"Are you sure? It's dark here, bro..." Hyunjin asked a disheveled Sooyoung who was almost hyperventilating by the sight in front of her.
"I'm sure... I wish I wasn't..." Sooyoung answered dumbfounded.
Sooyoung stared at the stripper in astonishment. The announcer had called her 'Choerry' but that was just a stage name. She was absolutely convinced the girl in question was none other than Choi Yerim, her high school crush.
Yerim was what would be considered a good girl. She was the president of the student council, had over the top grades, excelled at a majority of sports and everybody loved her, even the teachers. And how could they not? She was the epitome of perfection. She was beautiful, well-mannered and had a smile that could bring world peace if she so desired.
What was she doing in a sketchy place like this? And even worse, was she really a stripper? Not that Sooyoung shamed that kind of job or anything. She was just surprised by how a promising girl like Yerim could end up shaking her booty for a living. She didn't want to imagine the worst-case scenario where she may be selling full body 'services'. Just the thought of it made her sick.
Sooyoung had been a loner herself. She didn't interact with many people, even though due to her good looks, she did have a few admirers. She was just a plain and forgettable kid who played the bass in the most unpopular high school band and whose future was as blurry as the glasses she wore when she was younger.
Like the rest of the school population, she could not avoid fangirling over Yerim. Yet, now that she remembered, they did use to spend time together but never really exchanged more than a few words, all related to Sooyoung's band activities.
Even though she was not the leader of the band, Yerim always insisted on talking with her and she never questioned it. Well, Jungeun, the official leader, used to reek of pot and she believed that's why Yerim preferred talking with her. So, it was only business between them, nothing more, nothing less. She was just a passerby in the enormousness of Yerim's social circle. A nobody. But boy, how much she had liked her, how much she still liked her now that she was seeing her after so many years.
Her bare, well-toned and supple breasts, her pink glossy nipples. The g-string barely covering her private parts. Sprinkles of glitter all over her torso, arms, and thighs. Luscious and wavy purple hair almost touching the floor by the way she was bending over the pole and undulating her ass for the rabid customers that threw bill after bill at her 6-inch pumps. This woman couldn't be sweet little Yerim. It couldn't be. This had to be a joke.
Once the show had ended and people clapped like overexcited seals, chanting 'Choerry' 'Choerry' 'Choerry' like it was a war cry or people asking for food coupons, she noticed that she was alone. Hyunjin had left her.
Sooyoung turned around to look for her friend and she saw her talking with 'Choerry' as she descended the stage. What the hell was Hyunjin doing? Sooyoung tried to hide while Hyunjin kept talking with 'Choerry' and pointing in her direction. Was Hyunjin out of her mind? Would Yerim recognize her? No, there was no way.
Nevertheless, she didn't want to be seen by anyone who could recognize her in a place like this. Sooyoung hated Hyunjin and her ideas. She had never felt so embarrassed. Reality was that Sooyoung had gone through a rough break up and was feeling pretty depressed.
Hyunjin, her best friend from college, had the brilliant idea to cheer her up by dragging her to a strip club. Sooyoung refused at first but due to Hyunjin's insistence and her own curiosity, which she would never admit, she ended up going.
Now, fate had put Yerim back in her life and she felt kind of excited, but the circumstances were too damn chaotic to think clearly. Should she approach her and say hi? Would she remember her? Would she feel embarrassed? Sooyoung was dying to see her upfront and as she was still struggling with her own personal dilemma, Hyunjin returned with the toothiest smile ever.
