- Chapter VIII-

    In The Right Place 

 

  The loud sound of 2NE1's I Love You and the strong scent of alcohol lingered around the air; while the constant clapping, screaming and cheering of people and the clicking of their glasses and wine bottles brought a distraction to her still aching heart, temporarily distracting her from the numbness she is feeling deep inside.      It's been nine months, only three more months apart since that cruel incident, the accident that took away his  life. Yet despite the exhaustion she's feeling, Hyoyeon still managed to at least gather herself up bit by bit, busying herself with every possible thing she could ever think of just to at least feel a sense of rationality in her life which was lacking ever since the day she found out that she was still alive, yet he was no longer around.      The accident was like a dream she kept on having but couldn't remember. Asleep or awake, it would suddenly take over. Her whole body would tense, and her mind would start reeling backward, but all she could remember was the sound of windshields exploding, then the slow-motion waterfall of glass that still brings nightmares and refusal on her side. Then there were voices yet she could not understand a single thing. In one go, she suddenly felt herself breathing heavily, fighting for life as a surge of unexplainable pain smashed her making her groan in pain. In a flash, she saw herself bleeding, as she hysterically called for his name, struggling to get out of the stretcher as the medics tried to calm her down. Until the next thing she knew, she woke up in the hospital bed as they announced his death, while she laid there desperate and hopeless.     “One more shot of margarita please!” she asked the bartender for the millionth time that night, not caring if she was already feeling tipsy and light-headed for it is her only way to wash her problems away.      It's almost eleven o'clock at night, way past her bed time if it was a year or two ago yet here she is, drinking to her heart's content at Octagon Club as she watches everyone indulge themselves into grinding, drinking and body shots; mocking some girls here and there, secretly telling them she can do better.    “Miss, are you sure you can still handle it?” the poor barista asked, earning a loud grumbling from her.    “Just give it!” she demanded with much attitude, smirking as she finally got a dosage of her own medicine before taking the drink to and finishing it halfway.     She knew she shouldn't be doing this, and that he'd only be dissapointed if he ever sees her in this state. But at this point, she no longer cares because living felt like a sin, and it would've been better if she died with him.      She unaccordingly raised her glass up, this time finally noticing the absurd change that occured to her physically because of her sleepless nights. Her skin which used to have a nice bronze glow now reflected nothing but paleness; making her look ten times older than she is. Her eyes which used to sparkle every time he called her name only showed not