004. meeting at a party au

Jong Kook should have known that Kwang Soo’s idea of an ‘intimate birthday party’ would only indicate a) drinks (loads of drinks at that) b) a bunch of people he has never met in his life (only “our circle of friends” my foot) and c) Jae Suk and Suk Jin trying to be cool by making themselves fools in the living room, dancing to the loud electronic music that’s blasting through the stereos. He does give them kudos for making the attempt though.

He spots Gary and Dong Hoon filling up their plates with food on the other side of the room, shakes his head while gulping down the remains of his punch. He’s deliberating his options. Their second year just ended a week ago; he can’t possibly come up with lousy excuses like assignments or essays that are due. He doesn’t exactly have a girlfriend who might want him home early, and his parents- oh his parents- are thrilled by the idea of him having a sleepover at Kwang Soo’s place. (“It would be an amazing chance to thicken the bond among you guys, honey.” His mom said, running around the house to prepare him the necessities which he conveniently left at home.)

-

Ji Hyo should have known that going to a party while not knowing a single soul might possibly the worst decision one could make. Her best friend brought her along as her plus one, but she has long vanished to dust after some dude turned up out of nowhere. To be honest, he wasn’t that good-looking. He was just a smooth talker who knew how to sweep girls off their feet, the kind of guy that girls fall head over heels for.

Ji Hyo pulls a face, escaping to the small garden at the back of the villa for some fresh air. She’s too fed up with a throng of people constantly bumping into her. And the music is just a torture to her ears. With a bottle of ginger beer she snatched from back inside tucked under her arm, Ji Hyo marches with utter confidence to the big oak tree.

“Too much for you?” She hears a voice asking with slight amusement. Turning to her right, she sees a guy in a grey hoodie and black shorts with his snapback worn backwards sitting on the bench, holding up his own bottle of ginger beer to her. “Welcome to the club.” He says in a sigh, a tinge of a smile ghosting over his lips.

Ji Hyo laughs, striding across the grass over to him. She remembers him, the one who looked pretty much as bored as her back at the party. He glanced at the clock that hung on the wall most of the time with this bored expression on his face. Funnily, Ji Hyo was even contemplating to join him just minutes ago before realizing he already left. Apparently, he also had to find an escape from that stuffy room.

-

She laughs upon hearing his words, striding across the grass over to him. Ji Hyo settles down next to him and stretches her legs.

“The mere sign that you are out here before me only shows that it was too much for you.” She says matter-of-factly, raising an eyebrow. “I only decided to make a stroll, mind you.”

“Please.” Now it’s his turn to laugh. “You looked as bored as I back there.” He nods his head to the direction of the villa. The music can still be heard loud and clear from out there. “I saw you in there. You didn’t look like you were having the time of your life.”

“At least I was trying. You, on the other hand, didn’t even spare anyone a glance.” She comments, taking a sip from her ginger beer.

“I noticed you so obviously your remark isn’t that accurate.” He says, narrowing his eyes at her while holding up his bottle of ginger beer again.

Ji Hyo stamps down the urge to smile but feels the corner of her lips turning up nonetheless. She raises her beer and lets it clinks against his.

“Alright, tiger. Alright.” She says, giggling as she watches him placing the bottle onto his lips.

-

An hour later, they both find themselves half drunk, talking too much and laughing at the silliest of things. In their defense, they went back in for more ginger beer and sometim