From the glass window, JinAe discreetly watched the gatherings inside the restaurant. Her former classmates were chatting and laughing inside like they were happy to finally see each other after five years. It was their high school reunion and she is hesitant to attend the party. Why, because she doesn't look like she was five years ago! She was a package of muddle. She'd gone pretty thin, not a healthy kind of thin at that. Her hair was a mess—there was a huge grotesque streak of greeny-blond—because she accidentally splashed the bleach when she was cleaning the bathroom this morning. On the tip of her nose, a huge reddish pimple was sitting on it. She got freckles too. And most of all, she just got fired. She wasn't popular anymore, like she used to be five years ago. She had already lost her spark.

Worse, the people gathering inside were popular. One of her high school classmates was an actress, three of them were famous blog writers, five of them were big-time architects, two famous painters, three fashion designers, two famous chefs, two big-time fashion magazine editors, three jazz singers, and some of them were an anchorperson, a song composer, a famous novel writer, a car racer, a popular TV host, a big-time producer, an award-winning director, and a radio DJ. She can't name them all but she was pretty sure they were all successful. Unlike her, jobless and unsuccessful.

Puffing her cheeks, she moved inside the restaurant but was still hiding behind the Jade plant. She was battling with herself whether to stay or just go back home. Either way, she wouldn't lose anything right? But she doesn't want to be seen in her current state. No, just no. Just go away, JinAe. She reminded herself. And so she did. She turned around, heading for the door.

"Hey, JinAe! Is that you?" Someone called that made her frozen on her feet. Oops! Run! Don't look around. Go, run!

"Oh my God, JinAe! Your hair, um, is that the new trend right now? Because if it is, I'm going to bleach my hair like that!"

"Come on, JinAe. Join us!"

She inhaled a deep breath as she closed her eyes. She was trapped. She knew it would be better if she will just remain. Her former classmates just won't let her go away that easily. Sighing, she decided to stay for a while. Before she turned back around, she covered her nose with her hanky. "Hello, guys." She mumbled through her handkerchief.

"Your hair...no offense, but it's kind of weird." Han Youngmi, the rookie-but-already-receiving-positive-feedback actress, muttered. JinAe just smiled at her. "And why are you covering your nose?"

"Oh, it's just nothing." She mumbled nervously.

"How's your work?" Another classmate of her named Kang Soojin, who was now a big-time magazine editor, asked her. All of her classmates stopped chatting and moving as they waited for her to answer the question.

"U-Uh... it's fine." She shrugged her shoulders to appear cool even though inside she was edgy at the moment.

"You're probably always under stress. Look at you, you are so thin I doubt you're eating."

"Oh, I'm fine. I do eat, of course."

"One strong wind and you'll probably be blown away."

She chuckled. "Don't exaggerate."

"How about a boyfriend? Are you getting married?" Sasha, the popular TV host, batted her eyelashes as she asked. She looked so eager to know about her love life. Urgh. This was one of the reasons why she doesn't like to be here. First of all, she doesn't have a love life for heaven's sake!

"Um..." She cleared , trying to find some answers.

"What's with the hanky? We can't really hear you." Youngmi looked at her like she had gone two heads. She was about to say another alibi but then someone squeaked. It was probably Soojin.

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