__EIGHT__

Saturday comes, and Chaeyoung is secretly happy to see she's not the only one complaining about going to this party.

Déjà vu.

The three of them all coincidentally color-matched in sombre and dark, to reflect their mood, while Lisa is in tight blue jeans and a red shirt. The youngest is oblivious to their reluctance at leaving their dorm as she chatters away while they put on their shoes even as Jennie struggles with her laces to buy some time.

It doesn't work since Lisa just kneels down and ties the laces herself, giving Jennie a big smile when her task is successfully completed.

The rapper mouths a 'sorry' to the two other girls as she has no choice but to get up. Still, before they leave, Jennie warns Lisa as politely as possible to stop letting BamBam drag them left and right to parties when he really just wants her to go.

A subtle warning in case Bambam has any ideas about an upcoming third party.

"You're crazy," is Lisa's answer to Jennie's words, looking baffled. Then she starts her usual rambles on how they're childhood friends so of course they're close! And how there has never been more than friendship between them, and that friends attend each other's parties, it's in the friend code.

Familiar with the music, her three members tune her out and Jisoo even shushes her when they arrive downstairs where the taxi is already waiting for them.

The ride is rather silent and Chaeyoung spends it watching the nightlife outside the window. Groups of people walking on the sidewalks, laughing. Other cars zooming past them, eager to get where they're heading. All the different lights of the buildings, bright and inviting.

Next to her, Jennie is pressed to her side, glued to her phone with a bored look on her face.

Chaeyoung holds back a sigh. Hopefully this evening will go smoothly.

The ride isn't too long and they reach their destination soon enough. The Seventeen dorm.

It's funny really, that during the first three years of her idol career, she barely had any run-in with that group and now in such a short time, that name is everywhere on her path.

They enter, Lisa at the front as BamBam gave her directions to reach their dorm safely, and BamBam is there to greet them when they knock on the door as if he owns the place. He beams at the blond girl the moment he sees her.

Lisa probably texted him the moment they got out of the taxi and he waited for them - her - at the door.

"I'm so right and she's so blind," Jennie whispers next to her as they watch the both of them smile at each other, and Jisoo and Chaeyoung nod their agreement.

Lisa can be oblivious sometimes.

With a sigh, Chaeyoung looks away from the pair to see Woozi coming toward her, and she bows her head in greeting. When she straightens, he smiles brightly at her. She smiles lightly in return, Jungkook's words still in her head but she refuses to let them influence her. Instead, she's determined to act normally around him.

They start talking and her members all branch away in different directions while she stays close to the living room with Woozi.

He's acting like he always has with her, no traces of the man Jungkook described. His eyes are as kind, his smiles as genuine as before.

He's chatting about some issue with one of their managers wanting to come by tonight and his whole group trying by any means possible to keep him away, means that pull a smile out of her.

He's getting to the final part of their masterplan when she distractedly scans the crowed dorm, and freezes when she spots him some distance away, staring at her.

Of course he's here too.

He's not that close, but she can feel the intensity of his stare.

She tears her eyes away, answering a question Woozi threw at her, but her mind is oceans away.

She's so not having with him here.

That makes her halt.

Why is that the first thing in her mind? Before at the MBC building and now here. He really has turned her into some -maniac. She got mad at him for what he previously said, but turns out he wasn't that far off.

Creeped out by her own thoughts, she forces her attention on Woozi. "So, who's the birthday boy?"

"Our leader, Seung Cheol, aka S.Coups," he answers as he points out the boy in question who's smiling cheekily at a girl Chaeyoung thinks is from Pristin.

Yeah, that doesn't look like a boy who struggles to invite female guests to his own birthday party.

"He planned a whole bunch of games later, so I hope you'll join."

Chaeyoung laughs nervously at the mention of games. She's pretty sure she doesn't want to stick around for those, whatever they will be.

If Jennie gets wind of that, she'll definitively kill Lisa for bringing them here.

Oh, here's a thought. Maybe that'll make them leave faster. It's imperative that they get out of this dorm ASAP – that she gets far away from Jungkook.

Chaeyoung hates to be a rude guest, but if she wants to plan their escape successfully and in a timely manner, there are a million other places she should be right now.

Staying here is not an option anymore.

She leaves Woozi's side after a few minutes on the excuse of wanting to chat with her friends a bit. She first heads to Jennie, who's chatting with Nayeon in a corner. She smiles apologetically to the other girl before whispering in the rapper's ear about the upcoming plans for the evening.

Better that Jennie knows what's coming.

And hopefully that'll make her want to leave as much as Chaeyoung does.

When she falls silent and steps back slightly, Jennie's eyes are wide open and she groans loudly. It echoes her feelings perfectly and they share a desperate look.

"No matter the game, it always ends will a drunk guy slobbering all over me," Jennie whines.

Nayeon giggles. "I wouldn't mind any of those guys slobbering over me."

"Good for you," Jennie mutters darkly. "I'll think of a plan to get out of here soon. Check your phone," she then tells Chaeyoung who nods with relief, and heads off, probably to find Jisoo.

Good.

Jennie is good with plans, so it shouldn't get her long to get back to her, and Chaeyoung will finally be able to leave this place before anything disastrous happens.

A quick scan of the crowd confirms that Jungkook isn't around.

Maybe she'll survive the rest of her time here without making a fool of herself once more.

To pass time, she wanders around a little, chatting with Jihyo for some time until the older girl is dragged away by some handsome guy she doesn't know.

The few people she does know are already busy with other people or dancing, and since she doesn't have any interest in the latter nor in socializing, she goes in search of something to drink as there's still no sign of Jennie in her alerts.

In the kitchen, she stares at the table filled with many different bottles, ranging from all sorts of wines and strong alcohols to colas, juices, and water. There's even a bottle of champagne.

She grimaces. There's no way she's drinking anything with alcohol, no matter the percentage. She sagely grabs a water bottle but before she can uncap it, a finger pokes her cheek.

Almost jumping out of her skin in shock, she turns to find Jungkook standing next to her.

Oh.

"Hey," he greets with a small grin.

And dammit, he looks good from up-close, dressing in a sport grey hoodie and dark jeans, his hair falling freely on his forehead. Her fingers are itching to brush the strands away so she grabs her bottle harder.

Must. Resist. Temptation.

"Hi..." she answers carefully.

He frowns. "What's with the cold reply?"

"We..." She glances around to make sure no one is around, but still lowers her voice to be on the safe side. "We're not having here, so leave me alone. Should we even speak to each other in front of other people?"