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IT was the fifth time seulgi glanced out the door, and she thought she was getting noticed. "i hate parties," she mumbled under her breath, placing her elbows on the table top, resting her right cheek on the palm of her hand. she wasn't lying: party atmospheres made her dizzy, and all the flashing lights weren't helping.

all of which became reasons to stay at the corner while everyone enjoyed themselves.

she looked at joy and yeri, who were at the bar counter, chatting up one of the bartenders, trying to decide what drinks to get. irene still sat elegantly beside her, clad in the rose pink top seulgi had helped her pick out the day before (it looked red under the dim lighting, but joy advised her not to wear the gold one since she wasn't the bride), scanning around. she seemed content with everything.

she sighed as she looked at them. at least my friends are having fun.

she leaned her back at the upholstered chairs of the booth, which was apparently the best the club had to offer, and something wendy had reserved for them, upon irene's request.

seulgi was thankful for that. she knew irene wasn't so fond of parties, and so was she.

loud, blaring music indicated that the party had already begun, and a lot of people showed up; most were the couple's friends and co-workers, a few senior members from their company, which only hyped the party even more. wendy and yoongi had disappeared into the crowd, drinks in their hands as well, making sure people were fine.

wendy's maid of honor, however, sat still in one booth, nervously staring at the entrance from time to time.

"hey, don't be a killjoy," irene replied, holding her drink's straw gingerly as she drank. she had no idea how she heard her, especially with the music being so loud. "it's the least you could do for wendy."

"i'm not trying to be a killjoy," seulgi said. "well, me and parties don't really mix well."

"we're both killjoys." irene adjusted her hair. "but we're here to stay, alright?" she earned a nod from seulgi.

"we're back!" joy said, walking by the booth with yeri behind her, both holding wine glasses in between their fingers. their heels clicked with the floor as they stepped into the booth, plopping in at the side opposite their older friends.

"what are those?" seulgi asked. her voice came out rather loudly, and it had to for it to be more audible the club's loud music in the background.

joy looked at her glass and beamed at them. "vesper martini," she replied. her voice was just as loud as seulgi's, and she smiled at the others' reactions. "i know, fancy right?"

"what's in that?' irene asked. this time, joy just stared at the drink. "yeah, fancy."

"hey, the bartender said this is james bond's favorite drink," yeri defended. 

"you still don't know what's in that," irene replied. "plus, you're not exactly a bond girl, are you?" yeri rolled her eyes at her.

seulgi chuckled at irene's rude comment. "is that free?"

joy nodded while yeri started sipping on the drink. "on the tab."

"wendy son is rich," seulgi commented. "and she never even told us." she shook her head and laughed to herself as she mixed her drink with the ice. probably why she'd been catching your rent, stupid.

"yoongi oppa's probably paying for most of it," said joy, who, based from her facial expression, wasn't liking the martini. she gave up and put it down. "cute and rich. what a catch."

"he's engaged, joy." joy held up her hands up in defense. "and he's not rich, he's just right."

"he's still partly rich, though." yeri sipped straight and clear.

"i told her that a bachelorette party was relatively cheaper," irene said, scooting back. "and it wouldn't even be this crowded."

"remind me why she refused again?"

"she wanted a party that included every one of her friends so she could hang out with them," replied seulgi. "she wasn't buying the whole 'bachelorette party' concept."

"so she had to rent a club all to herself," irene finished off. " and call it a 'bridal party'. like that's even a term."

"it's her wedding, let her be, unnie." seulgi sipped from her drink. "it's not like we're going to have fun either way."

"yeah, you guys are boring," said yeri, earning a glare from both seulgi and irene.

"we just prefer to stay put," seulgi replied, and turned her attention to the raging party before her.

as she took a sip of her drink again, she spotted wendy in the crowd; she was wearing this amazing black blouse, that highlighted the way her body curved and even showed off her collarbones. her hair, brown and blonde at the tips, was tied in a graceful ponytail. she was seated with a few of her colleagues at the company - krystal, whom she recognized, as well as amber and jennie, and jin, yoongi's friend - and she was all smiles as she talked.

she smiled to herself again. wendy looked so beautiful - and yoongi had better not hurt her.

genuinely, she was happy for wendy, and maybe, admittedly, a bit envious of her as well. well, who wouldn't? wendy was getting married to the love her life, and to seulgi, that probably encompasses every dream of having a beautiful career.

and that was something she probably wouldn't have admitted if she had been sober.

i wish i had that.

scratch that, that wasn't what she wanted.

i wish jimin were here.

"well, i have no idea about you guys," yeri said again over the loud music, "but i'm going dancing. i am spending my first legitimate party in this booth." she stood up and brushed her bangs away before stepping out of the booth, looking around for people to approach.

"me too," joy said, grabbing her purse before standing up, "cute guys aren't going to talk to themselves, am i right?"

seulgi chuckled as joy stepped out, fixed her hair and waded into the crowd, joining the number of people either dancing or just plain talking on the flashing lights of the dance floor.

irene turned to her with a curious look. "what about you?" seulgi looked at her as well. "aren't you going to dance?"

she shook her head casually. "i'm not one to dance in parties, you know."

irene smiled as she nodded, and seulgi took another sip of her drink and turned her attention to the crowd.  

the lights seemed to compliment the atmosphere pretty well; it lacked oxygen in the atmosphere, and the chitchat was mere background noise to the blaring music. most of the people were still sitting down in the booths, but a few people - yoongi included; seulgi made out his white button-up shirt in the middle of the flashing lights - were already so absorbed in the hype the atmosphere gave off that dancing seemed to be the only option to enjoy.

seulgi smiled to herself. yoongi wasn't ordinarily someone you'd expect to party hard, but alcohol makes you do unusual things, so it seems.

"he's drunk, isn't he?" irene asked. 

seulgi shook her head while smiling. "seems so."

the older looked at her. "he seems like a great guy."

she raised an eyebrow at her friend. "and you drew that conclusion by looking at him?"

they both laughed. yoongi wasn't really in the best state right now. but she could tell he would be good to wendy.

damn, i really wish i had that.

she squinted at her wristwatch to be able to get a glance of the time: 12:57 am. it was getting later and later in the evening, and she didn't think he was coming. well, not that she expected him to come in the first place; but she was still hoping.

nervously, she glanced at the entrance, and her eyes popped.

"unnie?" she said, making irene turn to her. "you'll be here, right?"

"yeah, just right here," she replied. "why? what's wrong?"

seulgi blinked a few times before cutting her gaze to look back at her. "i-i'm, uh, going to get another drink." she swallowed. "want anything?"

she was partly thankful that it was dim so that irene couldn't make out the nervousness in her face. but irene still raised her eyebrows at her. 

"no, i'm good. you go ahead."

as soon as she said it, seulgi took her purse and launched herself into the crowd, wading through people talking and dancing - she thought she heard wendy and jongin talking, but anyway - locking her gaze straight into the direction she was going for, his direction, like it mattered so much.

he came.

jimin was facing the crowd, the colored lights illuminating his face, giving her a glimpse of his plaid shirt and black shirt underneath. he had a beanie on, which pushed his hair back and revealed his forehead, a golden chain around his neck.

for a moment, she stopped in her tracks and stood there, not knowing what to do. she had no idea why she invited him, but she was sure wendy wouldn't mind as well, it was fine. 

she tapped his back and he turned around, and his illuminated face lit up even more. "seulgi," he said, approaching her, spreading his arms out to anticipate some sort of hug. 

she was taken aback, but she stepped on her toes to reach up and place herself into the hug as well. "hey, jimin," she replied, taking in his scent: musky and fragrant.

"some party," he said, releasing himself from the hug.

"yeah!" seulgi replied, shouting.

"where's wendy?" he shouted back.

"what?" seulgi shouted in reply. the music was too loud to bear, and she couldn't even make out what he was saying judging by the movement from his lips. 

he seemed to disturbed by the loud volume as well, so he did what every guy like him would do: level his face with her ear while holding on to her shoulders, then whisper. "this is some party you have here, i can't even hear you."

jimin's voice alone made her skin tingle, and she was happy she didn't shiver at his actions. he returned with a smirk, looking at her deep in the eyes.

but the alcohol swimming in her bloodstream didn't quite want to concede, and, stepping on to her toes again, she reached his ear, "what about some drinks?"

jimin almost laughed at her actions, and she smirked as she turned around to walk towards the bar. he followed along, like a little kid, wading through the crowd like she did. he admired her as he did; the way her hair fell down her back, the way the dress she was wearing complimented how she looked. he bit his lip.

kang seulgi was doing things to him that he couldn't explain. again.

she sat down at the edge of the bar, crossing her legs, facing the empty seat to her left, which she knew jimin would sit on. jimin took off his beanie and placed it at the counter, ruffling his dark hair as seulgi leaned forward to catch the attention of the bartender. she was leaning her cheeks into her palms as she placed her elbows on the surface.

jimin gave her one glance and raised his hand up, ultimately catching the attention of one of the red-uniformed guys behind the counter. "hello, sir, what can i help you with?"

seulgi glanced at him nervously, not knowing what to say. but he gave her a small smile.

"i'll have a whiskey," he said, looking at her. "and a-"

"a beer for me," seulgi interjected, and the bartender shuffled off as jimin nodded.

partly, she was just thankful again that the room was dim enough to hide her blushing.

stop it, kang. he's your roommate. i'll say it again, you're roommates. stop it. she tried her best not to give in, and it just resulted in an awkward silence with party music in the background.

"alright, seulgi, spill it," he said, facing her, leaning his own cheek in his left palm.

she blinked back nervously. "s-spill what?"

"why am i here?" he asked, his lips turning into a smirk. that smirk.

seulgi utterly had no idea why he was here. she had no idea why she called him in the middle of a shopping trip to ask him if he could come to wendy's bridal party, but he doesn't have to know that.

"well, you know how i don't appreciate party atmospheres that much," she said, looking down. "plus, i have no one to talk to."

"not even that joy girl?" he asked. "i'd assume she'd be here."

"she'd probably be more interested in the cute guy i'm talking to rather than me," she said casually. a few moments after she'd realize what's she'd said, she was mentally stabbing herself.

"really?"

"well, yeah."

"glad to know that you still haven't changed after a year," jimin said, making her heart flutter.

"i don't party often, you know that."

"you never got that drunk, too." the bartender arrived as if on cue, handing them both their drinks, jimin's in a glass, hers in a bottle. "i mean, you still don't like whiskey."

"i'm not touching whiskey ever again," she said, chuckling as she took a sip of her beer. "you know that."

"yeah, but most people don't know that," he replied. "c'mon, you can't be that strong. you'll be drinking whiskey some time soon." 

"you know what whiskey makes me do, and i don't plan on letting myself do it again." he started to laugh.

"if it takes you whiskey to get you to bury one of your shoes in the middle of the park downtown," jimin began, chuckling as he went on, "then you're definitely drinking it."

seulgi almost choked and hit his lap, burying her face in her hands. "stop it! i still regret doing it!"

"it's the funniest thing you've ever done!"

"it is not! i never showed myself at that park ever since," she said, rolling her eyes at him. he was still laughing, and she was cringing, but she couldn't help but marvel at how beautiful he was.

he took another sip of his whiskey, which was almost finished. "i wonder if it's still there."

seulgi looked at him with full eyes. "i-it is," she said softly.

jimin looked at her, his elbows leaned on the counter. "your shoe?"

she nodded. "still there. i actually have no idea if they have intentions on moving it."

he smiled. "how do you know it's still there? do you visit it regularly or something?"

"maybe." jimin looked at her again. 

"what?"

"i said maybe," she repeated. jimin blinked at her. "i happen to look at it every time i walk to work." she sipped on her beer. "it's a little pink now, the red color."

jimin was at a loss for words. he bent his head down, and seulgi kept her gaze at him."

"it reminds me of, well, us."

jimin didn't look up. she knew jimin heard her; their voices were a bit hushed now, since the bar was relatively more silent than the main club. but he didn't respond.

"sorry," she said awkwardly, as she felt jimin move, drinking the last bit from his glass and letting it slide on the counter.

"seulgi?" he said, still not raising his head, but seulgi looked at him nevertheless.

"yeah?"

"what happened," he began, and seulgi let him finish, although she knew where it was going. "what happened to us?"

and for once, she had no sarcastic reply. she had nothing to answer him. she just looked at him, afraid that this was coming too soon, and even if they were friends, if they really even were, she knew this would pass by, even just once.

"i-i don't know."

"you don't know?" jimin repeated, his voice sort of low. it seemed to resonate and get to her, and it sent chills down her spine.

seulgi didn't know what to say.

"it was a year ago, ji-"

"you were the only one who broke up with me," he said.

seulgi bit her lip. he couldn't have been mad; maybe this was his true feelings showing, making up for all the time he didn't think about her. maybe he was mad after all. and all the alcohol swimming inside of him wasn't helping, either.

"jimin-"

"i'll be on the dance floor," he said, standing up, giving her a piercing gaze. they weren't mad; they were sad, and disappointed, even if they were half open. "if you need me." he walked away, hands in his pockets, disappearing into the crowd and the lights and the music.

seulgi was left there, clutching a half-empty beer bottle.

but i do need you. 

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here's a little something to get you guys going :)

- nayeonsbunny -