"Yesung"

He shook his head slightly, once, twice. The alcohol must have been getting to him. Nobody could have known of his little escapade and followed, anyway. The voice whispering his name sounded familiar, it seemed to be from a person he was vaguely familiar with. Or it could have been a crazed fan with a similar tone. It was a young voice, experienced though yet to have seen the worst. He could not risk turning his head, however. Despite the swaying objects and woozy images occupying his vision, he was aware enough of his responsibilities.

"Hyung!"

Yesung turned sharply and immediately regretted it. He silently groaned to himself as the younger labelmate jogged towards his direction with a big goofy smile on his face. The young boy was a visual specimen, no doubt. His large doe-like eyes framed with eyelashes longer and darker than artificial prototypes sparkled towards the senior excitedly in the found acquaintance. Yesung nodded, a little drowsy still before turning to leave.

"Hyung...how did you get here?" The now-curious eyes seemed to search his soul, peering at its miserable contents. Yesung felt , exposed by this young one.

"I'll tell you later, I have to get home" he muttered, a little cross by the delay. Minho seemed to be especially stubborn today, though.

"Hyu- Sunbae-nim, you're drunk. My girlfriend's waiting outside and we can get you home in no time. It's no trouble, I promise you." The words spilled out of the child's mouth in a rush, seemingly in fear of Yesung leaving unprotected. Yesung blinked groggily and twisted his lips into a small smile.

"I was going to order a cab, so please don't let me spoil your night. Have a good time with her, then. Bye, Minho." He found his balance and took a careful step towards the exit. So far, so good.

He felt Minho's slightly averted eyes burning into his back as he shifted uncomfortably to allow a guest to pass,  fully aware of the his face turning a deep shade of scarlet. The whiff of perfume that breezed past his nostrils smelled tempting, he could not resist turning towards the direction of the scent. He could feel his will crumble away the way he scrunched a flattened piece of paper, unknowingly drawn to the stranger.

And the worst happened. He tripped over a table leg, foot catching the hard steel and stretched his arms out instinctively, bracing himself for the harsh fall.