Luhan:

I used to think there was nothing worse than having my umma's voice pop into my head when I was hooking up with a girl. But I was wrong.

There is something worse. It's when my umma's voice and Hana's voice and the voice of my stupid exam tutor all pop into my head at the same time.

"Luhan? What's wrong?" Jin Freckles asked as I pulled away for the fifth time. Her name isn't really Jin Freckles. It was just that I couldn't remember her last name and she had lots of freckles on her shoulders.

"Nothing," I said.

"Good." She smiled. She had a nice smile, especially now that she'd gotten her braces out. "Then come back."

She pulled me to her and kissed me. All around us, my friends were partying like the rock stars they thought they were. It was Krystal's seventeenth birthday, and her parents had rented out the entire Myeondong Hotel. We all had rooms to go back to after the party so we could drink as much as we wanted and they wouldn't have to worry about us getting home.

Yeah. That was Krystal's dad for you. If he'd lost some of his money with Hana's father like everyone else had, he probably still would have found a way to throw this party. Krystal was the center of his universe, or so he was always telling her.

It was just too bad that Krystal was freezing Hana out even though her family hadn't been affected. Because otherwise Hana would be here and maybe I could be making out with her instead. 

Except that Hana would be making out with Choi Siwon. Was that what they were doing now? Hooking up at some party? Siwon the dork got to kiss Kim Hana whenever he wanted. In what universe was that okay?

And now I was thinking about her again. Sonofa. I pressed Jin Freckles back into the couch, trying to concentrate on her and only her. She was a cool girl. We'd gone to a concert together last summer and actually had fun. She deserved some concentration.

Conflagration is to fire as tsunami is to what? My exam tutor said in my ear.

I kissed her harder, trying to shut out the voice. Jin moaned a little.

Kissing Jin Freckles is to kissing Kim Hana as what is to what? Hana's voice teased.

I shoved my fingers into Jin's hair.

You have to break thirteen hundred this time, Luhan. Seoul University does not accept scores beneath thirteen hundred, my umma snapped.

I pulled away again, faked a cough, and grabbed my drink, downing half of it in one gulp. It didn't stop the voices. And Jin was tugging on my shirt. I took a deep breath and sighed. This was going to be a long night. 

A peal of familiar laughter caught my attention, and Seul Mi, Krystal and Suzy all semi-stumbled into the room, clearly drunk. They were cracking up uncontrollably as they teetered over and dropped down onto the couch. Krystal was so out of it, she half sat on my lap, then slid off to the side.

"This is the best birthday ever!" She cheered, throwing her arms up. Champagne sloshed over the rim of her glass onto my leg. There's a reason Krystal hardly ever drinks. She gets sloppy and loud.

"You know it!" Seul Mi said, finishing off her own champagne.

"Oh, but I wish Hana was here," Krystal stuck out her bottom lip and leaned her head on my shoulder. My heart skipped at the mention of Hana. I shot Jin a look of apology for the interruption.She sat up straighter and smoothed her hair.

"You so do not!" Suzy countered, shoving Krystal's knee.

"We hate Hana."

"Exactly" Seul Mi said with a nod.

"Yeah but don't you feel bad for her?" Krystal said, blinking rapidly. "I mean, she lives in a condo, her mom's all depressed, and her dad is like a waiter..." She sipped her champagne. "It's just sad."

Seul Mi and Suzy looked at one another as if they'd  just been told they won a life time supply of nail polish.

"Wait. What?" Seul Mi blurted. "Her dad's a what?" Suzy added.

Krystal's hand flew to . She looked at me, wide eyed.

"I thought no one knew where her dad was, even Hana." Seul Mi said, sitting forward.

"I don't. I mean, they don't.. No one does." Krystal got up, steadied herself on her high heels and looked around. "Where is my cake? I want my cake now. Umma?!?!" She waved her hands over her head, trying to get her mother's attention from across the room.

Seul Mi got up and grabbed Krystal's arm. "You know where Hana's dad is?"

"No." Krystal shook her head.

"Yes, you do. You said he's a waiter." Seul Mi said hungrily. "Is he working for your dad? At one of his restaurants?"

Krystal hesitated. "I can't talk about this."

"Krys --"

"No. It's my birthday. And I don't have to talk about this if I don't want to."

Her parents came and whisked Krystal away, but Seul Mi tried to go after them.

"Seul Mi, leave it." I said, standing.

"What?" Her eyes flashed angrily. "No, Luhan. You don't understand. This is huge."

I'll bet. And I had a feeling that whatever Seul Mi's reasons were for wanting to know where Hana's dad was, she didn't have Hana's feelings in mind.

"But it's Krystal's birthday, and she doesn't wanna talk about it. Just leave her alone."

Seul Mi hesitated. "Whatever. Since when are you all on Krystal's side?" She groused.

This wasn't about Krystal. It was about Hana. But I wasn't going to tell her dad. "Just relax, alright? It's a party."

Hana:

"Anyone want anything else?" My mother asked, placing her fork down on her empty plate.

"No thanks. I'm stuffed." Lee Taewoon, my mother's boyfriend said, leaning back into his chair with a satisfied smile.

"I'm fine thanks." Taewoon's daughter, Chaekyung folded her hands primly in her lap. She had straight blonde hair, and the most perfect posture I've ever seen outside of Krystal's. I suspected she wasn't overly happy to be here, since she hadn't cracked a smile all night and hadn't said more than three words at a time.

"Everything was delicious." She continued.

"Serious, Ms Kim. I may never eat at home again," Siwon said.

Suddenly everyone looked at me. "Yeah. Great." I said halfheartedly.

Throughtout the night, my mother had been looking at Taewoon with an almost imperceptible desperation in her eyes. Like he was somehow going to save her. From what?

I knew we weren't rich anymore, but she had a new and awesome job, and we were doing okay. So what did we need him for?

Luhan:

"Dude. What are we doing tonight?" Taejun  asked, turning the sugar canister upside down over his large coffee.

"I thought we were going into the city," I said, reaching past him for a napkin. "Yea but what're we gonna do there?" Taeju asked.

"I say we hit Chundongg Center and trip as many people on the ice as we can," Taejun said.

"The line to get on the ice is like three hours." Baekhyun said, leaning against the wall and taking a sip of his drink. "Your balls will freeze right off."

Taejun covered his balls with both hands and pulled a face. "Ok. Not doing that."

"Dude. Kim Hana." Taeju nodded towards the front of the shop.

My stomach dropped and we all turned to look out the plate glass window. Hana was across the street, outside Scoops Ice Cream, with Choi Siwon. He was trying to attack her with his ice cream cone. She screeched and ran.

"Dork." Baekhyun said, earning a laugh from the Idiot Twins.

Slowly, not taking our eyes off them, we all walked over to the counter at the window. In the corner, some dude with a beard played acoustic tunes on his guitar. A couple fo older people sat in chairs nearby, swaying to the music.

"Dude is it just me or did Kim Hana get hot?" Taejun asked.

"She was always hot," Baekhyun replied, taking a sip of his coffee as he stared.

I glanced at him, but he didn't follow with an insult. Which he totally would have done if Seul Mi, Krystal or Suzy had been here. I wondered if Krystal really know where Hana's dad was. And would Hana want to know if she could?

"What do you think they're doing tonight?" Taeju asked, taking a long swig of hot chocolate.

"Ice cream." I said. Siwon went in for a kiss. I looked away.

"Yeah but after," Taejun said as he took a seat on one of the stools. "Like, what do Norms do on weekends?"

Baekhyun and I exchanged a glance.

"Parties and , right?" Baekhyun said.

"I wonder what a Norm party is like."

"Dude. We should totally crash one." Taejun said. "Tonight?" Baekhyun asked.

"No! Tonight we are city-bound." Taeju announced.

As we got up to walk out, I glanced back at Hana and Siwon again. They were sitting on a bench  in the freezing cold, cuddled against each other, eating their ice cream.

I felt a surge of jealousy and suddenly wanted to go over there and pummel Dork Siwon to within an inch of his life.

And just like that, I didn't wanna go to the city. I wanted to crash a Norm party instead. If I could just guarantee that Hana would be there. And that Siwon wouldn't.