“This is a nice party.”

Eunbi turned her back and saw her favourite person smiling. She ran to the said person and jumped for a hug.

“Hold a bit there. Stick Miyawaki gonna fall,” Yena mocked the couple. With the force of Eunbi running towards her friend, Sakura could fall back because of the inertia.

Eunbi jerked her tongue and pecked Sakura’s lips. To which the other happily paid back.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” Sakura said. “But the party won’t start till I walk in.”

Eunbi pinched the pink lips and rolled her eyes. “You should stop at the first sentence.”

The bunny let loose of her embrace around Sakura’s neck, causing the younger to move her hands around Eunbi’s waist towards her back.

“Have you eaten?” Eunbi curiously asked. She knows Sakura will not get a proper meal from running out her shift straight to the party.

She doesn’t mean to pressure the girl. She even told her it’s okay if she cannot be at the party. Considering the New Year celebrations, there will be fools who got themselves injured.

Sakura shakes her head and pouts, “I want you more than food.”

Eunbi chuckled at the remarks. She tugged a faint strand of hair to the back of Sakura’s ears. Staring a bit too long at the pink lips and the big eyes. 

“You will get me. After you eat real food,” she cleared and pulled Sakura towards the kitchen.

As Sakura was indulging the pasta left specifically for her, Eunbi went to greet a few of her friends who had just arrived.

Soon after the cat finished eating, she swiftly glided through the crowd reaching out to Eunbi.

“Oh Kkura ya. You’ve finished eating your dinner?” Eunbi asked.

Sakura nodded and smiled.

“I just come here to claim my New Year’s Kiss from my girlfriend who have high superstitious believe that a New Year’s kiss could make a couple last long,”

The fireworks were greatly visible from her wide balcony view. The perks of renting a city center apartment.

Sinking her back deeper into Sakura’s chest, their fingers remained intertwined as they enjoyed the fireworks show.

“Beautiful,” she remarked.

“Not as much as you,” smooth talker Miyawaki in action.

After the fireworks show ended, they went socialising and echoes of laughter resonated around the four walls.

Eunbi sipped her cider as she looked at the view around her house compound.

It feels so great to have her closest knit in the same house.

She let out a relief sigh and something caught her eyes. There at the corner stood tall the plastic tree Sakura had bought for their early Christmas celebration. 

The lights from the tree were kept on and the socks they recycled every year for the last 2 years also hung tightly to the artificial branches.

It felt as if Christmas passed by so quickly and now they’re celebrating New Year. Sometimes it scares her how good times always passes so quickly. Can God chill a bit and let them be submerged in the happy moments a little bit longer?

She is scared of what the future might hold. But she is more afraid of losing the people in this room.

'This is such a beautiful life. Please let it stay this way.'

**********

Few people left the party as the night crawled deeper into the dark. City lights looked brighter and the road was much less occupied.

The people left in the room started their after party rituals by sitting down and sharing their own stories or updates. Yena would crack the room with her jokes, Hyewon would ask for the group to be her fashion brand model on the stand of “It’ll help me cut costs on some grumpy models.”

“What makes you think we accept low payment?” Chaewon playfully bantered.

“Because you will!” Hyewon threw a dog shaped balloon towards the younger.

“Bold of you to think that even me will not demand for high charges,” her girlfriend, Chaeyeon teased.

“Yah! Not you too…” Hyewon pouted.

“I may have made fun of you being poker faced but not this cringy,” Yena faked vomited.

“Jealous!” Hyewon jerked her tongue at Yena and the two lunged for a mini fight.

Laughter echoes through the room.

Eunbi just laughed while grabbing the hot dog.

“You want?” She asked the smiling Sakura.

“No baby. I’m still full,” Sakura softly said. “But I could eat you.”

“Yaish!! No respect for the single community!” Yena threw a small pillow towards Sakura’s face.

Uh Oh, Tom & Jerry will be back at it again.

Sakura let go of her embrace from Eunbi and went to knock Yena’s head. The girl was held down by Chaeyeon and Hyewon.

“Yah Chaewon come back me up!” Yena screamed for help.

“Yah Chaewon come help the single community!”

Chaewon shakes her head, “I’m not of the single community.”

The room froze at the statement.

“What?” Sakura’s eyes widened.

“How?” Yena asked after.

“What do you mean how? Unlike you I’m not one sided love,” Chaewon smirked.

“Ya! Tell us who it is. We promise, we won’t hurt anyone,” Eunbi moved closer.

“Nope! Not gonna tell you girls. I know you’re all going Sherlock on him later,” Vigorously, Chaewon shakes her head.

“Wait, him?” Chaeyeon shooketh.

“You straight?” Hyewon asked.

“You okay?” Yena joined the interrogation.

“First, yes it’s him. Second, I’m bi. Third, I’m okay. Men are not all crocodile,” and that sentence got the whole room nodding silently.

“Well, as long as you’re happy,” Chaeyeon stated. Smile tugged on her lips.

“If he messed up, tell us. We’ll go talk to him,” Yena smiled at the maknae.

This is it. The warmth of their close bond. A thing you couldn’t easily get. These people, they don’t just stick around for the party but for the aftermath as well. The after party where they spent intimate hours, asking about each other’s well-being and doings and even the clean up.

The soft music playing in the background brings out a nostalgic feeling. This kind of New Year always assures her. That the end of a year might means it's the end, but it's also the chance for a new beginning, a New Year.

Eunbi invest in a life with strong loyalty and connection. She had never once betrayed loyalty people gave her. And luck on her side, the people she knows are the best kind of people. 

While the party is a happy and uplifting place, everytime the party ends she always feel a certain kind of loneliness. 

‘People come and people may go. And when that happens, you should know when to let go or chase them home’ That’s what her father told her. Some people are just in for a good time. But some are in, because they wanted to be. 

True friends and lovers are the people who will be with you to clean up the mess, pick up the trash and mop the floor when things go messy and nasty. How high or low your life might be, they will always be there for you.

Yena took the iPod and played Eunbi’s recent favourite song. New Year’s Day by Taylor Swift. 

They all know how much of a er Eunbi is for the US singer. She has every album, lps, magazine and Keds shoes Taylor used to promote. That’s how much she admired the artist.

Sakura also bought her a Taylor's guitar that Taylor used to use. And somehow she got the guitar pick signed by Taylor too. Maybe she got it signed when they went to Taylor’s concert a year ago and even got the backstage pass.

Truly one of Eunbi's most treasured memories.

And she’s more glad she shared it with her soulmate.