"Where would I put this?"

"Just place it somewhere over there."

Jinri pointed towards the living room and Joohyun complied, placing the things Jinri had bought for Chanhyun's birthday party over the living room's table. The party will be in three months but since it's her only son's birthday, Jinri's excitement just can't be handled.

"Mom! I'm play with my new ball." Little Chanhyun exclaimed, holding that mini-soccer ball Joohyun had given him just now. Not that she's giving him an early birthday present but she doesn't want to come over empty-handed. Too formal, because in the long span that she had been Sehun's lover, she and Jinri didn't really have the chance to be close. Not that they don't like each other, it's just that they different on almost every aspect.

"Okay sweetie, don't tired yourself okay? Go play by the garden and don't come out of the gate!" Jinri instructed her son.

"Yeah!" Little Chanhyun exclaimed with a nod. Jinri then ordered Chanhyun's nanny to follow her son and off the two went outside. She then proceeds on placing the stuff she's carrying next to where Joohyun placed those she's handling earlier. They met each other in front of the house; since this was the day they agreed to start their planning on Chanhyun's said birthday party. There was an awkward ten seconds silence before Jinri coughed and scratches her nape sheepishly.

"I'll go get the laptop in my room! I've been browsing quite some stuff last night and I stumbled upon wonderful party themes!" She uttered, trying to put some enthusiasm beneath the awkward atmosphere.

"Oh, okay. I'll wait here then." Joohyun answered with a soft smile, finally sitting down on the couch she's been battling in her mind earlier if she should sit on or not, without waiting for the lady of the house to tell her to do so.

Yes, they're close to being strangers just like that.

~

It took Jinri longer than she should to go back from their room. She was busy trying to think of ways on how to lighten up the mood between the two of them, but then she realized she doesn't have to when she saw Joohyun scanning through some picture frames just at the side of their spacious living room.

She placed the laptop over the table not so gently to make her presence know. Joohyun looked back and they exchange smiles before she resumed on checking the photos. She was holding one particular frame that Jinri had recognize to be a picture of her, her husband and Sehun way back in their high school days. The three of them were at the noodle shop where they first met her, celebrating Sehun's win in the Math Olympics he had joined in. Jinri was in the middle of the boys while the three of them makes this silly pose of having the spoons covering their eyes, making a perfect alien-look that had them laughing when the picture came out. Jinri laughed at the memory, they were just so playful back then.

"I've never seen Sehun this goofy." Joohyun uttered, looking at the picture with much amusement.

"What? Oh my God, that wasn't even an inch of how goofy that boy can be! He's a total dork I tell you!" Jinri exclaimed. She doesn't know why, but there's something with reminiscing to good times that she wanted to keep talking about it more and more. "Have you seen him dance? He has this signature move he keeps on doing in every party we've went on! You know this pokey thing?" She uttered, motioning the dance step she's all too familiar with.

"I haven't seen that part of him." True though. In the long run of their relationship, two years and counting, she had never really known that her husband had the tendency to be as crazy as what Jinri was telling now. She had first seen Sehun drinking in some high-profile bar along the streets of NYC, looking so cool and handsome with his glasses that the instant their eyes met, she knew she would want this guy to be hers. He had always been cool. Handsome, smart, cheeky at times cool. It's like he's her very own Clark Kent, intellectual and respectable. Yes he's cool. She knows he is and she felt a tiny pang in her heart having to comprehend that she doesn't know her husband enough at all.

And what's more frustrating is the fact that she's feeling unbelievably irritated over the truth that Jinri know all of this. But why would she feel that way? Of course she knows that, she's his best friend. But still.

"And you know, when they're in their second year, we met this hilariously weird guy that Sehun--"

"I have a message." Joohyun uttered as she fished out her phone in her pocket when she felt it vibrated. She doesn't care if she sounded rude. In fact, she does that in purpose because she knows that if she hears more about this part of Sehun that she's not aware of, she might explode. She's starting to feel jealousy, insecurity, and she doesn't like it.

"Oh, okay." Jinri said, trying to hide the fact that she was taken aback. She let out an ill smile before getting her laptop over the table and sitting on the couch, pretending to start browsing to her files. Joohyun on the other hand bit her lip. She knows she just been y right there but sometimes, words and emotions become superfluous that she can't stand hearing and feeling more about it anymore. Maybe she needs to apologize. Yeah maybe some time.

She checked the message that she's half-thankful that came to found out it's from Krystal. She's a model whom Joohyun had shared the ramp with countless of times when she was still modelling back in the US. She is currently in Seoul, but she'll be back in the States tomorrow so she's inviting her and their other friends for her farewell party. Maybe clubbing and some sort.

"It's from a friend." She stated even before she could stop herself. She felt it was necessary for her to be the one to start the conversation, since she's the one who put it into a halt anyway.

Jinri raised her head from her 'browsing' and cocked an eyebrow at the other woman. Joohyun showed her phone, shaking her hand lightly as to indicate what she's saying. "The message, it's from a friend, asking me to join her for a send-off party later tonight." She explained as she took that spot on the huge couch, an arm-length away from Jinri.

"Oh." Is all Jinri had replied. She knows asking which bar they'll be in or whose friend she's referring to will be useless. She doesn't know any of Joohyun's friends, they are totally different clique and furthermore, she was never the type to go on socialite parties so she really doesn’t know anything regarding that area. So yes, it's better to just shut up.

"I won't be going though." Joohyun continued. She doesn't have to but she feels guilty on what she did earlier. Especially now that they are back on being awkward again. She knows she has to do something. Anything.

"You're not?" Jinri asked and Joohyun is thankful they seemed to have this silent agreement to disregard what happened before and continue trying to ease up that undesirable tension between them.

"Yeah." She said before smiling sheepishly remembering why she won't be available for tonight. "I prepared something for us."

"Us? You mean--"

"Yeah." She answered before smiling coyly. Jinri became quiet for a while after that. Joohyun wondered at first if she had said something wrong. She wondered, because she'll never dare to entertain the other idea that's going on in her head.

"Any special occasion? Don't tell me it's your anniversary, I have to greet you--"

"Oh no! Nothing really. I just want some alone time." She answered and Jinri smiled at her. Maybe it's her imagination but she thought for a moment that the smile didn't reach the other's eyes.

It was another deafening quiet between the two that only the sound of mouse clicks could be here since Jinri resumed on her 'browsing'. Both were thinking on how they should start the conversation yet both are waiting for the other to initiate it. They were saved however when the house phone rang and although it's usually the maids who answered it, Jinri fetch it this time, excusing herself as she did so and Joohyun responded with a nod and a small smile.

So maybe preparing for this birthday party will be a little harder than they expect it to be.

~

A loud slamming of the door echoes through the whole thirty-second floor as the company heir, Chanyeol just forcefully closed his office door and raked hi