sleepless cinderella ☆ w.kh | ✔

04

A familiar sensation washed over you as you stepped out of your taxi in front of the building. Normally, you could've walked, except tonight you were dressed up again. Ten had given you the run-down for the supposed 'small get-together' for Yangyang's birthday. From the dress code alone, it sounded more like the party you had first met them all at, except you weren't the one being surprised this time. While you weren't quite as dolled up as you were then, you still weren't really in a pair of shoes made for walking.

The doorman greeted you jovially, holding the door open for you as usual. You double-checked the time as you stepped onto the elevator. Ten had told you to arrive at eight, then Yangyang and Yukhei would show up closer to eight-thirty. It was 8:08, and you hoped that they wouldn't end up being early.

At the top floor, you stepped into the lounge space that was becoming nearly like a second home for you. Save for Kunhang's lab, which you had also been spending a considerable amount of time in. Speaking of, your subject was the first person you had spotted, the cherry red straw he had previously been sipping soda through falling from his mouth when he saw you.

"Close your mouth, you look stupid like that," you scoffed as you passed by him, and you were maybe a little too happy when you could just see him rolling his eyes.

Your eyes took a moment to look around the space that had been cutely redecorated for the birthday party before they found a pair you'd been looking forward to seeing.

Dejun and Ten were at the high-top you typically sat at where it seemed that most of the food had been set up on. Ten pushed off of it to give you a hug, "Hey, Y/N! You look wonderful!"

"Hey, Ten..." you took in his bright and animated features. "You don't look dead, somehow."

"Like we said, dude's a freaking superhero," Dejun shook his head, smoothing out the tuck of his shirt for a moment.

Kun and Sicheng emerged from the backroom, bringing with them a couple bottles of champagne and a few empty glasses. They set it down on the center table before joining you. Kun popped a chip in his mouth as he gave you a short once-over.

"Good to see that you're surviving."

Well that wasn't what you were expecting, "What?"

"I meant... grad school must suck, right? You look like you're surviving pretty well."

It was moments like these that reminded you just how strange these men were sometimes. With a chuckle, you shook your head, "No, it's not grad school that's going to kill me. If anything, it'll be this freaking research article that does me in, honestly."

"Oh yeah, aren't you doing it on Hendery?"

As if Kun had summoned him—which he probably did, considering the room was silent aside from your conversation that wasn't exactly hushed—Kunhang walked over, impish grin on his face.

"My ears are burning, Y/N."

"Hopefully it'll spread and melt your brain," you give him an unamused smile, fingers clutching tighter around your phone in agitation.

When you were in his lab or at something for his work, he was mostly tolerable. But for some reason, whenever you were in the lounge or around the others, he seemed to have a penchant for pissing you off. And admittedly, you fed right into it.

Ten spoke up, "Hey, Yukhei just texted me. They'll be at the building in like a minute, we've gotta get ready."

Someone went to turn off the lights as you were ushered behind an armchair and a couple others went behind the bar. You ended up in the dark squished between Ten and Kunhang, holding your breath as the seconds ticked by.