STEP

CHAPTER 11

The rowdy booth in the restaurant is filled with light, people standing or sitting are clustered together talking frantically. Other than the 12 of them, some members of senior groups and staff are here as well. Luhan looks at the mess on the table, a stack of napkins printed with "happy times" sits to the side, the boys are excited to drink their night away one more time while they still can.

There's always a couple times in your life when you just feel like the happiest person alive.

Kyungsoo laughs at who-knows-what, grabbing onto Junmyeon's sleeve, the tipsy Jongin props one hand on the table, the other hand slightly moving down holding Baekyhun's hand on Chanyeol's shoulder, Chanyeol's voice glides across his eardrums, "Happy New Year! We are going to debut~~~"
"Debut debut~~" Baekyhun poses along, everyone holds up their shot to cheer.

Everything seems to be right in front of them, January 1st, 2012. Although some beginnings may be long awaited while some endings leave people in dismay.

To the left of Luhan, Junmyeon quietly holds Kyungsoo who sits to the right of Yixing, laughing with a shot despite his ultimately low alcohol tolerance.
"Finally debuting...." Junmyeon fiddles with his shot glass, talking at a volume only loud enough for himself to hear.
Kyungsoo glances at him and leans over the table laughing, I feel like this is making me happier than actually the debut itself! It's like everything is done and over with."
"It's not over yet~~" Junmyeon giggles, shaking his head, "it's a long way from being over."
Kyungsoo nudges him slightly, what counts as being over than?" Maybe when....." Junmyeon lifts his head to look at the famous senior leader, unable to find an answer.
Everything happens like a curved line, where a comedy novel should find its perfect ending.
"Exactly," Kyungsoo laughs under his breath, "the day we debut is the day it will be over. There's no better way to begin an end."
Looking at him without a word, Junmyeon laughs with exhaustion, a soldier who is all ready to go on the battlefield, but feels as if he has been fighting his whole life.

Jongin holds the pen he took from Chanyeol and starts to draw a mustache on Baekhyun's face. Chanyeol widens his cute eyes and points at the 36 non-fade text printed on the side of the pen, Jongin blinks his eye at him, making a "shh" with his lips.
"What are you doing again..." Baekhyun is half asleep waving his hands around.

Jongin holds Baekhyun's hand in place using just his left hand, and continues his "masterpiece" on his face with his right hand, he cocks his head to the side to asks Chanyeol, "it's washable with solution, right?"
Chanyeol supports his chin with his hand, "I'll have to think about it a little more before telling you."

"Don't drink anymore, look at how red your face is." Kris takes the shot glass from Yixing and puts it away on his right.
"Hahahaha~~" Yixing laughs, his eyes forming a thin line, and steals back his glass as though stealing back a toy, "I'm happy~~"
"Why drink this when you're happy?" Kris says, "this is what you should drink when you're unhappy."
"What should you drink when you happy then?" Luhan looks at him and asks.
"Kris pauses for a moment, and looks toward Luhan ".....maybe champagne."

"This is you, this is Tao, this is Luhan...." Yixing dips his finger in his drink and randomly scribble letters on the table, K, T, L....
"And yourself," Luhan dips his finger and adds another L to the side. "Mr. Lay."
"They'll get mixed up." Yixing points at the two Ls.

Kris shakes his head and also writes something on the table. The senior leader looks at Kris and smiles, interrupting his writing, "it's not that easy being the leader."
Kris pauses for a moment before turning back to reply, "I'm not the leader yet, so I wouldn't know." He laughs in embarrassment and sees Yixing pouring more liquor for himself, Kris gives Luhan a glance almost implying: "look after him a bit." But Luhan's stare at the table remains blank.
"You're already acting like a leader." The senior leader laughs.