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It was three weeks before the new year when Yena and her girlfriend broke up– or rather the correct words were "when Yena got dumped by Takahashi Juri"...

Well... Juri lets her use the words "we have mutually broken up" when explaining to their friends at least... Although in reality, they both know that Yena was the one who got "dumped". 

But nobody needs to know that. Especially since how most of their friends are mutual. 

Yena was absolutely devastated. How could she not be when Juri had been her high school sweetheart since she was 15? Everyone had thought they were the model couple, that they were going to last a long long time...

Apparently not. 

They weren't working out. Juri had said.
They were going in different directions. Juri told her.
It would be okay, they could still remain as friends. Juri had assured.

Half of Yena agreed... But that doesn't mean she loved Juri any less. That didn't mean she wanted to break up... At least not yet. 

Juri was going to go back to her home country (Japan) for the next semester of university, and finish up her degree there. And then she'd go on to help her parents with running their family business or something. She didn't want anything to tie her down. She didn't want Yena to tie her down. Or at least Yena figured so. 

Yena spent about 3 days feeling rather numb. She thought about her relationship with Juri... Until the breakup finally sank in on the fourth day. 

Then she spent another week living in a daze. She avoided all her friends and locked herself up at home. Her heart hurt sometimes and felt kinda empty other times, while her mind was a blank most times... 

That week, all she did was stare into space... Either that or she'd be looking at pictures of herself with Juri... And then she'd start tearing up. If she wasn't doing any of those, she'd be either all out sobbing around the house or binge-watching random shows on Netflix while eating ice cream. 

Yena was a mess really. 

Luckily for her, she could afford to do so as it was winter break so she didn't have to go to school. 

But Yena couldn't always live like this right? Life still has to go on right? She was Choi Yena for goodness sake! The happy virus! The fun and noisy one! So what was she doing all curled up at home by herself because of one girl? 

So when Yena decided she was done... She decided to come into contact with the outside world again by switching on her phone– only to be bombarded by all the worried texts and calls from her friends... 

She tries to act as though nothing has happened after that. As though she hasn't been hurt. As though she hasn't been crying for the past week. As though she was fine. 

Even though Yena was far from fine... 

But hey, if you keep telling yourself something... It might become real... 

Right? 

-

It wasn't easy to keep up with her act. And yet she did it anyway... For she didn't want her friends to worry. Nor does she want anyone to sympathize with her. 

Her friends knew Yena wasn't okay though... And worry they did still. 

Sure Yena acts like how she usually was– being her usual lame self, making dumb jokes once in a while and laughing and hanging out with her friends again– but they could tell something... no, many things... were off. 

Like how Yena didn't really bother to bicker for fun with Yujin much anymore... Or how she doesn't play pranks on Nako... And how she doesn't whine childishly like she used to when Hyewon doesn't share snacks with her. How she didn't really care when she lost in a game to Sakura... And most importantly... how when she smiled... It didn't quite reach her eyes. 

Hence, Yena's friends came up with a plan. 

With an excuse to celebrate the new year, they decided to cheer her up by bringing her to a party. But not just any party, it's the annual new year's eve party at Club Juniper, an exclusive event at this expensive private club by the beach, strictly for invited guests only. 

The plan was simple. Help Yena have fun and forget about Juri. Better yet, if possible, find Yena someone else more decent so she could freaking move on already! 
 

Going to the club was a great idea (according to Yena's friends). Fancy, boisterous, loud and hazy; it was the perfect place to distract Yena. 

It took Yena a little while to break out of her "emo zone". A plate of fried chicken and several drinks later, Yena seemed to have lighten up a whole lot. 

Thanks to Chaeyeon, they managed to reserve a cozy section in a corner with sofa seats and a table. Yujin and Sakura kept making Yena play weird drinking games with them. While Hyewon ordered a whole cake and, for the first time in a long time, willingly offered to share it with Yena by feeding her.

So far so good, everyone thought. 

Then Yena got dragged to the dance floor. It was loud and super hyped. For a little while, she didn't remember her problems... Until she had to go to the bathroom. 

"Psst! Yah Yujin," Eunbi whisper-yelled to the girl. Yujin and Sakura were suppose to be in charge of finding someone for Yena. But Sakura got drunk and started clinging onto Chaeyeon, somehow getting possessive and afraid that Chaeyeon would start dancing with someone else if she left her alone. So now it seems like it was up to Yujin to accomplish this task.

"Yeah??" Yujin slurred out. "Oh, Eunbieee unnieee! Let's dance!"

Eunbi looked at the younger girl incredulously. "Yah yah yah, you were suppose to be helping us look out for someone for Yena what are you doing??"

"Ohhh OH yeah righttt," Yujin nodded. "Alright, I'm onnn it. You guuuys can count on me!"

-

"Heeeyy Yenaaayahhh, whatcha up to myy paaal, my buddy, my chinguuuu huh?!" Her friend Yujin slurred out, slinging an arm over Yena's shoulder. 

Yena was laughing dumbly, stumbling as she tried to hold the weight of them both without falling over. She had just came back from the washroom and was trying to figure out, in her un-sobered state, where her friends were sitting at. 

God, they were all so drunk. But who could blame them though? Because Chaeyeon's uncle kinda owns like half of the club, Sakura (her beloved girlfriend) had ordered them an endless amount of drinks on the house, and Chaeyeon and Eunbi actually allowed them to drink– which never ever happens– so of course they were going to go all out with accepting them. 

"I– I....Hahhaha I don't know?" she shrugged, scratching her head before chuckling sheepishly. The music was so loud that she took a while to process her own thoughts... For a moment Yena has even managed to forget how upset she previously was. "I lost Nako and... Oh OH! waaaait... I remember now... Her!" Yena points. "S-she... She just bumped into me and walked away???" Yena complained. 

Yujin turns over to look, her eyes squirting hard. "Ahhh...," Yujin replied, patting Yena on the head to comfort her, before a hiccup escapes her lips. "How rude... It's okay ducky, she's just drunk... there there..."

Yena nodded along, a pout forming on her lips. 

Yujin then smirks "Hey, she's pretty hot though!" Yujin yelled excitedly over Yena's ear, trying to fight all the noise in the club. Finally she was being productive at accomplishing her mission.

Yena flinches a little at the volume, before staring in the same direction, "Ohh... Oh woooooow," she slurred out, "You're right hahaaaaha," she later agreed, nodding enthusiastically, as though Yujin had made an amazing discovery. They both began staring at the said young woman, who had gone towards the bar. 

With shot glasses lying in rows in front of her, Yena and Yujin watched as she downed them all in lightning speed. In the blink of an eye, the glasses were now empty, the woman leaned her face against the palm of her hand, her body slumped over the counter. 

Yujin shook her head, clicking her tongue. "Aish doesn't she know that... alco...alcohol isliiike.... soooo soooo baaad for health?"

For a moment, Yena nodded in agreement... Until she realised, "Yaaah! Dummy!" she hits Yujin in the head, "Says you who downed all that alcohol just minutes ago!"

Yujin yelped in pain before trying to process Yena's words... "Oh..... Oh yeah! Silly me!" she then began laughing... And Yena soon laughed along. "Doo you..." Yujin suddenly spoke. "Hehh do you thiiinkk.... She's single though?"

Yena looks at her and then glances back at the girl at the  bar, thinking. "Hmm... I don't know??" 

"Hmm..." Yujin hums in thought. (As though pursing her lips and staring into the ceiling would help...)

"Why does she... She looks... Kinda... saaaad?" Yena asked. 

"I don't knooow?" Yujin answered again. She casually picks up another drink from the table they were at and gulps it down. "Hey! Maybe you should go... Talk to her!"

"Yeah, maybe you should!" Yena said, sounding more ridiculous by the second as she nodded dumbly. 

"No no no, not me silly duck, you!" Yujin jabbed a finger into Yena's cheek. "You go! Go talk to her go go go!"

"Huh me?" Yena points at herself confused. She chuckles, shaking her head. "Nah... J-juri would be upset if I did..."

This time it was Yujin who smacked her in the head. "Aaaishhh... Yena! You guys broke up! Juri went back to Japan already remember?"

Yena stared at Yujin, "... Oh... Oh yeah..." she remembered, feeling sadness rushing back towards her once again. 

Noticing, Yujin punched her in the shoulder. "Stoooop it! Stop it... You're being all sulky again! Don't do that, she's not worth it!" she scolded. She placed her hands on the side of Yena's head, turning it towards the pretty girl at the bar. "Look ducky, look at her, she's like SOOO pretty right?"

Yena nods.

"Uh-huh... and she is just sitting there SOOO aloneeee... Right?" Yujin continued and Yena once again nodded. 

"Annnnnd, you are dressed nicely today, which means you are hot. And you are single now so..." Yujin concludes, "GO TALK TO HER!"

"Ah... B-but I don't waaannaa... s-she's too pretty... I... I'm juust a duck like–"

"Yeeeena! She bumped into you. Out of all the people here... It's fate don't ya thiiiinkkk?" Yujin said. 

"Nooo... Yujinnie it's juuust a coiiincidencce... W-why are you making it sound li–"

"Yenaaa... It's new year's eve!! You're suppose to be having fuuun not sulking around thinking about Ju–"

"Ahh a-alright alright fine, I will!" Yena cut Yujin off, not wanting to hear Juri's name out loud again. "I-I'll go talk to that pretty girl... Maybe... maybe later okay!" 

"Nuh-uh," Yujin grinned, waving her finger in disapproval. Yena furrowed her eyebrows at her cheeky friend, before she was handed a glass of alcohol. "Dooown this and gooo! It's new year's eve which means by the time it reaches 12 midniiight you have to like... Kiss someone!" 

"W-waaht?? That's not how it–"

"Yenaaaaa! Focus!"

"O-okayyyy?"

"You are going to kissss her because you are hot and she is hoooot and it's new year's day soooon and if you don't d-do it you're going to... have... bad luuuuck!" Yujin rambled out. 

 

"Whaat?? Bu that's–"

 

"It's true though! Everyone tells me that ya'know? It's liiike.... like a legit thing!" Yujin lets out. "If you don't kiss someone by midnight... you'd have liiiike.... extreeeme bad luck... until the next year!"

Yena gasped. "Nooo b-but I don't want bad luck!!!" For some reason, Yena became more gullible when she's drunk. "O-okay I... I will go and kiss her! Just you wait!"

"Yes yes go now before it's too laaate, look there's a guy hitting on her. Are you gonna loose to some... some guuuy?!"

"No!" Yena sulked, feeling competitive all of a sudden. She grabs the drink Yujin gave her and chucked it down in a breath. Yujin cheered in approval, pushing her towards the girl at the bar lightly. 

"That's my girl! Goooo for it ducky!!!" Yujin yelled extra loudly for no apparent reason.  "Don't come back until you got that kiss!"

"Alright alright, I am going!" Yena yelled back. And then she walked (stumbled) towards the bar, disappearing into the crowd.

 

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