0 0 2, THE WELCOME PARTY

Darlin shot up as her alarm blared right next to her ear. "Oh shit," she muttered, trying to steady her breath. With a groan, she laid out her outfit and accessories on the bed before dashing to the shower.

Once she was done showering, she blow-dried her hair and curled the ends, including her bangs. After curling, she gathered her hair into a bun, leaving a few cute curls framing her face. She grinned at how it all turned out.

Next up was her makeup. She kept it simple, opting for blush, silver eye shadow, mascara, and a swipe of pink lipstick topped with clear gloss. Clearly, she was channeling her inner Cinderella.

She admired her reflection in the mirror before she heard Kitty's voice from the other side of the door. "Hey, are you almost done? I need to shower!" Kitty knocked gently. Darlin chuckled. "Sorry, Kitty!" she called out as she opened the door and stepped out of the bathroom.

"Wow, you look stunning," Kitty said with a big smile. "Thanks, Kitty Cat," Darlin replied with a playful giggle before heading back to her room. Darlin took off her robe and carefully put on her dress. It was a long, ankle-length piece in a lovely ash blue, adorned with soft silver glitter that sparkled all around. The dress hugged her curves just right, featuring a corset design in the middle that Darlin absolutely adored.

She slipped into a pair of silver sparkly stilettos, complete with cute ribbon bows on the front. Grabbing her silver Chanel bag, she stepped out of the room to find Kitty waiting for her. "Oh my goodness, Kitty, you look amazing!" Darlin exclaimed cheerfully.

Kitty's face lit up with a bright smile. "Aw, thank you! You look stunning too, like Cinderella!" she replied. Darlin beamed, hoping everyone would catch the Cinderella vibe. "That was the plan!"

"Come on, we can't be late!" Kitty joked, gently taking Darlin's hand as they headed out the door. Once outside the dorm, Kitty went to lock it while Darlin checked her phone, not even surprised by who had texted her.

"Ugh, he's texting me again," Darlin said to Kitty, her annoyance bubbling up. Kitty spun around, intrigued. "Who, Min Ho?" Darlin nodded and motioned for Kitty to check out the messages.

where are you?

i want to see how
stupid you look

obsessed much?

seriously min ho,
stop texting me

you know you miss texting me, stop pretending

I never missed you, and i never will

see you at the party crybaby

*seen*

Kitty rolled her eyes and tugged Darlin down the hallway toward the party. "Just wait until we walk in and he sees you in that breathtaking dress. He'll be the one looking stupid," she said, grinning as her thoughts drifted to Dae.

"Alright, enough about me. Dae's going to be blown away when he sees you after all those long, boring years apart," Darlin said with a smile, shifting the focus. Kitty giggled and squeezed her hand. "I can't wait!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Darlin laughed at her friend's enthusiasm, but her mood turned serious as they stepped into the party room. She shot Kitty a wink, and Kitty winked back.

Min Ho's eyes widened when he spotted Darlin walk in. He had never seen her so dressed up before; at the last welcome parties, she had either worn casual clothes or stayed home. He couldn't take his eyes off her-she looked absolutely gorgeous.

When Min Ho and Darlin locked eyes, it felt different from their encounter on the plane. This moment was more intense, and all of Darlin's old feelings for Min Ho came rushing back. Noticing the change in Darlin's expression, Kitty gently tapped her arm.

"Hey," Kitty said with a comforting smile. "You look amazing, and he knows it. Now, let's grab some drinks and maybe a cupcake." Darlin managed to smile again and nodded. "Yeah, let's do it," she replied as they started to walk.

As they passed by Min Ho and Q, Min Ho decided to chime in. "Look who it is, my obsessed ex and my airport stalker." Darlin was puzzled by his comment about Kitty but shrugged it off, saying, "Oh please, you're the one who's obsessed with me."

"Wait, this is Min Ho? The awful ex who broke your heart in 10th grade?" Kitty asked, unaware of Darlin's discomfort. Min Ho raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "I broke your heart? How adorable." Darlin took a deep breath and said, "Yes, Kitty, this is the annoying, immature ex I told you about." Min Ho rolled his eyes and scoffed.

"Hey, Q," Darlin said as she went in for a hug. They weren't super close, but they used to hang out a bit back when she was dating Min Ho. Either Q or Dae was always the extra person tagging along.

"How have you been? It's been ages," Q asked as they pulled away from the hug. "I've been doing really well, actually. Focusing on self-care and all that good stuff," Darlin replied with a grin. Meanwhile, Kitty and Min Ho were bickering about something that Darlin wasn't really paying attention to.

"Thanks!" Darlin said to Min Ho as she snatched the drink right out of his hand just before he was about to take a sip. "Hey! That was mine, you little thief! Get your own!" Min Ho exclaimed, a bit annoyed. Darlin rolled her eyes and handed the drink back, "accidentally" spilling it on his shirt in the process.

"What the heck, Evangeline! This shirt cost a fortune!" he said, rolling his eyes. "I told you to stop calling me that," Darlin shot back, her voice getting louder. Min Ho was about to respond when Q nudged him, causing the drink to spill on him again.

"Seriously, Q, this is-" Min Ho started, but Q interrupted him by bringing up Dae. The three of them were puzzled about where Dae had gotten that fancy suit. They all knew he didn't have much, so it was a shock to see him dressed like that.

Kitty turned around, and Darlin could tell she was grinning even though they weren't facing each other. She glanced at Dae and smiled at his reaction to seeing Kitty. Darlin then shifted her focus back to Q and Min Ho just as Dae and Kitty rushed over to hug each other.

Min Ho glanced around, puzzled. "Why's Dae hugging that weirdo?" he muttered to himself. Darlin shot back, defending Kitty. "Mind your own business." With that, she stormed out of the room and plopped down on a random bench in a quiet spot.

She let out a frustrated sigh and stood up when she spotted Min Ho approaching. "Hey Evangeline," he said with a smirk, clearly enjoying the nickname she despised. "What do you want?" she replied flatly, not wanting to deal with him at all.

After their breakup, Darlin had a tough time battling depression and self-esteem issues. It took her months away from KISS and Min Ho to finally find her footing again. She returned to California for some peace, and once she felt better, she thought about giving KISS another shot.

"Wow, not thrilled to see me?" he said with a sarcastic tone, clutching his chest like he was wounded. Darlin rolled her eyes, not in the mood for his antics. "Why would I be happy to see the guy who cheated and lied to me?" Min Ho sighed, clearly annoyed.

"You're still hung up on that? Just move on," he insisted. She looked down, feeling embarrassed. "How can I move on, Min Ho?" she whispered so softly he could barely catch it. "You ruined my life."

"I know it sounds dramatic, but the breakup hit me hard," she admitted, avoiding his gaze. Min Ho felt a pang of guilt. Just as he was about to respond, she interrupted him.

"I really thought you cared about me, but I guess I was just-" Before she could finish, Min Ho pulled her into a tight hug. She was taken aback but slowly wrapped her arms around his neck in response.

He was about to speak when they heard a girl crying and groaning-it was Kitty.

---

I can't believe Dae would cheat on you; I never saw that coming from him," Darlin said, cradling Kitty in her lap to comfort her. Kitty sniffled and shrugged her shoulders.

"Same here," Kitty replied, burying her face deeper into Darlin's chest. Darlin let out a sigh, fully aware of what Kitty was feeling. She just hoped Kitty wouldn't take it as hard as she did when she found out Min Ho had cheated on her.

As they sat there, they heard voices coming from outside and crept over to the door. Darlin's eyes widened when she recognized Dae, Min Ho, and Q's voices. "No one's going to judge you for upgrading a pen pal to a real relationship," Min Ho's voice drifted in.

Kitty squealed, prompting Darlin to grab her hand and dash to Kitty's bed, diving under the covers. They heard the door creak open and tensed up. Darlin silently prayed, confused about why the guys were even there.

"Hey Marius, time to get up for class!" Min Ho called out, followed by some tugging on the covers. Darlin and Kitty struggled to keep the blanket over them, but the boys were too strong.

Suddenly, the covers were yanked off, and both Kitty and Darlin let out a blood-curdling scream, with the boys joining in the chaos.

"What the heck are you guys doing in our room?!"

☆○o｡..:* siiyahboo speaking !
1,639 words!! Not my best but I
had to update for my bbgs and sorry
for not updating this weekend but I was busy