CHAPTER 16

We weren’t alone there, me Baek and Grace were joined by some of her friends from college. Four of them were guys and one girl. They all seemed to be pretty nice at first meet so I was looking forward to a night full of fun.

“Rads these all my friends, Mina, Bomeyo, Jung-ho, Jinha and Be om-seok.” Grace said while pointing at each of her friends.

As they all introduced themselves to me individually and also bowed to Baek who was standing right beside me, I didn’t miss the angry stare off between one guy and Baek. It was the man named Beom-seok.

'Okay now that was weird,' I thought but I held in the questions, it wasn’t my place to ask him about his personal vendetta, if he had any. The guy was as tall as Baek which was maybe around 5’11” and had cropped hair and a body with a firm build.

Hmm maybe he just came back from his military enlistment that’s why the short hair, or maybe he just likes it that way... doesn’t concern me though.

“Yaahhh, jagi you remember Beom, from my high school, he just finished his enlistment and now he’s going to be running his family business here in Seoul. I’m so exited, we're gonna catch up with so much!!!” Grace said all giddy and excited holding that guys shoulder completely missing the look of pure loathing on Baek’s face.

Okay now three things---- firstly I was correct about the hair, secondly Grace is too innocent for her own good and third, that night would be very exciting, like getting a live WWE show kind of exciting. I just knew it.

We were seated in a room that was intended to be big enough to host around ten-twelve people so it was pretty spacious, dimly lit with soft blue lights, there were three large sofas and two bean bags with a large table between them on one side of the room and a large screen with speakers on the other. That was the karaoke system, and even though I had never seen one before, I just knew it.

A worker then came in and provided us with four microphones and a remote control to choose songs while sitting comfortably at the sofa set. The guy with the cropped hair, Beom was quick to take a seat on the couch right besides Grace.

Now I was one hundred percent sure that there was something fishy going on between them, some kind of a love triangle or past between the guy, Grace and Baek. I had hoped for this night to go without a hitch, key word being 'hope' but we all know how that works in situations like these now, don’t we?

“Don’t do anything right now to upset Grace, she’s just met her friend after so long. I can see there is something going on but please control a bit for now, if he steps out of line I won’t hold you back” I told Baek while holding his arm tightly because he looked ready to pick the guy up from his seat and fling him over to the karaoke set any minute.

Me and Baek took a seat on the two bean bags. After we all settled, beers and fried chicken were ordered and the karaoke night began. I hadn't known all the songs but I did know most of the famous ones and of course all the English language ones. Grace turned out to be a pretty bad singer and she knew it, so she deliberately kept on screeching to irritate us but it just was downright hilarious.

I will never, ever forget her version of Call me Baby by EXO. I wish they could hear her too. We all discovered, to my absolute shock, that I was a pretty decent singer. Well what can I say? Just maybe all those years of bathroom singing did pay off.

I have always failed to understand one thing, what fun is it? What kind of a pleasure do people derive from hitting on and flirting with people who already have a romantic partner in their lives? Is it the thrill of 'stealing someone’s man or woman?' Maybe its because they can’t see other people happy in relationships or maybe they’re just plain and simple assholes and are just begging for trouble.

That was what the Beom guy was, an asshole begging for trouble.

Everything was going just fine, we were all singing songs, enjoying our chicken and beer and gossiping about random stuff in between songs, typical friends hangout night and then our very own asshole got up and began singing looking directly at Grace.

Now the song our daring potential home wrecker friend chooses is 'I’m in love' by Ra.d and for those who don’t know, it’s a proposal song. Yes, you read that just right, a song about a guy professing his love for a girl and Mr. Asshole was singing.

His gaze directed towards Grace and he was singing.

Now here comes the climax of our WWE night. It all happened so fast I barely processed anything because I was already shocked by his boldness to do something like that in front of Grace's boyfriend.

He walked towards grace and bent on one knee directly in front of her all while singing and just as he was about go take her hands in his two things happened- Grace immediately shot up from her seat and Baek’s fist were on the guys nose.

"Hoped the night would go without a hitch, hope being the keyword here"

There went my 'hope' down a stinky drain.