parties.

 

it’s one thing to throw them, it’s another to attend them.

 

if kim chaewon ever decides to throw a party, she would rather do it with her small group of friends. well, calling it small would be a lie— she has quite the big circle. but they all work out pretty well so it’s fine. again, she’d rather spend some time with them than attend this party her older sister dragged her to. 

 

the yellow lights were bright under chaewon’s eyes. she squinted a bit at the big chandelier hanging in the middle of the large room, containing a sigh as she moved her eyes back to the people occupying the space. men and women donning both fancy dresses and tuxedos, hair perfectly done as they chit-chat with their peers. it’s humorous to see almost all of them holding onto a flute wine glass, sparkling champagne filled to the brim as they chat about the most technical things regarding their businesses.

 

ah, yes. chaewon was at one of those bourgeoisie parties where people just stand around to either flaunt their wealth based on their chosen wardrobe or to talk business as per usual. chaewon has no idea what she’s doing here— she wasn’t that fond of parties nor was she fond of meeting new people. and the fact that this specific room was filled with egocentric bastards didn’t help her case at all. 

 

“chin up, chae.” she heard her sister whisper to her ear, her hands patting her shoulders. “i know this isn’t your scene, but you owe me for ditching me last time.” chaewon groaned at that.

 

the last time they attended this type of event was actually with her parents. and the younger kim may or may not have left her older sister at the party because she got bored of the economical and political talks. don’t get her wrong— the political talks are interesting as she is, in fact, a law student. but it gets boring and frustrating when the people she talks to are so close minded that they disregard the possibility of having different opinions. so she left— leaving her older sister to suffer on her own inside that damned event.

 

“you know you could’ve easily left too, soulie.” chaewon grumbled as she stuffed her hands inside her light gray blazer. her brows furrowing a bit as a pout formed on her lips. 

 

“and get us both in trouble?” jinsoul answered back, her right brow slightly raising at her younger sister in amusement. chaewon only groaned again as she trudged her way through the crowded space. both her and her sister were ready to just camp at the buffet table as no one seemed to even touch the food neatly lined on the long tabletop.

 

“soul!” the two sisters heard a familiar voice call. a tall, slim figure walking towards them with a slick, all-black suit. brown mid-length hair as a warm beaming smile were sent their way— a stark contrast from the stiff grins the sisters have received while passing by. chaewon managed to notice another young girl following the warm host.

 

“sooyoungie!” jinsoul exclaimed, relief washing over her body.

 

this tall woman was actually ha sooyoung— jinsoul’s childhood best friend. she’s been there since they were toddlers, their families having close ties with each other making the two girls naturally close. it also works in their favor as they were of the same age. chaewon’s pretty close with her, too. compared to her well-put and intimidating facade, the young kim knows her as a goofy and warm-hearted person. it’s just hidden behind the cold front she always wears, a clever mask as chaewon would call it.

 

chaewon watched the two women hug, sooyoung’s eyes meeting hers in the midst of it. a warm smile was sent to her after they pulled away, her right hand finding comfort in chaewon’s black hair as she ruffled it endearingly. the younger kim only groaned in feigned annoyance as she ran her hand through her hair— an attempt in fixing her messed locks. 

 

“law student, kim chaewon. you’ve grown since the last time i saw you!” sooyoung said with a hint of pride and genuine happiness for the younger girl. a pat on her shoulder as she smiled warmly, eyeing the young kim with bright eyes. she technically considers chaewon as her younger sister and she couldn’t help but feel like a proud mom with how far the lil’ one has come. 

 

“it’s great seeing you too, sooyoung.” chaewon gave her a crooked grin, a bit embarrassed by the attention she’s receiving. 

 

“oh— and by the way. this is my cousin!” sooyoung’s eyes were shining under the bright lights as she introduced the slightly timid girl that’s a few steps behind her. her hands reaching out to the girl’s arm to pull her closer, her dark chocolate eyes going back and forth between the two sisters. chaewon slightly confused at the shy wave both her older sister gave and her older sister received. “i’ll leave the introduction to you guys as jinsoul has already met her last time. i have to tend to my guests first— i don’t wanna be a bad host. you can stay here for a while, no?”

 

with a slightly awkward smile, those chocolate orbs met chaewon’s cinnamon ones. 

 

dark fox-like eyes, pointy nose and red-tainted lips.

 

chaewon thinks she won’t manage to survive this night with such a pretty company. 

 

“we’ll be fine.” the girl spoke softly, the smooth tone of her voice entered the other girl’s ears. chaewon only managed to nod dumbly as she stared at the other girl in complete awe. and it seemed like she was in the same position because her dark eyes never left hers.

 

jinsoul sensed the sharp tension between the two girls, holding in a snicker as she pulled onto sooyoung’s arm to the other side of the room. “is jungie here?” chaewon faintly heard before forcing her eyes away from the slightly taller girl. moving her line of vision towards her sister’s retracting back. 

 

“kim minjoo.” the girl suddenly spoke, forcing chaewon’s attention back to her. cinnamon eyed her offering hand, slowly moving up to her arm and finally locking eyes with chocolates once again. with a charming grin, she held onto her hand firmly. shaking it softly as warmth filled her palms.

 

“chaewon.” she managed to say, nonchalantly as possible. she didn’t want the pretty girl to know that she was slightly panicking at the sudden fact that they will be each other's company for the whole night. well, it depends whether this pretty stranger decides to leave her by the buffet table. 

 

which she hopes won't happen. 

 

“i didn’t know jung jinsoul was your sister.” the girl said in a small voice, her hand still not letting go of chaewon’s. on the contrary, she pulled her closer. maybe she pulled her closer so she could hear her better? or so they can have some form of privacy in this crowded room? the shorter girl doesn’t know, but she sure did feel her heart skip a beat. 

 

chaewon thinks she’ll drive her crazy by the end of the night.

 

“the different surnames makes it hard to know.” chaewon breathed out, feeling a bit flustered by the slightly close proximity. they weren't close, but they were close enough for chaewon to take a whiff of her sweet vanilla perfume. she immediately took the initiative to let go of her hand as she tried her best to squash down the blush crawling up her neck. her left index finger pulling at the hem of her black turtleneck— and was it just her but why is it suddenly hot in here?

 

she missed the slightly disappointment glimmering inside those dark chocolate orbs. 

 

“complicated family drama?” the girl only continues, her curiosity getting the best of her. she watched the way chaewon broke their eye contact to look at the bustling crowd. she only slightly nodded as she continued to avoid the other girl’s eyes. minjoo decided to change the topic. “what do you think about the party?”

 

“pretentious.” chaewon snickers, her eyes looking up at the big chandelier. she thought about how much it costs. scrunching her nose at the realization it might cost more than her life. “you’d know a rich person hosted the party with how elegant the place is.”

 

frowning a bit, minjoo tilted her head in slight confusion. “aren’t you rich, too?”

 

chaewon laughed at that. “my parents are, not me.”

 

the taller girl looked at her, a little bit bewildered with what she heard. usually, people will take advantage of this moment to flaunt their family’s wealth. may the money not be theirs and actually are from their parents. she thinks that the strong interest she has for chaewon only deepened.

 

“not that fond of parties then?” minjoo asked curiously. her eyes still focused on the shorter girl’s side profile.

 

“i hate them, actually. to be very honest with you.” chaewon bluntly admitted. she was glad her hands were back in the safety of her blazer pockets, or else she would be fidgeting her fingers. “it makes me feel stuffy.” 

 

minjoo nodded her head in understanding, mentally agreeing with her as she also didn’t like to be dragged in any sort of gathering with a bunch of strangers. she moved her eyes towards the crowd also, only to see a bunch of wealthy people with a lot of time in their hands to even attend such an event. they were silently watching the people chatting when suddenly an idea pops in her head. 

 

“wanna go outside for some fresh air?” she offered in a small voice, still feeling a little shy. she only managed to elicit a relieved chuckle from the other girl.

 

“lead the way.”

-

the two girls moved to the rooftop of the huge building. the moon shining down on them as the rarest specks of stars scattered on the dark night sky. 

 

chaewon leaned onto the cold metal railings with ease. with a soft smile, the silence blanketing the two girls comforted her.

 

honestly, she didn’t expect for them to click from the get-go. neither did she expect for them to work well with one another. their conversation flowed naturally as the two girls took turns in taking control on what topics to talk about. genuine questions nearly always rolling off their tongues without much thought and honest answers being delivered quickly. they’re more similar than what they think. chaewon thought that this was a strong case of ‘there’s more than what meets the eye’ because the moment she saw minjoo she thought they’d be polar opposites.

 

yes, they have differences.

 

but the striking similarities between their preferences and personalities are too hard to ignore.

 

they literally talked about everything and nothing at the same time.

 

the nothing coming in the form of a comfortable silence, just like now.

 

“i still can’t believe mint choco is your favorite ice cream flavor.” minjoo mumbled into the cold air, breaking the silence with her small voice and her tone filled with betrayal. chaewon only laughed at the dramatics the girl is putting up. they previously talked about their favorite ice cream flavor. and minjoo only looked at her incredulously as they kept bickering about how mint chocolate is a danger to society. 

 

“it’s better than vanilla. it literally tastes like nothing.” chaewon chuckled. minjoo gasped, feigning offense. it only made the shorter girl laugh some more.

 

“it’s better than that blasphemous of a flavor! it’s toothpaste i tell you!” minjoo dramatically exclaimed making chaewon laugh lightheartedly. she, yet again, missed the way the taller girl looked at her with so much affection in her dark chocolate orbs. her heart skipping happily in her chest at the sound of her gleeful laugh. 

 

“i’d say it forever and i’d say it again— it’s better than something that tastes like nothing.” chaewon firmly stated. her head turning to look at the taller girl, her eyes crescent and a blinding grin sent to minjoo’s way. minjoo only stared as she marveled at the girl’s gorgeous features. the moonlight made her pale skin shine a bit more brighter, her eyes shining and her lips stretched into a smile.

 

minjoo is pulled in deep.

 

she doesn’t think she quite wants to get out.

 

she shivered, partially from the cold and from the chilling feeling of newfound emotions she is experiencing. she moved her head to look at the busy city below, all the whilst breaking the eye contact and the tension forming with the other girl. 

 

her eyes followed the people passing by, the cars driving down the streets and the noise the city naturally has. she couldn’t help but feel like they look like ants from up here. so small and so insignificant. yet again, she’s just like that to them, too. just another ant that they’ll pass by as they go on with their life and minjoo goes on with hers.

 

she might be small and insignificant. 

 

but the girl beside her was far from insignificant.

 

small? maybe. 

 

but she’s far more important than the pending school work minjoo has once she comes back to her dorm room. more important than the party going on downstairs, more important than the heavy responsibility she has back home. 

 

she feels a fabric gently falling on her shoulders, warmth immediately spreading through her whole body and the smell of roses invading her senses. ah, chaewon’s blazer. minjoo tugged onto the piece of clothing tighter. sniffing more of the flowery perfume the girl has.

 

“is it crazy if i tell you that i like you when i only talked to you for barely— i dunno. two hours?” minjoo heard chaewon say. the nervous tone in her voice didn’t escape her as she smiled giddily from behind the light gray blazer. 

 

“it’s not crazy.” minjoo mumbled. “on the contrary—” she moved away from the railings to face her body towards the other girl. walking a bit more closer as chaewon felt her breath hitch at the sudden proximity that they have.

 

“i think i might be the crazy one because ever since i saw you—” minjoo whispered, her hot breath hitting the shorter girl’s face. her right hand resting on the crook of chaewon’s neck as she ran her left hand through the girl’s dark long hair. chaewon didn’t even know that the girl’s chocolate eyes could turn darker. with her heart in , she braved up to wrap her arms around the taller girl’s waist.

 

“all i wanted to do was kiss you.” the taller girl finished. her face inching a bit closer, a bit more dangerous as chaewon would like to think. chaewon could barely feel the taller girl’s lips, minjoo not fully moving forward as she patiently waited for the other girl’s go signal. she might be dying to finally kiss the cute law student, but she wasn’t dumb enough to forget consent.

 

“ it if this is crazy. just kiss me already, kim minjoo.” chaewon murmured against her red-stained lips before feeling them press against hers. she physically felt her heart become heavier with affection as she kissed the girl a tad bit deeper. her soft lips taste like the white sparkling champagne that they had at the party, a stark contrast from her sweet vanilla scent.

 

unfortunately, the two girls had to pull away to breathe. chaewon chasing after red lips as minjoo giggled at the other girl’s insistence. with her hand buried in raven locks, she pulled her head towards her again. granting the girl’s wish as she kissed her again. a content sigh leaving chaewon as minjoo tenderly rubbed her thumb on the crook of her neck. the heat of her hand slipping through the black fabric of her turtleneck.

 

they don’t know how long they were locking lips in the safety of the rooftop. the moon being their only witness as the party downstairs was slowly coming to an end. 

 

chaewon didn’t expect for things to get better. but then minjoo’s lips got a hold of her bottom one and nibbled on it softly and— oh my god. how is she such a good kisser? 

 

minjoo felt like her mission was accomplished at the pleasant sound she elicited from the other girl. a smile slowly forming as she almost broke the kiss. she immediately went back to deepen it again when a loud ‘ding!’ took them out of their trance. they pulled away, panting as the kiss suddenly became a heated makeout session which by the way— minjoo expected just an innocent peck!

 

with flushed cheeks and swollen lips, minjoo giggled again at the smeared lipstick on the other girl’s lips. red messily drawn on it as the taller girl only pecked her lips one last time before telling her about it. with chaewon’s own white handkerchief, minjoo it to clean up the mess she made. her right hand softly wiping the areas of chaewon’s lips while the other still buried deep in her hair. softly caressing her scalp from time to time.

 

“that’s probably my sister.” minjoo felt rather than see the girl’s fingers fidget on her back. a disappointed glint washing over her eyes as she didn’t want her time with minjoo to end. “i better get going.”

 

minjoo only gave her a grin before putting the material back herself in the pocket of chaewon’s slacks. she then moved her hand to take the girl’s phone out, unlocking it with ease as the girl didn’t even have a passcode on her phone. she put in her number, struggling a bit as she only typed it in with one hand. if you think she’ll let go of chaewon’s smooth strands well— think again. the shorter girl only watched as minjoo slipped it back in her pants.

 

“call me when you get home.” minjoo said with a smile. she then planted a soft, lingering kiss on chaewon’s cheek. the other girl only nodded her head as she reciprocated her smile with a goofy one.

 

“your lipstick smeared on you, too.” she pulled out her white handkerchief again, handing it to the girl as she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. it’s her sister calling.

 

“don’t forget.” minjoo reminded. pulling away from the shorter girl to make her answer her call. a small expecting smile as she watched the girl walk towards the rooftop door, still facing her as she walked backwards. 

 

“i won’t.” chaewon reassured.

 

“i’ll hold onto this for our next meeting, okay?” minjoo felt chaewon’s warmth linger around her. her hands gripped onto the light gray blazer as the girl’s cinnamon-colored eyes lit up brightly.

 

“i’ll see you soon, joo.” and with that, chaewon finally answered her sister’s call. turning around to exit the cold rooftop as she opened the door and her figure descended down the stairs.

 

“see ya, kim chaewon.” minjoo mumbled to herself.