It was seven o’clock when Eunji’s friends came bursting through the door, chattering animatedly about their day. Eunji seemed to blend in right with the two friends, snickering and hollering at the right times. Chorong tended to Naeun alone, sipping at cold cans of beer and trying not to get trampled by Eunji and her guests. Despite the jumbled mess of a living room they had, there was just enough space for everyone to squeeze into their own comfortable spots. Just when Chorong thought it was impossible to control Eunji and her crew, Eunji snapped at them to settle down. There was a look of hesitation in their eyes as they each grabbed a throw pillow and sprawled out on the floor. Eunji grinned goofily and pranced over to Chorong, plopping right next to her on the couch so they could start their discussion.

                   “Let’s introduce ourselves first,” Eunji said brightly, motioning to Chorong's quiet friend. The girl stared curiously at the others as though it was a strange thing for friends to be meeting up on a Friday night.

                   “I’m Naeun. I’m a first year in the art department but I’m technically supposed to be a senior in high school.”

                   “Hey that’s crazy! I’m supposed to be a junior in high school!” the tall lanky girl with wide eyes piped up from the midst of Eunji and Bomi's aggressive pushing battle. “I go by Hayoung.” She grinned and tugged at Bomi's hair to get her attention after seeing Chorong shake her head in disapproval of the fight on the side. Bomi coughed, alarmed at the interruption but ready to introduce herself. She quickly stated her name and sparked up a conversation for the group in hopes of becoming close with all of them. She was one who knew how to bring a group together by lightening up the mood. Soon enough, the five girls began to share casual stories and grow closer despite their initial differences. Chorong mentally took note of her sense in inviting Naeun who she knew was having difficulty being younger than most of the people on campus. Surely now that she knew someone who was even younger and attending college, Naeun would take the opportunity to have close ties with Hayoung despite the fact that Hayoung was far off in the technology department.

                   “Let’s go to the club,” Eunji said suddenly, chopping off the rest of the group’s thoughts. “It’s the best place to start off the plan.”

“The plan?” Naeun asked quietly, her eyes flickering over Chorong who seemed to have tightened at the mention of it.

                   “Chorong and Eunji are going to fake date.” Bomi blurted, chuckling when Hayoung choked on the beer she had filled in . The sound of her coughing filled the room and she sputtered in confusion. Chorong, who was sitting right behind her, pounded her back, trying to ignore the feelings of worry that bubbled from Hayoung's reaction to the news. Naeun, on the other hand, seemed unaffected by the “plan” and set about looking at her phone again. She was never one for caring too much.

                   “How are you going to fake date?” Hayoung asked, her eyes bulging from her head. Eunji giggled for a second, then straightened up as if she had suddenly gathered enough courage to do something unheard of.

                   “Like this.” With that, Eunji swooped in toward Chorong, her face so close that they could feel each other’s breath on the tips of their noses. There was barely another moment of hesitation as Eunji's lips met Chorong’s, pressing into a deep kiss. Chorong barely responded at first, her eyes closed tightly and her fists clenched against the cushion of the couch, but soon she felt her lips following along with Eunji's touch. Her hand eased up to Eunji's hair, gripping the soft tangles as Eunji leaned closer against her. Just when Chorong felt as if her heart would burst, Eunji pulled away. Her hand began to comb through the mess of her hair as Hayoung, Bomi, and even Naeun sat gaping at them, awestruck by what had just happened.

                   “Was that convincing enough?” Eunji asked, a smug look on her face. Chorong felt herself recoil from a strange feeling in her stomach. It was a queasy sensation but far better than what she had expected. From the side she could hear Bomi's voice answer in a soft squeak.

“Very.”

.....

                   Bomi quickly found the nearest club to their dorm with a random app she had downloaded on her phone. Hayoung watched with amusement as Bomi swiped through the numerous options, her eyes tingling with excitement. Being a first year, Hayoung was still up for any new parties especially if it meant she got to drink. Her parents had always been protective of her so getting alcohol or going out with her friends were rare occasions that she promised herself she would commit to in her college days. It seemed that Bomi was the perfect guide for her goals. 

                   Naeun, on the other hand, wore a look of displeasure on her face as they neared the dark building with pounding music, but she grit her teeth and decided that there was nothing else she would be doing back at her place anyway. Besides, she respected Chorong too much to abandon her when she needed Naeun the most. They pushed through the packed lines with much difficulty, though Eunji was able to navigate through the gaps between the people easier than the rest of her friends. The smell of alcohol and the booming drums of the music didn’t help but they eventually found who they were looking for. A familiar group of boys were sitting at the bar, a couple of them drunkenly stepping over to the dance floor. Eunji grit her teeth at the sight and her hand reached to catch Chorong’s sleeve so she would not backtrack. 

                   “This is it.” Eunji said boldly, staring deep into Chorong’s eyes. Chorong blinked for a second, trying to get rid of the blurry lines in her vision. She could feel her head spinning and she felt like throwing up any minute now. Before much else could happen, she forced herself to give a small nod, a glint of distrust lingering about in the depths of her eyes. This wasn’t her typical Friday night and it definitely didn’t help that she was taking a risk that could change everything. Naeun stared at her friend for a while, still trying to fit the pieces of what Chorong was attempting to achieve with this plan. All she really knew was that Chorong wanted peace and if Naeun had to support that by letting her go through with this plan, she would be there. Yet, she couldn’t help but worry for her elder. Naeun felt her hand unconsciously reach to squeeze Chorong’s arm as if to reassure both of them. Slow breaths escaped from Chorong’s mouth until her heartbeat rested at its normal pace. Memories of every time the boys would pester her and act as if she were a trophy to win swirled in her mind, giving her enough determination to set things right. Just as she had gathered her courage, Eunji turned to face her, her head tilted slightly and her eyes softened hopefully. There was a loud shout of realization from the group of boys and Eunji smirked at the confirmation that they had their attention.

                   “Park Chorong at a club? Now that’s a miraculous sight,” Alex strode over from the crowd of boys that were admiring from afar. Chorong could tell from the way his eyes were glazed that he was already drunk and his friends were too cowardly to advance with him. Alex grinned goofily at her, elbowing Eunji to the side and tugging at Chorong’s shoulders to get her close. Before Chorong could shake him off, she felt a strong force tear Alex’s body from her. A loud clang rang in her ears as Eunji punted Alex toward the bar, her arms already securing Chorong steadily from the side.

                   “What are you think you’re doing?” Alex yelled, staggering backward from the blow. He wiped his face with the palm of his hand and watched menacingly as Eunji jeered at him. And before Chorong could stop her, her fist flew at his face, knocking him directly at his nose. There was a loud grunt as he fell to the ground, groaning at the impact. His friends from the background stepped out of the crowd, unsure of how to deal with the situation. They stared warily at Eunji and her friends, their eyes darting toward Chorong and her flustered state.

                   “What does it look like I’m doing?” Eunji snarled, kicking Alex stiffly in the stomach. There was another indistinguishable noise from Alex as he clutched his shirt and stared up at Eunji viciously. “I’m just protecting my girlfriend.” Eunji’s voice boomed through his ears and she could tell from the way his lips curled in a playful smile that there was a sense of disbelief. But just as Eunji attempted to give Alex concrete proof, she realized that Chorong was no longer safely tucked behind her.

                   Naeun grabbed Chorong’s wrist and led her back into the crowd, her teeth grinding against each other.

                   “What are you doing, Naeun?” Chorong pulled back against Naeun’s grip, turning to face her properly when they entered a small clearing. Naeun stared back into Chorong’s eyes carefully, studying the fierce look mixed with the subtle fear Chorong had always harbored about being in public.

                   “I think you’ve had enough tonight.”

“Maybe you’re right, but I want to do this.”

                   “Why?”

                   Chorong sighed, her hands steadying themselves on Naeun’s shoulder. “Sometimes I just want to be able to go outside and not care about having boys treat me like I’m something they can play with.”

                   “But there must be ano–”

                   “I know, but I want to see where this goes.” Chorong said firmly, her hand clasping onto the cloth of Naeun’s jacket one more time. The worried light in Naeun’s eyes faded for a while and she settled down at the bar with a glass of scotch. Chorong just watched her drink, her head turning around the club in search of Eunji who was nowhere to be seen. The only thing left to do was wait…