Hundreds of people filled a room big enough to hold three different dance contests at once.  At one corner of the room were three ladies, trying to fit into a crowd to grasp the first-hand experience of the stage.

 

"Excuse me, coming through. Excuse me!" Yuri pulled Seohyun and Yoona as after so much pushing and pulling, they've finally reached the middle part of the dance floor.

 

"Why are we here again?" Seohyun asked Yuri, as she tried to stand properly since the people around were being too close for comfort.

 

"Because of him." Yoona pointed to a certain Choi Minho dancing amidst the crowd, he was easily seen due to his giant physique. Yuri just slapped her arm.

 

Seohyun laughed and Yoona joined as she dragged Seohyun to the counter to get drinks, leaving a lovesick Yuri in the middle of the crowd. After getting drinks from the bartender who they had to talk to for multiple times (as he was struck by "their goddess beauty exuding from within", was what the bartender told them), they managed to get 3 shots of liquors for the 3 of them and proceded back to the dancefloor.

 

"Yoong, I can't see Yuri." Seohyun told her friend, holding 2 drinks in both hands.

 

Yoona nodded, muttering a "Neither can I" and tried to look for her friend once more but all she could see was blinding colors and the bodies of unknown people. 

 

"Guys!" Yuri called to the two. They both turned to her direction and were welcomed with the view of her sitting with some other people they weren't aquainted with. Both Seohyun and Yoona made their way to the unknown crowd.

 

Once they arrived at the couch big enough for 10 people, Yuri stood up and held her friends' arms. "These are my best friends, Yoona and Seohyun." Yuri introduced and the 2 guys and 3 girls seated gave a smile. "These are Heechul, Leeteuk, Taeyeon, Sooyoung and Jessica."

 

Yoona and Seohyun awkwardly shook their hands and sat beside Yuri. Yuri lightened up the atmosphere by talking about the dance that SHINee (a dance group which included Yuri's apple of the eye - Minho), performed a while ago.

 

"Minho performed Oh my Gosh! Oh my Gosh his Oh my Gosh was Oh my Gosh!" Yuri exclaimed and the others just gave her a weird look.

 

"Yuri, your capability to form coherent words is decreasing as each day passes." Jessica said, sipping a shot of vodka.

 

"Better yet, it decreases as the clothing on Minho's body lessens." Sooyoung added fuel to the fire, and cheers erupted from the group. Even Seohyun and Yoona laughed.

 

"Yah guys! It's not like tha-" Yuri tried to regain her pride but was cut off when she saw Jonghyun and Onew make their way over. "Eeeek here goes the OnHyun couple!"

 

"Taeyeeoooooooon noona!" Onew exclaimed, squeezing through Seohyun, Yoona, Yuri and Jessica to hug Taeyeon. "Did you see our performance earlier?"

 

Taeyeon laughed as she hugged him back, patting his back lightly. "I did. You were great!" 

 

Onew was about to say something when he felt his hands being pushed away. "Alright. You're hugging her too long now."

 

Leeteuk said, pushing both Taeyeon and Onew, increasing the distance between them.

 

"But Leeteuk hyung!" 

 

"No buts Onew. Taeyeon is off limits." Leeteuk said, putting an arm around Taeyeon's shoulder. 

 

Onew crossed his arms and huffed. "Pfft, you act like you're together."

 

The others just laughed and Yuri looked at her two confused friends (Seohyun and Yoona who both shared confused looks) before telling them that "Don't worry guys, their love triangle has been going on for ages. It's normal." and laughed again.

 

Seohyun muttered an “Oh. I see.", and Yoona laughed.

 

"Come on Onew, that's enough." Jonghyun called and was about to do his daily routine - which is to piss off Jessica by winking at her, when he saw Yoona. He then decided to ditch the daily routine and embark on a new one.

 

"Oh hi there," he whispered, offering his hand to the confused Yoona in front of him. "I'm Kim Jonghyun, one of the members of SHINee. You are?"

 

Yoona wasn't sure if she was to shake the guy's hand or ignore him. She tried to look at her friends for affirmation but they also had dazed looks. She decided with the former. "Um hi. Yoona, Im Yoona."

 

"Beautiful." Jonghyun said, and shook her hand. "I don't see you here often. You're a newcomer?"

 

It was then that Key arrived and glared at the ongoing hand contact. He turned his attention to a certain Bling and grittingly said, "You can flirt all you want after our dance number." He nodded to the others and left the table.

 

"You got Key mad." Onew shook his head. 

 

"More like he got him jealous." Heechul whispered to Leeteuk and Leeteuk laughed and drank his vodka.

 

"I did?" Jonghyun asked, not hearing what Heechul whispered a while ago. "Then this is big trouble. Let's go!" Jonghyun waved to the group of friends, winked at Jessica and pulled Onew away.

 

"Those guys." Jessica drank a shot again and the others just laughed at the awkward exchange seconds ago. Jessica was about to get some chips when a hand got the chips first. She looked up and saw Yoona. She sat back and said, "It looks like you caught Jonghyun's interest."

 

Yoona just looked at her, confused, her doe eyes getting bigger.  She wasn't even close to Jessica and yet the gal was intimidating her with, just, her presence. "Umm...I did?"

 

"Too bad Yoona has someone she already likes." Yuri blurted out and Yoona glared at her ever-open mouthed best friend.  

 

"Really? Do we know that guy? I mean, is he also a dancer?" Sooyoung questioned further and Yoona slumped back, knowing Yuri would answer, because once Yuri opened , she wouldn't close it until she spilled the entire truth. 

 

Yoona tried to place her hand over Yuri's mouth but Yuri was much stronger, and succesfully pulled the hand away. Yoona heaved a sigh and shook her hair while Seohyun shot her friend a remorseful look.

 

"He's from SJ-M." Yuri smiled.

 

"Kyuhyun? Zhoumi?" Heechul asked.

 

Yuri shook her head. "Neither."

 

"Then who?"

 

"I'll give you a clue. His name starts with the letter D." Yuri said with a satisfied smile on her face.

 

Yoona closed her eyes and thought, what a clue, Yuri. It's like there's another member whose name starts with D other than -

 

"Donghae?" Leeteuk asked and Yoona was so red that she swore she could've battled that of a tomato. Seohyun sighed; she knew this was gonna happen.

 

Yuri's nod served as a confirmation for the group of friends.

 

"I expected it to be Siwon though, I mean..."  Heechul trailed off. "..But Donghae's okay too. Of all of us, Jessica's the one most close to him."

 

Heechul pointed to Jessica who just nodded in response. "He's one of my very close friends." She smiled as she fondled with her cellphone. After a minute, Jessica showed Yoona the pictures of her and Donghae together, all of which were stored in her cellphone folder. 

 

Yoona just nodded as she showed her all their pics together - smiling and doing goofy poses. She didn't know what her reaction should be. Should she smile? Glare? Show that she's jealous?

 

"Well Yoona also has pictures of him!" Yuri said for her friend, pulling Yoona's cellphone from her grasp and showing Jessica the wallpaper. It was a stolen shot of Donghae.

 

Yoona's ears were fuming; she had enough humiliation for one night. "Yuri, stop."

 

"I was with him during the Dance Battle 2010." Jessica said, and fondled, again, with the keys of her cellphone to look for a picture. Once she saw it, she put it up for the others to see. There was the both of them - Jessica and Donghae, with Donghae donning the white v-neck and pants, the get-up that Yoona fell in love with. Yoona remembered that event well, it was the first time she saw Donghae and she fell in love with him instantly.

 

"Cool!" Yuri said and Yoona tried to smile, but all she got out was a bitter one. 

 

Jessica continued, "And these are our other pictures at the Dance Battle last year. Also this was taken at Kyuhyun's birthday, then this one at Donghae's house." She turned to Yoona. "Donghae's mother's cooking is the best! Her samgyupsal is a must-try."

 

Yoona managed to let out a "Wow!" but it was really forced. She didn't want to hear any of this stuff anymore. Of course, she was jealous. How could Jessica be friends with him, when she'd liked him for 2 years now, and yet nothing's been happening? Life is unfair, and it gets more unfair when it's unjustness is laid out for you to see.

 

"Set the two of them up!" Yuri exclaimed and Yoona for once, hated Yuri's guts. She had been tolerating Yuri since grade school, and she'd learned to accept her tactlessness. But this was far too much, although not for Yuri, but the look on Jessica's face says otherwise.

 

Yoona decided to step up and reject her friend's offer. "No, I don't like him anymore."

 

"But you were just-" Yuri tried to retort. Good thing, Seohyun grabbed her arm and dragged her to the bathroom leaving Yoona with Heechul, Leeteuk, Taeyeon, Sooyoung...and Jessica, alone.

 

Heechul, Leeteuk, Sooyoung and Taeyeon were having their own conversation so at the very least, Yoona was already spared from having to strike an awkward conversation with them. Jessica on the other hand...

 

She was about to look at the lad when Jessica's phone rang and she had to excuse herself. Saved by the unknown caller. She thought as she exhaled. Whoever you are, thank you.

 

*

 

"I can't, Hae! You know I have someone now." Jessica refused as she rested her head and back on the wall behind her standing figure.

 

"Come on," a voice from the phone boomed through the surroundings. "It's just till I can convince my mom that I'm not gay."

 

"Look, I really wanna help you but I don't think it's gonna be a good idea. I mean, judging from what happened in the past...she's gonna get the wrong idea." A sigh.

 

Donghae tried to plea for the nth time. "But it's not like my mother knew."

 

"Your mother is very special to me, Hae. I can't lie to her."

 

"You're the only girl I know who can do the job, Sica. I mean, it's not as if someone who likes me would just pop up and agree to be my girlfriend." Donghae laughed but Jessica took the joke seriously and in return, pondered on it. "So what do you say? Help me?"

 

Donghae waited for the girl's response at the other line, but minutes passed and Sica's voice was still nowhere to be heard. 

 

"Sica, are you still there? Have you fallen asleep on me?"

 

"Hae..."

 

"Oh thank God. What took you so long to respond? " Donghae asked and Sica had an answer.

 

"I think I have the perfect person to pretend as your girlfriend."

 

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