"How much did you drink to get this drunk?" he said following an exasperated sigh. I replied something incoherent probably, though my voice was muffled in his shoulder as rested my head in the crook of his neck. The shoulder seemed familiar yet foreign at the same time from this angle. There was a small bump on the ground and as he tried to step over it carefully, I tried my best to hold in my barf so as not to dirty his shirt. I had recognised it straightaway when he walked up to me along the sidewalk just now - it was the Christmas present that Minghao and I got for him last year. It was probably his favourite, because he wore it so often. Even with my cloudy mind I could vaguely recall the time Vernon wore it without permission, and Mingyu wrestled him to the floor to make him take it off. He bought Vernon soondae after that. 

"You okay?" Someone else whispered to me. I opened my eyes a little. Minghao was walking slowly beside me, staring closely at my face with concern. In his hands were the groceries that I bought that day, minus the six cans of beer that's already consumed by me. He reached out to wipe the perspiration off my forehead with his sweater sleeves. Under the moonlight and row of familiar streetlights, the three of us made our way back to the dorms like always, except that this time I was on Mingyu's back, incapable of walking on my own. 

All these happened an hour after my shopping trip that day, when I got distracted by thoughts that should not even cross my mind, and I decided to succumb to the supermarket's beer promotion. Walking right past the soda I was supposed to get, I grabbed six cans of beer and made my way to the park nearby for some alone time, hands still carrying bags of groceries. I've always had a good alcohol tolerance. If not for the fact that I was dead tired that day, I wouldn't have landed myself in the embarrassing situation of talking to the park trash can. When the two of them found me in the park, I was apparently trying to teach the trash can linguistic rules and how to ace in midterms. 

I didn't even register why the boys decided to carry me back to their room instead of my own (later Minghao explained to me that Hyeyoung was out for a bit so nobody could open the door, especially since I had given the trash can my keys as a "parting gift"). Vernon was equally surprised to see me so out of it, especially since I was always the reliable kid around. Mingyu placed me on the edge of his bed before going to the couch in the living room to sleep. 

"Did you guys have a lover's quarrel or something?" Vernon asked innocently when Mingyu left. I was feeling better by then, so I could actually smile at the irony of this question. 

"Mm." That was all I managed. 

"Lee Sooyoon. Be honest with me, what is going on between you and Mingyu?" Minghao said it so gently yet firmly, it must have been the first time I've seen him this serious. He was less goofy compared to Mingyu in general, but he wasn't the kind to be all strict and rigid. He was a good balance between a boy's useless sense of fun, and a caring friend who would bother to listen. I smiled lightly at him. The gratefulness I had towards him and Vernon in that moment was so salient as they sat on the floor before me, waiting for me to tell them whatever I was willing to share. Neither of them urged me nor forced me into anything; they just waited quietly. 

Except that Mingyu came in at that moment with a hot cup of tea and placed it in my head. The warm tea made me feel so wonderful in an instant. 

"Almost went to sleep without giving you this. Drink this and sleep tight okay? It's your favourite - green tea. The two of you," he turned to his roommates, "look after her okay? And just let her sleep guys, why are you all still up? Tsk." With that, the giant left the room