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Standing right in front of the human–sized mirror stood an extremely sceptical Jung Ara wearing really wide earrings that pulled her small ears down due to the weight.

"Yeah, it doesn't. As a matter of fact, it looks ridiculous!"

Behind her was her forever bitingly truthful older sister. She was visiting Seoul for the week to see her small sister grow up to be an even more pain in the ass. And also because it was her graduation that week. Ara surprisingly did better than she'd expected, passing with flying colors. All of that excess revision actually paid off to her delight.

"Taeyeon's picking me up in like twenty minutes so please hurry up!" Ara groaned, irritated at her sister's calm stance. "I can't be late."

"I'm sorry, but if you want to go looking like a joke, be my guest," Lia bit back. "Otherwise, shut up."

With a frown and a clench of two fists, she stayed silent as her sister finished with the hair and makeup. Afterwards, she analyzed herself in the mirror. The dyed black hair curled to spring comfortably around her, the makeup looking prominent yet not too caked, and the lace black dress that was shorter than what she'd hoped but wasn't terribly revealing to make her feel promiscuous. Her heeled boots were the great finisher to the dark, sleek outfit.

Her extremely volatile mood today was subsiding upon seeing her new style. It was triggered namely because she had woken up in her own blood this morning. Accompanied by crazily horrible cramps which made her feel like her stomach was being grinded in a mixing bowl, she also was very paranoid that one wrong move would cause an accident that nobody would forget.

"Okay, you look less ugly which is a start!" Lia clapped her hands sarcastically, getting whacked by Ara's black jacket. "I'm joking. You look really pretty. Enjoy yourself and make sure you're home by midnight latest."

Why Lia wasn't coming was a weird reason: she chose to abstain from all night partying to watch her favorite TV show as the season finale was on that night. Lounging like a slob on Ara's sofa surrounded by popcorn and other treats, she covered herself with a blanket and waved her sister off.

"When I'm back I expect my place to be in tip top shape."

"Don't expect much!"

Ara slammed her door shut and hobbled downstairs to see the familiar car waiting outside. Climbing in and hoping it wasn't some random creep, she was greeted with a huge grin.

"Hey!"

Sitting at the wheel of her new silver sleek car was Kim Taeyeon. She had the biggest smile on her jolly face, her restored black hair curtaining her small face. She'd also incorporated bangs into her look, something she obviously suited. There wasn't anything she didn't suit...even the shocking blonde she sported a year back.

Kim Taeyeon, after suffering being cheated on by her boyfriend of five years, was surprisingly still the same bubbly, loud girl. Thankfully she'd never changed and vowed to stay single until she was thirty. Based on her breathtaking looks, this probably wouldn't last.

"You came exactly on time," Ara mused whilst glancing to her watch. "I'm impressed."

Starting the car, her old woman–like chuckle resonated the surroundings. "What can I say? Working with criminals has really made me sharp."

The journey there was swift and full of laughs, the pair joking around with each other. Ara really felt like her and Taeyeon shared a sister–like bond; whenever Lia wasn't there to support her, she definitely could count on Taeyeon. Something she needed especially as her two best friends moved elsewhere after recieving their graduate diplomas. Seungwan moving back to her native Canada, and Mira accepting a job in Japan. Of course Ara couldn't be more proud of the two for achieving what they desired, but she was also devestated at their departures. But she still had her other group of friends to fill the void.

They reached the destination as the clock struck nine in the night. Several people, including who seemed like Sehun, entered the building — a venue that Taeyeon had rented out for the evening. It was spacious, absolutely beautiful inside and a ton of cash. She regarded it as Ara's graduation gift. Alongside the really pricey shoes she got her for the actual graduation.

"Let's go," Taeyeon nudged the slightly woozy Ara out of her haze and the two left her car swiftly. Their arms linked together, the short pair of friends grinning away as the shining moon cast plenty of light for them.

The interior was breathtaking. Taeyeon had designed it with Ara's favorite shades and colors — she was a sucker for a deep red paired with black which made the place look amazing. Giving her best friend the biggest squeeze in the world, Ara couldn't stop smiling.

"Thank you thank you thank you!" She squealed as Taeyeon returned the hug.

"Don't worry about it, graduate. Now enjoy yourself. But don't enjoy yourself too much like last time."

When she said this, Ara immediately blushed through her several pounds of foundation caked on her face. The former disappeared, leaving the girl to wander on her own. Two large hands grabbed her shoulders, making her scream.

She turned around to see a bashful face. "Chanyeol! You scared me!"

"That was what I was planning to do," he bashfully responded with before pinching one of her glittery cheeks. "You look very pretty."

Ara squirmed under Chanyeol's soft gaze. "Stop it!"

"Oh, is Kyungsoo going to get jealous?"

"Shut up!" She replied in quick fire before barging his tall self to the side. "You're so cheesy."

"Yeah...everyone always says that."

Jung Ara was surprised yet not at the same time at Chanyeol's lack of significant other. Unlike his closest friends, he was very inexperienced with dating — instead, it was well known that during High School he would have flings yet never respond to their calls and texts afterwards...

After he left her side to dance with the surprisingly already drunk Minseok, Jongdae's quiet demeanor caught her eye. Ara walked towards him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Everything okay?" She whispered as Jongdae's slanted eyes locked with hers. Biting his lip, he slowly nodded his head.

"Yeah, it's just today was meant to be my one year anniversary with Yuna since we went back together, you know? And the first thing I see on my Instagram is her with Baekhyun..."

"C'mon, Kim Jongdae," Ara coaxed gently before enclosing his wrist in her hand. "You need to forget about them. They're not worth your sadness. Look at Taeyeon, she's been hurt just as much. But we're all here to have fun, you know? Just for today?"

It took him some time to deliberate her words, but remembering that he had indeed come to celebrate Ara's success and not to dwell on his past, Jongdae stood up from his seat and gave her a sweet and swift hug.

"Thanks, and I'll try not to get too drunk."

Before Jongdae disappeared to drink till his liver failed, Ara stopped him. "By the way, where's Kyungsoo?"

He looked down at his watch. "Hm, should be coming soon."

Soon turned out to be another twenty minutes as she finally joined in with the others raving crazily in the middle of the venue. It was great fun, admittedly, even when Ara wasn't the most lively person at a party. It was her party, after all. In a rush, hands grasped her waist, making her jerk and squeal out of shock.

"What the—" a heart shaped grin was in her line of vision, making her roll her eyes in mock irritation. "Oh, it's you."

The latecomer Do Kyungsoo raised one of his brows, eyeing up the graduate with a playful stare. "It's me? Wow..."

"You're totally late! You missed my amazing entrance!"

He scanned the vicinity before turning back to her emotionless. "I don't see anything particularly extravagant. But maybe it's because it's a party for you."

"Your rudeness is not appreciated at my party," she frowned after realizing she didn't have a good enough comeback to his remark. Looping her arms around his neck, she hugged him. "Anyways, a party isn't fun without you."

He returned his hands around her waist, resting his chin on Ara's shoulder. "Yeah, traffic isn't as fun without you either."

The party had become even more boisterous as the others produced bottles of alcohol and were beginning to down them one by one. Ara and Kyungsoo certainly did not want to be involved with the mess that would occur due to everyone's alarming alcohol habits.

Kyungsoo pulled away from Ara, gesturing outside. "Shall we leave? Get away from the drunkards?"

"I thought you'd never ask!"

As the small couple left the venue, Taeyeon watched with a smirk plastered on her face.

—

"Welcome to my humble abode."

Ara, for what seemed like the hundredth time, rolled her eyes as Kyungsoo attempted to wow her with his people skills. Or lack of, really. She threw her light jacket onto the side of his sofa as her eyes moved around the spotless living room. For someone who is a female and is supposedly born to clean according to society, it was embarrassing that he was a lot more cleaner than she was.

"Where's Kyungri?" She asked after kicking off the painful boots and stretching her legs in relief.

He shrugged. "Ah, I actually left her at yours. Lia promised to look after her, so I guess we have the apartment to ourselves." Kyungsoo sat himself down on the couch, patting the seat beside him as Ara followed. "You can choose the film."

There were a vast selection of DVDs beside the flatscreen TV to choose from. She stood back up and read through them. Hm...was she feeling a horror movie? Maybe romance or action?

"Ah, yes!" She produced one of the many DVD's. "I'm feeling a romantic comedy."

"If it's Fifty Shades of Grey, I'm going straight back into the party."

"I promise it's not!" She laughed melodiously, triggering a domino effect onto him. He grinned in response to her laugh. "I hope your house has food."

"Yeah, as a matter of fact I bought some popcorn and chocolate, it's in the cabinet."

Soon after Ara brought out the treats and some blankets from an overhead drawer, she finally sat down beside Kyungsoo and started the movie. For the first five minutes, they spent it arguing who would take the caramel bar of chocolate and who would take plain. But they deliberated and decided to share. It took twenty minutes until they properly delved into the film, their eyes fixated on the moving pictures shown on the TV. Ara's head subconsciously laid on Kyungsoo's shoulder whilst watching.

The cramps that had been lingering for the whole day soon returned to her delight, Ara quietly wincing. Her sounds of pain didn't leave unnoticed by the person with sonic hearing beside her, however.

"If you're going to die, can you be a little less quiet please?" He joked in hopes to lighten up her forlorn expression as she grumbled.

"Ha, funny. I'll just bleed in peace."

Kyungsoo stared at the pristine sofa they were laying on and then her. "Oh no. Not on my sofas." When Ara looked geniunely gobsmacked, even when she knew he was kidding but was suffering from an incurable disease called PMS, he chuckled. "I'm joking. Are the cramps that bad, though?"

"Terrible," she puffed air out whilst her cramps continued to plague her. "But I'll live."

Their attentions once again returned to the film as Ara stuffed her mouth with chocolate and popcorn. It was always this certain time of the month when she bloated really badly at her face and gained an unhelpful amount of weight. But it didn't matter.

"Hm," Ara mused tiredly. "I just love watching films."

"That's why I took you out from the party," he explained, ruffling her soft hair. "I feel like we haven't spent enough time together. With Kyungri, working and such."

"Aw, are you that desperate to spend time with me that you deprive me of my friends?"

He rolled his eyes. "Shut up. No, of course not. But surely I matter more than them, right?"

"Debatable."

Kyungsoo stayed silent afterwards, refraining from his usual remarks. Then sighed. "You enjoy, and I quote, chill things. Watching classic films with popcorn on your lap in the winter nights. Or fudge. But sadly there's no fudge here, and the weather's very autumn."

"I don't even care. Your presence makes up for it."

Do Kyungsoo pulled the slightly shivering girl closer to him, wrapping the soft blanket tighter across them as his lips lifted up into a smile hearing her endearing words. Even though he wasn't the most fluffiest human being in the entire world, his heart was melting slowly and the feeling was nice. As the film progressed, he left a small kiss on the crown of her head, Ara's cheeks immediately heating up.

Life was very very good to her, luckily, after the bad news after bad news of last year; including her Dad's painful death. Though the wounds were slowly but surely healing, having to get to grips that the man she always trusted and loved was now gone, she wasn't alone. That was what kept her spirits up: she had Kyungsoo. A year later and she didn't feel down at all. Instead, her Dad's death motivated her to do things she never imagined doing. If it was the last year her, Ara would've definitely begged Seungwan and Mira to stay in Korea with her, but she let them go without a fight. Instead forcing them to follow their dreams as she accomplished her right here in her new home city — Seoul. Surrounding her were the single most important people in her life. And she couldn't ever felt more overjoyed.

The thoughts filling her mind like the ocean prevented her from fully engaging with the gripping film; something that Kyungsoo was very much captivated in. When he realized Ara was staring, however, he shoved her lightly and laughed.

"Creepy much?"

As Ara was going to remark, the front door slammed open to reveal an overtly excited Taeyeon sprinting into the apartment and eyeing up the two. Her blue colored eyes, thanks to contacts, squared up the two of them before narrowing.

"So this is why you left the party so early?" She hissed in fake anger. "So two you could cuddle? You guys could do that anytime."

"And reality comes to bite us in the ass," Kyungsoo whispered not–so–quietly to the now sniggering Ara, unclasping himself from her — something that was so achingly painful to do. "Nice to see you knocked before you entered."

Taeyeon just scoffed. "Ara, it was your party. Drinking to my heart's content isn't quite the same when the person you're celebrating isn't there to watch with the ambulance on speed dial!"

"I didn't feel like sleeping in the emergency room today," she replied nonchalantly. "Anyways, where are the others?"

Just on time, four others enter the apartment, the last closing the door behind them. They were holding bags of food and, surprise surprise, alcohol.

"We thought to ourselves; why not bring the party here?" Minseok gleefully said before flopping himself onto the sofa beside the quite irritated Kyungsoo. "I'm sure you guys weren't busy before we came...right?"

Ara stood up. "No. We weren't."

"Yes we—" Kyungsoo stopped in his tracks after seeing her steely look. "—no, of course not. Make yourself at home!"

The other three guys, Chanyeol, Sehun and Jongdae, also sat themselves down onto the sofa. The numerous bottles of alcohol had been placed onto the coffee table alongside the food that Ara just had to have. She opened up one of the bags to reveal pizza, and when it was Chicken Mania, she definitely knew not to share with anyone.

"Thanks guys," she grinned with a full mouth after taking a hefty bite of the absolutely mouth watering pizza. "Really 'ppreciate it."

When she saw the boyish smiles etched on both Oh Sehun's and Park Chanyeol's (undeniably handsome) faces, memories entered her mind. Last year's situation when they had kept Ara's particularly upset self company after a tragedy occured in her family. It turned out to be one of Kyungsoo's cute planning because he couldn't personally be there himself. Ah...

Taeyeon perched herself beside the eating girl and took a slice; she didn't miss the hostile stares coming her way, though. "Have any of you guys kept in contact with Juhyun?"

Im Juhyun? That name felt like it was relevant years and years ago due to the lack of discussion regarding her. There were looks of contempt surrounding the room as everyone realized they never bothered to message or call her.

"If it really matters, she's okay," Taeyeon added after nobody replied. "Enjoying London."

Kyungsoo raised a brow. "With Junmyeon?"

"No," Taeyeon answered with a light shake of her head to everyone's surprise. "They're seperated at the moment. Junmyeon's actually in Beijing."

"What?"

A chorus of shouts of disbelief filled the room — the wedding of the century was all for nothing?

"Yeah, they had a really big row," Taeyeon continued as her eyebrows furrowed. "I'm sure they'll come back to their senses."

Ara and Kyungsoo both had identical thoughts based on the secretive looks they were casting at each other. Both doubted the couple would actually reconcile because of the drama that happened before the wedding. After the wedding, Ara had been filled in with what Juhyun exactly wanted with her ex–husband, something hard to grasp but she moved on fairly quickly. Whether Juhyun moved on from her previous marriage wasn't as clear.

"That's sad," Chanyeol mumbled, sipping some wine. "Juhyun's been married twice yet she can't seem to have a stable marriage. I do hope they last. Juhyun was stupid to leave Kyungsoo in the first place, so there might as well be a viable reason why."

Kyungsoo waved his words off. "Nah, I'm good. I've glad she dated Junmyeon. I've honestly been happier than I've ever been with her."

There were squeals and fangirling (or boying) as the most casual of people, like Kim Minseok, started teasing the red faced Kyungsoo, pinching his enviable cheeks. Ara still sat gorging down the luckily still warm pizza before giving him a thumbs up.

"So, the next wedding between you two," Taeyeon whimsically announced, referring to the short pair. "I can throw in a good deal for decorations—"

"—never going to happen," Ara cut in. "At least not in this decade. I'm still young and at my prime. Relationships are simply temporary at the moment."

When everyone's faces were of pure incredulity, she burst out laughing. "I'm not being serious. How many other guys can handle my good looks to boot and charming personality?"

"It's a shame I haven't yet found evidence of any," Kyungsoo retorted, recieving a pizza slap.