Chapter IV - Devil, In Details and Under Moonlight

Regret, with a heaping side of irritation.

In other words: exactly what I was feeling at this very moment

As soon as she vanished from my periphery, I became acutely aware of my own body and the lack of warmth. My limbs felt exposed and . It was nerve wracking. The music and people were just white noise in the background. Before I could stop myself, I started to nervously rub my elbow. Embarrassed by my discomfort, I crossed my arms like they were shielding me.

But the absence wasn’t the only thing that bothered me.

It was also that smile of hers.

Looking back, I couldn’t quite nail it but something was off. She had a pretty smile, yes. But… Why did her smile look so… weird?

“Tch,” I spat, shaking my head to jog the nonsense out of me head. “That can’t be right.”

I’m overthinking things again. Blaming someone else for my own incompetence. Suddenly, a new pretty girl shows up and I’m starting to lose face? I'm usually so much better at this game. God, I’m crap.

I clap my hands on my cheeks.

Come on, Jung Yerin. Get a grip.

It’s common for me to leave them wanting more. To make them miss me and surprise them when they least expect it. No regrets. I'll find her again anyway.

At least I think I will.

Sigh.

Now then.

I know what you’re going to ask me but you are not going to like the answer.

Why the hell would I leave her on the dance floor if I didn't want to?

I didn’t just leave her only for my own cruel ritual. I actually had a more practical reason. The two just happened to coincide and old habits die hard. To put it simply, social conventions exist that I must comply.

Despite my apprehensions yesterday, I actually enjoy parties. And this one was going very well. First and foremost, there was that girl I nearly made out with on the dance floor. Then there is also catching up with friends, drinking until your gut bursts, and the occasional scandalous social faux pas that we can all laugh about at some later date. But most importantly, it was that y girl who was still in my mind.

Hmm. I wonder what’s her name? Maybe I should have asked? Eh. But I left with such a cool line… Oh well. So it goes, I suppose. I’d love to hang out with her sometime… Ah, but I didn't get her number… Maybe SinB knows? No wait…. Bad idea. She may use that against me somehow. Probably shouldn’t test that...

“...”

What was I talking about again?

Oh right!

The annoying part was that, as a host, I had to make sure everyone was having a good time. Every few minutes there were guests to greet, birthday wishes to accept, and people to throw out if they broke something. Sigh. At least I was almost done.

“Hey, hey~!” A girl with pouty lips and long red colored hair shouted over the music, grabbing my hand as I walked through the crowd. “Oh my gosh! I finally found you!”

“Joy!” I hugged her. “So glad you could make it!”

In the process of our greeting, my arms were tangled up in the two girls next to her. It was Irene and Wendy, a couple I recognized who hung out with Joy a lot. I mouthed an apology but they wouldn't have it as they greeted me with happiness and congratulations.

“You two having fun?” I asked the couple, quite bemused.

“Of course! And thanks for the invite,” Irene said with a slight bow before turning to the other girl. “Right?”

“Yup!” exclaimed Wendy. “We’re having - Wha-? Yah! Irene unnie! Watch your hands!”

The older girl wore a mischievous look. “They have a mind of their own. I swear!”

Joy and I exchanged a knowing look. Wendy didn’t actually mind Irene’s weird obsession but we didn’t say anything out loud. After a couple of exchanges and a group selfie later, I freed myself from them and walked towards the kitchen where I saw SinB and Umji chatting.

This was good group we had here. The who’s who of our university. The other half of Joy’s friends, Yeri and Seulgi, were chatting on a couch near the kitchen. Jihyo was chatting with Sana while Dahyun hung onto latter’s arm. The bob of Jongyeon could be seen on the dance floor, with Nayeon close behind her. Next to them, Mina was having a whispered conversation with Chaeyoung. Somi was gorgeous as ever as well as the rest of her crew. Lisa greeted me as she walked out of the kitchen with a drink in hand. She was following Jisoo, Rosé, and Jennie around as she usually did. I waved my hand to SinB and Umji, who were quitely chatting

So many faces. Too many to keep track.

Some outside enjoying the nice weather and some conversation.

Some on the couches against the wall, huddled together in whispers.

Some in the kitchen, laughing and drinking to their heart’s content.

It was a sight to see.

We went with Sowon's idea and decided to have the DJ on the upstairs balcony. All the couches were either moved to the side of the living room or outside so that the dance floor would have more room. It was novel idea… though murder on our backs.

“I gotta say, SinB,” I started, looking at the bottles on the breakfast bar to find something tasty. “This was a good idea. Thanks for talking me into this.”

“Hehehehe~!” she giggled with a look of satisfaction. “Why thank you, birthday girl!”

It was exceeding my expectations at least.

“Shots?” I looked to the both of them.

“I’m game,” nodded SinB.

“Let’s try this one then!” Umji grabbed a bottle with some light brown liquid and proceeded to pour a shot for each of us. Or what Umji assumed was a shot. She kind of went overboard. Weirdly enough, it was one of the fuller bottles on the counter. “Sowon unnie said it was her favorite.”

Favorite? Well then. Good enough for me.

“CHEERS!”

Down the hatch as they say. The three of us drank in one go.

It. Was. Awful.

It felt like someone pulled at the back of my head and, for good measure, smacked me back upright.

“Blech! What the hell is this?” SinB grabbed the bottle from where Umji placed it on the counter. “Bacardi 151?”

My eyes widened with the words. Crap, why didn’t I recognize the bottle? I didn’t know much about alcohol but I knew this one.

“Not bad,” I lied, finding some soda and washed down the rum. “Smooth.”

What the hell was Sowon? A tank? I might kill her for bringing such a dangerous alcohol.

“Where is Sowon by the way? She wanted to bring someone to the party. Got me kind of curious. She has the same name as you, SinB.”

“Eunbi #2, yeah I know her.”

“You know, for someone so antisocial, it’s kinda crazy how you know everyone. You sure you're not a stalker?”

“Heh, I just know who I know,” she shrugged. “She has your family name actually. Jung Eunbi. We actually used to be on the same dance team back in middle school for a little while. Now she’s a music major with an emphasis in vocals. Pretty good I hear.”

Umji scowled at that bit of info, which SinB noticed.

“Short as hell though and too girly for my tastes,” SinB continued with a judging look on her face in an attempt to appease Umji. It seemed to have worked. These two, I swear. “I saw Sowon unnie talking to her outside if you wanna scope them out. I think they should still be out there.”

“Noted. Welp, catch you love birds later.”

“Unnie!” exclaimed Umji in embarrassment.

As I took a step out to the clear, cool air, the fruits of Sowon’s labor was in full display. Which meant that she went all out and found answers to problems I didn’t have yet to make sure this party really went smoothly.

In other words, I really got my money’s worth with inviting Sowon here.

Never one to do anything half assed, Sowon took it upon herself to make the backyard look especially welcoming. The juxtaposition of the backyard vs the living room was quite jarring. You’d swear you’ve left my party and entered a different one. Gone was the high energy club scene. Instead, the open sky patio lends itself to an outdoor lounge vibe. With some white Christmas lights Sowon and I found, and some clever positioning, we made quite the romantic moonlit getaway. To top it all off, the sounds of an invisible piano playing some jazzhop mix that I used for studying. It drowned out the loud bass coming from inside and really set the ambiance.

Honestly, this was probably why Sowon brought her little date out here.

And, wow, I thought I looked short next to Sowon.

Possibly a full head size shorter than Sowon, Jung Eunbi looked like a rabbit next to a giraffe. Although that may have to do with the fact that her puffy cheeks and doey eyes made her seem more diminutive than most. To top it all off, her short haircut made her seem child like.

There was a familiarity about the two of them as they spoke together, not that I could hear what they were saying. They were standing close to each other, Sowon leaning in a bit closer than Eunbi. She had her hand on the smaller girl’s lower back and her head crooked down as they whispered in each other’s ears.

Judging by the laughter, Sowon was doing alright.

So. This is how the fearless leader puts on the moves.

“I didn’t know you were such a voyeur,” went a sweet but intoxicating voice behind me.

It was like the alcohol in my system started to kick in then. My mind wobbled for a second, a sudden feeling of heaviness growing and subsidding, before straightening itself out.

Damn. Am I really this useless?

She was playing this game well. But I wasn’t going to be outdone.

“Only when my curiosity gets the better of me,” I said, trying to spin around as smoothly as possible. “Which, of course, is most of the time.”

The pale skinned beauty stood before me. Now, her milky skin shined and her semi translucent blouse teased me further. Around the collar was a pink ribbon, almost like a present. She was a bit taller than me, though not as tall as Sowon. Her black shorts topped her legs well, her feet in a pair of black, ankle wrapped heels.

But it was her smile that threw me off again. That same pretty but weird smile.

“Hehe. A dangerous game to play.” Her voice was coy as she stepped forward. The smile vanished from her face. She now wore a more thoughtful look, brow furrowing as her lips pursed. “Curiosity killed the cat, you know?”

“Lucky for me then,” I responded, both vocally and physically as I also stepped forward. “I’m not a cat.”

“Really?” she questioned, raising an eyebrow. Then, with only me being able to see, slightly adjusted the hem of her blouse to reveal light scratches on her abdomen. My scratches. As the hem fell, she wore a knowing look. “Your claws are sharp like one.”

I was looking deep again. Under the pale moonlight, her black eyes seemed clearer. Almost glass. I could see myself in them. As if she was holding my prisoner in there. Her entirety surrounding me.

Close again.

It was unsettling me how comfortable I was when I was next to her.

“Only when I find something I like,” I mused.

It took her a moment but the words clicked in her head. Her grin grew, teeth showing.

“So then, Ms. Pretty Eyes.” I said slowly, emphasizing the words. “Tell me, what’s your actual name? I can't just keep calling you this little pet name I created. I mean, unless you wanted me to.”

The girl giggled. It was like something out of a movie. .

“Heehee, though I wouldn't mind that much.” She gave a small nod that I returned back. “I should have introduced myself. I'm Choi-!”

“YAH! CHOI YUNA!” cried a worried voice. My senses were brought back to a dimension I didn’t know I left. “Where have you been?”

Eunbi ran to our side, pulling the tall Sowon by the wrist behind her.

“Are you okay? Did you get hurt anywhere? I’ve been looking for you everywhere!” Eunbi’s worried expression continued. That is, until she noticed my presence. “Oh, um… Hello.”

She gave me a small bow, with a slightly confused look on her face like she didn’t know what to make of me.

Sheesh, talking about timing.

“WHAAAAAA~! JUNG EUNBI!” expressed the pretty girl in a low tone. The exclamation was more of a cry. “Couldn’t you have waited for 2 seconds!? You ruined my cool intro!”

“What? I was worried about you!”

“I can take care of myself!”

Gone were the coy looks and sweet voice. Gone were the practiced smiles and clever one liners. Choi Yuna wore the face of someone who was utterly ruined. Completely defeated. Almost like a child who was just caught stealing money from their parent’s wallet.

The change was so sudden and so different that I didn’t know what to make of it.

Her eyebrows furrowed in frustration and her neck muscles tightened as she and Eunbi started arguing.

It was amazing. So amazing I couldn’t hold it in.

“Children! Stop shouting!” yelled Sowon over the two girls arguing. “You’re going to kill the mood here. Sorry, Yerin! I didn’t -!?”

“BWAHAHAHAHAHA~!!!”

The laughter echoed throughout the backyard. My hands were at my side like I was about to burst. The three of them just looked at me confused.

“Sorry, heehee, sorry~!” I apologized through the tears, my hand waving as if to tell them not to worry. “You guys are just too funny.”

Eunbi looked at me even more confused, looking to Sowon for help. “Uh… Thanks?”

“I think we broke Yerin.” Sowon looked at everyone else.

What made it even more funny was Yuna’s reaction to hearing my name.

“Wait! Wait wait wait wait wait!? You’re Yerin? You’re Jung Yerin? You mean this is your party?” Yuna’s eyes furrowed even more, her face reddening from embarrassment. “AH! I must look like an idiot out there! I thought you were just a random student from school - I mean not that I just dance with anyone like that but you were just - And then the music was good and then - Well things like that happened right? Like in movies and stuff. So I thought, why not? But for it to be the birthday girl! Gah, I must be breaking like a million social protocols right now! And I kept you all to myself! Oh, god. What if you’re famous or something? Or do you have a fan club of worshippers? They aren’t going to kill me right?”

The sentences, if you can call them “sentences”, coming from were fragmented and jumbled. Combined with her heightened panic in her voice, she was really losing it.

“It’s fine, it’s fine!” I lightly tapped her on the shoulder. Just a little haptic feedback to tell her everything was okay. And just a little something for me to calm me down. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

“You think?”

“Hehe, maybe?”

“Oh, man…”

“I guess… Everything is okay?” Sowon looked at Eunbi with an awkward smile. “Told you, we’d find Yuna eventually. Though I didn’t think to look on the dance floor.”

Eunbi just puffed her cheeks in response, a slight pout on her lips. I’m starting to see why Sowon was so taken with her.

“You must be Jung Eunbi, right?” I leaned over a little bit to catch her get her attention. “If you two are Sowon’s junior that means you two are my juniors as well. Let’s all be friends, yeah?”

As I bowed my head, I heard more frustration coming from Yuna as she just made the connection that I’m older than her as well.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” Yuna gave me a 90 degree bow. “I thought you were younger than me because you were shorter! Ah, I’m so stupid! Stupid stupid stupid!”

“Haha, it’s fine! You don’t have to apologize for thinking something.”

Eunbi reached out her hand and rested it on Yuna’s head. As she looked away, I gave Sowon a small wink.

“How about drinks? Sowon unnie? Jung Eunbi-shi?” I asked, changing the subject. It was usually the best way to diffuse the situation at a time like this.

“Ah, yeah, yeah!” Sowon grabbed Eunbi’s arm, taking the initiative back to her. “Surprise us. Whatever you want.”

“Sounds good. Ms. Pretty Eyes? Help me get some drinks. I can’t carry all four at once.”

Sowon snorted at that nickname and if Eunbi’s eye roll could make a sound, I would have heard it too. As we walked away, Yuna’s steps became tighter and more sturdy. She hung to my arm like it was the most obvious place for her to be.

And I welcomed it.

“Yerin unnie?”

It took me a second to register the message. Calling me unnie with that voice… So not fair.

“Yes?”

“Nothing… Just making sure you will let me call you that.”

The sweet, intoxicating voice was back. Her eyes and face muscles were more relaxed. She wore the face that drew me in before. Minus the weird smile, instead she took on a calm, poised persona.

The change was so sudden that if you blinked, you would have missed it.

Like she was a whole new person.

Ah, I get it now. Things were starting to fall into place.

“Yuna, then?” I waited until she gave me her confirmation.

“Hmm?” she leaned in and nodded as we got closer back into the house and the loud music started to overtake us.

I met her, my mouth close to her ears. As I inhaled, I could smell the shampoo in her hair.

“Yuna, I’m going to have fun playing with you tonight.”

Author's Note: SOOOOO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG!!! I was having so many problem with this chapter that I just couldn't get it to work together. Thankfully, it's a lot longer than the last one and you guys are so awesome for being patient. Now that I have this little hump out of the way, hopefully I can become more expediant. 

In other news: MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FELLOW BUDDIES!!!