68.

Author's Note: I know you were all dying that last update ;) sorry this chapter isn't all that long and it's mainly about XiaSoo. Enjoy my lovely readers, oh and please listen to the second song it fits well, read at a good pace, neh? <3

{Three hours ago back in Seoul}

            “You want me to be your date to some party? Xia! Since when did you party?!” MyungSoo exclaimed, jumping off of the couch.

            “Yah Oppa, I said pretend to be my date. I didn’t want to go but this guy kept bothering me about it so I said I was going and that I already had a date!” XiaZi huffed.

            “Bo? A guy was asking you? Tch what guy would ask you out?” he teased, cocking a brow. XiaZi felt a sting in her heart from his words. Although they joked around like that often when they were younger, they were adults now.

            “Fine if you don’t want to help me, I’ll just go alone and get hit on.” She declared, standing up and stomping over to the door. As her arm extended out to the handle, MyungSoo stiffened.

            “Hit on?! Aniya! Your brother would kill me if he found out I let you become a victim of some sleazy guy. Arasso, arasso I’ll go.” He gave in, snatching up his jacket. Not even bothering to turn around, XiaZi smiled widely and punched the air, secretly.

            “Where did you say this was again?” MyungSoo pondered as he kept his hands firmly on the wheel. XiaZi snapped out of her daze and looked at him, actually more like stared at him. “Yah are you deaf?” he joked, quickly poking her forehead.

            XiaZi blew a raspberry and stuck her tongue out at him. “Ahjusshi I told you like five times where it was. Why do you keep forgetting?” Then MyungSoo did the unexpected and slammed his foot down onto the breaks. XiaZi jerked forward but fortunately her seatbelt had constrained her, not permitting her head to meet the dashboard. “YAH—”

            “Did you just call me Ah-ahjusshi!? Yah Wu MiYoon!” XiaZi shuddered at the anger in his voice and the fact that he had addressed her by her Korean name meant that he was not the slightest bit happy about what she had done.

            “I was just kidding.” She grumbled, fidgeting with her fingers. It was silent for a moment until MyungSoo cackled into a hurricane of laughter. Surprised at his sudden change in mood, she whipped her head in his direction, to discover him clutching onto his stomach.

            “I should really consider becoming an actor. But don’t you dear call me Ahjusshi, got it? It’s either Oppa or MyungSoo Oppa, nothing else.” By this time, XiaZi was simply staring blankly at his face. Her heart was throbbing against her chest while her stomach was being eaten up by butterflies.

            Seeing that she was still not saying another word, MyungSoo began to worry. He didn’t mean to scare her and with the stale expression on her face, he was sure she was upset with him. “Xia I was kidding, don’t be mad.” He cooed, poking her arm. His touch sent a bolt of electricity down her spine which seemed to paralyze her. Not being able to formulate a sentence or any words, XiaZi nodded.

            “Now where is this party again?”

…

“Xia, are you sure this is the place? I mean none of the lights are on.” MyungSoo pointed out as they walked up the driveway. XiaZi spun around on her heels to face him. But because he wasn’t paying attention, when he turned to look at her again their faces were literally centimeters apart. Being within such a close radius of her, he was able to spot her distinctive features clearly.

The way her eyelashes curled up was beautiful, the pink lip-gloss she had on, glistened and the small beauty mark just above her left eyebrow, simply gorgeous. MyungSoo didn’t know why but the new feeling he had at the moment was completely different from any previous ones. He wasn’t sure why, it just was. For a few more seconds neither of them moved a muscle.

XiaZi on the other hand was in utter shock noticing how close they were. Her Oppa’s handsome characteristics were even better up close. Her eyes skipped everywhere, from his brows to his lips, his nose to his cheeks. She wanted to confess to him, tell him she loved him ever since that day but then she recalled YunHee and how much MyungSoo loved her.

Hesitantly, she pulled away and cleared . “Yeah this is the place, come on.” Without saying anything more she resumed towards her destination. MyungSoo didn’t know why but his eyebrows knitted together in a displeasing manner. Trying to configure what had just happened seconds ago, MyungSoo also walked over to the door. When he was by XiaZi’s side, she hooked their arms together and twisted the knob. Her skin against his, made his heart skip.

It was pitch black and when the two stepped inside, the lights flickered on and a group of people erupted all over the place, shouting “Surprise!” Balloons were tied to chairs, streamers hung above the walls and an enormous banner with the words ‘Happy Birthday Kim MyungSoo!’ was hanging right in the middle for all to see.

Then the realization hit him. MyungSoo looked at XiaZi who was smiling widely, “I knew you forgot about your birthday, Ahjusshi!” his jaw instantly dropped open and right as he was about to say something, a few of his friends came over to wish him a happy birthday.

“Happy birthday dongsaeng-ah!” Woohyun beamed, throwing an arm around both MyungSoo and XiaZi.

“Yeah, how does it feel to finally be twenty four Hyung?” Sungjong questioned, sipping his drink. MyungSoo was still in a state of shock to see all of his best friends together in the same room. Last time he checked, they were either out of the country or too busy to do anything anymore. And the fact that they were all right before him, made his heart swell.

“But how—”

“You have this little lady to thank!” Sungyeol grinned, yanking XiaZi away from MyungSoo and Woohyun. He threw his arm around her shoulders and nodded. XiaZi rubbed the back of her neck and avoided meeting his eyes.

“You did this Xia?” he asked, touched.

“Of course she did! Who else would care about you this much to do something like this for you? Tch not even your own sister, I’ll tell you that!” Dongwoo exclaimed, slapping MyungSoo’s head.  Everyone howled in laughter as MyungSoo glared at his senior. He faced back and saw that XiaZi was already off greeting the guests, at the sight his heart softened.

“That girl is something special MyungSoo,” another voice spoke. MyungSoo glanced to his right and saw his oldest Hyung, bobbing his up and down, approvingly.

“Sunggyu Hyung, I thought you were in Japan?”

“I was but last month MiYoon called me and begged me to come back just for your birthday. I told her I had a lot of work to do and I was positive I’d have no time to return and the next thing I know, she shows up at my office a week later and helps me with my files and documents! I’ll tell you MyungSoo that girl is incredible. She didn’t even complain.” Sunggyu explained.

“You’re saying she flew out to Japan just to get you to come to my birthday?!”

“Geurae, and I’m sure she probably also did some ridiculous things to get everyone else here too.” He answered.

“I bet she did too,” he smiled. MyungSoo patted Sunggyu’s back, telling him that he was going to leave. As he made his way over to XiaZi, someone had stepped right in front of him.

“MyungSoo bogoshipo.” She declared wrapping her slender arms around his waist as her face nestled into