chapter 1: party

“you’re really not going to come with me later?” nayeon asked jeongyeon as they started to ride the elevator from the fifth floor to the first.

“i already said i won’t, didn’t i?” jeongyeon irritably fired back. she glared at nayeon and quickly remove her arm from hers. she’s starting to get pissed since nayeon had already bugged her for the umpteenth time. “you already asked me that a while ago.”

nayeon scowled but nonetheless smiled apologetically. “well, sorry. it’s just…” her eyes focused on the elevator’s floor. jeongyeon waited with a pinched expression. “it’s just going to be lonely since i’ll have to go by myself.”

“… and it’ll start at 8 pm and it’d probably end who knows what time. it’s going to be dark when i go back to my house…”

“jennie—“

“jennie will most likely sleep on jisoo’s… and you know my parents…k-kinda strict when it comes to going home.”

raising her head, she shot jeongyeon with her puppy eyes. jeongyeon looked at her with disbelief while shaking her head sideways. whenever nayeon wanted anything and she wants jeongyeon to be with her, she would always resort to begging with those unbelievable eyes.

there were days when she falls for it, but mostly not.

 “definitely no. that is not going to work on me this time.” she deadpanned. the elevator ting-ed and she briskly took her way outside, not minding her friend tailing her behind.

after bidding her goodbye to the friendly bodyguard, nayeon ran to catch jeongyeon.

after inserting one of her arms to hers, jeongyeon quickly fired.

“why did you even want to go to that party, anyway?” jeongyeon scorned. she wasn’t really a fan of parties. she’d rather had her nose buried on her science books instead. partying was a lot more exhausted, she presumed.

“why are you getting pissed? it’s not like jisoo has been always asking us to attend her party getaway though.” nayeon reasoned out. “it has been a while since we got to party.”

jeongyeon was silent after hearing the other friend’s name.

kim jisoo’s one of a party goer in their circle, but she knew her friends’ boundaries. and there would be some circumstances when she would occasionally invite her friends if some kind of family matters wants to be celebrated.

“well,…” jeongyeon was cut mid-sentence when she remembers jisoo sulking all day when she refused to attend the party she held for passing the college’s entrance exam last two years. it was a long time ago, but jeongyeon wasn’t the type to easily forget something worth sulking.

nayeon smirked secretly when she heard the uneasiness in her tone. she knew she had hit a spot.

“so… are you going to come with me?” she asked while suppressing the excitement in her tone.

“fine, you won.”

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“wow!” jisoo exclaimed when she saw nayeon with a sulking jeongyeon in her arms. “you came!” she happily squealed.

“hi!” nayeon greeted her with the same tone, their cheeks grazing each. before jisoo could pull away, nayeon pulled her ear and whispered something that jeongyeon couldn’t quite catch. when jisoo pulled away, she shot nayeon a wink and cling her free arm to jeongyeon’s. nayeon waved goodbye to them and quickly took strides to talk to jennie who’s sitting on one of the couch with her boyfriend.

“looks like nayeon did a good job in persuading you, i presume?” jeongyeon shot her an annoyed look, making the beautiful girl chuckle.

“so, what’s with the sudden party?” jeongyeon asked when jisoo led her to the drinks section. she politely asked for a four seasoned juice from the staff who’s smiling brightly at her.

“my twin brother got to open his own exhibit next two months.” jisoo simply answered while settling herself on the stool beside jeongyeon. she also sat when her drink had arrived.

“taehyung?” jeongyeon surprisingly asked. she didn’t strike jisoo’s twin brother as someone who loves art. she kind of view him like the rich kids she often sees in the movies.

“so as i’ve heard,” jisoo smirked at her surprised reaction. after finishing her tequila, she placed it on the marble table as she places her arm on the flat surface to cup her chin.

“he’s not really that bad. it’s just the growing prejudice people has for rich people like us. and with the addition of his choice of friends and their quite of a reputation you know…” jisoo trailed off. waving her hand to the bartender to get her a drink.

“…but he does love photography you know.” she followed up, while she scanned the wholeness of their place. “he owns numerous of cameras, ranging from the digital ones to the vintage ones too.”

jeongyeon was silent after jisoo’s short introductory to what her twin does. she searched the place for any hints of nayeon and when she finally found her, nayeon was also waving her hand, gesturing her to go where she is. jeongyeon narrowed her eyes.

“nayeon wants us to go there,” jisoo mumbled when she also saw it. she got up from the stool and placed a hand infront of jeongyeon. “would you like to go with me?”

jeongyeon sighed but nonetheless accepted her offer, leaving her half-consumed drink on the bar.

jeongyeon had her pinched expression when they pass the sea of bodies. jisoo would occasionally stop when someone who knows her or vice versa would greet her. the loud music was also making jeongyeon a little bit of uncomfortable (she hates noisy). and there is only one fact she liked about whenever jisoo or her family would throw a party, it’s because they don’t let smokers smoke inside. jeongyeon would be adamant to leave if ever she saw someone smoking (she would always rant about how secondhand smokers were dangerous to them).

after about a half minute, they arrived on the other side to which she thanked for. it was very suffocating.

“jeongyeon!” jennie detached herself from hanbin’s side and got up to hug their short-haired friend. “good to know that you came!”

she awkwardly laughed. “someone did a very good job in convincing me.” she took a seat next to nayeon and simply nudged her rib. nayeon didn’t even waver with her hit since she was busy finishing her drink.

“we are almost complete though!” jisoo announced while she took her drink from the waiter. “sooyoung and seulgi’s gonna arrive in any minute.”

jeongyeon was always a bit of uncomfortable whenever they sat with some boys. nayeon quickly sensed that and she gave jennie a look.

jennie mumbled something to hanbin’s ear and the latter smiled. hanbin turned to jisoo to asked where her twin is.

“on their usual table of course.” jisoo answered while using her glass to point where taehyung was.

before hanbin could leave the couch, jennie planted a kiss on his cheeks and bid him goodbye.

jeongyeon had to look away, she wasn’t fond with those things, afterall. she’s not bitter though (her words, not theirs), she just don’t want any distractions in studying.

jennie was about to say something but she chose not to, and instead, focus on the drink infront of her.

“hi guys!” the four girls turned their heads when they heard a familiar voice.

“sooyoung!” the four stood up and hugged the newcomer. sooyoung kissed their cheeks as she took a seat next to jennie.

“where’s seulgi?” jennie asked.

“she’s with yoongi, and she told me to get here first.” Sooyoung explained as she pick one drink from the table. her eyes delighted when she saw jeongyeon smiling at her. “wow! You came!” she squealed and reached over the table to hug her again. “you actually came!”

“yeah,” jeongyeon answered with a laugh.

jeongyeon wasn’t really the partying type. unlike her five girlfriends, she’s more drown to books and movies rather than drank liquor and such. nayeon would occasionally drink just for unwinding; jennie’s been to bars numerous times, of course, hanbin would always accompany her; sooyoung always talked about how she wants to experience to drink her heart out (good thing she’s already at her legal age); seulgi’s love for wines made her attend parties; and of course, jisoo is jisoo.

“what’s up!” seulgi, wearing her cheerful smile arrived at the table and quickly scanned the persons who occupied the wine colored u-shaped sofa. Her eyes landed to jeongyeon and she jumped to her feet to hug her.

the girls laughed and shared a hug. it has been a while since they got completed. everyone was sharing stories and laughter. the scene made jeongyeon smile, her heart melt. this is what she missed.

she joined and leaned closer to nayeon to hear what seulgi’s been gossiping about while enjoying the new memories with her friends.

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“i’ll just go to the restroom,” nayeon excused herself when she felt the urge to pee. after all the gossips they shared, the girls got a little bit of tipsy, but jisoo had to consistently order the staff to bring jeongyeon a juice (to which jeongyeon was so thankful for), so she was the only one who’s not drunk.

jeongyeon ran to the bar and ordered for water and a juice. after finally getting her thirst quenchers, she ran to get back to the washroom.

but due to her hastiness, she bumped into someone with a loud thud. so loud that her drinks were splattered on his face.

“i-i’m sorry..” jeongyeon mumbled, eyes were trained on the floor.

the someone didn’t say anything but was still standing infront of her. jeongyeon raised her head and her eyes widened but narrowed afterward.

“park jimin?!”

“yoo jeongyeon?!”