The moment she stepped inside, she wanted to go back out. The thought came to her at once, almost immediately.

But Bona pushed her forward and Nayeon curled her fingers around Jisoo’s wrist, preventing her to escape from their clutches. Quite literally.

The room was air-conditioned but Jisoo, in no way, could even feel it. It was sweltering and she was already beginning to sweat by the armpits as they slowly navigated through the throng of bodies, bumping almost always into other people as they did.

Bona didn’t seem to mind, but Jisoo wasn’t surprised by this at all. Bona was the life of the party; no party properly started unless Kim Bona arrived. Out of the three of them, Bona was the epitome of a social butterfly the most.

“Hi, Bona.” Someone said behind them, proving Jisoo’s point right away.

Bona flicked her hair over her shoulder and did a little wave, moving only her fingers before turning back to her friends. “Nayeon, there’s some space over there.” She said, pointing towards the bar. "Let's go and maybe grab a few drinks first."

Jisoo inwardly gulped and allowed herself to be dragged along by the two girls. Nayeon was already sweating too, but she still looked like she was happy and having fun. Meanwhile, all Jisoo wanted to do was curl up in a ball and hide until this was all over.

She didn't need to look around to find something worth doing while she was here. She itched to get out.

“I don’t like it here,” she hissed in their ears. At least she thought, because the lighting was too dim and she saw her friends in shades of purple, green, red or blue – the lights around the club flickering from color to color every other second. That didn’t help at all.

The two girls exchanged unimpressed and unconvinced looks. “Ji,” Bona says, looking at her with a perfectly manicured eyebrow raised. “You’ve been holed up in your room for two weeks. Your roommate barely even sees you, and I haven’t even seen you around campus at all in those last six days before break.” She says, sounding very exasperated.

“It’s not healthy,” Nayeon says, her voice softer and more calm. She moves closer towards Jisoo, the music practically pulsating through their veins and skin. Her lips are right atop Jisoo’s ear as she speaks again. “We know you don’t like this kind of stuff but you should go out more often. Dance. Feel the music. The night is still young, and so are you.” She pulls away slightly so that Jisoo could see her, she was smiling an encouraging smile.

Jisoo was quiet for a few seconds, her eyes darting from Nayeon, Bona and to the crowd dancing in front of them as if nobody was watching.  

She was hesitant, skeptical for a few seconds. Jisoo didn’t dance. She flopped and flailed her limbs around. She couldn’t dance, she couldn’t even drink because her tolerance level was as low as the sea level of the dead sea. She couldn’t do anything right in a club, she didn’t even have enough confidence in her to walk up to a stranger and ask for their name and number. What were they expecting? 

No. This was just not Jisoo.

The wind felt good when she stepped outside. The air was chilly and cold but she liked it for now. After being in that furnace-like room, she was glad to be out to momentarily enjoy the cold winter breeze.

It was the first snow yesterday and the streets were icy, so she treaded along the pavement carefully on her four-inch heels.

Bona and Nayeon caught up almost right away.

“I’m sorry,” Bona immediately says, her hand on Jisoo’s shoulder. Nayeon loops an arm around Jisoo’s other side. “We’re sorry. We thought you could use some fun night out.”

“Bona,” Jisoo sighs out her name and glances at her from the corner of her eyes. She does not shrug off her hand or pushes Nayeon away, she could never do that on purpose. “Going out late at night, dancing in clubs and drinking till you forgot is not me. That’s – that’s you.”

“We get it.” Bona looks at her hard. When the streetlight changes from red to green, they stop. Cars zoom pass them, Jisoo looks back at her friends. “You’re not like us. You don't like to party, or not even just dance. Being in crowds makes you uncomfortable, so what do you want to do?”

They both look at her, Bona with an inquiring look and Nayeon’s features full of anticipation. They really wanted to know, if they did, they’d do it. Whatever she said, they’d do it.

Jisoo smiles, her insides feeling warm at their thoughtfulness and willingness to make her feel like someone cared enough for her to know what she wanted to do on a cold and young December night.

She just shrugs and hooks an arm around Bona’s. I'm so glad you asked. “Me? I just want to cozy up and chat.”

Bona snorts, shaking her head a little while Nayeon laughs softly. “Okay,” she says, eyes bright and sparkling. “I think I know the place.”

> ; <

They haven’t been friends long, but Jisoo feels like they’ve been by her side since forever ago.

Jisoo’s an English major, so is Nayeon. They met because Jisoo had nine out of ten classes with her, and in five of them, they sat beside each other.

Nayeon always striked Jisoo as an easy-going and laidback kind of chick, and she was right. Nayeon was comfortable in almost any given situation, she was rational and cool-headed and Jisoo kept glancing at her every time she got an answer right because she was oozing with smartness every time she did.

They ate lunch together one day, Bona showed up and then poof. The rest is history.

Bona knew everyone and was known by everyone, she was Nayeon’s best friend and then she became Jisoo’s as well.

It’s only been three months since then, and as Jisoo looks at them while blowing air over her steaming mug of dark chocolate, she wonders if calling t