wishes | lee yubin

fifteen.

i spent the next half an hour alone. me and yubin split ways. it turned out that yoohyeon was originally searching for yubin but hadn't dared to tell me as soon as we had met. i was wondering why. did she want to avoid me too now?

"hey, you look down," bora noticed me. "is everything okay? didn't you find your favourite drink or something? i can go and buy one for you."

"no, it's fine," i replied with a smile. bora was really kind, she was a definition of happy and carefree person. "i'm just waiting for minji."

"oh, i see. i noticed you were talking to yoohyeon and yubin. i saw them sitting in the living room playing bottle with others. you can join if you feel like it."

"i'll think about it, thank you."

i really wanted to go back to my apartment at the moment. i felt so lost staying there. the thoughts consumed me inside, what did my world suddenly fall down?

"hey, don't stay here like this," soyeon spoke up to me. she took me to the living room where was a circle of girls with yubin and yoohyon, who just started to spin the bottle.

"i don't think i can do this," i confessed.

"why do you think so?" asked soyeon. "you mean because of minji? oh, c'mon, she's not even here. and it's just a game, you shouldn't take it too seriously."

"i'm still having second thoughts about it. i'll just sit there and watch but i won't participate in this."

"if you say so." soyeon joined the others and made some space for me next to her.

"remember, i won't do anything if the bottle is pointed on me."

"alright, fine. you won't refuse to drink though. it's the rule," defended herself soyeon when i gave her an angry look. "you do the dare or tell the truth or other way you have to drink a glass of wine."

"i can do that," i agreed.

as time went by, i had to drink thrice even though i strongly disagreed with their rules. but i was okay with that as long as i didn't have to kiss or even make out with anyone. i was getting worried because minji still hadn't showed up. checking the hall and the door soon started to be annoying so i gave up. i couldn't lie, i was nervous but soyeon was sure there was nothing to stress about so i believed her.

i didn't know anyone in the circle except for yubin, yoohyeon and soyeon. all of them accepted every single deal or truth they were given. i watched in disbelief how they were kissing people and speaking about their personal stuff. there was no way i could stop them.

"i have a question to ask," whispered soyeon in my ear as i watched the spinning bottle hoping that it'd point on anyone except me.

"what is it?"

"are you still friends with yubin?"

"yes, why?" i looked at her when the bottle stopped on yoohyeon.

she may had been drunk but her face was too serious now. "it doesn't look like that though."

"what? did she tell you something? i'm not dumb, you know. how did you find out what is the relationship between us?"

soyeon travelled with her eyes to yubin and back to me. "she mentioned something. is it true? is she really your best friend?"

"yes, she is," i nodded. "why?"

"i've seen a lot of people calling themselves each other's best friends. and it all made sense. but this... i don't think this makes any sense. you hardly ever talked to each other today. what happened between you two? did you guys had a fight?"

"we-"

"hey, it's your turn!"

a girl sitting next to me tapped on my shoulder and i saw the end of the bottle pointing on me.

"where is the wine?" i asked with no hesitation.

"wait," yoohyeon took the glass before i could reach for it. "i have a question."

"go ahead but i won't answer," i said as i was trying to take the glass from her hands.

"who is the most beautiful girl in this room?"

"that is pretty cliche, yoohyeon," pointed out soyeon.

"i don't mind, i wanna hear the answer."

i slowly scanned all the faces in the room and my eyes landed on yubin. she was facing the ground as if she wanted to avoid an eye contact.

"give me the wine, yoohyeon. the rule is i can choose whether i want to answer or drink. and my choice is to drink."

"but i won't let you drink though."

"let her drink the glass, yoohyeon," said yubin. "it's her choice."

"of course it's minji. now let me drink." it was as simple as that. or maybe not that simple.

"as expected from you," smiled yoohyeon. "why won't you answer honestly? minji isn't here anyway. who is the most beautiful in this room."

"me," i joked and drink the wine in one shot. but my mind asked myself the same question. who is the most beautiful in this room for me? i hadn't ever thought about that. i looked on a person and told myself: yes, she is attractive. yes, she looks amazing. but never in my life had i preferred someone's beauty before other's.

everytime it was my turn, i drank wine. i refused to answer or to do anything. but as expected, the drunken state came as well. i didn't pay attention to what i said, it just slipped out of my mouth and i started playing with them.

"it's your turn again! truth or dare?"

"dare," i said without thinking.

"okay..." yoohyeon looked around the room because we were running out of ideas. "so, kiss a person you like the most in this room."

"a person i like? that's easy one, don't you think?"

i stood up, scanned all of the faces until i found the person i had been searching for. i took a step forward and sat down in front of her. then i laid my hand on her cheek and kissed her shortly.

everyone around me went crazy but i didn't notice that, i was focused on yubin's face how it was covered with shock.