The music was unbearably loud and Mina could still hear the thoughts in her head. When she had asked Sana earlier if there were any parties that they could go to, it was with the intention to forget. Forget how her parents won’t stop fighting, forget how her grades are slipping, forget that men are liars, she wants to forget it all. What better way than with alcohol and mindless dancing? But that is not how Mina functions, she cannot change who she is, and frankly she is not the kind of person who can just let loose without a second thought.

 
    Although she is uncomfortable and she loses Sana in the crowd that doesn’t stop her from waltzing to the punch bowl and grabbing herself a cup of Jungle Juice*. ‘Maybe if I drink enough, the music will actually be tolerable enough to dance to’ Mina is so caught up in her thoughts that she doesn’t feel the pair of eyes that have been watching her since she walked in. Moments pass and Mina finds herself standing under the blue lights, against a wall, drink in her hand, and once again, lost in her thoughts. 

    Then she feels it, soft headphones cover her ears and then, she hears “I want to know how it keeps you smiling and makes the world turn beautiful, I want to know, what is love?” Mina is taken aback by the bubbly beat, the endearing words, and by the beautiful girl that is standing behind her with a satisfied look on her face. The raised eyebrows, the little smirk, everything about this girl takes Mina by surprise. Time stood still, the music stopped, and Mina forgot how to breathe. She knows this girl, her name is Dahyun. She’s in the grade below her and Mina has seen her goofing off in the cafeteria at school, but she has never seen her like this. Her dark wavy hair was cascading down her back, brushing against her plaid button up, which she paired with dark jeans, and Vans. Mina’s mouth went dry and Dahyun was still staring at her with that smug look on her face.

    Mina has no idea how much time has passed, all she knows is that the song blaring in the headphones has changed and all she’s hearing now is “say yes”. Mina takes it as a sign to literally say yes, say yes to this feeling, this moment. She doesn't know if its the alcohol, but she knows that it feels right, she moves right into Dahyun’s arms. Their locked gaze is intimate, the chemistry is palpable, and not once does it cross Mina’s mind that this is the first time she’s felt such a way for a girl, or anyone for that matter. 

    ‘Mina-unnie you looked so lost, but so so beautiful, so delicate.’ Dahyun’s surprisingly soft words catch Mina off-guard ‘I thought maybe the music wasn’t to your liking so I put on my favorite playlist, but I’m not going to lie, I made such a move just so you could notice me. It was pretty smooth on my part, right?’ Mina chuckles and nods into Dahyun’s chest.

    ‘Well, I definitely noticed you. Probably will never forget tonight either.’

    ‘Maybe, if we do enough shots you will!’ Dahyun playfully throws back.

    ‘How about a beer instead? Let’s go outside, I want to hear more of those songs.” Mina’s confidence is growing and she grabs Dahyun’s arm, dragging her to the fridge. They grab two cold ones and head out to the backyard, the party lights through the window cast a soft neon glow on their skin. For the first time in a while, Mina isn’t think about her problems, she’s just thinking about the girl next to her and this moment that they’re creating. She can’t but smile at Dahyun, subconsciously showing her gratitude for breaking her out of her shell.              

         ‘Okay, so don’t judge me, but this next song has a lot of dubstep in it, but I swear its good.’ Dahyun excitedly tells her as they sit down on a step. Mina gives her a nod and she rests her head on Dahyun’s shoulder, allowing herself to get caught up in the music. Before she can even realize, Dahyun wraps her hand in hers, rubbing her thumb against her skin. 

    ‘I’ve always noticed you Mina. You’re poised and kind. I actually can’t believe this is happening. I may put on a playgirl act, but I could never find the right words to approach you with. Maybe that’s why I chose to communicate through music instead.’ Mina is at a loss after hearing Dahyun’s words. She also struggles to find the right things to say, so like Dahyun, she decides to take action instead. Mina closes her eyes and leans in towards Dahyun, their lips meet, at first soft and sweet, but getting hungrier by the second.  The music is drowned out by the pounding of her heart. This. This is what she needed. This is what she has always wondered about. This is love. 
    

*Jungle Juice- an American alcoholic beverage that is really popular at college parties. Made with with like four different kinds of liquors and two different kinds of juice. Its called jungle juice bc it’s sweet and makes you wild.