'That's a cute sweater,' my mother noted as she watched me concentrate on brushing my lashes with mascara. It was the first time I'd seen her. She'd stayed in her room most of the day.

'Thanks,' I responded, twisting the tube back together. 'It's really warm though, so I hope I don't get too hot.'

'Cashmere does that. Wear a nice tank top underneath. I have a nice one that would good great if you needed to take off the sweater.'

'Okay, thanks,' I replied, glacing at her reflection in the mirror.

She hesitated and said, 'I keep ing up, huh?' I turned to face her as she let out a disheartened sigh. 'I'm sorry.'

Before I could respond, she went to her room and returned holding a ribbed tank top with a sweetheart neckline.

'Thank you,' I said, not sure how to recognize her apology. I pulled off the hooded green cashmere sweater and slipped on the tank.

'Fits perfectly,' she stated, then asked, 'Where's the party?'

'Not sure exactly,' I admitted. 'Do you want me to call you?'

'No,' she replied with an indifferent shrug. 'You're not the troublemaker kind, too much like your father.' She smiled gently and turned to walk away.

'Mom,' I said. She turned back towards me, her face worn and sad, even though she was trying to hold a semblance of a smile. 'Are you okay?'

My mother blinked away the tears that formed in her eyes. She cleared and tried to laugh. 'I can't believe I'm acting like this.' She swiped a hand over her lids. 'I'm behaving like a sixteen-year-old.' Then she quickly added, 'No offence.' 

I smiled. 

'I knew he was younger. And I knew that I get attached easily,' she explained. 'I shouldn't be surprised that I freaked him out.' She appeared distraught as she confessed with a pained voice, 'I just like him so much, SooJi-ah.'

'I know.' I smiled in symmpathy, absorbing the crushed look in her eyes. I wanted to tell her that it would be okay. That he wanted to be with her too, but I wasn't convinced that was the truth. So instead I told her, 'You're stronger than this.'

My words left her without any of her own. She appeared surprised, and a tear slid down her cheek.

We were interrupted by a honk.

'Oh, that's Soeung-Eun,' I stated. Then I paused. 'Do you want me to stay?'

'No.' My mother smiled, smoothing her damp cheek with a shake of her head. 'Go. Have fun. Besides, he should be here any minute.'

Chanyeol was on the walkway when I headed to Seoung-Eun's car.

'Party?' he guessed.

'Yup.' I shrugged. 'See you later. Oh, and be good to her,' I said quietly as he passed me. I turned away before he could answer. 

When I opened the door to Seoung-Eun's mini, electronic beats were released into the quiet neighbourhood. 

'Hi,' she yelled, not making an effort to turn down the music that reverberated through my chest. I just nodded in return. 

Seoung-Eun wasn't a non-top talker and messenger of all things gossip like Haeun. She usually got the stories mixed up or completely wrong, so she'd listen and repeat what she didn't understand - which was most of it. She was genuinely a good person, but carrying on a conversation would take patient I didn't possess at the moment - so I just let the music do the talking.

We zipped through the winding dark roads of Daegu, venturing into a neighbourhood lined with iron gates. The hidden houses were set within the hills, displaying all their grandeur while overlooking the rest of us below. I knew this was going to be quite the party. 

Seoung-Eun turned the music down as we entered a long drive. The electronic gates slid open when we pulled in front of them. She eyed me in expectation.

'Are you mad?' she asked, biting her lip- preparing for my reaction. 

'Uh,no,' I replied, eyeing her suspiciously. 'Why would I be mad?'

'You've never been here?' she questioned in surprise.

I watched the stone castle emerge before us as we crept up the wide circular drive filled with cars. It even had a tower in the center, with wings upon wings spread out on either side. The flawless structure had been built with large round stones. It was impressive, but had a cold facade. 

'I would remember this place.' I gawked up at it. 'Who lives here?'

Seoung-Eun stopped the car for the valet and put it in park. 'Kai (SooJi's ex).'

Before I could react, she was out of the car and taking a number from the guy in the black jacket.

Now I was mad.

'Why are we at Kai's? What made you think this was a good idea? And why would you invite me to come with you?' I shoved my car door open. 

'Geez,' Seoung-Eun sulked. 'He never has parties, and I really wanted to see the inside of his place. We'll leave in an hour, okay?' She looked like a pathetic puppy who'd been scolded for chewing on the furniture, her blue eyes big and her brows tilted down. I released an annoyed sigh.

'Fine, an hour,' I grumbled. 'But don't lose me, okay?'

'I promise,' she chirped, all perked up again. I almost expected her to jump up in the air and clap.

I followed her through a large wooden door with a cast-iron knocker as large as my head. We entered the open-ceiling foyer, where a large table displaying an enormous floral arrangement was centred in the space. 

There wasn't much of a crowd yet. The people we passed could have come from anywhere, since most were unrecognizable to me. Seoung-Eun paraded through, handing her jacket to someone behind a closet door. I followed her loose bobbling curls, but she made a turn down one of two halls and disappeared. 

I turned the corner, and the space opened into what must have been the family room. There were dark brown leather couches pushed against one wall. And a sleek, handcrafted twenty-foot bookcase climbed up another wall, displaying books and artefacts of various shapes and sizes. Large arching windows spread across two sides of the room, and at the far end, lights were suspended on poles, flashing on a dance floor. Tall, thin speakers framed a guy standing at a computer with large black headphones on his nodding head.

The room was scarcely populated - a few people sat on the couches and a few more stood around the perimeter talking. But Seoung-Eun was nowhere to be found. 

'Where's the bar?' I asked the first random person who passed me. 

'Down the stairs.' The girl pointed, then continued after her friends.

There was an arch in the wall, barely noticeable as the hall rounded a corner. I entered to find wide curving stairs - leading down to the dungeon, I presumed. I followed the polished wooden steps around the bend, into the largest rec room I'd ever seen. There were several pool tables, two bars, couches, televisions, foosball tables and a basketball shooting game. Soft lightning filtered through sconces around the perimeter of the stone walls. 

There were more people down here than upstairs, but it still wasn't crowded - or maybe the space was so large it didn't feel like it was. I thought I spotted Seoung-Eun at the bar at the far end of the room, and I passed several groups of people to get ot her.

'Lee SooJi?' a girl asked behind me. I turned to find a group of girls in glittery tops holding martini glasses, gawking. ' I never would have expected to see you here. This is crazy.'

I looked from one to the other, not recognizing any of them. 

;We graduated two years ago,' the petite brunette stated when it was evident I didn't know who they were.

'Oh, hi,' I said, not coming up with anything better to say. 

'How've you been?' the girl with black curly hair and full red lips asked. 

'Um,' I stumbled, not really believing that they cared, but deciding to answer with, 'Great, thanks. I'm actually looking for Kim Seoung-Eun. Have you seen her?'

'No,' she replied apologetically. 'We should totally catch up later though, okay?'

'Definitely.' I forced a smile as they waved and walked away. What had I gotten myself into?

I turned towards the bar again, but the blonde curls had disappeared. I collapsed on to one of the stools, not wanting to chase her all night. I figured after the hour was up, I'd text her and meet her wherever she was.

'What can I get you?' the guy in the white shirt ask from behind the bar. I couldn't believe there was an actual bartender, but then again, there was valet parking. 

'Something with caffeine,' I requested. As he reached for a liquor bottle, I specified, 'Non-alcoholic.' He nodded and handed me a Mountain Dew. 

I looked past him to the screen suspended behind the bar and occupied myself with basketball highlights so I wouldn't have to make conversation with people I didn't know. Or people I did....

'I told him, "You're a douche and you're going to wish you were dead."'

I don't know why I turned around. Perhaps it was because he had one of those obnoxious voices that carried through a crowd, attracting attention. It was almost an instinct, like hearing a car horn and turning to see who was honking as the car's about to hit you.

Suho's mouth dropped open. ', SooJi. I didn't know you were here. Sorry. I didn't mean anything by it.'

It took me a moment to understand what Kai's annoying bestfriend was talking about. When he connected, I rolled my eyes with a groan and slid off the stool - walking past him and the awed eyes that surrounded h