New Year’s Eve  —  When Yubin met Byul

The speakers blasted music in the tightly packed club. A wave of arms, bodies, legs, interwoven, dancing on the dance floor, fueled by liquid courage flowing from the nearby bar, and Byul was one of them. It had been a few weeks since their break up and Byul was still dying inside. In fact to her she was dead. Just a body roaming around trying to find something or someone to fill the gaping hole inside her.

I should be dead.

Left and right. Left and right. She slept with so many people left and right. Just as she moved her body on the dance floor side to side the same way as she moved from ual partners left and right.

Thump. The sound of her head hitting someone’s chest. She looked up hearing the laughter and the slender arms that s around her waist. “You’re a little too drunk to be dancing this much.” The voice said, loud for a voice supposed to be drowned in the music.

Byul wrapped her arms around the person’s neck and whispered in their ear. “I need you. Don’t leave me. Stay.” The voice laughed and whispered back, “well why should I? Is there anything you could give me?”

Byul squeezed her eyes shut, the lights from the club attacking her senses. She pondered at the curious question then answered back. “Me. I can give you me. No one wants me anyway. So who cares what happens to me?” She grinned and looked at the face of the voice in her drunken stupor.

Wow she’s beautiful.

After that Byul out, crashing into the girls’ arms. 

In the morning Byul woke up with a searing headache and a massive urge to throw up. She rolled out of the bed and pushed herself to stand up, leaning on the bed for support. She looked around at the unfamiliar room and stepped out of the open door.

She heard humming and food being cooked which she followed, still holding back the urge to throw up. Once she got into the kitchen she quickly said, “Hey where’s your bathroom I need to puke.” She covered as the girl turned to her in surprise. “It’s just down the hallway first door on the left.” 

Byul ran towards the bathroom and immediately vomited into the toilet as the girl ran after her. The girl held up Byul’s hair and gently rubbed her back as Byul continued to vomit. After what seemed like forever to Byul, the urge to vomit finally passed but the headache was still there. She was left alone in the bathroom as the girl was still in the middle of cooking. Once Byul was done she walked back to the kitchen and smiled in embarrassment at the girl. “Thanks for helping me out.”

The girl laughed and set down the food on the dining table, gesturing for Byul to sit down. “Don’t mention it. I mean after a speech like that last night who wouldn’t want to help such a cute person like you?” She sat down across from Byul and began serving Byul some hangover soup.

“Thanks.” Byul blushed and began to eat, her face getting redder as she remembered what happened the previous night. “What I said last night...I’m sorry about that. I was drunk out of my mind and I wasn’t in a really good position. My name’s Moonbyul by the way but I normally go by Byul and you are..?” 

“I’m Yubin. Nice to meet you Byul. You don’t have to mind what you said last night. I understand where you’re coming from.” Yubin replied. Byul smiled and continued to eat. “So you’re kind of a big deal singer aren’t you? What were you doing at a gay club?” 

Yubin laughed and shook her head, looking at Byul, her lips curling into a smirk. “What do you think?” She winked and Byul turned red, nodding as she understood why. “Ahhh gotcha.” They continued to eat in silence, stealing glances at each other. 

After the meal Byul stood up and helped Yubin clean up the dishes. “So since when have you been going to gay clubs?” Byul asked as Yubin handed her a wet plate to dry. “Hmmmm probably 10 years after I debuted. I couldn’t really do much then because of rules but now I just don’t really give a . I deserve to have fun and be myself you know.” Byul smiled in acknowledgment.

I really know.

After that Byul and Yubin sat down in the living room and talked some more. Finding out that they shared a lot of similarities. They both enjoyed singing and rapping. They also really liked writing music. They spent hours talking until Byul got a text.

Ah . The party.

“Hey Yubin. I gotta go..” Byul trailed off as she walked into Yubin’s room as Yubin was in the middle of changing since she had spilled some wine on her shirt while they were talking. “Hm? Aw that’s too bad. I was really enjoying our time together.” Yubin pouted, pulling down her crop top. 

Byul smiled sadly, “Yeah I know. Maybe we can hang out sometime soon.” Yubin smiled and grabbed Byul’s phone from her hand, typing and saving her number on it. “Just text me and we can talk more about music and life and people next time. Got it?” Byul smiled and nodded, “Yeah. Gotcha.”

As the taxi drove away, Byul looked up at the building she just came out of and the girl she met from a drunken night. It was a good idea to get drunk that night it seems.

It was 10 pm and Byul and her friends had finished decorating the rooftop they had rented for a New Year’s Eve party. They sat down at the chairs resting for a bit but before they knew it guests started to arrive and by 11 the rooftop was packed with people dancing and drinking and talking. Just having a good time.

Byul walked to a less crowded and less noisy corner, sipping on her beer while watching the people and the couples having fun. Byul and Yongsun should’ve been there together that night but no. Yongsun was off in another country with the guy she left Byul for and seeing their friends here and not her here was killing Byul inside.

The night went on and the party went on. There were still some guests coming as well as some uninvited add ons but the more the merrier right? By then it was close to the New Years and people started counting as the time neared 12 am.

Couples were hugging each other close and people without someone were looking for the closest person to grab. Moonbyul laughed at their antics when she bumped into someone, spilling her beer all over herself. “Ah .” She turned around as the people started to count down from 10 to 0 when she was grabbed close by the girl she met the night before and this morning, their lips locking against the other.

Fireworks exploded in the sky and the people cheered screaming a happy new year as Byul and Yubin made out and quietly got out of the party and back to Byul’s place which they would often do for the next few years. Sleeping with each other and in each other’s places but never really becoming a thing. Not when Byul went away to America and certainly not after she came back. Yubin just quietly and slowly and deeply fell for Byul and there was just no turning back.

I wish I could hate you Byul but I couldn’t. Not even after all of these years. The only person I want to share my bed with is you. It’s always you.