Yeri’s Playlist for Being A and Not Caring About It

Anaconda-Nicki Minaj

“You have your eyes on that guy, don’t you?”

“What are you talking about Joy?”

“Mark. I can see it in your face.”

“Oh Joy, if you think I would make a play for a stranger like him, knowing my dad would kill me, you’re absolutely right.”

******************

“So, what do you guys do for fun?” Yeri asked over dinner at home. Dinner was a ‘simple’ 3 course meal of filet mignon, tiramisu for dessert and black truffle salad as an appetizer. Sadly, Renjun didn’t like the truffles and kept sneaking them into Jeno’s salad. Mark pretended not to notice Yeri rolling her eyes at them.

“We just hang out, watch movies, play video games and stuff like that.” Jeno answered.

“That’s cool. Maybe we can watch something together tonight.” Yeri said, her eyes flitting left and right.

“You know, there’s a really cool movie on. It’s…” Yeri really wasn’t interested in anything Donghyuck, Renjun or even Jeno had to say. She took out her phone, and started texting her best friend Joy, who had returned home for dinner but said she was going to meet them her after that. Mark was listening intently to his friends, chewing on his piece of steak. She watched that little mole on his neck bob up and down as he chewed his food, stomping his foot a little in excitement as he talked to his friends.

God damn it he’s cute.

She looked up to find her servants had left the room. She checked her phone for a message from Joy and smiled. “Guys, I have an even better idea.”

“What is it?”

“Let’s go out to meet some other friends of mine.”

“What are we going to do?”

“You’ll see.” She grinned playfully. “I don’t usually know what we do but we always have a good time at the end.”

“I’m cool with it.”

“Me too.”

“Me three.”

“If they go, then I go.”

“Awesome. After dinner, go get changed into something comfortable. Joy will meet us here.”

“Are we doing something athletic?” Mark asked. He saw Yeri give a shrug.

“We’ll find out when we meet them.”

******************

“Yo, cheeks.” Yeri said, giving her friend a peace sign as she gave him a hug, Joy following soon after. The 6 of them had made their way to a nearby park, where teenagers in fancy sports cars and Hummers stood about. There were about 5 of them, a mix of male and female. “This is Dino. Over there are some of my other friends Chaeyoung and Tzuyu and that’s Jihoon and Woojin.”

“Hi.”

“So you guys were involved in that accident Yeri told us about eh?” Jihoon asked, tucking his hands in his pockets.

“You don’t look like you’re from around here.” Tzuyu said.

“We’re not.” Mark answered. “We’re from N City.”

“That’s a long way from here.” Chaeyoung was dressed in a white halter top that was cropped coupled with camo pants and some really expensive looking sneakers. Her hair was cut short and she had a rather cheeky smile on her face. Tzuyu on the other hand was the opposite. She had long, silky hair, was dressed in a baby blue sweater with black shorts and again, another pair of extremely expensive sneakers. She had a rather pensive look on her face, observing rather than interacting.

“We’re just travelling before we graduate and leave for college.”

“Ah, college.” Woojin looked up at the dark sky. “I can’t wait to get out of this ty town and into life.”

“As if London is all that exciting.” Dino rolled his eyes. “I’ve been there and it’s boring. The weather is hormonal and the food stinks.”

“But at least by then I’ll be able to do whatever I want, whenever I want, whoever I want.”

The group burst into laughter, leaving Mark and his friends semi-confused. Mark looked at Jeno who just shrugged. He didn’t understand what was so funny either.

“So what are we all doing tonight?” Donghyuck asked. He looked around and he had a feeling he was the only junior in a group full of seniors. Luckily, no one said a word.

“Joy, you got the goods?” Dino asked.

“It’s in my car.”

“What goods? What are we doing?”

“How good are you all at art?”

“I’m lousy but Renjun is pretty good.”

“Then jump in.” Jihoon said, climbing into his Hummer, leaving the backdoor open. “You’re going to like this.”

******************

“Grab one.”

“Spray paint?”

“That’s right.” Jihoon said, disembarking from the Hummer. “Time to let our creative juices flow.” The group arrived at an alley, a brick wall laid exposed in contrast to the other walls that were painted or even tiled up. Chaeyoung picked up a can and was already started to spray on the walls.

“Is this legal?”

“Who knows?” he just shrugged. Mark was a little stunned by his carefree response as he jumped down. Dino was playing music through his car stereo and Yeri opened the back of her car, revealing bottles of beer that she tossed carefully to Tzuyu.

“Vandalism and beer.” Jihoon smirked, putting an arm around Mark as they walked together.

“What if someone catches us?”

“They don’t. My dad owns the police station.” He laughed loudly. “Like he would let his precious son stay in jail.”

“Which is probably why he bailed you but left us instead the last time.” Woojin scoffed, knocking his beer bottle against the hood of his car and the cap flew open.

“What did you guys do?”

“It was nothing really.” Jihoon shrugged. “We broke into our principal’s house.”

“You did WHAT?!?!” Jeno dropped his jaw in shock.

“We didn’t steal anything.” Woojin defended himself, taking a swig of his beer. “Dino was going to toilet paper his entire kitchen because he gave us detention for being late. How did we know he was having an affair with the school secretary?”

“I saw Principal Lee’s .” Tzuyu shivered in disgust. “That was the most traumatising thing that ever happened.”

“The old monster freaked out when he saw us in his bedroom and called the police. The joke’s on him because the next day, Yeri posted those pictures of him in bed with Miss Jihyo and it went viral. The day we went back to school was the day he ‘voluntarily retired’.”

“Good riddance to that old hag.” Yeri scoffed, handing Mark a beer bottle. “He kept throwing me in detention because he said my skirts were too short.”

“I thought it was because you were making out with Rocky in the janitor’s closet and he caught you?”

“Or that one time you told Mrs Shim that she was an old miserable and that was why her husband left her?”

“It’s a little of everything.” Yeri giggled. “Why are you making me the bad guy? Tzuyu is worse okay, she just looks innocent.”

“Of course I have to look innocent. If my parents found out what I did I would be sent to a convent in the Swiss Alps.”

“Mine would send me to military school.”

“Mine would just disown me.” Jihoon laughed. “Mark, what’s the craziest thing you ever did?”

“I…don’t think I did anything like that.”

“Ah, so you were one of those boring kids who did everything right.”

“ off Dino.” Yeri almost spat at him. “Not everyone is a rebel.”

“Oh come on now,” Donghyuck was now at Mark’s side, a bottle in his hand. Mark noticed that it was open. “The craziest thing we ever did is what we’re doing right now, this road trip.”

“Ah…” Yeri and her friends nodded.

“Did I tell you about the time we trespassed some stranger’s lawn ?”

“Holy you did not do that.”

“I’ve got witness statements of my three friends to prove that.” Donghyuck gestured to Mark, Jeno, and Renjun, who was painting next to Chaeyoung.

“It’s true.” Mark nodded. Jihoon was wildly impressed and even stoic Tzuyu cracked a smile.

“Now we’re talking.” Woojin gave Donghyuck a fist bump. Yeri smiled as she swapped places with Tzuyu to stand next to Mark, her hand ghosting over his arm.

“We’re just getting started.”

******************

“I need weed.”

“I told you, Lisa is on vacation.” Yeri sighed for the umpteenth time, her body swaying to the music that blaring obnoxiously from Dino’s car. Chaeyoung had completed her painting on the walls, and now Renjun and Jeno were taking turned scribbling things on them. Jihoon’s head was on Tzuyu’s lap, blowing rings of smoke as he and Tzuyu took turns from the same vape.

“We should have stocked up.” Dino complained, emptying his bottle. “She gives me another 100 grams free if I go down on her.”

“How is she like?”

“She moves a lot you know.” Dino smirked. “But then again she’s hot and she’s got weed so I can’t complain.”

Mark did not say a word. In fact, he did not say more than 2 sentences worth of words since he arrived. Everyone was either vandalising the back of a building, blowing smoke into each other’s faces or getting drunk out of their minds. This was such a huge culture shock for him and he felt a little uneasy. Mark was the classic ‘good student’. He didn’t smoke, drink or do drugs, yet here he was in a circle of people who did.

And they don’t seem to care that what they were doing was wrong.

So…maybe it wasn’t wrong at all?

“You seem bored.”

“Huh?” Mark snapped out of his daze as Yeri sat next to him atop some empty crates. Her perfume smelled sweet and her silky blonde hair flowed over her shoulder like a beautiful waterfall of sunshine. Her off shoulder top revealed her pale shoulders, while her black leather skirt did wonders for her long slender legs, just accentuated with black ankle boots.

“You look bored.” Yeri said again, clinking her bottle with his. “Don’t like alcohol?”

“I don’t drink very often.”

“I think you mean at all.” Yeri smirked. “This is great. I just took your alcohol ity.”

“There’s no such thing.”

“Sure there is!” Yeri chirped. “Anything is a ‘thing’ if you make it to be.”

“I guess.”

“Aren’t you having fun?”

“To be honest,” Mark sighed. “This isn’t really my crowd. I mean, I’m the kind of guy who stays home to play video games, or play football in the park, but I’ve never done any of this before.”

“There’s a first time for everything. Besides, your friends are having fun.” Yeri was right. Jeno and Renjun were laughing with Chaeyoung and Joy while Donghyuck and Woojin were chatting, with Woojin’s arm slung over Donghyuck’s shoulder. Donghyuck already finished a bottle and was on his second one. Woojin tugged Donghyuck into his arms, letting the younger man giggle and bury his face into Woojin’s chest.

“What are they doing?” Mark asked Yeri about the giggling duo.

“Oh that’s just Woojin being Woojin.” Yeri shrugged. “He gets all giggly and red when he’s drunk.

“Does he have to be so close to Donghyuck?”

“Maybe he likes him.”

“Huh.” Mark took a swig of his beer, feeling the bitterness of the alcohol wash down his throat. Maybe there is something to this drink that tastes like dead cockroaches. Woojin whispered something into Donghyuck’s ear and now the two of them were almost doubling over with laughter, like they shared some deep, dirty secret only the two of them knew. Mark felt oddly uneasy.

“You should relax and have fun.” Yeri said, standing up to dance to the music, her hips moving on its own. “You’re only young once.”

“I suppose…”

“Oh my god this is my jam!!” Yeri yelped loudly, putting down her beer bottle and screaming in joy. Side to Side by Ariana Grande was blasting through the speakers, and she reached for Tzuyu, almost dropping Jihoon as he was still laying on her lap. She called Chaeyoung and Joy to join her, and soon the 4 girls were dancing away.

“Work it!!” 4 teenage girls were swaying their hips and dancing sensually to the song, with Chaeyoung twerking her non-existent behind and everyone laughing with her. Normally, Mark would cringe at the sight (because Ariana is beneath him) but on this night he was smiling and laughing as well. The song changed to Closer by the Chainsmokers and now Yeri pulled Mark to join her. Jihoon had his arms around Tzuyu while Dino and Joy were together. Woojin pulled Donghyuck to join the crowd and even Renjun and Jeno couldn’t resist dancing along.

The beat of the music was electrifying, the alcohol was heating up his insides and Yeri’s perfume flooded his mind. In a certain daze of lost senses, Mark finally understood why some people yearn for this feeling. To be lost and carefree. To be in the moment. To be without worries.

It felt ing good.

******************

By the time Mark woke up the next day, it was almost 2 in the afternoon. If he was back home he would be mortified, and his father would be up in arms, yelling at the teenager and dumping cold water on his bed. Yet, there he was, in a luxurious bedroom overlooking a beautiful garden and the sun shining on his bed through sheer drapes, stretching his body out like a cat.

He thought about the night before, dancing until his legs gave out, all the painting, drinking, swearing and whatever else he did. There was no sense of regret, only a smile popped up on his face. He did have an amazing time last night.

“Hyung?”

“Hyuckie,” Mark yawned as he sat up, beckoning Donghyuck from behind the door. “What time did you get up?”

“About an hour ago. You?”

“Just.”

“Did you have a good time last night?” he asked, climbing onto the bed.

“I did.” Mark giggled. “It was fun.”

“I think I fell asleep last night without brushing my teeth.” Donghyuck beamed. “I was so tired but damn it was fun!”

“My legs feel like jelly now.” Mark said, rubbing his calves. “We don’t say a word of any of this to our parents, got it?”

“I’m not telling mine anything.” Donghyuck shook his head. “I would rather jump into an active volcano.”

Mark laughed, shaking his head gently. A soft knock came on the door and Yeri’s head poked through. She was fully dressed in a soft pink summer dress, her blonde hair done in braids. “Good afternoon.”

“Hey Yeri.”

“You are such a lightweight.” She teased. “Just one bottle of alcohol and 4 hours past your curfew and you slept until 2.”

“I must have been more tired than I thought.”

“Hyuck, Woojin just called, he said he wanted to speak to you.”

“Okay.” Donghyuck got off the bed and took Yeri’s cell phone. She came into the room, placing herself on Mark’s bed (which is technically hers).

“Did you have a good time?”

“I did. Thanks for taking me out. It was a wild night.”

“If you thought that was wild, wait until you see where we’re going tonight.”