escort | njm

twenty-seven.

There's a chandelier hanging from the ceiling which Areum caught sight of the moment she stepped out of the elevator, arms interlocked with Jaeyun's. The venue was fairly lit in a warm orange colour, giving off the warmth feeling with huge arch windows decorating each side of the wall. "Areum!" She hears her name being called out by her none other best-friend who begged for her to attend earlier.

"You look good, insanely breathtaking, would date you if I was a man without a doubt." Eun-Yi jokes around, and she's right though. Areum's dressed in a dark blue nightgown, her obvious collarbones being exposed with a heart shaped necklace which had a diamond right in the middle hung around her bare exposed neck. Her raven strands curled and resting perfectly on her shoulders, a light shade of make-up used. She is beautiful on the outside and the inside, using cosmetics wouldn't change anything either.

"Thank you, you look way better than me though." Areum replies with a slight flushing of her cheeks, Jaeyun's hands wrapped around her waist. "Oh Jaeyun, been a long while. I see, your taste in women definitely improved." Eun-Yi nudges at Areum, letting out a soft suspicious hum when she realises his hand on Areum's waist. "Okay, won't disturb you two future love birds anymore. Need to make my rounds around others too, have fun though!" Areum watches her best-friend's figure getting smaller as she walks away.

"So, do you want to get some food first or look for Jaemin?" She appreciates the thought of how he could remember the slightest things she had said on the way here, going on and on about how she hates the fact that Jaemin was going to be here. And Jaeyun listened, he remembered, he giggled at the way she'd speak about it in a voice so frustrated. He should have been focusing on the roads instead of hearing her go on and on but he didn't. "No, it's okay. We can get some food first, I'm pretty sure you and I are hungry."

Areum knew deep down that somewhere in her empty heart that she wanted to look for Jaemin first, but she heard the way Jaeyun's stomach softly growled earlier. "Of course, I'm very hungry." She stares in admiration how his nose scrunches in excitement, the way his smile was a home to two faint dimples on his cheeks. The way he had that australian accent with every word he spoke that makes it hard for her to comprehend, but she found it cute at the way he pronounces them besides the fact that she could be losing every brain cell she has to make out what he was saying.

He has his hands gripping around Areum's wrist, tugging at her as he drags her towards the buffet table and she follows him like a lost puppy. Her eyes scans the male's face by the buffet table, one so familiar to her, her best-friend. He donned a black suit with a white collar buttoned to the very top and a black tie. He has his hair parted in the middle, a watch on his wrist which looked way too expensive for him to afford but he did somehow and the pair of earrings she got for him.

Jaemin barely acknowledges his best-friend's presence when seconds ago they had made eye contact. He stared at her, only giving a small smile towards her way before continuing scooping the rice like before. Areum felt her lips curving downwards a little at his minimal efforts to greet her, she only found herself tightening her grip around Jaeyun's arms. "What do you want to get? I'll help you." Jaeyun offers beamingly and she feels her frown curving upwards into a small grin, he makes everything feel better with that slight smile of his. "I'll have whatever you have."

From afar, there stood Jaemin where he eyed each movement they both took. He lets out a scoff at the way Areum grinned, the way she had her arms wrapped around Jaeyun's waist, the way she looked at him as if he was her world. He felt his heart dropping to the pit of his stomach, the usual butterflies, no, the whole zoo he felt when she'd grin and gawp in a stupid manner at him that way turning into nothing but emptiness. The soft greeting from his date who returned from the bathroom drew him back to reality when he realised he was now staring at nothing by the buffet table.