He knew he shouldn't have come. He just knew it.

She's here.

"Oh Se-Hun!" A lanky girl. More skinny than tall. Skimpily dressed, like everyone else here, a sarong wrapped around her waist. From . . . highschool?

Sehun shakes his head and decides to play along anyway. "Hey, you!"

She leans in to kiss his cheek, and he can smell alcohol on her breath. He scrunches his nose, an arm awkwardly making its way around the girl's lithe waist.

"Good lord, look at you!" she exclaims, pulling away and holding him at arm's length. "My. Oh. My."

He smiles uncomfortably, not liking how she breaks her sentences so suggestively. His eyes constantly scan his surroundings to find a way to escape this situation—and land on her every single time.

All she's wearing is a light oversized T-shirt over a pair of hot pants, not putting on even half the skin show that every other girl around the pool is. Though Sehun can still see the strings of her bathing suit tied around her neck, and the shirt's large neck drooping down a shoulder to expose more skin.

He feels the need to tie his hands to keep from running over and touching her there.

". . . and that better be true, Mr. Oh."

Sehun'd head jerks back towards the girl standing before her, playfully twirling a lock of hair between her fingers.

"H-huh?"

She scowls. "That you're on the market now?" Her expression changes again as she winks at him. "Because I've got my eyes on you."

But she's lost his attention again. His eyes wander around, taking in all the people in and around the pool—and then her.

"Sehun, really, you—"

"Great party, Hana!" a voice interrupts her.

Jongin's.

Sehun's best friend. And saviour at the moment. He places a hand on Hana's shoulder, repeating his words, before dragging Sehun away for 'work'.

"Thank you," Sehun breathes, taking the  colorful and sweet concoction that Jongin offers. He lets his best friend drag him to the little bar, sitting down on the uncomfortable high stools.

"What's up?" Jongin asks, sliding his wayfarers back on. "No, don't tell me—I know. Her."

Sehun rolls his eyes. "She has a name."

"And you want me to say it out loud so he can hear us?"

"She can't. She's—"

"Right behind you. And feeling pretty touchy, eh?" Jongin'a eyes look over Sehun's shoulder, a direction Sehun turns around to follow.

Sure enough, at a distance of about four feet, Miya is locked in an embrace from a buff-looking tall guy, looking over his shoulder. Her face has that smile plastered on it that Sehun knows all too well.

Pretense.

But Sehun is still surprised when he catches her eye, even after all this time. And it takes him back to the times they had . . .

Though ephemeral, the look in his eyes sends an involuntary shiver down Miya's spine. And it's not unpleasant.

Sehun turns back around to face his friend.

Jongin purses his lips. "Hey, I—"

"It's been quite a while. It's okay."

"You're still cool," Jongin states, earning a bitter chuckle in response.

They sip their drinks as a moment of silence passes between them.

"We can leave early, you know. If you want," Jongin offers.

Sehun is about to turn it down—he didn't come to the party to be depressed and leave early—but an all too familiar squeal interrupts him.

He turns around to see Miya taking her top off and jumping in the pool with the guy she was hugging, splashing water all around.

"Yeah, let's go."

Sehun heads straight for the bathroom once the two guys reach their hotel room.

"Hey, where're you going?" Jongin asks, confused.

"Shower," comes the mumbled reply moments before Sehun locks the door.

The hot water relaxes him, and he smiles. He massages the sweet-smelling shampoo into his hair, and takes extra long to wash the suds out. All this takes him a little over an hour.

What was he almost upset about again?

"Um, Sehun?" Jongin calls out from the room.

"Yeah?" He pulls his shirt over his head.

"You've been in there for long. Are you alright?"

Sehun runs a hand through his hair, eyes carefully watching his reflection in the mirror, before stepping into the room. "I am."

"Listen." Jongin sits up on the bed. "If it's any help, I think reunion parties in general."

Sehun frowns. "I wasn't thinking about it."

Jongin lets out an, "Oh," as Sehun sits on the other bed, head buried in