Chapter Text
Honestly, Kim Chaehyun doesn't have any intentions of going because she's the type that's too scared to socialize. More so, she’s too afraid to try things out of her comfort zone.
She's a goody-two-shoes, as per her twin's words.
Kim Chaehyun is a diligent student. Kim Chaehyun always follows her parents' words. Kim Chaehyun was never once involved in a fight. Kim Chaehyun doesn't attend drinking parties. Kim Chaehyun is the perfect daughter any parent would ask for.
"And this is exactly why everyone finds you boring, Pinkie," applying her favorite bloody red lipstick, Kim Eunchae, her identical blonde twin, uttered while briefly looking at her through the mirror.
"You're too–" the blonde pressed her lips together to spread the red hue on it properly. "–uptight and righteous. And boring," she reiterated.
"Am not!" the pink-haired girl argued. "You're just too rebellious for your own good!"
Wearing her leather jacket on top of her black cropped tank top, the blonde replied, "See? You can't even raise your voice during arguments. You still sound sweet and angelic," Frowning on her own words, the blonde then grabbed the keys of her motorcycle. "I can't even fathom how you're able to go on with your way of living."
The pink-haired girl got up from their bed, pouting while hugging her favorite Kuromi-printed pillow, "Not everyone's built wanting thrill and excitement like you–"
"–and like that dancer you're crushing on after watching her perform during the school's foundation day," Cutting the words of her twin with a raised brow, the blonde drew a smirk on her face while looking at Chaehyun, enjoying the way the latter's eyes widened and her mouth hanged in shock.
"I'm not crushing on her!" her tone was still sugary and melodious, but you could tell from her voice that the pink-haired girl was being defensive.
Like she's desperately trying to prove her innocence inside the court of justice, even if the pieces of evidence are pretty straightforward and conclusive.
Riding along with her twin’s forced nonchalance but is really not buying her excuse, the blonde then muttered while checking her phone, "Oh, I was about to tell you she's coming to Dayeon's drinking party, but I guess you won't find that info interesting anyway," She still maintained that exasperating grin on her face, the type that almost always manages to successfully provoke the pink-haired girl.
"Well then I gotta go ‘coz Dayeon's looking for me already,"
"Go enjoy the comfort your boring life provides you,"
"But let me just say that you'll never get a girlfriend that way,"
“Not unless you wanna get stuck on an arranged marriage.” With a final wink that clearly aims to tease her and triumphantly does so, the blonde exited their shared room.
It was already midnight. Chaehyun being the coward and righteous girl she is, she couldn't really have the heart to break the rules.
She's thinking about her twin's words, though.
Because Eunchae was right, she indeed harbors a little crush towards that dancer in a suit.
(It’s just a teeny tiny bit of crush, nothing more.)
Chaehyun will always convince herself.
She wanna curse that attractive smile she gave her during that performance. Damn that mysterious pair of hazelnut orbs too.
Chaehyun knows that she's just another forgettable audience in the crowd and that smile might not mean anything for the girl, but darn. That single smile had sent her heart into chaos.
She couldn't explain it herself. There's just something alluring about the girl's aura. It's the kind that would unconsciously pull you in without even trying.
"How did she even know about my crush?"
Minutes turned into hours. Chaehyun was tossing and turning, trying so hard to find the proper position for sleeping. But she couldn't.
Damn her twin and the power of her words.
But most of all, damn that attractive dancer.
And so she got up from her bed. Fixing her appearance on the vanity mirror after putting her clothes for partying on (it’s more like an attire perfect for an afternoon tea party), she then wrote a letter addressed to her parents telling them that her twin's asking her to drive her home since she's too wasted to even lift a finger.
She knew her parents would believe her because this wasn't the first time she had ever picked up a drunken blondie, so it was a safe excuse to make.
She knew, however, that her twin would never leave that party sozzled. She's with Kim Dayeon, her girlfriend, and will probably drive her home, so even if she likes drinking and partying 'til dawn, Eunchae won't risk the chance of getting Dayeon harmed just because she couldn't hold her alcohol just for a night. Plus, there could be weird guys who might attempt to make moves on Dayeon and her twin won't like that, so as much as possible, she wants to keep herself sobber.
But Chaehyun needs an excuse and that's the perfect one she has at hand.
And so, with a final look of herself in the mirror, she left their house together with their family driver.
The place was loud. It was deafening, even. The kind of atmosphere that Chaehyun loathes.
She always likes it peaceful and serene.
It was crowded with many people, so she found it hard to search for her twin. Well, actually, her eyes had been searching for another person and it wasn't the blonde.
There were, however, way too many eyes fixated on her that she just wanted to completely ignore. She's getting uncomfortable because of the stares, but she thought of the main reason why she came to this party in the first place.
Wait...
What was the reason again?
To prove to her twin that she can be interesting too?
To finally experience the life she's been depriving herself of?
To drive her twin home?
Ah.
It was because she wanted to see that dancer. It's because she wants to see her and satiate this unexplainable yearning she has for her. It's because, at the back of her mind, Chaehyun’s thinking that maybe the very image of the dancer’s smile will finally stop invading her mind when she sees her one more time.
Her reason isn't even logical, but fuck logic and fuck whoever said that logic is needed when doing something.
Sometimes, it's okay to act without thinking too much about it.
Or is it?
Because right now, she just found herself in the middle of two grubby-looking, mustached guys with breath stinking due, probably, to the amount of alcohol they already intake.
"I didn't know the famous church girl will come here tonight,"
Church girl? Chaehyun couldn't believe what she had heard. She's agnostic, for fuck's sake!
But then she looked at her attention-grabbing white, puff-sleeved, cupcake dress. And then she thought of the other clothes she owned in her closet.
‘Well now that makes sense.’
"We know you're not used to attending these types of parties so allow us to be your company tonight," The tattooed dude with multiple piercings offered.
Chaehyun just looked at them with a blank face and then proceeded to roam her eyes around.
She's trying to make them understand that she's not, in the least bit, interested.
"Hey,"
"Didn't you hear us?" Their voices were getting impatient, so as the looks on their faces.
Still, it was radio silence. Deep inside, though, Chaehyun’s starting to feel anxious. She’s in the sea of strangers, a situation she’s not used to being be in.
The right dude was about to grab her arm and Chaehyun was about to scream for help when they heard a voice interrupting the guy's deed.
"Hey."
It wasn't that loud, but it was deep and scary. The voice commands full attention. It has that charismatic authority that will make your head turn and search for the owner of the voice.
And so she did.
"Get out of the way." Again, it was calm. But it was terrifyingly attractive. Like it has the power to seep right through one's bones, sending shivers down one's spine.
She wasn't even as bulked up as the two guys. In fact, she's way shorter than them.
But when Chaehyun looked back to observe the look on their faces, she was surprised to see that the two were visibly trembling, no exaggerations intended.
Wordlessly, the two guys walked away to God knows where.
It put Chaehyun at ease; she didn't even realize she held her breath during that little encounter.
The girl behind her, sporting a denim jacket on top of a plain white shirt, walked her combat boots forward, not sparing her a single glance.
Chaehyun watched as the girl approached the bar counter, settling herself on one of the stools.
'Damn, that was hot’ , Chaehyun thinks.
And she didn't even notice that she was thinking out loud; the volume was rather enough for her twin to hear.
"So I was right," There, again, was that annoying grin plastered on her face, the one that Chaehyun wants to desperately smack off her twin’s. But she won't coz one, it wasn't very her to use violence and second, it might ruin her nails.
Chaehyun just internally rolled her eyes on her twin, maintaining an unreadable expression on her face.
Eunchae knew very well that Chaehyun was already annoyed every time she would flash this type of expression.
She just laughed it off as she pushed her twin forward, "Just mere staring won't get you nowhere,"
Chaehyun hates the smug look on her twin’s face but what she hated more was the fact that she agrees with her and that she's now walking towards the bar counter, not really knowing what to do next.
Should she order some drinks? She doesn't even know how! Can she even drink a glass without getting wasted?
She was still struggling with her thoughts when her eyes darted on the girl beside her.
She has a pretty nose, Chaehyun comments. And oh, she owns multiple piercings too, but hers looked cool unlike that of one of the two guys earlier. Or is it just because everything she does looks so damn attractive in Chaehyun's eyes? Because how come the pink-haired girl was so mesmerized by the way she removed her jacket, revealing a small tattoo of what seems to be a camera if Chaehyun's eyes weren't being wronged by the dimness of the place?
Seo Youngeun was such an eye candy.
Well, at least, in Chaehyun's eyes, that is.
"I wonder what your stare is trying to accomplish," The younger muttered, still looking ahead, circling the ice cubes on her drink.
Chaehyun was astounded. She wasn't even aware that she was already staring for quite some time.
And honestly, she wasn't even sure if the words were meant for her. She tried to look around as if confirming whether or not the younger girl was referring to her.
"Yes, it was meant for you," Youngeun shifted on her seat, her head jerked towards Chaehyun's direction, looking straight at her eyes.
Youngeun’s eyes were expressive, but at the same time, it's like some kind of a glass door tightly locked, not letting anyone inside.
Her eyes look intimidating but now that Chaehyun was given a chance to look at it closely, it instead looks,
sad.
It was like she was hiding beneath that strong front. That inside, she's petrified and needs saving.
Or maybe she was just imagining things? Perhaps she's just overanalyzing stuff like she usually does?
Chaehyun wasn't the type to stick her nose into something (or, in this case, someone) as seemingly complicated and puzzling as the girl beside her. She values her safe zone but at that very moment, Chaehyun feels like a moth getting attracted to a candle even if it’s aware of its eventual destruction if it moves too close.
If Chaehyun follows her mind, she will most definitely keep her distance.
But is it really enough to just merely watch from a distance? She’s pondering over these thoughts as she watches how the younger had brushed her hair up.
That night turned the careful Chaehyun careless as she let her impulsiveness take over her rational thoughts making her heart win in the internal battle she’s having within herself.
Chaehyun bit her lower lip. That was too much for her heart to handle. Still, instead of running away and saving herself from possible mess because Seo Youngeun looks like a walking disaster waiting to unfold, she had found herself stubbornly walking towards her direction.
Chaehyun was still distracted by her thoughts when she heard a soft chuckle followed by the word,
“You look stupid,"
Chaehyun would've been offended. Like seriously. She's been studying her ass off all her life just to live up to her parent's expectations! She's also known and respected as one of the brightest students in their school.
Chaehyun would've been insulted by such a remark.
But she wasn't.
Because instead of focusing on the fact that she just got called dumb even if she's nowhere near the definition of such a word, her mind concentrated on the sound of Youngeun's titter and how a little smile lingered on her face for a while.
She felt her heart beating fast and the first thoughtless action she did was to grab the nearest glass and down it in one go, immediately regretting its bitter taste and the way it trickles in her throat.
Youngeun blinked, quite bewildered with the sudden action of the pink-haired girl. It honestly left her speechless because Chaehyun was known as the prim and proper, faultless, flawless student.
The younger watched as the other girl fanned herself, the effect of the vodka taking over her, painting a blush on her face, leaving her eyes sleepy.
"You," Again, she was surprised by the older girl's sudden gesture, specifically the way she rested her head on her shoulders. "I hate you,"
Chaehyun then looked up, meeting eyes with the younger. She's too intoxicated to even think of how close they were at that moment.
Youngeun could smell the scent of alcohol because of Chaehyun’s breath brushing on her face. Youngeun would've pushed her already but this girl is full of surprises. And Youngeun loves them. She's attracted to things that spark her interest. After all, it’s not every day that you’ll find someone you just randomly met telling you that they harbor hatred towards you.
She loves how random Chaehyun is.
Her life’s been too predictable and boring ever since
that day
and Chaehyun was like a breath of fresh air to her world.
And so she remained stoic, observing what the older girl would do next.
"I hate you," Chaehyun reiterated with a pout on her face, clinging on the younger's shoulders once again resting her forehead on them afterwards.
"But," Chaehyun tilted her head to the side, her lips almost touching the younger's neck, her breath tickles Youngeun a bit. "I hate myself more for finding you so attractive right now," Chaehyun had her eyes closed while she was saying these words. "Why do you have to be so damn captivating? It annoys me so much."
Youngeun just chortled once again, not really knowing how to respond to the older's drunken words.
Chaehyun might even forget that this encounter ever happened. Or she might try and force herself to forget if ever she remembered this very night.
While still figuring out her next moves, on the corner of her eye, she saw a blonde nodding at her, mouthing the words, "I’ll be entrusting her to you,"
She just rolled her eyes after seeing the wide grin on her friend's face. Actually, if it wasn't for Eunchae, Youngeun wouldn't have attended this party. Yes, she likes drinking and drowning herself in alcohol to the point of getting wasted but no, she wants to do it in a quieter place. Or at the very least, in the presence of her few, trusted friends.
She just couldn't afford other people to see her vulnerable, helpless side, which almost always happens whenever she's drunk.
"So, what should I do with you?" It was a question addressed to herself.
"Hmmm... Nuggets,"
Youngeun thought the pink-haired girl was already deeply asleep, but it turns out she wasn't. Or maybe she's just sleep-talking?
It was stupid to talk to someone who's obviously dead drunk but Chaehyun just looks too cute for Youngeun to ignore her. Let’s just say that she doesn’t seem like the type, but Youngeun actually adores cute stuff.
"What about nuggets?" She says, gently tucking the older's messy hair on her ear.
"I want chicken nuggets,"
"Okay, I'll get you chicken nuggets,"
"And cola. I want an ice-cold cola,"
"We'll get that too. Anything else?"
"Hmmm..." Chaehyun squinted her eyes; it really seems like she's carefully thinking of what her last request will be.
'So she likes eating nuggets with cola,' Youngeun noted in her mind. She doesn't even know why she's trying to remember such info.
Youngeun, for the nth time that day, was caught off-guard when Chaehyun moved closer, her mouth whispering something in her ears.
And for the umpteenth time that day, Youngeun chuckled.
……………
The next day, Chaehyun woke up with a bad headache. Of fucking course, who in their right minds would down a glass of vodka like you're drinking a juice and not expect a terrible hangover the next waking day?
Maybe Youngeun was correct. Perhaps she really is stupid.
And speaking of the dancer, what happened last night had come back to her, like some kind of a motion picture slowly unveiling itself.
It was embarrassing, to say the least. Chaehyun built her pure, spotless reputation for years, only for it to be ruined in one night just because she let her heart cloud her thoughts.
Smacking her own head in frustration, Chaehyun's eyes caught something placed neatly on the table beside her bed.
It was a paper bag from McDonald's and beside it was a cup of cola bathing on its moisture due to the melted ice.
Checking the contents of the paper bag (which was seemingly a box of chicken nuggets), she found a tissue with some words written on it which says,
I could give you chicken nuggets and cola right now, but your last request seems quite challenging to fulfill.
But who knows? Let's see ;)
On the other side of the tissue was a phone number.
Blondie was still sleeping, equally exhausted because even if she refrained from getting fuddled last night, she had her own fair share of partying. She was mad tired only to be disturbed by her twin's loud yell, the loudest she ever released over the 18 years of her existence.
………….
Chaehyun’s head was on Youngeun’s lap. The younger actually brought her motorcycle just like Eunchae. Still, since she had a besotted girl under her care, she decided to just seek help from the Kim’s family driver.
They had just finished ordering nuggets from the 24-hour drive-thru in McDonald’s when Chaehyun suddenly talked. “Give me nuggets,” Her voice and the pout on her face were so endearing; Youngeun doesn’t know how to say no to such.
Still maintaining her silence but the corners of her mouth arching into a smile, the younger opened the box and fed the older a nugget.
“Delicious~” Chaehyun muttered after finishing a piece.
She’s too adorable, Youngeun comments.
Chaehyun then pulled herself into a sitting position, her eyes barely open.
“Have one too,” She grabbed one and offered it to the younger. Youngeun was about to refuse but she found herself surrendering the more she looked at the pout on the face of the older girl.
Half of the nugget was held by her lips while the other half was still hanging outside. She was about to bring it inside her mouth when Chaehyun spoke, swiftly trapping her to her seat,
“On the second thought, I think I wanna have them all to myself,”
The older said as she captured the nugget using her mouth, immediately chewing it afterwards, leaving Youngeun and their family driver speechless.
Chaehyun just went back to sleeping after finishing that piece like nothing happened.
Getting out of her dazed state, Youngeun just blinked confusion towards the driver's reflection in the rearview mirror.
“You better be ready for the consequences of your actions once you’re sober, Kim Chaehyun.”
Youngeun quietly phrased as she brushed her fingers through Chaehyun’s pink hair.