eight.

Scrambling up to her agitated friend, Dasom latched a hand onto her elbow causing the angry woman to twirl around. "Hyorin, we didn't even know what was taking place until we got here ourselves," she exclaimed completely taken aback by her friend's reaction. "All Soyu told us was to be dressed nicely because she needed our help. Nothing more than that."

"I expect this kind of from Bora but you, Dasom? Of All people!" Hyorin added.

"But are you really mad Hyorin?" Dasom began as she eyed the older woman skeptically, "even though you seem pissed to the extreme, are you really?"

"I'm mad at the fact that I'd showed up looking the way I had whereas everyone else was dressed for the occasion. Friends don't do that to friends."

"But you look so good now!" Dasom pointed out. That part was very much true; despite being unaware of what was taking place beneath her nose, Soyu had provided her with clothing anyway and her hair had turned out pretty decently from its wet state and messy up-do.

The room began to fill up with guests who were excited and chattering amongst themselves and within that large crowd, Hyorin was able to recognize her co-workers, finding relief within herself to deal with the over-whelming feeling she had been hurtled into. All of a sudden, the crowd simmered down and the noise reduced as the guests started to scatter into hiding places behind furniture, large columns and such.

"Hyorin!" Jessica and Jay hissed from behind the disc jockey's booth where they were currently sharing the space with one another. With no other choice, Hyorin quickly dipped behind the table with them as they beamed in her direction. Peaking around the corner of the curtained table, Hyorin was able to spot Soyu at the entrance of the room as she started to lead Kyuhyun in.

"And then she told me to watch over her shop while she made some quick errands up the street." Soyu announced rather loudly, "you know how Sungmin is when he calls his wife for a favor. She just does it and he loves her even more for it," she giggled obnoxiously as Kyuhyun chimed in with his own melodious laughter.

"Good thing she'd closed the restaurant before she'd left," Kyuhyun put in. "You would have easily ran her business into the ground within the hour."

The lights snapped on in that instant and everyone within a ten foot radius jumped up from their hiding places while yelling the word 'surprise' to the top of their lungs. Soyu could only clap her hands in excitement as her long-term best friend jumped back in shock to survey the room where over two dozens of people were watching for his reaction. For some strange reason, Hyorin was expecting the man to steam up and combust with anger and frustration at a party being planned behind his back but that wasn't the case at all. Instead a lop-sided grin graced his face as he slung his arms around Soyu and pulled her into a long hug with a kiss to the cheek. 

But as quickly as that moment had played out, it vanished as soon as he let out of Soyu's waist in order to step out of the room, leaving everyone in stunned silence. It was only a bit ago—not even ten seconds—when he had been smiling and now he was leaving? It didn't make any sense but Hyorin felt it deep down that this day wasn't going to be any different from other days: Cho Kyuhyun is and always will be an . An that she was involuntarily liking against her will, mind you.

Appearing at the door again, this time Kyuhyun had a man with him as Soyu allowed a squeal to surpass her lips. This man possessed a built figure, although not the most impressive but impressive enough with a youthful face and a set of elf-esque ears; he wasn't too much taller than Soyu as she wrapped her arms around his torso but their height differences complimented one another enough. It was hard to make out what was being exchanged between the three of them, but by the teary expression on her friend's face, Hyorin was able to figure out the identity of the mysterious man.

Soyu's loud sobs resonated throughout the room as she buried her face into the man's shirt while he comforted her quietly, "honey," he started as another loud cry rippled out. "Honey, you've got to stop crying. It's Kyuhyun's party."

"I know it's his party cause I'm the one who planned—oh my god. Thank you, Q!" She hollered out while pulling both men into a hug with the crowd scattered out behind them, watching on in awe. Waltzing over to where Jessica, Jay and Hyorin were once standing, Dasom and the DJ began to press keys on the music system as the tunes filtered through the Beats speakers. While that went on and the guests began to form into couples on the dance floor, Jessica and Jay managed to avoid following the trend as they made a run for the crying trio, dragging Hyorin along with them.

"That man is Soyu's husband. He's been in the military since early 2012," Jessica explained though Hyorin had long figured it out. "Kyuhyun must have contacted him and asked him to come. It's an absolutely sweet and romantic gesture from a very loving friend, I must say." Locking eyes with Kyuhyun, Hyorin could only gulp as she felt her heart's pace pick up. At this rate, it was only going to be a matter of time until she falls completely in love with a bi-polar guy whom is always disappointed in her.

"You are seriously going to be the death of me," she muttered under her breath as she tore her gaze away from his.

The party continued on through the early morning hours and Hyorin had found herself visiting the bar section pretty often. Though Dasom and Bora were actually the ones who could hold their liquor a smidgen better, she didn't allow that to stop her; tossing the liquid back into , she allowed a satisfied sigh to escape as she studied the faces around her. Unfortunately, she had missed the catty woman standing a few feet behind her as if she were ready to pounce on her prey.

"Enjoying the party?" Jessica inquired as she slithered up to the counter. In response, Hyorin could only shake her head as she motioned for the latter to repeat her question due to the volume of noise around. Clearing , Jessica held her hands up to as she placed her palms in a way to help project her voice, "I asked if you were having a good a time."

"A fantastic time actually!" 

The DJ booth had been 'live' since the moment Dasom had pressed the switch on and the rest of the attendees looked pleased and content as they stood around chattering and dancing. With that, Jessica moved in closer as her eyes raked the frame of the closet vixen beside her, "you know something? I think you and Kyuhyun would make a nice couple." Holding a hand up, she silenced Hyorin before she could put in her two cents and only continued when she knew for sure she had the floor again, "you're pretty, he's handsome. I don't see the problem."

"Even so, Cho Kyuhyun does not see me in that light and I think we both know that." Hyorin retorted as she held the glass of vodka to her lips.

"But you see him in that way." Pulling away, she allowed the revelation to filter over Hyorin's face before adding, "I just know. It's a female telepathic thing but in all honesty, I think you should let him know you're a bit interested. Wouldn't you say?"

"I can't even begin to confess that now." She whined pitifully while shoving her bangs back from her face, "besides I'm too tipsy for this kind of crap right now."

"But that's the beauty of alcohol: it gives the average wimp the balls they often lack." Cocking a perfectly tweezed eyebrow upward, Jessica's fingers latched onto the latter's wrist as she yanked her across the room towards the exit. With a cat, their eyesight and distance of vision is always a remarkable thing so when Jessica spotted Kyuhyun from their place across the thirty-foot room, Hyorin hadn't been too surprised; she already figured the cold-blooded beauty was part feline anyway. Standing beside Kyuhyun was Bora chuckling about something when both women appeared in front of them. 

"Kyuhyun, I think Hyorin would like to speak to you about something."

"I do?" Hyorin uttered in disbelief as Jessica shoved her forward. She hadn't even had the time to gather her wits and now she was supposed to bare her feelings to her partner, the man in charge of training and harassing her all throughout the work day?

"Yes, you do." Jessica announced again before moving away and linking arms with Bora, "I think I'll take this pretty lady here and make her my temporary date until Jay returns with my drink. Toodle-loo!" And with that, the cat-woman had successfully whisked away her only escape from this soon-to-be awkward conversation. Why oh why did all of the people around her have such manipulative traits? Was she perhaps a magnet to these people and if so, how does one go about destroying that obnoxious magnet?

"Hyorin, I've called your name three times now." Kyuhyun grounded out as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder blade, "are you okay