinking she should go to bed as well. As she stands up to go to her room, King jumping lazily on the ground with a grumpy face, her phone vibrates once again.

From Jongdae: U B Krful.

Furrowing her brows, Young-sun yawns and does not try to understand her friend. He is always writing like one of those freshman who have just discovered technology and try to shorten their messages as much as possible. One day, he will understand than such practices are useless once drunk.  She undresses and goes to bed, Mr. Stache approaching her head to sleep right next to her owner, purring happily as they both fall asleep and she forgets everything about the peculiar evening they just had.

--  --  --  --  --  --

As she wakes up the next morning, Young-Sun realizes the sun is already well up in the sky. She must be late. Not the maybe-I-should-stop-hitting-snooze kind of late, but the I-might-as-well-eat-lunch kind. She rushes out of bed, disrupting the cat's rest as she runs to the bathroom and starts preparing for work. A few minutes later, she is on her way to the office, with the hope of having forgotten nothing that could be more or less important.

The place is quiet at her arrival. Most of the colleagues are already at work, staring blankly at their screens. She recognizes most of the new faces she has seen at the party, but she is unable to name any one of them. No one, except Minseok.

Sitting in front of one of the computers, the newcomer flashes her a smile and goes back to his work as she crosses the room and takes place in front of her computer. Her boss gives her a dirty look as she bows in excuse, knowing she should be working as soon as possible if she does not want to be fired.

Once the break finally comes, she leaves the main room, feeling her heart pinch has she notices Jongdae at his usual place. How come he has not welcomed her as he usually does? It is so not like him. Maybe he has got a hangover, she thinks. But as the other stands up and his eyes meet hers, he suddenly sits back and goes back to his business.

"You're lucky a friend of yours told me you would be late." The boss tells her as he gives her a cup of fresh coffee. "But you know the saying, my dear. Be there or be square."

"I know, Boss. I won't disappoint you." She says, sipping the coffee as he goes out the door.

"Hey, Solar. Mind if I join you?" She looks up and meets Minseok eyes as the male sits in front of her. His smile calls one on her side. "Hi Minseok, thank you for taking Jongdae home yesterday."

"Don't worry, my pleasure."

They talk for a few minutes before going back to work, each of them with another cup of coffee. As she looks at Jongdae's place, he gaves her a cold shoulder. Not a word. Not a look. Nothing at all. Yong-sun sights and decides to stop worrying about her friend's childish behaviour.

Maybe he is just in a bad mood.

Maybe he still suffers from his hangover.

She cannot stop thinking about it. Jongdae is so talkative and outgoing that seeing him so silent is disturbing and, Yong-sun must admit, rather annoying. The tense climate goes on for the rest of the day and the only words she receives are from Minseok, who seems to be worried about Jongdae's reaction. He does not understand why he is so cold. He was happy as he went back home the other day. For all he knows, something must have happened once their colleagues was home.