She must be stupid.

That's it. That's probably the reason she kept hurting herself and why Seulgi keeps doubting her abilities or just doubting all of what she is in general.

Why was she here again?

What was her reason behind going back here in this dimly lit room with strobe lights almost blinding her already half blind ?

Was she still, perhaps expecting that someone- anyone would finally go to her table, say hi or with a drink in hand and finally converse with her? With Kang Seulgi, the fourth year architecture major who was stiff as a wood?

She shook her head. It wasn't that, right? She's not expecting, right?

Maybe.

Seulgi removed the thoughts away from her mind and took a sip of her newly ordered mojito. She hummed in content as the cold liquid traveled through , cooling herself in this humid place.

She let her gaze sweep the familiar setting of the bar. The Revel Bar was full once again, the dance floor tightly packed with people jamming to a Martin Garrix song, their heads bobbing and hands high up in the air while jumping up and down. She even let herself be consumed by the song and let her head bob to the beats.

She released a small smile and finished her drink.

"Alone?"

She closed her eyes and continued to move her head, swaying it to the beat. She suddenly imagined herself to be inside the dance studio and her was body moving to the beats of the song.

"Huh. You must be drunk already."

She grinned. A simple choreography struck her while listening to the music. Maybe going here wasn't a bad idea after-

It was too late when she opened her eyes when the orange rind smacked her squarely on the forehead.

"What?" She whispered while eyeing the ceiling. "Where did that come from?"

Someone snorted and when she whipped her head towards the bar counter, she saw a woman holding back a laugh while looking at her.

"Did you see where that came from?" She asked, pointing at the orange rind that fell out of nowhere.

The woman in red dress couldn't hold back her laughter anymore. Her head whipped back while clutching her stomach. Her thunderous laugh was muted by the sounds of the music but not to Seulgi's ear. She felt her cheeks burn a little, thinking that maybe the woman was laughing at her.

She stared at her quizzically, her eyes slightly squinted. When the woman was done laughing, she wiped some stray tears away from her eyes and looked back at Seulgi.

"It was from me." She said.

"What?" She shouted, not being able to hear her voice.

The woman motioned her to come near the bar and shoved the man who was trying to talk to her. The man looked at her with hooded eyes. He was clearly drunk and trying to hit on her but she blatantly shooed him away with a strong push.

Wow. That woman's feisty.

When the chair was free, she tapped it again. Seulgi hesitated at first but shrugged her shoulders and slowly made her way towards her. She plopped beside the woman and gave her an awkward smile.

"Aww. No drink?" She asked, motioning to her empty hand.

"I just finished it."

She heard her click her tongue and called for the bartender, motioning something and muttering words too low for Seulgi to hear.

They were quiet for a moment until a new drink was placed in front of her.

"One of my favorites."

She looked at the drink dumbfounded and shook her head. "I've had enough for tonight, thanks."

"No. I insist. That's for the orange rind." She snickered, covering with dainty hands.

"I beg your pardon?" Seulgi asked with wide eyes.

The girl shrugged beside her, sipping her orange looking drink and she was slightly grinning when she started to speak. "I was calling for you but you seemed drunk as , so I threw a rind to see how ed you were."

Seulgi realized she must've looked stupid awhile ago for this woman to think that she was hammered. Red tinted her cheeks and looked down at the cold liquid served to her.

"Err, thanks." She sipped her free drink and cringed immediately.

"Wow, that's strong." She added, wiping with the back of her hand.

"That's negroni for you."

She hummed and let the ice melt for a while before taking a sip, diluting the strong liquid enough for her to enjoy it.

Sunmi, as the girl introduced herself, despite her snobby persona was actually really fun and easy to talk to. They immediately got into the groove of talking and it was almost four in the morning when they were disturbed by loud men hollering somewhere. She turned to look at the commotion and saw a group of guys huddling near a table.

"What's happening?" Seulgi asked, eyeing the group of men not far from them.

Sunmi asked the bartender and shook her head. "Uh.. he said that a pretty girl was declining those guys but they keep on pestering her."

Seulgi craned her neck a bit higher, trying to catch a glimpse of what was happening when she caught sight of the familiar ink like hair.

She turned to the woman beside her. "Can you help me?"

"Why? Do you know her?"

Seulgi stood up and downed the remaining Negroni. She coughed and winced but nodded her head.

"Sadly, I do."

----

"Listen up, lads!" Sunmi's voice thundered throughout the bar. It was easier to capture their attention since the crowd has already thinned and it's almost four. Their heads whipped at the strong voice, distracting them from their plan.

Seulgi took the opportunity and slowly made her way towards the unsuspecting girl. Her brows furrowed upon seeing her wasted state.

She nudged her foot on hers, which was rather strong that earned a loud groan from her. Seulgi grunted in frustration when the devil went back to sleep immediately after. She slowly inched her way beside her and breathed deep.

"Hey!" She shouted near her ear.

The girl jumped from her seat. In result, her shoulders smacked Seulgi's chin and both cried in pain.

"!"

Seulgi's vision blurred from the strike of a very very bony and sharp shoulders and she held her face, moving her jaw to lessen the pain.

She tasted the metallic tang of blood because she probably bit her tongue in the process but paid it no mind. The men from awhile ago realized that the girl they want wasn't alone anymore.

"Get up. You're going home." She hissed while eyeing the men close in on them.

"Hey, where are you taking her?" A man shouted near her face, his breath stink of smoke and beer and halitosis.

"I-uh..." Seulgi stuttered, seeing his reddened face. His hands harshly grabbed her arm and his hold tightened every second that Seulgi couldn't utter a word.

Sunmi saw the commotion and decided to push the guy aside. Despite her small figure, she managed to rattle the guy and send him staggering backwards. " off! We're bringing her home."

"And who the are you?" He sneered, eyeing the woman up and down. She saw the way he smirked when he saw Sunmi clearly and he grinned.

"Why don't you come with us instead? We'll leave the girl alone."

Sunmi lifted her middle finger and flipped the guy off. "Go to ing hell, you ert." Sunmi faced Seulgi and motioned her to assist the devil.

"What did you say, ?"

He was about to hit Sunmi when another big man appeared, holding his fist and grabbed him by the arm. Seulgi realized that it was one of the bouncers. She released the breath she didn't know she was holding when the man was dragged outside and his friends were also escorted outside the establishment.

Seulgi looked at the wasted woman beside her and slowly put her arms on her waist to support her weight.

"Irene," she whispered near her ear this time, hoping not to jolt her again and be attacked by any limbs or part of her.

Being this close to the woman, Seulgi could smell her vanilla perfume and sweat that it tickled her nostrils a bit. She moved away a little and regained her much-needed space to breathe.

Irene slightly looked up and tried to open one of her eyes. Seulgi stopped for a second to watch her. The woman who she hated for how many years now was in her arms and she just saved her from drunk men and from god knows what plans the guys had for her.

But Seulgi couldn't think of any reason for her to be here alone and to be so so drunk that she couldn't even open her eyes properly.

Irene was always so composed, so sure of herself that this Irene she was seeing was anything but.

She looked... like a porcelain doll, so beautiful yet s