Kwonah stares at the grinning guy in front of her, slightly agape. "You can't be serious."

Key gives her an arrogant smirk in return. "Don't believe me?" Kwonah chooses not to answer. Instead, she turns and stalks off in the opposite direction, as fast as her legs can carry her. However, the guy soon overtakes her and walks in front of her, on account of his much longer legs. She scowls at him, which only seems to make him more amused. 

"Why?" she finally asks, giving up on her short rebellion.

A wicked glint appears in Key's eyes. "Fun."

"You're evil, you know that?"

"Oh, I'm perfectly aware - and proud - of that fact. Now come on and make yourself prettier than you already are." And with that, he grabs her elbow and drags her along with him. Kwonah submits, miserably walking along after him, her arm limp in his hand. There's no point in resisting him, because he's bigger than her, and stronger than he looks, despite his skinny build. They move towards the little boutique at the end of the street, Key entering it with a huge smile on his face and a loud greeting to the person tending the shop, who waves enthusiastically back at him. Kwonah peers curiously at her, and she notices that the girl is tall and extremely pretty, with delicate features. 

"Hi, Key-Oppa," she says, her voice trilling out, and her caramel eyes closing into crescent-moons as she smiles. "It's nice to see you again!"

Key nods, and gestures towards Kwonah, who feels conspicuous on account of the vast differences in height between the other two and herself. "This is a really good friend of mine, Kwonah. Do you think you can find her a pretty outfit?"

The girl's waist-length auburn hair swishes from side to side as she nods, and her heels clack on the smooth, tiled floor as she studies Kwonah. The steady gaze makes her feel even more out of place, and Kwonah's cheeks turn red as she averts her eyes from the girl. After roving her eyes over Kwonah's face for another few seconds, the girl turns back to Key.

"The colour of her cheeks when they're red suits her," she remarks, and Key struggles to hold back a laugh. "But I think we should have the perfect things for her."

"Hyunra," Key says, "You're a lifesaver. How can I ever repay you?"

Hyunra shrugs, winking at Kwonah. "It's okay - all you have to do is introduce me to Super Junior one day and that'll be perfect."

"You always have to ask for the tough ones, don't you?"

She shrugs in return, before taking Kwonah's hand and leading her down towards a rack of brightly coloured dresses. "What's your favourite colour?"

Kwonah shrugs, but eventually replies, "Red?"

Hyunra grabs her hand and studies it for a minute, then looks back up at her, shaking her head. "A deep colour will go well with your skin tone. Red is too bright. What about a deep forest green?"

Key nods on Kwonah's behalf, carefully avoiding the glare that he gets for doing that. Hyunra notices, and chuckles. "I'm ignoring that person over there," she says, nodding her head at the guy, who feigns a hurt look. "What do you think?"

"I'm thinking... midnight blue?"

"Perfect," Hyunra announces, and she whips out a dress in that shade. It's very elegant, with embroidery in silver thread lining the hem of the dress. It's sleeveless, and has a V-neck. The skirt hangs in loose, weighty folds, and it reaches till just above her knees. It's simple, but classy, and Kwonah falls in love with the dress as soon as she sees it.

"Try it on," Hyunra prompts, handing the dress over to Kwonah, whose mouth is half-open. "And take these, too," she adds, handing the slightly stunned girl a pair of strappy heels. 

She and Key wait outside, near the rack of dresses, as Kwonah enters the dressing room to try it on. "Mind telling me what you have in store for her?"

Key smirks. "She's a friend of mine's ideal type. I want to play matchmaker."

Hyunra lets loose a hearty laugh. "You?!" When Key nods, she says, "You remind me of those ahjummas in Korean dramas - they mostly have nothing better to do, other than to get the children together and married."

He shrugs, unperturbed. "I'm a matchmaker, not an ahjumma."

"How do I look?" Kwonah asks from behind them, startling both of them. They both turn to look.

"Perfect," Hyunra smiles, while Key nods in agreement.

Kwonah purses her lips. "Key, what in the world is this for?"

Hyunra giggles, and Key pointedly ignores his friend. "Hyunra, can you do something about her hair and makeup?"

"Key!" the other girl protests, frustrated that she can't get an answer out of him. "What do you want me dressed up for?!"

"Ssshhh," he replies impatiently. Kwonah, eyes narrowed, has not much of a choice but to follow the other two to the makeup section, where she's made to sit down on a little stool at a counter. A small mirror is placed in front of her, and Hyunra arranges various other beauty products on the countertop beside the mirror. Then she moves in front of Kwonah, and she spends a minute studying her face, occasionally lifting a tube of lipstick or a shade of pink up to her skin to compare it. Eventually she nods, and pulls up at stool of her own to start applying the makeup.

She does it swiftly, with a practiced ease. It's obvious to Kwonah that she's done this many times before - either on herself or on customers. As Hyunra works on her face, Key makes sounds of approval in the background. Kwonah watches the mirror and admires the smooth, even shades that are being applied to her skin. Slowly, as the girl moves over her face with the products, Kwonah sees that her face is transformed. Although the layer of makeup is light, there's enough to accentuate her already-pretty features, especially her large raven eyes. The slightest tinge of pink on her cheeks brightens up her skin, and the  shade of lipstick applied is just a tad darker than the original dull pink of her lips. All in all, the makeup just serves to brighten her face, yet she still looks perfect. Hyunra has worked wonders on her face.

"Done," she says, sitting back and looking satisfied. "Your earrings already go well with the dress."

"Whoa," Key exclaims when he sets eyes on Kwonah's completed makeover. "Now you look like you can become a model. Hyunra, how much for this miracle?"

Kwonah gasps, and slaps him on the arm. "Yah, I wasn't that bad before!"

"You resembled a toad."

"Shut up, you," Hyunra interrupts, slapping him on the other arm, which makes him step back and wrap his arms around himself protectively. "Don't worry, he's only teasing."

"I know, but that doesn't mean he can call me a toad. It's like a pot calling the kettle black."

"Yah!" Key protests, but Hyunra pokes him to keep him quiet. 

"Come over to the cashier and pay for that - I assume you're taking it?" she asks, pushing the put-out guy over to a corner of the shop where the register is located. 

Kwonah jogs up behind them. "I can pay for it," she offers, digging out a couple of bills from her purse.

"No," Key says firmly, swatting her hand away and pushing a card into Hyunra's hands. "I get special discount here."

"Because he's always haunting this place," Hyunra whispers to the other girl.

Key frowns. "What's wrong with coming here often?"

Kwonah stifles a laugh. "This is a girl's shop."

"So?"

"Why would you come here so often if this is a girl's shop?" Hyunra prods.

"That's not important," he replies grumpily, snatching his card impatiently back from the grinning girl. She has a mischievous glint in her eyes, pretty similar to those of Kwonah's. But both girls don't say anything more, and Key feels relieved to be stepping out of the shop a few minutes later. Night has already fallen, and the sky is dark. The street lamps are on, and they cast pools of yellow on the pavement. Key and Kwonah bid goodbye to Hyunra - the girls having exchanged numbers - and then the pair of them set off down the street towards a classy restaurant.

A gentle breeze tugs at Kwonah's hair, lifting a few locks out of the simple but elegant bun Hyunra had tied for her. They settle around her face, framing it in a natural way. Key, beside her, smiles as he anticipates his friend's reaction. If he's not wrong - and he never is - they'd make a perfect couple. 

"Where are we going, Oppa?" Kwonah asks, her eyes crinkling as she makes an attempt at aegyeo to tempt him into telling her.

He shakes his head, amused. "You only call me Oppa when you want something."

"You don't deserve it otherwise," she replies snarkily, trying to pout.

"I'm sure you'll enjoy it."

"Then I'd better, or you die when I get out of this dress."

Key shakes his head and grins. "I'll be at SHINee's dorm by then."

"I know where it is. I'll meet you there and murder you in front of your bandmates then," she threatens with relish, brandishing her fist at him.

He sticks out his tongue but doesn't reply as they're already at the doors to the restaurant. It's crowded at this time of night, and almost all the tables are filled. To Kwonah, this is proof that the place is of quality, since it's evidently popular. A gnawing ache in her stomach tells her she's hungry, and the plates of gourmet food she can see in front of people who are lucky enough to already be eating do nothing to ease that ache. Instead, she feels even more ravenous. Key leads her into the restaurant, telling the clerk that he's there for a reservation for two. Kwonah briefly wonders if he's taking her on a date, but quickly discounts the notion - they're friends, nothing more. And Key's the type to ask someone before dragging her on a date.

The decor is tasteful, and the place is evenly lit by hanging lamps with embroidered shades. The walls are a pale shade of tan, and booths line either side of the restaurant - seating either two, four or six people. Longer tables fill the space in between, for larger groups of up to sixteen people. A large area is split off from the dining area by a counter in a deep shade of brown to match the walls. Within the enclosed area, a few waiters move around quickly, collecting dishes and preparing trays, as well as drinks. They are quick and efficient, rarely making mistakes. 

Key leads her over to a corner table for two, and she follows him blindly, taking her time to take in the atmosphere. She only looks back at the table when she hears him speaking to someone.

"Yo, dude," he says to a younger guy, slapping palms with him. His features are strong - sharp and defined. His eyebrows are thick as well, but shaped nicely to frame his eyes, which are big and dark. He has broad shoulders and strong-looking hands. His smile is nice and warm, as is the friendly look in his eyes.

"Key-hyung," the boy greets excitedly. Then his gaze slides to Kwonah, and his eyes widen.

Key notices, and grins, guiding Kwonah to a spot in front of himself where the boy can see her more clearly. "Jaehyo, this is Kwonah. You're both going on a blind date tonight." While the other two gasp and look at him, he turns on his heel. "Have fun together!" he calls over his shoulder, and he exits the restaurant in another few confident strides, nodding to the smiling clerk on his way out.



A frown mars his features as he brisk-walks down the street towards a bus stop. He's aiming to catch the next bus back to his dorm to make it back in time for dinner. The other members have been flooding his phone with anxious text messages and calls demanding to know where he is and when he's getting back. Seungho's been away long enough, and the other three remaining members in MBLAQ fear for his safety - they don't want a repeat of the kidnapping. Besides, their manager has called a meeting after dinner, and Seungho has to be there so that his absence isn't suspected. Technically, none of the MBLAQ members are supposed to be out in public, so as not to risk the attention of the media. 

Seungho is frustrated though, and his feet slam against the pavement harder than necessary, producing soft thump-thump sounds as he trudges towards the bus stop. The autumn breeze that's about is stronger at the later time of day, and Seungho's coat flaps about behind him as the wind whips it away. He reaches the bus stop and leans against a pole, massaging his temples. He couldn't find a single clue of his bandmate today. Following that young girl with the blonde-tipped hair had proved fruitless - more like a wild goose chase. He left when he saw her emerge from the apartment she visited to sit on a bench in the park. It was tempting to go and talk to her, and he would have, if not for the timely call from Cheondoong, who ordered him back to the dorm right then.

As such, Seungho had to abandon his mission for the day and make his way back without learning anything useful, which is the cause of his black mood. He thought he'd been so close to finding his missing bandmate, that close to discovering his prison - that to come up short after that proved incredibly demoralising. If he weren't in a public place in view of strangers, he thought he'd break down and either start crying or throwing things around in his frustration. Instead, he has to be satisfied with just tapping a foot to get rid of all the nervous energy stored up as a result of it. 

It takes a while for the bus to come, and he feels even more wound up as he becomes conscious of the passing time. It's obvious that he'll have to skip his dinner, but he's worried that he'll get there too late to meet the manager, which will cause trouble for them all. When he catches sight of the bus, he lets out a huge breath of relief and stands up immediately, waving down the bus to make sure it stops at that bus stop. As soon as he gets on, he feels the muscles in his tense shoulders relax, and he leans his throbbing head against the cool glass of the bus windows to ease his headache.

Another twenty minutes, and Seungho's bus reaches the stop before his dorm. He jumps out and takes off running into the building, taking the stairs to get to the dorm faster. Panting, he reaches the dorm mere seconds before MBLAQ's manager appears down the hall - having taken the lift. He nods to Seungho - who's trying as hard as possible to control his breathing. 

Just then, Cheondoong dashes out of his and G.O's shared room, having heard the door open. "We can explain about Seungho-hyung," he exclaims at the top of his voice, his hair sticking up on the left side and the area around his eyes white due to his panic. On seeing Seungho with a raised eyebrow standing next to the manager, his jaw drops. Behind him, G.O appears from the room and walks smack into Cheondoong's back, and the couple of them tumble to the floor, the older also staring slack-jawed at their leader. Seungho feels like digging a grave in the ground - the MBLAQ boys might as well have told the manager that he was absent. They're in trouble now. As he's thinking that, Mir walks out from the room he shares with Joon.

"Seungho-hyung!" he shouts, smiling widely. "You got back from your jog already?"

G.O visibly breathes a sigh of relief, but Cheondoong masks that by unentangling himself from him and standing up to greet their manager as well. Seungho motions a quick thank-you to the youngest, who nods and joins him in front of the door. The four of them bow and bid the middle-aged man a good evening, before they retreat to the small living room. Seungho and G.O, as the two oldest, sit beside the manager on the couch, while the two youngest sit on the floor. 

"So, eventually MBLAQ is going to have to face the media to address the issue of Joon's kidnapping," the man starts, lines appearing on his face which ages him by ten years. As their manager, he has been interacting closely with the boys of MBLAQ, and the fact that they are all fun-loving yet professional - always on time for schedules and performing up to par - endeared them to him. He shares a close relationship with them, and under less straining conditions, they often exchange jokes and even go as far as to tease each other occasionally. But with one member's life possibly in danger, with no trace or clue as to where he could be, the atmosphere is tense, and none of them feel as cheerful as they normally are.

"Hyung," G.O interrupts, his Adam's apple shaking. "Is there no clue as to where Joon is; if he's alright?"

Mir and Cheondoong glance up from their positions on the floor, both with equally hopeful looks in their eyes. Seungho keeps his eyes trained on his feet, trying to quell the swell of hope he feels as well - he doesn't want to be disappointed later. Their manager turns his gaze down as well, and it seems painful for him to shake his head. The four boys deflate.

"There's nothing so far, but the police are still investigating."

"They questioned me," Seungho speaks up, and everyone turns to him, curious. "But it seems like even they are clueless as to what happened that night. I couldn't really explain much, because I don't remember much."

Mir looks remorseful. "Of all nights to drink..."

"Yah," G.O cuts him off. "It was Doongie's birthday. We were celebrating."

"Still," the youngest trails off, "It would be nice if we could remember something..."

"Don't cry over spilt milk," Seungho advises, then scowls. It's not like him to spout sayings like that. Maybe the fans are right and he is turning into an old ahjussi. Or maybe the bookworm of a lady at the bookstore rubbed off on him.

The manager clears his throat. "Anyway, you need to face the media. So an interview has been arranged tomorrow. It's more along the lines of a fanmeet. So you'll be sitting on a little raised platform, and fans and the media alike are allowed to pose questions to you from the floor. You'll be answering questions for a while, so be prepared. Rain-sshi will be there, as will I, and we will also be giving formal statements and helping you answer the questions. Get ready to leave the dorm at noon, so have an early lunch. A van will be at the usual pick-up point. Dress smart; look professional. Don't look too down, but don't force yourselves to look happy either. Be serious. And answer truthfully as far as possible - only withold the name of the bar, because we haven't been given legal permission to disclose that to the general public. Clear?" 

After he finished relaying the instructions, silence fell for a minute as the members took in the information and slowly nodded. The older man sighs. "I know this is hard for you, but you have to keep going. We can't give up hope for Joon. I'm sure we'll get to him eventually."

"Hyung," Seungho says suddenly, looking up with a new light in his eyes. "Will you allow us to go out on our own - in disguise of course - to try and see if we can find him on our own?"

The man regards him with a hard look. "What makes you think you can do what a trained bunch of professionals can't?"

"The police don't seem to know a thing, and I managed to catch a glimpse of the waitress who we suspect kidnapped Joon."

There's a few disbelieving protests, and the other three sit up straighter. "Why didn't you tell us before?!"

"I don't know how it helps -"

The manager interrupts Seungho, "Exactly. You don't know how it helps. You may have seen her, but her boss probably has a picture of her which he's given to the police. Furthermore, he's probably provided them with all her details as well. They're the police, Seungho, and you're an idol group. There's nothing you can do that they can't."

Seungho highly doubts that, considering what he's seen. There was no trace of the police anywhere near Sofia's house. 

"Besides," the man continues, "It's too dangerous for you four to be roaming the streets. If anyone's kidnapped Joon, don't you think they might target the rest of MBLAQ next? You being on your own on the roads just gives them more of a chance to do so. It's like painting a gigantic target on your heads with the words ' kidnap me' written in blazing font across it."

"So I guess the answer is no?" G.O confirms, looking lost.

"There's absolutely nothing we can do to help Hyung?" Mir asks, a tone of disbelief colouring his voice. Cheondoong slams his hand onto the floor in frustration.

"I forbid any of you to leave this building, except to go for the interview tomorrow," their manager insists, closing the topic once and for all. There's a forced murmur of assent from the other four, and he stands up to make his way out. "I like this no more than you do," he says, shaking his head. "But there's nothing we can do but hope for the best."

With that, he sweeps out the front door of the dorm, leaving the four boys silent in the living room.

A/n: This is shorter? 3750 words I think. ^^ I hope you like it - it's more of a filler chapter, and I wanted to develop characters. Sorry Aleric - Jin was supposed to be in this chapter, but he would have made it too long... Sorry! Oh, you can look forward to a more interesting chapter tomorrow. Hana and Jin Mie? They were supposed to do something, weren't they? :D And many of you seem to be confused for the previous chapter. This is what happened: Seungho followed Sofia the day she ran away, and Sofia led him to Miyu's house. So the house he kept seeing with the young girl and Jiyong is Miyu's. And remember San Shi is Miyu's neighbour? That's why he saw her there. Get it now? :D For those who were confused. :)

There are two amazing fics you need to check out and apply for. If you like The Plot, you'll adore Rogues. It's written by Wynthe (San Shi's creator). And if you're looking for a girl-group apply fic which stands out from the rest, Polaroid. Written by LoveLikeLucifer, who's character hasn't been introduced yet. I promise, they'll be good, and you'll not regret reading :D Read, PLEASE?!

And this update is dedicated to those who have been pestering me - I promised, didn't I? :D