Mirae is surprised to see Suyeon arrive at her house in a sleek black Lamborghini.

    She is even more surprised when Oh Sehun steps out.

    “Thanks for letting me come,” Suyeon says tremulously. Mirae gives her a small smile.

    “You have a lot of explaining to do,” she responds softly. Mirae looks past Suyeon at Sehun.

    Suyeon turns to Sehun. “Thanks... a lot. Seriously.”

    Sehun gives her a curt nod, and slides back in the car. A few moments later, he is gone.

    “Come inside,” Mirae whispers. “Be quiet, I don’t want my parents to hear. I kinda snuck out.”

    “Hwang Mirae snuck out?” Suyeon jokes, making a desperate attempt to lighten the situation. “You’re changing.”

    Mirae raises an eyebrow. “I’m changing, huh.”

    Suyeon looks away.

“Here, change out of that dress.” Mirae tosses her a pair of cotton shorts and a tshirt. “I’ll get you some water. Are you hungry?”

Suyeon’s throat feels awfully thick. She scrunches up her face in a desperate attempt to hold back the tears. “No, I’m not hungry.”     

    Suyeon is happy to toss her dress to the floor and slide into Mirae’s clothes. They smell like laundry detergent, she thinks, burrowing her face in the arms of the shirt. A better change from alcohol.

    Mirae comes back with a huge water bottle of water and a plate of crackers and cheese. “I read somewhere that you’re supposed to keep yourself super hydrated when you drink,” she explains. “And, you know, I figured you might get hungry.”

    “Mirae,” Suyeon whimpers, and collapses into sobs. She throws her arms around Mirae and bawls like a baby.

    “Suyeon,” Mirae whispers, hugging her back. “Suyeon, what’s going on? Tell me, oh my god, I thought we were best friends but you’ve been acting strange for weeks now and I don’t know what’s going on-,”

    “I was scared,” Suyeon blubbers. “I thought that I was clinging on to you too much, and that you would get fed up of me one day because you’re Mirae, you’re perfect and wonderful, and I’m just some girl that’s always with you and- and-,”

    “Oh, Suyeon,” Mirae murmurs. “Suyeon, look at me. You are amazing. I don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re smart and gorgeous and caring and have a wicked business sense. You’re my best friend. You don’t understand how many horrible situations you’ve gotten me out of.”

    “I’m sorry I was so distant around you. I was just kind of...,” Suyeon rubs her eyes. “I don’t know, after that day, when you collapsed and Jongin took you home... I thought you were hiding something or had a secret. I know, I’m stupid. I don’t know why I ever thought that.” She lets out a soft laugh. “I’m going mental, I swear.”

    Mirae looks down at the floor, guilt etched into every single pore of her face.

    “How can I make it up to you?” Suyeon asks. “I’m really, really sorry. Okay, I’ll come squeaky clean about everything. The truth is, I actually went to Sehun’s house once. I know! Sehun’s house!”

    Mirae blinks. “What? Sehun’s house?”

    Suyeon shakes her head. “We thought that that you and Jongin were hiding something, so... well, long story, but we ended up having fun, actually. He let me have a cashmere sweater. Don’t tell him this, but he’s actually kind of- he’s not that bad. Or so I thought. Ew, did I tell you how we met each other at the club? It was so embarrassing.”

Mirae gives her a perfunctory smile. “Oh jeez, don’t tell me. I don’t think I want to know.”  

    “Ugh, yeah.” Suyeon blushes. “Mirae, again, thank you so, so much for helping me like this. I swear, from this day forward, I’ll never try to do anything like that again without talking it out with you. And I promise no more secrets! We’ll talk more in the morning, kay?”

    She rolls her neck and tucks herself underneath the blankets.

    Mirae cannot sleep that night.

    And I promise no more secrets!

    She burrows her face in her hands.

Jongin is in his room when someone knocks on his door.

“Come in,” he says tonelessly. Mr. Kim walks in. Jongin stiffens.

“What do you want?” Jongin asks tersely.

“I just wanted to ask you- what do teenagers like these days?”

“Huh?”

“You see, someone’s birthday’s coming up in a few weeks,” Jaesun explains. “She actually came to the garden party we had a while back.”

“What?” Jongin shoots up. “Wait, who?”

“Do you remember Hwang Mirae? Pretty girl with long hair?”

“That brat’s birthday’s coming up?” Jongin scoffs.

Mr. Kim tilts his head. “Brat? You met her once. Are you judging people again? You judge people too much. I’m pretty sure there’s a proverb about that-,”   

    “No, it’s nothing.” Jongin huffs. “I don’t know much about what that girl would like. But get her cake. Lots and lots of cake. Her stomach is massive.” He thinks for a second. “Also, she likes cute things. I’m not really sure why. She has way too much stationery. So get her some of that. She also wears a lot of headbands to keep her bangs back. Get something sparkly.”

    When he sees his father’s taken aback expression, Jongin mutters, “I don’t know much about her, okay?”

    “Jongin. Is this the 3rd grade again?”

    “What?”

    “Remember that girl you used to follow around all the time? That’s called stalking, Jongin, and girls don’t really like that. Actually, I think it’s kind of illegal. Have you been stalking-,”

    “No I have not!” Jongin roars, his face reddening. “I don’t stalk people, okay? And I definitely do not stalk poor, nerdy, strange girls like Hwang Mirae! Do you know how strange she is? I have a theory about her being a demon, actually-,”

    Mr. Kim holds up his hands. “Calm down, I’m joking!”

    His son promptly shuts his mouth.

    “That’s the most enthusiastic I’ve ever seen you, Jonginnie.”

“Did you just call me Jonginnie? What am I, 4 years old?”

Jaesun resists the urge to bear hug Jongin. This is the first time in years that they’ve talked so casually, without Jongin avoiding his eyes or mumbling to his hands, without either of them blowing up or stomping away from each other.

“Hey, Jongin,” he says quietly. “Do you want to come with me and buy Mirae’s gift tomorrow?”

Jongin hesitates. He looks at his father in surprise.

Then he clears his throat and says, “Sure.”  

The cheerleaders were understanding when Suyeon approached them the following Monday.

    “Clubbing’s not for everyone,” Jihae shrugs. “Sorry we didn’t keep a closer eye on you.”

    Hwe Ji sighs. “At least you’re okay. We freaked out back there, wondering where you’d gone. Then we got your text.”

    “Sorry,” Suyeon winces.

    “Don’t worry about it.” Jihae smiles. “Sorry, we didn’t do a very good job of making you feel better about Hoseok.”

    “No, it actually turned out to be pretty beneficial in the end.” I ended up making up with Mirae, at least.

    Mirae is absolutely furious after Suyeon tells her that she was rejected by Hoseok.

    “Wha- how?! That little douche, I’ll beat him up-,”

    “Mirae, calm down,” Suyeon urges. “It’s okay, really. Like, it doesn’t matter. Whatever.”

    Suyeon has been avoiding Hoseok for a week, ever since he turned her down. She does not want to deal with him. At all. It’s too embarrassing.

    “You should ask someone cooler to go with you to the dance so that he gets jealous.” Mirae suggests. “Ooh, ask Sehun!”

    Suyeon collapses into a violent coughing fit. “Se- where did you get that idea?”

    “I dunno. He’s hot. And he thinks you’re hot.”

    “Mirae, have you forgotten the fact that he calls me a peasant and beneath him every time we meet?”

    “Just bring up what happened at the club again.”

    “Oh, god.” Suyeon hides her blushing face with her hands. “I don’t want to bring that up.”

    Mirae shrugs. “I’m just saying, Suyeon. If you really want to make Hoseok feel jealous, the best way is bringing a hot rich guy like Oh Sehun. I didn’t say you had to like him. Just consider it.”

Suyeon’s thumb teeters over the “Call” button on her phone. She bites her lip, attempting to muster up the courage to call him.

    Should I? Should I not? He’ll laugh at me. But should I? Should I? Or should I not?

    “I have nothing to lose,” Suyeon finally mutters, and presses the green button.

    His phone rings twice before he picks up.

    “Yes?” he asks coolly.

    “I have a business proposal for you.”

A/N: Awww Jaesun and Jongin forming a tentative relationship because of Mirae ayee

And lol I love how Suyeon asks Sehun to the dance by saying it's a "business proposal" 

I'm going to try to update as much as I can because I really want to finish this story LOL 

ALSO CHECK OUT THE AWESOME TRAILER IN THE FOREWORD FROM THE SHINE LIKE A STAR TRAILER SHOP ILYYY GOLDENPEACE