The bar was packed, and the music was blasting downstairs. The beer felt cold in my hands and bitter in my throat. I prefer staying in most of the time, but not tonight. I didn’t feel like going back to my dorm, alone. I didn’t even make Jennie insist for me to come this time, and right at this moment, I had no regrets. I had disliked having to fight to get to the bartender, but now that I was sitting on the wooden stool of the second floor, surrounded by good friends and acquaintances, I was feeling great.

Jennie and Chaeyoung were talking fashion, and as much as I like my best friend, this is not my favourite topic to talk about. I spend a good amount of time bantering with Lisa instead. This kid is annoying but absolutely hilarious, I have to admit it. We met only a few months ago and we grew close very fast, faster than with anyone else, even Jennie. Lisa found a gesture she thought was hilarious and wanted to show it to everyone, apparently.

- “Jinwoo-yah!” she slurred, “Look! Who am I? Who am I?”

She looked like a kid with her heavy bangs and her round face, and I found myself laughing again.

- “You are Jisoo! Wait, where is Lisa? Lisa-yah?!”

Jinwoo went along, encouraging her in her nonsense. Wait, was that face supposed to be me?

- “Hey hey! Show me some respect you two!”

I had raised my voice to put a stop to it, and apparently, I did it a little too seriously as Jinwoo looked at me a bit worried. Jennie had stopped herself mid-sentence in her conversation with Chae and they were both looking at me, surprised. Only Lisa was still in her world, paying no attention to me whatsoever. I had not stopped smiling at her despite the tone of my voice and soon everyone was laughing at her silliness. It felt good being around them. I loved them all.

The night was slowly passing by and I was getting tired. Alcohol would do that to me: hype me up then put me to sleep. I closed my eyes for a second, leaning on Jinwoo’s shoulder.

The guy is a good friend, we spent a semester abroad together and we had a blast. We are complete opposite and maybe that’s why we get along. I know he has a little crush on me, he already asked me out a couple of times. I can’t help but be a little flirty with him. It’s not that I’m toying with him, not at all. I’m comfortable with him precisely because he’ll always be a good friend. And when I’m comfortable with people, I flirt; it’s my personality. And what can I say? It’s good to know we attract people, sometimes. But I have let him down gently – as gently as I could anyway – and there was no more ambiguity between us. At least, I hoped.

Yongmin came back with his hands full of glasses.  

- "I destroyed their asses on darts, this round is on me!"

Our already inebriated asses took the news well and everyone cheered. He distributed the beers, making a comment every time he found something smart enough to say – by his definition of smart, that is.

- “For beautiful ladies…”

He put the last two in front of Jennie and Chaeyoung, and made Jinwoo a sign he was heading back down to take more. Yongmin is tall, blond and traditionally good-looking. The last few months, he seems to have bloomed: even I can tell he was getting more attractive and apparently, his cockiness raised as well. He was not wrong, though, the two girls were stunning. Jennie always looks high maintenance in the best way possible; the girl was taking care of herself and she comes off as confident. Intimidating, some would say. She is actually a cute baby, but only a few people have the privilege to see her in her true form. Chaeyoung, how should I describe her? A pure soul. She is genuine in everything she does. Always bright. Her and Lisa are very close, and the energy they give off when they are together is heart-warming.

- “And two for the couple!”

I jumped at the sound of the glasses slammed on the table. I knew Jinwoo’s friends were in on the fact that he liked me, but they rarely talk about it in front of me. Junghee, another friend of ours, told me one day we were having coffee that they thought we had gone home together after a party a few months prior. In reality, Jinwoo just walked me to the taxi area. I brushed Yongmin’s comment off with a stare and I thanked him for the drink. I guess friendship between different genders is still a hard thing to wrap one’s head around.

The girls were in a deep conversation, and I joined them.

- “Rosie, next time you come to my place to hang out, bring your guitar so we can sing like we used to.”

Chaeyoung and Jennie are middle school friends and had reunited a few months ago, when her and Lisa joined our university.

- “Oh my god YES! We could all hang out, drink,” Lisa raised her glass to emphasise her words, “and eat, and sing, and chill!”

Lisa was so extra.

- “You mean … we could be cosy? Cosy like Rosie?”

And Chaeyoungie was so dorky.

- “Oh gosh, Rosie Posie did it again.

- But Jisoo-unnie is too busy with her silly video games, so she won’t come.

- Lisa-yah! What did you call my games? Never say that again!”

We all enjoyed music in some way or another, but the true musician among us was Chae. I could listen to her playing guitar or singing for hours, and it was a rare occasion. My video games were a secure thing, they’ll be there whenever I want, not Chae.

We made plans, we talked about random things and the time went by quickly. The boys asked who wanted to end the night with tteokbokki, and we gladly joined. Except Chaeyoung, she had to see her parents the day after and it was time for her to go home. Her dorm wasn’t far to the tteokbokki place we frequently go to and we agreed to make a small detour so she wouldn’t have to go alone. I might have come up with the idea and I was glad no one was opposed to it.

As we were walking, Jinwoo called me from behind and I stopped to let him catch up.

- “Do you have new from Miguel?”

Miguel was a friend from Venezuela we made during our semester abroad. I had called him a few weeks before and I told him about it. The girls were leading the way and the guys were following them. They were all loud, the alcohol still very much present in everyone’s system. Jinwoo’s phone rang up and he slowed down to pick up.

I’m not sure why he thought it was a good idea, but Yongmin decided to tease me once more as I was catching up with the others.

- “Why aren’t you two dating? Hum?

- Shut up Yongmin.” This was not something I would care about normally, but he was being particularly blunt about it, too much for my taste.

- “Come on! Everyone thinks you would look good together.” He looked for approval, but the rest of the guys were busy talking about who knows what. “What do you think, girls?

- Nope.” I chuckled; Jennie had always thought Jinwoo were a bit of a loser. I didn’t care about it, but I couldn’t help but smile at her honesty.

We had somehow arrived in front of Chaeyoung’s dorm, and I wished this could be the end of the conversation.

- “You’re no fun.” Yongmin didn’t give up yet: “What about you Chaeyoung, what do you think?

- I mean…” Chae stepped forward her door. “I am not a fan.” She brushed her foot on the ground in front of her, then she looked at Yongmin. “I like her. I made it clear before.” She looked at me for a second, smiling, then focused back on the boy. “Thank you for the drinks! See you on Monday guys.”

And like that, she unlocked her door and went in. I shook my head, trying to sober up a little. What the hell just happened? A look to Jennie told me I wasn’t dreaming: she was amused. Yongmin, on the other hand, was clearly as foggy as I was as he didn’t even acknowledge Chaeyoung’s words.

- “I AM STARVING! Let’s go!”

Around 20 minutes later, I was taking a first bite of tteokbokki while I looked around. I was sobering up, and something didn’t sit right. I took a second bite. My friends were all having a good time: Jennie and Lisa were talking animatedly about a new boy band (Jennie wasn’t convinced, Lisa was a fan) and the boys were their dumb selves a little further away. I took a third bite and realised how I was really the dumb one. I shoved the tteokbokki into Jennie’s hands and got up abruptly. She looked at me, confused.

- “What are you doing?

- I shouldn’t be here, should I?

- What are you talking about?” Lisa had no idea what was going on in my head. Me neither, to be honest.

- “No, you shouldn’t.” Jennie was smiling. Apparently, she knew.

I was on my way as soon as she had spoken. The cool night breeze and the spice of the tteokbokki had helped get rid of most of the alcohol in my system, but for some reason my brain didn’t really work. I knew where I was going, but I did not take even one second to think about what I would say. I heard myself ring the bell and say that it was me through the intercom. And that’s how I ended up here. It’s 1:15 a.m., I’m back in front of Chaeyoung’s dorm and she just opened her door.  

- “I’m sorry for being so slow. It wasn’t that clear.

- Well, is it now? I like you.

- I like you too.”

Chaeyoung had taken her make-up off, and she looks angelic.

- “What about Jinwoo?

- Just a friend.

- Good.

- Good?

- Yeah, good. How long do I have to wait before you kis-”

She smells like autumn; earthy and sweet, and I know I’ll be addicted to it for the rest of my life. My lips seem to belong on hers. Our kiss is one of people who are getting to know each other. We aren’t shy, it’s more like we are testing each other’s boundaries, and our owns. Yeah, I have definitely zero regrets tonight.