Chapter 17. Saturday Night Live

Lying in her bed, Oh Ha Ni stared hard at Chi-chi, her beloved stuffed dog. As if Chi-chi would be able to give her the answers to her questions and calm her troubled self. The past week had already been an emotional rollercoaster ride for her.

Getting giddy about the flowers. Disappointment at finding out that the flowers were not from Seung Jo. Frustrations for not knowing his reasons. Warm fuzzy feelings after the kiss. Anger at herself for having those warm fuzzy feelings that crept up her chest no matter how much she tried to squash them. Suspicions about the butterflies.

Then her mobile phone rang.

“Yoboseyo?”

From the other end, Min Ah spoke continuously. “Ha Ni yah… I’m out of my wits here… seriously, studying is making me crazy. Can’t we go out? You promised we will. We still haven’t celebrated your passing that advance placement test. Let’s go out tonight. Please… please… have pity on your friend. :(”

Ha Ni could only chuckle at her best friend. Min Ah was doing her appeal-to-pity strategy again. And like always, it never really failed.

“Okay… we’re going out. Just pick me up,” Ha Ni told Min Ah, who squealed in triumph. She said she would pick her up at 7pm and go to a certain bar Min Ah discovered very recently.

********************

The whole family was out, ommoni and CEO Baek went to a weekend social affair of the company, Eun Jo had a camping trip for school and Seung Jo went out to no one knows where, as usual. Ha Ni just left a note at the fridge in case anyone comes home as she was not able to reach ommoni’s mobile phone.

It was Ha Ni’s first Saturday night out in Seoul, at a bar. Min Ah insisted on bringing her there to taste Seoul’s night life which she had been postponing for quite a time. Ha Ni felt thankful for agreeing to come. The bar to which Min Ah brought her was certainly a very good one.

They had been barely seated at their table when Jin Woo came.

“I called him, too. It’s okay, right, Ha Ni yah?”

Despite feeling betrayed after thinking it was their bestfriends’ night-out, Ha Ni nodded. After all, Jin Woo was their closest male friend in Seoul. She later learned that it was Jin Woo who introduced the wonderful bar to Min Ah.

Ha Ni was thankful that Jin Woo never asked nor mentioned anything about the kiss incident. Like it never happened before his very eyes. Perhaps that was one of the reasons why Ha Ni did not feel annoyed that Min Ah invited an outsider to their bonding session, because Jin Woo did not feel like an outsider to them anymore. He was a friend, and Ha Ni felt he was a friend who could be trusted.

“Good thing Min Ah finally persuaded you to come out tonight,” Jin Woo said.

Min Ah laughed. “I had to act a bit, just like what I always did in high school… Ha Ni have that soft spot for me.”

“Hah! I’m just too kind to ignore your pitiful tone, even if I already know well enough that you use that to drag me everywhere you like.”

The three spent a good part of the night talking about things, eating and trying out some drinks.

“Ha Ni yah, you should try this mix. It’s not too strong, just like juice.” Min Ah only offered very mild cocktails to her because Ha Ni was not really good at drinking alcohol. Beside the fact that they were barely of legal age to drink alcohol, Ha Ni was not really fond of it. The fruity cocktails were okay but she still had them in moderation.

As Ha Ni was sipping her strawberry-flavored mixed, a new group entered the bar.

“Ha Ni yah… look, isn’t that Baek Seung Jo and his debate team friends?” Min Ah pointed.

Ha Ni and Jin Woo both turned to the direction of Min Ah’s fingers, and true to her words, standing a few tables away from them are Seung Jo and his friends. With He Ra and her bunch of girls.

Seung Jo incidentally turned his face to the direction of Ha Ni’s table. Their eyes met.  Seung Jo then noticed Jin Woo sitting beside Ha Ni. It was clear that he did not expect to see her at that place. And he was not prepared to meet her there with Jin Woo who, as far as he knew, caused that trouble after the musical.

Ha Ni smiled lightly at Seung Jo, to which returned with only a nod.

He Ra, already much aware of the silent exchange between the two, was fuming. She still had not forgotten when one of her girls tipped her about seeing Ha Ni and Seung Jo coming out of the theater weeks ago. Ha Ni earlier assured her that she was going to the musical with Jin Woo, so He Ra was furious to find out that it was otherwise. She felt lied to and fooled by Ha Ni.

That sly , she’ll get it from me.

So all along, He Ra was only bidding her time to get back at Ha Ni for deceiving her. And He Ra felt it in her bones that her awaited payback time against Ha Ni would happen that night in that bar. So she kept her senses alert for any opportunity at revenge.

********************

In the middle of all the fun, Ha Ni could not help but notice how clingy He Ra was at Seung Jo’s side. There were many moments of the two talking closely with each other. Ha Ni became curious at the relationship the two had. Actually, even at the university, He Ra was the only female that she knew to be on more than good terms with Seung Jo. All the other girls who came up to him were his not-so-secret admirers and stalkers, all of whom he treated casually, depending on the classification he put them on. Most of them fell under the nuisance category. Some of them he dated for a night or two. He Ra was different from the others, they were like friends or something. Seung Jo tolerated her presence better than other girls who were dangling themselves up for him.  But of course, that did not mean He Ra was not attracted Seung Jo. Ha Ni discovered that herself in the several weeks she saw them in the university. It was even a common knowledge that He Ra only entered the debate team when Seung Jo did. She could have joined the tennis club, too…if not for her fear of getting tanned and scratched during the practice and games.

As Ha Ni looked at their table, she felt she had look away. To avoid seeing how He Ra throw herself at Seung Jo and how it seemed like Seung Jo was okay with all He Ra was doing. Despite Ha Ni’s urge to look away, she could not. Even while chatting with Min Ah and Jin Woo, her eyes constantly shifted back to the debate team’s table. The more Ha Ni observed them, the more she felt that weird urge to drag He Ra to the other side of the table, away from Seung Jo’s seat. Ha Ni could only shake her head, confused at her thoughts. Only one thing was clear to her, she did not like He Ra to be near Seung Jo. And that added to her reasons of disliking He Ra bit by bit.

Little did Ha Ni know that He Ra was also deliberately flirting more than usual. It was really He Ra’s intention to flaunt it and tick Ha Ni off.

********************

Because it was a Saturday, it was tradition to have a short program in that bar. Just to add more entertainment for the customers.

The host greeted everyone and waved vigorously, especially to the regulars of the bar. The crowd erupted to loud cheers. Clearly, the short program was always a highly anticipated part of Saturday nights.

“Look like you are all very excited for what we have in store for tonight, huh?” the host commented.

The crowd cheered again.

“So what do you think will we have tonight?”

The cheers became louder, and any answer to the host’s question was drowned by the noise.

“Well, it’s been a while since we last had a contest on stage, right?”

“Yes!!! Bring it on!” the people answered.

Ha Ni and Min Ah were as excited as the people, though they never knew what to expect, being first-timers in the Saturday program. Jin Woo, who had seen many Saturdays in that bar, just rolled his eyes at the people.

“So, we will have another contest. Soju-drinking contest!”

Some of the people booed. They had already seen so many soju-drinking contests around. And being regulars of the nightlife bars in the vicinity, they already knew very well who the strong contenders and likely winners were. There was nothing exciting in that.

The host hushed the hostile audience. “Before you all complain, let’s add a little twist to the game.”

The people began to get excited again.

“For tonight, our contest will only involve the female members of the crowd. And it is up to the gentlemen to choose who the contenders are. So take a look around and decide on the two girls you would like to join the contest. So ladies, please bear with our little game. It will only be purely for fun.”

The debate team lobbied loudly for their muse. He Ra, of course!

Because He Ra was definitely a head-turner in the bar, the crowd immediately approved of her as one of the contestants. He Ra did not look worried at all. She was a hustler in drinking, after all. She was confident that she would win. And she saw this opportunity to outshine Ha Ni.

Then her cunning mind worked.

She whispered something to the host, which the host welcomed enthusiastically.

“Hear, hear! According to Yoon He Ra-ssi, we have first-timers to our Saturday tradition here in the house tonight. Their fellow student in their university, in fact.” Then the host pointed to Ha Ni’s table. “So who among the two lovely  girls should we invite to join He Ra-ssi on stage?”

The crowd hooted and yelled for the girl in black dress, Oh Ha Ni.

Seung Jo remained passive and stared hard at the stage, not giving even a short glance at Ha Ni who was instantly put under the spotlight.

Oh Ha Ni shook her head profusely, declining the request of the crowd for her to join the drinking game.

“Oh Ha Ni cannot join the game. I will just take her place,” Min Ah offered. She was a stronger drinker than her best friend.

The host was about to accept Min Ah’s offer when He Ra whispered to him again.

“Aha! It seems like He Ra-ssi specifically wants to challenge Oh Ha Ni-ssi in the contest. Now this gets more exciting!” the host announced.

Ha Ni still did not want to join the game, primarily because her alcohol tolerance was very low. Jin Woo assured Ha Ni that it was alright to turn down the challenge. It was a petty challenge after all.

But when Ha Ni saw the smug look on He Ra’s face, the crooked smile playing on her lips and the taunting brows she raised on her, Ha Ni’s decision faltered.

Then pictures of He Ra’s constant flirting with Seung Jo flashed automatically in Ha Ni’s head.

That must have done the trick.

Suddenly, all of her bottled up annoyance broke loose and took over Ha Ni’s rational thinking.

Ha Ni walked slowly up the stage, much to the cries of worry and disapproval from Jin Woo and Min Ah. Ha Ni looked back at their table and mouthed, “I’ll be fine.”

The two had no choice but to watch.

“Just stop drinking when you cannot take it anymore, Ha Ni yah!” Jin Woo yelled in support.

Seung Jo then looked at Jin Woo’s direction with deeply furrowed brows then returned his gaze back at stage where He Ra and Ha Ni were already both standing. His face was unreadable.

He Ra’s plan had many layers. If Ha Ni backed down, it would show that she was weak. Seung Jo did not like weak girls. If Ha Ni accepted, and He Ra knew she would lose, it would show that He Ra was stronger than her. And if He Ra got lucky, Ha Ni could get drunk and embarrass herself in front of the crowd, with many of the university students in it. He Ra felt victory in the air.

He Ra spoke in a very low condescending voice, only audible to Ha Ni’s ears. “Do you know Seung Jo feels attracted to women who can hold their drinks? And I heard you only take juice…”

Ha Ni stiffened. Her proper sense of thinking returned when she heard He Ra speak. What have I gotten myself into? Ottoke?!

Then the contest began.

********************

A/N: As promised, another chap. I dont know when the next chap will be posted, though. I barely have a paragraph for the next one. :P Enjoy reading!
BTW, can anyone help me out with a poster/banner/header for this ff? Thankyu!