Kyungmi had spent four hours over at Park's Books, eating a warm and delicious dinner with the Park family. The family seemed to have treated it as if it was a visit from the Prime Minister as Mr. Park brandished a bottle of Blanc de blancs (white champagne) and tried to tempt Kyungmi with it.

"Thank you for the offer, Mr. Park, but I don’t really like drinking..." Kyungmi chuckled, discreetly pulling her glass from Mr. Park's reach.

"Oh? R-Really?" Mr. Park grinned shyly, pouring himself a glass.

"Y-Yeah." Kyungmi smiled weakly, thinking that the excuse was just pathetic. She’s a member of a family that makes and sells wine for a living and yet she dislikes drinking wine to begin with. She turned to Chanyeol as if to ask for help.

"Shame," Chanyeol shook his head with a smile as his dad poured him a glass. "You're missing a great deal, Kyungmi."

A great deal, huh. You're just a year older. Kyungmi snickered as she watched the father-son duo chug down their glasses like old buddies. Across the table, Mrs. Park was adding more mashed potatoes on Kyungmi's plate. "Oh, Mrs. Park, there's no need for that --"

"Nonsense, dear. You're as thin as a needle. You need to fatten up, especially with this kind of weather." Mrs. Park was now placing a fat chicken leg on her plate. "Now, eat up! You too, Chanyeol!"

After helping herself to three servings (thanks to Mrs. Park's insistence), Kyungmi thought that it was time for her to get back home before her mother reports her missing. She thanked the Parks for the wonderful meal, shaking Mr. Park's hand and being squeezed to death by Mrs. Park. Chanyeol led her to the door as his parents were busy closing up shop. Chanyeol and Kyungmi exited the shop, only to be greeted by a gust of cold wind. Kyungmi wrapped herself up quickly with her coat.

What was once sidewalks covered with people were now nearly deserted, with only stray cats and dogs and a couple of people walking about, possibly midnight shifters, as most of the shops were closing. Kyungmi walked a few steps forward and turned back to meet with Chanyeol's bright amber eyes, a glow of yellow from the shop lights behind him almost giving him a special aura.

"Thanks for the dinner, it was delicious." Kyungmi smiled, "Hopefully, I'll see you soon. If I'm not down by the gutter by the time I get home."

Chanyeol snickered, "I pray for your life, my dear. Now, get over here..." He motioned Kyungmi forward and gave her a hug, Kyungmi returning it with a laugh. "See you, Mi."

"See you! Good night!" Kyungmi waved as she made her way back down the middle-class cobblestone path. Chanyeol hadn't gone inside until Kyungmi was completely out of view.

By the time she got back to the Mae estate, it was 8:30 in the evening, and she knew she was going to get a rough one from her parents. She entered the house, ed her coat and made her way to the humongous living room to get to her room. She passed by the archway and held her breath.

Her father was sitting on the velvet cushioned armchair, hands holding up today's newspaper. Her mother was sitting on the sofa, sipping tea. Yifan was beside her, going through some business files and Luhan was having a piece of the apple pie that was displayed on the small fancy table. Around were servants that were frozen in place. Kyungmi mentally cringed because not only was Taecyeon in the room, but someone worse than him – Choi Siwon – the head butler. Siwon made Taecyeon look like a guardian angel.

Siwon and his tall nose tilted upwards as he raised his eyebrow upon seeing Kyungmi, "Welcome back home, my lady." The other lower servants in the room gave a bow.

"Hello," Kyungmi awkwardly started, looking from side to side. Then, her mother stood up from the sofa, placing the tea cup down and cleared .

"What on earth do you think the time is, hm?" Mrs. Mae placed her hands on her hips. The Mae men seemed to purposely ignore the situation between Kyungmi and her. "Do you think this is some kind of game, Kyungmi? Where have you been?"

"She went to church. She told me as she left." Yifan said, not looking away from the papers in hand, but almost suddenly shoving them back in the folder violently. "Taecyeon, you idiot, get back in the office and get the right folder this time." Taecyeon stiffened and hurriedly took the folder and made his way out of the room. Their mother blinked in surprise and stared at Kyungmi for an answer. Kyungmi nodded vigorously in response.

"I thought I'd get a confession." She replied meekly, and then all of a sudden an arm was wrapped around her neck before her mother could interrogate her any further.

"Back home, Killjoy Kyungmi?" Jongdae gave her a little choke and Kyungmi wiggled her way out of it. "Looks like Taecyeon's got his work cut out for him, hm? Yucky Yifan?"

"Piss off, Jongdae." Yifan, as always, was in a bad mood.

"And I even gave you a nickname." Jongdae fake whimpered, turning his attention to Luhan who was still eating the apple pie. "So, how's your day Loitering Luhan? The oh-so-wonderful life of the party. I bet it was hard trying to shoo the ladies away, eh?"

Luhan swallowed the pie in his mouth and gave a simple smirk, "Very creative, Jongdae. What do you have for yourself, let me ask?"

"Me? Why..." Jongdae returned to attacking Kyungmi's ebony hair, "I reckon, Jovial Jongdae suits me well."

"How about Jughead Jongdae, instead? Suits your tiny brain better." Yifan tapped his foot and a maid quickly poured him a cup of fresh hot Jasmine tea, almost as if that foot tap was an encoded message Kyungmi didn't know about.

"You lack creativity, Yucky Yifan." Jongdae sat down on the armchair across their father and another maid poured him a cup of tea immediately too. "Perhaps you'd like Yapping Yifan instead?"

Yifan gave him a death glare of epic proportions and Jongdae sat back to sip his tea as if he didn't do anything wrong. Luhan snickered as he continued eating his pie, he had a talent for steering the conversation away from him if he wasn't interested in it. Mrs. Mae finally let out a sigh of defeat and gave a stern look at Kyungmi. "You, off to bed. Another hour of lectures for you."

Kyungmi sighed, almost out of relief. Thank goodness it's just that. But then she blinked, remembering something, "I've to feed Kite and Spike first."

"Well, hurry up then! Those mongrels better not leave any bones out in the garden again." Mrs. Mae sat back down and returned to sipping her tea. Kyungmi held back the urge to stick out her tongue. She glanced at Siwon who nodded at her with a know-it-all look. Seeing as everyone suddenly ignored her, she turned around and left the room to head for the kitchen then to the backyard where Kite and Spike were waiting.

"Oh, there you are, my lady." The cook, who was a short round middle-aged woman with greying hair greeted Kyungmi with a quick bow. She was the cook of the household and she was very nice, though because of the status difference, Kyungmi would often not be allowed in the kitchen; unless it involved feeding the dogs. "I've been waiting for you; I was worried I'd have to feed the dogs myself. I hoped not, though." She let out a little giggle. She had a tiny fear of dogs and didn't like them pouncing on her, what with her short stature.

"Don't worry, I'll handle them." Kyungmi took out their bowls