It's You!?
Without a Trace
"I'm glad you came, Saejin-ssi." Johye opened the door to her house while Saejin took off her shoes. Another end to a school day, and the beginning of the weekend. Friday ended and the two girls rode in Johye's car to her mansion. It was a pretty big mansion too.
"Your driveway's gonna be a mile long!" Saejin said in awe. "Everything looks so shiny and new!"
Johye smiled at Saejin and the maids in the back. "Let's go up to my room, shall we? The party's tomorrow." She grabbed Saejin's wrist and led her up the marble staircase. They walked down the halls with huge paintings and intricate pieces of art. Not to mention how wide the halls were!
A staircase and two hallways later, they arrived to Johye's room. The tall double doors opened and the girls stepped in. Johye tossed her stuff on the side, while Saejin's mouth hung open. Before Johye could turn around and see, she shut it. "I like your room, it's beautiful!" She almost whispered.
There was lace everywhere and everything was white and light pink. A delicate room for a delicate girl.
"Once again, thank you." Johye sat on her bed. "Do you want snacks? I can send for them."
"No thanks, I'm fine." Saejin reassured. She wanted to ask what business her parents ran, but she was against it. It didn't sound very good in her mind, and she didn't want to imagine how shallow she would be if she asked out loud.
Johye cleared and suddenly remembered. "Oh yeah! The dresses! Follow me." She said, walking across the room to the walk in closet.
She opened the doors to that too. It was like a whole other room! Clothes on all four sides, accessories and shoes in the middle.
Being used to it, Johye went to the dresses immediately and held them up against Saejin. "Are you sure we're the same size?" If anything, she was the bigger one. She was at least taller.
"Probably. If not, we can get it hemmed and fitted tonight." Johye got out another. This one, purple. Wow. Fitted in a day. "What's your favorite color?"
"Uh, I guess blue." To be honest, she didn't have a favorite.
"Then.." Johye bit her lip as she flipped through the blue section and held out a couple. "Longer or shorter?"
"Shorter." Saejin answered quickly. Even though they were beautiful, dresses were too much of an inconvenience when she moved. It was like restrictions.
"Strapless or not?"
Saejin shrugged. "Doesn't matter, I guess." Johye nodded in thought and cut the options down to three. She brought them and laid them on the bed. Together, the girls eyed them.
The first one was too puffy on the bottom. The second one had too many ruffles on the straps and top. The third one..
"Do you mind if I try this one on?" Saejin pointed it out.
Johye smiled. "Sure! I'll wait out here. You can change in my closet."
With a quick thanks, Saejin brought the dress and changed. Johye looked out the window, waiting. Two minutes later, Saejin came out of the closet awkwardly.
"Whoa..." Johye was speechless. She grinned and gave Saejin two thumbs up.
L.joe felt self pitiful. He couldn't find the courage to talk to Saejin all day. The only time they communicated was when they got their project grade back. Of course, it was an A, despite L.joe's little shining moment. He didn't even make eye contact at lunch. Everything just seemed so different now that he had confessed to himself.
Chunji whacked his head after school. "What are you doing? You trying to push her away? Cause that's what it looks like." He shook his head. "I'm related to an idiot."
"Shut up!" L.joe shot back. "If you've forgotten, I've also got something else on my mind."
"Oh, really. What." He challenged.
"That stupid party my parents are throwing tomorrow night! I can't do anything about it either, because it's actually at my house." L.joe complained.
Ricky snuck up behind them with the rest of the gang. "What's tomorrow night?"
"Date." Chunji whispered not-so-secretly.
L.joe scowled and answered instead. "The party tomorrow night. You all better be coming, or I'll chase you down." He told the others.
CAP held his hands up in defense. "Hey, if it's at your house, alright."
"Yeah, we can just ditch halfway through anyway." Niel shrugged, happy with his idea. "Like, rent a movie or something. Pop some popcorn. Prank call?"
"What are you, five?" Changjo eyed. Niel glared in response and messed Changjo's hair up.
"Sounds fine to me." Ricky grinned. "Hyung, we should invite Saejin and Johye too." That earned nods from the rest.
"Too bad they left already." Chunji pointed out. "That's too bad. Maybe next time." He shrugged and pushed his way through the doors.
Before everyone went their own separate ways, L.joe stopped them. "You guys gotta promise you'll come tomorrow! I can't keep my sanity if I'm alone!"
CAP pushed his hand off his shoulder and patted it. "Calm down, we'll be there. Maybe we'll come early. We can get ready together too."
Changjo smacked his head. "I got a five year old and a girl for hyungs. What is this?"
"Yet you still love us." Niel hugged him from behind, which Changjo pushed off. "Then, I'm going. See you all tomorrow." He waved and left in his car, followed by the rest until Chunji and L.joe were the only ones left.
Chunji's car pulled up to the curb. "See ya later!" He said and left too. L.joe sighed. It was going to be a rough night.
"I don't care if you don't feel well, or if you have homework. You promised us that you would come tonight, Byunghun." L.joe's mom stood in the doorway.
"Calm down, I'm just waiting for my friends to get here. Besides, there's still about three hours before it even starts." He checked his watch, inwardly rolling his eyes.
Mrs. Lee pursed her lips and left the room with curlers still in her hair.
As L.joe walked downstairs to the front room, there was a knock on the door. "I'll get it." He told the butler who was heading for the door as well. He bowed and stepped back.
"We brought food." Ricky held up a grocery bag filled with snacks and drinks. "Let's go downstairs first and set up. Geez, so much stress." He loosened his tie and pushed his way inside uninvited. But it was let go because he usually did that. He was followed by the rest of the guys as well. Closing the door, he followed the boys downstairs and watched them set down the stuff at the bar.
The TV took up the whole wall, which was pretty big. On the side was a bar and in the corner was a couple of old school games like pacman and air hockey.
"I wish I lived down here." Ricky pouted.
"Don't we all?" Niel observed with him.
"Yah!" CAP banged their heads together. "We need to get ready! Play games later!"
The two rubbed their heads, defeated. "Yes, hyung."
"Bye mom, bye dad!" Saejin called, putting on her shoes and leaving the house. Just like the guys, the girls were also getting ready together at Johye's house. Dresses, makeup and everything. Saejin still wasn't positive about the whole heels thing, but she'd eventually get over it.
She took the bus and got to Johye's in record time. Before she knew it, the two were in Johye's room doing each other's hair. Johye was giving Saejin a simple braid hairstyle, while she already had curls in her hair. Johye even took off her glasses, and she looked like a whole different person. Pretty intimidating too, if Saejin didn't know her.
"Do you go to these things often?" Saejin wondered.
"Yeah, you could say that." Johye nodded. "But I usually leave early because I say I have homework. I get bored there easily. Is this your first time at a party?"
"I mean, my school back home held dances and stuff, but they were casual. Nothing fancy like this." She looked at their dresses hanging up. "Is there anything to be nervous about?"
Johye shook her head. "Not really. The people are too full of themselves, and they forget about everything else besides themselves pretty quick too."
Saejin her lips. She didn't want to mess up meeting her dad's employer and give a bad impression. Soon their makeup was done, and they were ready to go.
"I don't understand how you girls walk in these." Saejin wobbled her way down to the car. "I'm gonna fall any seco-whoa." She caught herself from falling sideways. "I prove my point."
Johye chuckled and rolled her eyes. "It's okay. It'll be fine."
"But you have higher heels! I can't comprehend anything right now." Saejin opened the door and slid in, keeping herself from falling- for now.
"You said your parents are coming too?" Johye asked once they were on the road.
Saejin nodded. "Yep. They were invited from the guy who called us here. Otherwise, we'd still be in Busan right now."
Johye blinked. "What does your dad do exactly?"
"He's a police detective. A pretty good one too apparently. Right now he's investigating a string of robbery cases by this one group." She mumbled, thinking of how she almost caught one of them. Plus, he mocked her! The nerve!
"That's pretty cool." Johye admitted. "I'd like a detective as a dad."
Saejin shrugged. "I guess. But he has a lot of late night calls since that's the time when violence mostly breaks out. Other than that, it's pretty cool. Like, if we get harassed at the worth or something, I can kick if needed." The two laughed.
"Oh, we're here!" Johye pointed out the window. Cars were everywhere, and people in fancy clothes were going inside to the lit up house. It was almost as big as Johye's, if not bigger.
They were dropped off at the front and they walked inside. "Where are your parents, did they come?" Saejin asked, playing with her dangly earrings.
"They're coming later. They had work tonight." Johye answered. "So they told me to come early."
"I see." Saejin looked around the room. "So, you want to meet my parents if I can find them?"
Johye smiled and nodded.
Saejin looked through the sea of people walking around the huge ballroom. It was like a game of Waldo, except with even more camouflage. "Knowing my dad, my parents are probably near the food tables."
"Here, I'll walk you there." Johye lead the way, just missing the boys as they stepped in the room as well.
Changjo played with his tie and gulped. "I'm bored already, can we leave?"
"Yeah, I'm hungry." Ricky pouted, holding his stomach.
L.joe scowled. "We at least have to be here for an hour, as much as I hate it."
"I think Chanhee's gonna have a fun time anyway." CAP motioned to Chunji already flirting with a few girls in the corner. He said something funny, and they laughed. Well, more like an over-reacted laugh that made them look pretty stupid, but okay. One of them looked at the five, and flirtatiously winked.
"I hate these stupid parties." Niel mumbled, looking at the ground.
On the other side, Mr. Song was found immediately stuffing his face with cookies while his wife kept slapping his arm telling him to stop. "What if Mr. Lee sees you? You're such a pig!"
"Mom!" Saejin reached them.
"Saejin! There you are! Did you just come?" Mrs. Song looked over her shoulder at the girl behind her. "Hello there." She smiled.
"Mom, dad," Saejin got his attention as two whole cookies were shoved in his mouth and he had crumbs everywhere. They shook their heads. "This is my friend from school, Park Johye. Johye, these are my parents." She introduced.
Johye bowed gracefully. "I'm Park Johye, nice to meet you."
"Oh! What a sweetheart!" Mrs. Song praised. "So you're the one who invited Saejin, right?" Johye nodded shyly. "It's nice to know she's made friends here."
"Mom!" Saejin nudged her shoulder and whispered.
Mr. Song just shook her hand, and trying not to choke.
"Sorry about my dad." Saejin scrunched her face apologetically. Johye just laughed.
When Mr. Song was finished swallowing after a glass of water, he cleared his throat. "Saejin, I was going to introduce you to Mr. Lee now, if you don't mind."
Saejin blinked and looked at Johye.
Johye waved her hands. "I'll be in the bathroom." She bowed to Saejin's parents and left to the other side of the room.
Saejin turned her attention to her dad and sighed. "Well, lead the way." She motioned. Mr. Song led his wife and daughter to the man in charge.
"Mr. Lee, how are you?" Mr. Song greeted with a firm handshake.
"I am great, thank you." The corners of his eyes crinkled. "I'm glad you could make it! Is everything to your satisfaction, I hope?"
"Above and beyond." Mr. Song nodded.
Mrs. Song interjected. "You have a lovely house."
Mrs. Lee, at her husband's side, smiled in return. "Why, thank you! I love your dress!"
"Yours is nice too!" The two walked off to another group, leaving the dads and Saejin, to which she was finally noticed.
"I'm presuming this is your daughter?" Mr. Lee raised his eyebrows.
Mr. Song grinned. "Yes, it is. Saejin, meet Mr. Lee, my boss." He placed his hands on her shoulders.
"It's a pleasure." Saejin bowed.
Mr. Lee held out a hand and they shook. "What a beautiful daughter you have. And it seems you've taught her manners as well." He complimented, making Mr. Song feel proud. He blinked and widened his eyes. "Oh yes, I almost forgot! My son is here, too! I'll be back in a second, don't move!" The two Songs looked at each other, and had no choice but to wait.
"I could've sworn..." CAP frowned.
"What?" Niel asked.
CAP scratched his head. "I don't know. I could've been imagining things, but I think I just saw... Never mind." He looked over at L.joe deep in thought. Or was just tired. He could've sworn he caught a glimpse of Saejin. He laughed it off, there was no way.
"You okay, hyung?" Changjo asked, suddenly seeing him laugh for no reason.
"Of course! What's wrong with you? Why aren't you laughing?" He shot back, still smiling.
Ricky did a double take and nudged L.joe's shoulder. "Dad coming in at 12 o clock, buddy." He motioned with his head.
L.joe let out a breath and straightened up immediately. "Father." He bowed his head.
"Byunghun." He reached the boys. "I have someone for you to meet. Hurry, they're waiting over there."
L.joe glanced at Chunji who was urging him to go and follow, which he did.
He tore himself away from the group and out of his comfort zone and followed his dad. "What's wrong dad? Who is it?" It was probably another business partner or something usual.
In the clearing, he saw the detective checking his watch and looking around the room. L.joe gulped and tried to keep his calm, not wanting to seem suspicious. Then he thought about his last thought and called himself crazy. This was the place where he would be least suspicious.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting, Jaehyun-ssi." They reached, catching his attention just as Mr. Song was getting his daughter's attention. "This is my son-"
The two kids' eyes widened and they pointed to each other with wide eyes and gaping mouths, leaving the dads confused.
"Saejin?!"
"Byunghun?!"
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So sorry for the lack of updates recently! Trust me I haven't forgotten!
to make it up, I present to you a longerish chapter! Hooray! :D
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