Chapter 30

            “Just let me in, Hyekyeong-ah,” Ellin sighed as Soyul stood mightily between her and their dorm room door.  “We’ve been dancing all day and I just want to sleep.”

            Soyul squinted her eyes and crouched down slightly as a fierce lion tamer would before her giant cat.  “Unnie, I’m not letting you into this room until Geummi unnie says I can.  You can fight me if you want, but I don’t recommend it.”

            “I’m about to collapse in front of you, Hyekyeong-ah!  Just let me in!”

            The door opened slightly behind Soyul, and Geummi peeked her head out excitedly.  “Come on in!”

            Ellin rushed past Soyul and Geummi into the dorm room only to be greeted with a flurry of balloons and confetti.  “Happy birthday, Kim Minyoung!”

            In utter confusion and shock, Ellin looked around the room at all the decorations.  A small, glittery banner made from cheap paper and craft supplies reading “Happy Birthday Kim Minyoung” hung above her bed.  The delicious scent of spicy chicken wings filled the entire room, and a bottle of fairly expensive wine sat on the counter in the small kitchenette area in the back of the room.

            Geummi came up behind Ellin and placed her hands on her shoulders.  “Happy birthday, Minyoung-ah!  What do you think?”

            “It’s…It’s April second already?” Ellin asked with wide eyes.  “I honestly haven’t been keeping track of the days.  We’ve been so busy.”

            “That’s why we’re here to keep track of them for you!” Choa smiled, holding a balloon out in front of Ellin.  “It’s cause for celebration!  Let’s party a little before we go to bed!”

            “Ah…It’s so late,” Ellin said, a sudden spark of excitement in her tired eyes.  “We shouldn’t stay up; I’m sure you’re all tired.”

            “Nonsense!” Soyul exclaimed, closing the dorm door and running over to the kitchen.  “You’re worth celebrating, unnie!  We got some delicious chicken for you!”

            A bright smile finally adorned Ellin’s face, but she placed her slightly shaking hand over it as her eyes began to shine with tears.  “I…I didn’t think…”

            “Minyoung-ah, did you think we wouldn’t celebrate your birthday?” Geummi questioned, moving in front of her and wiping a tear from her cheek.  “The celebration of your life is too precious to ignore, Minyoung-ah.  I hope you know how much you mean to us.”

            Ellin chuckled quietly and sniffled.  “Thank you, unnie.”

            “We all pitched in for the chicken,” Soyul told loudly, already opening up the bag of food.  “But Geummi unnie bought the most expensive wine she could afford with her own money!”

            “Aish, Hyekyeong-ah, stop it,” Geummi said, her round cheeks turning bright red.  “Forget the expenses, let’s all just celebrate!”

            The chicken seemed to disappear instantly, and the girls sat on each other’s beds drinking wine and talking about their work over the past few months.  They had filmed a music video for their song Bing Bing, and they readied themselves to finally promote in Korea.  Things were becoming exciting and tiresome at the same time.  They had little time to rest between training their martial arts, medical, and performing skills.  This night seemed like a long-awaited answer to their prayers. 

            After drinking a few glasses of wine, Soyul became a fiery ball of energy, bouncing around the room, telling stories, and practicing her martial arts.  But after a while, she laid back on Geummi on her bed and fell asleep in her arms.  Geummi gently ran her fingers through her hair and patted her small hand as the minutes went by.  Ellin laid on her bed sipping the last bit of her wine, but Choa stayed wide away, deciding not to partake in the expensive wine.

            “She’s purring,” Geummi whispered excitedly, grinning down at the whimpering Soyul.

            “You adore her too much, unnie, but I will admit she’s adorable,” Ellin sighed, holding her wine glass lazily in her hand.

            “She is,” Geummi smiled.  “Minyoung-ah, Serang meant to be here, but she had to run off to the U.S. unexpectedly.  She pitched in on the food, though.  She really did hate having to miss this night.

            Ellin chuckled and gave a small hiccup.  “Why am I not surprised?  Serang is a true secret agent; she’s probably saving the world right now.  Thanks for letting me know, though, unnie.  I appreciate knowing her intentions.

            “Believe it or not, Wifi Jung made that sign,” Geummi informed with a laugh.  “He taped it up on the wall shyly earlier today.  He sends his regards.”

            “Ugh, Wifi Jung,” Ellin sighed.  She reached up for the sign and lazily tore it down.  “Why can’t Dohyun send his regards?”

            “Ah, Dohyun-ssi,” Geummi smirked.  “Everyone in this dorm has a crush on him.”

            “Even you, unnie?” Choa asked suddenly.

            “Well, he is more of my age,” Geummi said with mock confidence.  “But I could never go for a guy that all of you like.”

            “I wish I could be so noble.”  Ellin swirled her wine in her glass and closed her eyes tightly.  “I would love to see him fall in love with me, but I just know it will never happen.”

            Choa leaned back in her bed tensely, wishing the subject would change.  She pulled the covers over herself and watched Ellin carefully.

            “Minyoung-ah, I hate when you talk like this,” Geummi frowned.  She carefully moved herself out from under Soyul and walked over to Ellin’s bed.  “You’ve only turned twenty-two.  There’s plenty of time to find the love of your life.”

            “If someone ever likes me…I’m afraid they’ll do the same thing my teacher did,” Ellin told shakily.  Geummi took her glass of wine as she suddenly broke down into tears.  “I’m just so tired of being alone.”

            “Minyoung-ah.”  Geummi put the wine on Ellin’s bedside table and sat next to her.  She wrapped her in her arms and squeezed her tightly.  “You are a flawless and kindhearted woman!  You’re going to find someone just like that and live happily ever after.”

            “Please don’t cry, unnie,” Soyul mumbled sleepily, her eyes still closed.  She sat up slightly and yawned.  “Dohyun is the one causing all this pain in your heart.  Forget about him, unnie.  Maybe he should just leave.  He said he has a girlfriend anyway.”

            “Really?” Ellin asked in shock as Geummi wiped tears from her eyes.  “Serang said he was single when he first got here.”

            “Yeah…But I asked him to go out to one of Minseon’s shows last month, and he said he had a girlfriend.”

            Choa could feel herself beginning to sweat, but she couldn’t bear to throw off the covers and reveal her nervous demeanor to her distraught friends.  Her eyes barely stayed above the blanket to watch them.

            “Who did he meet?”  Ellin’s sadness had almost entirely dissipated, and only fury remained.  “There’s a company full of girls right here, and he goes and finds some other woman?  Ugh, Minjin-ah, all our fighting seems so pointless.  I shouldn’t even be saying these things anyway.  We swore not to make him a target of our affection.  He could tear this group apart!  Sorry, Minjin-ah.”

            Barely uttering an anxious chuckle, Choa couldn’t even make eye contact with Ellin.  She wished they could all fall asleep and forget Dohyun altogether.  But a sudden knock on the door interrupted all of their thoughts.

            “It’s pretty late; who could that be?” Geummi wondered, rising up from Ellin’s bed.  She walked over to the door and opened it slowly.  “Do…Dohyun-ssi?  What are you doing here?”

            Choa felt her heart give a powerful beat, then it seemed to simply stop.  His voice that usually sounded like a dream only rang out like a nightmare.  Ellin in her drunken state jumped up from the bed and tried to fix her appearance as best as she could.

            “I think we’re all going to sleep soon, but if it’s urgent, please come in.”

            Dohyun entered the room and immediately looked at Choa with a happy grin.  As he walked towards her, he glanced at the balloons around the room and laughed.  Choa felt her skin crawl off as he sat next to her on her bed and wrapped his arm around her.

            “Are they throwing us an anniversary party?” Dohyun asked with a smile.

            “…Anniversary…Anniversary party?”  Ellin’s eyes were wide and blank, hiding the quickly brewing emotions inside.  “What are you talking about?”

            “It was exactly two months ago, on February 2, that Minjin-ah agreed to be my girlfriend,” Dohyun informed proudly.  “It took almost three weeks for her to finally say yes.  I’m sure she’s told you guys all about it by now.”

            Now even Soyul was fully awake, seemingly completely sober and alert.  She jumped up from her bed and stared at Dohyun and Choa.  “Minjin unnie is the girl you’re dating?”

            Dohyun looked around and noticed the confused and heartbroken stares he was receiving.  He slowly rose up from Choa’s bed and scratched his head.  “I…I guess she hasn’t told you?  In that case…I’m sorry.  I just needed to come by to give Minjin her anniversary gift.”  He slipped his hand into his pocket and took out a small black box.  Choa looked at it with watery eyes, unable to move.  Her heart was beating so fast she felt it was going to explode.  When he placed the box on her bedside table, he began walking to the door.

            “Park Dohyun!” Ellin screamed suddenly, rising out of her bed.  Her whole body shook as she looked at him.  He froze, yet didn’t turn to face her.  “This isn’t an anniversary party for you and Heo Minjin.  This is my birthday party!  And you’ve ruined it!  Both of you!  Get out!”

            “Minyoung, please listen,” Choa asked, finally pushing the covers off of herself and stepping out of her bed.

            “Heo Minjin, we agreed not to date him!” Ellin cried.  “I thought it was a deal!”

            “Why would you rather us both be miserable than one of us to find love?” Choa retorted in frustration.  “I don’t meant to hurt you, but you’re being ridiculous!”

            “Get out!”  Ellin dove into her bed and covered herself with blankets.  Her loud sobs made the air in the room feel thick and suffocating.  Choa could feel a very painful tear in her heart, and her eyes began to fill with tears.  She shook with surprise when Soyul came up behind her and took her hand.

            “Unnie, maybe you and Dohyun should go out for a little while,” Soyul suggested, leading her to the door.  Geummi unnie and I will take care of Ellin unnie.  You and Dohyun should go and…celebrate your anniversary.”

            Choa looked back as Geummi sat down with Ellin and tried to console her.  She felt Dohyun take her hand from Soyul and begin leading her out of the room.  As the door closed behind them, she felt overwhelmed by emotions.

            “You never told them about us?” Dohyun asked gently as they stood in the entrance hall of the building.  “I thought you said you would eventually break the news.”

            “Minyoung really likes you, oppa,” Minjin sighed shakily.  “I didn’t know how to tell her.  And now…on her birthday…this is such a mess.”

            Dohyun wrapped her in his arms as she began to weep.  “Ah, Minjin-ah, please don’t cry.”

            “I really didn’t want her to get hurt, but I don’t know why she’s being so difficult,” Minjin said with her face pressed against his chest.  “Ah, oppa, why did you have to come tonight?”

            “I’m sorry,” he whispered, squeezing her affectionately.  “Hey, let’s go out for drinks and try to forget about what just happened.  It will all work out in the morning, I promise.”

            Choa looked up at him with sad eyes.  “I guess I can’t go back into the room just yet…Fine.  Let’s try to celebrate.  I’m really happy to be with you, oppa.”

            “I’m happy too,” he smiled.  “Come on, let’s go.”