Niel felt a bit tired. For hours, Chanhee had eagerly taken him and introduced to lot of people. They meet and discussed things with multi-talented artist GDragon, after which Byunghun had come and taken them off to meet the ‘potential client’ Chanhee had talked about who turned out to be Lee Jongsuk and Park Minwoo (the current trend actors in a popular reality show and drama) that almost made me faints with their smiles and then he had been introduced to some of Byunghun’s friends in the entertainment industry – Niel seemed to recognise some of them way back during the Summer Camp at TOP.

That had been rather awkward, actually coz they have somewhat partnered Chanyeol – Baekhyun , Luhan – Xiumin, and there Jeongmin who mused on how he miss his lover in Japan. The minute they laid eyes on Minsoo and made the connection between them, Niel had felt like a specimen in an exotic bird exhibit. Chanyeol who is a famous young movie and record producer had asked him if he was Minsoo’s lover and he even proposed them to have a drama/movie cameo in his upcoming projects. Niel had laughed it off best as he could  and pushing the blame to their host, who rather in a bad mood after the TOP Academy Camp was brought up again, but it still made Niel blushed and a little wishful. 

Niel picked out a few juicy-looking slices of fruit and put them on a plate before heading back to join the others. When he got back, Chanhee was there talking to Baekhyun and Xiumin about some fashion trends in China Market, but Minsoo was nowhere to be seen.

“Chanhee, Where’s Minsoo?”

“I’m not sure,” said Chanhee, frowning slightly and looking around. “He was here just now…”

Chanhee spotted Jeongmin going to the other table and asked him.

“I think he went somewhere with Byunghun. I saw them going towards the house a few minutes ago,” said Jeongmin then walk out where Chanyeol and Luhan having their own conversation too.

“Would you like me to go with you to look for them?” Chanhee offered since he knows its Niel first time in Byunghun’s place.

“Ah. Thanks, but it’s okay. I think I’ll go look for them myself, Besides as the hosts partner of the night you should attend to the other guest too” Niel grinned as Chanhee rolled his eyes and ignored him. Niel wondered how its like if Chanhee and Byunghun will really be together for real. Niel shook his head immediately and felt sorry for his best friend Chanhee.

Walking towards the shaded porch that led to a lounge, Niel marvelled at the grandeur of Byunghun’s home. Chanhee’s house was as large as this one was, but it had a much simpler appearance. Both of the LEE’s residence just reeked of splendour and rich details, too far from his single unit in a 14^th floor condo unit residence.

There was no one in the room when Niel entered it, but he heard voices coming from the connected room on the left. The door to that was slightly ajar, and going nearer, Niel recognised the voices as Byunghun’s and Minsoo’s.

Ah, found them, he thought. Niel was about to knock on the door and go in, when the next words froze him in place.

“Don’t give me excuses, Minsoo! I’m giving you a great opportunity here. Why don’t you just say something to Niel already? Here I am trying to help you and you’re wasting the chance…”

His brows furrowed. Were they talking about him? What was going on?

“I do not recall exactly asking for your help,” was the terse reply.

“Whether you asked for it or not, I am giving it anyway.”

Niel didn’t really catch his next words – it sounded like Byunghun had moved off to one side – but he heard a few phrases that sounded like: “… for your own good… Chanhee… admit it…”

Minsoo said something in reply, which he also did not manage to hear clearly. Byunghun’s irked voice rose again, saying, “You’re absolutely infuriating!”

“And you, Byunghun, are too presuming. You presume too much –”

At that point, Niel decided to walk away.

Once out on the porch again, Niel set the plate he had been holding down on a small table there and sat down in a chair. The wheels of his mind started turning furiously. What was all that about? Were they talking about him? They had to be… It didn’t make sense. Or did it? What were they talking about? Byunghun helping Minsoo? Opportunity? Say something to him? Say what?

***

Chanhee cast a concerned gaze at Niel, who had just walked up to them. “Are you all right? Did you find Minsoo?”

Niel shook his head. He didn’t feel like sharing his thoughts on what he had just overheard. They weren’t pleasant thoughts at all.

Even Baekhyun and Xiumin gave him a worried look. “You look a bit pale, Niel. Are you sure you’re okay?” the latter asked with concern.

“You don’t look all right, Niel,” said Chanhee. “Like Xiumin says, you look pale – and you’re fair to begin with. Something has to be wrong for so many colours to drain from your face.”

“I’m fine,” Niel insisted. “Perhaps I’m a little more tired than I thought.”

Chanhee didn’t believe a word of it. Something had happened in the time Niel went to look for Minsoo, but he couldn’t imagine what. That wasn’t all, either. Niel didn’t just look pale. His expression was neutral, but there was a cold and stormy look in his eyes that Chanhee couldn’t recall having seen before ever since they’d met at university. Chanhee had a feeling Niel was angry about something. Angry and… Some other unreadable emotion. Whatever it was, it disturbed him. That Niel wouldn’t say anything about it all was troubling too.

“Maybe you should go home then,” said Baekhyun. “If you’re that tired, it’s best to go home and rest.”

“Yes, I think so too,” agreed Chanhee. Maybe whatever was on Niel’s mind would be relieved when he went home – away from the mysterious cause of the unfamiliar cold in his dark eyes.

“No,” said Niel, firmly. “I’ll be all right. I’ll just go get myself a drink.”

The half-minute it took Niel to get his drink and return to Chanhee and the others was apparently enough time for him to calm and/or hide his emotions because he came back looking perfectly normal. There was even a small smile on his face.

Chanhee tried asking him again about what had happened, but Niel brushed his questions aside and turned the topic to something else. Chanhee took the hint and didn’t ask anymore, although he still wondered about it.

When Minsoo joined them some time later, Chanhee demanded to know where he had been. He apologised, saying Byunghun had taken him on a tour of the house.

Chanhee rolled his eyes. “That shorty… Showing off again.”

Minsoo noticed that after he had answered Chanhee’s question, there was a flash of something like coldness in Niel’s eyes, and he wondered at it. But the coldness vanished as fast as it had appeared, replaced by a blank sort of look. Niel seemed to have lost the cheerful mood he had earlier, although he was still smiling. It puzzled him.

***

The journey home from LJOE’s comeback party was a rather quiet one. That in itself wasn’t unusual – Minsoo and Niel were close enough to have comfortable silences from time to time – but Minsoo couldn’t help feeling that there was something different this time. Niel’s manner was bordering on icy, quite unlike his usual warmth. If he hadn’t known Niel for as long as he did, he might have thought that Niel was just being aloof. But years of friendship had taught him the difference between Ahn Daniel being aloof and being cold. The one sitting beside him in the car at that point was the cold one.

Despite his natural inclination to not ask, he finally ventured, “Is something wrong?”

“Not really,” Niel said, continuing to stare out the window.

Minutes of silence passed. Minsoo grew uncomfortable with it. Niel got angry and frustrated with people fairly often, but he rarely ever carried over his fury to the times Niel was with him. Niel might be with him and complain and rant about the culprits, but Niel was hardly cold around him. Usually, Niel would let out all his frustrations and talk about it with him. He realised suddenly that he missed the warm manner and politeness Niel normally had with him. Niel ‘radiated’ warmth and loud around his close friends. Niel’s silence and the chill emanating from him at that moment were totally unfamiliar and they unsettled him.

“Did you enjoy the party?” Minsoo asked, just to break the silence.

“It wasn’t too bad,” Niel replied.

Niel didn’t seem inclined to go on, and Minsoo racked his brain for a way to continue the conversation.

“Chanhee seems close to Byunghyun’s friends and cousins.”

“Quite. They’ve been childhood friends since they were kids. And they attended the same elementary school.”

“I see.”

Silence again.

It was not going well. Minsoo started to get the feeling that he was the one Niel was angry at, but he couldn’t think of anything that he had done wrong. Or was Niel angry because he had gone off for so long without telling him? Maybe that was it. Minsoo knew Niel was the type that felt ignored rather easily. That had to be it. It was all Byunghun’s fault… Why did he have to drag him away to discuss that stupid issue? And what made Byunghun think that he needed help in the first place? Minsoo hated how Byunghun presumed he was just going to muddle around all his life, not doing anything about it. He would – just that he didn’t feel it was time yet.

When Minsoo dropped Niel off at his building residence, Minsoo felt relieved. It was an awkward ride afterall.

*******************************************************************************************************************************

A/N: Updated Part 2 of the party. I hope you like it. I tried to finish it since I'll be off for a vacation so it will be hard for me to update RMB.Then next month I will focus on TY first before the 2014 ends.  I put up some random Idols her too coz i like them.. It's a party but the led have a bad night, well... mianhee Byunghun your time will come soon.... Its more on NAP in this I think but it still ends in a bad night. what will Niel do now?? Will he tell Chanhee about it??

Don't forget to subscribe and leave a comment angels...... and vote too.. lovelots -----> Chanhee's Eomma ^3^