True Love and Other Disasters || KTH

07 | Epiphany

— you never forget your first love, either the scars they left behind stay forever, or your heart never beats the same way again. TeenFiction

I pushed the door with one arm then slipped the card into the slot. The dark room lit in an instant, blinding my eyes so I blinked multiple times until they were finally adjusted.

I was not going to lie; I was slightly intoxicated. Jung, on the other hand, was not. Maybe because he was used to it. Koreans could take alcohol and even though, I was evidently one; I had never been used to it. Even back in the U.S. when Flynn and others were drinking beers, I was quite satisfied with coke or fruit flavored soda.

My body felt so heavy, too much that I nearly was not able to stand steadily. I planted one hand on the wall to support me as I slowly made progress to the bed. I fell on top of the bed with a loud thud that made the mattress vibrate a little and my backache. "Damn!" I cursed to myself, putting both arms on the bed to push myself into a sitting position.

This was the reason why I did not like drinking. Not because of the taste of alcohol, which I found quite alluring, but a headache that came after. I simply did not think it was worth having.

I leaned forward and rested my head on my palms, sighing heavily. Maybe I should make a cup of coffee. I dragged my feet past the sofa and the small living room and working table to the minibar at the far end. It did not go as far as filling the electric kettle with water from the sink when I heard my phone rang. My eyes flew to the clock on the working table, ten feet away. Eleven PM. "Who's calling at this hour?" Putting the kettle down on the flat marble surface, my hand reached to the front pocket of my jeans. A smile formed almost as soon as I saw the caller ID.

I hit answer and put the phone in between my shoulder and ear then continued to fill the kettle. "What's up, Flynn?"

"Ah, you're still up! I thought all nerds went to bed after ten o'clock." I could tell that he was grinning when he added, "I mean, Tyler does."

I shook my head, smiling. The relationship and healthy competition between Flynn and his twin brother, Tyler, always amused me. They had opposite personalities despite sharing the exact same face. Tyler was the nerdy kind while Flynn, well, he definitely was not a nerd. He was smart, just like Ty, but he did not indulge himself with tons of books and experimenting in a lab somewhere. Flynn's motto was to live to the fullest and experience new things. Before Kelsey came along in his life, Flynn had been a heartless player but that chapter of his life was closed now. He was a changed man, one with a heart.

"So what happened? I know you're not calling to check up on me."

Flynn chuckled. "Actually, I do. I have been thinking about your question the last time we called and your sudden trip to Seoul. I'm not stupid, Tae. I know you are going to stop someone from getting married. Is it that girl you always use her photo as wallpaper?"

I scratched the side of my head frustratedly. Was I that predictable?

Seeing there was no point in lying to one's best friend, I admitted it. "Yeah. That's her."

"I fucking knew it!" I heard Kelsey groan in the background and Flynn saying, "you owe me ten bucks, love, and washing the dishes for a week!"

I narrowed my eyes although I knew he could not see it. "Did you just make a bet out of my misery?" Closing the lid of the kettle, I put it on the pad and turned it on. "More importantly, why did you tell Kelsey about my question?"

While waiting for the water to boil, I prepared the cup and instant coffee. There was a coffee machine there, but I preferred instant coffee, one that did not require me adding milk and sugar.