“Wow, such pretty curls,” praised Leila. She was putting the finishing touches on Ha Neul’s hair. She had taken it out of the messy bun and sprayed it with water. Leila nearly had a heart attack when Ha Neul yelled at her for doing that to her meticulously straightened hair. But, Maria had quickly calmed her down, telling her to embrace the curls. And she relaxed in the chair, letting her new friends continue their work.

            “I wish I could wear halters,” Maria complained, rifling through Ha Neul’s dressier clothing. She held up a white halter shirt sadly, the neckline. She tossed it over her shoulder and then rummaged more into her luggage. “We’re looking for something that will accentuate your legs and show some cleavage. That way, Taecyeon really won’t be able to take his eyes off of you.”

            “It isn’t as if he has that problem now,” Leila commented, spraying hairspray all over her hair.

            “This is true,” returned Maria. She let out a squeal as she unearthed a short dress at the bottom of the suitcase. “Oh mi dios, this is perfection!” She looked it over, her green eyes growing large. “Ha neul, why does this dress still have the tag on it?”

            “Well, because I haven’t worn it before,” she replied, self-consciously fixing her hair in the mirror. Leila swatted at her hand, admonishing her efforts.

            “You’re wearing this.” Ignoring the protests spewing out of Ha Neul’s mouth, Maria shoved the girl into the bathroom, while Leila located the appropriate heels.

            “That boy is smitten,” Leila said to Maria, who nodded vehemently.

            “I’ve never seen anything like it. They’re so down-to-earth for being some of Korea’s biggest idols.”

            “If no one had told me, I would have no idea. You know, Nichkhun’s a really nice guy. Very proper and yet there’s something about him that leads me to think he’s not so innocent.”

            “I heard Anna telling Madeleine about all the members and their personal lives and apparently his first girlfriend was quite a bit older than him.”

            “Really? Oh, that explains a lot.”

            Ha Neul heard their conversation from the bathroom, but found it hard to believe the part about Taecyeon and her. She hardly knew him and he her, so for him to be interested would be very odd to her. Firstly, he encountered SNSD and Kara members every day of his life and they were quite pretty in their own right, if not so terribly talented. Ha Neul amended herself for her harsh words. She did not know them, so she could hardly pass judgment.

            In any case, she just was not the idol girlfriend type or so she assumed. She really did not know any of them on a personal level. Well, now she did. But…Ha Neul shook her head. She was really thinking too into this. When it came down to it, he was a boy and she was a girl. He wouldn’t be the first to be smitten with her easily. Ohhh, now she sounded conceited.

            Ha Neul smoothed the skirt on the red halter dress and adjusted the neckline so it showed her to her best. She actually she looked quite pretty. Smiling finally, Ha Neul stepped outside of the bathroom and found a pair of shoes waiting near her bed. Silver in colour they looked to be about three inches high with a skinny heel. She had packed those thinking they would get used and she was correct. Ha Neul had quite the amount of fodder for her book and the week was not over yet.

            Maria and Leila cooed over how lovely she looked and then starting yelling at her to get what she needed because they were going to be late. Ha Neul followed the two after she packed a small clutch with a silver chain and placed it on her shoulder. With a final mirror check the three girls left the hotel, Ha Neul still a good few inches shorter than the others.

            Inside the club, the boys had gotten a VIP room since dancing amongst everyone resulted in them being accosted by fan girls. Much to Laura’s amusement and Anna’s vexation, Taec complimented his Hanna automatically about her outfit change. He ran a hand over her curls commenting on the softness.

            “He’s being painfully obvious, don’t you think?” Wooyoung said to Nichkhun in Korean since most of the girls couldn’t speak fluently. The latter agreed at the former’s words, but offered his own explanation.

            “Perhaps he figures he might as well jump head in since Jin young-hyung gave us the green light.

            “I bet there’ll be problems tomorrow if she ends paired with someone else.”

            “Oh yeah, definitely. Aish, that girl is in for the kill though. Look at her circling.” The girl Nichkhun was referring to was Anna. The willowy brunette, tallest of the girls, was slowly pacing around the area where Taecyeon and Ha Neul were talking against a wall. The former had his elbow braced against the wall as he leaned his head down to talk to her privately.

            “And he doesn’t even know.” Wooyoung clicked his tongue in disapproval. Leila appeared at Nichkhun’s side asking if he wanted to dance, leaving Wooyoung without his gossip partner. Madeleine was dancing with Chansung, while Junho and Laura were getting drinks at the bar. Maria was seated on Junsu’s lap, both laughing about something or nothing. They looked to be pretty intoxicated. That left Wooyoung to interrupt someone or talk to Anna.

            Sighing, Wooyoung took one for the team and went to drag Anna away from circling Taec and Ha Neul. She glared at him, but he just ignored her and pulled her to where Junho and Laura were engaged in an English conversation. Well, they were trying to since Junho had been slacking on his English lessons. Anna let out a heavy sigh signaling to everyone that she’d rather be elsewhere.

            “Why’d you decide to come to Korea?” Ha Neul barely registered the content of the question because all she felt was his warm breath, tickling her ear. It was amazing what the combination of a club’s atmosphere and a few drinks could do to the senses.

            “I woke up one day and realized I needed to get away.”

            “So you care here of all places?”

            “I have always wanted to come here. It’s where my parents met.”

            “Ooh, but why did you need to get away?”

            “Taec-oppa, you ask a lot of questions,” she replied, tilting her head back against the wall. This provided a full look at her face, which was suddenly unreadable.

            “I just want to get to know you better.” Whether it was the dark lighting or the beers, Ha Neul could hear and feel the sincerity in his words. Or so she thought, tipsiness could do weird things to a girl. Apparently to a guy as well, Ha Neul thought. She was vaguely under the impression that Taecyeon was drunk or close to it.

            “This really isn’t the place to discuss this. We’re here to have fun. You can get to know me better later.”

            “Like on a date?” And this question just affirmed her opinion of the matter of his non-sober state. Ha Neul patted Taecyeon on the cheek and smiled.

            “Sure, why not?” Oh , that had to be the beer speaking. Surely Ha Neul herself would not be touching a boy she just met so intimately and nearly flirting. Okay, the sober part of her knew that she had done this before, but they were just assorted frat boys. They were not and never could be Ok Taecyeon, whose warm body was inches away from her own.

            “You will be going on a date with me before the week is out.” His lips were on her ear and moved across her cheek, slowly and lightly.

            “We’ll see,” she replied. Taec smiled against her cheek. His mind could not think about where or what they would do on said date at this point in time. Instead, he was much too preoccupied with the scent that was ading his senses and the soft skin beneath his lips. He could move his lips a little farther and he would be kissing her. That could be bad though, right? Taec was sure it would feel good, but what of the consequences. Where there any to even consider? He was sure there could be some. And yet, his mouth inched closer to Ha Neul’s. He was so close now. So utterly—and now he was so far away.

            Taec was at least five feet away from Ha Neul now, whose eyes were focused on whatever was currently hanging off of him. He turned his head and was mildly surprised to see Anna’s upturned face, staring intently at him.

            “Let’s dance,” she suggested. From , however, it sounded more like an order, which he was sure it was. Taec, honestly, would rather continue whatever it was he had started with Ha Neul, but he knew that he should get to know the other girls better.

            This one, in particular, seemed particularly keen on getting to know him better. He wasn’t surprised, not to sound conceited or anything, but he knew his allure. To the fans, he was the manliest member who could rip his shirt up in an instant and who could impregnate girls with a stare. Or at least that was what he had read on forums and the like.

            “Okay,” he said with a shrug. Anna pulled him to the small dance floor in the VIP room where most of the others were already dancing. Ha Neul watched Anna drag Taec away and shook her head in disgust. Anna whatever-her-last-name was certainly something else. She had just interrupted a moment. Well, was it a moment? Ha Neul could call it whatever she wanted, but in the end she and Taec had indeed been having a moment. Had she just been asked out on a date? Weird.

            Ha Neul felt herself starting to sober up and was not feeling reality at that point. She walked over to the bar, where Wooyoung sat alone.

            “Hello oppa, why aren’t you dancing?” She accepted the drink the bartender made her favourite of strawberry vodka and sprite. Wooyoung nodded in greeting at her and shrugged his shoulders. He downed the rest of his beer.

            “Aish, everyone else is busy. Hey, why aren’t you dancing?” She nodded behind her towards where Anna was currently dancing over every inch of Taec including lots of hair flips. Ha Neul pursed her lips when the American brunette ran her fingers seductively down his chest. Wooyoung’s jaw dropped slightly at Anna’s brazen dance moves. He coughed and set his beer bottle on the bar.

            “Oh my, well I see why not…” Ha Neul nodded and placed the glass to her lips. She sipped and then saw Anna was slowly inching up trying to kiss him. That would not do. Ha Neul chugged the drink and slammed the glass in front of her.

            “You’re dancing with me, oppa.” Wooyoung allowed himself to play a part in whatever she was scheming for he had nothing else to do and he was somewhat excited to see Taec’s reaction.

            Ha Neul knew there were a few courses of action: 1) Ignore the scene, 2) Dance with Wooyoung in front of him, and 3) Use Wooyoung to somehow separate Anna and then take Taec for herself. One was just unlike her and three was just rude. So, two it was.

            As they made it to the dance floor, the song changed to one that Ha Neul herself knew very well.

            “Oppa~, omo, this is my songggg!!!” she exclaimed happily, clapping her hands. “I-I-I can make your bed rock!! Girrrl, I-I-I can make your bed rock!!” She turned her back to Wooyoung and started to circle her hips against him, rubbing on him. Not a frequent club goer himself, Wooyoung was surprised at her motions and quickly checked to see what others were doing. Hands on hips seemed to be a good spot, he decided, slowly placing his own on Ha Neul’s hips. With that contact, she raised her own arm up to wrap around his neck as she proceeded to dance on him. Thankfully, Wooyoung was a good dancer and was able to keep up rhythmically with the song and with Ha Neul. He peeked out the corner of his eye and saw just what he expected. Taec, who had really not been too interested in his current partner, but strove to keep peace, had been half enjoying the last song with Anna. When the new one begun he had been readily surprised to see Ha Neul grinding happily on Wooyoung as she rapped and sang along. He of the mandu cheeks felt the beast’s patented glare on him. One side of him could really care less because he did have a pretty girl to dance with and yet the other side knew that this could potentially be dangerous. Taec never stayed mad for long though, which allowed Wooyoung to enjoy himself for the duration of the song.

            At the end, Ha Neul fanned herself with her hand, smiling at her partner. His pale face looked slightly worried, eyes darting sideways at the hulking Taecyeon who was now nearing them.

            “Taecyeon-oppa, why does your face look like that?” She asked him, approaching him with an out-of-character giggle. Wooyoung inched away from the pair, thankful that Taec’s stony look was melting into his goofy grin. Nichkhun hid a laugh as he passed Wooyoung. He placed an arm around his friend’s shoulder, shaking his head.

            “That was probably the funniest thing I’ve seen in awhile,” he told Wooyoung, pinching his cheeks. “You looked torn between joy and fear and Taec was going to murder you while Ha Neul was just enjoying herself immensely and Anna was shooting her daggers. I can’t wait for the shoot tomorrow!” Khun hugged Wooyoung’s neck excitedly and ruffled his hair.

            It had been two days since these girls arrived in Korea and Wooyoung felt he had aged already. Dealing with Anna was like dealing with a netizens in the flesh and it was slightly frightening. While he, Junho, Anna and Laura were talking, all Anna was doing was asking direct and thorough questions about Taec and his life. It’s safe to say, the conversation did not last long at all.

            The remainder of the night, Wooyung stayed with Leila and Nichkhun, figuring he would leave Taec to Ha Neul as his hyung wanted it. Everyone else was spread across the VIP room, chatting in groups of twos and threes. Talking loudly about nonsense, which is what drunken young people do best.