⚠️ uncomfortable scenes like groping might be mentioned. please read with caution.

Jade is starting to get a little tired of the party scene. She's only been to a few now, she can only imagine how people like Ryu or Jaebum feel from doing this for years. This time she goes for black semi-ripped jeans, and a laced tank top. Nothing over the top because honestly the other outfits have given her attention she doesn't want, and this is a lot more comfortable.

The club is dimly lit, just like before. Spotlights of purple, pink, and blue flash the place like the headlights of a cop car, but the music of the building is too loud and booming for people to even think of that kind of comparison. Jade feels more on edge this time. She can smell the drugs warping off of people. And she can see it too. Spilled pills are on the floor.

Lei grips the railing as she climbs up the glass staircase. At the top is the bar where Jeongguk can usually be spotted at. Jade has heard stories where the Five Crowns used to mostly hang out there and socialize, but ever since Vicki's death, he's the only one who bothers to stay and linger there. And by the looks of it, he is the only one there right now. However, Jade doesn't stop to talk to him. She'll see him later. She has someone else who she needs to talk to right now.

The brunette approached the semi-drunk/high underclassman, who's dancing with a group of girls, holding a bottle of beer in one hand. His tie is loosened around his neck. But by now Jade knows how to throw her cards around when it comes to the rich girls trying to suck up to him and his money. All it takes is one dirty glare on her behalf, and it's enough it make them intimidated. They depart, leaving the two alone. And the drunk Hyunjin is confused, and maybe starts to get pissed at whoever tried to ruin his chances of getting lucky, but that is put to a halt — clearly — when Jade swallows her pride and takes a close step in front of him.

"Ooooooh!" He yells loudly. "So you finally are interested Jihyun?"

"It's Jade." She turns around to look at him, brushing her hair away. "Jade Lei."

"Jaaaade~" He sings into her ear. "Right."

"Did you like Vicki Wang?" The two continue to sway with the music, and she's a little uncomfortable by how close he is to her. But Jade needs answers.

"Vicki? Of course not! She had Doyoung." He defends. "I'm not into the surgery look. I like it natural." And Jade tries so hard not to shudder at his provocative words.

"What did you guys do on Saturday? The one before she died?" The bluntness of her question goes unnoticed by him, and Jade purposefully keeps it to the point. She can guarantee he won't remember this when he sobers up the next morning.

"Hung out at JK's place." He chuckles loudly at the memory. "Was crazy. Absolutely crazy."

"Why?" She stiffens a little when his hands reach her waist. "Why was it...crazy?"

"Don't you know?" Hyunjin grins. "I thought Jeongguk would've told you. I heard you're sleeping with him."

"If I was sleeping with him, why am I here right now?" She scoffs in disbelief of the things he makes up in his head. Hwang is unbelievable.

"Jisoo and Vicki." He snorts. "They had a huuuuuge fight. She had it coming to be honest, Vi always treated Jisoo like shit."

"What were they fighting about?"

"I can't tell you that. That's a secret between them." The two are quiet after that. Hyunjin absorbed in enjoying the music, but Jade is trying to think. He's shifted back to moving against her from behind, the boy's eyes are closed blissfully. Jade wonders how he can possibly enjoy this kind of life constantly.

Vicki and Jisoo fought. Well, that is certainly news. About what though? And would it be enough for Wang to want to end her life? Jade can feel it. She can tell she's almost there to figuring out who is behind these cyber assaults. Now that she thinks about it though...the fight probably doesn't have to do with Jeongguk's secret. Then how come he hasn't told her about it? Jade still doesn't understand him. He is probably the most difficult puzzle she has encountered by far.

Then she feels it. Hyunjin rests his chin on her shoulder and sighs. "You know Jade. You should loosen up." The boy hums near her ear. "I can see why he hangs out around you."

His hand snakes from her waist to her...Jade swallows suddenly. His hand is on her ass. Not just one, now both are. Hyunjin even has the audacity to chuckle. Jade's starting to panic, because this is going where she did not want it to go. And he squeezes.

Lei moves away abruptly, and mutters a halfhearted excuse of needing a drink, but most of it in coherent and sounds like she's singing a song off-key in a completely different language. By now her ears are ringing so loudly, and she can't see straight. It's not because of anything she ate or drank, Jade knows it's not. It's him. It's Hwang Hyunjin.

Like a miracle, Jade finds the restrooms and throws open the first stall she sees, crouching on her knees over the toilet. It's all dry heaves though, her eyes are stinging too. She doesn't cry in public that often, but as she sits here on the bathroom floor, head resting against the wall of her cubicle as she breathes heavily, the girl really really wants to. And Jade does.

Because she really hates boys like Hyunjin.

§

Later on in the night, Jade finds herself more comfortable sitting at the bar. She sits next to Jeongguk, who has been zoning in and out at the wall nearest to him. He looks so high.

"Jade. You look upset." He finally speaks up. The two haven't said anything to each other since she sat down next to him.

"I'm fine." Really, she's not. But almost anyone would say "I'm fine" in any I'm-not-fine situation. She hopes he'll leave her alone after her pathetic lie. But he doesn't.

"Your makeup is washing away." He shrugs. "Either you danced so much that you sweated it off, or you were crying."

"Seriously. I'm fine Jeon." She had seen Jaebum earlier. He had been on the floor with a few others Olympians like Min Yoongi and Bae Joohyun. She had received a message from him an hour earlier to that asking where she was. Jade never bothered to answer.

"You're not the only one who can read people."

"If you're trying to convince that you're as smart as me...it is not working."

"I'm not, you are the smartest chic I have ever encountered. But smart people can get upset too." He tousles his hair, and looks her dead in the eyes. "I mean I don't tell you a lot of things either, so I get it that you don't want to tell me. But please don't tell me it was because of her."

"Who?" Jade sits up more. "Who's her?"

"Jisoo." Jeongguk says under his breath, and closes his eyes. This is not his sober self that is talking, she soon realizes. He's saying more than she expected. "Kim Jisoo. She's dangerous."

"Why is she dangerous?"

"She..." He hesitates. "She never liked Vicki Wang." Well it's pretty obvious none of them really liked her except for Doyoung. "But she's a different case Jade. Jisoo scares me. Vicki never intimidated me, maybe that's why people used to think we were together. But Jisoo?" And he shudders.

"Promise me you won't make her angry."

"Jeongguk what—" She becomes quiet when his thumb traces the spot where her tears from earlier have dried up. He's busy staring at her cheek.

"Stay away from Jisoo. I don't want you to get hurt too."