The party started to pick up as soon as the clock struck at midnight. People came and went between the minutes I spoke to Jonghyun and my trying to get Changmin alone to interrogate him. And while I was able to talk to just about everyone who arrived to party with me, I failed to steer Shim’s attention to myself.

It surprised me how well he could disappear into the crowd. I thought it’d be easy to spot him since he’s a giant and all, but I guess the alcohol and dimmed lights helped in concealing him. Still, I wasn’t going to let him get away.

It would not be fair to the other Kyu-Line members if the leader’s love life didn’t get found out too.

Changmin’s in the kitchen with Kangta and just as I’m about to make a move and holler at him, I’m pulled back by a forceful yank on my arm.

I yelp, almost spilling the contents of my red plastic cup when I’m suddenly whirled around and trapped into a hug by an excitable… midget.

“There you are!” BoA exclaimed, jumping up and down as she hugged and greeted me a ‘Happy Birthday’. I’m thrown off by her energy than when I tried to respond to the hug, I’m practically pushed back and against a sturdy mass of—

“Yunho!” I squeaked as his long arms enveloped me into a back hug. “What the—!”

“Happy Birthday, noona.” Yunho said simply, rendering me speechless at the easy grin he sent my way—still trapped in his arms as BoA started singing the ‘Birthday’ song in a happy buzzed tone.

My eyes were as wide as saucers by the time he let me go and pulled the jumping BoA to his side—their fingers almost immediately intertwined once Yunho slid his hand over hers. He was still grinning at me as though the fact that he’d just held me for close to five minutes was perfectly normal.

In the past it might have been totally normal, but nowadays?

I decided to finish the contents of my cup in one gulp before turning my attentions back to the two dancers. I wouldn’t be able to catch Changmin now that they were here. The fact that they’d come to my party together was something already, but holding hands too?

Aiyayay. I’m getting a headache.

“Well, this is a surprise.” Yeonhee said in a sarcastic tone, announcing her presence with a plate of chicken in hand and Jaejoong in tow. Jaejoong took the cup from my hands and shoved a filled one into them just as quickly, smiling at me knowingly as his gaze went to mine to Yunho and BoA and then back again.

“This is quite a reunion,” Jaejoong commented, taking a sip from his beer. He shared a short wave with BoA, a look with Yunho and then grin at me before continuing, “I never thought I’d actually live to see the day you invite me to a party, noona. And on your birthday too, wow!”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” I replied, rolling my eyes at him though a smile played along my lips. My reputation of not celebrating my birthday precedes me still, I guess, if Jaejoong’s here to remind me of it. “The Kyu-Line made me do it. They must have laced the sampgyupsal they brought earlier with something.”

“Ah, I wouldn’t put it past them to do something like that,” BoA agreed, nodding her head in such an adorable way that it made me forget for a moment how… awkward this situation really is. To be in the middle of my ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend and his ex-group member and—it’s all so confusing I decide not to continue dissecting the circumstances.

I find myself gripping my bottle a little too much so I pull it up towards my lips and take a sip, letting the alcohol burn its way down my throat. Our little group fidgets in silence, the easy air instantly gone as Yunho shifts from one foot to another and then back again. I gulp, blinking before turning to BoA with a great big smile.

“Why were you guys so late?” I said, wrinkling my nose, “I thought you two value punctuality.”

“This girl had a little too much fun showering,” Yunho replied, grinning down at BoA blushing furiously next to him. I would have blushed too if my boyfriend had said the same thing about me and grinned the way he was doing—the ual innuendo hidden in his words weren’t lost to me at all.

Which was totally fine. Really.

I swear. It’s not like we didn’t used to hump like—no. Nooooooo.

(Hello, welcome to the Bitter Barn!)

Shut up.

But it gets better because all of sudden BoA replies:

“I had a lot of someone’s sweat to clean off.”

Yeonhee blanched, shoving her best friend and Yunho with her elbows. “You guys are disgusting!” she shrieked, a too red blush staining her cheeks as Jaejoong laughed heartily beside her and I’m relieved to be able to hide my grimace behind an obnoxiously wide open-mouthed laugh.

“Yeonhee likes to take long showers too.”

“Jaejoong!”

“What?! You do!”

“Only when you’re around though…”

“Ah, yes.”

“You guys are disgusting.”

“Says the man who just alluded to his girlfriend showering someone’s sweat off…”

I don’t miss the way Yunho’s arm goes to wrap around BoA’s waist though as they easily fall into a conversation with Jaejoong and Yeonhee—and just like that I’m left out. They continue their conversation without pause until I’ve slipped out of sight.

Oh well.

I push down the evil feeling of envy into the dark abyss of my stomach and turn the opposite direction. I’m better with a mission and the mission was still to find the Kyu-Line’s leader and make his fess up.

I’m about to take a left when I run into someone’s chest again.

This time though I’m relieved to see it’s exactly who I was hoping to catch.

“Changmin!”