It was showtime and all the dancers were in line, waiting for their teachers to give them their last encouraging words before they were pushed onto the stage. "It took a lot of hard work to get here but finally, you're ready..." Minzy smiled at all of them and especially went to the girls to hug each of them, while the boys received encouraging pats on the back from Kai. "I know you guys will kill the stage, keep them in line Minhyuk okay?" he asked the younger boy who nodded looking up at him adoringly. "Hyung, where's Taemin?" he asked, directing his question to both teachers who shrugged. "He texted that he'll be a little late tonight, he got stuck in traffic..." Jongin checked his phone again for a new message, finding nothing he looked up to Minzy and shrugged. Minzy frowned, "he's not going to make it to see his own production? Aish that kid..." The students giggled a little at the way Minzy addressed their formidable other dance teacher, but seeing the time they made their way for the back stage. "Good Luck!" Minzy called after them as the teachers stopped outside the door to backstage while the students piled in to wait for their cue. When the last one went in and shut the door Minzy turned to Kai with a murderous look on her face. "Give me the phone Jongin..." she said through gritted teeth, making him gulp and give it to her quickly.

Taemin was hungover, at 5pm in the evening. How the hell that happened was a mystery because he couldn't even remember going out that night to a club or anything. Oh wait... Sulli came over. "..." he said aloud, banging his head against the driving wheel when he slowed to a red light. " !" Taemin didn't know why he did it. That night he was planning on going to the studio like he usually did to dance his frustrations away, he hadn't had alcohol since the reunion and since he'd driven Minzy away while drunk he thought maybe it would be a better idea to not drink anymore. He only admitted to having a drinking problem now, and if she was ever going to accept him again he needed to make some changes.

But then she showed up at his doorstep just as he was about to leave with his sports bag ready. And could he have said no? It wasnt really a gentlemanly thing to do right? So he stayed when Sulli came in and when she presented the bottle of wine she brought along, claiming some stupid excuse for visiting like she wanted dancing lessons from him or something (Taemin remembered scoffing particularly loudly at that because she was one of the worst dancers he'd ever seen and she'd often hit him whenever he suggested teaching her because she thought she wasn't bad...). So he thought he would have the first glass with her and maybe talk, she wasn't bad and they were soemhow friends after everything that happened, surprising considering how nasty the break-up had been. Then they got to talking about Naeun, a rather sensitive topic to both of them. She expressed her feelings of regret over making her best friend jealous in high school by dating Taemin, and how she eventually ended their friendship when her wish came true and she (almost) married Taemin. This led to him expressing his regrets as well for just using Naeun to please his parents and try to get over Minzy, they both wondered what happened to her, because she had severed all contact with both of them. She was probably a lot happier anyays now that she wasn't a part of this endless drama both of them couldn't get out of. Well really Sulli could, but she refused to leave because...

"Sulli why dont you just leave all this?" Taemin asked her, finishing off his third glass and sighing because now he wouldnt be able to drive to the studio. She folded one leg over the other and leaned back into the sofa they were sharing, staring at him. "Leave you? Never..." He stared back at her, a mixture of anger and pity on his face. "Just you coming here tonight was a bad idea, but dont think anything will ever happen between us. Even if i dont get Minzy, im not going to turn to you, EVER." Sulli giggled, putting her empty wine glass down and hiccuping a little. "You would rather be alone than with me? Why Taemin?" she asked, her eyes tearing up but her look a unconvincing, making him suspicious. "Because you're evil". The room went silent, she wasn't cryinganymore but her expression went blank, the devillish smirk left her eyes as she stared at him. "I'm evil? you think in all of this im the bad guy Taemin? Really?!"

She stood up now, the light mood turning dark as she turned her fury on the man in front of him, swaying slightly and her hair falling infront of her face though she didn't care as she spit her cruel words out. "I'm not the bad guy! Try the manwhore who's been juggling the three closest girls in his life for years now because he doesn't have the balls to ing decide on one! Try the reason i no longer have my best friend with me, who tried to end all my happiness because he lost his own best friend because he was too ing stupid to know his own feelings. This is YOUR fault, all of it!" She grabbed the now empty wine bottle and tried to beat him around the head with it but he covered his face with his arms and they took the beating instead. "You're pathetic! The absolute scum of the earth! I hate you Lee Taemin, but for some reason im still around. I dont know, maybe because you never rejected me? When Naeun left me you were the closest thing i had to a friend, and i thought if we married or something you would never stop being my friend. But that was all a lie wasn't it? You probably hated me all this time for ruining your chances with Minzy. But i'm going to repeat this again, you din't have to say yes when i asked for that first date all those years ago in highschool. Everyone has a choice and you chose wrong didn't you? Good ing bye! hopefully forever..." she threw the bottle on the round after batting him with it and walked out the door, slamming it behind her.

Taemin felt bruised and humiliated, he didn't hit back partly because it was wrong to hit women, but mostly because he felt he deserved it. His arms ached but he kept them above his head, curling into a little ball as a thousand thoughts were swimming through his alcohol riddled mind. He eventually managed to sleep that way, at 7am when the sun was beginning to rise with the last thought on his mind wondering what Minzy was doing at this time, the last thought he always had.

"IDIOT! WHERE ARE YOU?!" Taemin felt his eardrums pop as he pushed the phone away from his head which was still aching. "Hello?" he asked timidly, wondeirng who the hidden caller ID was. "Get your to this theatre NOW! Do you realise how much you're letting down these kids who have all worked so hard for your production? How can you be late to such an important day?!" the lecture was going on and on but he kept his phone closeby, smiling through the headache and listening to all of it just because the sound of her voice was music to his ears. "Jeez, calm down i'll be there soon..." he put up an annoyed aloof front and smirked knowing it would make her angrier. "I cant believe you jerk! you really have the audacity to-" as much as it pained him to do so he really needed to hang up because the cars were starting to move again and it was dangerous to call and drive. This may have been the justified reason but really, Taemin thought to himself, he just loved making her angry didn't he?