I can't hear properly.

Everything seems like a blur, like I'm riding a carousel that's spinning 10x faster that it makes me want to throw up. 

"Nica, is this true?! Do you know this j*ckass?!"

Yoongi-oppa's holding Sehun by the collar of his uniform. My oldest brother is no 6-footer like Sehun, but he is like a terrifying giant when he's angry. Sehun looks mortified as he clasped on my brother's hands, completely stunned and baffled; he has a fresh purple bruise on his cheek from Yoongi-oppa's jab.

All eyes are on me right now -- the boys, Sehun, Sehun's classmates, the workers, and even strangers who were happily eating and minding their own business a moment ago -- and I can't help but feel a sharp pain in my chest.

Is this what it feels like? When time stops?

Like the world halted for a moment, waiting for my answer.

"Nica, who is he?!"

Now it's Jungkook's turn to question me. He got this look on his face that I've never seen before -- a combination of worry, anger and confusion. 

Sehun finally came back to his senses, "Let go of me!" He grabbed Yoongi-oppa by his wrists and pushed him away, "What the is wrong with you?!"

Sehun's classmates stood up to his either sides, ready to back him up in case Yoongi-oppa punches him again. The tall guy reminded me of Namjoon-oppa as his big built contradicts his soft features. The guy with the silver-gray hair was equally intimidating even though he is much shorter than Sehun and the tall dude. Honestly, Sehun and his classmates all have charming features, far from the other kids that I see on the streets doing drugs every day. They don't look like they sell weed or cut class or whatever, but they sure look like they are capable of handling themselves in times of danger.

Meanwhile, Hoseok-oppa and Namjoon-oppa walked hurriedly towards us to check what was going on.

"Hyung, what's the matter?" Namjoon-oppa asked.

"Who are these people? Why did you punch him?!" Hoseok-oppa followed up.

Gahd, I feel so awful. No one, not even me, knows what is exactly going on. 

Sehun smirked, "You tell me."

Yoongi-oppa half-stepped towards Sehun, "If you open your mouth one more time, I swear to God I will hit you till you're blind." He attempted to attack Sehun once more, but Namjoon-oppa and Hoseok-oppa both held him by his arms.

Sehun then looked at me, his pupils widened as he recognized who I was, "You're --"

Jungkook automatically wrapped his arm around me tightly upon noticing Sehun's stare at me. I looked up at Jungkook and he has this fierce look on his eyes, fixed at Sehun, "She's off limits."

Sweat is coming out on every pore in my body. My stomach's churning. My heart's beating like crazy. I feel like I'm stuck in a mafia movie wherein 2 gangs are about to break into a fight and kill each other with their own fists. 

This is all because of me. I need to fix this.

I swallowed the big lump on my throat and stood in between Sehun and Yoongi-oppa, facing the latter,  "Oppa, I know him."

Yoongi-oppa was shocked to the core. I don't blame him,  "You know this er?! HOW--"

"I'll explain everything later once I've sorted everything out. Can I talk to him in private?" I asked him calmly.

My boys looked perplexed by my words. I spoke again, "Please. Just trust me. We all need to calm down. We are in a public place, and we are disturbing other people right now."

Yoongi-oppa glowered at Sehun again. I held his hand, squeezed it lightly and looked him in the eye, "Oppa. Please."

Yoongi-oppa sighed, "Fine."

I smiled at him, "Thank you."

I looked at the lady at the cashier and bowed to her, "I am so sorry for causing a scene. We'll be on our way." She looked scared to death but she managed to force a smile at me and let us be.

Then I finally faced Sehun, "I need to talk to you."

Sehun looked puzzled, too. I think he's as clueless as I am to this whole situation, but he followed me anyway when I started walking towards the corner of the diner.

The boys and Sehun's friends followed us, but I stopped them, "Stop following us! We need to talk in private."

The tall guy quickly said, "We know. We're just --"

Namjoon-oppa continued his sentence, "We'll be sitting nearby if you need anything."

Jungkook added, "I just want to know that you're okay."

"I am okay. Sehun's not gonna do anything to me. We're just gonna talk." I said.

"Well, I want to see how this er talks to you with my own eyes. I don't think I'm ever gonna leave you alone with him after what he said about you earlier." Yoongi-oppa responded.

He has a point so I didn't argue anymore. 

After hearing Yoongi-oppa, the tall guy and the grey-haired dude finally realized that it was me whom they were talking about before he punched Sehun. The tall guy hit Sehun's back and pointed at me, "She --- she was... She was... her?!" His eyes were wide and he has this comical look on his face. The silver-haired boy kicked Sehun on his ankle which made him shout, "Stupid. No wonder he punched you!"

"Stop hitting me already!" Sehun yelled.

"Oh, believe me, I'm really trying my hardest not to." Jungkook said to him.

"Are you gonna fight again?! Please, just stop." How many times should I need to break them up? Why are boys so... intense?

Hoseok-oppa finally meddled and said, "Ya, guys. Stop this right now. Here's what we're gonna do: Sehun and Nica are gonna sit at the corner and we're all gonna sit a few tables away from them -- far enough to give them privacy and near enough to kick the hell out of this blondie's should he ever lay one finger on Nica. Okay?"

Everyone seemed to agree with him as nobody said anything so we all continued walking.

Sehun and I sat on the end corner of the diner, near the restrooms. Sehun's friends sat 3 tables away from us, right beside where the boys' table were. Few minutes later, Jimin and Taehyung sat there as well. Namjoon-oppa filled them in about what was happening. I don't know what he told them, but Jimin and Taehyung looked confused and angry as soon as he was finished talking.

Gahd, I've never felt so stressed and uncomfortable in my life.

I tried to ignore the boys and focus on Sehun. I need answers, and he is the person who might make me remember what really happened last night, "I am so sorry. The guy who punched you, he's my brother. He heard you saying... nasty things about me. Actually we all heard you."

He turned red and covered his face in embarrassment, "Fck, I'm so sorry..." He looked at me.

"Oh, uhm...Nica. My name is Nica."  I said.

"Nica. I'm so sorry, Nica. I have no excuse." Sehun replied. He looks really apologetic and embarrassed, and I thought for a second that he's kinda... cute.

Enough adding people to your crush list, Nica.

FOR PETE'S SAKES HE'S A ERT. WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU? FOCUS!

I wanna strangle myself sometimes.

I cleared my head and asked him, "Anyway... I hope you could help me remember. I have no idea what happened last night. Jennie said I was with you the whole time?" 

Sehun smiled, "I'm not surprised that you can't remember anything. You were really drunk last night."

I furrowed my eyebrows, "How was that possible? I don't drink so I don't really know what my tolerance is, but I only had one tequila shot and that's the last thing I remembered. Everything else was a blur. One of my friends found me lying in front of a coffee shop hours later."

Sehun blinked, "Oh dear." He stared at me for the longest time, but I can see that he's not really looking at me. He's thinking.

"What?!" Sehun is making me nervous with his stare. He knows something.

Sehun then said, "Fck, that's why you were all over me last night! You were so clingy and wild. You danced and danced and danced until I had to literally carry you away from the dance floor. I was with you the whole time 'cause I can't find Jennie anywhere and you had no one else with you. I had a really great time with you but I knew something was off. Jennie came back right before the party ended, saying she's taking you home. I didn't see you again after that."

I didn't say anything. I was trying to remember everything.

He spoke again, "Who gave you that tequila shot? Do you remember? 'Cause I don't think tequila made you act like that. Someone might have put something on that shot."

"Something?" I repeated.

Sehun stared at me again.

Someone put something on my shot?

Something that would make me feel energetic and clingy and wild and high?

HIGH.

When I finally realized what he meant, I had goosebumps all over my body,  "Like drugs?! NO WAY. Oh my Goodness." 

Sehun nodded, "Someone drugged you last night, Nica."

I felt numb.

Someone drugged me last night, and what makes is worse is, I exactly know who that someone is.

I stood up, "Thank you, Sehun. For being with me last night and not taking advantage." Before I leave the table, I threw one last look at him, "But... to be honest, I'm not really sorry that my brother punched you in the face for saying those things to me."

I rushed to the boys' table.

Yoongi-oppa goes hysterical again, "What?! Am I allowed to punch that dude again? Don't tell me he's your boyfriend?!"

I replied, "Oppa, can you please chill? I'm so, so, sorry for making you all worry. I just... I don't know how to explain this..."

"I was with Nica last night at the party." Sehun interrupted. I didn't realize he was standing behind me. 

Taehyung pulled me to his side, away from Sehun.

"Honestly, dude... Can you off? Can't you see we're talking here?" Yoongi-oppa's starting to lose it again.

Then everyone started talking all at once. Even Sehun's classmates barged in to support him.

My ears can't take it anymore. They were so loud and combative and I just can't take it anymore. The amount of conflict that I had experienced and witnessed today is more than enough to last a lifetime. Do all 16-year-old girls experience this?

I raised my voice, "Can you all shut up for 1 minute and let me talk or do you want me to take you all to an empty parking lot so you could just kill each other?!"

Everybody shushed.

I shook my head, "Listen. I met Sehun last night at the party that I went to with Jennie. The same party that turned my life upside down. I can't recall a thing, he just told me what happened, end of story. He is NOT my boyfriend. Now everything's clear to me, and I need to deal with something. So... can we all just go home?"

Taehyung then asked me, "One more question: Did this guy take advantage of you last night or something?"

It took me a moment to answer, "I..."

Jimin, who was sitting the closest to Sehun, was about to reach for him. He yelled, "You --" but then Sehun shouted, "God NO! NO! I did NOT make a move on her! Can you all relax?! Nica, I don't think you will ever find a husband. These boys are so ready to murder anyone who comes near you."

Yeah... and I might want to murder someone too.

I'm kidding, I wouldn't really murder her. 

I want to, though.