Love

Nineteen || Crowd

"You sure you're okay with this? I don't want you to be uncomfortable." 

Ada takes a deep breath, her hand gently squeezing mine before she nods. "I'm sure." 

I kiss her forehead gently and take my own deep breath. "Let's do this." 

I open the door for her and Ada steps gracefully into the karaoke club and I follow immediately after. Jung-mo thought it would be fun for a few colleagues from work to "party at the karaoke bar" he had said. After much begging and pouting from him, I finally agreed to bring Ada. He didn't seem to understand that meeting so many people could make her nervous. But seeing her walk confidently through the door without a second of hesitation, my worries for her disappear. I wish I could be so sure of myself. 

"We're with Lee Jung-mo's party," I tell the host at the counter. 

He nods. "They're down this hall in room eight." 

"JIMIN!" 

The excited shouts echo through the room the second I open the door. My eyes widen. I had no idea this many people enjoyed my presence. Since when did I have so many friends?

"I thought you said you didn't have friends," Ada teasingly says into my ear. 

"I didn't." 

"Come sit by me, Jimin!" Jung-mo's voice sticks out to me in the crowd and it doesn't take long for me to find his bleached head of coconut shaped hair. I tighten my grip on Ada's hand and tug her along with me to sit by my best friend. 

Jung-mo drapes his arm casually over my shoulder once we finally sit on the couch. "The lovely lady must be Kang Ada." I roll my eyes at the buttery smoothness of his voice. So extra. 

Ada smiles shyly and nods. "You must be Lee Jung-mo." 

"Right you are," he says. "I've been begging for the whole two months to meet you, but all this bastard does is talk about you." 

I elbow him harshly in the ribs. "Shut up, Jung-mo." 

"I'm Ho-jun!" I hear from the other side of Jung-mo. 

Ho-jun's girlfriend leans around him and smiles at Ada. "Hi, I'm Eun-jae." 

Ada returns the smile. 

"This is my girlfriend, Kang Ada," I tell them. 

An over exaggerated gasp from Ada's side draws the attention of most in the room. 

"Mr. Park, did you just say you have a girlfriend?" Choi Haerin screeches loudly. A chorus of surprised responses ring out equally loudly in the room full of tipsy adults. 

So much for trying to be subtle about it. Curse you, Jung-mo. 

"Yes," I say instead of slapping Jung-mo's smirk off of his face. "This is Kang Ada." I rest my hand protectively on her waist, pulling her body closer to mine. She scoots to lean against me without fight. As she waves shyly to the room of my coworkers, I worry again that it's not too overwhelming for her. 

"I told you no one would believe it unless you brought her," Jung-mo says quietly to me. 

I roll my eyes and move my attention back to my girlfriend. She smiles and laughs at something someone said and I smile at the sight of her so relaxed. Her smile makes the butterflies in my stomach roar to life and I press a gentle kiss to her temple. I squeeze her hip gently and she faces me. 

"You alright?" I ask. "Do you want something to drink?" 

Ada smiles at me. "Just a shot, please. I don't want to get drunk. I'm not a pretty drunk."