SWAY

Chapter Six

Chapter Six : The Party

The atmosphere in the house was tense after the bathroom encounter, but life went on, and they began readying themselves for the family party. It was a gathering of extended relatives and friends, and their parents had been looking forward to this evening for weeks.

Yeji looked up as Chaeryeong and Julia entered her room, and the sound of the locking door immediately caught her attention. She furrowed her brows, wondering what they were up to this time.

"What's going on? Why'd you lock the door?" She asked, a hint of suspicion in her voice. Julia and Chaeryeong exchanged glances, a mix of concern and excitement in their eyes.

"We're preparing here, we need to talk about a lot of things before the party." She watched as Julia pulled out various makeup products from her bag and started sifting through them. Chaeryeong, meanwhile, was rummaging through Yeji's closet, muttering to herself as she browsed through the clothes.

"What exactly are we talking about?" Yeji asked, her voice laced with skepticism. Julia and Chaeryeong exchanged another glance, but this time, there was a hint of conspiratorial grins on their faces.

"So you can't drinking alcohol, consume too much caffeine, eat raw or undercooked meat and eggs, raw sprouts, and some seafood." Yeji listened intently as Julia rattled off the list of items to avoid. She knew it was important to take extra care during pregnancy, but hearing the list out loud made it feel even more real and overwhelming.

"The only real concern is alcohol, because there will be guys and relatives offering for sure." Yeji nodded in agreement. She knew that social gatherings often involved alcohol, and it would be difficult to avoid it completely. She bit her lip, nerves twisting in her stomach at the thought of having to make up excuses.

After what felt like an eternity, the three sisters finally finished preparing.  Yeji looked at herself through the mirror, taking in her appearance. She had to admit, her sisters had worked their magic. They had managed to make her look radiant, almost glowing. "I don't know if it's our make up skills ore are you just naturally glowing because you're pregnant." Chaeryeong said.

Yeji blushed slightly at the comment. "Maybe a little bit of both," she replied, a small smile on her face. Despite the situation, her sisters' attempts to lighten the mood were starting to have an effect.

The party was already in full swing by the time the sisters arrived. The sound of music and laughter filled the air, and guests mingled and chatted animatedly. Yeji felt a flutter of anxiety in her stomach as they entered the bustling room, her heart rate speeding up a notch.

Just as Yeji had feared, as soon as they entered the party, they were immediately offered drinks by various relatives and family friends. Julia and Chaeryeong noticed the awkward situation and quickly stepped in, making excuses like, "She's driving later!"

Yeji watched in disbelief as Julia accepted another drink and then proceeded to down it in one go. She exchanged a look of concern with Chaeryeong, silently wondering what her sister was up to.

The night wore on, and the number of empty glasses around Julia kept growing. Yeji felt a mixture of awe and concern as she watched her sister gulp down drink after drink, accepting every offer on her behalf.

Julia's movements were becoming wobblier, her words slurring as she attempted to talk. Yeji knew her sister had a high alcohol tolerance, but this night seemed to be testing her limits.