playlist

wish you were sober

"Hey, hotshot."

I turned around to see a man behind me, limping around on his right leg and slurring around his words as he tried to give off a suave smile.

Tried is the keyword. It's still hot, though.

He definitely spent his night drinking from the way the booze is getting on my nose. He stinks.

"Hey, Tae. Nice to see you again after ditching me for the beer," I greeted back to my bestfriend, who also turned out to be my crush.

Surprise, surprise.

It's not that hard to fall for him. He's genuinely kind, the typical boy-next-door looks with a cool persona, and he is very serious with his studies.

He treats me well, too well actually, and somehow my mind twisted that into him giving me romantic affection when it should processed as platonic. When he gives me chocolate, I treat it as if it was Valentine's Day and he was giving me a special gift when it was actually from one of his admirers. When he helps me in academics, I suddenly think of all the college tutor romance novels that I've read and imagined it was me. And him, of course.

Dumb brain. That's why you failed your quiz earlier.

Because of his cool attitude and friendly nature, the gods decided to let everyone befriend him. And somehow, I ended up with one of his friends' parties.

Goodness, I felt left out in here. There is no making out, condoms, or drugs involved but there is definitely a line that I couldn't dare to cross.

But Taehyung can, and he did.

That's why I was sitting alone on a couch while all the people around me talk, not giving me any attention.

It was full-packed in here but somehow, he managed to find me.

He always did.

"Oh, it's Jisoo! Sorry, babe, it's just that it has been so long before I met Baekhyun again. I couldn't pass the opportunity to greet him on his birthday. I should've introduced you to him."

I would like to be excluded from that narrative. I don't want to meet his friends and make myself feel more insecure.

I still remember when I met Wheein, his friend from their neighborhood, and goodness gracious, she was so pretty that my simple baggy jeans and shirt didn't compare to her designer clothes.

This is college to you, folks. It's either an everyday catwalk in the halls or a path packed with tired zombie students. It's a gamble, honestly.

I don't belong to those who were probably having their college peak, that's why I don't wanna know them.

"Nah, it's fine. I'm just gonna stay here like what I've been doing earlier."

Taehyung shook his head as he pulled me away from the couch I was sitting on. "Nope, nope. I brought you here so you're gonna have fun because the driving is on me."

I'm not gonna trust a drunk Taehyung with a car. Not even a bicycle.

"No, thank you. I still wanna live. You can go now."

He poured and pondered for awhile. I just know when he is standing still, staring like there is something on my forehead.

Then, he sat down beside me, pouring half the beer in his cup.

We sat in silence, in contrast to the bass and the shouts and the chaos inside the room.

"Ji," he started off. "Can you take me home? I'm just... Tired."