𝔹𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕜 ℂ𝕠𝕗𝕗𝕖𝕖 II ʜᴡᴀɴɢ ʜʏᴜɴᴊɪɴ

4

[１０：１３ｐｍ] Ａｐｒｉｌ， Ｓａｔｕｒｄａｙ

Once my attention could finally settle on the actual party, dread filled me from head to toe. 50-60 people flooded just the foyer of the house, solo cups scattering the tacky linoleum floors. The house extended through a wide hallway to my left, a spiral staircase stretching upwards to my right. People draped the railing, dancing, talking, and drinking. Spiral lights flashed at the ceiling, the entire house bathed in a dark purplish-hue. I turned around slowly, gaping at my best friend. She shyly smiled.

"Sorry, forgot to tell you that she's kind of really popular," she said, twirling her bangs. "But hey! There's a huge backyard if you need air, and the liquor will warm you up against the cold. I'll be here, I promise."

I grabbed her hand this time, pulling her closer to me. "Please just let me get fucked up, all will be well after that's been achieved." Su-jin looked on with amusement, nodding with a sarcastic look plastering her face.

We tried to beeline towards the kitchen, but we were jostled back and forth amongst the crowd of drunk idiots. After about three minutes of struggling, we shoved our way into the less crowded kitchen. I audibly groaned, pouring lemonade and too much vodka into a plastic cup. Su-jin slid up next to me, leaning into my ear. "I need to tell you the game plan for tonight," she attempted to say quietly, but the music made her barely audible. "You don't need to help, but I'd like you to." She silently begged me with her eyes, and there was no way in hell that I was gonna let her run off on her own to do god knows what.

"If it has to do with another boy I'll kill you," I said between long pulls of my drink. Her wide and nervous smile said everything I needed to know. "Well.." she trailed. "You remember Minho, right?" I rolled my eyes, feeling the heat of the liquor spread throughout my insides.

"You mean the boy you've been gushing to me about every day since you joined the dance team?" She nodded enthusiastically, finishing pouring her drink. "Yes, that one. He's friends with Hyunjin, and since this is also his house, I thought it-" I cut her off by bursting into a coughing fit, liquor burning my throat.

"This is Hwang's fucking house?" I said loosely, my eyes wide.

"What about it?"

Su-jin smiled widely as I spun around to face the voice from behind me, already dreading the clear outcome. Hyunjin stood behind me, a seltzer in one hand, an ice pack in his other, held to his head. "How did you not know this? Is she this out of the loop, Su-jin?" He questioned, leaning around me to meet Su-jin's eyes.

"Yea, she may go to our school, but she's not into the same arts as us. Can't blame her!" Su-jin's sweet little face could really cover for anyone.

"Wow," I slurred in English. "So you're Yeji's brother? Did not see in that one coming for real." Hyunjin looked at me with a mixture of a smirk and pity, gesturing towards Su-Jin instead of me. "Make sure she doesn't hit heads with anyone else, please."

Su-Jin suddenly leaped forward. "Ah, actually Hyunjin, do you mind if we join you? I want Chaewon to meet some more people from campus, and I'd like to say hi to everyone." Hyunjin audibly sighed, waving us forward. "Yea yea, alright, just keep an eye on each other cause I won't do it for you."

With that, I was once again being dragged through the crowd. I was too buzzed to really process where we were going, all I could focus on were the shoulders that routinely shoved mine as we made our way forward.
I felt my hand slip from Su-Jin's, and in a panic, I attempted to cut around the group of people blocking my path. Within about ten seconds my face collided with someone's broad chest, and I felt my drink splash down their front.
My eyes shot upward, only to find a tired but kind face.