I go to the kitchen, holding my soul and his secrets all in my hands. The sky is still swirling like Heeseung swirled the wine in his glass just a few minutes ago- seeming as I can't get over the fact I've been told all his secrets in a quiet ramble.

He's probably half-asleep by now as I hesitate to walk back up those stairs. I pour water that sits fresh in the fridge, blinking a few times to check if I was still awake- or if this was all a dream.

"There you are-!"

"Ah, a man!" I squeal before spraying the water all over a stiff Sunghoon- the boy frozen as he feels the cold liquid probably soak through his shirt. He has stickers all over his face, blinking a few times. 

"'Ah, a man'...?" He recites, sighing. "Who knew that a girl could get so scared of her best friend... did someone harass you or something? Do I need to beat someone up?!"

"No! No..." I bite my lip, turning back to the fridge and pouring more water in the red, plastic cup. "Sunghoon, I have a question." The boy leans his back against the marble counter, beckoning for me to continue. "If someone said something about you and only one person knew the truth, what would you do?"

"Well... depends," Sunghoon bites his lower lip in thought, brushing his hair back. "If it's something good, I'd rather let the pair wait until they're comfortable to tell me. However, if it's bad and something against me, I'd like to know so I can fix it or settle arguments."

"What if someone you knew did something bad against you and I knew?"

"Then I'd believe you'd tell me, duh," He replies, rolling his eyes. "We're best friends, Iseul. Aren't you supposed to tell me everything?"

"Right..." Sunghoon must've seen the sullen look on my face- because soon enough, he pats my shoulders and smiles. 

"Don't worry, damn Iseul, I wouldn't be mad at you if you refused to tell me," He adds, yawning before grabbing another bottle of soju. "Now, I'll go back to drinking outside with Geonu and Jake. Cater yourself to anything here, okay?"

I nod slightly before he's off and running, waving his hands as he yells out to the boys. I walk back upstairs and open Heeseung's door, seeing him standing near his balcony. "...Heeseung?"

He turns his head slowly, closing the balcony door and sitting on his bed. He pats the space next to him as I comply, both of us leaning back against his soft pillows. "Iseul, did you want to come to this party?"

"No, not really," Answering truthfully, I look over at him as he sips down the water. "I thought it would just be you, me, and the rest of the guys- however, I was thinking about it. If we didn't have this conversation, never had this party... I don't think we would've resolved things." All I hear is his soft humming, him shuffling as he continues sipping on the water like a child.

"Iseul?"

"Hm?"

"Thank you for coming."

"Oh, you're welcome, I guess..."

"I'm sorry Ji-Hun sent out someone to kidnap you, too..."

"Oh, it's okay- wait, what?" Wow, that's nice to know. First that he almost killed his bandmates, that Ji-Hun's a manipulator, and now that she wanted me to die? Expected yet unexpected. "Oh..."

"Yeah, I figured it out the day I had to... um..." I would've guessed when he yelled out at the guy, but I thought it was just between them. "Anyways~ no more hard feelings?!"

"I would like to conclude you're still drunk- but sure."

He smiles before his eyes fall limp, the boy suddenly dropping his head forward- and~ he's knocked out. Damn... what wine can do to some people. Anyway, fixing his position so his head is actually on a pillow, I get up, leaving him to sleep.

He'll get up anyway. He'll get to greet his guests goodbye someday. Should I leave him a note? Yeah, maybe. Grabbing a pen from his desk, I write down a quick note on a sticky note.

'Hey, Heeseung. If you need to talk about anything this break, message me. See you at school next year! :)' That should do it. I place it on his nightstand before grabbing my coat from his sofa, putting it on. 

"What a lightweight..." Snorting, I give him a bright smile before leaving his room, closing the door behind me. Walking down the stairs, I look back at the dancing people- they have fun. They're loose against the beat of the music, finding partners and enjoying the close company. I wish there was a better for me to enjoy it- I can't dance.

So, chuckling to myself, I exit the front door to the dead cold, seeing my cold breath exhale from my mouth. "Are you heading home?" I hear, causing me to turn back around once again. There Jake stands, holding a mug of hot chocolate. I nod, fully turning to face him. I can't look at him the same- not when I still don't know what Heeseung almost did to Jake. 

"Do you mind taking me with you?" Jake tilts his head and I'm seconds away from blushing, causing him to giggle. I nod once more, him running up to me slightly before we both get into my car. Putting on my seatbelt, Jake puts his on too, leaning back against the headrest. "It's freezing outside. Why did he choose to have a party during the brink of December?"

"I wish I knew," I chuckle, shaking my head. "I mean, between the tension of bodies and the environment, everyone's probably sweating. I don't know how you survived in that hot tub, though."

"Body heat and lots more heat-" He continues, and the mention of body heat has me looking away. My oh my, is he so pretty, gorgeous, awesome... "So, I know absolutely nothing about you. Mind telling me some stuff?"

"Oh, sure. Well, I'm Jae Iseul, I really like puppies and ice skating, and I'm from Namyangju," I grin, nodding slightly. "I have a younger sister in high school named Jae Soo-Ri. I don't really make friends because I'm not the social type, but I've known Sunghoon since childhood."

"I can see why you both are so close," He chuckles, looking down at his mug before widening his eyes. "Do you want a sip of hot chocolate? You must be freezing."

"Oh, can I?" My eyes glitter at the sight of Jake's beloved hot chocolate to which he nods in approval, handing it over. I take a sip and I'm already in love- the marshmallows, the chocolate, his lip marks...

Shoot! I mean, his lips...

Stop, Iseul... that's enough. You'll get caught like that.

But his lips... No!

I take one last sip before handing it back to him, which he directly sips over where I pressed my lips.

Am I dreaming or am I dreaming... We just kissed... indirectly! I can die peacefully twice over. God, this is a blessing besides the curse that Heeseung gave me. Thank you for blessing me, skies- I promise I'll study more, just for you!

"Does it taste good?"

"It did..." 

"That's good. It took me a while to make it, had to go digging through his pantries," He adds, taking another sip. "By the way, I saw you leaving Heeseung's room. Did something happen to him?"

"He's just a bit drunk, is all," I reply hastily, trying to cut the small talk. "I had to go get him water so he wouldn't vomit like the lightweight he is."

"He can certainly drink better than all of us, that is," Jake giggles and I'm ready to cuddle death with open arms. 

He'ssocuteohmygodIloveJakestanJakelivelaughloveJakeweabsolutelylovetheguitaristhe'ssoprettyandbeautifuland-

"Are you... interested in him, Iseul?"

"Who? Heeseung?" The boy nods- and it's as if every story runs like this; I tell him, I say no, and suddenly Jake's interested in me.

And if that were to come true today, I will tell him no. Fingers crossed.

"No, I'm not interested in him like that," I reply, crossing my arms to consume some heat. "We're just friends- not acquaintances, not best friends- just... friends?" It came off more like a question towards me, blinking a few times before shaking my head. "Whatever. I'm just ready for Christmas. Aren't you?"

"Hell yeah, where are you going for Christmas?"

"Hm... maybe I'll go closer to Seoul- I haven't been there for a while," I reply, turning on the engine. "You and the guys are welcome to join me- we can all spend Christmas together!"

"Sounds like a plan- I'll tell them about it," Jake replies, sighing. "Gosh, I already feel sober talking to you. Thanks for giving me a ride home- I don't want to get into a car accident."

"Anytime, Jake!" I say in a fit of excitement, putting the car in drive. "Let's take you home. Text me about it if you get any word from them, okay?"

"Yeah! I can't wait," He whispers, taking another sip of his chocolate.

I love him.