Jessica’s POV:

I leaned against the wall with my arms crossed, speculating the girl drinking in front of me. I watched her as she took shot after shot of the alcoholic beverage in her hand. I wanted to stop her, but I chose to keep silent and just watch from a distance.

There were multiple empty glasses and bottles of soju that stood on our table. Knowing her, she drank way past her limits. Her body couldn’t handle alcohol too well, so I was quite surprised the girl hadn’t knocked out cold yet.

She chuckled briefly before taking in another glass. The more time went by, the more anxious I became. I was feeling worried sick for the girl - up to the point I wanted her to notice my presence.

“Damn you, Jessica Jung.”

A wave of guilt hit me as she voiced out her thought for the first time since she began her drinking spree. It was then that I realized I was part to blame for her unusual drinking. As if on cue, I finally had an opening to distract her from drinking more.

“And why is that?” I asked the girl as I stood up straight with my arms still crossed and an eyebrow raised for more effect.

She looked at me, then back at her drink, ignoring my presence, just as she did for the past three years. I would have been mad at her, but I couldn’t. Seeing her in this state pained me, but what hurt more was because I knew I was the reason for it… that I was to blame for it.

She started laughing to herself and I was put to the verge of tears. She had lost her mind. I had a feeling that I didn’t know the girl in front of me anymore. Kim Taeyeon was lost somewhere in her drunken state. I wanted to run to her side and hug her close as I assured her that she’d be fine and I was here for her, but I couldn’t do that. How was I supposed to assure someone else when I couldn’t even assure myself? I was just as confused. I tried to think about what more to say, but came out empty. Why did she drink so much? I started to get irritated at the girl’s rash actions and I began asking questions to myself. It was as if I was the one who drank.

“Jessica, go to sleep. We have schedules tomorrow.” Taeyeon spoke up again.

“ I’m not going to sleep while my leader is drinking her brain off.”

“I’m not that drunk Jessica.”

“Like hell. Are you even aware of how many bottles you drank?” I started nagging the girl.

“Relax ice princess. I’m perfectly fine.” She smiled dorkily at me, but I shot her my death glare in return.

“Stupid leader…” I muttered under my breathe.

“You don’t believe me, do you?” She sighed. “Here watch. I’ll show you.”

She stood up from her chair and tried walking to me. She was unstable as she stumbled a few times.

“Stand still!” She instructed me, but I hadn’t moved an inch.

I bit my bottom lip and felt a lone tear go down my face. It wasn’t the first time I’ve seen her this drunk, but it still felt new. I would have never thought for a split second, before, that there'd be a day when Taeyeon would drink more than a sip. The girl was never good with alcohol, but here she was drinking our group’s worth of alcoholic beverages.

It was then when she was near me that she stumbled once more. I was quick to act, holding her up to prevent her from falling. She regained her balance and stood in a stable position. Our eyes met for a second and I realized how close we were to each other. I saw her eyes go down, fixating it on my lips. My mind refused to function, not fully understanding what was going on. She leaned closer to my face until mine were only so far apart from hers. I stayed still as I heard nothing but how fast my heart was beating in my chest. My eye’s gradually closed when I felt her lips touch mine gently.

My insides flipped and it felt like I got a shot full of adrenaline. I could feel the blood going through my veins. It felt like the entire world was mine.

Her scent was like poison. Poison I’d somehow drinked on my own free will. I missed the girl too