It’s the holidays again and of course, being everyone’s favorite guests you and your best friend Jackson is invited to Super Junior’s Heechul’s exclusive annual year-end party.

You and Jackson were best friends since you were in diapers. You were practically twins now having the same favourites, habits, dislikes, and funny enough, sharing allergies together too. Your mom’s were best friend’s in high school so the friendship gene was a natural transition. 

You were a bit boyish in tastes, be it games, in toys and even in clothes. Heck you enjoy watching the NBA’s with Jackson. Jeans and sweatpants were your best friends. And caps were one thing you like to collect when you were young. 

When Jackson decided he wanted to be an idol, of course you gave your all out support. You knew how he loved to dance and rap. You saw him during the days when he rapped his heart out to your favorite song No Diggity. And you saw how he tried to learned moves in dancing. You weren’t one to dance though only in private or for fun, and you consider rapping as your secret talent but it’s still not something you’re passionate about unlike your best friend. 

So after high school, you went to college and Jackson went to become an idol. 

You hadn’t lost touch of course. Jackson wouldn’t allow it. He’s too clingy with you. He needs to see you every day if he could but due to his schedules lately, you both were happy to atleast see each other once a week or once every two weeks. 

He calls you his baobao. A repeated word for steam pork buns, your favorite chinese delicacy. Although he called you this not because it’s your favorite but because you were so chubby as a child, you looked like a steamed bun. And you call him your mandu because his face crinkles when he’s annoyed as a kid. 

You and your girl best friends whom you’ve met in college are currently preparing for the party. You slipped on a copper formal jumpsuit with a white t-shirt inside and your favorite white sneakers while your two other friends were still busy doing hair and make up in their cotton robes. 

You didn’t bother, you liked your hair in a ponytail and you only just did your brows and lip tint. You thought you’d sweat it all out dancing so why bother fixing your face right? 

“Hey guyrsh terll me if you’re ready mkay, might play sormm moverwatrch in my room.” 

Erin, one of your best friends, looked at you with a face of judgement while you munched on a day old pizza. 

And Yebin, the eldest of all of three of you, made a straight face from the mirror. 

“No, you can’t just wear that!” Erin wailed. She’s currently one of Heechul’s young stylists. It’s not a surprise if she commented on your outfit. 

“Why??” You said gulping down your food while still holding the rest of the greasy bread in your fingers.

“Come on dude, it’s 2018. Atleast change your look up a bit??” 

“What’s wrong with how I look?” You said as you looked at yourself at the tall mirror. 

“What? Brow and lip tint combo like you’re attending a college party?” Yebin, a celebrity make up artist, said examining how little effort you did on yourself that night. 

“I’m comfortable like this. Plus! I’ll just sweat the make up off??” You reasoned. 

You were about to eat the last piece of your pizza when Yebin held on to your wrist and grabbed hold of your pizza. 

“Unnie!! Get your own pizza!” You complained while she successfully grabbed it off your fingers. 

She made a disgusted expression before she threw the edge of the pizza into the bin. You made a dramatic gasp. 

“The dis. res. pect!!!! That was a perfectly good pizza unnie!!” You whined as you knelt to the floor by the bin looking down on the discarded pizza. 

“Ya, you’re really turning into Jackson now on how your reactions are getting.” Erin noted. 

“You need to be yourself tonight. Not like Jackson.” 

“I am myself tonight.” You said pointing out your simple jumpsuit. 

“Ok fine, maybe less of your current self and maybe a new version as well? Since we’ll soon enter a new year.” Erin said as she went inside your shared walk in closet. 

She went over to some of her dresses shifting the hangers to the sides checking for something. 

You’re still not quite understanding on what they plan to do now because all your attention was on that sad pizza laying down along the garbage inside the bin. 

“Here. Wear this. It will look good on you. And it’s sticks to your theme with Jackson.” 

Erin stepped out of the closet bringing in a y copper shade satin drape dress that reflected light like it was jewelry as she spread it on her arms to give it to you. 

You examined the fabric with judgement. “It’s missing some parts..” You uttered. 

“It’s really backless you idiot.” 

“Someone sliced it open too.” You made a face. 

“It’s slitted pabo-ya! Would you just please try it on??” Erin said a little bit irritated already. 

“I don’t know why you think this will look good on me.” 

“Trust me, it will.” 

“And plus, you never know until you try right? Come on. We’ll be late!” Yebin ushered you into the bathroom to change again. 

You grumbled as you zipped down your jumpsuit. You were ready to play some Overwatch on your pc and munch on some pizza but they decided to change your plans. 

You don’t know why they’re making you do this. Every year, you and Jackson had a theme or a point to your looks. This year, you both agreed on something copper or bronze since Heechul’s dress codes were always red/white and silver. 

You both loved being the center of attention and of course, being extra. You live for it, you enjoy people crowding around you guys when you both share jokes with guests. Everyone loved you two together. There was never a holiday event that you both weren’t invited as a package. It was always you and Jackson, together. 

“I still don’t understand why ya’ll making me wear this.” You uttered as you stepped out of the bathroom. 

“This is sooooo revealing. I’m showing too much skin. It’s against my dignity! And why are there no pockets in this thing??? Where will I put my snacks or candy?? Am I supposed to wear a bra in this thing?? My s will show????” You practically mumbled along while your two best friends were rendered speechless. 

“Oh.. my. god.” Erin beamed while Yebin’s jaw dropped to the floor.

“See!!” Erin suddenly squeaked. “I told you it looks good on you!” 

“It fits your body well! You have curves that you can finally show to the world!” She excitedly pulled you over to the tall mirror for you to look for yourself. 

You still weren’t adjusted to the fact that it did looked good on you. Specially since the color really matched your slight tan skin tone. It clung around your curves like it was made for your size perfectly. But nonetheless, It was still out of your comfort zone. 

You were told to wear the tapes for protection and had to disregard the shorts underneath the dress because it was “too obvious beneath the fabric bla bla~” 

Yebin did her magic work on your face while Erin had some of your hair curled after she pulled the tie of your ponytail despite your disapproval. 

Erin brushed a part of your hair back behind your ear while she gathered the other side of your medium length hair neatly above your chest. 

As soon as she stepped aside, she brought you back to the tall mirror with Yebin waiting. 

You stared at yourself at awe at how different you looked. Your hair wasn’t tightly curled but it was loose and natural. It’s been awhile since you’ve let your hair down. You’ve always let it hide under ponytails and buns. But tonight, your mane is down in all it’s glory. 

You admit that you looked extra pretty tonight. It wasn’t much but it was still you. That was what you were afraid of, if there will be too much of a change. 

“There.. Turns out, there was really not much changing. You’re naturally pretty, you just don’t know where to highlight it.” Yebin said proud of her make up work on you. 

“Jackson will be at awe.” Erin said as she stared back at you by the mirror. 

You didn’t get the fuss about why would Jackson feel differently at how you look. Sure you look slightly different, but it’s still you. You gave little thought about it and your stomach made a little twist and turns. You thought that it might be just the pizza you ate earlier. 

You had a light contour that shaped your face well on top of a coral blush on the cheeks. You noticed that there was a highlight on the top of your cheek bones that reflected light as you moved. You found it cool shining like that like your dress was. 

Yebin just then added a light shape on your eyes by adding a brown shadow and a darker brown by the lashes to bring more depth. You naturally had good lashes when wearing a mascara so she didn’t have to put any false lashes on you.

Your brows were shaped better, and your skin was glowing. And to top the simple look off, was a deep red velvet lipstick that was matte and is promised to be intact when she eats or drink. 

“It’s you but a little more effort.” Erin put simply while she offered you some heels. 

You grumbled aloud. “Ugh, do I have to??” 

“Yes.” The two both answered in unison.

Soon after, the two girls finished their preparations. You still were in trance to how you look. You tried turning around seeing how much has changed and how much hasn’t. 

You’ve grown through the years. You’re 23 now and a successful PR manager at YG Entertainment. You applied both at YG and JYP when you were starting out. Jackson was wishing you’d work at JYP so you both could see each other often but life has other plans. YG has accepted your application first and you went with it. 

Soon after, you introduced Erin inside the company and was now one of Heechul’s stylists. While Yebin, being the strong independent woman that she is, was a freelancer but have worked with various celebrities and have earned her status as the best and on demand celebrity make up artist in Seoul. That’s where you all got privileged invitations for Heechul’s exclusive annual and mostly private events. 

Your phone vibrated inside your now small purse that only fits your card holder wallet and phone which was ridiculous because again, there were no spaces for snacks!!

The text message read. You rolled your eyes at your best friend’s clingy nature. 

 

This year’s event was in collaboration with JYP himself. So the venue was set at Studio J in Cheongnamdong, Gangnam.

The stairway to the lounge was one of your worries of the night. You had to step up with your heels and guarding the slit on your legs hoping you wont expose something down there, and while you’re at it, you’re also worried at your chest area having no bras at all and just tape makes you anxious at a possibility of a free show to your horror. You grabbed hold of the coat you wore close. 

Your unnie’s were chucklin