set first year post school; the afternoon before the evening of much protested horror movies mentioned in ch8

'i thought you didn't drink coffee after twelve,' mingyu says as he follows jihyo inside, before catching sight of the oversized wine bottle on the kitchen counter. '... are you already drinking?'

'it's like three pm, it's totally acceptable,' jihyo defends. 'and i've just been sipping.'

'right,' mingyu says, 'you making up for lost drinking time during the term?'

jihyo laughs. 'you think i don't drink during term? when do you think i started drinking wine.'

mingyu nods. 'of course.'

'so everything's here somewhere,' jihyo says, gesturing around the kitchen, 'except the weed, obviously.'

'yeah, i got that,' mingyu says, reaching into his bag for a  pringles container. 

'projector's up in the garage, dawon's coming a bit earlier with a whole pile of mattresses, so we can sequester ourselves in there for the night. my parents are working tomorrow, so they shouldn't bother us.'

'sounds like fun, except for the whole horror movie part of it.'

jihyo laughs. 'you can't fight them.'

mingyu sighs heavily. 'i know. i've tried. i am taller, but goddamn, minghao is vicious.' he pauses. 'and jungkook's ridiculously strong.'

'it's also why i've started drinking already.'

mingyu pauses. 'that's actually not a bad idea. might join you once i've made the batter.'

'sure, no problem,' jihyo says.

he's making the batter for her parents when he takes a sip of her drink and makes a face. 'where did you get this wine,' he yells, jihyo at the back of the house collecting pillows and sheets. 

'the bottle store!' jihyo yells back, and he thinks he's not sure she picked up on the disgust in his voice.

he's just removed the first batch of baked goods when he hears the front door open, and he has a moment of panic before dawon appears.

'you ing scared me,' he tells her reproachfully as she comes up to give him a hug.

'can't think why,' she says sarcastically, 'this place reeks.'

'it'll dissipate soon enough,' he dismisses, 'the batch in now is... legal. jihyo's getting bedding and .'

'ooh, you made space cake?' dawon says, hopping up to sit on the counter, mingyu slapping away her hands from the muffins.

'yeah, minghao asked, like in that way where he's not really asking, he's telling. did you miss that part in the chat?'

dawon snorts. 'please, when i come back after a lecture to like a hundred and fifty new messages i'm not ing backtracking, are you kidding me?'

he tilts his head with a laugh. 'yeah, okay, that's fair.'

'what's this?' dawon asks, her attention caught by the mug on the counter, reaching out for it already.

'jihyo's wine,' mingyu replies, 'i wouldn't drink it, it tastes . although white wine's never been my favourite.'

dawon takes a sip and makes a face.

'see?' mingyu says indignantly and he's pretty sure when dawon laughs, it's at him.

'jihyo, babe,' dawon calls, 'is there vodka in this wine?'

mingyu stops, face saying he can't believe he missed that. 'are you using wine as a ing mix?' he yells.

'don't judge me!' comes jihyo's defensive reply. she appears in the passage after a couple moments with an armful of bedding she dumps on the floor. 

'hey, gorgeous,' dawon says with a grin, hopping down to give her a hug, giving her s a pat for good measure afterwards. 'i dumped the mattresses in the garage.'

'thanks,' jihyo says, 'there's a few more piles of blankets and pillows to carry, if you guys wanna help.'

mingyu shakes his head, tutting. 'vodka in wine? jihyo.'

'shut up,' jihyo tells him, 'stop acting like you've never done a soju bomb.'

'it's different!' mingyu insists as jihyo picks up the bedding again.

'nope,' she tells him, 'put the muffins in a tupperware, bottom of the corner cabinet.'

'yeah, just cooling them a bit, will bring them through in a bit.'

'well, while you wait, can you go get bedding.'

'i can't say no, can i.'

'nope,' dawon replies cheerily for jihyo.