Chapter 9

 

~~~   The house pulsates with the rhythmic beats of booming bass, and multicolored lights cast a vibrant glow on the crowded room. Jimin slowly walks in with a hint of nervousness in her eyes and stands frozen at the entrance, clutching her phone like a lifeline. She's decked out in an outfit that took her hours to assemble, but her confidence seems to have taken a detour.   There are too many teenagers, going wild with their drinks and laughs. Jimin remembers the last time she went to a party, she was with Minjeong. That traitor. Even the sound of her name pisses Jimin off.    Yeji cheerfully runs to her and grabs her by the hand. The girl seems drunk already.   "Jimin! You made it! I knew tonight would be epic!"   Jimin couldn't help but rolls her eyes. She knew Yeji just wants her to be here because she is too nervous to talk to her crush Ryujin.    She scans the room, hoping not to spot one of Minjeong's friends. The rude one and the overly energetic one. Jimin doesn't have the mood to deal with anything related to Minjeong at the moment.    Yeji hands suspicious neon color drinks and she drinks them in one gulp. Her mind becomes a little dizzy. Yeji immediately drags her to the dance floor.    They are both dancing and laughing when Jimin sees that Ryujin has made her way over here.   "Quick," Yeji whispers in Jimin's ears. "Hug me tight."   Jimin sightly huffs and follows through with the order. She hugs Yeji close to her body. Their hips swaying to the music. Yeji's head on her shoulder. Her hand is on Yeji's . Her face blasted with the biggest smile. And even in the sweetest moments with her friend, Jimin wishes someone else was here instead. But she quickly pushes that thought far far away into in-denial land.   Ryujin is a little taken aback by their seductive dance. She taps Yeji on the shoulder and the girl slowly turns around to greet her.   "Hello there," Ryujin gives a charming smile. "Wanna dance?"   "Sure!" Yeji's smile goes even bigger.   Yeji and Ryujin go off into their little world and Jimin is left alone once again.   Jimin finds herself in a quieter corner of the party, taking a breather from the frenzy. She sips on a lukewarm cup of punch, her mind lost in the rhythmic melodies that drift through the room.   Bok Ji suddenly stands right next to her. Tonight he seems overly confident with his slicked-back hair and a self-assured grin. He looks at Jimin, his eyes lighting up with interest.   Bok Ji smirks, "Hey there, beautiful. Mind if I join you?"   Jimin glances up, her eyes meeting Bok Ji. She raises an eyebrow, unimpressed by his suave approach. She knows they used to be a thing about a few months back she feels nothing for him now.    Jimin says, "Depends. Can you bring the punch back to life?"   Bok Ji chuckles, undeterred by her lackluster response. "I've always liked your sense of humor."    Jimin, usually accustomed to fending off advances, finds herself uncharacteristically uninterested.   "Yeah, well, tonight's not really a "let's flirt and impress each other" kind of night for me."   Bok Ji's confidence wavers for a moment, but he quickly recovers, determined to win her over.   "Oh, come on, Jimin. I'm sure I can change your mind. What do you say we dance?"   Jimin's gaze drifts to the dance floor, where bodies contort and groove to the rhythm. She sighs, feeling not even the tiniest twinge of guilt for rejecting him.   "No."   Bok Ji starts to get annoyed. "Why are you like this? I thought we had a connection."   "And I got bored."   "That's awfully quick."   Jimin grabs a soju from the table next to her and gulps it down. She refuses to talk to him but Bok Ji keeps on standing next to her like a stupid security dog.    It has always been like this with boys. They flock to her, lured by the external enchantment she effortlessly exudes. Yet, in the depths of her being, a yearning remains unfulfilled. They make her question the nature of attraction and the elusive sensation she craves.    "Why is it," she wonders, "that no boy has ever made my heart flutter?"   Something is missing.    Even in the crowded room, she is feeling more lonely than ever.    She clutches a half-empty soju, the effects of alcohol beginning to take hold.   "Give me another chance. We would make the perfect couple." Bok Ji keeps persisting.   "No." Jimin pushes him away. Hard.   Just as their conversation reaches an impasse, Minjeong storms into the scene, her face flushed with anger. She grabs Jimin's arm and pulls her away, a mixture of concern and annoyance evident in her eyes. Wonyoung follows closely behind, a bored expression etched on her face.   "Jimin." Minjeong grits her teeth. "What were you thinking?! Why did you turn off the ing phone?! Do you know how worried I was?!"   Minjeong's face wears a mask of deep worry and exhaustion as she frantically searches for Jimin everywhere.   "And... were you flirting with him?" Minjeong asks in disgust.   "Gosh, No!!" Jimin sighs. Minjeong is still tightly grabbing her arm.   Jimin harshly shooks Minjeong off. "What's the big deal anyway?! And how did you know where I was?"   "Ryujin told me."   "Just perfect." Jimin rolls her eyes and begins to storm away right when Wonyoung grabs her by the shoulder and turns her around.   The hurt etches on Minjeong's face is palpable, her emotions lay bare for all to see.    Wonyoung's normally composed demeanor cracks, replaced by a simmering anger as she observes Jimin rep