“Come in,” I called, hearing a knock on the door.

 

 Jiyong froze in the doorway. “Wow.”

 

 I smiled and looked down at my dress. A bustier that elongated into a short skirt, it was admittedly more daring than I had worn in the past. The material was thin, black, and see-through over a shell. Donghae would be at that party, and I had every intention of being noticed.

 

 “You look amazing,” he said as I slid on my heels.

 

 I gave his white dress shirt and jeans an approving nod. “You look nice, too.”

 

 His sleeves were bunched above his elbows, revealing the intricate tattoos on his forearms. I noticed that his favorite black leather cuff was around his wrist when he shoved his hands in his pockets.

 

 Bom and Top waited for us in the living room.

 

 “Donghae is going to piss himself when he sees you,” Bom giggled as Top led the way to the car.

 

 Jiyong opened the door, and I slid into the back seat of Top’s Charger. Although we had occupied that seat countless times before, it was suddenly awkward to sit next to him.

 

 Cars lined the street; some even parked in the front lawn. The House was busting at the seams, and people were still walking down the street from the dorms. Top pulled onto the grass lot in the back, and Bom and I followed the boys inside.

 

 Jiyong brought me a red plastic cup full of beer and then leaned in to whisper in my ear. “Don’t take these from anyone but me or Top. I don’t want anyone slipping anything in your drink.”

 

 I rolled my eyes. “No one is going to put anything in my drink, Jiyong.”

 

 “Just don’t drink anything that doesn’t come from me, okay? You’re not in Busan, anymore, Butterfly.”

 

 “I haven’t heard that one before,” I said sarcastically, taking a drink.

 

 An hour had passed, and Donghae was still a no-show. Bom and Top were dancing to a slow song in the living room when Jiyong tugged on my hand. “Wanna dance?”

 

 “No thanks,” I said.

 

 His face fell.

 

 I touched his shoulder. “I’m just tired, Ji.”

 

 He put his hand on mine and began to speak, but when I looked beyond him I saw Donghae. Jiyong noticed my expression and turned.

 

 “Hey, Dara! You made it!” Donghae smiled.

 

 “Yeah, we’ve been here for an hour or so,” I said, pulling my hand from under Jiyong’s.

 

 “You look incredible!” he yelled over the music.

 

 “Thanks!” I grinned, glancing over to Jiyong. His lips were pressed together, and a line had formed between his eyebrows.

 

 Donghae nodded toward the living room and smiled. “You wanna dance?”

 

 I wrinkled my nose and shook my head. “Nah, I’m kinda tired.”

 

 Donghae looked at Jiyong then. “I thought you weren’t coming.”

 

 “I changed my mind,” Jiyong said, irritated that he had to explain.

 

 “I see that,” Donghae said, looking to me. “You wanna get some air?”

 

 I nodded and then followed Donghae up the stairs. He paused, reaching to take my hand as we climbed to the second floor. When we reached the top, he pushed open a pair of French doors to the balcony.

 

 “Are you cold?” he asked.

 

 “A little chilly,” I said, smiling when he pulled off his jacket and covered my shoulders. “Thanks.”

 

 “You’re here with Jiyong?”

 

 “We rode together.”

                   

 Donghae’s mouth stretched across his face in a broad grin, and then he looked out onto the lawn. A group of girls were in a huddle; arms hooked together to fight the cold. Crepe paper and beer cans littered the grass along with empty bottles of liquor. Among the clutter, Big Bang brothers were standing around their masterpiece: a pyramid of kegs decorated with white lights.

 

 Donghae shook his head. “This place is going to be destroyed in the morning. The cleanup crew is going to be busy.”

 

 “You have a cleanup crew?”

 

 “Yeah,” he smiled, “we call them freshmen.”

 

 “Poor Top.”

 

 “He’s not on it. He gets a pass because he’s Jiyong’s cousin, and he doesn’t live in the House.”

 

 “Do you live in the House?”

 

 Donghae nodded. “The last two years. I need to get an apartment, though. I need a quieter place to study.”

 

 “Let me guess … Business major?”

 

 “Biology, with a minor in Anatomy. I’ve got one more year left, take the MCAT, and then hopefully I’m off to Harvard Med.”

 

 “You already know you’re in?”

 

 “My dad went to Harvard. I mean, I don’t know for sure, but he’s a generous alumnus if you know what I mean. I carry a 4.0, got a 2200 on my SATs, thirty-six on my ACTs. I’m in a good position for a spot.”

 

 “Your dad’s a doctor?”

 

 Donghae confirmed with a good-natured smile. “Orthopedic surgeon.”

 

 “Impressive.”

 

 “How about you?” he asked.

 

 “Undecided.”

 

 “Typical freshman answer.”

 

 I sighed in dramatic fashion. “I guess I just blew my chances at being exceptional.”

 

 “Oh, you don’t have to worry about that. I noticed you the first day of class. What are you doing in Calculus Three as a freshman?”

 

 I smiled and twisted my hair around my finger. “Math is sort of easy for me. I packed on the classes in high school and took two summer courses at Busan State.”

 

 “Now that’s impressive,” he said.

 

 We stood on the balcony for over an hour, talking about everything from local eateries to how I became such good friends with Jiyong.

 

 “I wouldn’t mention it, but the two of you seem to be the topic of conversation.”

 

 “Great,” I murmured.

 

 “It’s just unusual for Jiyong. He doesn’t befriend women. He tends to make enemies of them more often than not.”

 

 “Oh, I don’t know. I’ve seen more than a few that either have short-term memory loss or are all too forgiving when it comes to him.”

 

 Donghae laughed. His white teeth gleamed against his tan. “People just don’t understand your relationship. You have to admit it’s a bit ambiguous.”

 

 “Are you asking if I’m sleeping with him?”

 

 He smiled. “You wouldn’t be here with him if you were. I’ve known him since I was fourteen, and I’m well aware of how he operates. I’m curious about your friendship, though.”

 

 “It is what it is,” I shrugged. “We hang out, eat, watch TV, study, and argue. That’s about it.”

 

 Donghae laughed out loud, shaking his head at my honesty. “I’ve heard you’re the only person who’s allowed to put Jiyong in his place. That’s an honorable title.”

 

 “Whatever that means. He’s not as bad as everyone makes him out to be.”

 

 The sky turned purple and then pink as the sun broke above the horizon. Donghae looked at his watch, glancing over the railing to the thinning crowd on the lawn. “Looks like the party’s over.”

 

 “I better track down Top and Bommie.”

 

 “Would you mind if I drove you home?” he asked.

 

 I tried to subdue my excitement. “Not at all. I’ll let Bom know.” I walked through the door, and then cringed before turning around. “Do you know where Jiyong lives?”

 

 Donghae’s thick, brown eyebrows pulled in. “Yes, why?”

 

 “That’s where I’m staying,” I said, bracing for his reaction.

 

 “You’re staying with Jiyong?”

 

 “I sort of lost a bet, so I’m there for a month.”

 

 “A month?”

 

 “It’s a long story,” I said, shrugging sheepishly.

 

 “But you two are just friends?”

 

 “Yes.”

 

 “Then I’ll take you to Jiyong’s,” he smiled.

 

 I trotted down the stairs to find Bom and passed a sullen Jiyong, who seemed annoyed with the drunken girl speaking to him. He followed me into the hall as I tugged on Bom’s dress.

 

 “You guys can go ahead. Donghae offered me a ride home.”

 

 “What?” Bom said with excitement in her eyes.

 

 “What?” Jiyong asked, angry.

 

 “Is there a problem?” Bom asked him.

 

 He glared at Bom, and then pulled me around the corner, his jaw flitting under his skin. “You don’t even know the guy.”

 

 I pulled my arm from his grip. “This is none of your business, Jiyong.”

 

 “The hell if it’s not. I’m not letting you ride home with a complete stranger. What if he tries something on you?”

 

 “Good! He’s cute!”

 

 Jiyong’s expression contorted from surprise to anger, and I braced myself for what he might say next. “Lee Donghae, Butterfly? Really? Lee Donghae,” he repeated with disdain. “What kind of name is that, anyway?”

 

 I crossed my arms. “Stop it, Ji. You’re being a jerk.”

 

 He leaned in, seeming flustered. “I’ll kill him if he touches you.”

 

 “I like him,” I said, emphasizing every word.

 

 He seemed stunned at my confession, and then his features turned severe. “Fine. If he ends up holding you down in the backseat of his car, don’t come crying to me.”

 

 My mouth popped open, offended and instantly furious. “Don’t worry, I won’t,” I said, shouldering past him.

 

 Jiyong grabbed my arm and sighed, peering at me over his shoulder. “I didn’t mean it, Butterfly. If he hurts you—if he even makes you feel uncomfortable—you let me know.”

 

 The anger subsided, and my shoulders fell. “I know you didn’t. But you have got to curb this overprotective big-brother thing you’ve got going on.”

 

 Jiyong laughed once. “I’m not playing the big brother, Butterfly. Not even close.”

 

 Donghae rounded the corner and pushed his hands inside his pockets, offering his elbow to me. “All set?”

 

 Jiyong clenched his jaw, and I stepped to the other side of Donghae to distract him from Jiyong’s expression. “Yeah, let’s go.” I took Donghae’s arm and walked with him a few steps before turning to say goodbye to Jiyong, but he was glowering at the back of Donghae’s head. His eyes darted to me and then his features smoothed.

 

 “Stop it,” I said through my teeth, following Donghae through the remnants of the crowd to his car.

 

 “I’m the silver one.” The headlights of his car blinked twice when he hit the keyless entry.

 

 He opened the passenger side door, and I laughed. “You drive a Porsche?”

 

 “She’s not just a Porsche. She’s a Porsche 911 GT3. There’s a difference.”

 

 “Let me guess, it’s the love of your life?” I said, quoting Jiyong’s statement about his motorcycle.

 

 “No, it’s a car. The love of my life will be a woman with my last name.”

 

 I allowed a small smile, trying not to be overly affected by his sentiment. He held my hand to help me into the car, and when he slid behind the wheel, he leaned his head against his seat and smiled at me.

 

 “What are you doing tonight?”

 

 “Tonight?” I asked.

 

 “It’s morning. I want to ask you to dinner before someone else beats me to it.”

 

 A grin extended across my face. “I don’t have any plans.”

 

 “I’ll pick you up at six?”

 

 “Okay,” I said, watching him slink his fingers between mine.

 

 Donghae took me straight to Jiyong’s, keeping to the speed limit and my hand in his. He pulled behind the Harley, and as before, opened my door. Once we reached the landing, he leaned down to kiss my cheek.

 

 “Get some rest. I’ll see you tonight,” he whispered in my ear.

 

 “Bye,” I said, turning the knob. When I pushed, the door gave way and I surged forward.

 

 Jiyong grabbed my arm before I fell. “Easy there.”

 

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