So-eun entered a vacant cubicle and proceeded to her soiled silk shirt.  She grimaced and grabbed a wet tissue from her purse to wipe her arms, her neck and her collarbone.

Her chest felt so sticky now that the red wine had seeped through her bra as well.  She checked the dress that Ae-ra lent her.  It was a red lace dress that might have been more appropriate for her honeymoon.  It must have been one of her gifts for the bridal shower, which, by right, the bride should wear first.

However, she couldn’t possibly go back out there with her filthy office clothes now, especially with her high and mighty neighbour still looking hot and y that a stained shirt was the least of his problems.

I can be hot and y, too, So-eun retorted, resolving to forego her bra and slipped into the rather excuse of a dress.  She made sure that the top was secure, though.  While she had a petite frame, she was admittedly blessed in the department.  She couldn’t gain weight in her upper body, except for that area, which was mostly genetics.

Thankful that her black Ferragamo pumps didn’t clash too badly with the dress, she exited the stall, only to be met with Ae-ra’s wide eyes. 

“What happened back there?!” Ae-ra exclaimed, helping So-eun stash her red-wine soaked garments more neatly into her bag.  “I can’t believe you did that, So-eun-ah!”

“I don’t know, he just struck a nerve in me.” So-eun flipped back her hair and decided she needed to reapply her lipstick. 

“Who does he think he is, anyway?”

“Don’t you recognize him?” Ae-ra asked in disbelief through the mirror.

So-eun froze for a moment, looking back at her best friend’s reflection.  “He lives in my building.  So what?”

Ae-ra gripped So-eun’s hands excitedly.  “Omo!  Jin-jja?!” 

So-eun scowled, wiping the stray lipstick that got drawn on the side of over Ae-ra’s exuberance.  “Like I said, so what?”

“That’s Song Jae-rim, up-and-coming model and actor!  He’s done some runway shows in Paris and Florence and I hear he’s been casted in a drama to be released this year.”

So-eun rolled her eyes and continued to put on her make-up.  Well, he was certainly good-looking enough to be on TV.  “Good for him,” she murmured sarcastically, closing her compact cushion and linking arms with her best friend. “Let’s go?”

Ae-ra grinned finally and appreciated the fiery and red-hot vision that was Kim So-Eun.  “You look stunning, by the way.”

“No, the bride is way more beautiful,” So-eun sincerely complimented, arranging Ae-ra’s veil.  “Ga-ja!”

With that, they partied the night away even as So-eun caught a glimpse of her neighbour—now in just his leather jacket sans the shirt, revealing the rock-hard abs in the flesh—glaring at their direction. 

So-eun couldn’t care less, dancing and drinking with abandon as if there was no tomorrow.

Hours flew by and one by one, their college classmates bid their goodbyes.  As the maid of honor, So-eun thought it was her duty to be the last one with the bride so she didn’t leave and partied even harder and drank even more.

Up until there were about a handful of people left at the club at roughly 3 a.m., and So-eun was inebriated beyond cognition. 

Ae-ra, just slightly tipsy, embarrassedly tugged So-eun back to the couch because she was the only one dancing on the floor—and the DJ had just packed up.

“Is she okay?” The DJ asked worriedly, glancing over at Ae-ra, who had So-eun face down on her lap.

So-eun could be heard singing a loud and crass rendition of AOA’s Like A Cat, but she sounded more like nails scratching a chalkboard.

Ae-ra laughed, extremely uncomfortable, and was patting So-eun at the back, whispering for her to be quiet. 

“Where do you girls live?  Maybe we can call you a taxi?” The DJ gallantly offered as his friends, which included Song Jae Rim and the guy who accidentally spilled red wine on So-eun, came over. 

Ae-ra thanked them profusely, couldn’t believe she got herself and So-eun wasted like this.  She wouldn’t hear the end of it from her fiancé if he found out the bridal shower party ended this late.  She gave the DJ the area where they were staying.

“Oh, your friend’s staying at Gangnam?”

“THAT’S RIGHT!” So-eun piped in, her head popping up from Ae-ra’s lap.  “AND IT’S FULLY PAID!”

Ae-ra gently clamped her hand over So-eun’s mouth to keep her quiet.  So-eun only laughed and sat up straight.

The DJ had to hide a smile.  The drunk girl was so cute.  She was probably even cuter when she was sober.  “Jae-rim hyung, you live in the same building, right?”

“Huh?” Jae-rim blinked twice, groaning inwardly.  His friend, Tae-Oh, was too helpful to a fault sometimes. 

“Come on, be a good Samaritan and take the lady home.”

“YES, I WANT TO GO HOME!” So-eun declared, gazing at Jae-rim disorientedly.  “KAMSA-HAMNIDA, AHJUSSI!”

Jae-rim’s eyes blazed.  Ahjussi!  Do I look like an ahjussi already?!

Ae-ra looked sheepish and brushed So-eun’s dishevelled hair in place.  “Uh… are you sure it’s okay?  Are you on your way home?”

Jae-rim frowned and assessed the situation.  Their friends were all looking at them expectantly.

So-eun’s head limply drooped to Ae-ra’s shoulder.

Putting her in a cab alone, when she was too drunk like this, could be a dangerous situation. 

He certainly didn’t want that in his conscience, even if she didn’t seem to have a good impression of him from earlier. 

Reluctantly, Jae-rim wordlessly zipped up his leather jacket, to at least show some modesty, and he went over to the couch to put So-eun’s arm over his shoulder.

“Ooh, you have such broad shoulders, ahjussi!” So-eun commented giddily, smacking his back suddenly.  “You have a wide back too!”

Ae-ra gasped at So-eun’s uncharacteristic brazenness.  “Uh, I promise, she’s not like this usually.  I’m really sorry.  Here’s my number if there are any problems.”

Jae-rim only nodded and gave Ae-ra his number too, as guarantee that he was indeed taking So-eun straight home and no monkey business would be involved. 

Judging from how sluggish So-eun’s body had become and that walking towards the car was going to be an impossible feat, he decided that a piggy back ride to his car was the way to go. 

He hoisted the petite woman on his back, grasping both her smooth legs over either side of his waist as So-eun plopped her arms around his neck and rested her sleepy check on that wide, wide back. 

“Hmm, so warm…” So-eun murmured that made Jae-rim blush crimson. 

His friends heckled and as they were exiting the club.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, hyung!” Tae-Oh called out, laughing, and making a peace sign to Ae-ra, who worriedly looked on to her best friend.

It was breeze carrying her, as she was literally as light as feather.  He opened his black Audi via his car key and settled his supposed neighbor in the passenger seat. 

As he was buckling her seatbelt, careful not brush any of her skin inappropriately, as the deceptively innocent red lace dress hugged her curvy body like a glove.  Suddenly, he felt a sudden pain shooting through his incredibly sensitive manhood at the sight of her— ivory skin all over, long, endless lashes fanning that baby face, a high-bridge noise and those red, red lips... 

This sleeping, spirited yeoja was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.   

But no, he wasn’t that drunk to give in to temptation now. 

He almost jumped out of his skin when he felt her hand on his. 

“Are we home yet?”

There was something childlike and pure about the way she asked the question, blinking at him, though her big brown eyes were still unfocused.

“No, not yet,” Jae-rim replied earnestly, clasping the seat belt securely for her.  “We’re about to.  It’s not far from here”

“Good,” So-eun whispered sleepily, squeezing his hand. 

And just as her eyes closed once more, he heard her say: “I like going home with you.”