Date: September 12, 2018

Jisoo’s POV

                 A packet of paper landed on my desk, but I was too preoccupied with my mobile game to look. Jennie, with no respect for my privacy, grabbed at it and checked for a score. I didn’t even have to look; I knew she was annoyed by what she saw by the gasp that came shortly after she got a peek.

               “Ugh… Another 98%? How the heck do you do this every time? I only got a 92% and I studied so hard!” she complained and begrudgingly threw the packet back where it was. “Jisoo, you’re the absolute worst.”

               “Hey, you should be happy–an A is an A. You’re doing well in the class,” I encouragingly advised, still violently tapping away at my phone screen.

               “Yeah, I guess,” she admitted only after rolling her eyes. Soon, the frown on her face transformed into a devilish smile, “Do you wanna celebrate tonight?”

               ​​​​​​​I sighed, knowing all too well what her definition of a celebration was, “By celebrate, do you mean like you know, going to the gaming cafe and relaxing? Because if so, I’m all down for–”

               ​​​​​​​“Nope, I’m talking about ALCOHOL!” she squealed in excitement. “Come onnnn, I can get us discounts since I work there! If you’re scared about you-know-what, we can just have a few drinks there and grab some soju on the way home.”

               ​​​​​​​“Jesus Christ,” I groaned and facepalmed in dread. I peeped over at Jisoo who was mockingly smiling back at me with a fiery gaze–eagerly waiting for a response. She knew how much I hated my drunk ego; if it weren’t for that, I’d probably be enjoying my adulthood a little more. Unfortunately, I’ve declined her invitation so many times I’ve run out of excuses. “Fine, we can go–but I’m only having a few drinks at the bar. After that, we’re getting our asses out of there and drinking at my house.”

               ​​​​​​​“Deal,” she confirms with a twinkle in her eye.

                 Although a good block away from our destination, I could already hear the music blaring. My legs were icy cold from the night wind, but there wasn’t much I could do in this tight bodycon dress that Jennie coerced me into; forcefully pulling the ends down, the stretchy material defiantly rose up my thighs just a few seconds later–evoking a train of curses under my breath. As if complying to the overwhelming apprehension I was experiencing, my feet began to drag–setting me a few steps behind my best friend, who was joyfully skipping off without me.

 

                 Crazy girl…

 

                 “You gotta walk faster than that dude,” she chirped in a sing-song voice. “We’ve got places to go!”

 

                 “Yeah yeah, I heard you the first time mom,” I complained. “I’m doing what I can–walking in heels is no joke.”

                 “With every visit you make to the bar, you will improve–trust me,” she promised with a tease.

                 For such a prim and proper law student, Jennie sure knew how to have fun–at least according to societal norms. Fun for me was a night spent at the gaming cafe, drinking banana milk. This? This was way out of my comfort zone.

                 As the bar came into view, I could see a long line of people waiting outside–each of them individually stopped and carded at the door by the bouncer. Some guys were in jeans and a t-shirt, others were in slacks and a dress shirt. Most girls had a full face of makeup on with a tight-fitting bodycon, showing off their curves. At the very end of the line, I spotted a couple lustfully holding onto each other with their faces just inches apart–although not quite kissing. The guy was aggressively holding onto her behind as she twirled a lock of his hair onto her finger–the two intimately exchanging flirty words I couldn’t decipher. I nearly gagged.

                 Jennie suddenly pulled on my arm, leading me past the line and up to the door. Amplified now that we were right outside the bar, the music deafened any possible conversation. As she spoke to the scruffy bouncer with a winning smile, the man grinned back and nodded before stepping aside and allowing us entrance without asking for identification.

                 Rudely welcomed by a possy of girls who pushed past us to get through the door, I already began to feel uneasy about being here. But as I eyed the dozens of couples at the bar, socializing with nothing but smiles–I told myself I’d be fine as soon as I had a couple of drinks. Jennie quickly ushered me over to a barstool and hollered our orders over to the bartender, who seemed to be a coworker of hers as they gestured a quick high-five. He got straight to mixing our drinks; within just a few minutes, they were out. Swiping her drink, Jennie immediately latched her lips onto her straw, taking large gulps of whatever was in her cup–I wasn’t concerned about her intake, however, as the girl was pretty heavy-weight for someone her size. Me, on the other hand, I was nervous. Not sure what she ordered for me, I cautiously took the first sip to test the waters–and to my surprise, I liked it. It was something like a ginger ale with a tinge of a citrusy flavor–sweet enough to cover the pungent taste of alcohol without detracting from its effects.

                 “So,” Jennie shouted, struggling to speak over the loud music, “What do you think so far? Do you like your drink?”

                 “Yeah, I guess it’s chill,” I fibbed, trying my best to repress my anxiety. “The drink’s good–I like it.”

 

                 At least that wasn’t a lie.

 

                 “Wanna get on the dance floor?” she asked the question I feared the most. “It looks pretty crowded tonight so no one will be able to see your ty dance moves.”

 

                 I awkwardly chuckled, feeling oddly distant from my best friend–this was the first time I had seen her so wildly sociable and open to such rowdy activities. A part of me was happy she found comfort in this kind of stuff outside of her hectic school and work life, but I couldn’t help but feel the stark difference between us. Shaking my head to confirm my reply, I politely turned down her offer, “Nah I think I’m good. Still trying to adjust. Maybe later?”

                 For the first time in a while, she didn’t roll her eyes or nag at me for turning her down–she just nodded, quietly sympathizing with my discomfort as a first-timer at a bar.

 

                 “Well, if you change your mind just let me know. For now, just try to loosen up and talk to people–the bartender from earlier is my friend and he’s really nice so if you ever feel uncomfortable, stop by and have a conversation with him,” she reassured, giving my hand a tight squeeze. Pointing at the dance floor at the opposite corner of where we were standing, she remarked, “I’ll be over there if you need me. I won’t leave you alone for long, I promise–just gonna get in a song or two and we’ll head out hehe.”

 

                 Weakly smiling, I showed my agreement with a nod. As soon as she let go of my hand, I felt like a lost dog. Scanning the rest of the room, I looked for a discreet place to go–the farther away from people, the better. Unfortunately, there was no free space; if people weren’t standing in groups, there were sitting in groups. I bit my lip in frustration and decided to stay where I was–it’d be easier for Jennie to find me this way anyway. Swiveling around in my bar stool, I turned away from the crowds and continued sipping on my drink as I scrolled through random news articles on my phone to pass the time.

 

                 “First time here huh?” a voice shouted at me. Startled, I peered up to find the bartender from earlier genuinely smiling at me as he mixed another drink for a customer. From a closer distance, I could see his facial features a bit better–he was pretty attractive.

                 Shyly, I replied, “Yeah. You can tell, huh?”

                 He laughed loudly, “Yup. No one really goes on their phone at the bar unless they’re a newbie–or just got dumped by their boyfriend and is calling a taxi cab home.”

                 I chuckled at his joke, now feeling a little less tense. We continued conversing back and forth with very surface-level questions–what’s your name? How long have you known Jennie for? Do you go to school? What’s your major? Any pets or siblings? The typical bar conversation, I assumed. I didn’t want to get too personal anyway–he didn’t need to know any more than that.

                 As time went by, I realized that I had gone through two or three drinks and was now feeling a little tipsy; the immense anxiety I felt earlier was now replaced with some kind of liberating ecstasy–I stopped hoping for Jennie. Whatever the feeling was, I kind of liked it, and the bartender–whose name was Jungkook–made it much easier for me to relax with his alluring eyes and charismatic words. It had been a while since I’ve let loose like this; keeping a cold and indifferent demeanor was my expertise, but it was draining.

                 Out of nowhere, a stranger sloppily sat on the stool beside me. With eyes half-closed, I sleepily looked over to see who it was. He was a tall handsome man with a friendly and approachable presence, probably just as attractive as Jungkook–although truth be told, I couldn’t tell much of a difference from how intoxicated I was now.

                 Luckily, he seemed to be equally as drunk. Resting his head on the palm of his hand, he spoke slowly, “Hey, how are you?”

                 Giggling like a child, I slurred, “I’m gooooood… What’s your name?”
 

                 “Hoseok. Hey, by the way…. You’re really cute–do you have a boyfriend?” he invasively inquired, a question that would normally elicit a knuckle punch from me. Strangely now, I found it cute.
 

                 “Mmmm…. It’s a SECRET!” I yelled back, attempting to shoot him a wink that probably ended up as a normal blink. “Why do you ask huh? A guy like you must–”

                 “HEYYYYYYYYYY THERE!” a recognizable voice chimed out from beside me. I slowly turned my head to find Jennie–although now she had three heads, causing me severe confusion as I couldn’t choose which Jennie I wanted to keep my eyes on. “You–Jisoo, haha! You are SO drunk. We gotta go now!” Holding onto my shoulders to help me regain balance, Jennie began escorting me outside–although she seemed buzzed herself with unsteady steps she was taking.

                 Frustrated that she was disrupting my fun time, I messily shoved her off and clumsily walked back to my seat with the handsome guy from earlier was awaiting me, “Hmph, I don’t wanna go home. I wanna talk to himmmmm…”

 

                 “Jisoo, no!” Jennie hissed before running after me. Mid-way, the strap of her heels got tangled with a chair leg, causing her to nearly trip over. Shakily crouching down, she fumbled with the strings to release them. In the meantime, I occupied myself with my beau.
 

                 Cupping the stranger’s face in my hands as his arms perfectly s around my hips, we gradually closed the gap between our faces–my lips moving closer and closer to his. I didn’t need any more conversation–the warmth of his body was enough to send me on a high. My heart was drumming so fast and loud I felt like I was going to burst at any moment. Just before our lips met, an authoritative voice called out my name–and for whatever reason, its familiar ring got me to halt right in my tracks.

 

                 “Jisoo…?” it said. “What the hell are you doing?”