Chapter 17: New Flames, and Old Flames

Saturday | October 28th, 2023 | 7:13 PM

As I stepped out of my shower, aggressively patting my hair with the towel with the steam escaping into the hallway, the sound of knocking can be heard from outside of my bedroom, perhaps coming from the front door.

"Who the fuck?" I wondered, dropping my towel onto my bedroom floor and picking up my boxers, hurriedly pulling them on. The knocking persisted, whoever was behind the door was impatiently pounding on the wood. "Man, fuck," I groaned as I struggled to pull on my sweatpants, awkwardly hopping towards my bedroom door and falling out into the living room.

"I'm fucking coming," I snapped, stumbling towards the front door while I finally put a shirt on. The pounding on the door was becoming louder and faster. At this point, there was only one person that I know who would knock like that. I sighed, reaching for the door knob and pulling it open, confirming my suspicions.

Nakyung was standing in the doorway, a wide grin spread across her face. I sighed and opened the door wider, "What do you want?"

She walked right past me and into the apartment, immediately eyeing my couch. "Wow, so mean," she remarked, plopping herself down on the couch. "A girl was just bored and figured she should bother you," Nakyung continued, making herself comfortable. I closed the door and locked it behind me.

"So, what do you want to do? Order takeout and watch Netflix?" She suggested, turning her attention towards me. Her eyes flickered from my torso to the ground, "Where are you going?" Nakyung asked, a frown appearing on her face.

"Huh, how do you know I'm going somewhere?" I asked, raising an eyebrow and folding my arms over my chest.

"Well, your hair is still damp. You almost never take a shower this early unless you're going out somewhere later," She pointed out, gesturing to the dampness of my hair and my clothes. Nakyung was definitely perceptive, it was kind of scary. "Where are you going? Is it a date? Oh! With Haerin?" She excitedly leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees.

"Nah, nothing like that," I chuckled, waving her off. "The goobers are going out tonight to celebrate our first win of the intramural season," I answered. Nakyung nodded her head, her expression dropping, clearly not as excited by the news.

"Well, that's boring," She shrugged, falling back against the couch and letting her body sink into the cushion.

"You know, you're welcome to come. I'm pretty sure they like you, I hope," I teased, raising an eyebrow. She rolled her eyes and crossed her legs.

"Oh, shut up," she snorted, shaking her head. "I'm waiting on my official invite to the group chat before I can go." She threw up her hands in a playful prayer.

"Just come, there's other people coming too like Xiaoting and Jennie. They're not a part of the group chat. C'mon, you said you were bored," I reasoned, trying to convince her.

"I would, but I'm not even dressed and I'm too lazy to walk back to my dorm right now," Nakyung shrugged. "Also, aren't you house-sitting tonight?" she added.

"I already stopped by this morning, the dog's fed enough for the night, the house is clean, and there's no one there. So, it's pretty much the same as any other day," I explained. Yeah, pretty much the same as any other day. Just today, I cranked one out with a pair of Seolhyun's clean undies in her bedroom while some of her cum-coated stuffed animals watched. I even took a short naked nap in her bed to rest up, feeling so naughty rubbing my naked body all over her sheets.

"You should at least ask, I'll feel stupid if they stare me down when I show up," Nakyung pouted, her bottom lip sticking out.

"Alright, I'll bring it up," I said, sighing. Nakyung stood up from the couch, smoothing her clothes out and coming over to look over my phone:

hey can nakyung come tonight? shes bored asf and bothering me right now

Joyomgg yes! i havent seen her since my party

Yejihelll yea

Wooyoungofc shes always welcome

I gave a smug look to Nakyung, who returned with a roll of her eyes.

Haechanwhen we meeting up

Wooyoungyall can come over as soon as im finishing up cleaning my apartment

Once again, I gave Nakyung a look, who rolled her eyes, and turned away from me, going back over to the couch and laying back down. "No excuses now," I said. She sighed, nodding her head, "I don't know, Minjae. Is it just the goobers?"

"I'm pretty sure it's just us, plus Xiaoting and Jennie, and even Saerom's coming, so you can expect to see Haechan try to charm her while deep in alcohol. It should be interesting," I told her, sitting down beside her on the couch.

"So, it's gonna be a full house tonight," Nakyung sighed, staring at the ceiling. "Reminds me of that night, you know."

"Yeah," I mumbled, recalling the night Joy hosted her first party at her own house. It was the night I pushed my luck and scaled the side of her house just to steal her underwear from her room. It was also the night Nakyung and I formally bonded over our pervy secrets and I introduced her to the joys of stealing underwear.

"So what, you're coming tonight right?" I asked, looking down at her.

"I mean, I don't have anything better to do," she shrugged. "But, like I said, I'm not wearing anything nice right now, and I'm too lazy to leave and come back."

"Why not borrow something of mine?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows. She looked at me incredulously, folding her arms over her chest and giving me a stern glare.

"Are you serious?" she scoffed, her eyes boring holes into my head. "Have you seen how much bigger your waist is than mine? Your pants wouldn't fit me, and they would be so loose. Your shirts would probably fit, but I'll look stupid in them."

"There's something called a belt, you know," I deadpanned, rolling my eyes. "And my shirts look fine, you're just being picky."

"Shut up," she muttered, swatting at my arm. "If it makes you feel better, I'll try them on and see. If they fit, I'll wear them, otherwise, I'll just stay in," Nakyung conceded.

"That's all I'm asking for," I said, standing up and going back to my room. Nakyung trailed behind me, following me into my bedroom.

"So, what should I wear?" she asked, planting her hands onto her hips.

"Just, anything. It doesn't matter, you'll look fine in anything," I responded, leaning against the doorway, watching as she walked over to my dresser and pulled my top drawer open. She started rummaging through my shirts, pushing them around. It made me cringe watching her throw my folded clothes onto the bed behind her, but I'll deal with that later. I came from behind her and sifted through the pile of shirts, finding the one that I imagined as a part of my own outfit tonight.

I threw off the shirt I had on, replacing it with the new one. I glanced back at Nakyung, who had finally stopped rummaging and was holding up a black, graphic t-shirt in her hands. It was an old band t-shirt that I wore occasionally, and she looked satisfied with her choice.

"What are you wearing tonight?" she asked, dropping the shirt onto the bed and beginning to undress. Although I've probably seen Nakyung naked the most out of anyone, it never failed to shut down any thought in my brain and freeze me up. Her petite body, slender frame, and smooth skin made my mouth dry and my blood run cold.

"Uhh, this, probably black jeans and my high-top Nikes," I stuttered, swallowing thickly.

"Cool," she said while throwing her shirt to the floor and revealing her pink bra. And, as if she had read my thoughts, she started undoing her pants and pulled them off, revealing the tight, matching pink cotton panties underneath. It was simple, nothing extravagant, and she didn't seem to notice as she grabbed my t-shirt and pulled it over her head.

She adjusted the shirt, pulling it down her waist and smoothing the fabric. As she turned around to face me, my attention was brought back to my shirt, seeing that it looked good on her. "Do I look stupid?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Not at all, actually," I answered honestly, looking her up and down. "That looks nice on you." I liked the way my shirt was oversized on her, hanging loosely around her thin frame. The neckline was wide and slightly exposed her collarbones and shoulders, and the hem hung loosely around her thighs. The black contrasted well with her pale complexion.

"Great," she nodded, "Where's your pants at?" I moved aside, pointing towards the closet and the rows of pants hanging from the rack. She moved past me and sifted through my selection. Meanwhile, I picked up the pile of shirts on my bed, trying my best to fold them again as neatly as possible.

"How have you been lately, by the way?" she asked, breaking the silence. "I haven't been blessing you with my presence lately. Have you been crying yourself to sleep missing me?" she teased, smirking back at me.

"Nah, I'm fine, thanks for asking though," I laughed. "I've just been busy with intramurals, work, school, you know, the usual. What about you, what have you been doing without my supervision?"

"Well, you know. Classes, sleeping, I attended the committee meeting Thursday night," she listed off, looking over her shoulder at me.

"Committee meeting? I forgot you joined the student activities committee," I recalled the recruitment, after a rather interesting encounter with the committee's president and her lackey, Park Jihyo and Im Nayeon. For a brief moment, the memory of Jihyo's massive tits blew past my mind and I had to blink it away. "What was that like?"

"It was fun, a little bit overwhelming," she began, pausing and grabbing a pair of dark jeans from my closet. She put them over her lap and continued, "There were a lot of girls, and they were so welcoming, but they were talking really fast and the ideas were so wild, I could barely keep up. But it was fun."

"Yeah, maybe you can finally find other friends besides me to bother," I chuckled, setting the shirts aside. She gave me a pout, but continued.

"Everyone was nice, and they're really passionate. Man, they have a lot of ideas for upcoming events," Nakyung grinned. "One girl brought up the idea of our university hosting a small convention for cosplayers and anime fans and stuff, and a bunch of people were super hyped. I thought it sounded lame at first, but everyone seemed so happy and excited about it. I don't know, maybe they'll try it out so don't be surprised to hear about an upcoming anime con," she finished.

"That sounds kind of cool," I replied. It sounded a little ridiculous, but at the same time, I could see why everyone would be excited about the idea. It would definitely make the school more active and bring people together.

"Next week's our next meeting, and I think that's when I'll finally start doing things. And maybe I'll get closer to stealing the president's undies," Nakyung snickered.

"Well, good luck with that," I smiled, picking up the folded pile of shirts and putting them back into my dresser. As I stepped back towards my bed, my foot happened to touch against something poking out from underneath my bed. I stepped back and spotted the orange shoebox peeking out. I must've not pushed it back all the way underneath when I was depositing its latest additions.

I crouched down and gently pushed it back under, making sure it was completely hidden from view. Just then, Nakyung turned around to ask me something, her voice dying on her lips when she saw me kneeling down, peering under the bed. Her smirk was almost audible as she said, "Haven't seen that box in a while."

She got on her knees and crawled over to me, sitting on the floor and pulling out my collection, taking the lid off and looking at the assortment of panties I've accumulated. She laughed as she pulled out Joy's "FUCK ME" thong and dangled it in front of my face, "This night was fun, maybe tonight can be a part two? We have a bunch of other girls we can mess with tonight."

As much as the thought of another heist excited me, I didn't exactly have a ready-made plan for the events of tonight. It was going to be impossible anyways since we're going to Wooyoung's apartment and not one of the girls, where the panties were.

"Yeah, maybe not. Unless you can somehow get away with wrestling the panties off of someone tonight, there's no chance," I sighed, looking over the pairs. I followed Nakyung's nonchalant smirk, "No, don't even think about it." Nakyung pouted, setting the thong back into the box.

"Damn, you're right. And here I was, looking forward to tonight," she said, feigning disappointment. "Whatever, at least I get to hang out and see what's been happening with the girls since the party. I haven't really kept up with them."

"It'd be nice if you got closer with them, so I can finally stop asking them to invite you on your behalf," I chuckled, shaking my head. We sat on the ground laughing, these short moments making me remember why we were best friends. Nakyung's eyes narrowed in on something, and her smirk reappeared. She reached forward and picked out a pair of white panties, holding it up so she could read the label I wrote on it.

"Kim Seolhyun? Obtained yesterday? Huh, interesting," she drawled, raising her eyebrow. "You didn't tell me you were out stealing panties without me." She dropped the underwear back into the box, turning to me and crossing her legs. "I can't believe you didn't tell me! How come?"

"It wasn't like I was planning it or anything. It was just spontaneous, in the moment," I explained. Nakyung's cold look softened, and a knowing smile formed on her face. "Spontaneous? So you finally decided to be a man and just go for it?"

She laughed to herself, "It's fine. Who even is Kim Seolhyun? I've never heard of her." She tapped her chin, pursing her lips.

"You wouldn't know her because even I just found out about her yesterday. She's Minhyuk's older sister," I explained. Her face twisted, scrunching her nose.

"Wait, Minhyuk has siblings?" she asked, bewildered.

"Just her, but while I was housesitting, I saw all their family photos and stuff. You wouldn't believe it, she's crazy hot and pretty." I said while pulling out my phone to find her Instagram account. Once I did, I opened the page and scrolled through, finding some photos of her and passing the phone to Nakyung.

She took my phone and looked through the profile, her mouth falling open. "Wow, you weren't kidding. She is pretty," Nakyung mumbled. I let her have a minute to ogle the woman, waiting until she handed the phone back before I continued.

"I couldn't help myself, sorry," I sighed. Nakyung threw her arms up and shrugged, "I would've done the same in your position. It's fine."

"Well, yeah, I'm glad you understand why the only thing running through my head was getting my hands on her panties," I explained, throwing my phone onto the bed.

"It's okay, it happens," Nakyung assured softly with that specific tone that she used when she was horny or excited, her breathy laugh ringing in my ears. My cock stiffened like a fight or flight trigger. "What else did you do? I just know stealing her panties wasn't enough for a kinky freak like you," Nakyung accused, leaning forward and narrowing her eyes. My heart skipped a beat and a lump formed in my throat, making me unable to speak.

"C'mon, spill. It's just me," she insisted, her stare unwavering and unblinking. The look in her eyes was predatory, like she knew I was hiding something, and the only way to get it was to break me. Memories of yesterday involuntarily flashed through my mind, and the thought of me busting a nut on her panties and violating her bedroom made my stomach twist.

"W-well," I mumbled, my cheeks flushing. "I did more than just take her panties..." I confessed.

"What does 'more' mean?" she questioned, her voice becoming soft, curious, and playful.

"I used them to jerk off in her room," I answered quietly.

Nakyung scoffed, "Of course you did, I'm not surprised." She giggled, scooting closer. "I bet you made a total mess, huh? How'd you do it?" she pressed. Her words were dripping with excitement.

"Well, first, I came into her room, and I immediately found her dirty laundry," I began.

"Oh, this is gonna be good," Nakyung snickered to herself. "What'd you see?"

"Lots of panties, a few thongs, a couple pairs of lacy undies. I made a huge mess, dumping her laundry in the middle of the room. I practically rolled around in it," I continued.

"Fuck, that's hot," Nakyung let out a sharp exhale, and my heart started beating faster, "Shit, I can just imagine it. It must've been so sexy, holding her dirty undies while you played with yourself. You were such a naughty boy." She inched closer, reaching a hand out to caress my arm. "I bet you were thinking of her while you fucked your fist, weren't you?"

"I imagined having sex with her in her own bed all to myself," I said, biting my lip. I felt my cock start to swell in my jeans as the events of yesterday floated to the forefront of my head.

"God, you're such a perv," she teased, her voice low and smooth. "Is that it?" I hesitated to answer, wondering how much I was willing to reveal.

"It was the most I've ever came in one session, probably. I had to use another pair of her underwear to clean my hands, and I also used a stuffed animal she sleeps with to clean my cock," I explained, my words coming out slowly. Nakyung's eyes widened, a look of surprise painting her face.

"Really," She playfully dragged the word out, the smile on her face growing wider. "Wow, that's actually fucking hot." She scooted closer, our thighs touching and her eyes boring into mine. "I wish I could've been there, watching you jack off into her panties and cumming so hard that you had to wipe yourself off." Her voice was low, a sultry whisper that made my chest tighten and my cock throb.

"You've gotten more exciting, Minjae," Nakyung giggled. "I can't wait until you get more and more bold. It's going to be tons of fun watching you push yourself further and further. But, don't forget to involve me." She moved forward, her face dangerously close to mine. Her hand left my arm and came up to hold the side of my face.

"We're a team, right? It's only fair that we share," she whispered, her lips almost touching mine. "Next time, don't forget me." The palm holding up my face suddenly swung through my cheek, not too hard yet not too soft. Although it didn't hurt, the suddenness of it caught me off guard.

"Sorry," I mumbled. Nakyung sweetly smiled, softly patting the cheek she hit. "But, I didn't forget you exactly." I reached forward for the box and sifted through it until I pulled out Seolhyun's black panties that I had used to clean my hands.

"These are yours," I said, handing it to her. Her jaw dropped slightly and she took the panties, admiring it in her hands. "I figured your collection could use another addition. Since you don't have Seolhyun's." Nakyung looked back at me and she softly smiled, a strange look to see on her considering our current topic of conversation.

Standing up, Nakyung gently lifted up the hem of her shirt and pulled her pink panties down, lifting her legs to take it off and dropping it onto the floor. I tried not to stare as her legs were spread and her bare pussy was exposed, though the temptation was too great. I couldn't help but admire the light pink lips, glistening with a slight moisture.

I gulped and tore my gaze away, watching as she slipped Seolhyun's underwear on instead, hugging her mound snugly. She smoothed the waistband, and fixed her shirt back into place. "They look so cute on you," I noted. She grinned, standing up and spinning around to show me the back.

"It looks a lot better on me, doesn't it?" she said, sticking her ass out and winking. My mouth felt dry and a lump formed in my throat, not sure how to respond. Nakyung seemed pleased enough with the reaction and bent over to pick up her discarded panties, throwing them next to her discarded shirt.

"Thanks, my kinky freak." She got back down onto my level as she leaned closer and her lips met mine. It felt so soft, her plush lips pressing against my own. We've done this multiple times, but the feeling never got old. It felt just as exciting as the first time. She pulled away and rubbed my stinging cheek with her hand, "Sorry about the slap, but I know you didn't mean it."

"I'll keep it in mind next time," I nodded. She smirked and stood up, stretching her arm out to me, helping me off the ground. She turned and grabbed the jeans she had pulled out earlier and held it in her other hand. "C'mon, we should probably get ready," she urged.

She pulled on what would've been black skinny jeans for me, but were practically loose baggy pants on her. She slipped one of my belts on, cinching the waist tightly. She had to roll the pants up slightly, but they fit better than expected.

She looked good, casual and stylish, just like her. The oversized t-shirt, the baggy pants, and the Nikes she was wearing earlier all matched together. With that, I finally got my outfit ready as well, throwing my jeans and sneakers on and finally heading out.

Saturday | October 28th, 2023 | 9:08 PM

Wooyoung didn't live in a house, but instead an apartment building that his family paid for. It was a nice apartment complex with their own pool and gym. Although, it was a bit far from the university, close enough to be easily accessible, being just a 10 minute drive out from the school. His family had rented the apartment for him, allowing him to live close by but still enjoy the freedom and independence that came with moving out.

As Nakyung and I got out of my car, she looked around at the apartment building, a look of impressed shock painted on her face.

"Wow, this place looks really nice," she muttered, her eyes widening as they moved towards the highest floors. She turned back to me, "How much do you think his parents pay to keep him here?"

"They must have a decent amount of money if they're able to afford to put all their kids through school and buy them all these nice apartments," I commented, moving to my backseat and pulling out boxes of canned soda. I shut the door and locked my car, Nakyung walking over to grab a box from the top of the pile I was carrying.

We walked towards the entrance, easily finding the elevator by following some signs. We took the elevator up, the numbers increasing and the floor getting higher. Nakyung looked at the number pad, her eyes following the green glow around the buttons as they lit up. I shifted the boxes of canned soda around to hold onto more comfortably. Nakyung set her one box she was carrying down as soon as we entered the elevator, but I was still carrying the stack of two boxes, hoping the elevator won't take too long.

"So, you know what we're doing tonight, right?" she asked, glancing at me. I nodded.

"Just a night out, drinking and dancing, the usual," I answered. Nakyung hummed, crossing her arms.

"It'll be nice to see the girls again," she noted.

"You said that already," I chuckled.

"I know, I'm just saying. Even I sometimes find you lame to hang out with, I just need to make more friends," she joked, nudging my side, the jolt almost making me lose my balance.

"What? We were having fun this afternoon, weren't we?" I protested, feigning hurt.

"Of course, I can't get enough of you," she cooed, leaning her head against my shoulder and looking up at me, batting her eyelashes. She laughed, the melodic sound ringing throughout the elevator, echoing off the walls.

"Yeah, right," I scoffed.

"I mean, I'd rather be hanging out with you over the girls, but we've gotta mix it up," she admitted, her lips upturned. The elevator chimed and the doors slid open to the fifth floor, the hallway empty.

"Let's go, Minjae!" Nakyung exclaimed, picking her box up and letting me lead the way. The door was only a couple meters away, but the short walk was painful with the load growing heavier in my hands. Nakyung gently rapped on the door. We waited for a couple moments, before hearing the door unlock.

The door swung open and there stood Wooyoung, grinning widely and stepping aside, opening the door for us. "Finally, you're here, damn!" he said, ushering us in. I quickly walked in, finding an empty spot on his kitchen counter to drop off the boxes of soda, relieving my arms. Wooyoung took the box from Nakyung and placed it next to the ones I bought.

"What's up Nakyung, haven't seen you in a while!" he greeted, walking over to Nakyung and giving her a quick hug. Clapping my hand to greet me, Wooyoung got to work dragging over a cooler and opening up a box.

"You could've offered to take another box from Minjae, Nakyung," he noted, gently taking out the cans of soda and dropping them into the cooler full of ice. "Everybody knows Minjae here got pussy arms." He playfully jabbed my arms with his elbow, chuckling at his joke.

"Yeah, that's what he gets for not working out," Haechan added, walking into the kitchen and taking a soda out of the cooler. I laughed, rolling my eyes, clapping up Haechan's hand.

"Yeah, talk to me when you can outdrink me," I shot back, a grin spreading across my face. He laughed it off and reached down for a Coke, cracking it open. While Wooyoung unpacked the boxes, I dragged Nakyung along behind Haechan who led us to the others.

His apartment wasn't massive, but it wasn't cramped either. The living room had a large L-shaped couch and a television, a few video games and consoles lying around the TV stand. There was also a small coffee table in front of the couch. Nearby was a dining table with just six chairs circled around it, reserved for Wooyoung's late night dinners.

Seated on the couch was Jinho, Yeji, and Saerom, the three of them engaged with a game that they were playing on the TV. The trio was locked in, yelling and jeering at each other as I realized they were arguing over a game of Mario Kart. Haechan pushed past me and quickly took a seat next to Saerom, joining the loud commotion.

Sitting at the dining table was Joy, Sana, Tzuyu, Jennie and Xiaoting. There were a few decks of cards spread out, with a pile of chips and cards in the center of the table. Everyone was busy chatting and playing games, their voices rising as the noise increased.

"Minjae!" I heard a shout and I looked over, seeing Joy stand up and wave her arm in the air. She was sporting a tight white crop top with a short denim skirt, her bare legs and flat stomach showing. "Finally, you made it, loser!" Everyone else joined in a chorus of greetings, putting me and Nakyung on the spot.

"Man, I would've made it sooner if Jinho didn't forget the sodas," I called back, earning a laugh from the others. I watched Yeji playfully nudge Jinho's side, teasing him about it.

"It's a good thing Minjae's here, otherwise we would've had no chasers," Wooyoung noted, walking past me. He pulled the coolers behind him, bringing it into the living room for easy access. Nakyung greeted the other girls with quick hugs, exchanging pleasantries before taking the last seat at the table.

Wooyoung called out, "Entry shots, entry shots, c'mon!" He fished out a bottle of Hennesey from the cooler and uncapped it, holding it up. Jinho grabbed a bag of plastic shot cups and started handing them out. Wooyoung came around and poured everyone a shot, excluding Saerom and Haechan, who had immediately protested.

"C'mon man, we're drivers tonight," Haechan pointed out, pushing the cup away. Saerom nodded her head in agreement, setting the cup down onto her lap. Jinho booed them, "Don't be a bitch, it's just one!"

"Fine, just one then," Saerom said, holding her cup back up. Haechan shook his head, but he complied after seeing Saerom, quickly holding his up as well. We held the cups in the air. "To our volleyball players winning their first intramural game, let's get wasted, and have some fun!" Wooyoung yelled.

"Cheers!"

Everyone tipped their head back, taking the shot. A strong, familiar burn flowed down my throat. It tasted just like any other liquor. Nothing special about the taste, but it definitely hit. I looked back to Nakyung, who coughed a bit, the burn must've been rough for her. With that first shot, everybody split up, finding something to do.

I decided to venture over to the cooler, taking out a Sprite and cracking it open. Taking a swig, the fizziness cleared the burn out of my throat, and the sweet drink coated my mouth.

"Hey, how're you doing?" I heard, and I turned to see Xiaoting smiling at me. "I feel like it's been a while since I've talked to you, Minjae." She was sporting a white crop top and blue high-waisted jean shorts, emphasizing her fit figure. Her makeup was light, and her long, black hair was wavy, flowing down to her chest.

"You know, this feels like deja vu, I swear you said this to me last time we talked at Joy's party," I remarked, earning a laugh from her.

"Really?" she said. I nodded, laughing as well, "But, seriously, I'm doing great. How about you? Anything new in the fashion or influencer scene?"

"Nothing too interesting. Just some brands reaching out to me and Jennie, trying to get us to promote their products, stuff like that. You know, typical," she sighed, "We've been actually thinking about moving into vlogging and making videos for our social media."

"Really?" I asked, taking another sip of my Sprite.

"Yeah, like a day-in-the-life type video, but like, a fashionista version of it. Jennie's been trying to come up with an idea and we've been brainstorming, so, it'll probably happen soon in the future," she explained, looking behind her, "Actually, Jennie's been recording some clips from tonight, just so she can get used to vlogging in public."

I looked past Xiaoting and saw Jennie with her phone in hand, the camera aimed at the group sitting on the couch, who were still playing Mario Kart. I let out a small laugh, watching the group bicker amongst themselves.

"Well, I think you guys would do great. You two have an established following already, and your content is popular with people our age. If you're going to do that, I think it would be really successful," I assured Xiaoting, drinking more of my Sprite. She smiled at me, her lips forming a crescent shape, "Thanks, that means a lot, Minjae."

The lull of the conversation had me turning my attention back to the group. Jinho, Yeji, Saerom and Haechan had finished up their game, and were now yelling and boasting at each other. The others had gathered around the table, playing cards and chatting amongst each other.

"Oh, let me get a Sprite as well, please," Xiaoting said, pointing at my drink. I scooted aside, watching her bend down to peer into the cooler. My eyes lingered a bit on her butt, the fabric hugging her curves perfectly. Her shorts rode up, exposing a bit of her asscheeks and her long legs, and I watched the muscles flex as she grabbed a can of Sprite.

"Thanks," she said, standing back up.

"Are you going to play any drinking games tonight?" I asked her, taking my mind off of her butt. She shrugged, popping open the can and taking a drink.

"Probably, but I'm trying not to drink too much tonight. Someone has to watch over Jennie and I don't want to bother the others," she laughed.

"Yo, what're you two doing?" I heard. The two of us looked over to the source of the voice, spotting Sana who was waving at us from the table. "Are y'all just going to stand around and not get shitfaced?" she teased, giggling as she popped open a can of beer. She was wearing a tight red top with a neckline that plunged down between her breasts, and a pair of short jean shorts that hugged her hips and showed off her thick legs.

"We were just talking, but we're coming," I called out. Xiaoting and I joined the group, and I took a seat next to Nakyung and Tzuyu. Wooyoung had set the Hennesey out in the middle of the table and dropped into a chair at the head of the table, "I got this new game for us to try, I saw it on Reddit."

He turned in his chair and threw an empty plastic shot cup at Haechan, who flinched and looked away from the TV, "Yo, hurry up and finish the game so we can drink!"

"Fine, fine!" Haechan shouted, throwing the controller to the side and running over. The others on the couch joined the table, although, since there weren't enough chairs, there were some people who stood behind the ones sitting down.

"Alright, alright, what game are we playing," Jinho said, standing behind Sana.

"It's called Paranoia, have any of you guys heard of it?" Wooyoung asked. Everyone shook their heads.

"Perfect, well, let's say it starts with me, I get to whisper a question to the person next to me and their answer has to be one of us at the table. So, I could whisper to Haechan," He pulled Haechan, who happened to be standing behind, down to his level, "Who at this table would you want to take on a date."

Haechan's face grew red but I wasn't too sure if it was because of the alcohol or being put on the spot. Wooyoung continued, "He has to say his answer out loud so everyone hears, so he'll probably say, 'Saerom!'" He raised his voice and imitated a deeper voice, and everyone laughed at his impression of Haechan.

"Fuck you man," Haechan swore, lightly hitting Wooyoung on the back. Saerom giggled, hiding her smile behind her hands. Wooyoung laughed, clapping up Haechan's hand.

"But, during the game none of us knows what question was asked. So Saerom, since she was the answer, has a choice to make. She can either skip her turn, or she can take a shot and expose what the question was. Do you guys understand?" he explained, grabbing the bottle of Hennesey from the center.

"Let's give it a shot," Jinho agreed, rubbing his hands together, grinning widely. "And let's make things more interesting. No lame ass questions."

"I like that, you better be careful with what you say then," Wooyoung teased, "Haechan, you go first, since I used you as an example." Haechan turned to Saerom, who was standing beside him, and he leaned into her ear, whispering something. She blushed, shaking her head, her cheeks flushing.

"Alright, alright, I have to answer that or take a shot?" she asked Wooyoung. He tapped the table, "Well, you're supposed to answer it but let me change the rules a bit. If you don't want to answer the question, you can take a shot to opt out."

She gave Haechan a side eye and laughed, pushing her shot cup towards Wooyoung, "Yeah, I'm not going to answer that." Wooyoung laughed and filled her cup. She threw her head back, downing the liquor.

"That bad, huh?" Sana teased. Saerom laughed, nodding her head.

"So, what did he ask?" Tzuyu asked, and Saerom waved her off, shaking her head, "I'm not saying." We all laughed.

"Okay, my turn," Saerom said, turning her attention to Yeji, who was standing beside her.

"Hmm," she said, pondering. She leaned in and whispered her question, and Yeji laughed, "Yeah, I can answer this." She turned to the group, "Probably Tzuyu." We all turned to the tall girl, and she shrugged, a smile playing on her lips.

"Fuck it, I'll take the shot," Tzuyu laughed, leaning forward and filling up her cup. She brought the shot cup up to her lips, "Oh god, it tastes horrible," she grimaced.

"Now, what was the question," Wooyoung happily anticipated. Saerom laughed, covering her mouth with her hand, "Who's the most likely to be a virgin?" We all burst into laughter, the table vibrating with our various movements. Tzuyu's face grew red, but she laughed along with the group.

The game had circled around for a bit, all of us getting our fair share of shots. Well, besides Haechan and Saerom, who had kept herself to just a few shots. As more shots got downed and the noise around the table got louder, I felt my ears buzzing, the warmth spreading throughout my body and relaxing my muscles. I felt the room spin a little, and I tried my best to focus, laughing along with the conversations and jokes. The sound around me faded out as I stared off, my mind wandering elsewhere.

In the distance, I felt a finger tapping my shoulder, before lips began to whisper into my ear, "If you had to choose, who would you want to have sex with the most at this table. You can take a shot." The question made my head spin, and I laughed, turning towards the voice, only to see Tzuyu pulling away.

"Nakyung, of course," I blurted out. The alcohol had made my tongue loose and my words slipped out of my mouth without me having the time to register what I had just said.

"Ooooooooh," I heard around the table. Nakyung stared me down, a blush beginning to rise to her cheeks. The rest of the group started giggling and murmuring.

"Motherfucker said that quick as hell, c'mon Nakyung take a shot and expose his ass," I heard Jinho and Wooyoung yelling together. The worst part was that, well, we've actually done the deed, multiple times, sometimes back-to-back, so my answer wasn't far from the actual truth.

Nakyung and I met eyes, and I pleaded with her, throwing them back and forth to signal not to take the shot. She sighed and dropped her cup, "Nah, I'll just interrogate him later." The group groaned, booing. I mouthed a quick thank you, and she winked.

Saturday | October 28th, 2023 | 11:18 PM

The game went on, and eventually we decided to stop. Most of us were sufficiently drunk and tipsy. All of the girls were busy taking pictures on the couch together, while the guys were just sitting at the dining table.

"Yo, why don't we play another game," Jinho suggested, his speech slightly slurring, his eyelids drooping. "We still got half the bottle to kill." I stared down the half-finished bottle that sat in the center of the four of us.

"I don't know man," I started, the effects of the alcohol making me want to shut my eyes and sleep, "I think I've had enough for tonight."

"You're not a bitch, are you?" Wooyoung egged on. I looked at Haechan, who surprisingly was the most sober out of us, and the way he was looking at me pitifully. I sighed and pushed my shot cup forward, "C'mon, you fucks got to take it with me too." The two instigators followed my lead and pushed their cups out, as we filled up and took our shots.

I hissed, leaving my head lifted and staring up at the ceiling, trying to ease the sting of the drink. I knew I was deep when I thought the ceiling was moving and spinning, and I closed my eyes, letting my head hang down. Yeah, this had to be the worst of it, I thought. Everything sounded muffled with an echo, it was like my ears were under water.

I blinked, and it felt like hours had passed, but it had been only a second. Across from me was Jinho, but behind him were the girls who were crowding each other on the couch as they posed for a camera. I stared, and stared, admiring them. Their long, soft hair, their beautiful smiles, the way they dressed, their pretty figures. My eyes were locked on, and they slowly trailed downwards. Some of their breasts were bouncing, with the neckline of their tops exposing their cleavage. The fabric of some of their shorts were tight against their thighs and their asscheeks, and it left little to the imagination.

Tzuyu's long legs caught my attention, her skin was smooth and the way her shorts hugged her thighs. Jennie was bending over the couch, presenting her asscheeks as they stuck out the bottom of her shorts. Yeji's midriff was ridiculously attractive, and I wanted to reach over and touch her abs. Saerom's assets were hidden, but the top that she wore showed off the curve of her breasts, and how small her waist was. My mind was filled with lewd thoughts, and my dick began to swell.

Fuck, all of the girls were so hot tonight. My dick twitched at the thought of the bodies in the room. My face felt like it was vibrating as I tried to hone my focus, suddenly making eye contact with Nakyung who was staring back at me. Her face was pretty red, this was the most I've ever seen her drink. She narrowed her eyes and gave me a knowing look, as if she was reading my mind.

I think I'm feeling a little more than tipsy, I'm starting to feel horny, and it was definitely going to be a problem.

"Fuck! Let's go, the club is waiting for us!" Wooyoung suddenly screeched. The girls got off the couch, chattering excitedly, and the guys took our time trying to get up from our chairs. I felt the floor tilt underneath me, and I stumbled, planting my hands onto the table for support.

"Last couple shots left in the bottle, c'mon, we can finish this," Wooyoung slurred, grabbing the bottle by the neck. Jinho and I looked at each other with lulled, hesitant eyes.

"Yeah, come on you guys. Don't be pussy bitches," Haechan agreed, coming to Wooyoung's side. Ironic coming from the resident jackass when he's drunk, but I was feeling too shitfaced to really care. Fuck it, we can always puke our guts out tomorrow morning, right? Wooyoung took the first go, drinking directly from the bottle. He grimaced, and passed it over to Jinho. Jinho was hesitant, but the alcohol had gotten the better of him and he threw the bottle to the back of his throat. He gagged and coughed, spitting up some of the liquid, the liquor spraying everywhere.

"What the fuck!" I shouted, as Jinho passed it over to me. The smell hit me, and my head swam. The last bit of my rationality screamed at me not to take a sip, but the drunk part of my brain urged me to drink it, and it would have been the last bit of the bottle anyway. Fuck it, I can't have people thinking I'm a pussy, and it was the last one. I threw the bottle back, and the alcohol stung my throat as I swallowed. The taste was putrid and the scent of the dark alcohol burned my nose.

"Alright, now that that's over with, let's get the fuck out of here!" Wooyoung yelled.

We heard the loud and tipsy squeals from the girls as they watched the two of us finish off the bottle. Holy fuck, it burned like crazy, and it sat sickeningly in my stomach. As the taste was still stuck on my tongue, Haechan threw his arms around me and Jinho, "Fucking champs, c'mon get your shoes on and let's go!"

Haechan guided us towards the front door, and we slipped our shoes on. I could feel the drink slowly creep its way back up my esophagus, the room spinning slightly and the walls around me feeling a little closer.

The group left the apartment, and the cold night breeze hit my skin, sobering me up a little. We were a pretty big group, so we had to split the elevator rides. The girls were led by a sober Saerom downstairs while the guys waited around for the next elevator.

"You know what," Jinho slurred, his words slightly muffled, "I think I'm starting to feel a little drunk."

"Fuck, me too," I groaned. Haechan patted our backs and laughed, "Good thing I'm driving right?"

"Man, your driving is straight shit," Wooyoung joked, leaning against the wall for balance.

"Boohoo bitch, I'm the only option," Haechan retorted, pulling his phone out of his pocket. The elevator doors opened, and we stepped inside.

"Fuck that, I'd rather ride with Saerom than you, dude." Wooyoung found his place against the back of the elevator, dropping his head back against the wall, "So what's up, Channie, you making moves on Saerom tonight?"

Haechan scoffed, "Chill out." The rest of the boys booed him.

"Just dance with her dawg," Jinho suggested with his eyes closed. Haechan shrugged, "Yeah, probably."

"Boy, you know I'm gonna try to get at Jennie tonight, she was feeling me today, for real," Wooyoung boasted loudly. He started grinding the air, his crotch bouncing up and down to the imaginary beat.

"Yo, Jennie is a baddie though," Haechan mumbled.

"Don't scare her off now, man," I murmured. "Yeah alright, what about you, Minjae? Will you and Nakyung finally fuck or are you guys just friends," Haechan threw up air quotes at his last question. I sighed, and my body rocked side-to-side, the elevator ride doing little to quell the drunken stupor I was in, "Nah man, we're friends."

Wooyoung turned to me and started tapping my shoulder, "Man Minjae, you needa get your dick sucked tonight, bro."

"What the fuck?" I burst into laughter. Jinho and Haechan also started cracking up, Jinho slurring his words, "Bro, what?" While the others were laughing to themselves, a certain introvert crept into my head, her presence suddenly overshadowing the others. I should be fine for tonight, no need to go soul searching.

The elevator door opened and we stumbled out, walking towards the exit of the complex. The girls were already waiting outside for us, sitting on the benches and chatting amongst each other. I spotted Nakyung standing off to the side, scrolling through her phone, probably waiting for us to hurry up.

I walked towards her, while the rest of the group started loudly walking towards the parking lot. Nakyung looked up and met my gaze. She gave a weak smile and walked towards me, and I immediately threw my arm onto her shoulders, my vision blurring slightly. I watched the group walk ahead of us and into the parking lot, the other girls following behind them.

The fuzziness in my head cleared slightly, but I knew I was far from sober. I leaned closer to Nakyung's ear, "You good, Kyung?"

"Yeah," she whispered back, her eyes darting between the group and me. "You good, Minjae? You look like shit."

I snorted, "I'm just tipsy, just tipsy, yup." We walked slowly, trying to match each other's pace, "But for real though, you good?"

She sighed, her eyes looking straight forward, avoiding my gaze. "I'm not drunk, not yet, but I'm definitely not tipsy." I nodded at her response, the both of us watching the group ahead of us.

"Kyung, I think I'm about to make some stupid decisions tonight," I warned her. She didn't respond, her expression unchanged.

"I was about to say the same thing, but what can we do, huh?" she quietly replied, the sound of her voice sounding so much more clearer compared to the muffled voices of everyone else. "No panties in sight, right?"

"Right. I don't know, but something's telling me to do something stupid," I mumbled, feeling my ears buzz as the sounds around me dulled out. Nakyung hummed in agreement, "I can help with that."

We were finally nearing the cars, and I saw Wooyoung splitting the group off to get into Saerom and Haechan's car. "Channie, you're driving me, Jennie, Xiaoting, Sana, and Tzuyu." Wooyoung gave me and Jinho a smirk as he climbed into the car behind Jennie, "The rest of you guys go with Saerom."

Joy immediately called shotgun, forcing the rest of us besides Saerom to climb in the back. Jinho let Yeji slide in to get the window before pulling down the seat beside her, letting me and Nakyung climb in the furthest back seats. He closed us in and sat in front of us next to Yeji. Saerom sat at the wheel, adjusting her rearview mirror before putting the key in the ignition and turning on the engine.

"Just follow Haechan, he knows how to get to the club," Jinho leaned forward, pointing his hand in between Saerom and Joy's head. Haechan's car started pulling out of his parking spot and proceeded to drive past us. Saerom followed, pulling out and heading out of the parking lot. I leaned my head back, closing my eyes trying to relax the growing nausea in my stomach.

Fuck, that alcohol was boiling in my stomach. For the sake of Saerom's car, and everyone in the backseat, I held back the urge to vomit. Joy had started to chat with Saerom upfront, rather loudly but I was sure Joy didn't realize how loud she was talking. I sighed, my mouth dry and the back of my throat still burning, the taste of the drink still stuck on my tongue.

I felt something warm and soft touch my thigh, and my eyes snapped open. I looked down and saw Nakyung's small and soft hands resting on my lap. I glanced over at her face, her eyes staring at her own hand on my thigh. She looked up and met my gaze, her cheeks flushed and her expression slightly confused. She blinked, her expression becoming unreadable, but a glint of sympathy grew in her eyes. She mouthed to me, "You okay?" I nodded, and her hand remained on my leg, a strange warmth spreading throughout my body.

Saerom had started driving a little faster, the speed picking up a little more after she merged onto the freeway. It felt like the world was slowing down around me, the street lights and cars passing by becoming a blur of color and light. Nakyung's hand was a steady pressure, the feeling of it was the only thing keeping me grounded. My vision started to swim, and my head fell back onto the seat again.

The world around me started to feel fuzzy and muffled, and the only thing I could focus on was the heat from Nakyung's palm. She rubbed my leg reassuringly, her hands squeezing gently. My thoughts were cloudy, and I wanted to throw up, but it was as if I was being pinned down, unable to do anything.

"You'll be fine," her voice whispered. I felt like I could see the words float around in my head in big orange block letters, the words bouncing and swirling around my skull. "You'll be fine."

Her hand slid a little higher up my thigh, and the heat grew hotter. She squeezed a little harder, her fingers sinking into the fabric of my pants. My head spun, and I tried to blink and regain my composure, but my brain felt like mush, and the heat of the hand on my leg was starting to drive me crazy.

Fuck, I didn't know what the fuck I was doing. The hand squeezed a little tighter, her hand moving upwards again, this time even closer to my groin. My thoughts were a mess, the heat on my leg was burning, and the alcohol was boiling my stomach. I was fucked. I couldn't move, or breathe, I could only hear my heart pounding and Nakyung's soft whisper.

"Just relax," she said, her words a comforting melody in my ear. The warmth in her hand spread throughout my body, and it was hard not to listen. Just relax. Her hand was right near my crotch now, her fingers gently brushing the inner part of my thighs. My breath hitched, flinching from the sudden touch.

"Relax."

Nakyung's hand moved, her hand pressing directly against my dick. Her fingers curled and her palm rubbed my length through my pants, the friction of the fabric against my sensitive parts was too much. My right hand slithered on top of her hand, trying to hold her fingers as they caressed me, her hand massaging the base of my cock. I felt some resistance from her hand as she broke away from my grip and went back to cupping my crotch.

My eyes flickered over to her, my vision slowly focusing on her face. She was staring straight forward, her head leaning back against the car seat, the glow from the lights outside illuminating her soft features. Her eyes were wide, and her face was flushed red. She didn't dare look at me, her hand remained on my crotch.

Was this what she meant when she said she could help me do something stupid? Was it possible for her to help me in this kind of way? My eyes scanned her face, but her expression was blank, her head lolling to the side. She must be so out of it, she didn't even notice what her hands were doing. Mhm, that must be it.

I tried again, reaching up for her hand and covering her palm, stopping her movements. Naturally, I tried slipping our fingers together, holding her hand tight. I wanted to feel the softness and the warmth in her hands. However, she broke our connection, her hand leaving mine. She guided my hand over towards her, dropping it atop her own leg.

I mindlessly rubbed her, massaging her kneecap while I simmered in my confusion. Fuck, I don't know if I understand anything right now. It was as if Nakyung had no clue what was going on either. Maybe she put up a facade, or maybe she was drunk, or maybe it was all me and this was just a fever dream. I don't know.

Soon enough, I felt the inertia of the car slow down as the vehicle slowed down into a park. I scanned around me, looking out the windows and seeing the lines of cars parked on the street. Car doors were opening, and the other began exiting the vehicle. Jinho eventually opened the seat for us to get out.

I slipped out, and the fresh night air hit my face. I felt a little more clear headed now with fresh air in my system, but the world still felt a little spinny. I looked behind us and saw the group that drove with Haechan approaching us from a bit down the sidewalk. Nakyung got out and stood next to me, and we waited for the others to approach us.

Wooyoung's eyes widened and a grin appeared on his face. "Fuck yeah, we made it!" he yelled. He ran up to us, his eyes scanning around the street, "C'mon. quit standing around and let's go!" We got ourselves situated, brushing out any creases and wrinkles in our clothes before starting our short walk towards the club.

Even from afar, we can hear the bumping bass of the club. There were quite a few people on the sidewalk, some walking to and fro, and others waiting for rides. Some of them had to move aside so our group could pass, some even giving us looks as we walked past. I didn't care much, only because I didn't have the mental strength to do so.

As we neared the entrance, the bass seemed to grow louder and louder. It was a familiar feeling, knowing that once I entered, I would be engulfed in the sea of sweat and bodies, and the music would drown out the thoughts in my head. That was the clubber's mindset talking, and I only ever really felt like that when I was super mega wasted. Tonight was not an exception, I assume.

Up ahead, Wooyoung had gotten himself a place at the front, and the rest of us followed, getting ourselves in line. It was a decently long line, and the group started chatting amongst themselves while I zoned out trying to calm myself. The nausea was slowly coming back, but I had managed to keep it down.

We shuffled forwards, the line slowly getting shorter. Around me, the girls and some of the guys were having a lively discussion, and the only one not participating was me as I stood in my own world. I would suddenly feel the weight of something being forced into my hand. I looked down and saw someone's phone in my hand.

"Minjae, group picture," I heard someone yell. Bodies shuffled around me, crowding my space as they got into position for the picture. "Smile!" the owner of the phone, I'm guessing it was Joy, shouted. I held the phone up in the air, making sure everyone was in the frame before snapping the picture. I lowered it and showed her, and she gave me a bright smile and took her phone.

"C'mon boys, let's take a picture with just guys," Wooyoung raised his arms in the air and yelled. Jinho threw his arm around my shoulder and tugged me close. I gave a stoic face while the others laughed and grinned. Joy held the phone up again, capturing the moment, "I'm about to send the pictures in the group chat!"

While she did that, I noticed Wooyoung suddenly had a half-drunk bottle of clear liquor in his hands. Where the fuck did he get that? He brought it up to his mouth and took a swig, "Let's finish this bottle, we can't take it in with us." He glided over to Haechan and Saerom, offering up the bottle to them.

Saerom looked reluctant but was immediately persuaded by Haechan, who pulled her in and told her it was going to be fun. The girls stood on the sidewalk and watched Saerom tilt her head back for Wooyoung, taking a couple gulps from the bottle. Haechan followed after her, taking a swig for himself. Wooyoung went around, offering everyone a shot before landing at me. Without asking, he pressed his palm against my head and pushed my head back.

My mouth automatically hung open, and Wooyoung poured the bitter liquid into my mouth. It burned and I gagged, accidentally gargling the drink and causing some to pour out. It ran down the corners of my lips, some drips dripping down onto the pavement and some landing on my shirt. I could hear the group laugh at me while I forced the poison down, choking at the bitterness.

"Fucking shit," I coughed, my chest spasming and my body bending down. "I should have fucking spit it out," I gasped, my mouth dry. Jinho was laughing loudly beside me, and he patted my back.

"You could have, but that would be a waste of good liquor," Wooyoung shrugged, and took another shot from the bottle. He was finishing the drink, his eyes closed and his head tilted back. Everyone was still chuckling, the sight of me being force-fed the alcohol was pretty amusing. With all of the goofing around, we eventually reached the front of the line, standing before a team of bouncers who were checking everyone's IDs.

Our group got into two lines, one for the guys and one for the girls. I got patted down, my ID checked, and the bouncer looked at it briefly before stamping the back of my hand. The rest of the guys passed the check, and they all received a stamp on the back of their hand. I watched the girls get their IDs checked, and the bouncers were a little more careful, eyeing their faces and their IDs thoroughly. Eventually, the bouncers had let the girls in, and I caught a glimpse of the stamped back of Nakyung's hand, which was a bright blue.

One by one, we passed through the threshold, entering the large and spacious outdoors patio area. There were wooden picnic benches, a few people sitting and enjoying drinks at them. There was also a small outdoors bar, for those who didn't want to go through the trouble of ordering in a crowded and loud setting.

The patio area was nice looking enough, strings of lights hanging over us and dimly lighting the area. Trees and bushes surrounded the edges, most of which for sure had been vomited on or into. The familiar smell of smoke and weed filled the air, the strong stench wafting through the outdoor space. It was also loud, very loud. The music was thumping so hard, I could feel the floor underneath me shaking before we even got inside the club.

We passed through the patio and approached the entrance to the club. Together, Wooyoung, Joy, Jennie, and Xiaoting excitedly entered first, their excitement being contagious as Haechan and Saerom followed after them, and then Yeji, Jinho, Sana, and Tzuyu, and then Nakyung and I. We were greeted with the overwhelming stench of alcohol and weed and the booming, thumping sound of the music.

The first thing that hit me was the temperature change. The club was much hotter, the heat of the bodies inside causing the atmosphere to grow warm and sticky. We were greeted with the overwhelming stench of alcohol and weed and the booming, thumping sound of the music.

It would've been entirely pitch-black if not for the multicolored, flashing strobe lights shining on the dancing crowd. The DJ booth was at the very front of the room, with waves of clubbers moving to the beat in front of the booth. Along the sides of the room were a set of bars, one for each side, where more people were standing, waiting to get their drinks.

The ceiling was tall and spacious, and a second floor circled the entire perimeter with drunk partiers overlooking the dance floor and the rest of the club. There was a VIP staircase that was velvet-roped off, probably to keep the riff-raff away, and the entrance was guarded by security guards.

By the time I realized, most of my group was missing, leaving me with only Nakyung to keep me company. The lights were distracting me, making it harder for me to comprehend the blur of bodies moving around me. I reached out towards Nakyung, grabbing onto her elbow and pulling her along with me so she didn't get lost on her first time clubbing.

Dancers kept pushing into me, slightly knocking me around as I walked deeper into the dance floor and closer to the music. I was finally able to push our way near the center, getting closer to the music, the lights, the energy. People were pushing and grinding up against me, the sweaty and warm bodies feeling almost suffocating, but the energy and the atmosphere was intoxicating. The alcohol was also making its presence known, my body feeling super warm, fuzzy, and tingly.

I stomached the feeling and focused on the music. It was some kind of remixed version of a popular song with most people singing along to the lyrics. I looked back to Nakyung, who was slightly moving around to the beat of the music. I followed her movement and felt my body take over, swaying and dancing with the music, the feeling of euphoria running through me. I try not to be this intoxicated, purely out of my own concern for safety and the paranoia of making sure everyone else is safe. Every ounce of alcohol in my body just made everything feel a billion times more intense.

Nakyung was dancing next to me, her hips shaking and her arms raising over her head. The flashing lights and the moving bodies were disorienting, but I tried my best to keep my eyes on her. It was easy, the way she moved to the music was so fluid and natural. I'd mistake her for a frequent clubber if I didn't know her.

I swear I can feel my heartbeat, it felt louder than the music and it was pounding and beating, almost like a drum. Sweat was forming on my forehead from either the packed crowd or the excessive dancing Nakyung was making me do with her. As the floor began to feel more and more cramped, I found myself bumping into people around me. I was apologizing left and right, but it didn't feel like the others were paying attention, all of their heads turned and their bodies bouncing around.

I tried my best to keep up, trying not to lose Nakyung, and tried my best not to be swept away with the crowd. But with the alcohol in my system and the overwhelming environment, it was becoming difficult to focus, my thoughts getting muddled together. The world around me began to feel less and less real. My mind was drifting further and further away. The lights did a strange job of hypnotizing me, and soon enough, I was completely lost.

I wasn't even sure how much time had passed. Everything was a blur, a big blur. All I could remember was the lights and the heat. It was too bright, and the club was way too hot. My feet were moving, and my body was swaying. I didn't even have control over myself, and I could've been doing the chicken dance, and I wouldn't have known.

"Hey, Minjae?" I heard a voice say. My name. Nakyung. My brain snapped out of it, my body jolting at the sudden callout. The room came back into view, the flashing strobes no longer a hypnotizing distraction. I turned around, my eyes darting everywhere in search of the baby-blue and pastel-pink hair, which had grown more vibrant and noticeable thanks to the bright colors in the club.

I didn't find her, but she found me. The feeling of soft palms on the side of my face made my head spin. I came to terms with the state of my body, my face completely drenched in sweat. My clothes felt gross, wet, and sticky, and I was starting to regret the decision to wear an oversized t-shirt rather than something freeing like a tank top.

My mind was racing, but the only thing I could think of was the sensation of hands touching my face. It was soft and cool, a soothing feeling compared to the hot, sticky, and uncomfortable atmosphere. The touch disappeared and a different feeling was replaced, that being the feeling of something cold, wet, and refreshing touching my left cheek.

Somehow, Nakyung got a plastic cup of ice and had it pressed against my face. Geez, how much time passed by now? How long have I been here? She continued to press the cup against my face, the chill of the ice numbing me. The coolness also brought back a little clarity, my mind clearing a bit and feeling more awake.

I didn't bother with words, and only watched her movements. Her brows were furrowed, her eyes focused on my face as she rubbed the ice cup on my skin. My eyes couldn't help but follow the drops of sweat dripping down the sides of her face and sliding down her neck, disappearing into her clothes. I noticed the light dusting of sweat on her neck and her collarbone. Her hair was sticking to her forehead and her cheeks, her eyes a little red, and her lips were parted, taking in heavy breaths.

"Thank you," I said, the first thing that came to my mind. My hands held themselves onto her waist, mainly for support since I didn't have the confidence in my body, especially my legs, to be able to stand properly. "Are you having fun?" I yelled, hoping she could hear me over the music.

Her mouth stayed shut, and her eyes kept laser-focused on my face. "Are you having fun?" I yelled again, my voice straining. Once again, she ignored me, to which I repeated myself once again, "Are you having fun?" Albeit, more slurred. She pressed the ice cup more firmly into my cheek, and I winced, the ice starting to hurt the skin it was touching.

"Yes, I'm having fun," She finally answered, and a smile spread across her face, a little more strained than normal. I returned her smile, and my fingers gripped at the fabric of her shirt.

"Great, I'm happy you're having fun," I slurred, my voice raspy and tired. "I really feel bad for forcing you to come, I hope I'm not a huge disappointment. Just let me sit down and go dance, I promise I won't bother you anymore. I'm really sorry if this sucks. Are you having fun?" I babbled, the incoherent thoughts and words spilled out.

"Yes, I'm having fun," She giggled and repeated, and I chuckled as well.

"That's great, I'm glad," I breathed. I took in a deep breath, feeling the weight of my body. The alcohol had worn off a little, and the room was still spinning, but I no longer felt like I was going to blackout and pass out. But I was tired, exhausted, and wanted nothing more than to go home and take a shower and sleep.

However, I can't leave without my group, so I would just have to wait it out. "Can we dance, pretty please," I whined, pouting and trying my best to convince her. It didn't take much to convince her, since she was the one pulling me through the crowd, her hands clasped onto mine.

Nakyung pulled us further into the center of the dance floor, and it felt like it took a while to get there. We had to dodge and weave through the bodies, bumping into people. I felt bad for anyone who ended up with a drink spilled on them because of me, but at this point, I was too out of it to even register the apologies that I yelled out.

Somehow, Nakyung had dragged me to where we found Sana and Tzuyu who were dancing together. Both girls were swaying to the music, their hands in the air, and their eyes shut. Sana had a huge grin on her face, which was the same expression she always had whenever we went out to a party or a club. She was a social butterfly and always had so much energy, even after drinking. Tzuyu, however, wasn't as extroverted as Sana. She had a small smile, though she wasn't quite as excited and wild as her best friend was.

Tzuyu saw us first and waved at us, smiling. "Where are the others," she shouted once we were close enough.

"I have no idea," I yelled back. Tzuyu looked around, presumably searching for the rest of our friends, before shrugging her shoulders. Her eyes were closed as she slowly moved around to the music. I can see Sana next to her, jumping around and swinging her arms and hips. Two polar opposites.

Nakyung and I joined in, dancing and bouncing and bopping to the music, occasionally looking over to each other and laughing. As we were all dancing together, my vision began to fade, and my hearing became muffled. My head was swimming, and I could feel myself sweating even more, my body burning up. The world around me was fading away, and everything was becoming more and more unclear.

These moments of drowning in the loud music and dancing with the girls were broken up by sudden moments of clarity, such as when I felt Sana throwing her arms around my shoulder and hugging me tightly. I looked up and saw Nakyung holding up a phone pointed down at us, clearly taking a picture. Tzuyu huddled into the three of us and was smiling, looking at the phone's camera. Instinctively, I smiled big, dropping my tired head onto Sana's.

A few more pictures were taken, the camera flash hurting my eyes. My vision was beginning to tunnel again, the three girls fading away. The world was spinning, and I felt like I was losing consciousness. I couldn't think straight. My head was so hazy and cloudy, and all I could hear was the pounding, pulsating music and the sound of my own heartbeat.

It was like a movie, everything going in slow motion. The music slowed, and my ears began ringing, the sounds and sensations mixing together. Nakyung and Sana were laughing, the two of them standing side by side, and Tzuyu was dancing between them, a big smile plastered on her face. My eyes were darting back and forth between them, but their faces were blurry, and it was hard to keep them focused.

The next thing I knew, they were gone. I was being pulled by my arm, a strong force tugging me away through the crowd. I stumbled about, bumping into people as the grip tightened, leading me somewhere. We stopped, and my arm was pulled again. Suddenly, the cold night air was blowing across my face and I fell back onto a wooden picnic table. My butt was met with a sharp pain, and a groan left my lips.

"You good, Jae?" My eyes were focusing onto Nakyung, who was staring back at me with a small smile on her face.

"Mhmm, just dizzy," I mumbled, nodding my head slowly. I was slurring my words, my mind completely hazy and foggy. My eyelids were feeling heavy, and my vision was blurring. "I need a breather," I sighed.

"Yeah, I know. You're sweating like crazy." I wiped my forehead, drenching the back of my hand in sweat. Compared to the loudness inside, the night seemed so quiet, although the music was still muffled by the walls of the club. I noticed there weren't that many people outside like there was when we first arrived. There were a couple of smokers, some couples making out, a few groups of people, but not many.

My gaze shifted, and I stared up at the sky, the twinkling stars shining above. They were pretty, and I liked how the moon was full. I could smell the cigarettes and the weed, and it was comforting, knowing that I was getting away from the club, the loud music, and the flashing lights.

Nakyung moved around the bench, sitting down beside me. Her hand meticulously rubbed circles into my back. "Guess what, Minjae?" I was asked, the voice ringing in my ear. My gaze focused back onto Nakyung, who had a familiar mischievous grin on her face, her eyes wide and her teeth clenched together.

Even though I felt like I was thinking slowly, it was pretty jarring to see how quickly Nakyung's face changed.

"What?"

She didn't respond, instead holding up a phone, waving its bright screen in my face. "What about it?" I groaned, tilting my head away and blinking.

"This isn't my phone. It's Tzuyu's," she whispered, a smile forming. I squinted my eyes, bringing the screen closer. It was the picture that was taken earlier, of Sana, Tzuyu, and I, our bodies pressed together. The three of us were smiling at the camera, Nakyung was just below, pointing the camera down at us.

"Why are you holding Tzuyu's?" I whispered, looking past her towards the club. She chuckled, "I slipped it out of her pocket, and asked her to unlock it so I can take pictures of us. She was probably too drunk to realize that we walked off with her phone." She handed over the phone to me, letting me hold it.

My head was slowly losing strength and I sank against the table, using my free arm to hold me up. I was looking down at the picture, still taking in the four of us with our smiles. "Use your head Minjae, what can you do now that you have access to her phone?" She was giggling, clearly entertained by this situation.

"I can, um..." My mind was completely blank, my brain still hazy from the alcohol and the loud music. It was like the world had gone into slow motion. Every action took so much energy, and every word was hard to say. "I can, I can, I can..."

Nakyung sat down next to me and dragged her finger across the screen, swiping through her gallery. A smile appeared on her face as she looked at the photos. There were a lot of Tzuyu, her selfies, her mirror selfies, pictures of our group drinking, us laughing, and more. Tzuyu's really pretty, I thought, watching a slideshow of her life go by.

"Ahh," Nakyung whispered, her smile growing. "Look here, Jae."

I turned to look, and the first thing I noticed was her hair, brown and flowing past her shoulders. She was looking into the mirror, her lips a dark red and glossy. Her hair was messy, but her face was done up nicely, her skin looking so soft and smooth. My lip curled up softly, yeah, Tzuyu's really pretty.

"Wow, she's really clean. No nudes or anything," Nakyung murmured. "What a shame. What a bummer."

"Yeah," I sighed, just a bit disappointed. I can't imagine Tzuyu ever sending out a picture like that, let alone keeping it in her phone. True to her character, her phone was clean, and she didn't seem to keep anything risque in there. Nakyung continued browsing through her phone, flipping through pictures and apps, searching for anything remotely kinky or dirty.

She was cute. Not sexy. Her cheeks were soft and round, her skin smooth and flawless, her eyes round and wide. I didn't find her to be the sexiest girl, but she was definitely one of the prettiest girls I've seen. While I praised my favorite setter in my head, Nakyung was still snooping until she came with a breakthrough.

"Hey, what's this?" She suddenly gasped, stopping the search and holding the phone closer to her face. I didn't notice at first, but I saw the corners of her lips curling up. "Holy shit."

"What? What is it?" I leaned in closer, my interest piqued. "Come here, take a look," she whispered. She put the phone between us, and I can see that it was opened up on a new app, one notorious for sharing risque photos and videos, and being a meeting ground for all kinds of kinks.

"Tzuyu has a fucking Onlyfans," Nakyung hissed, her eyes lighting up. I didn't know what to say, and honestly, I was speechless. This was a big shock to me, as Tzuyu never really seemed like the type of person to do something like this. She was always more reserved than the other girls, and she had never expressed an interest in things like sex and nudity.

Nakyung was going through her account, which was well hidden, her username not linking back to her, and the name she goes by was also different. There weren't any videos yet, just pictures and pictures and pictures. The thing about these pictures was her face was never visible. This account was completely anonymous.

Not only that, but her posts were pretty tame. In none of them, she never showed off much skin, just her body profile and the outfits she had on were rather modest, just tighter jeans and leggings or sports bras and yoga shorts. Nothing really explicit. A part of me was relieved, knowing that Tzuyu wasn't putting her body on full display for a bunch of random creeps online. Her friendly and sweet demeanor wasn't a front after all.

The pictures she took, though, were still really sexy. Seeing her like this was really weird, and the sight was making my mind wander to some strange places. My thoughts were interrupted when Nakyung suddenly spoke up. "Holy shit. She fucking sells her underwear!"

I was about to say something, but the words caught in my throat. She had clicked onto another post, this one was of Tzuyu kneeling on the ground, her head out of frame, and a pair of black, cotton panties held in her hands. I swallowed the saliva in my mouth, the tightness returning to my pants. The caption read, "Selling the panties I wore to a party yesterday! $50 for them, DM me!"

"That's insane," Nakyung whispered, the excitement rising in her voice. "This is some crazy shit, Minjae."

I didn't respond, still speechless. It was a lot to process. My thoughts were going haywire, somewhat getting jumbled and incoherent amidst the alcohol and muffled loud music. Was this some type of liquor-induced fever dream, mixed with the drowsiness and heat that made this so real, yet so fake? Was this really happening, or was I just imagining all of this?

"Fuck, Minjae, let's fuck with her," Nakyung whispered, pushing her elbow into my side. "We can blackmail her with this shit. She clearly wouldn't want anyone finding out about her account. She's gonna be fucking terrified if she finds out we're onto her."

"W-what?" I stuttered, a lump forming in my throat.

"Yeah, think about it," she smiled. "She's gotta keep her innocent facade or whatever. If she finds out we have evidence of her little account, then she's fucked."

"T-This is wrong," I murmured. "That's messed up."

"Minjae," Nakyung whined, pouting her lips. "I wanna steal her panties." It felt like a trigger, hearing the words 'steal' and 'panties' being used in the same sentence. Stealing underwear, it was like a drug, an addiction that was only satisfied with the newest and latest. I can feel my body tingling, and the heat rising to my face. Tzuyu's anonymous account flashed in my head. It wasn't anything super lewd or explicit, but seeing her like this was a new experience for me. She was always the sweet, friendly girl in my mind, and knowing she was secretly doing stuff like this made my mind reel.

"Y-Yeah," I trailed off, not knowing what to say. My mind was so foggy, and everything was happening so fast. My head was pounding, and the loud music and the flashing lights weren't helping. Nakyung was staring right at me, and her wide, excited eyes were the only thing that were clear to me.

"Yeah, let's do it. Let's steal Tzuyu's panties," I murmured, the words tumbling out of my mouth but I knew deep down that this is what I wanted. It's what we both wanted. I looked over towards Nakyung and could see the devious, almost menacing smile forming on her lips. She got to work, messing around with her account and the settings.

I watched her perform a password reset, going to Tzuyu's email app to intercept the email. Once it came through, she immediately changed the password to the Onlyfans account, mockingly changing it to "IAmADumbass321". After that, she deleted any recent emails from Onlyfans, covering our tracks.

"There," she whispered, handing back the phone. "Let's not log her out yet, so she doesn't know we have access to her account."

"Yeah, so she doesn't suspect us immediately in case she remembers us having her phone," I sighed, finishing off her train of thought. Nakyung simply agreed and slapped my arm, "If we're done with her phone, let's go give it back to her." I jiggled the phone in my hand, steeling my resolve to blackmail one of my close friends.

Nakyung and I had gotten away with this several times, and I can only imagine how good it'll feel to add Tzuyu's underwear to our collection. Letting out a breath, I turned off Tzuyu's phone and locked her phone, cutting off any further access from us.

Nakyung stood up and patted her butt, dusting off the dirt that got onto her clothes. I stumbled as I climbed back onto my feet, feeling the world spin underneath me once again. I quickly sat back down onto the picnic bench, closing my eyes. "I'm so dizzy," I whispered.

"Are you gonna be okay?"

"Yeah," I muttered, "Just let me sit here for a bit." Nakyung didn't say anything else, pulling the phone from my hand and heading back inside the club.

The cool air was calming, and I could feel my vision slowly sharpening. The dizziness was fading away, but I could still hear the music faintly from inside, and the loud bass was making my heart pound. Feeling my heart pound this much reminded me of Kang Haerin, and how much my heart raced around her.

Kang Haerin. Kang Haerin. Kang Haerin. Kang Haerin. Kang Haerin. Kang Haerin. Kang Haerin. Kang Haerin. Kang Haerin.

I wondered what she was doing, I thought as I stared up at the starry night sky. Maybe she was studying, like the studious girl she is. Or maybe she was reading by herself, holed up in her room while engrossed in a book. Actually, she could be drawing. She likes drawing. She's good at drawing. I like her drawings. They're good drawings. She's probably drawing.

Thinking about Haerin was relaxing. My mind slowed down but in a good way, like I can finally collect my thoughts. The cold wind was nice and refreshing. It felt so good, and the night air was crisp, like winter was finally approaching. I wanted to see her so badly. I wonder if she missed me, like how I was missing her.

God, I'm so drunk, I laughed to myself. These thoughts of mine were getting ridiculous, but I had to admit, I liked this feeling. I reached down into my pockets, pulling out my phone. My hands were shaking, and I had to squint my eyes and hold my phone right up to my face to even read the time. It was just past midnight. I opened my messages, my fingers shaking as I typed out a message to Haerin:

hey, i felt like talking to you

I stared empty-handedly at my phone, waiting for her to reply. I didn't know why, but the sight of her name in my phone, and the sight of our conversations together, made my heart flutter. I leaned my head down onto the table, breathing in the cold air. I was feeling better, the world around me wasn't spinning, and my mind was clearer, not as hazy. I had a good buzz, but it wasn't affecting me as much anymore.

Suddenly, a vibration startled me. I nearly dropped my phone, but I quickly held it up, seeing a new message from Haerin:

Haerinlooool hi

Minjae > hi

I was surprised she replied, I would've thought she'd be sleeping by now. I waited for her reply, a small smile on my face as I watched the screen light up:

Haerinwhat do you want to talk about?

i dont know i just wanted someone to talk to

how was your day

Haerinnothing exciting lol

rly

Haerinreally

i just studied and read all day

that sounds nice

Haerinlmao yeah i guess

I sighed, my thumb hovering over the keyboard. My mind was blank, and the only thing I wanted to talk about was Haerin:

how was dinner with hanni and danielle wednesday?

Haerinoo it was really yummy

they took me out to this ramen place

it was soooo good

wait look

I watched as she sent pictures to me. First of the bowl of ramen she had, then a picture of the restaurant. It was a small shop, the walls adorned with Japanese woodblock prints, and a simple countertop. Hanni or Danielle must've taken the last picture for her. Haerin was holding up her bowl of ramen, smiling right into the camera. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, emphasizing her beautiful face. The sight made my heart ache:

you look pretty

I was typing before I could even think. My thumb had hit the send button before I could stop myself. But for some reason, I didn't care. Maybe it was the alcohol talking but it just felt right. A second later, she replied:

Haerinomggg stop it im not

no im not

Haerinstop it haha

I could almost hear her shy laugh, and see the smile on her face. The corners of my lips curled up, and I sighed, my shoulders slumping. My phone lit up, a new message from her appearing:

Haerindo you want to go eat there together sometime?

midterms are over for me

and if you still wanted to hang out

I paused for what should've been a straight-forward yes. My brain was racing, but there was no doubt that I wanted to hang out with her, it was a simple yes or no. Yet, a part of me hesitated, and I had a nagging feeling that this wasn't the right choice. Especially after most of tonight, the way I acted, how can I show her that side of me. I don't want Haerin to think less of me. Regardless, my heart answered for me:

of course

My chest felt heavy, like a weight was pressing against my lungs, and a pit was forming in my stomach. I didn't like this feeling, and I didn't want to think about it, but she quickly responded:

Haerinyay!

She added a sticker, a cute penguin dancing. My lips curled up, and the heavy weight slowly dissipated, like clouds on a rainy day. It was still dark, and I still felt somewhat bad, but it was getting lighter and lighter:

Haerinyou must be bored if youre talking to me

no im not

It was like second nature, how my thumbs moved, and my words just poured out. My eyes were drooping, and the cold night was getting more and more refreshing, but the conversation with Haerin was warming my chest. The buzz I had was starting to die down and the warmth spreading in my chest was taking over:

what are you doing rn

Haerinim just reading

She followed this up with a selfie, she hid half of her face with the book she was reading with. Her cat-like eyes stared at the camera over the top of her book. Her face was partially illuminated by the bedside lamp. She looked beautiful, and my mind was swimming with thoughts about her. I sighed, resting my head on my hand:

Haerinwhat are you doing?

im out with some friends

Feeling the need to send a picture, I was about to take a selfie but how completely and utterly shitfaced I was at the moment, I decided against it. So instead, I found the pictures the group had taken before entering the club and picked out the group picture of everyone. I sent it to her, along with a quick text:

here

I watched as her text bubbles popped up, and then disappeared, then popped up, and then disappeared again. The wind started blowing a bit harder, a chill running down my spine:

Haerinyou have a lot of friends

yeah

My fingers drummed on the back of my phone, staring at her last text and wondering if I should continue with something. My thumbs started typing:

i wish you were here

Same thing, text bubbles hesitated, and then disappeared. It happened again, and I waited for her response but nothing came. Eventually my phone turned off from inactivity and I realized how straight-forward I was. The alcohol had numbed the filter between my brain and mouth. I groaned, my fingers tapping the table anxiously. I was about to pick up the phone to explain myself, but then a text came through:

Haerinare you drunk

The question was innocent, and it was a reasonable deduction for her. Still, it caught me off guard, and I could feel my heartbeat pick up:

a little

There was a painful pause, the only thing keeping me sane was the cool wind brushing past me, and the faint music from inside the club. The bright white screen was the only thing that I was focused on. Finally, a reply came:

Haerina little?

a lot

I decided to drop the act and be honest, she'd be appreciative of my honesty, right?

Haerinoh haha

There was another long pause. That wasn't good:

is something wrong?

im sorry

Another pause. My thumbs were shaking, and the cool night had stopped working. Sweat was dripping down my face and I could feel the nerves creeping up my neck. My mind was blank, not a single word forming and the silence was killing me:

i didnt mean to upset you

I waited for her reply, and this was the longest pause. I was panicking, my eyes glued to the screen, but no matter how much I tried, I couldn't bring myself to put down my phone. This was the longest minute of my life, and I didn't even realize that it was a minute. I was about to send another text, but then a new message popped up:

Haerinit's okay

but its getting late and i need to sleep

I was shocked, the response was so cold. It was almost robotic, and a sharp contrast to the texts before. A pit was forming in my stomach, and I didn't know how to feel:

wait no is it because ive been drinking?

i promise i was being safe and responsible if youre worried

Haerin

im not worried

just tired

goodnight

wait are you mad at me?

Haerini dont want to talk about this right now

My mouth went dry. My mind was blank. I don't even know why I was still texting her. I wasn't thinking at all, just letting my brain run without understanding what she was trying to convey. I didn't want her to be mad. I was feeling anxious, the feeling of her being mad at me was not something I wanted to experience, and the way she was responding was making me more frustrated with my thoughts than I was:

ok im sorry

talk to you soon?

Haerinyeah

Her responses were curt and short. My throat was closing up, and it felt like I was suffocating:

alright

goodnight haerin

Haeringood night

That was it. The conversation was dead, and the pit was growing larger and larger in my stomach. It felt like a rock, and I couldn't help but feel nauseous. Why did that conversation feel so bad? There was a sour taste in my mouth. The night had turned quiet, and I felt lonely. I didn't understand why.

I stared at my phone, the conversation with her, the one that had just transpired. There was a weird feeling in my heart. Like someone had ripped out my heart and stomped on it, and then sewed it back in. The conversation was short, and there wasn't much said.

It was nothing.

Yet, why did it feel so bad?

How did I screw up? It had to be something I said, where did I cross the line. No matter how much I scrolled and reread the conversation, I couldn't wrap my head around it. What was so bad about wanting to talk to her? Why was she mad? I stared at the pictures that we had sent each other, the ramen that she had eaten, and the cute selfie of her with a book. I thought we were getting closer. I thought she liked talking to me.

I pulled up my group picture with the goobers and company. There I was, holding up the phone as I took the selfie. Yeah, my face was completely flushed. With a glance, you could easily tell I was shitfaced. I felt disgusted looking at myself. The person who took this selfie was a complete and utter moron.

Fuck.

I sighed, and rubbed the bridge of my nose, feeling the frustration at myself building up inside. I shoved the phone back into my pocket, and pushed myself off from the picnic, my legs shaking a bit as I stood up. I started to head back into the club, hoping to meet back up with Nakyung, or some of the other goobers to take my mind off of things.

Suddenly, the doors slammed open and my body nearly crashed into someone else. We stumbled together, and I saw her face, a girl who was just a head shorter than me. Her hair was light brown and long, tied up in a high ponytail, her curtain bangs laid beautifully over her forehead. She wore a white tube top with a fancy, light blue lace-up top over it and white shorts. Her round face, big almond eyes, and small nose were adorable, and her thin, pink lips complimented her cute and pretty appearance.

Her eyes narrowed at me, and she was the first one to speak. "Hwang Minjae?" It took a second, maybe a couple after staring her down. The realization was sudden and quick. It hit me like a truck.

"Chaewon?" I whispered. Kim Chaewon.

We were quiet, simply staring at each other, her hands holding onto my forearms, keeping herself steady. Years. It had been years since I last saw her. It was a shock seeing her here, looking so different. I can hear the music pounding and the crowd cheering. A moment passed between the two of us, just silence and staring, and then she finally spoke.

"Hey," she said softly, smiling. She took her hands off my arms and stood up straight, looking me up and down. "You look really different," she continued, the smile growing wider.

"Yeah, you too," I laughed nervously, not sure how to react. "You grew your hair out."

"And you cut yours, it looks nice." She brushed her bangs away from her face.

"Yeah, I needed a change," I sighed. We stood awkwardly together, not knowing what to say next. I looked down at her and her gaze was soft, but it was like there was something hiding behind it. She was biting her lip, like she was thinking.

"What are you doing out here?" She asked.

"I got winded," I chuckled, rubbing the back of my neck. She laughed, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, don't worry," I smiled. Feeling a hint of awkward silence, I stuttered out, "What about you?"

Chaewon let out a chuckle, "Yeah same, just needed to get out and get some fresh air," she trailed off. Out came an awkward laugh from me that fell off, "Yeah, you hated the smell of weed."

Chaewon's eyes widened and she broke into a grin, giggling. "I do," she laughed, and the sound was sweet and gentle, just like I remembered. We were quiet, and our eyes met. Her big, innocent-looking eyes, and the way they glistened when the light hit them.

Years had passed since we last saw each other. And here I was, in front of her. My ex-girlfriend. She was the same angelic girl that I knew. It was like stepping into the past. She was still cute and pretty, just as she was back in high school, but her body had changed and developed, she was more grown up. Her hair had grown a lot, and the style suited her, with her pretty curtain bangs, and the light brown color of her hair. Her round, soft features were still there, but there was an extra layer of maturity and elegance, especially in her clothes. The tube top she was wearing, accentuating her small bust, and her small waist, and her shorts were very short. They weren't the most elegant, but she made it work, and it suited her.

"It's been so long," she muttered. "You haven't changed a bit," I smiled.

"I hope that's a good thing," she giggled, and it sounded like a windchime.

"Yeah," I let out a laugh.

We stood silently. The silence was uncomfortable and it was hard to break. There were so many thoughts, so many things I wanted to ask her, but at the same time, there was nothing I could think of. I wanted to talk to her. There was an itching feeling, but something was stopping me.

"How have you been, Minjae," Chaewon brought up.

"Yeah, fine," I replied, "just going to school and stuff, living the usual college student life."

"Oh, so you're a university student also," she smiled, "I should've expected that."

"Where do you go?" I asked.

"Oh, Guksang University," she said. From what I can recall off the top of my head right now, Guksang was one of those local community colleges in Chaewon's city, which was already about an hour and a half drive from where we were right now.

"Oh? Guksang is like an hour from here, why are you clubbing so far from home?"

She shrugged and smiled, "My friend dragged me out tonight, they said the DJ playing is supposed to be a really good one." I nodded in response, understanding.

"What about you?" She continued. "Are you here alone? Or is someone here with you?"

"No, my friends are inside," I gestured towards the club. "Haven't seen most of them since we first got here."

"Yeah, clubs can be like that," she mused, a slight frown on her face. I laughed and agreed, "Yeah, it can."

The conversation drove to an end, as we awkwardly stood around, waiting for the other to say something. My mind was racing, thinking of things to talk about, but nothing came to me. My mouth opened, trying to force a question out, but no words were formed. I paused and stared at her, her big, curious eyes peering right into me. She let out a sigh and a chuckle, "Do you, maybe, want to go back inside?"

I blinked a few times, her words registering in my mind. "I'm down. You still need a breath of fresh air?" I teased.

Chaewon grinned and started sucking in the air, like she was taking in a deep breath. Then she quickly exhaled and made an exaggerated gasping noise. "Nope!" She chirped. Her hand reached out and pulled me back inside, the loud music immediately drowning out everything. I followed her back through the club, past the people grinding and the bodies that were packed like sardines.

Her hand was still wrapped around my arm as we walked. My body tingled from her touch. I was surprised at how warm her hand was, or maybe I was cold from being outside. Either way, I can feel myself heating up, and the alcohol that was still lingering around in my system wasn't helping.

She turned around, smiling and pulling my arm, leading me towards the dance floor. "Do you want to dance?" She yelled over the music. She started swaying her body, dancing and moving along to the music, and I was hypnotized by her. Her hair moved beautifully as she danced, her movements graceful and elegant, like an angel.

I had hesitated for a second before I yelled back, "Yeah!"

"Do you even know how to?" She shouted, her eyebrow raised. I frowned and she let out a laugh, her face lighting up. "I'm kidding!" She smiled, "I don't know how to either!"

We started dancing, her eyes were closed and her arms were moving to the beat, and the sight was beautiful. Chaewon was glowing under the bright, colorful lights. Her movements were fluid, and her hair flowed elegantly. Her white outfit, contrasting against the darkness of the club, stood out like a diamond. I watched as her body moved and the way her hips swayed. I followed along to her moves, trying to look like I knew what I was doing. Chaewon looked at me and laughed, shaking her head.

"You're not that bad at dancing!" She screamed. I laughed, shaking my head. "Not good either!" I shouted back. She was a few inches away from me, the only reason why we could even hear each other. I didn't realize how much I had missed her until now, seeing her again. Watching the lights flash across her face, seeing her smile and her nose crinkle, made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Lee Nakyung was my first ever girlfriend, although that was short-lived, we ended our relationship on a mutual, amicable note. Kang Seulgi was my latest trip in love, but that was a missed chance. But Kim Chaewon laid right in between as a middle ground, my last girlfriend. We started dating at the start of our sophomore year in high school.

Yeah, technically, Nakyung was my first by label, but Chaewon was the one who really showed me how to love, or at least what it felt like to love. We had gotten close as friends first, and it just clicked. She was so energetic, funny, and out-going. I fell for her first, and I fell hard. Even if I was weird, or awkward, she never shied away from me, in fact she encouraged it because she was just as weird.

It lasted for two years, or until the end of my junior year, when Chaewon broke the news that her family was moving away to another city. I was driving her home from dinner after a bowling date when she told me. I spent the drive reassuring her that it'll be fine, and that it wouldn't break us up. I was lying, deep down I was panicking.

As I sat in her driveway, we eventually decided it'd be best if we were just friends. It was mutual, but the decision broke my heart. Fuck, even though it was sort of mutual, it still felt like shit. We stayed as friends for a few months after that, until we just lost contact over the summer once the next school year started and our studies ended up getting in the way of our communications.

But seeing her now, dancing and enjoying her time, the feelings I had back then came rushing back. My heart started beating faster, and the warmth inside me was burning. There was a flutter in my stomach. She was the one who got away.

It had been years since the two of us were together, but that didn't mean I forgot about her. All those times I reflected back on my love life, she was there, but I tried to bury her, trying to not to open up a can of worms. But now that we're face-to-face, talking and dancing, I couldn't help but melt back into those feelings.

"You know, you didn't have to do that!" I yelled, leaning in closer to her. She leaned back against me, her head turned, and her lips pressed against my ear. "Do what?" She replied, her voice so faint, I could barely hear her.

"Come back in," I shouted back, leaning back to look at her face. "I know you hate the smell of weed," I reminded her, smirking. She shook her head and looked up at me, her eyes locking into mine.

"I hate it, doesn't mean I can't tolerate it, I'll survive!" She said, grinning. I laughed and nodded. She turned towards the DJ booth and joined the crowd in jumping. Her hands raised up and her head bobbed, her ponytail whipping around. I watched her for a while, taking in the sight of her, and feeling myself heat up from the excessive movement.

She was always so energetic, sometimes to the point where I couldn't keep up. I wanted to watch only her if possible. A part of me didn't want this night to end, didn't want her to go but the song ended, and she turned to look back at me.

A new song started back up quickly after, the beat speeding up and the bass getting deeper. People cheered, and I watched as Chaewon started jumping around. She threw her arm around me and forced me to join in. I gave in and jumped around, throwing my head around, not caring about how silly I looked.

Chaewon was excited the whole time, her smile getting wider, and her eyes disappearing into crescent moons. She had a look of delight on her face. I noticed a person making their way through the crowd towards me. Her blue and pink hair was extremely noticeable as Nakyung found me through the swarm of bodies.

Her eyes immediately noticed Chaewon, who still had her arm around me. Of course, Nakyung knew about my past relationship with Chewon, she was the one who helped me to get over Chaewon and forget about her. So the sight of Chaewon hugging my shoulders was definitely a surprise to Nakyung. She glanced at me and raised an eyebrow.

Chaewon must've noticed her because she let go of me and jumped towards Nakyung, "Oh my god, Lee Nakyung!?" Her arms flew around Nakyung, surprising her. She was caught off guard and she froze, staring at me.

"How are you?!" Chaewon screamed, releasing Nakyung from the hug and looking her up and down. "Oh, my god, it's been years!"

"Hey! It has!" Nakyung greeted back, a smile forming on her face. "I'm good! What are you doing here?! I thought you moved?"

"I'm just here for the weekend, my friend dragged me out!" Chaewon shouted. "I love your hair by the way! It really suits you!"

"Thanks!" Nakyung smiled, nodding. "It took forever, but it was worth it."

From behind Nakyung, Tzuyu and Sana appeared from the crowd. Tzuyu was guiding Sana, who looked gassed out from dancing.

"Minjae, can you find the others? I think the set's about to end, we should leave before it gets too hard to leave," Tzuyu muttered with closed eyes. She looked like she was close to knocking out as well, probably from the dancing.

"Oh," I mumbled, feeling my voice catch in my throat, "Uh, yeah, hold on." I looked back to Chaewon, who had a frown on her face. I couldn't help but sigh. I guess it was inevitable that we'd have to say goodbye soon, but it still hurt.

"My group is leaving. It was really nice to see you again, Chaewon," I forced out. Her frown turned back into that familiar, cute smile, the one with the little nose scrunch, "It was nice to see you too, Minjae. I'm going to go look for my friend, I guess we should leave too."

"Get home safe," I added, watching as she waved towards the girls and slipped into the crowd. I stood there, dumbfounded and disappointed, a pout forming on my face. My hands were fiddling with each other, and my heart was pounding in my chest. Fuck, man.

After a bit of searching, I found the rest of the goobers and we were leaving the club and walking back to the cars together. Jennie and Wooyoung were leading the crew, laughing and stumbling around. Yeji and Jinho were calmly following with interlocked hands, quietly talking to each other.

Saerom, Tzuyu, Sana, and Haechan were a few steps behind. And Nakyung and I made up the back of our group. We walked for a bit, letting ambient sounds of drunk college students and night-time city life fill the air.

"You okay?" Nakyung asked, glancing up at me. I looked down at her and sighed, "I'm alright." I stared back ahead and watched the goobers, not bothering to look at her and instead trying to understand my disorganized thoughts and emotions. Wah, so much to take in. It's a problem for sober Minjae to deal with, but right now, I'm just too tired.

There it is! My long awaited 15,000+ word count chapter! I hope the build-up was worth it, especially the new character reveal. I've been hinting at her since the start of the story, so I hoped some of you guys caught onto the foreshadowing! This chapter was done, although I was working on other things for this story. I'm sure you noticed, but there's now a cover for the story!

I'm not exactly an artist, or visually creative, so I did the best I could with a mouse and a free photo-editing software. Other than that, I've also been taking time out of my free time to port this story over to another well-known fanfiction website. I won't explicitly say the name here, but chances are, if you've wanted to read fanfiction, you've visited this website! My story over there is under the same name, as well as penned by the same author "PantyIdols" so it won't be hard to find! What else do I have to say in this short blurb... Oh, comment and feedback are always welcome! Thanks, once again, for reading! - PI