Seulgi, still in a red collared shirt tucked under a black pleated skirt; her waitress uniform, brown hair tied up in a high ponytail fumbled to unlock the door from the outside before turning the knob open. A green bottle on the floor rolled gradually meeting her foot as she entered, followed by another and another. Her eyes followed a trail of multiple empty bottles coming from the dropped trash bin next to the kitchen counters-- they were bottles of Soju. She released a heavy sigh before dropping her keys into the ceramic bowl on the table behind the door, and shrugged off her coat to throw on the coat hanger before she tiptoed in the spaces between the bottles to walk towards the staircase at the end of the room, holding the straps of her drawstring backpack tight.

Beeeeeep.

A vivid sound from the answering machine behind her appeared. The voice of yet another man spoke, "Mr. Kim, we have been trying to reach you, we need you at the company. Final comeback choreographies are due very soon, please check your emails or answer your phone. Please. Your father won't be happy to hear about this." Followed by another long beep.

"Jongin-ahhhhh!!!!" She raised her voice, just annoyed now, as she made her way up the stairs. Jongin's room's door was slightly open. She could hear the sound of loud music blasting from inside as she got closer. "Jongin." She repeated as she pushed the door open. "Kim Jong--" She cut herself off as she saw Jongin sprawled out on his completely messed up bed all seen under the light of one lamp, bedsheets all crumpled, him wearing nothing but a pair of boxers. His blonde hair pointing in all directions, a bottle of soju still in his grasp. It was almost winter, and it's gotten to be particularly cold but Jongin look like he showered with his own sweat. His eyes were wide open, eyebags looking heavier than ever, staring blankly at the ceiling but by merely looking at him, you could tell he was wasted. "Jongin."

"Seulgi-ah, you're home!!!!" Jongin exclaimed, his voice at a much louder volume competing with the music as he instantly sat up and dropped the bottle down on his bed, having its contents spill on his gray sheets leaving a huge stain. "Did you just get here??"

"Yeah, uh--" Seulgi said, surprised at Jongin's current disposition, rummaging for the pause button on his speakers behind the door in the midst of the darkness. Seulgi's aware that he's been drinking every day for the past weeks but this is the first time, Seulgi's actually seen him. He hasn't left his room at all. "How many of those have you had?"

"Two--welve. Fiftee--lve, I don't know-- a lot? Is fiftwelve a number--" He answered, continuously chuckling in between his words. "I don't know, Seul. I don't know."

"At least throw them out properly or keep them in the premises of your own room." She leaned down to pick up the bottles on the floor and make them stand. "Just clean up, I could care less but just--"

"No one cares." Jongin interrupted, grabbing another opened bottle from his bedside and taking a gulp. "No one cares about me."

Seulgi cringed at him. "Just clean up, okay? And take a shower, your stench is eating up the entire loft."

Jongin laughed under his breath. Seulgi turned around, about to step out of the room when Jongin suddenly called out. "Seul."

"What?" She said, still facing the door.

Jongin lay back down on his side. "Why didn't she love me.." He closed his eyes, still lost in his own world. "Why doesn't anyone.. ever.. do..."

Seulgi turned back around, and watched as Jongin doze off, a tear falling from his left eye. And for the first time, Seulgi actually felt bad for him.

---

The following night, Seulgi came home at the same time after her shift at the restaurant. The loft had no traces of Jongin's misery this time. It was squee