“Ever feel like you’ve had too much wine? Me neither…”

 

The Winter Winery
Friday
10 p.m.

 

“Put that down, Naeun.” Jiyong warned. He had put down his glass of wine while he motioned Kiko not to stand up.

 

“You, men, are all the same.” Naeun, obviously, drunk and heartbroken, shouted with angry tears in her eyes. “Cheaters. Premiere-class, cheaters! s! -! Name it.”

 

-?
Men?
Fine.

 

The crowd present in that private room of that posh and exclusive wine bar kept silent. They listened to a woman’s ranting, to her cries, to her brokenness. Naeun Kang is one of them, a member of their elite circle; and most importantly, she is their friend. And as friends, they are supposed to listen when she pours out her heart even if it meant hearing her speak the truth. And that truth will eventually will hurt them and knock on their conscience, if they have any.

 

Naeun Kang is YG’s stylist and Lee Soohyuk’s long-time girlfriend. Friends thought they were for keeps; Naeun thought so too, until Soohyuk admitted he’s been cheating on her with another woman. Someone Naeun is dead-set to find out who.

 

Naeun raised her glass again, attempting to throw it to Jiyong who tried to stop her, (she wanted to just slam it to the wall initially until Jiyong intervened). “ off, Jiyong. You’re just a kid. Stay out of this. I am pretty sure you can’t keep your zipper closed most of the time too.”

 

Jiyong sighed. He didn’t attempt to look at Kiko nor anyone else except the raging mad Naeun. That sounded the guilty alarm for him and the panic button for his worried and doubting girlfriend. Kiko closed her eyes shut to prevent tears from falling – that’s the least she can do, at least for now.

 

Ah, the price of long-distance love affair.

 

Hong Jonghyun stood up and got the glass from Naeun, but he got a slap from her. “You!”

 

“Noona.” Jonghyun, held the glass with one hand, and his other hand caressed his burning cheek.

 

“All of you lied to me.” Naeun cried, “Every head in this ing room lied to me. I thought we were friends. Swag my ! Swag people do not lie to their friends. You guys know he was cheating on me all along and you let him, and I was kept in the dark, you crazy asses!”

 

Naeun who was sounding nasal by the minute and feeling furious by the second as well, grabbed her hand bag rushed to the door.

 

“Taeyang… Taeyang…” Voices flew everywhere calling Taeyang who was standing by the door. He’s got to stop Naeun from leaving. She was dead-drunk and who knows what might happen to her.

 

But apparently Naeun still has some of clear sense left on her head, and she kicked Taeyang in the crotch. Hard and on target. It made the sun growl loud. So that leaves Daesung to forcefully carry her and bring her to…

 

“Room number one.” Choi Seunghyun was not looking  nor sounding drunk, but he was on his fifth glass already. Playing cool during the entire time Naeun was creating a scene, he continued drinking, and scanning his phone and checking the latest furniture pictures from his favourite designer.

 

Cool Seunghyun.
As always.

 

The cold man didn’t give a damn. He only spoke where to bring the wasted Naeun.  He, himself cheated before… so what? His ex-girlfriend even begged him to come back. He is Choi Seunghyun, the handsome and hot Choi Seunghyun, he can do that all the time.

 

Being bingu is just a front; just an act. He stopped being cute in his early twenties. But since he is still in BIGBANG, and he has a herd of young fans, he is supposed to act cute and fun. But Choi Seunghyun truly is a cold man.

 

Serious, cold and snob.
You can’t just win his respect with a lone achievement.
You can’t win his admiration with cute looks and pleasant attitude.
You can’t win his attention by simply trying to seek for it.

 

The man is as cold as ice; hard as rock.

 

You have to earn everything even before Choi Seunghyun looks at you; even before he spares you a glance.

 

And everyone in that room respects him and follows him. So when he says ‘room number one’, room number one it is.

 

Room number one – the room for drunken people who passes out for the night of drinking session. It has a nice and comfortable king-sized bed where members of The Winter Winery Club, (they like to call themselves that, after Seungri suggested it) cannot make it to their respective homes because they are dead-drunk.

 

Room number one.
That’s inside the private drinking spacious room of The Winter Winery Club.

 

Naeun Kang is spending the night there. She didn’t even make it there conscious- she was too drunk, too hurt she couldn’t call anyone to drive her home.

 

And unfortunately, that someone who Soohyuk is seeing, is one of her friends in Winter Winery Club – CL.

 

No one is telling.
 

 

“Two or three?” Min Hyo Rin asked, albeit shy to do so. But she had no choice. If Seungri says three, she and Taeyang will go to her apartment for their much awaited ‘reunion’. BIGBANG had been on tour for a number of weeks and she and Taeyang needed that badly.

 

“Mmmm.” Seungri smiled. “I guess….”

 

“Lee Seunghyun.” Min Hyo Rin pouted impatiently. She and her pretty but raging hormones.

 

“Three.”  Seungri was quick to answer. He and her guest are going to use Room Number Three.

 

“Fine.” The beautiful actress rolled her eyes. “You can have it.”

 

Room Number Two – room for serious talks. When selected people in the group does not want others to hear their conversation, they use that room. It can be an intimate conversation; it can still be getting-to-know-each-other-talk; it can be a fight or a break-up, a business-deal or whatever. Room Number Two is private conversations-room.

 

Room Number Three – no clothes room, Period. Intimate, period. Sound-proof, period. If girls missed their period, that is not a good period.

 

 

“Oh look, it’s wine o’clock.”

 

The Winter Winery
Friday
11 p.m.

 

“It’s on me tonight!” Jay Park announced. He literally shook the table, making the glasses, bottles shake and people sitting around the table annoyed. Well, he is annoying.

 

Now, everyone knows why the dim-lit room they are used to is gone. Bright lights are on and glaring. They are drinking their wines and chatting that Friday night seeing each other’s pores. Jay Park’s paying and he is calling the shots:

 

Bright lights on, baby.

 

Seunghyun is not feeling well and he is not in the mood for Jay and his crazy and boastful antics. He took out his credit card and went out of the room. Paying for the entire group tonight will piss Jay off and that’s what Seunghyun’s going to do.

 

Moeka, his girlfriend most-of-the-time, (the one whom he uses Room Number Three with, most-of-the-time) knew he was in a bad mood. She stood up to follow him but his eyes told her to go that third room.  She shook her head but then Seunghyun smiled, so without much hesitation she waited for him there.

 

No hesitations.
No qualms.

 

 

“If you wish to keep your affairs secret, drink no wine.”

 

Everyone basically, was having fun. They were chatting happily until Naeun who was absent these past few Fridays came back with a BANG. And she is with someone.

 

“Hi everyone.” Naeun smiled sarcastically, “I’m back. I’m not out of the group, am I? I mean, Soohyuk-ssi dumped me for CL but I still belong here, don’t I?”

 

Oh dear.
She already knows.

 

No one spoke.

 

“I brought a friend since I might become as wasted and you might lock me up the way you did the last time.” Naeun laughed sarcastically, “And who knows, someone might just poison me here. If she can steal my boyfriend what’s putting poison on my drink.”

 

CL had to bow down as Naeun and her friend looked at each other and smiled. Guilt is written all over someone’s face and revenge on another’s.

 

“Oh, everyone knows her, I suppose.” Naeun told them.

 

No one is still saying a word or acknowledging her.
They knew her of course.  

 

“C’mon, who doesn’t know Girls’ Generation?”

 

“Hi, I’m Tiffany.” She introduced herself while she sat on one of the chairs, and downed a glass of wine.

 

Tiffany Hwang, of course. Who doesn’t know her? BIGBANG does, and so does their girlfriends. 2NE1 too. Lee Soohyuk, Jay Park, Kiko, Xin, they all know her.

 

“Tiff.” Naeun suddenly became nervous.

 

Tiffany sat on his chair and drank on his glass.

 

“Seunghyun…” Naeun then turned to Choi Seunghyun who just came out of Room Number Three with Japanese model, Moeka.

 

“Hi TOP!” Tiffany smiled seeing the un-buttoned shirt of the BIGBANG rapper and messy hair of his female companion. Her eyes travelled down to from his chest up to his waist before she shifted back to his surprised and questioning eyes. Obviously, she knew what happened in that room moments ago.

 

“You are?”

 

Boom.
That was boom.

 

So this is the way he says, welcome. Tiffany thought.

 

Tiffany knew it’s going to be a roller-coaster ride if she wants to keep coming to The Winter Winery Club. Naeun has mentioned to her about all the things she has to know about the people she will encounter every Friday drinking with these bunch of elites. Naeun begged Tiffany to come with her there. She would like to keep an eye on Soohyuk whom she wants back. Problem is, Naeun trusts no one in that club anymore. She thinks all of them conspired against her and knows about Soohyuk and CL’s affair so she will bring Tiffany with her.

 

Tiffany drinking capacity is unimaginable.
And her tolerance for jack-asses, superb.

 

“I am your ex-wife.” Tiffany joked, causing others to laugh except the snob Choi Seunghyun. “Our kids are great. How are you, TOP?’

 

Finally, a reaction from the crowd.

 

Seungri and Daesung only stopped laughing when Seunghyun stared at them.  Wow, this is one refreshing change they have here: Tiffany Hwang of Girls’ Generation. She has her own kind of swag and she’s using it on none other but the ice king, Choi Seunghyun.

 

“That is my chair and my glass, Miss.” Seunghyun told her.

 

“Sorry.” Tiffany was taken aback; now she knows why he is acting too weird.

 

“If you are sorry, then you leave.” He replied coldly.

 

Woot.
Fast and harsh.

 

“Okay.” Tiffany pushed the chair with force as she stood up. She is just starting to enjoy her night after she came from a boring party and a certified jerk is trying to ruin it. But she prepared for this. She prepared for everyone most especially, the great Choi Seunghyun.

 

“I will leave after I help you…” Tiffany approached Seunghyun and tried buttoning his shirt.

 

Slowly.
Flirtatiously.

 

Tiffany did it with her eyes on his.

 

“…do this.” She finished. Tiffany’s eyes then settled on Seunghyun’s thin lips and then she smiled as her eyes returned to his questioning orbs.

 

“If you’re trying to…” Seunghyun smirked.

 

“What?” Tiffany smirked too, “Flirt with you, seduce you?”

 

“It’s not working.” Seunghyun was quick to tell her and smiled sarcastically at her.

 

“It just did.” Tiffany winked and came close to whisper something to him, “Looks like you didn’t have a good time inside, handsome. It’s all in your eyes. I was just trying to save you.”

 

All this time Tiffany’s hands rested on Seunghyun’s chest which made Moeka quite uncomfortable, and Seunghyun pissed.

 

“Take your hands off me.” Seunghyun commanded. This time he avoided her eyes.

 

“Surely.” Tiffany raised her hands up in the air. “But nice piece of art you got there. Solid as rock.”

 

She was referring to his pecks.
Oh Tiff, you erted pig.

 

She continued to tease the great Choi Seunghyun. Naeun told him he’s an . And probably one of those who connived with Soohyuk amongst all others. He dates a lot of women and doesn’t care much about their feelings. And Tiffany hated his type – snob, superior and obnoxious.  But she felt she overreacted. How can their first meeting be like this? She, a pure, innocent woman, touching a douchebag on not-so-ideal places of his body.

 

Ok, she is not so innocent, but definitely that is an ideal part of his body. Goodness-gracious, what she just held was indeed a piece of art… but that was a bit too much for an introduction. How about just saying hello?

 

Naeun briefed Tiffany well. She can practically tell each one’s secret, at least if that person has ever shared his or her personal thing with the group. She knew the group met every Fridays and shared one particular kind of wine every time they meet.

 

One type of wine for everyone every Friday; it changes the next week they meet and it’s always Choi Seunghyun, the wine expert, who selects what kind of wine the group will have that night. He is yet to gain the title sommelier, but he is getting there. He once admitted he wants to have proper training to become a true wine expert.

 

Naeun told Tiffany that it’s a fun group. They consider themselves swag and a group on top of everyone.

 

Kwon Jiyong always comes with his girlfriend, Kiko Mizuhara, the Japanese model and actress. If Kiko is not in Seoul, count Jiyong out of the attendance roster.

 

Taeyang is never absent but Min Hyo Rin, his girlfriend, rarely comes. If she does, she always wants to go home early. Sometimes she and Taeyang fights because of this, causing them to use Room Number Two more often than the others. They fight and it’s always Taeyang who comes out of the room crying.

 

Daesung, ever since this group meet has started, has brought in three girlfriends. All of which, does not drink nor smoke. In the end, that was the reason of the break-up. They enjoyed the conversations with the rest of the group but not their constant bullying that about giving wine a try.

 

Seungri, as always, is the life of the group. He talks and talks until he gets tired. Sadly, he doesn’t get tired – not at all. The only rest he gets is when he takes a sip of his wine; or when he runs of out of stories or an opinion of a matter they are discussing, which is rare. When he is out of words to say he sings Karaoke. There is one the room too.

 

The room has Karaoke, billiard table and its own wine bar. Talk about grandiose and exclusive. Let’s not forget that it has three rooms inside too which serves three purposes. The group has its own secret backdoor entrance because The Winter Winery has other exclusive rooms and has a bar open to the public. The one the YG family and their friends, i.e. The Winter Winery Club are using is only rented every Friday night.

 

The 2NE1 girls seldom bring their boyfriends. Bom, is silently hoping she’d make it to Room Number Three with Seunghyun whom she adores so much, but the man is as cold as the North Pole. She had given him all the signs, heck, she already confessed to him but he refused her. Respectfully he did, but they made it to Room Number Three, only for Seunghyun to tell her he doesn’t have romantic feelings for her nor he thinks he will develop any. Bom came out in her underwear, crying.

 

Crying because her hopes fell in an instant that night.
Crying harder because nothing ever happened between them.
Colder than winter, that Choi Seunghyun.

 

Dara never brought Lee Donghae for the most obvious reason that he is from the rival company. And her boyfriend doesn’t like her friends that much. Donghae thinks her tattoo-ed friends are too self-serving jerks who have no use for the society. He always tells Dara that the only purpose of her friends is too make others’ lives miserable by simply existing. Dara knew if ever she and Donghae would make it to forever, there will be two weddings – one, exclusive for SM Town, the other for YG family.

 

Minzy’s non-showbiz boyfriend doesn’t know she belongs to group who meets and drinks every Friday. He thought she was always in a slumber party with her 2NE1 unnis. Poor boy.

 

CL never thought she’d ever be the other woman. She tried to fight it, but she and Lee Soohyuk had gotten extra close after the latter starred in her MV. She came from heartbreak and he was her shoulder to lean. So they say, the rest is history. Problem is, Soohyuk had Naeun.

 

Yang Seung Ho or better known as Xin is also always around being part of the Nuthang club (Nuthang people are members of the The Winter Winery Club). He always agrees with everyone except with what Seungri’s got to say.

 

Hong Jonghyun flirts with 2NE1 most of the time if he doesn’t have a date to bring during Fridays. It came as a surprise that Soohyuk and CL was an item since he was trying to hit on CL as well. And it was clear as daylight that Soohyuk and Naeun were serious about each other.  

 

Friends of YG family come and go in this special group. Anyone can bring in a friend, as long as that friend can tolerate drinking, the members’ stories and bluntness. But if someone dislikes a certain guest, that guest cannot come anymore. That is an unspoken rule.

 

Not mentioning the obvious, Seunghyun doesn’t like Naeun’s guest. But Naeun seemed like a fox, a tiger, a lion and a shark combined ready to eat anyone who comes in her way. There is no way Choi Seunghyun is going to question her choice of friends right now. He might be cold but a little consideration would not hurt. Anyway, he wanted to go home early because Jay Park was annoying him too much and an addition will make his head burst.

 

He had no choice but to select another seat, because Tiffany went back to his chair and started drinking again – using his glass. He was trying to be patient with Naeun but not with her companion.

 

Tiffany drinking wine as if she was just taking a normal orange juice. Her face doesn’t change how much she drinks and she seemed to be fine and very much used to it. She chatted with Jay Park who was claiming that night to be his night. Choi Seunghyun was watching her secretly. He kept glancing at her as if it was only by accident and as much as he didn’t want to admit, he was amazed by her drinking capacity.

 

She drinks, she laughs, and she tells stories. Tiffany claimed the night and stole in from Jay Park. Few hours later, she was chatting with Daesung and Seungri and relieving their variety show experiences. Next thing, they know she was telling Jiyong that her bestfriend Taeyeon is about to release a solo album and she suggested, Jiyong might want to write songs, or even produce some for Kim Taeyeon.

 

But cold Choi Seunghyun ignored her, still. He sometimes stole glances, mostly to see how drunk she has become, but he stopped. One time he looked, he got stuck with her eyes; her beautiful speaking eyes. Seunghyun became nervous. Last time he felt like that towards a woman, he fell in love.

 

 

“It’s not hangover, it’s wine flu.”

 

It was past two in the morning when the group decided to call it a night. It was only Daesung, Seungri, Tiffany and Naeun left emptying the two bottles left.

 

“Who’s driving us?” Daesung, slurring, asked.

 

Seungri was lying on the floor, obviously, the most wasted among the four, raised his hand, “Not me!”

 

Naeun, also drunk, (okay, everyone is drunk) is crying loudly, professing