~Sometime when Seungwan was supposed to have dinner at Bae residence~

“So you were at the party, too?” Seungwan inquired.

Joohyun nodded, “Yes. Briefly though,”

“I see, but –“

A sudden ring broke the conversation of the two. Joohyun glanced at the screen inside the car and immediately tensed at the name of the caller.

Kim Jennie

Her ex-girlfriend who she hasn’t talked to since their break-up.

Her ex-girlfriend who she thinks she has feelings for.

Joohyun thought that Seungwan did not need to know this matter so she quickly disconnected her phone’s bluetooth and answered the call.

“Why are you calling? Joohyun started. The older could hear loud music over the other line and she immediately knew where the girl might be.

“I wanted to shee yoUUUuu, Joohyun unnie. I am all alooOOne at this bAaar..and no one..no one issshhh hereeee,” Jennie slurred, clearly drunk.

Joohyun bit her lip in quite annoyance. Joohyun knew it was the girl’s habit to get completely drunk like that when something’s bothering her. “Where are you right now?” Joohyun had to make sure she gets the right place even though she already had an inkling about the place.

 This was the first time that Jennie contacted her again after they broke up. She knew she was supposed to feel elated but there was a foreign feeling settling in her heart that time. She knew she had to cancel her dinner plans with girl beside her right now.

There was silence before the girl answered, “I don’t know…but I thiiiIInk weeeEEE went here befooorreeee. WheeEEEn yoooUUUu and I were still dating hahaha”

“Okay, stay right there. I’m coming. Don’t go anywhere, okay? I’ll be there in a few,” Joohyun consoled the drunk girl and ended the call quickly.

The moment the call ended, Joohyun immediately felt guilty of leaving Seungwan but she knew she HAD to meet Jennie, who knew what else would’ve happened to that woman if she won’t go to the bar. Her only priority right now was the woman.

“We might need to cancel the dinner tonight,” Joohyun explained and made a quick u-turn in the street. The older glanced at the younger and saw a disappointed look but in a flash of an eye, it was quickly replaced with worry.

“Why? Is something wrong?” Seungwan inquired as she held Joohyun's arm.

Joohyun decided to speed up her car, planning to take Seungwan back to her dormitory. She just couldn’t let Seungwan go home by her own. She could not let Seungwan know just yet what has happened in her past nor the underlying reason why she decided to fake-date her, “Nothing. Something important just came up so I’ll just take you home,”

But pure little Seungwan just had to be really giving when she uttered, “Just drop me here. I can go home by myself,”

Joohyun shook her head, “No, I’ll bring you home,”

The older heard the younger clicked her tongue and she knew there was no more fighting when Seungwan did that sound. “Look, don’t worry about me. Clearly, that one’s more important so I’ll be fine. Go there now,”

With one final glance at the younger who was just looking at her softly, she knew she already made the bad decision, but her ex-girlfriend was in the bar that time who she badly needed to talk to. She parked the car on the side of the street and turned to look at the younger apologetically. With a sigh, Joohyun uttered, “I’m sorry for this. I think we’ll have to set the date for dinner for another night,”

The older saw how Seungwan smiled reassuringly at her, like she was just not ditched in the middle of the street to go home by herself. Something in her heart tightened at the sight. The guilt in her increased tenfold. “It’s alright. I’ll get going now,”

----

Joohyun reached the bar in 20 minutes. She entered the familiar-looking bar and immediately saw the girl at the far end of the counter. Jennie had her head over her arm on the counter while twirling the drink in her other hand.

Joohyun walked over and sat on the stool beside the girl. Joohyun quickly noticed that over the past few months they haven’t seen each other, Jennie did not change. She still looked beautiful as ever even though the redness already reached her neck and the tips of her ears.

Joohyun thought she was supposed to feel butterflies in her stomach upon seeing the girl but there was only faint recognition. She felt weird. She was looking forward to conversing with the woman for a long time already but a dinner with a certain hamster kept appearing in her mind.

“Unnie!” Jennie squealed and immediately sat up when she the noticed the person beside her. “I can’t believe yooUUu are hereeEEEEeeee!”

Joohyun could smell straight away the faint smell of the alcohol. She made a motion to stand up, eager to bring the girl home safely.

Jennie shook her head and pouted, “NoooOOOO, don’t you wanna stAAAay for a liiiIIittlEeEEe while unniiiIIEEEe? WeEEEe’re at the baAAr after aAAAll!” The girl then chugged down the remains of her alcohol in one go.

Joohyun guided the girl’s arm to stand up from her seat, With a scowl, the older said firmly. “No, we’re going home. Now.”

As Jennie successfully stood up from her seat, Joohyun grumbled to hersel, “Ughh, I should be eating dinner right now,”

But the other girl seemed to have heard the words, “I diiid nOOot knooOOow thAAAat, I’m sOOOOOO sorry, unnie!” Jennie slurred and made a cute peace sign at the older. The scowl in Joohyun’s face was replaced with a smile as Joohyun couldn’t help but laugh a little at the girl’s antics.

Jennie raised both of her arms in victory and squealed, “YoOOuuu’re laAAAuUUghing aAAAlreEEaAAdy!”

Joohyun shook her head again playfully, “Let’s get going or else,”

“FiiinEEe,” Jennie grumbled as she took a step, knowing Joohyun would not relent on staying inside the bar. Her drunkenness seemed to have already affected her vision as she missed her next step. She expected to fall face flat on the floor but she was caught by Joohyun’s hold on her waist.

“I’ll hold you, let’s go,” Joohyun muttered and guided the girl outside the bar and into her car. “I can’t believe I’m taking care of a drunk woman instead of having dinner with Seungwan,”

When they were finally inside the car, Joohyun handed the cup of coffee she bought along the way as she knew the other girl would need it.

“Thanks,” Jennie said softly and sipped her coffee slowly.

After a few minutes of driving enroute to Jennie’s dormitory, the girl finished her coffee and already sobered up a little to at least have a decent conversation with Joohyun.

“You haven’t changed, unnie,” Jennie started as she hesitantly glanced at the older.

Joohyun scrunched her eyebrow at the comment and asked, “What do you mean?”

“Nothing. It just seemed like old times. By the way, how was school?”  

“Well, good. Still trying to juggle everything,” Joohyun replied nonchalantly. “You? Why were you out drinking by yourself at this hour?”

Jennie clicked her tongue and looked at the view outside. “It’s my first time in weeks to have a free night so I figured why not cease it. I was with my friends but I let them leave first,”

“Huh? Why?”

“Just because…”

“Just because?”

“I miss you,” Joohyun heard the woman muttered softly.