“Hard work everybody.” The three male models greeted in unison with a steep bow. Jiwon smiled and clapped along with everyone else to celebrate the end of this long photo-shoot today. 

“Dinner on me.” One of the main directors shouted, earning even louder claps from everyone.

Jiwon stared intently at the meat on the grill, and poking at it with a chopstick every now and then to make sure it’s cooking right.

“You’re burning it.” Luhan’s annoying voice chimed in again.

Jiwon groaned mentally and turned the piece of meat over. She couldn’t be unhappier with the seating arrangements.  It’s sad how much Jiwon hated the table she was at considering how every other girl was staring with envy. 

“Leave the poor girl alone.”

“Yah Chanyeol, I know you don’t like burned meat as much as I do.”

“Then why don’t you do it?” Kris hissed from the side. It was a long day and he was finally able to let it out in the loud restaurant with only Jiwon, Luhan and Chanyeol at his table. 

“Why should I? Jiwon is the youngest here.” Luhan pursed his lips pointed his chin toward the meat again to signal Jiwon to pay more attention.

“I’m doing it!” 

“Not right!”

“Then show me how to do it.” 

“Like this.” Luhan took Jiwon by surprised when he stood up, went behind Jiwon and his hand around Jiwon’s hand that had the chopsticks.

It was all totally unnecessary and nonsensical what he was doing if the purpose was teaching how to cook meat properly. But Jiwon was oblivious and she didn’t think much of it. Kris and Chanyeol however, rolled their eyes and scoffed at how obvious Luhan was with the whole thing.

“Get off of her. I’ll do it.” Kris used his chopsticks to shove Jiwon’s chopsticks out of the way, while glaring at Luhan for him to sit down. While Jiwon couldn’t be more thankful, Luhan was pissed because here was Kris again, taking his toy away.

“So Kris, did you watch that recent interview with Sora?”

“No why?”

“Luhan, stop.” Chanyeol stepped in when he knew what Luhan was about to say. 

“Why? He has the right to know.”

“It’s not your-“

“What is it?” Kris wanted to cut to the chase. Even though he knew how manipulative Luhan was, the way Chanyeol was acting had him serious.

“Well, the interviewer was asking about the two of your relationship. And then Sora replied that it wasn’t anything serious. I thought it was funny because I had always thought you guys were plenty serious. You being so obviously in love with her and all.” Luhan smirked, getting back at Kris for annoying him. In Luhan’s world, it wasn’t an eye for an eye. Luhan wanted the entire head.

Chanyeol gave Kris a sympathetic look. “Lu-“

“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised to see you guys drifting apart.”

“Stop-“

“You are a bit boring.” Luhan titled his head to the side and pursed his lips.

"You know what Luhan?" Kris slammed the table, earning some looks from around the restaurant.

"What?" Luhan laughed to try and provoke the man further.

Kris didn't say anything. Instead, he used the chopsticks he had in his hands to throw it in Luhan's face.

"YAH!"

"Let's go Luhan." Chanyeol sensed the tension and dragged the red looking deer away before it could get any worse.   

Everyone left. But Kris wanted to stay because he said he hadn’t eaten enough yet. 

More like he hadn’t drink enough.

“I think you need to stop.” Jiwon squinted her eyes across the table at Kris who had a pathetic look on his face while pouring himself another glass of soju.

Now she knows how Krystal feels. How annoyed must she be every time Jiwon calls Krystal up just to mope around and drink? 

“You know how embarrassing it is?”

“Yes.” Jiwon sighed for the umpteenth time when she knew Kris was going to repeat his story to her again.

“I mean, why did she have to reject me in front of everyone like that? National television! And for me to-to-to hear it from Luhan?”

“I don’t know Kris. I don’t know.”

“Did you know how hard it was for me to talk SM into letting us date?”

“I’m sure.”

“And…and then to just say in public television we’re it’s nothing serious? WHAT?” Kris dramatically made hand gestures, following with a hiccup and another chug of soju.

“Just terrible.”

“Right?”

“Right.” 

"And to hear it from Luhan? Of all people?"

"I know."

“You know what I should do?”

“What?”

“I’ll give her a piece of my mind!”

“Definite- Wait, what?”

“I’m gonna go!” 

“Your drunk!”

“So?”

“You’re not thinking right! Plus, you can’t even drive!”

“I’ll call!”

“No you’re not going to do something you’ll obviously regret tomorrow. Don’t be that drunken idiot.”

“I won’t!”

“Stop it.” Jiwon snapped when she saw Kris reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone.

“No!” Kris moved backwards when Jiwon jumped forward to try and take his phone away.

After a couple of seconds in wrestling for the phone, Kris fell back from the chair and ran quickly away from the restaurant.

“YAH!” Jiwon yelled and stood up also. She threw a couple of bills and quickly ran after the idiot.

As soon as Jiwon ran out to the streets, she found Kris sitting on the sidewalks with his phone beside his face. 

He called. “She’s picking up, she’s picking up!” Kris chanted like a child.

“Hello?”

It was on speakerphone. And Jiwon knew that voice. 

Jiwon had to take his keys, drive his car to take this drunken idiot home. And as Jiwon learned, Kris talked like a toddler when he’s drunk.

Jiwon somehow made it to the elevator with this heavy giant slouched around her shoulders. 

“You smell like a guy.” Kris giggled when he sniffed Jiwon’s hair again. 

Jiwon rolled her eyes when Kris snuggled closer to her to sniff her hair again. 

“Are you still mad at me Jiwonie?” Kris asked again when they reached the door. 

Jiwon ignored him and dragged him to the apartment without another word. But no, it wasn't Kris she was mad at.

It surprised her where Kris lived. It wasn’t anywhere you would imagine a top model such as Kris to live. It was too… normal. It was smaller than Jiwon’s apartment with Kai really. But then again, Kai was just the kind of person who preferred to flaunt his wealth. It’s not like he had a sick mother to spend all his fortune on. 

Jiwon laughed when she entered the room that could only belong to Kris, considering the amount of products that were on the shelves and the pictures of himself that were on Kris’s walls.

Actually, this room could very well belong to a normal teenage girl, minus all the pink.

Jiwon tucked Kris in in his bed and was about to leave before Kris made another groaning noise.

“I’m sorry.” Kris said in a voice sounding too much like a child. How could Jiwon ignore that?

“You don’t have to be sorry.” Jiwon sat on the edge of the bed and smile.

“You can stay if you want.”

“Thanks but no thanks. I’m sure Kai won’t be home anyways.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’ll be fine. Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine." Kris mimicked. 

They looked at each other for a while. They both weren't okay. They knew that. But they will be. 

Jiwon nodded and smiled once more before standing up to leave. "Goodnight Kris."

“Wait.”

“What?”

“Hand me Ace.” Kris had his hands reached out while lying on the side.

Jiwon was confused for a moment until she saw of the alpaca that was lying on the floor beside his bed. It made her laugh a little remembering the thing.

“Here.” Jiwon picked up the animal and handed it to Kris who hugged it tightly before shutting eye.

Kris sniffed the alpaca when Jiwon closed the door and shut the lights. 

“You’re the only one who understands me Ace.”