"What are you putting in my hair?"

"Stop moving Myungsoo. You're ruining it."

"Some mucky liquid is crawling on my head and seeping through every single follicle. I have never had my hairdresser prepare me in this war before."

"Don't worry. Once you're finished, the ladies will be all over your... personality."

Myungsoo sat in Sungjong's chair, wincing at the pressure of Sungjong's fingers weaving through his head. A weight added to Myungsoo's hair as Sungjong massaged a gooey clear material through his head to mold his hair into a different style he was used to. The gelid fluid made the prince cringe, grasping onto the armrests uncomfortably and wriggling in his seat to get out. "What are you doing again, Sungjong?"

Sungjong hovered his hands over Myungsoo's head, inspecting his creation and whether he needed to do anything else. He his lips, grabbing a clear bottle a liquid substance unfamiliar to Myungsoo and squeezing the contents out. Myungsoo watched as Sungjong poured half of the bottle onto his palm, pinching it repeatedly until he got every little bit of it on his hands. The Crown Prince had suffered the last 15 minutes of Sungjong soaking every part of his hair in it, and just when he thought it was almost over Sungjong continued on. "I am putting hair gel in your head. It makes your hair voluminous." Sungjong took his hand and plopped a huge gooey pile of gel right atop Myungsoo's head. 

Myungsoo trembled, dodging his head away. "Are you sure this is a necessity for the birthday today?"

Sungyeol and Sungjong had yet explained to Myungsoo the accurate details of the evening due to the subject matter. There was without a doubt a night in Hongdae would present a vast list of problems with Myungsoo, but because it was Taeyeon's birthday they beat around the bush to ease him in. The night was important to Sungyeol, Sungjong had to support his brother, and Hoya was on board with going. They could not turn back on plans. "Myungsoo, I need to prepare you for some things that might occur later."

Myungsoo spun around in his chair to look up at Sungjong, his hair halfway to being styled upwards while the other half fell flat to his ears. "What do you mean?"

"Well..." Sungjong fidgeted with his sticky fingers, figuring a proper way to get Myungsoo ready for the night. "Tonight, we're going to a place where people drink and dance."

"Drink and dance?"

"Yeah. There's gonna be some things happening that you've never experienced before. You will be pressured to drink a mass amount of alcohol in a small period of time. As well as, some girls may want to dance with you."

Myungsoo bit his lip, thinking about the terms of this occasion. "I believe I could hold my own in drinking alcohol, but I have never danced with a woman before. What shall I do?"

Myungsoo was a respectable man, yet innocent and naive. Sungjong felt terrible that his soul would be forever corrupted by booze and the lustful adolescent heart. "Stay by me the whole time. Sungyeol will be too busy ing around... I mean Sungyeol is gonna try and get Taeyeon back. I'll take care of you tonight." Sungjong scanned his desk, finding a black pencil by his gel and picking it up. Sungjong pointed the sharpened tip at Myungsoo's eye, moving his hand closer to Myungsoo's face. "Now you definitely have to stay still this time. I'm gonna put some makeup on your eye."

"Makeup? What exactly does that mean-"

Soon after, a horrific high-pitched scream filled Sungjong's room.

(((())))

Sungyeol sat back on his couch, impatiently waiting to leave his apartment for Hongdae. He flipped through channels searching for a show to placate his wait. Click after click, Sungyeol grew unsatisfied.

Running Man.

Emergency Couple.

Evening news.

Dubbed Japanese anime.

All rebroadcasted syndication of shows he had already watched. 

"What is taking them so long!" Sungyeol turned off the television and threw the remote at the table, scratching his head furiously at the wait. 

Sungyeol had dressed himself up in a simple and elegant manner, choosing an outfit that Taeyeon had liked very well. It was not an outfit Sungyeol had particularly liked wearing; a low V-neck cut shirt, a red cardigan with faint white pinstripes spread out, and his best pair of gray skinny pants. Taeyeon chose the outfit for him during a shopping date several months ago, but it all collected dust in the back of Sungyeol's closet until this moment.

Hoya sensed the tensity in the room, never having seen his younger cousin act like this before. He played with the zipper of his leather jacket, asking the burning question. "So it's been almost a month?" 

Sungyeol bit his lip, spreading his legs apart to stretch across the coffee table. His whole relationship with Taeyeon had been a rough subject. Experiencing a heartwrenching breakup with the love of his life, the horrendous aftermath that followed, and their sudden rekindling relationship that led up to her birthday party. Sungyeol had become stronger since Taeyeon had showed interest again, but reiterating all the details was still just as painful. "It has. She said that our relationship dynamic changed and she no longer saw me as some sort of significant other."

"That's gotta hurt." Hoya was never the romantic type. He had no idea how to handle situations like this or the correct way to empathize with a person dealing with heartbreak. Hoya only concentrated on himself, his grades, his research position, and when the time came he could fit a fling of sorts. "But things are getting better?"

"They definitely are. She's talking to me again like we're in a relationship. She holds me like I'm her's. She's inviting me to all of these dates." Sungyeol reached into his front pocket, dragging out a small velvet pouch with his fingers. He carefully opened up the bag and picked up a silver chained bracelet with his thumb. "I got this for her birthday. Two months ago one of her favorite bracelets broke, and I waited this long to surprise her with it. It wasn't expensive cause she's not that type. It was 20,000 won at a boutique I passed by once shopping with Myungsoo. Do you think she will like it?"

Hoya squinted his eyes to inspect the chain, alternating in silver and pink to a brilliant shine. Without a doubt it was a gorgeous bracelet. At the same time, Hoya held the same skepticism as Sungjong. "Don't come on too strong, you know? I heard the stories from Sungjong. You're sure she likes you again?"

Sungyeol nodded his head in confidence. His heart could not deceive him now. "I know." No one has to worry about me. I'm fine.

"If you say you do, then I trust your judgement." Hoya knocked on the dining table. "Let's change the subject. You said that Myungsoo's old roommate stole his girlfriend, so he moved out of his place and you guys took him in?"

Not like it was too far from reality. Myungsoo's cousin did in fact steal Naeun, after he died, according to the history books. It was quite a elaborate story, but enough to keep Hoya reeled in. 

"Yeah. Myungsoo's pretty chill. Sometimes he's too overly-polite, but when you get to know him he's a really good guy. He has a big heart, and he's always trying to learn new things," Sungyeol explained, having nothing but good things to say about him. 

"And he doesn't drink?" Hoya asked.

"I'm not saying that he doesn't drink..." Sungyeol cleared his throat. "But I don't think he's ever partied much before."

At that moment, Myungsoo and Sungjong appeared right out of the hallway with fresh looks for the club. 

"There you guys are." Sungyeol heard their footsteps and sprung up from the couch. "What took so long..."

Myungsoo looked nothing like Sungyeol had ever seen before. Myungsoo borrowed one of Sungjong's leather jackets, which displayed zippers all over the sleeves and studs all over the collar. His shirt was a low cut white shirt with no patterns on to emphasize his outerwear. He topped this off with Sungjong's pair of ripped black jeans. Finally, his hair was spiked with his bangs frayed at the front for a messy bedhead look, topped with a single line of black eyeliner for a sleek and mysterious look appropriate for Hongdae. 

"Oh sure. This guy 'doesn't drink'." Hoya stood up from his chair, surprised that the same dud he greeted early that morning was capable of such a look.

"Wow. Myungsoo." Sungyeol's jaw dropped, finding the right words to say. He had to admit, the Crown Prince was very attractive. "I... I really like your outfit."

While Sungyeol's style was much more casual and plain, Sungjong's was a lot more stylish and much more appropriate for the clubbing setting. Sungjong lifted his chin in the air, a "duh" moment as to why Myungsoo appeared the part. "Myungsoo might be the best looking person at the Hongdae tonight."

"Thank you for your flattery," Myungsoo smiled.

He was about to bow respectfully to everyone, but before Hoya could catch it Sungjong hugged Myungsoo's waist to bring Myungsoo back up to a stand. "So, are we going?" Sungjong forced.

(((())))

Walking into Hondae's Club M2 felt like walking straight into a catastrophic disaster that Myungsoo never wanted.

It was unlike anything Myungsoo had ever experienced in Seoul. Upon receiving wristbands for their entrance, they walked into a room of epileptic neon lights that flashed all around the club in different geometric shapes. One wall was a long standing neon pink bar serving different drinks in acrobatic ways, throwing bottles in the air to throw, spinning things around, lighting them on fire for decoration.  Shiny spherical disco balls hung from the ceiling with the neon lights reflecting off each other. The whole place was crowded late into the evening, providing little to no leg room for anyone to move. Everyone was rambunctious, people picking each other off the floor to place on their shoulders, ladies in undergarments dancing across a platform, as well as gentlemen taking their shirts off making their moves on unsuspecting people.

Everything that Myungsoo hated in the 21st century was all packed into one room.

"Alright, let's find Taeyeon's table?" Sungyeol pointed towards the back of the club to lead everyone through.

Hoya followed right behind, Sungjong third, and finally Myungsoo ending the line and hugging himself nervously as he encountered awkward moments of unrestraint right in front of his eyes. 

The four of them made their way to a lounge area that was blocked off by a red rope to restrict guests. At their table were multiple bottles of alcohol iced in decorative chests as well as appetizers to eat. Sitting right in the center of the lounge was Taeyeon, who wore a black sequined romper with her hair curled to waves and layers of pearl necklaces hanging down her neck. She stood up from her seat upon Sungyeol's arrival, weaving around the table to greet them.

"Wow," Sungyeol smiled. You never cease to amaze me. You're always beautiful. He spread his arms wide open for an embrace he never wanted to let go. "Happy birthday Taeyeon..."

After seconds of Sungyeol's nuzzle, Taeyeon pushed him back with her typical bright smile. It was wider than normal, displaying an infectious laugh when Sungyeol did not say a thing. "Sungyeol, I'm glad you're here! I really am!"

Sungyeol sniffed her breath to notice a mixture of champagne and strawberries. "How much have you guys drank so far?"

"I don't know..." Taeyeon raised her finger to her cheek to contemplate. "Well, I'll think of the number later." She brushed off her intoxication and looked beyond Sungyeol's shoulder to spot Hoya, Myungsoo, and Sungjong standing right behind. "Thank you so much for coming!" Taeyeon shouted, tripping on her high heels to fall straight into Sungjong's arms for a hug.

"Woah!" everyone yelled collectively.

Sungyeol and Hoya helped Sungjong get Taeyeon right back on her feet, once again ignoring the fact and poking Sungjong in the chest. "I'm glad you can make it! And Hoya! You're visiting this weekend?"

"Yes I am," Hoya answered.

"We have so much for all of you to drink. And Myungsoo, you're here too!"

Myungsoo stood there with his hands shoved down his pockets, more than judgemental at the scene that arose. This was not the kind of party I was expecting. 

"Let's start drinking," Hoya insisted, making his way through the ropes for full access to the bottle service.

Sungyeol propped a drunken Taeyeon around his shoulders and helped her walk back to her couches. He spotted a couple of familiar faces from Taeyeon's research group and his own classes; Shinsong, Miyeon, and the unfortunate Woohyun, who surprisingly cleaned himself very well from his typical geekish look and put on a different kind of persona than his teacher pet self. His hair was slicked back, glasses off, and his shirt actually looked like something Sungyeol would wear. Woohyun lounged in his seat with a glass of whiskey, swirling it around as he started a conversation. "Sungyeol, it's nice seeing you and Myungsoo here," he greeted with a snarky tone.

Sungyeol placed Taeyeon back on a loveseat and sat right next to her. He disregarded Woohyun's comments, refusing to deal with someone like him for the reset of the evening.

Hoya carefully poured three shots of vodka for himself, Myungsoo, and Sungjong, tuning himself out of the conversation as Myungsoo and Sungjong argued.

"You brought me to a place like this and expected me to like it!" Myungsoo tapped his foot on the floor.

Sungjong waved his hands in the air to try and ease his thoughts. "It's not like we were gonna leave you alone in the apartment, we had to take you with us. Also, Hoya is here and wanted to meet you so you basically had no choice!" He was less than apologetic for leading Myungsoo in. In all honesty, Sungjong wanted Myungsoo to quit crying and it up.

"This is the type of impropriety that I do not want to involve myself with and change me. Is there a way I can return back to the apartment?" Myungsoo demanded.

"No, there isn't!" Sungjong yelled. "And you cannot for a very long time because today is Taeyeon's birthday and means everything to Sungyeol. We have to stay here a little longer." He placed a hand on Myungsoo's arm to comfort him. "Like I said, stay by me this whole time and you're gonna be ok. I will take care of you and won't let a single bad thing happen to you." Who the hell am I kidding? This night is gonna be a ing mess.

Hoya held his personal shot in one hand and two shots in his other, passing them along to Myungsoo and Sungjong for them to take. He had been ready since arriving to Seoul to get their night started. "Alright, let us commence into a night of debauchery and hilarity!" he cheered.

Myungsoo stared at the small glass fit for a small child and explored the contents of the drink. He took one sniff of it for an unrefined scent, harsh and filling Myungsoo's lungs with repulsion. "I do not know what I am supposed to do."

Sungjong imitated gestures to teach Myungsoo. "What you do is you put all of this in your mouth at once and swallow it immediately."

"Immediately?"

"Yes," Hoya responded. "Wow, you really haven't taken a shot before?"

"A shot?"

"Like this." In one fell swoop, Hoya raised the glass to his lips and engulfed the whole shot of whiskey. Hoya was a professional, mastering his alcohol skills like no other.

"You crazy bastard," Sungjong commented, taking the shot himself and scrunching his nose immediately after from the burning taste."I don't understand how you do it."

Myungsoo was the last person to take his drink with Hoya and Sungjong staring back at him to begin the slippery slope of a sloppy evening. Myungsoo had never participated in recreational drinking of this extent. He took the glass and brushed his lips at the rim, taking that final second to close his eyes before the deed.

Finally, Myungsoo tipped the glass over and allowed for the shot to pour into his mouth, rushing down his tongue and to the back of his throat for a quick swallow to take it all down.

Myungsoo clenched his glass, struggling to gulp it all down as the alcohol scorched his throat. The whiskey dried his whole throat, feeling every splash coming down till it hit his stomach and losing himself with it. He made a sudden gag, coughing up the alcohol and whimpering to himself as the world betrayed him with such an insipid taste that no one should ever have to endure.

"Yeah... alcohol isn't the best tasting thing in the world," Sungjong hummed.

Myungsoo opened his eyes, trying to grasp the taste that he just experienced and wanting to wash it away with something else as soon as possible. "Can I have another drink, like a water or a green tea or an orange juice?"

But the night was only beginning, as two bartenders in scandalously cut bodysuits walked to their tables with bottles in their hands. Without any fair warning, one of the ladies grabbed onto Myungsoo's waist and tilted his back over as the other one shoved her whole bottle of blue vodka down without permission.

"Wait no, stop it!" Sungjong screamed.

Myungsoo struggled to keep the bartenders away from him, but before he knew it he was swigging a mouthful of alcohol that dripped down the side of his mouth. After a playful tease of drinks, the bartender finally freed Myungsoo of her bind and patted on Myungsoo's back, allowing him to swallow all the remaining alcohol in his mouth and wallow in his own misery. The two bartenders walked away giggling, serving the rest of Taeyeon's party and leaving the three of them be.

"Holy !" Sungjong rushed to Myungsoo.

"Those bartenders are crazy," Hoya remarked, dumbfounded at how aggressive they were to forcing him to drink. "Are all clubs here like that?"

"Myungsoo. Myungsoo! Say something. Anything." Sungjong snapped his fingers in front of Myungsoo, trying to get a response.

Instead, Myungsoo stood in front of them bewildered, questioning the decisions he had ever made since the beginning of time and wondering what was the meaning of life.

(((())))

Several drinks in, and Sungyeol caught Sungjong by the edge of the lounge. He barely conversed with his brother for the evening and excused himself from Taeyeon and the rest of his history friends to talk to Sungjong. "Hey," Sungyeol smiled, his cheeks and ears a little red from all the champagne he had consumed.

Sungjong leaned against the railing of their lounge and stared off into the distance, immersed in the flashing lights around and the people's interactions dancing and flirting with one another. His daydream was broken once Sungyeol arrived, turning to talk to him. "Hyung."

Sungyeol pinched his brother's cheek, smothering him for fun. "Where are Hoya and Myungsoo?"

"Restroom. Myungsoo has been peeing almost every five minutes," Sungjong complained, slapping Sungyeol's hand away. "At least he knows how to use the urinal now. I had to teach him in front of a whole line of guys how to pee into one. He kept aiming for the wall! Then again, I give him the benefit of the doubt because he has drank the most out of all of us."

"I haven't seen Myungsoo since we got here," Sungyeol added.

"Yeah, because you're too busy playing boyfriend with Taeyeon. Speaking of which..."

Sungjong pointed for Sungyeol to turn around, with Taeyeon standing right next to them. Her eyes gave off a sultry vibe that meant she wanted something. Sungyeol remembered this gaze, always enticing him to adhere to whatever demands Taeyeon wanted. She grabbed onto Sungyeol's hand, pulling on his palm gently for him to follow. "Dance with me."

Sungyeol wanted that more than anything, taking it to the next level and grabbing onto Taeyeon's waist as she whisked him away to the dance floor. Passing by every pushing body in the club, it only brought Sungyeol closer to Taeyeon. As Taeyeon pulled him far into the middle of the dance floor, she stopped herself to push her waist into his. She took her hands to interlock them with Sungyeol's, bringing him as close as possible without a single gap between their bodies.

I've missed this so much.

Sungyeol rolled his eyes back, intoxicated with Taeyeon's beauty right in front of him as they danced to the music. 

Myungsoo struggled to keep himself together as he leaned against Hoya's shoulder walking back to Sungjong. Myungsoo was starting to lose himself, his body losing weight and flimsier than before. It was as if Myungsoo was floating in the sky, capable of floating like a falling feather.

Myungsoo was almost gone.

"Ready for another round?" Hoya winked, egging Myungsoo on to drink more.

"Actually, do you guys wanna dance?" Sungjong suggested.

"Prance?" Myungsoo misheard.

Before he knew it, Sungjong was pulling on Myungsoo's hand to pull him into the dance floor. Sweaty bodies brushing off each other, toes being stepped on, idiotic people falling to the ground. Passing through the crowd of people seemed much more insignificant now that Myungsoo was boozed up. The three of them found a relatively empty spot at the side of the dance floor, planting it as their own personal space to dance.

Upon arriving, Hoya went straight into dancing. "This is my jam!" He was pumped up to hearing "Fantastic Baby" playing, fist bumping in the air and moving his hands like a wave, letting the music take over and having a blast dancing. Sungjong was next to begin dancing, getting his own groove inspired by practicing his dance skills in his own room.

Myungsoo had the slightest idea where to begin. There were several different kinds of dance styles adopted at the club, all of them almost blending together into a nonsensical motion that made Myungsoo wary.

"Myungsoo!" Sungjong could see Myungsoo was clueless and rubbed his hands together into a motion that was familiar to him. "Dance to 'Sorry Sorry'."

"Sorry Sorry?" 

It was the last music video Sungjong had taught to Myungsoo, and even though "Sorry Sorry" was not the specific song playing there were opportunities to make it work. To the beat of the song, Myungsoo started bobbing his head and rubbed his hands together in the same motion was the chorus. 

"There you go!" Hoya pointed, copying the same motion to include him.

With the cheers coming from Hoya and Sungjong, Myungsoo felt much more comfortable dancing in a public area and even started moving his feet to the music. Sure it did not match very well, but everyone was too wasted to care. Myungsoo snapped his fingers and kicked his feet up, concentrating hard on his movements to make sure he did not fall. Sorry sorry sorry sorry, naega naega naega... no Myungsoo you were supposed to step forward and not go to the side! Myungsoo was flustered, but he made the best to get the dance correct.

"You're dancing Myungsoo!" Sungjong clapped. "And nothing has gone wrong yet!"

Of course, right as the chorus would begin Myungsoo's night would take an interesting turn.

A girl with high waisted denim shorts frayed at the bottom and a bra that was probably too small for her size approached Myungsoo in the middle of his dance, turning her back against the Crown Prince and bending straight over in front to shove her right into Myungsoo's crotch.

"Wow, fantastic baby."

Hoya and Sungjong watched the sight of Myungsoo's face; his nose crinkled with his eye twitching uncontrollably. He tried to pull himself back, his face scrunched up and creating a double chin out of confusion. His hands were up in the air and afraid to touch or try and tame the beast that was riding on his private area. Myungsoo saw full view of her buttcrack and a shameless thong sticking out of her shorts, and he knew he had to get out of here. He looked up to Hoya and Sungjong, fearing for his own life and what society has become.

"ABRACADRABRA," Sungjong yelled.

"WHAT?!" Myungsoo screamed.

Suddenly, Sungjong started imitating the signature dance move of "Abracadabra", rocking his hips from side-to-side for Myungsoo to follow. 

Myungsoo obeyed, keeping his hands up in the air as he moved his hips as well to match with the melody of the song.

"Keep doing that!" Sungjong nodded with a thumbs up.

Myungsoo had never danced in such a vulgar way that imitated a ual act, alarming him that this was what the Joseon Dynasty would become. No amount of alcohol could conceal the horrified look on Myungsoo's face from dancing.

I wonder, can I do "Ring Ding Dong" right now?

Myungsoo made a move to dance to a new song, putting one hand out and one behind his back to try. At the right beat, Myungsoo made a move to his hips forward and squat down.

In the process, he whacked the back of the girl's forehead and pushed her over with his hips for her to fall flat on her face.

"Myungsoo!" Sungjong screamed, moving forward to try and save her.

But it was too late. The girl was unconscious on the floor, struggling to push herself back up.

Damage control was necessary. Hoya immediately grabbed onto Myungsoo's wrist and forced him off the dance floor. "We need to go!" he yelled.

"Is she going to be ok?" Myungsoo cried, worried about the girl he singlehandedly knocked out with his ia.

"Well... we're not gonna stay here to find out." Sungjong stayed right behind Myungsoo, pushing him forward to roll out.

(((())))

Sungyeol relaxed back at the lounge, putting his feet up on the couch armrest as if he was hanging out in his own apartment. Majority of the party had separated since it first began to explore the rest of the club. He sipped on his own personal glass of whiskey and stretched out his neck, needing some time to cool down after almost a whole hour straight of dancing with Taeyeon. 

Myungsoo returned from his 23rd time to the bathroom in a span of two and a half hours, stumbling through to get back to the lounge. Hoya and Sungjong were waiting in line for the bathroom, but Myungsoo left before them to sit down. He caught Sungyeol there alone and waved his hand to talk to him. "Sungyeol!" 

Sungyeol caught Myungsoo standing at the entrance of the lounge and sprung up to meet with him. He had spent enough time moseying around the couch. "How are you Myungsoo? I haven't seen you all night."

"I am ok. This has been an affair I will never forget," Myungsoo chided, still up in arms about his misfortunes.

Sungyeol was too busy trying to find Taeyeon at the club, he did not notice. "I'm sorry, what?"

"This has been some adventure," Myungsoo paraphrased.

"Yeah. I didn't think you would still be here today. I'm sorry if this wasn't anything like you expected," Sungyeol apologized.

"Well once I sleep tonight, I will be able to overcome this obstacle," Myungsoo responded, leaning against the railing. "Do you want to hang out? I barely talked to you today."

Sungyeol only had intentions of making quick small talk with Myungsoo before he would find Taeyeon once again. He shoved a hand down his pocket and felt the bracelet he would give Taeyeon for her birthday, prepared to make the next step after an incredible night on her birthday. "Sure. Let me do something first."

Sungyeol pushed Myungsoo out of the way to find her through the crowd. As easy as expected, Taeyeon was standing at the edge of the dance floor close to their lounge. "Taeyeon!" he yelled for her, catching the back of her head.

But in that moment, Sungyeol witnessed something he wish he never saw. Something he wished he could turn back time for the slightest second to avoid it.

Taeyeon shifted her body to turn, laughing it up with Woohyun as he held onto her waist. Before he could turn back, Sungyeol caught Woohyun leaning in his head to plant a sweet kiss on Taeyeon's lips.

Sungyeol's body froze.

Time stopped in that moment of watching them kiss, which the mental image replayed over-and-over. Myungsoo caught the scene as well, looking onto Sungyeol as to who he would respond.

The  club was claustrophobic, closing in on Sungyeol's lungs and choking him into oblivion. The sight of seeing the love of his life officially move on to someone else strangled him, causing a mental breakdown that almost had him collapsed to the floor. Sungyeol shoved every belligerent drunk out of the way, gasping for some sort of air to keep him going. Sungyeol pushed the final person out of the way and rushed out of the club doors, stumbling to ram them open and almost falling head first into the sidewalk. He caught his balance, flailing his hands in the air as he coolly tried to play it off and walk away from Club M2.

"Sungyeol!" Myungsoo followed suit, sliding his way through inappropriate dancers and aggressive drinkers to exit the club. He looked left and right to catch Sungyeol, spotting the back of his cardigan and running right after him. "Sungyeol come back!"

Sungyeol crossed his arms, the tears streaming down his face as his public rejection enforced reality.

The reality that the game changed the second Taeyeon walked out of Starbucks. 

They call it a breakup for a reason.

Their romantic relationship never had a hope. At least for Taeyeon. Sungyeol lived in his dreams, believing his shattered world could somehow glue itself together for a miracle. I should have listened to everyone. The same person he loved for two years, ever since he had ever met her, placing her lips on another guy. It was too late for Sungyeol to turn back time and prevent a second heartbreak that was almost as worst as the first. 

It was one for something to end, but Sungyeol always carried the hope that he could have a second chance. 

Sungyeol was a hot mess, sniffing his nose and choosing to fall to the curb and cry to himself the misery that Taeyeon was gone. The love they shared, he could never have ever again. Resting his head on his knees, he hugged his legs together to drown himself in tears.

Myungsoo caught up to Sungyeol and watched him crying over the woman he had talked about endlessly. The same woman that evey definition of love came from. To see Sungyeol at his lowest hurt Myungsoo, beating him down just as much as the actual revelation itself. He imagined wearing Sungyeol's shoes, questioning how he would react himself if he saw Sunggyu kiss Naeun for the first time. Or if anyone expressed interest in Daehyun. His own love story was quite a mess, so how could he possibly help?

Myungsoo kicked some dirt off the curb and sat down next to Sungyeol, weeping loudly in his drunken state.  In that moment, Myungsoo returned to reality for a second and remembered his first true title: Compassionate Prince. Anytime he saw a friend in need, he had to help. "Sungyeol. I am sorry about everything."

Sungyeol raised his head, sniffing his nose and shamelessly sobbing as the traffic around Hongdae increased with more college students walking around. He could care less, for his heart could not control itself. "Myungsoo, I'm a ing idiot. I went for it. My heart wanted it so badly. In the end, this whole love was a lie. I'm sorry..."

It was a starry night, and Myungsoo raised his head to stare at the night sky. The flashing lights of Hongdae blinded him from experiencing the true beauty of the shimmering stars and constellations in the sky. He could barely catch one, but as he looked harder, beyond the artificial lights he saw the true natural lights that make up the night. In a way, catching this star fed the right words for Myungsoo. "Sungyeol, please do not be sad about this."

Sungyeol ran his fingers over his pockets, feeling the bump of the bracelet he would give Taeyeon. He refused to take it out or acknowledge it any longer, encouraging his sadness to fill his heart faster. "She moved on and I should have done that from the beginning. She really only wanted to be my friend. I wanted her to love me so badly. After all of this time, I can't believe it had to end like this. I should've known from the beginning it was too good to be true."

Myungsoo cleared his throat, rubbing his forehead to ease the alcohol headache bothering him. Beyond all the drinks he took, he was able to make a coherent argument. "Sungyeol, every single time you talked to me about love, you told me that you had to feel it. In your words, the heart wants what the heart wants. The person you fall for, you want that person to think you are also perfect in their eyes."

Sungyeol turned his head to Myungsoo, curious to hear what his next words would be.

"Take me for an example. I thought Naeun was the one, and then I considered Daehyun, but after my time apart from Joseon my feelings for them dwindle. And according to history, Sunggyu is the one who ultimately takes her hand. Love is always changing, and I believe that is ok."

This was the chilling reality that Sungyeol needed, wiping his tears away and holding himself back from crying. Never did he expect a prince who traveled 600 years into his time, giving him the advice necessary to move on. It was the wakeup call Sungyeol needed to get his act together. 

"In your time together with Taeyeon, the two of you were perfect and that is all that matters. Cherish those years, the memories you spent with Taeyeon, and how she changed your feelings of love, but you can take this and channel it into the future. I know it is upsetting that her heart did no match up with yours, but know this: Just as there are many stars in the sky, there are many people out there who have a heart that wants you." Myungsoo cleared his throat, the stream of conscience coming out without much thinking. Even in an intoxicated state, Myungsoo was able to speak volumes to Sungyeol.

And Sungyeol was able to reciprocate.

Sungyeol wiped a single tear off his face, shaking his head at the thought. Sungyeol had dedicated his last two years acting as a loyal boyfriend, he associated every single moment to a romantic relationship. He wanted nothing more but to continue their friendship, but he feared losing Taeyeon completely. Delusioned by first love, Sungyeol hesitated taking the next step. "Do you really think I will find someone who shares the same heart as me?"

Myungsoo blinked his eyes multiple times, not very clear with his own self with what he was saying, but going with it anyways. "If you were able to find Taeyeon, you will find someone else. You said it before: love is something one cannot rush. It has to be natural on both sides. Whether you find this person tomorrow, next week, years from now, or even tonight..." Myungsoo placed an affectionate hand on Sungyeol's shoulder, a move that he had never performed to comfort a person before. It was a Crown Prince's duty to show minimal physical contact with their constituents, but Sungyeol was more than that of a commoner.

Sungyeol was Myungsoo's best friend of the 21st Century.

"... you will find this person eventually."

Sungyeol snorted his nose, his heart racing an an exponential speed as the thought of letting Taeyeon go almost gave him a heart attack. Is this the right thing? Taeyeon was placed on top of a pedestal since the beginning of time, but for Sungyeol to bring her down, more than anything he feared losing Taeyeon completely.

This is crazy. Taeyeon is not the one for me, and someone else is? You're ing crazy Myungsoo...

Sungyeol needed that final moment of denial to realize everything would be ok. 

He stuck his hand down his front pocket to carefully pull out a small pouch containing Taeyeon's birthday bracelet, bought with the intention of hopefully winning her over on a special night. Tonight would be a special night for a different reason, as it would be the night that Sungyeol let go of Taeyeon. To grow as a person and move on, he had to accept that it was called first love for a reason. There was someone out there in the infinite amount of stars who would share in the same love that him and Taeyeon shared at the beginning of their relationship. It was the biggest leap Sungyeol had to overcome.

"Thanks Myungsoo," The two stared at each other, their gaze intensifying as Sungyeol had fallen for Myungsoo's words. Sungyeol acted shyly, closing his eyes and taking in a full breath with a genuine smile on his face.  It was the amount of inspiration he needed. "I think we can go back inside. I'm gonna be ok," he smiled.

Myungsoo let go of Sungyeol's shoulder, abiding by his statement and standing up. He clutched his hand into a fist, grabbing onto Sungyeol's shoulder warming his heart. "I do not know anything about real love just yet, but I do know is that everyone will experience it. I know you will be fine Sungyeol."

Sungyeol no longer felt animosity towards Taeyeon, and he no longer felt hopelessness. Sungyeol and Myungsoo helped pick each other off the curb, brushing the dirt off their pants before returning inside. Passing by lines of people, Sungyeol's stride gained confidence in each step. Before they entered Club M2 they passed by a trash can, in which Sungyeol held the pouch with Taeyeon's birthday present. It no longer seemed appropriate to give it to her, especially with no motive of friendship. Sungyeol was no longer bitter, but enlightened and invigorated with a special peace of mind he yearned for so long. 

Finally, he made the leap and threw away the bracelet. 

Tonight Sungyeol was a new person.

Sungyeol and Myungsoo flashed their wristbands to the bodyguard before going back into the club. Sungyeol was liberated, and looking into the swarm of people with a head start on drinking he wanted to join. "Myungsoo, how much have you drank here so far?"

Myungsoo used his fingers to count. Hoya bought me three small glasses, two ladies grabbed my mouth and started pouring more alcohol in my mouth, I had some of Sungjong's mixed cocktail that was an oddly green color. "I had five cups of alcohol."

"I think you need more," Sungyeol grinned, grabbing onto Myungsoo's hand and pulling him right to the bar.

Sungyeol had been away from their main group for so long, he had yet to hear Myugsoo's attitude of how much he despised being at the club with a burning passion.

Sungyeol raised two fingers in the air. "Whiskey please!"

Myungsoo's eyes were filled with fear, questioning whether his whole body could take another alcoholic blow. "Sungyeol, please do not feed me another drink! I do not want it!" he begged, the bad memories of the alcohol setting fire to his throat coming back to him. "My headache is unusual, this whole place is populous and hard to maneuver through, and I was violated by a lady insisted moving her bottom into my private area."

Everything Myungsoo said went through one ear and out the other. Sungyeol had been dealing with a few drinks himself and lacked the attentiveness for others, encouraging the prince to drink a little more with him. The bartender passed along two small shots of dark Whikey and passed one of them along to Myungsoo. Sungyeol raised his glass for Myungsoo to cheers him. Sungyeol could care less about confronting Taeyeon or even Woohyun for that matter. He was ready to drink away the rest of the night and forget everything that happened.

Especially with a good friend.

"Come on Myungsoo! Everyone drank with you except me. Well enough to keep you on your feet for the remainder of the evening."

Myungsoo reluctantly grabbed the shot from Sungyeol and stared straight into his doom. This whole time had been a bizarre evening of peer pressure and revelations. Though Myungsoo was exhausted from the birthday, it had been two hours since the last time hung out with Sungyeol before escaping to Taeyeon's arms for majority of the evening. In all honesty, he was fine drinking for the rest of the night so long as he stayed with Sungyeol.

In this case, Myungsoo clicked his shot glass with Sungyeol as the two of them downed their shots and slammed it on the bar.

(((())))

"JUST LET ME DIE!"

Myungsoo stuck his head into the trash can outside of Club M2, spewing out everything he ate that day. His eggs for breakfast, his ramen for lunch, his leftover gamjeong for dinner, and lastly all 10 drinks of alcohol he consumed within the past four hours. 

"It is happening again... oh no..."

Myungsoo brought his head up to the open air for respite but instantly regretted it as he had to throw up once more, bringing his head back inside for one more puke. "SUNGYEOL THIS IS TERRIBLE! SUNGYEOL!"

Sungyeol was unresponsive.

His whole body was sprawled out onto the sidewalk, legs and arms apart as the weight of the world piled on top of him and kept him face down on the ground. "This floor... it's so comfortable," he wept with drunken tears.

Hoya and Sungjong were escorted out of the club by two bodyguards and pointed to Sungyeol and Myungsoo at the side of the club. "Are those two your friends?" they asked.

Sungyeol and Myungsoo had went through five shots in a row within a span of twenty minutes, impeding on any remaining rationality they had for the rest of the evening. The two of them caused up a storm at the club, the details blurry for the two of them before their fun ended with a lovely lady named public trashcan, who was metal and tall enough for Sungyeol and Myungsoo to deal with.

Sungjong observed his brother and Crown Prince drunk on the streets of Hongdae and shook his head. "I don't think I know them."

That ends this chapter of 21st Century Kim!

Sungyeol moving on, Hoya in Seoul, not to mention what's the aftermath?

Probably a hangover XD

But still, Hoya has one more day to spend before he goes back to Busan on Monday morning. Will he be able to help Sungyeol out in his mission to send Myungsoo back?

Will Sungyeol even remember the next morning to ask?!?!

Not to mention, next chapter Daehyun takes a stand.

Did you guys enjoy this chapter? Any favorite parts?? I hope you all good time reading this fanfic! Seriously all commentors, subscribers, voters, casual readers. You are all too kind and I just love reading all of your reactions to everything (especially the ones that are slightly spoilerish and I can't answer becuase I'm revealing too much :PPP) Stay tuned for the next chapter. I love you all!!!