Soojung understood that Jinri wanted to squeeze in as many typical-high-school activities into this year as possible, before she started her modeling work. She understood that. She knew that was why Jinri was so hyped up over Homecoming, and was trying to hang out with more friends, and was studying somewhat harder in school as well as trying out a lot of random after-school activities. She got that. But there were some of Jinri’s ideas that she just did not want to go along with.

 

“A frat party - Jinri, really?”

 

“It’s not a frat party!” Jinri runs her finger along the floor of the dance studio, creating unpleasant squeaky sounds that compelled Soojung to slap her hand away. “It’s just. A house party. Hosted by a college student who happens to be in a… frat. Well, it’s open invite, okay? We don’t have to be frat kids to come, so…”

 

“But why do we have to come?”

 

“Come on, Soojung, you’ve never been to any party! Parties are fun. Can be fun, at least. And the host is Minho-oppa’s friend…

 

Soojung rolls her eyes and turns to Taemin, who was walking over to sit next to them. “Tae, can you please tell Jinri what a ridiculous idea it is to bring me to a frat party.”

 

Taemin reaches out and playfully pinches her nose. “Not stooping down that low, are you? Come on, you should go out once in a while. It’s Kibum-hyung’s party, Soojung, you know him. Well, I know him and you know his dogs. Anyway, you’ll have fun if you go with Jinri. Just stay away from the alcohol, you don’t know how to drink.”

 

“Hold on, aren’t you going?”

 

Taemin shakes his head slowly. “I have another dance masterclass. Jinki-hyung’s taking me to town. But Jongin’s going, I think? I’ll get him to look out for you.”

 

“I don’t need Jongin to look out for me,” Soojung mumbles as she twirls her hair with her finger, trying not to follow Taemin’s gaze which was fixed on Jongin who was on the other side of the studio. She decides not to mention how she and Jongin are still maintaining physical and mental distance from one another. “If anything, I’ll be the one making sure he’s not doing anything stupid.”

 

Taemin smiles affectionately. “Sure. But it’d still make me feel better to know someone’s looking out for you…”

 

“Taemin, why do you think I should go?”

 

Taemin shrugs. “I think you should try things like this at least once in your high school life, and why not when Jinri’s still around? And you’re gonna have less time for this in senior year, trust me. Just. I don’t see why you shouldn’t. Just so you, y’know, you’ve been to a party. Then you can decide if you like it or not.”

 

Soojung sighs and nudges Jinri. “Fine. I’ll go. But you have to help me with my outf—”

 

“Taemin-oppa, where have you been these past few years?” Jinri whines, leaning over Soojung to punch his arm. “You could’ve helped me convince her to do so many things, like skip gym class to get tickets for that EDM festival, or go stalk the varsity football team practice…”

 

Soojung growls and reaches toward Jinri, while Taemin laughs, puts his arm around her shoulder and pulls her closer. 

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

The party turned out to be not unlike what Soojung had imagined. Rowdy boys, girls taking selfies, alcohol, smoke, loud music, dancing, all the good stuff. Soojung was not one to partake in any of these activities, so she stuck close to Jinri. Jinri said hi and hugged a lot of people, and talked to some, and though Soojung hated listening to small talk and having to smile at people she didn’t know, she was just glad Jinri wasn’t drinking or smoking hookah or playing strip poker or beer pong or whatever other dumb games frat kids play.

 

Speaking of dumb games, Soojung halted as she spotted what looked like a round, glass fish tank about three-quarters filled with… cell phones. “Jinri, what’s that?” she questioned, grabbing her friend’s elbow.

 

Jinri turned to look. “Oh. That’s the Seven bowl!”

 

“What?”

 

“Seven Minutes in Heaven…” Jinri stares at her. “You don’t know? About it?”

 

“Well, I…” Soojung scratched her head. “I’ve… heard of it?”

 

“Well.” Jinri takes a short breath and lets it out. “Girls put their phones in that bowl. Guys come anytime, they go to him over there — ” she points to a guy who was returning to the stool by the phone-bowl — “he’s in charge of the game. He supervises the guy pull out a phone blindfolded, and the guy has to go and find the phone’s owner. When he does, they have to make out in the Seven closet for seven minutes.”

 

Soojung blinks. “You have got to be kidding me.”

 

“It’s fun, actually,” Jinri chirps. “Assuming you get lucky and someone hot picks your phone out.”

 

“Jinri!”

 

Jinri shrugs innocently. “I haven’t done it a lot. Maybe twice? But it’s fun, Soojung! It’s like, a teenage experience! You should give it a go!”

 

“In case you forgot, I have Taemin.”

 

“Well, yes, but Seven doesn’t count, Soojung-ah. It’s just a game.”

 

“A game involving kissing…” 

 

“Okay then, don’t tell him! But I bet he won’t mind even if you do.”

 

“Jinri, I’m not talking about this anymore. Okay?” Soojung shoves her phone in her back pocket and drags Jinri along with her. “Let’s go.”

 

 

 

 

 

“Where’s Soojung?” Sehun asks as Jinri approaches. She assesses the couch and decides it was too crowded; Sehun had Hayoung sitting on his lap while a drowsy Sooyoung was nestled into Jongin’s side, his arm curled around her waist. She rolls her eyes and pulls a chair. “I don’t know where she is,” she answers while settling herself on her seat. “I sort of broke apart from her on purpose.”

 

“Why,” Jongin says flatly. “Years of friendship and this is the first time you have unglued yourself from her hip.”

 

Jinri grins. “I wanted a Jell-o shot and I know she wouldn’t have let me take one.” Jongin an eyebrow while Sehun rolls his eyes. “And I have a better reason. I went to put her phone in the bowl!”

 

Jongin and Sehun exchange looks. “Choi Jinri,” Jongin says slowly, “what bowl?”

 

“The Seven bowl!” Jinri chirps, bright as ever. “It’ll be her first time ever!”

 

“Jinri, why?” Sehun sighs. Jongin is gently repositioning Sooyoung so that she was leaning against the arm of the sofa and not him. 

 

“Why not? It’s just a game. And she’s never done it before…” Jinri’s voice trails off as Jongin stands up and walks off. “Hey, where are you going? Can I have your spot on the couch?”

 

“He’s going to get her phone, dumb. I can’t believe you’d… Seriously, Jinri, are you high off just one Jell-o shot?” Sehun snipes as she squeezes in between him and Sooyoung.

 

Jinri blinks at him innocently. “I didn’t count on Jongin swooping in.”

 

Sehun gives her a hard look. “Really? You didn’t?” Jinri bit her lip. “I guess you didn’t know about that time in freshman year when Sungjong tried to hit on her and both Taemin and Jongin went bat crazy? I guess you weren’t there and wasn’t the one to blab about it during lunch? So I guess you thought it was a good idea to, well, force her into kissing a stranger in a closet and then telling Jongin about it?”

 

“But it’s just a party game…”

 

“Jinri, Taemin and Soojung’s relationship isn’t like any of your insignificant past ones, okay?” Sehun says and his words sting even though Jinri knows they’re true. “You’ve never been in a real relationship so you don’t understand, but you don’t go around playing party games when you’re committed to someone else, especially your best friend. Taemin didn’t want her to go to the party just to make out with some other stranger.”

 

“Well, you’re no expert with real relationships either, Oh Sehun,” Jinri bites back and glances pointedly at Hayoung, wrapped up in his arms with her face buried in his neck.

 

Sehun quirks an eyebrow. “Maybe not. But I understand them well enough to not meddle with anyone else’s. You just opened up a can of worms between the three of them, do you get that, Jinri?”

 

Jinri feels her stomach knot up and choke up, and Sehun seems to sense that. His eyes grow a little softer and he says, gently, “Look, I know you didn’t mean any harm. You’re just ing stupid, that’s all.”

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

Soojung gripes as she unsuccessfully tries to scan the room for Jinri. She had no idea where her friend had disappeared off to and now she had nowhere to go and nothing to do. She wanted nothing more than to go home, but after being followed by a creep last time she really didn’t want to go back alone. 

 

“Soojung-ah.”

 

Soojung turns around and finds Jongin standing awkwardly with his hands in his pockets, shifting from foot to foot. “What?”

 

When he doesn’t say anything, she adds, “I know Taemin said he wants you to ‘look out for me’, but I’m perfectly fine by my — is that my phone?” She looks at the rectangular object in his hand. “Where did you get this?”

 

“Um — ” If he had just one wish, he’d wish for the ground to open up and swallow him whole. “The Seven bowl.”

 

“But.” Soojung blanks for ten seconds before saying, “I didn’t put it there.”

 

“Yeah, um. Jinri did. So I figured I should, y’know, pick it up before some drunk bastard does. I mean, I…” Jongin gesticulates uselessly with his hands. “Taemin. Y’know. I think this was the sort of looking after he had in mind, um… keeping you from being mauled by some giant frat boy.”

 

Soojung takes a deep breath. “So… Are you saying that you’ll just give me back my phone and we can get on with our lives, or are you saying that we have to play?”

 

Jongin pauses. “Well… technically, I… I have to go over to the Seven guy and tell him I found you before I give you back your phone. Because the phone’s still, um, his responsibility, I guess? He takes note of where each phone — basically, I have to tell him, and once he finds out, we have to… y’know.”

 

Soojung doesn’t know whether or not to believe him, but she decides to. After all, what kind of ulterior motives could he have? There was no way he’d go to all this trouble just to make out with her in a closet. Anyway, she decides, no one would ever know if they didn’t do anything. “We don’t actually have to do anything, do we?” she asks as she follows him to the Seven bowl.

 

For a second she thought she saw him stiffen. “Um… We do, actually, but…”

 

“It’s not like there are cameras inside or anything, right? And even if there are, it’s not like they’re physically going to — ”

 

“It’s just seven minutes, Soojung,” Jongin says brusquely. “It’s no big deal.”

 

“Maybe not to you,” Soojung shoots back. “You’ve probably done this more times than you can remember. But to me, it’s…”

 

“What? A punishment? Imprisonment? Because you don’t want to do this with anyone other than Taemin and not in a closet but in a field of roses or something?”

 

Soojung stares at him. “What is wrong with you?”

 

Jongin doesn’t have the words to answer.

 

Exasperated, she grabs the phone from his hand, marches up to the Seven guy and announces, “This is my phone.”

 

The Seven guy makes a note in his book and lightly shoves them in the direction of the closet. “Over there, kids. Time starts when you close the door.”

 

 

 

 

 

The closet was tiny, a lot smaller than Soojung dared imagine, so the position they end up in is one where Jongin is sitting on the floor with his knees pushed up against one wall, leaning back at a forty-five degree angle to accommodate Soojung’s position. She had no choice but to straddle his waist, a position that would be Really Awkward even when they were on ordinary terms. And now they were on Distant Terms, which upped the awkwardness a couple of levels. Maybe more than a couple. Maybe tenfold.

 

“Look… Sorry. I…” Soojung turns to look at him. There was a tiny sliver of light from outside and she could see his eyes. “You have Taemin now. I shouldn’t… I just picked it out so that no one else would. It’s just — jeez, Soojung, I know we’re the way we are, but I’m not that disgusting — ”

 

“We’ve never properly kissed,” Soojung suddenly blurts out. Why, she had no idea. Maybe what Jongin had said, about her and Taemin and the field of roses, bothered her a little. Maybe because they’d never done anything of the sort. And it wasn’t like she wanted to? But looking at the couples and even not-yet-couples around her… it feels like she has to? “Nothing more than… what you see in public. And I don’t. I mean, you know I’m not really into that kind of thing… I just… I don’t know why I’m even telling you this, but… I don’t know, is it normal? Am I normal?”

 

“Gee, I…” Jongin wasn’t expecting this from her at all. “Wow. Well… I mean, he’s definitely done… Maybe he just thinks you’re not ready? And that you don’t want to do too much? Because you’re, well, you, Soojung. And you… Y’know. He probably thinks you’re not up for it.” Pause. “Are you?”

 

“I don’t know…” Soojung nibbles her lip. “I’ve never… tried. I’ve never… I don’t know if I can, so…”

 

Jongin shifts his position and Soojung overbalances, falling on his chest. Their faces were inches apart, and for a few seconds they stayed frozen, staring into each other’s widened eyes. Then he says in a low voice, “Do you wanna find out?”

 

“Huh? What do you…” She stops talking as his eyelids close, and he leans forward, and presses his lips to hers.

 

What is going on.

 

They break apart slightly, and Soojung can’t resist saying, “We’ve done that.”

 

“Mm.” Jongin leans forward again, and this time he eases her lips open. Soojung’s thoughts come to a halt as she automatically wraps her arms around his neck.

 

 

 

 

 

One time, around the ending of freshman year, Jinri and Sohyun were talking about their boyfriends while Soojung and Jiyoung half-listened. Then they started comparing physical endeavors and Soojung was a little surprised. “You guys don’t do anything more than kissing, do you?”

 

They both shake their heads. “We’re not getting forced into doing anything, Soojung,” Sohyun says, knowing her friend is a little concerned with their older boyfriends. “I only go as far as I’m comfortable with. Dongwoon-oppa respects my boundaries, or so he says.”

 

“But you still have to be careful,” Jinri says, stretching her arms. “Boys get carried away a lot. They can’t control themselves as much as we can.”

 

“Uh, none of this talk applies to me, FYI,” Soojung points out. 

 

“It will soon, Soojungie,” Jinri coos. “Real soon.”

 

“Not in a million years.”

 

And less than a million years later here she was, in a closet with one of her best friends, actually letting him run his hands up and around her waist, letting him run his mouth along her neck and collarbones, letting him turn her lips raw. This whole incident was weird to Soojung on so many levels. First, why would Jongin want to do this to her? This part was somehow easier for her to solve. She told herself that Jongin should have figured out by now that she was a girl. And she repeated Jinri’s words in her head. Boys get carried away a lot. Jongin was, as far as she knew, an ordinary teenage boy. She was a girl. He was a boy. These things happen. Maybe he’d forgotten who she was, who he was doing this with, and this was just another encounter with some girl. There was at least a reasonable explanation on his part.

 

The bigger problem, the part she can’t quite figure out, was her body’s response to him.

 

She couldn’t deny that she liked it. No, her body liked it. Soojung’s body and Soojung herself were two completely different entities, she told herself. But that did very little to reassure her. It still completely, utterly freaked her out to think about her wanting Jongin out of all people to keep on touching and kissing her in that tiny dark cell. It freaked her out to find that she couldn’t make herself pull away. It freaked her out a little less that he wasn’t pulling away, because Jongin is a boy and boys get carried away a lot and Jongin does this from time to time with other people anyways. But she is Soojung, Soojung who was barely interested in chaste kisses, Soojung who doesn’t play these kinds of games with boys, Soojung who really wasn’t into any of this. 

And even more, how is it that she didn’t even begin to feel anything like this when Taemin kissed her? Was it just because Jongin was doing more? Was that really why… Soojung cursed herself and her body. 

 

 

 

 

 

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. “Time’s up, kids. Fun’s over.”

 

Jongin pulls back slightly, and as if just realizing what he’s doing, jerks his head back as far as possible from her. “. Sorry, Soojung, I… I just… got a little…” He fumbles with his words and she scrambles up to her feet, realizing he was still stuck under her. They shove out of the closet and Soojung is a little surprised to see his cheeks tinted red. “I mean, I, uh…” He rubs the back of his head and looks everywhere but her face. “I guess you.. and Taeminnie… I mean, you’re… ready? I guess? I — ”

 

“Uh… guys, I need a little backup.”

 

Jongin and Soojung turn around at the sound of Sehun’s voice, and they see that Sehun has an unconscious person in his arms. None other than, of course, Choi Jinri.

 

“, Jinri…” Soojung reached toward her friend. “What happened?”

 

“I think she took, like, five Jell-O shots… she’s smashed, basically, but she didn’t vomit or anything.” Sehun shifted her position. “Should we take her back to your place? I can crash at Jongin’s.”

 

“Uh… yeah.” Soojung and Jongin helped him move Jinri on to his back, and Soojung was surprised at how well Jinri fit on his broad back, especially since Jinri was pretty tall herself. After years of witnessing Sehun behave like a fifth-grader, she sometimes fails to remember that he he had grown into practically the size of a giant.

 

 

 

 

 

If Sehun noticed that something was especially off between Soojung and Jongin, or that Jongin was walking two feet away from them, or that Soojung was staring at her feet the whole time, he didn’t say anything. The walk home was silent, and despite the cold air and the cold atmosphere surrounding the four of them, Soojung was grateful that she wasn’t walking alone with Jongin, or worse — actually alone. After what happened last time…

 

They stopped in front of Soojung’s house and Sehun turns to her. “Should I bring her inside?”

 

“Yeah, if you could bring her to my room, so I can make sure she’s okay tomorrow…”

 

Sehun and Jongin both come in, and Jongin lags behind as Soojung helps Sehun pry Jinri off him. Not easy, because Jinri whines and wraps her arms tighter around his neck. “Yah, Kkamjong, what are you doing, you could at least help — ” She turns to glare at him and finds him staring at a small, rectangular photograph in his hand, which he drops back on her desk when he goes over to help. After successfully moving Jinri on to her bed, the boys bid her goodnight and left.

 

Soojung walks over to her desk and picks up the Polaroid that Jongin was looking at. It was a picture of her kissing Taemin on the cheek, and Taemin grinning so brightly his eyes were crinkled into slits.

 

//

a/n. title from lorde's "glory and gore".

so. uh. yeah. i feel like i should say something about this chapter but i'm not really sure what to say?

i've never actually been to a frat party but i've read and watched and listened to people talk about it enough to, i hope, write it somewhat believably.