Xiuying

 

 

 

It was pretty easy annihilating the relay race afterwards.

Honestly it was really fun to watch everyone crumble in fear in front of the mighty warrior princess, eyeing her in a mixture of distrust and awe, none daring to question her reign.

Said mighty warrior princess looked somewhere between shy and extremely smug. That combination was rather amusing to Xiuying, and she found the expression the older girl adorned on her face to be very, very cute.

Not when she destroyed her enemies on the battlefield, though. Then she didn’t look all that cute. It was fun to watch nonetheless.

Xiuying was the first runner in the relay race, so she could observe everything once she passed the stick over to Ardene. The New-Zealand-born was quite good herself, despite constantly whining about hating exercising and sweat and all that. Shigure, on the other hand, was obviously the weakest link - but that might’ve been because of the lack of proper rest from the flight. As the Japanese didn’t train with them, Xiuying couldn’t really know for sure - but Aeri was there to save the day. Like a swan gliding over the water, the blonde rapper ran so gracefully yet so fiercely that it was difficult not to watch her with wide eyes and a gaping jaw.

So it was pretty obvious why their blonde rapper had become a fan favorite amongst the audience and the idols. But Aeri had other concerns.

With the Adrenaline fading the sickness had returned. And so not even twenty minutes after the four of them received their medals and got congratulated by almost everyone in the area around them (Gfriend’s SinB practically smoldered Aeri to death, and Mark Tuan held onto Ardene-unnie a little longer than necessary), the hidden ace was already whimpering for “Mommy”.

“That would be you.” Chaerin nudged Yoonji.

The leader looked like she just died a little. “No. Not this time. I’ll go get Cheolmin.”

Manager-oppa took care of Aeri quite well, Xiuying noted. While she always believed Cheolmin wasn’t as horrible as some of the other members (most noticeably Shigure) made him out to be. He was strict, but he was just and fair. And he loved them. Xiuying was sure of it.

Deemed too sick to continue, Aeri was forced to retire, and very begrudgingly she let Cheolmin lead her out of the stadium with the intentions of taking her home. Fortunately the event was already coming to an end, and so the older girl wasn’t going to miss too much.

Or so Xiuying thought.

“After...party?” Seoyeon blinked once.

Ardene nodded, stretching her arms behind her back. The seven of them were standing outside of the stadium, waiting for Cheolmin to return - The bangtan car couldn’t fit them, and so they had to wait for their own manager to return with the Mystery Mobile. While the others seemed quite grumpy about it, Xiuying didn’t really mind. The weather was nice, and it was kind of calming to just stand still after running during the race. Xiuying was like Ardene - sweat wasn’t her favorite thing in the world.

And apparently there was an after party. And everyone knew about it but Arora.

“Yup.” Ardene confirmed. “Namjoon-oppa said Cheolmin probably knows and wants to surprise us or something like that.”

“That’s… very out of character.” Shigure commented. suspicion coating her voice.

Shigure was the member who antagonized Cheolmin the most - that was no news for Xiuying. The Japanese and the manager were fighting a not-so-secret cold war, and Xiuying really couldn’t figure why. There was, of course, the fact that Shigure-unnie was constantly traveling to Japan, but there was a reason for that. She doubted it was the cause for their dislike for one another. She’d have to ask one of the other girls. Perhaps one of them would know.

“Who cares?” Chaerin said. “It’s a party. We’re going to dance, and have fun, and - oh! We’ll get to see a drunk Yoonji! That’s going to be fun.”

Yoonji just smirked darkly in return. “August fifth, 2012, Kang Chaerin.”

Chaerin visibly paled. “...No.”

“Oh yes.”

“That sounds awfully familiar…” Ardene commented. “What happened then?”

“Yeah, Chaerin, what happened then?” The leader folded her arms on her chest, the expression on her face most innocent.

“NOTHING! NOTHING HAPPENED!”

The other five girls just watched in amusement. In all honesty, Xiuying thought that Yoonji-unnie and Chaerin-unnie were too cute. She wished to have that sort of relationship with someone, one day.

Sometimes she felt like the bravest person on the planet. Having to endure everything she had endured as a child, and still being able to think that way… Even though it came natural to her, Xiuying still valued that trait of hers deeply.

She shuddered at the memories. Toilets and mistakes and ruined lives flashed before her eyes. She dealt with them the same way she dealt with anything unpleasant - escaping.

Reality proved to be quite a distraction.

“... the MAMAs are way wilder, at least according to Jackson.” Meanwhile, Ardene had continued her story. “But the ISAC after-party is pretty wild too. There aren’t that much occasions where a lot of idols gather together. So people probably make the most of it.”

“Are you saying there’s a crazy party after every award ceremony?” Shigure clarified, eyes glistening with curiosity.

“Probably.”

“How wild exactly are we talking about?” Yoonji asked, and her gaze darted to Xiuying immediately.

Ardene understood right away. “Hmm… good question. We don’t want certain someone getting traumatized by,” the older girl then proceeded by covering Xiuying’s ears rather annoyingly. Still, she could hear very distinctly the word “” being whispered.

Did they really think she didn’t know about and drugs and alcohol and all that? She was seventeen, for god’s sake. It’s like those grandmas didn’t remember what they knew at that age. Still, Xiuying smiled innocently. World War 3 would break if they would learn she knew how to curse.

Nobody wanted that.

“It’s fine, unnies.” She said sweetly, smiling the eye-smile she knew everyone went crazy over. Man, being maknae had its advantages sometimes. “I’ll behave appropriately, promise.”

Apparently the unnies weren’t convinced. And neither was Cheolmin-oppa.

Or rather, that’s what he told his personal assistant to tell them.

The Mystery Mobile returned, but not with their regular driver. Instead of their manager, there sat a guy Xiuying knew of but never really spoke to. Shigure immediately groaned, “Taehee.”

That indeed was the name he introduced himself with. And the first thing he said after that was, “Xiuying, you’re not going to the after-party.”

Chaos erupted.

“What? Why!?” Chaerin roared, hugging her closer to her frame.

“Cheolmin-hyung says she’s way too young to go to the party.” Taehee said, sounding awfully similar to a man reciting a poem.

From the back seat Xiuying could hear Ardene murmur, “!”

“Oppa, I won’t drink anything and I’ll be good, I promise.” She said solemnly. Really, she wanted to attend the party with the other members so badly. Operation Magnetic Field was finally getting somewhere, they were finally starting to get along somehow… Xiuying wanted to spend more time with her unnies. She wanted to share precious memories with them, fun and good memories. If she had to promise not to drink then so be it. She wasn’t that big of a fan of alcohol anyway.

Taehee was taking none of that.

“I’m sorry, but no. Hyung said you can’t, so you can’t.”

“Where is manager Cheolmin, anyway?” Yueliang raised a curious (and a bit accusing) brow.

“He’s taking Aeri to see a doctor.”

Oh no. Did something happen!?

“Is she okay?” Seoyeon voiced Xiuying’s concerns.

“Don’t worry. She probably has a viral infection. Hyung took her to a doctor so he could give her proper treatment. She’ll be fine with a few days of rest.” Why did he sound like he was reciting once again? “I’m taking you to your apartment. You can change there and I’ll take you to the place where the party is held.”

And so the topic of the party rece more.

“It’s not fair to Xiuying.” Shigure commented. “So what if she’s underage? Yueliang and Seoyeon are underage too.”

“Yes, but they’re almost nineteen.” Yoonji said. “That’s not what matters. Taehee-sshi. Xiuying gave her word that she will behave. She’s not an adult, but she’s old enough to make her own decisions. And don’t tell me you didn’t drink at her age.”

“It doesn’t matter what I did or didn’t do.” Taehee responded, turning left with the Mystery Mobile. “Cheolmin-hyung is your manager. He’s the one who decides. Please don’t kill the messenger.”

And that was the final word.

Xiuying was sad, but she tried not showing it. If she was going to suffer, others shouldn’t share her pain. She couldn’t ruin the evening for all of them. And so, very reluctantly, she watched how the other six girls showered, dressed and got ready to head out. And while it sent a jealous pang into her heart, she didn’t complain. It wasn’t her unnies’ fault. Her time would come, one day.

 

 

 

---

 

   

 

 

 

Shigure

 

 

 

 

Voldemort had won. Again.

Shigure couldn’t believe it. How dare he. How dare that bastard do that to Xiuying. She was a part of the group, he had no right to make her stay while all of them went to party.

And Taehee, that little . He was no better.

She was fuming.

Apparently it was showing.

“Dude, you need to chill a little. You’re radiating heat.” Chaerin whispered in her ear, and immediately Shigure forced herself to relax a bit. “I know you’re angry, but don’t let it ruin your evening.”

Damn. How did it come to this? They were in a seriously ed up place if Kang Chaerin had become the psychologist of Arora.

Still, she couldn’t just chill, like the older girl suggested. “Are you kidding me? How can you just forgive what he did!? That was horrible! I’m telling you, he’s evil.”

She tried to be quiet, but her feelings got the best of her. Most of the residents of the car heard her rambling.

“You do realize Cheolmin doesn’t do things because he’s evil, right?” Yoonji raised a brow. Her legs, usually wide open, were crossed for a change. Chaerin had forced her into a dress. Currently the leader resemble Grumpy Cat awfully lot.  “He has his reasons, he’s not stupid. She’s barely a teenager, Shigure, you need to think reasonably.”

“I’m sorry, weren’t you the one who said she can make her own decisions?”

“I did.” the leader agreed. “But then I remembered that Xiuying isn’t me, and my mentality is quite different from hers. So when Cheolmin says she can’t go, I believe him.”

For the first time in a while, Yuelian spoke. Shigure was still at that awkward phase when she didn’t know if she and the Chinese girl were alright again, or if the two of them were still fighting. She figured the best course of action was to get drunk enough and sort things out. “Do you even know what that girl went through that you’re talking about mentality?”

Her words took everyone by surprise. Oddly enough, Taehee wasn’t commenting on the conversation at all. He was a rather good ghost driver. If only such was the case when he flew to Japan with her. Oh man. That trip still made her shudder.

“What are you talking about, XingXing?” Seoyeon asked.

“It’s not my place to say,” Yuelaing said. “But that girl has been through things in her life. You need to give her a little more credit, or at least invest in her life some more.”

Was that a jab at their leader and her leaderless-skills? Probably. Shigure didn’t know if she was for it or against - Yoonji has seriously pissed her off when she chose to be politically-correct and insult both her and Yueliang. But at the same time she could see the older girl was trying.

Damn, why was life so hard? Why couldn’t it have been simple and drama-less and full of sunshine and teddybears?

Because of Cheolmin. That’s why.

“What are you talking about, Yueliang?” Yoonji looked properly concerned. “If she’s hurting or-”

“Nothing like that, relax. Just… talk to her. I offered as much comfort as I could, but I do sincerely believe that there is something about the leader that gives you much more comfort… even if it’s you.”

“Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“We love you Lim Yoonji!” Chaerin squealed in a high voice, hugging her tightly. “You’re our favorite tsundere!”

That eased the tension a little, but the anxious atmosphere remained. Shigure couldn’t help remembering how united and good they felt during the filming of ISAC. Who would’ve thought that it would be Kim Aeri - the Kim Aeri who was probably the most awkward person on planet earth - that would bring the group together. Life sure was a funny thing.

It wasn’t as bad as it used to be, she guessed. Their first month… oh god, she didn’t want to be reminded of that.

“Do you think big names are going to be there?” she asked as a way to distract herself. “Like Big Bang or SNSD?”

“Big Bang definitely not. Namjoon-oppa said they only attend MAMAs” Ardene answered, hand running through her styled hair - a sleek high ponytail that gave off y vibes. The New-Zealand-born was one of the only two to wear pants instead of a skirt or a dress, the other being Seoyeon. “Girls Generation… also doubt it. But you never know. “

“Do you think… Do you think Beast are going to be there?” Seoyeon asked, and suddenly everyone tensed.

Oh man… yet another memory that needed to buried deep, deep, deep down inside.

“...Let’s hope not.” was the only thing she could say.

No one needed to be reminded of the Beast-accident. No one. That would be a secret they will take to their graves.

 

Taehee was probably given a location of a superhero hideout, because he was driving through so many streets and making so many turns that Shigure was sure he was trying to escape from a villain or something like that. After five times of nearly escaping sure death, they had arrived at the place. It was a miracle all of them were alive.

A dimly-lit building stood before of them when the exited the Mystery Mobile, surrounded by a mysterious and eerie aura. With no apparent windows, only a dark door was positioned at the exact center of the building. Two men dressed in black suits stood in front of it.

Ardene immediately perked up. “They look like the man in the black suit!” She whispered animatedly, trying (and failing) to look inconspicuous.

While Shigure - and Yueliang, Chaerin and Seoyeon - didn’t know what she was talking about, Yoonji groaned loudly. “Give it up, Ardene. Jaekwang wasn’t talking to a drug dealer then. We’re not living an episode of CSI: Big Hit.”

“We shall see…” Ardene replied, and determination colored her face. “We shall see…”

“Why are they here, oppa?” Seoyeon asked Taehee quietly. Shigure had to agree - they looked scary. Really scary. And they had only themselves. Yueliang was the most intimidating out of the seven of them. Taehee included.

“Don’t worry.” For some reason the male didn’t sound very reassuring. “Just follow me.”

Their heels clicked on the pavement, the only sound besides the distant nightly buzz of Seoul. That was the beginning of a horror movie. Any moment now Chaerin was going to get murdered.

The animal enthusiasts were always the ones to go first. Those or the blondes. But Shigure wasn’t ready to die just yet.

“Can I help you?” One of  the men spoke. His voice was low and raspy and exactly how Shigure imagined a scary gangster’s voice would sound.

Taehee opened his mouth and Yoonji visibly restrained herself from face-palming. “Uh, yes. H-Hello. These are Arora, they’re here for the ISAC after-party. I’m their manager. Well, not really their manager, I’m replacing their manager because he’s taking on of them to the doctor, but it’s nothing serious she probably has a viral infection and just needs a couple of days to rest, and… yeah. Here for the party.”

The gangster looked less than convinced. “May I see your ID please?”

“My ID? Wha- Oh.” Reaching for his back pocket, the guy retrieved a piece of plastic that resembled a card and showed it to the guards. Those examined it for a few seconds, then glanced over the seven of them with dubious expression, but at the end opened the door.

“Enjoy the party, Arora.”

There and then, for the first time, Shigure actually felt like a proper celebrity.

It felt oddly good.

 

---

 

The first thing Shigure noticed was, oddly enough, the smell.

The extremely loud music, the large amount of people - that was a given. The smell… the very peculiar smell, was not.

“What is it?” Yueliang sniffed the air around them.

The only one who knew the answer was Ardene. “Weed.”

Seoyeon looked practically scandalized by the idea. Shigure couldn’t help finding it very cute. “Weed!?” She whispered the word, and her voice was swallowed by the music. She repeated it again, louder. “But it’s illegal in Korea! Very illegal! They could get arrested. And it’s very inconsiderate of them! We’re inhaling the smoke because of them and -” Her eyes widened. “What… What if we get arrested because of them?”

“Seoyeon… Do you even know how getting high works?” Ardene raised her brow.

“Do you?” Yueliang retorted, eternally the knight in shining armor protecting her precious princess.

“… You do realize that teens all over the world smoke weed, right?” Ardene rolled her eyes. “I grew up in New-Zealand. It’s much easier there.”

“You’re the only one out of all of us to try, though.” Yoonji commented. “I do wonder who’s the brave soul that decided to open up a drugstore here…”

“Okay, it’s time we set some rules!” Chaerin exclaimed suddenly, bringing the conversation to a halt. “You two,” She pointed a finger at the two youngest members, “Are still underage! Which means no weed for you! And no alcohol! And no funky times with no boys!”

Shigure and Ardene burst out laughing. Yoonji and Yuelaing rolled their eyes. Seoyeon just blinked.

“Unnie…”

“I’m not changing any diapers! Not gonna happen!”

“Weren’t you only half a year older than them in 2012?” Yoonji commented in a sly voice.

Chaerin visibly tensed. “I. Was. Legal. That. Was. Different.”

“Oh yeah, because before then you were an innocent flower who never touched any alcohol…”

Watching Chaerin’s inner conflict unfold on her face was rather amusing. The older girl should have really learnt how to hide her feelings. Or maybe she shouldn’t have - it was too damn hilarious to hide from the world.

“... Touche, Lim Yoonji. Touche.”

“Just remember that I trust you to know your limit.” Yoonji said, looking at Yueliang and Seoyeon expectantly. “I’ve had enough vomit for one day. I’m not holding anybody’s hair unless it’s my own. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be at the bar.”

“Wait for me!” Chaerin called after her and followed the leader through the crowd.

“So… I’ll go look for my dumb cousin and Mark.” Ardene said sheepishly, probably feeling a little guilty that she was abandoning the group. As an afterthought she added, “Do you wanna come with me?”

“No, no! Liangie and I will go hang out a little with Red Velvet.” Seoyeon smiled, hugging Yueliang’s shoulders affectionately.

Why was it that every time they were given a chance to hang out together as a group they all abandoned ship? Not even twelve hours ago, at ISAC, the same thing occurred. How on earth was Operation Magnetic Field supposed to reach the next level if none of them cooperated?

…. But if she was being completely honest with herself, hanging out with her Pledis friends did sound way more fun than sitting in an awkward silence with the other girls.

So here they were.

Yueliang and Seoyeon left as well, and Shigure could finally look around the building they were in. It resembled a club a lot, but one could clearly see it was of a higher quality than those in Itaewon. It was huge, with most of its space serving as a monstrous dance floor. At the right corner stood the bar, and at the far end of the room sofas and tables were positioned. The smoke was extra thick there.

Everywhere she looked she could also see famous people (which wasn’t surprising at all, but being an idol was still very new to her so it was exciting nonetheless) - She could see other rookies like Monsta X and Gfriend hanging around the corners awkwardly, not knowing what to do with themselves exactly like Arora. Other, more experienced idols were clearly having the time of their lives. The center of the dance floor was currently occupied by the very drunk members of EXID and Girls’ Day. They were laughing and dancing, and a flock of males gathered around them, each trying to look as if he wasn’t there for any particular reason, but Shigure knew better. The drool hanging from the mouths as their eyes followed the women’s movements was pretty much giving them away.

Guys. No self-control whatsoever. How on earth were they supposed to be the “strong” gender?

The DJ booth was occupied by a really tall guy with bleached hair and an intimidating-looking face-mask. He was damn good, Shigure had to admit. Like a pianist playing on the piano, he switched between beats and songs so effortlessly and naturally that it all felt like one continuous song.

It was so very obvious that whoever organized this party had invested a lot of money in it. Shigure couldn’t help wondering who exactly it was. She would have to make Yoonji ask Cheolmin - she herself was not going to speak to him unless the world was about to end. Not even then, probably.

None of the Seventeen members were insight, so without any choice Shigure turned towards the only place she was sure there was someone she knew present.

The bar.

Strangely enough, only Yoonji was found there.

“Where’s Chaerin-unnie?” Shigure asked as she sat next to her leader. Yoonji had chosen the far edge of the bar stand as her place to get wasted.

“She’s scattered off a few minutes ago. Said she was going to pee. I doubt we’ll see her for another two hours.” Yoonji replied before downing a shot of clear liquid. Soju? Vodka? Tequila? Shigure didn’t know. “Where are the others… Ah, I don’t really care. Wanna have some shots?”

She had nothing better to do anyway. “Sure.”

The bartender and Yoonji seemed to be communicating with telepathy. No words were exchanged between them, only glances, but a few moments later four shots of the same translucent substance were present in front of them.

Yoonji raised one immediately, waiting for her to make a toast.

Instead she asked, “What did you order?”

“One soju, one vodka, one white rum and one tequila.” The older girl was apparently impatient. Placing a shot glass into Shigure’s hand, she added, “Fun part is you don’t know which one is which, so there’s a thrill element to it. Cheers!”

The two of them downed their shots. Shigure felt the tequila burn its way down . She wished she had a lemon.

“Vodka.” Yoonji announced, immediately grabbing the next glass. “Come on, can’t slow down now.”

They drank the second shot. Fortunately Shigure got the soju. Yoonji didn’t look too sad that she drank the stronger one.

“Man… it’s been a while.” Shigure commented. The alcohol was slowly warming her insides in a deliciously intoxicating way. The liquor here was definitely not mixed. Once again, she was reminded that this was a top-notch party. “How many did you drink already?”

“Chae and I did three, I think. Then I drank some sangria. And now two more with you.” Yoonji shrugged, glancing at the bartender again. Telepathy sure was a wonderful skill to have.

“I didn’t really have a chance to properly drink with my friends for some time now, because of the training and Frontrunners and now with Arora. I barely have time to sleep. This is a nice change.” Shigure said, hand gliding the edges of her strapless dark blue dress. If she was being honest, she looked damn fine today. So did Yoonji, though. Dresses suited her amazingly, even if the older female didn’t like wearing them. She was wearing a black mini-dress that originally belonged to Chaerin, and it clung to her curves rather well. The black pumps she wore also complimented her legs. Shigure couldn’t help herself and said, “Damn, unnie, you look really hot today.”

“Only today, huh?” Yoonji chuckled. “The dress is damn uncomfortable, though. It’s way too tight and I need to remember to keep my legs crossed so it’s no fun. But thanks. If it means anything, you look hot too. Chaerin looked really y too. Uh, all of the members. All of them looked amazing.”

The bartender placed another two glasses in front of them. They cheered and drank it immediately. At that point the alcohol was already starting to be effective. The buzz Shigure always felt when she was drinking was appearing, slowly but surely.

“But yeah, I feel you.” Yoonji continued. Her face was already slightly tinted with red, and her eyes were already sporting the telltale watery glance of a drunken person. “It’s been a while for me too. Well, it’s not like I didn’t drink for a long time, but it’s been awhile since I had the opportunity to properly drink and party. The last time was, like, three years ago.”

Shigure saw an opening. She aimed. “What? You mean in 2012? In August 2012?”

Yoonji took the bait with ease. “Yup.”

There it was. There was her chance at unravelling the mystery. “So… What exactly happened then?”

“It’s a secret!” Yoonji exclaimed, chuckling. “Chaerin would skin me alive if I’ll tell… But then again she abandoned me. She deserves to go down.”

Yes. She was so close.

“Okay, so back in August 2012, Big Hit assembled BTS. And you know, Namjoon, Chae and I are one of the first trainees Big Hit had. The OG trainees. So we decided we should celebrate the occasion. Then Namjoon suggested - Holy. .”

Shigure almost groaned when Yoonji stopped her story. Begrudgingly she turned her head to see what distracted the Arora leader. Her jaw fell to the ground.

In real life she was even more gorgeous than on the screen. Dressed in a red mini-dress that looked extremely y but at the same time classy, with her now-brown hair cascading down her back in waves, she commanded absolutely everyone’s attention.

Kim Hyuna.

Shigure had no idea how a person could make the whole room stand still. Hyuna managed to do so.

The entire crowd of the bar watched as she confidently walked towards the bar stand. A guy - was he from Teen Top? Or maybe B1A4? - fell from his stool.

Next to her, Yoonji just gaped.

For some reason, Hyuna decided to go to where the two of them stood. Up close she looked even more majestic.

“Can I please get a White Russian and a bottle of soju?” The high-pitched voice was the last confirmation that it was indeed Kim Hyuna who was standing next to them. It took the bartender a few moments to register what she had said.

Meanwhile, the female noticed that she was being watched intently. Glancing to her right, she noticed Shigure and Yoonji. A (probably fake, she was most likely freaked out by them) polite smile spread on her face. “Hi.”

Yoonji just kept staring, so it was Shigure’s task to speak. “Hello sunbaenim! I’m Shigure and this is Yoonji. We’re from Arora. It’s very nice to meet you! Our group is a big fan of yours!”

“Really?” This time the y icon sounded more sincere. “That’s sweet.” The bartender returned with her drinks, and the older female thanked him. “Have you seen anyone from my group or from Beast, by any chance?”

“Um, no.” Shigure replied. “But I think it might be because they flee the area if they seen anyone from our group, sunbaenim.”

Hyuna looked confused. “Why?”

“Probably the trauma.”

The female looked at the two of them as if they were a bit mad - and honestly, Shigure didn’t blame her - before saying goodbye and walking away, leaving a trail of gasping males (and some females) in her wake.

“Wow. A single woman shouldn’t be allowed to have so much power.” Shigure commented, watching Hyuna’s form disappear in the crowd. “Right, unnie?”

But Yoonji was still gaping. “Was that a goddess… An angel….” A vomit of incoherent murmurs followed, but the leader’s gaze remained stuck on the same spot where Kim Hyuna had once been.

Five minutes later, Shigure gave up on trying to reanimate her.

Drinking the two shots they didn’t finish (because of a certain… “goddess”, as Yoonji had put it), Shigure made her way back to the dance floor, seeking for Seventeen, or Chaerin or even Yueliang and Seoyeon - anyone she knew, it didn’t matter at this point. By now, EXID and Girls’ Day were replaced by EXO. Shigure could recognize Kai and Sehun, both quite heavily intoxicated, as they danced quite provocatively (s and grinds were involved) to the pleasure of a few rookie girl groups that squealed every time one of them did something. Next to them, Baekhyun was singing loudly to the current song that was playing, his shirt missing for some reason. Man, that guy was eye-candy. His abs were better than a greek god. Shigure had to restrain the hormones that began raging inside of her.

Damn SM and their visually striking idols.

Big Hit needed more of those. ASAP.

 

Shigure’s vision became foggy. Damn those abs… now she was getting all teary.

….Or was she?

It took her a few moments to realize that she wasn’t tearing up from the beauty of EXO’s abs, but in fact had wandered all the way to the corner of the club.

The corner.

With the stoners.

Where Ardene and Chaerin casually chilled.

By that point Shigure’s mind was already too foggy from the combination of alcohol and lack of oxygen, and so at first she didn’t recognize her group’s members. Only when Ardene noticed her and said in the most chill voice ever, “Yo, Shinozaki, wassup!” that she had finally realized.

“Holy . You two are high!”

Ardene smiled the most innocent smile Shigure had ever seen and nodded once. The other residents of the table didn’t even notice her. Her own member including.

The other people who sat around the table included: Namjoon, Mark and Jackson from GOT7, Block B’s U-Kwon and Zico, Iron and AOA’s Jimin.

Chaerin and Zico seemed to be engrossed in some sort of staring competition. Neither of them moved nor reacted to what was going on around them.

Jackson, on the other hand, was rapping loudly. “My love for you is strong as bones. I want to hear your loud loud moans. You are so pretty wearing red, I want to bang you on my bed. You were so pretty when you ran. You make lil’ Jackson a happy man. Yo!”

That made no sense whatsoever. “What the hell is he talking about?”

“He’s... writing a... rap song for... Aeri.” Namjoon explained. For some reason he was talking much slower than usual. Or was it Shigure’s imagination. “Ever since he… saw her during ISAC… he.... keeps talking… about her… I think he’s into… her…”

“Oh. Okay.”

“Garden.” Zico said all of the sudden. Namjoon didn’t seem to care.

“I keep telling…. him that red and… bed don’t rhyme… but he doesn’t listen… I tell him… that red rhymes with… bones… but… he’s too high… to listen to… reason…”

“Why are you talking so slowly!?”

“I’m… not talking… slowly it’s you… who’s talking................... quickly.”

“Hey Shinozaki!” Ardene called in English and Shigure was forced to take her eyes off Namjoon and look at her co-member. “Wassupppp!”

Next to her Mark copied, “Wassupppppp!”

“Wassuppppp!” The entire table, with the exception of Chaerin and Zico, echoed.

A few moments of silence passed, before suddenly Chaerin spoke.

“Cake.”

The silence returned.

Shigure watched them in amusement. For some reason they resembled two monkeys in a zoo. “What the hell are they doing?”

Ardene beckoned her closer with a finger, before whispering (rather loudly), “Nobody knows!”

Zico replied to Chaerin, “Dolphin.”

Was there any sense in what the two of them were saying? Shigure couldn’t find any, but Zico and Chaerin looked like they were understanding each other perfectly.

Chaerin was quiet for a whole minute before she responded. “Dance.”

Zico was faster this time. “Love.”

Shigure couldn’t help it. She started laughing. “Man I can’t believe it Chaerin-unnie abandoned Yoonji for this.”

If this was the effect weed had on people, Shigure had to try it. She just had to. Screw the fact that it was extremely illegal in Korea. Shigure had to know what was going through Chaerin and Zico’s heads.

What she had said got Chaerin’s full attention, apparently. “Yoonji.” She said. “Yoonji!”

Compared to the extreme slow reaction she had not even ten seconds ago, the older girl got up from the couch very quickly. With determination coating her red eyes, she blew a strand of hair off her face and staggered towards the opposite side of the room where the bar was.

Zico followed her retreating form with sad eyes. “... Love.” he whispered after her.

Shigure forcefully stopped herself from laughing. Well, she tried to. She was too drunk to succeed.

“Shinozaki!” Ardene exclaimed in a shockingly accusing voice. Shigure immediately stopped laughing. But all Ardene did was smile wickedly.

“Wassupppppp!”

 

---

 

   

 

 

 

YUELIANG

 

 

 

 

So, the party wasn’t as bad as Yueliang thought it would be. That was a nice surprise.

Aside from the tremendous amount of sticky, smelly people, awful smells and way too loud music, the party was quite fun. She and Seoyeon hung around a bit with the members of Red Velvet (Yerim, unlike Xiuying, was allowed to attend), and then the two of them sat with Jungkook and Yugyeom in a cosy corner of the club.

It was much more enjoyable than the alternative anyway.

Said alternative, of course, was being with the other members of the group. Yueliang wasn’t fooled by the previous events of the day. That warm hug they shared right after Aeri won was not going to solve their problems. They were far too deep, far too ed up to be solved with “the power of love”.

Seoyeon, of course, didn’t agree.

How could a person be so optimistic and naive? Yueliang had absolutely no idea. “Now everything with Arora is going to be great!” She had said. How could someone think that? It was bordering stupidity.

Of course, when she voiced her opinion, Seoyeon was insulted and Yueliang felt too guilty to continue. But it didn’t mean she stopped thinking about it. She was damn right.

Shigure was problem number one. She came back from Japan only yesterday and was already acting as if the conflict between them was solved. As if. Taeyong’s story of the Taiwanese trainee was ringing loud and clear in her head. Shinozaki Shigure was going to end the same way, she was sure of it.

Problem number two was their very own leader, also known as Lim Yoonji. A walking mess would be a better description. Xiuying would’ve been a better choice for a leader. The older girl had no clue how to be a leader. So how the hell was she still one? And that brought her right to problem number three.

Their Manager. Cheolmin was vindictive, and Yueliang had no problem with that… as long as it wasn’t interfering with the job. But it was. And not only that. His hatred for Seoyeon was maddening. Something Yueliang saw the way he looked at her friend and she just wanted to slap him. Was it because of who she was? Was it just plain hate? She had no idea. But she despised it nonetheless.

Sometimes she wondered why she was the only actually sane person in Arora. So far she had no answer.

And damn. That little kid she was forced to hold hands with during the ssireum event. She could still feel the sweat on her hand. It made her shudder.

She forced herself to stop thinking those thoughts and focus on the party. It was quite nice, after all. Probably very expensive, as well. Who was funding all of this?

She sipped her glass of red wine - she was never really fond of getting intoxicated, so Yoonji’s warning was rather unnecessary - and just listened to Seoyeon talking animatedly with Yugyeom. That girl was precious. She was probably the only reason she tolerated the group.

“So Aeri-unnie was running so prettily! I have no idea how can somebody run prettily, but it’s true. She was like a gazelle. Liangie was forever pessimistic, but I knew she would do well. And she did! It’s too sad she’s sick and that oppa took her to the hospital… I hope she’s okay.”

Another thing Yueliang dearly disliked was how ignorant Seoyeon was about the way Cheolmin felt. She tried talking to the tan girl about it, explain that the manager wasn’t as kind and caring as she made him to be, but to no avail. Damn, she loved Seoyeon so, so, so much… but the girl was way more optimistic than a person should ever be.

The thought made her playfully roll her eyes. Seoyeon might’ve been a dumb optimist, but she was her dumb optimist. And anyone who dared hurt her was going to be exterminated.

“You know, Jackson-hyung used the exact same wording; gazelle.” Yugyeom commented. “I think he has a crush on her or something like that.”

“But… But it’s Aeri.” Jungkook said. “How can someone have a crush on her. She’s… Aeri.”

“Dude, the fact that both of you are some type of awkward twins from the land of awkwardness and social disability doesn’t mean that others see her the way you do. Fact is, she’s hot. And yeah, when she ran today she was really hot. I can understand him perfectly. Especially since I know he’s thinking with his… lil’ Jackson. God, I can believe he calls it like this.”

Jungkook burst out laughing, hitting his knee with his hand. “Seriously!? And here I thought Namjoon-hyung was weird.”

“They’re perfect for each other.”

At some point Jimin and Taehyung joined them as well, and the evening passed by rather pleasantly. The five of them were nice company, Yueliang had to note. They didn’t share the connection Taeyong and she shared, of course, but she liked to think Taeyong and she were soulmates in that department. Strictly platonic, of course. Just thinking about Taeyong in any romantic way was making her want to laugh hysterically.

Jimin was surprisingly not awful company, she had to admit. Same with Taehyung. Out of BTS she was only relatively close to Jungkook (and even that was most likely debatable), and never really bothered talking to the other members. Taehyung and Jimin weren’t half bad.

… Then Yoonji and Chaerin came. And ruined everything.

 

The two of them were extremely drunk - the dancer in a relatively worse state than the leader. Carrying two bottles, one of soju and one of vodka, they swayed towards them, singing the chorus of “Gee” loudly. Yueliang couldn’t help thinking back to when Yoonji warned them not to overdrink. Apparently even she herself didn’t follow what she says.

“Oh my god why is it so gloom in here!?” Chaerin exclaimed once the two older girls stood in front of them. “We’re here to partayy! Let’s put those frowns upside downs! Ha ha! Get it? Down - s? Get it?”

The only two people who laughed were Yoonji and Jimin. Jungkook actually face-palmed.

“Why are you always embarrassing me?”

“Because,” Chaerin put the bottle she was carrying on the table very dramatically, before pinching Jungkook’s cheeks. “My dear, sweet kookie, someone needs to embarrass your awkward little self. And Jimin isn’t doing a very good job.”

“Hey!” Jimin immediately protested. “You just spoil him, noona. I don’t give him everything I’ve got like you do. I’m making him beg for more.”

Yoonji’s eyes widened, and she leaned over to whisper to Chaerin. “Holy . Chae, I think JiKook is real.”

Of course, her whisper wasn’t very quiet. Jungkook’s face became the shade of a tomato. For some reason, it made Jimin laugh even more.

“Wait…” Chaerin became very serious all of the sudden. “Something feels wrong.”

“You’re right.” Yoonji agreed, eyes scanning the group with distrust. “Why aren’t you all drunk yet?”

Yueliang had the strong urge to roll her eyes. “Apparently, we’re supposed to know our limit and not get overly drunk.” She quoted in a mocking tone.

Through her drunken state, their leader didn’t notice. “Who the hell said such nonsense!?”

“You, unnie…” Seoyeon said quietly.

“Oh Yoon doesn’t know what she’s saying half of the time!” Chae exclaimed, patting the other girl on the shoulder.

That was the probably the wisest thing she had said in her life. Once again, Yueliang restrained herself from rolling her eyes.

“Come on, ya’ll should drink something!”

And that was how they found themselves each holding a glass shot filled either with soju or vodka. Jimin was the only one who looked extremely happy about it.

“Noona, let’s have a dance-off.” He said after drinking his shot.

Chaerin seemed ecstatic from the prospect. “YES. But first, let’s have a drink-off.”

And that was how Jimin and Chaerin each had four more shots before heading towards the dancefloor.

“Ooh, that sounds interesting!” Yoonji clapped and hurried after them.

Everything was peaceful once again. At last.

“The unnies look like they’re having fun!” Seoyeon said.

“They’re not going to have as much fun in the morning though.”

“Oh man, why is Chaerin so embarrassing?” Jungkook shook his head, and Yueliang could see that his cheeks still preserved a tint of pink. “I swear she lives to torment me.”

“Dude, at least she didn’t read fanfictions like she did last time.” Yugyeom said. “That would've been hilarious, though. Huh, maybe I should call her -”

“DON’T YOU DARE!”

Yueliang chuckled at the antics of the two boys. Seoyeon laughed at them too, her voice very obviously slurred with drunkenness. The two shots of vodka sure had their toll.

She was already preparing to go back to the conversation they had, happy that they were finally rid of the dumb and dumber, but apparently the leader of Arora just wanted to keep on tormenting her.

“SHE GOT A BOOTY LIKE A CADILLAC BUT I CAN SEND YOU INTO OVERDRIVE OOOOH!”

The music blurred in comparison to Yoonji’s powerful (but also very slurred) vocals. Yueliang couldn’t restrain herself from groaning loudly.

When she glanced at the center of the dance floor, a circle formed by a crowd of drunk and loud idols. But while she expected Jimin and Chaerin to be there, having their little dance-off, a different member of Arora occupied that space.

Yoonji was standing in front of Sistar’s Hyolin, expression solemn and full of determination.

Instead of a dance-off, a sing-off took place.

And Yoonji was giving it her all.

“SEE ANYBODY COULD BE GOOD TO YOU, YOU NEED A BAD GIRL TO BLOW YOUR MIND~” She sang into the microphone, visibly pouring all of her passion into it.

But Hyolin was a formidable opponent. She was not going to give up easily. “WAIT A MINUTE LET ME TAKE YOU THERE! WAIT A MINUTE TILL YA…” The lyrics were followed by a series of extremely well done ad-libs. The audience cheered wildly.

Yoonji caught on rather quickly, on from then it turned into a high-note competition. For some reason, people were going crazy for it. The dance floor was full of people cheering for their favorite vocalist, and Yoonji was getting quite some love. Considering she was up against the Hyolin of the Sistar, it was surprising.

But something made Yueliang’s senses tingle.

Where were Chaerin and Jimin?

Her curiosity peaked, and unable to hold herself, Yueliang stood up.

“Where are you going Liangie?” Seoyeon asked.

“The bathroom.”

But she made her way to the dance floor instead. Yoonji and Hyolin had already wrapped things up, but Yoonji didn’t seem like she wanted to stop anytime soon. “Come on, DJ! Hit me up!”

Yueliang reached her before she had the chance to go on another vocal rampage. “Hey, where are Jimin and Chaerin?”

“Huh? Wha -” Yoonji turned around, finally noticing her. “Oh, I saw them going in the direction of the restroom, I think… Yup. They went there.”

Yueliang was about to ask her when it was that she had seen them, but she was rudely cut off by a man who all but bumped into her and pushed her away.

“My goddess, my name is Minhyuk, you may know me from BtoB.” He went down on his knees and grabbed Yoonji micless hand affectionately. “Allow me to worship you, your angel-like voice and your bomb of a figure. I can turn your into chewing gum.”

Yoonji looked at him for one long second before bursting out laughing. “Ha Ha! Nope!” Turning on her heels with such force that Minhyuk fell on the floor. “DJ!” She yelled even louder now, this time actually acting smart and doing it into the mic, and the bleached-haired guy who stood by the booth finally looked at her. “Hit me up with U Go Girl! Let’s get this club ed up!”

Obviously, trying to get anymore information out of the older girl would’ve been completely pointless. So Yueliang followed the only trail she currently had - the direction of the restrooms.

All around her people danced and laughed and had the time of their lives, and suddenly Yueliang wondered why on earth was she doing that. It was obviously stupid and pointless, but still she was feeling a very strong urge inside of her… she needed to explore.

The turn to the restrooms appeared before her eyes, and she sped up her pace. Almost frantically she turned left and then came face to face with the door of the restrooms.

This time she opened it slowly, and then crept inside.

There was only one toilet present - which was absolutely ridiculous. Hundreds of people were present, with only one toilet to serve them. Whoever built this space was probably a moron - and its door wasn’t completely shut. Inside she could see some movements.

She must’ve been crazy. She was being ridiculously stupid. But she did it anyway.

Slowly pushing the door open, Yueliang took a look.

Jimin and Chaerin were practically devouring each other.

Jimin. Kissing Chaerin. Chaerin, who was very much not single.

Holy ing .

 

---

 

 

Cheolmin

 

 

Cheolmin hadn’t slept for almost twenty-five hours now.

First ISAC, then Aeri, and now this. Waiting outside of a club like a dog for the members of Arora to come out.

All he wanted to do was be a manager. He did not ask for this. At all.

The clock read 05:03. There were supposed to come out at any given moment now.

Cheolmin willed them to be quick. He needed to go to sleep. He was desperate to go to sleep.

Seven minutes and thirty-six seconds later, they came out.

Cheolmin suddenly wished they hadn’t.

While Yueliang, Seoyeon and Shigure looked relatively normal, the three other girls were an absolute mess.

He could see Ardene’s bloodshot eyes all the way from the car, and her lopsided smile along with the cheerful expression easily gave away what she has been doing for the past few hours. Cheolmin could work with that…

… With Yoonji and Chaerin he could not.

The leader looked absolutely horrible. Smudged make-up, ruffled hair, grumpy expression; the hangover must’ve already began, and it was clearly showing on her face and posture. But Chaerin… Chaerin was worse.

She limped instead of walking, groaning with every single step she took. She was holding for Yoonji for support, while also holding to her stomach as if her life depended on it. Her hair resembled a bird’s nest. One of her shoes was missing.

If anybody saw them like this, their careers will be doomed. His career will be doomed.

He could see the headlines already. “Big Hit at producing girl groups. All members end up in jail.”

“Get in the car,” He ordered. “Quickly.”

“O-Oppa… I’m not feeling so well…” Chaerin groaned.

And then crouched and vomited all over his shoes.

Cheolmin started to think about retirement.

 

 

---

 

A/N:

 

 HOLY LONGEST CHAPTER AS OF YET 8200 WORDS WHOO!

... Man that was a wild ride. But can we give it up for actually updating in less than a month!? I feel so acomplished ^^

 

I'm actually too dead rn to say anything about the chapter... I've been working on it for almost 10 hours straight. It was horrible. But it was worth it.