“Ok, so basically, he and I are getting married,” Talia blurted out before slamming another shot of soju.

            “Well, damn, that didn’t take long. Thanks for saving some for the rest of us, but please, do tell,” Alex chuckled, reaching for the bottle as well. She poured Fay another drink, looking up at Talia to briefly study her brightening cheeks and glazing eyes. The alcohol was hitting faster than it usually did with the lack of the sleep and, with her head in the clouds, she was already gone. Alex cherished moments like this, but her heart was still heavy as she slammed back her own shot, waiting for the other to continue.

            “Don’t worry, don’t worry. You’re all invited to the wedding~” she chimed, her words cutting deeper than either other girl would have liked to admit, though Alex notoriously always adamantly denied the thought of marriage. “What good would marrying the love of my life be if my best friends weren’t there? We can invite Yvie later as well,” she continued, mirthfully.

            “Ok, but how did this all happen?” Fay interjected, a slight bite to her words as she, too, took a drink, embarrassed at her brashness. Fortunately, Talia didn’t seem to mind as she mulled over her words, trying to devise the most appealing story to herself as well as the most realistic to the other two. While any other girl would have been content with the interactions she was fortunate enough to have, it wasn’t enough for her. She wanted—needed—more. She needed something, any story, to justify the way her stomach fluttered, the way her cheeks flushed, the way her mind fogged when she thought of him and only him. She wanted a reason to justify running for the hills of her heart and the more believable the story, the less flack she would receive from the other two.

            “So, I sat up there and he was the sweetest thing!” she started with a squeal, wondering if she could create the story—the man—of her dreams with her words and desperation.

            “Ok, but what happened?” Alex interjected, catching her off guard with a mischievous flick of her eyebrow. She was careful not to stare through her soul, but she was searching for any reason to doubt her—or any reason to believe her. The former was easier for the heart while the latter was easier for the mind. Not having been there, neither her nor Fay would be able to verify anything she said. The mind would simply go with the facts while her heart would try to follow. Yet, she noted how Talia quickly bit at her bottom lip, as if she were revising her story mid-thought.

            “Well, he said that he remembered me and that it was nice to be sitting next to me. He called me his star and I swear, that was it for me. He just felt so genuine and comforting. It felt like it fit, the way it rolled off his tongue, even with the slight language barrier.”

            “I guess that song was just written for you, huh? It’s fate; it was meant to be!” Fay pointed out, the hopeless romantic emerging once again. Alex couldn’t tell if it was the alcohol, the lack of sleep, or all the above, but they knew this Fay was already madly in love with whatever would come out of Talia’s mouth. Talia knew this, too, though she knew her elder friend would be much more skeptical, calculating. She specialized in stories of the heart and philosophy of the mind, and she was more than capable of playing any character she created. Yet, Talia was determined to craft a better one, for her own sake as well as that of the game.

            “We do all have those songs, the songs meant for us. Look at you with the love song and me with the song that they did only once. I don’t care, we were robbed for not getting “Fanfare” at either of the other two actual stops on the tour,” Alex grumbled before grumpily shoving another piece of meat in . “They really played us like that. It’s like Seventeen not playing “Home” all over again; I can never forgive them for that one,” she mumbled, shaking her head.

            “Ok, but you have to at least forgive Seungmin. I’m his star and I can’t possibly hold a grudge against him forever. Maybe next time they come through, they’ll do it a real stop.”

            “So, you’re telling me that I have to cross state lines for these men again just so I can get my “Fanfare”?!” Alex groaned, rolling her eyes. “I mean, I’d do it, though, but my wallet wouldn’t be happy,” she huffed without hesitation.

            “Who knows, maybe they’ll do it out in here in LA next time,” Talia assured her. “Anyway, I actually told him we were on the way home back here and boy acted like planes don’t exist because it seemed like he was so shocked that we had seen them out there on the other side of the world,” Talia chuckled, her eyes sparkling with an already onset fondness as she reflected on the fact that she—they—had managed to coordinate and enjoy a family trip to see some of the most talented people they knew of, one that ended in her meeting the love of her life—as she convinced herself. “But then, I said that they came all the way from Korea just to see us, so what we did was nothing!”

            “The boys are too kind, too humble. I remember during our snapshot, Joochan and I just going back and forth about how neither of us were tired enough to not see the other. That old man can’t lie to me. He was really trying to tell me that I should be more tired just because I hopped states, but that he wasn’t tired after doing the same thing and dancing and singing for three hours. Their love for us is astounding, but their lying skills are not,” Alex reminisced as if it wasn’t only the day before.

            “I know with Jibeom, he also said something similar, even though he was dripping in sweat. He didn’t say much during our time, but he definitely looked tired. He’s just so flawless, he was probably hoping that I didn’t notice,” Fay added.

            “Seungmin must just be built different because the boy looked just fine. He seemed like he had all the energy in the world, like if he got off the plane, he’d be able to get up and go around LA just like that,” she countered, “which is exactly what I offered to do~” she chimed before drinking another shot.

            “Wait, you’re kidding! Did they get off the plane after us? Are they here?” Fay rambled, not sure what she would do if she even had the chance.

            “I didn’t ask if they were going somewhere else, but probably so. Their tour is over, isn’t it?” Talia shrugged. “Either way, he said he would come back for me and that he would take me up on that offer when he does,” she nearly shrieked, unable to contain herself.

            “Wait, wait, wait, he said that he was going to come back for you?” Fay screamed, grateful that the loud Big Bang playlist, coupled with the bellowing cheers and yells from the other drunken patrons, was drowning out her slurred and excited yells. Talia only nodded, unsure of if she could believe it herself. She understood that they were masters of fanservice, so it was more than possible he would say so, but she doubted herself, wondering what was so special about her, what she could play up to bring him back to her when she had the next chance. Regardless, she knew her empty stare and blank nods would be even more convincing as it seemed she was desperately trying to process something that she knew wasn’t there. Alex and Fay would not blame her for being so caught up.

            “Either that or if I ever get to Korea, that he would personally show me around if he wasn’t on a schedule,” Talia added casually, glancing over at Alex, who was planning to go to Korea the following summer. “Heck, if I get there before either of you, with their help, I can just tell you all the best places to go,” she continued with a slight tease in her voice as she stared at Alex, who was busy shoveling meat into . Talia waited almost too long for a response, hoping to catch some glimpse of jealousy, some glimpse of defeat, but to no avail. She should have known that nothing—or no one—could interfere with that girl’s appetite.

            “But that doesn’t matter. He said he would come back for you. Which means that not only is he coming back, but when he does, he’s coming back just for you. Don’t you see what that means?” Fay gabbed, nearly lunging across the table to shake her. “That means you’ve done it!” she continued without allowing Talia to get a single word or breath in. “You’ve done what literally any one of us would want to do. It just fell out of the sky. That’s it, we lost. Seungmin’s yours. What can we do?” she blabbered, admitting defeat much too easily for either Alex or Talia. Both knew that Seungmin was her first love upon entering the fandom. Alex knew Fay’s heart still ached for him, even as she tried to convince Talia that he was hers for the taking. Talia knew, but this is what she had wanted. One down, another to go. Yet, Alex would not be so easy and Fay would not b