No matter how often she paced purposely waiting for him to be alone, he wasn’t. Not even when her plate emptied and she went inside to refill it, came back out, and saw again, Jongin absorbed in some conversation. His companion, Oh Hayoung.

It was strange. Even when Namjoo intentionally lingered. Waiting.

She had joked earlier about something going on between them. But really, it was a joke. She was just making fun of him, because obviously, it was fun. Poking at Jongin. Laughing at Jongin. Being well aware it irritated it and when he snapped back, she enjoyed it.

That’s what friends do.

Laugh at each other. Nitpick each other. Get on each other’s nerves. Because it’s fun as long as she did not cross the line. Jongin would not hold a grudge. Being conscious that she was just pulling his leg he would not take her seriously.

But…what if…what if Namjoo’s joke hadn’t really been a joke?

Excluded from many children’s adventures since young, Namjoo never had a playmate, but Jongin had played with her. Including her in his birthday parties, introducing her to his board games, secretly playing his online games when no adult was around to supervise. They completed homework together. When her parents were too busy with their work it was Jongin who was there to accompany her.

Namjoo had never been quite alone even when she was alone in a sense. Maybe she had missed out on playing tag on the playground, making friends and arranging meetups with other students after school, going on school end of the year trips out of the city, but Jongin had been her keepsake friend.

This time, what if Jongin went off and she was alone?

Namjoo wasn’t sure what she’d do. The insecurity the foreboding thought gave her was uncanny.

“About Hayoung,” Namjoo began, “do you know if she likes someone?”

“Hayoung?” The name seemed to trip from his lips. Sehun blinked surprised.

“I’m probably being nosey.” Namjoo scratched her neck overly conscious how weird asking about it must sound. Pointing to the drink in his hand, she asked, “Can I have that again?”

Without waiting she plucked it out of his hand and took another big gulp. She should be embarrassed. She shouldn’t be asking him about his friend. She should be talking to Jongin straight out. Or maybe Hayoung.

Too fast and she ended up coughing.

“Are you ok?” Sehun hurriedly pat her back. “You’re not supposed to guzzle it.”

Wiping , Namjoo murmured through a dry cough, “I’m fine.”

He took the can from her. “You’re supposed to eat something while drinking, too. It keeps you from getting drunk faster.” He seemed to talk to himself, “But I don’t think one can is enough to get you drunk.”

But he didn’t know she’d never taken more than two sips before.

♠♠♠♠♠

Hayoung had thought long and super hard during the time everyone went to sleep after returning from the market. She had lain down in her quarters but remained awake.

The things Jongin had said. The tone of his voice. He had come off mean and cold. However, the Kim Jongin she had always eyed smiled and laughed all the time. Didn’t look like there was any menace in his bones. Or maybe it was just Namjoo he was nice to.

What was it that was so special about her? Did she come from super rich family? Was her mom or dad or both parents CEOs? The mysteriousness of it was grappling.

Hayoung wanted more answers than just be told to keep Sehun away from Namjoo. Like hell. If Sehun liked a girl he could like that girl. He could go after her for all Hayoung cared. As long as he was happy and content why should she care about what his decisions?

She was happy and surprised when he asked her about the musical and inquired who was playing Juliet. The dude had only had one girlfriend before and that was in elementary. So of course, Sehun should date and whomever he pleased. Why should any outside power deem it permissible or not?

She huffed aggravated.

She wouldn’t harbor any ill will toward Jongin, but she would talk with him. Later she’d find him. See what more he had to say. They could debate the entire night and she would still speak her mind.

Just what was his deal anyway?

The noise woke her up a few hours later. Joining the girls in the kitchen she prepped the meat while the guys prepared the grill. At the sink she looked toward the staircase watching as Jongin came down the stairs. He didn’t shoot her one glance before heading outside. She was miffed.

“These are ready?” She lifted a plate of peppered steak.

“Take them out.”

Sliding the glass door at the back of the kitchen open, Hayoung walked out into the yard where tonight’s event was taking place. Many of the guys were energetically bumbling with chatter. She couldn’t hear from one conversation to the next because they were so boisterous. Walking right over to the grill station she held out the plate.

“Just put it right there.” The student in charge nodded his head toward the top corner of the grill where a can of beer was dripping a puddle of dew.

Doing as told she glanced around. A group here. A group mingling there. The girls in the house. No one caring about the other now. Everyone winding down for the night. This was the getaway from college priorities. Hangout, relax, have fun, worries are for another day.

She scanned the men. Spotting in the background Jongin sitting on the grass by himself. Lonesome. Appearing alone. She wondered where his other component was, but then it was a relief he was by himself.

Slipping through the groups of packed men, she invited herself down next to Jongin. The movement of his eyes to the corner of his lids she noticed.

“Are you going to ignore me?”

Taking a sip of his beer, he said, “I’m not ignoring you.”

“You said you two grew up together,” she remembered, “then you two know each other pretty well. So, tell me,” she turned to him, “is Namjoo rich?”

He didn’t offer her so much as a glance. One more sip of his beer and he seemed to be watching the guys bickering over the bonfire. He took his time. Doing nothing. Saying nothing. As if trying to drag time while configuring his thoughts. Come up with a lie maybe.

“Well off might be more appropriate.” He spun the bottle between his hands, grinding it into the grass where his eyes now lay.

“Then what? Her parents own a corporation?” Hayoung pressed. “Will gossiping about them get me and my family blacklisted? Why does it have to be such a big secret?”

“Look,” his tone went deep as he shot her an eyeful, “it’s not something I should talk about so casually.”

“That’s unfair,” Hayoung retorted holding his gaze. “You tell me to do this, that, keep Sehun from doing what he has the freedom to. Barring Namjoo from what? I don’t know, getting close to him? This without a valid reason. I want an explanation not some lame excuse that your mouth has been taped shut.”

His eyes narrowed. His expression tightened. Hayoung was sorry for going too far.

“I don’t want to be on bad terms with you,” she spoke softer. “I really don’t.” in a breath she said, “So, maybe, you do have a good reason for doing what you’re doing. Can’t you share it with me?”

She very 99.9% expected him to close up and ignore her. Then when he looked at her the air particles surrounding them twinkled to a freeze. The other students blurred into bokeh among the dim lit sky, where the stars were faint, and the sun afar. Landing just above the ocean. Its waters slow dancing ripples pushing every wave forward onto the quiet beach.

It was, as she always wished, the first time she learned a bit about him.

♠♠♠♠♠

Sehun most regretted not getting his share of the steak or the shrimp for dinner. Really nothing at all.

It was the can.

The one beer can.

His nemesis.

And like that Namjoo was drunk. Spurring some nonsense after a few sips. She was uncoordinated. Her body weaving back and forth like she might topple forward and break her neck any coming second.

Out of it Sehun took what felt like one sip. Curse the beer.

Namjoo was ineloquently dazed. Someone passing by might have thought he drugged her. Thank God no one was around. The last of the children playing on the beach had been scolded back home or to the hotel by their parents.

“Lo…los…loser!” Namjoo shouted throwing her arm out, pointing at something invisible.

Sehun was flummoxed. Out of all imageries he never pictured himself with a drunk crush.

“I think…I think we should go inside.” He nervously suggested half rising to his feet.

“Jerk!” Namjoo screeched. Standing now she continued ing her arm forward. She blinked and paused for a period of time. Sehun watched fearfully as her head started tilting back like she’d lost sudden control of her body and gravity was defeating her.

Then Namjoo bolted down the steps yelling, “I’m coming. C…coming…coming! G…gonna get you!”

“Where are you going?” He ran after her. Namjoo was amazingly fast he almost couldn’t catch up.

Flinging his arms out dramatically he snatched her shirt halfway down the beach. Afraid if Namjoo got into the waters this time of night and he went in with her and they were in no one would find their bodies for days.

As fast as that the mood shifted and Namjoo was shrieking whoops of joy. Both arms shot into the air almost joyously. Sehun couldn’t react accordingly before his hand flew down and snagged Namjoo’s shirt when she shifted around with a yeehaw. He only saw her big, wide smile for a split second. Catching in the next moment her eyes popping open at the sound of a tear. Cartoonishly her arms winded clockwise in a circle in a desperate attempt to grasp hold of anything as she clumsily tripped over her heel or something – he couldn’t quite be sure – pulling him forward.

Sehun landed with a poof face down into the sand. Coughing and choking as he inhaled the grains into his throat. A hand weakly smacked his shoulder reminding him he hadn’t just fallen over nothing.

Scurrying onto all four he peered down at Namjoo who was trying to lift her head up, but only managing a fraction off the ground. Then she flopped back down and knocked out.

Panicked Sehun hurried apologized frantically, “Oh my God, oh my God! I’m so sorry! Wake up! Namjoo!” He tapped her cheek. Unresponsive he called again, “Namjoo! Namjoo!”

Freaking out he glanced behind him. The hostel glowed yellow in the dimness so very far away. He hissed complaining wondering just what kind of predicament he was in. This far and no one would hear them all the way at the back of the building. Too caught up in their conversations and enjoying themselves, would they even remember him?

Climbing off Namjoo he sat on his knees beside her. Struggling not to peek because her shirt was ripped and her bra was visible. White at that.

Sehun scowled to himself. He couldn’t carry her back like this, let the others see what kind of state she was in. God, he was screwed.

The waves sloshed ashore eerily. The sun was suddenly nowhere, just a tiny peep above the line where the ocean ended. It would be total darkness soon. He couldn’t stay out here too long. He wasn’t an outdoors man but he did know it could get pretty cold on the beach at night.

Giving Namjoo one last fast glance he pulled his shirt off. Putting it on her in her unconscious state was even more difficult. Pulling her up, tugging her head through the hole of his shirt, and feeling it roll back abruptly nearly shocked him. If she got a fracture or her neck muscles hurt, he would be guilty forever.

Though he had to admit that when he held her close enough that her head buried into his chest as he struggled to pull her arm through his sleeve it felt really nice. Namjoo was complete dead weight when he tried pulling her to her feet. Sehun always thought he was a strong person, but never before had he been proved wrong so embarrassingly.

He couldn’t carry her at all.

Namjoo was just limp. No movement at all. His legs were starting to shake so he gave up and fell down with her again.

He really despised how tonight was turning out. It was nothing he expected.

Huffing and puffing he sat there complaining mentally. Feeling ready he tried again. Turning his back to Namjoo he grabbed her arms and slung them over his shoulders, standing with a grunt, and nearly fell backward. Sehun stumbled a few steps before managing to maintain his balance.

Exhaling he pulled Namjoo onto his back with a loud heave and hooked her legs around his waist. He would start working out diligently he promised himself as he struggled forward. Namjoo’s head lolled to the side and her chin dug into his shoulder tickling his sensitive nerve.

“Stop…” he tried to shrug her off. “I’m going to fall. Stop.”

He suffered the entire three minutes that felt ten to the hostel. Up the steps where his thigh muscles started to spasm. He was sweating profusely. It was so hot that a bath with ice cubes sounded so satisfying.

Through the door and he starting panicking again. He hadn’t thought about what kind of excuse he’d give for his topless state. The girls would see. They’d have something to say, maybe accuse him of.

But…no one was inside. The kitchen was empty. Total silence buzzed around him.

Sehun’s eyes darted from side to side confused. It took a long minute for his foggy and exhaustive brain to realize this was his good for him. No one would know Namjoo’s shirt was ripped and he was topless.

Relieved he stagged down the hallway. So tired he was. The entire way he bumped into the wall continuously. His legs were outdone.

All the way down he opened the last door. Didn’t know if it was Namjoo’s room, but there was a twin bed. Seeing it made him so happy he laughed somewhat crazily. He wasn’t thinking straight now. Just so tired that he was overjoyed at the thought of putting Namjoo down and this whole unpleasant situation would be over.

That was what he did. Let Namjoo slid off his back onto the bed. He half fell with her and ended up sliding the rest of the way to the wood floor. The coolness of it was soothing to his bone-tired state Sehun curled up and knocked out.

♠♠♠♠♠

Namjoo’s head was spinning erratically when she awoke. she to her side and drew her knee up. A minute she promised closing her eyes and buried her face into the sheets. It was her dry scratchy throat that forced her up. The thought she needed water or else she would die really itched her.

Giving in, Namjoo pushed herself up. Blearily scratching her head as she started toward the door. Doing all this without taking in her surrounding or seeing she wasn’t in the previous room she’d slept in. Or that there was someone on the floor beside the bed.

The fog in her eyes lifted when she came face to face with Jongin. His hand was raised, about to knock on the door.

Blinking, Namjoo asked confused, “What are you doing?”

He looked just as questionable. Down the hall Namjoo heard noises. Apparently, there were students rummaging through the kitchen for food. Slowly it came to her that it could be morning.

“What time is it?”

Behind Jongin the door to the first-floor bathroom opened. A towel hung around Hayoung’s neck. In her hand was a toothpaste and toothbrush, her hair knotted up messily. Obviously, she had just woken up not too long ago.

“It’s ten.” Jongin replied. Something about his expression was not happy.

“What’s going on?” Hayoung wondered.

Namjoo was still experiencing a string of puzzlement. None of the pieces in her head fit together. She remembered seeing Jongin yesterday. Feeling a flux of emotions over losing him to his girlfriend. After that…after that she had been sitting with Sehun…

“What? It’s morning?” A dry voice croaked from behind her.

Namjoo spun around, eyes widening when she saw Sehun trying to rub the sleep out of his eyes. Her jaw dropped a gasp, but it turned out it was not her gasp. Another club member had coincidentally dropped in on the scene. A curious student wanting to know why the vice president of the drama club and Jongin was crowded around a bedroom.

A roar of laughter made them turn. Hand to mouth the student laughed appalled and stricken by the scene.

His obnoxious voice faded down the hallway as he hurried off to make his exclamation, “They had ! Guys they had !”

***lolol well this could turn for the better or worse