KIARA'S POV

“I thought that’s what we had decided upon. If one goes down, she takes the other with her.” I glared at Aria. Only hours back, I was literally jumping around with joy at her return from her research trip to Japan. Now, I fixed on her one of my rarest frowns. She looked up at me from the massive unpacking work she had laid out in front of her. Her flawless skin and hazel eyes, couched in her dark-brown slick locks never fail to amaze me. She, however, discounts all such claims, and also the obvious admiration that she inspires in men.

“If I am going down, Ki, I’m definitely taking you with me. Right Ruhan?”

Ruhan looked up from the strategy-role playing board game she had got for him. It was some medieval fantasy based game, and we were all great ers for all things that took us beyond the mundane.

“Mumma” He said gravely, “No breaking the Sis Code.”

I stared at him incredulously as Aria flopped back on the floor, shoulders shaking and that laughter I knew so well.

“What?” Aria and Ruhan did the secret handshake thing they had invented, and she turned to look at me triumphantly.

I gave up. “I don’t even know them.”

“You know me.”

“I don’t have anything to wear.”

“Neither do I, we will figure something out or languish in our badassery.”

“Badasseryyyyyy!” Ruhan screamed, pointing indignantly at some figurine.

“Ruhan! Bad word.” I spared him a glare.

“I don’t want to, Aria.” I said, piteously.

“Neither do I, and so I need you.”

Then, I voiced my real concern. “What if I meet him again?”

Aria’s eyes lighted up. “Now we are talking. Come one, we owe this to our 16 year old selves. I know you want to. You do, right? And we can be all, hey bigbang is here, oh we don’t give a damn !”

“DAMNNN SHIIIIT!”

“Ruhan, bad word!”

“I do, at some level, but I don’t know.” A part of me really wanted to go, that also being the part that loved dancing. I missed dancing, and especially dancing with Aria. We could go crazy on the floor- that being the one space that we actually let ourselves be unburdened and free.

“Ruhan..”

“Hye-jung unnie can have him over for a night.” She turned to Ruhan. “Baby, how would you like to go for a sleepover at Haru’s place?”

“BADASSERRYYYY!”

“Ruhan!” I stamped my feet as Kiara erupted in absolute mirth.

As we got closer to the club and the music got louder, I could feel my blood pumping. Dara and Bom were already bouncing on their heels (I can’t believe I’m with freaking 2NE1’s SANDARA PARK AND PARK BOM.Waaaah, my life just got upgraded!) and I could see Aria trying to contain herself, just as I was.

Being with Dara and Bom definitely had its perks. Both of them had brought us to a YG club and of course, we got free passes to the VIP lounge (Another upgrade!). It had been so long since I had danced (except to Pororo’s songs), let alone come to a club. I continuously kept tugging at the hem of the little black dress that Aria had manipulated me into wearing. I couldn’t stop myself from glaring at her for making me wear such a short dress. Her retort had been, “Oh c’mon, you’re not an ahjumma or halmeoni. You’re still in your 20s and you’ve a hot body and just freaking wear it, okay. Or else I will teach Ruhan some nice curse words.”

So here I was, wearing a tiny dress that could ride up my at any time and trying to avoid the gyrating bodies.

And all the while I kept hoping that I wouldn’t bump into him. Let him be in the studio, or filming some CF or at some photoshoot or in some other club...basically anywhere but here.

Just then I caught a glimpse of someone who looked like T.O.P. I squinted hard and OMG IT IS CHOI FREAKING SEUNGHYUN WHAAAA. I felt my inner fangirl, which had been suppressed so long, bubbling inside me and threatening to erupt as if a dormant volcano. I let out a small scream, which thankfully got overwhelmed by the loud music. To calm myself down (and to stop myself from barrelling right towards him and throw myself at him), I began downing shot after shot...which was probably not the best decision I made that night. Not like I make good decisions anyway, but this was definitely one of the worse decisions of my life. The alcohol only proved to bring back memories of all the times Aria and I used to fangirl over Bigbang and had built a Bigbang shrine in my room.

I looked around me to see where Aria was and spotted her right beside me, downing shots as well.

“Ariaaa, controlllll,” I said. Wait, why are my words getting slurred?

“You’re one to talk. You drank more than I did at one go. Are you crazy?” Her voice seemed a bit distant.

“Becauseeeee I didn’t want to throwww myselfff at T.O.P.”

“Whooo?”

“T.O.P. You know, Choi Seunghyunnn from Bigbannnnng? Perfectionnnn itself? Deep voiceeee….”

“But why would you throw yourself at --- OMG HE’S HERE?