"Jae, are you sure you're gonna meet her at the bash?" Johnny asks, stopping from pacing and looking at Jaehyun, who is busy sketching something on his canvas.

"I specifically told Antoine to invite our volunteers." Jaehyun pauses momentarily and glances at his arm. He suddenly remembers the girl at the zoo again who helped the little boy. When his mother asked him what he wanted this time for his birthday, he didn't hesitate to say that he wanted to have a birthday bash.

"Why do you suddenly want a party, my child?" the Queen asks him.

"I just... want to experience it for once, mother," Jaehyun answers.

But he knows that his parents only agreed to it, especially his father because they want him to find a prospective wife already. Even his brothers are being forced to choose an elite wife, if not royal.

"Is this about that lady again?" Jeno asks, his crescent eyes peeking from outside the door.

"Jeno, have you forgotten your manners?" Johnny asks, pretending to scold their youngest brother.

"Oh, sorry," Jeno says, closing the door and knocking twice, until Johnny tells him to come in.

"Stop teasing our little brother now, Johnny," Jaehyun says, continuing his sketch.

"Do we really have to find a girl at the bash?" Jeno asks, sighing.

Johnny starts pacing again. "That's what I'm frustrated about. How can father just expect us to choose a prospective wife from a party?"

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought up that idea of a party to them," Jaehyun says, feeling guilty.

"It's alright, Jae. We all don't know how our father's mind works," Johnny answers. "By the way, what if that lady doesn't come to the bash?" he interrogates again.

Jaehyun shrugs. "I'll just have to find another way to thank her."

"We can organize another charity event. I think she'll come again," Jeno suggests.

Jaehyun nods. "I saw from her profile that she's been wanting to attend and volunteer for our charity events."

"You even read her profile?" Johnny asks in disbelief.

"W-well... I saw Antoine looking at the folders and came across her so I glanced at her profile," Jaehyun admits shyly.

"Glanced, huh?" Johnny teases, chuckling.

"Doesn't she have an address written on her profile then?" Jeno asks.

Jaehyun shakes his head. "That would've been easier."

"I've never seen you this interested to someone before-" Johnny comments.

Jaehyun cuts his brother off. "Please, don't misunderstand. I just really want to thank her."

"Alright. Come on, Jeno. Ready to beat me in fencing?" Johnny stands up, tapping Jeno's back and pushing him towards the door.

"We'll go out now, brother," Jeno says, waving his hand to Jaehyun, who is left inside the room glancing at the handkerchief on his bedside table.

♚♚♚

BACK at the hospital, Traze is still stunned at what Taeil and Doyoung told her earlier. Apparently, her bill has already been paid. Did that guy really paid for it? She shakes her head, still not believing it. But why would he pay for it? He even said he didn't really hit me. "I can't owe him more," she mumbles to herself.

"You should stop talking to yourself, Traze. It's creeping the hell out of me," Izzy says, snapping her fingers infront of her friend's face.

"But, I really can't believe that guy paid for it," Traze speaks again.

Izzy shrugs. "Maybe he did it out of guilt."

Traze sighs. "I don't wanna thank him, but I need to."

"So you're gonna sneak your way to Eton and find him?"

Traze pauses, thinking. Going to Eton hasn't even crossed her mind. She knows really well that Eton doesn't allow outsiders to just go inside the university grounds so that doesn't really sound a good idea. "I guess I'll just have to wait for him to show up at the pub again."

"Ah... ye. Wait, does he hang out there often? I haven't seen him there though," Izzy points out.

"I only saw him once," Traze answers, remembering that night he punched that jerk who tried to harassed her.

"Anyway, are you all set? Let's go to your mum's room."

Traze nods, standing up with Izzy assisting her. They proceed to the hallway and look for her mum's room. As they walk past the station, two lads in black suits appear, asking for Helena Collins' room number. Why are they looking for mum?

Izzy turns to her in return upon hearing it. "Do you know those lads?"

Traze shakes her head anxiously, as they trail behind the lads who are now heading to her mum's room. They let them enter inside first, while they wait outside.

"Do you think they're from the Palace?" Izzy asks curiously.

"Why would they visit mum?" Traze asks back, peeking inside the room, but she can only see their backs. She can't understand what they're saying to her mum, but she's sure now that they're from the Palace.

A few minutes later, the two lads come out of the room, walking past them. Traze and Izzy immediately enter inside, seeing her mum's devastated face. "Mum, what's wrong?" Traze asks, walking towards her bed. "What did those lads tell you?"

"You saw them?" her mum asks, to which Traze responds with a nod. "They're from the Palace. They told me that if I can't go back tomorrow, I'll lose my job."

"But mum, you're sick. Don't they have any consideration for this?" Traze exclaims in agitation.

"We can't do anything about it, hun. I'll have to go back to work. I can't afford to lose this job. It's the only way for us to live."

"Mum, you can't go back! You're sick! I won't let you go back. I'll just... I'll just work full-time. I'll have to stop schooling and postpone going to university," Traze says.

But her mum holds Traze's hand, shaking her head. "You don't have to do that, hun. I can still work."

"Mum, please. I don't want you to sacrifice your health just for this."

"What is going on here?" Someone suddenly comes in from outside. Traze turns around and sees her sister, looking at her in rage. "Can't anyone tell me?"

"Chelsie, hun this is nothing. You don't have to worry," their mum speaks, breaking the silence.

"Chelsie, let's talk outside," Traze finally says, grabbing her sister's hand and dragging her outside the room.

"What is it?" Chelsie asks, her arms crossed over her chest.

"I'll leave school for a while and look for a better job. Someone from the Palace came earlier and told mum that if she can't go back tomorrow, they'll have to lay her off. She wants to go back to work but I'm telling her not to. You have to take care of her while I'm looking for a job."

"What?" Chelsie exclaims. "They're mad!"

Traze sighs, calming her sister down. "I know, Chelsie. But we can't do anything about it. Right now, we have to take care of mum. Are you with me on this?"

Chelsie pauses, looking at Traze then nods. "Fine."

♚♚♚

THE next day, Traze sets out to look for a job which can pay her higher than what she's getting at the pub. But, most jobs that are available are either low-paying or high-paying but she's not qualified. She's grateful that her friends Kun and Winwin volunteered to look after her mum at the hospital since they said they have vacant periods that day.

Meanwhile, Chelsie can't concentrate during their classes in school. She keeps on thinking about her mum and what can she do to help her. During lunch break, she heads to the library instead of the cafeteria. She doesn't have any appetite to eat anyway.

When her friends notice this, they follow her at the library and find her sitting on the corner, staring blankly at the book she's holding. "Did you really come here to read or sleep?" Haechan teases, chuckling.

"What are you fellas doing here?" Chelsie speaks, closing the book.

"We followed you here. Are you alright? Is your mum still at the hospital?" Jisung asks, sitting next to her.

Chelsie nods, looking away. "It's just too complicated right now. Traze has to stop schooling and look for a job. We don't even know where we'll get money to pay for mum's hospital bills." She buries her face with the book, trying to control her tears.

Jisung taps her back, comforting her. "There's always a way, Chelsie. Don't lose hope."

"Ye. We're just here," Haechan adds. "Oh, that reminds me! I saw from the news that the Palace is looking for a band which can play for Prince Jaehyun's birthday bash. We can audition. That'll without a doubt pay us a lot. You can play the keyboard, Chelsie. I'll just use the synth."

Chelsie looks up at him. "I'm not sure, Haechan. There'll be a lot of bands who'll audition... which are probably better."

Haechan's brows crease. "Are you looking down at our band?"

"I'm just stating that there's only 1% chance that we'll win."

"But it's better than not trying at all," Jisung butts in, looking at her. "Right?"

Chelsie sighs. "I guess we'll have to try then."

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter again somehow. Vote and comment if you have time! Thank you so much! <3

QOTD: Do you think Lotus will get to play for the birthday bash?

~neoluv #imissNCT (still no comeback -_-)