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heejin usually likes parties. she likes people, after all, and parties are nothing if not full of them. today, however, she finds herself in the quietest room possible, nursing both a splitting headache and a beverage growing lukewarm— pointedly non-alcoholic, courtesy of jungeun’s better half.
“you are not drinking tonight,” haseul had said, pressing the red solo cup of ginger ale into heejin’s hand. “i don’t even know why jungeun even dragged you out here in the first place after two finals.”
“we made a deal which i deeply regret.”
haseul winced. “well, at least you’re done for the term.”
“amen.” heejin took a generous sip and sighed in relief. “thank you for this.”
“yeah, of course.”
heejin could have just sat there in the kitchen chatting with haseul all night; she’s always been fascinated by how jungeun managed to bag someone so out of her league. then there’d been a scream somewhere in the apartment, and haseul had sighed, pushing herself from the counter. “got a fire to put out,” she said, patting heejin’s hand as she left. “make yourself at home.”
heejin had tried not to seem despairing. “right.”
exhausted of her options, she grudgingly left the kitchen to wander haseul’s ridiculously spacious apartment complex— courtesy of being a trust fund kid, she supposes— and eventually found herself a relatively quiet room to camp out in. it seemed to be a guest bedroom, although the sheets were rumpled. wrinkling her nose at the possible reasons why, she settled down cross-legged on the floor instead, where she’s stayed for the past 15 minutes. at least the carpet is soft.
she’s in the middle of finishing the last of her ginger ale when a fuzzy face pokes out of the closet.
“oh my god,” heejin whispers. this just got so much better.
the cat— an orange tabby with snow white paws— approaches her tentatively, slivers of yellow-green irises glinting in the faint light. it comes to a stop right before her and tilts its head.
heejin stretches a hand out for it to sniff, holding her breath the entire time. after what feels like forever, the cat gives heejin’s hand a satisfied lick. it then plants itself straight in heejin’s lap. huh. that easy.
“you really aren’t picky,” heejin muses, scritching behind its ears. the cat lets out a deep purr. “i could be a serial killer, you know. you should be more careful.”
the cat paws her calf in response.
heejin snorts. “i’m just saying. you’re lucky i’m here, and not jeremy from engineering or something. he’s a real asshole.”
“he usually doesn’t like strangers,” comes a voice from over her shoulder.
she turns to meet eyes with a girl. long black hair, big eyes, probably around heejin’s age. she’s not dressed for the party. in fact, she looks like she had just rolled out of bed, if the rumpled t-shirt and sweatpants are any indication. heejin gets the feeling that she’s seen her somewhere before. on campus? no… instagram, maybe?
“you’re haseul’s pretty roommate,” she finally blurts, then blushes red.
the roommate— hyunjin, heejin remembers— raises an eyebrow. “pretty?”
heejin winces. “it slipped, sorry.” then the realization dawns. “is this your room?”
hyunjin steps closer and squats down right next to heejin, reaching out to scratch the cat’s head. “yeah. i went to get some fresh air, guess i didn’t close the door.”
“shit.” heejin makes as if to stand, until she realizes that there’s still a cat in her lap, staring balefully up at her. “that’s terrible of me, i didn’t realize. i can leave now.”
hyunjin shrugs. “it’s fine. you didn’t touch the bed. besides, bagel chose you.”
bagel, huh? cute. “bagel is a lifesaver,” heejin says, relaxing. “i would have died out there.”
hyunjin shoots heejin a glance. “not a party person?”
heejin half-laughs. “not tonight. my head is killing me.”
“finals?”
“yup.” heejin runs a hand down bagel’s back. “are you also…?”
“oh, yeah. my last one was two days ago. mechanical engineering.” hyunjin smiles, and heejin is taken aback by how pretty it is. “if you think jeremy’s bad in life, you should see him in class.”
heejin snorts. “usually, i’d believe you, but he cheated on my friend.”
hyunjin’s eyebrows jump up. “yikes.”
“yeah. now she has haseul though, so…”
hyunjin seems aghast. “haseul’s jungeun dated jeremy deng?”
“it was in her sophomore year,” heejin hastily defends. “she still thought she was straight back then. not exactly a good representation of her character.”
“even as far as straight men go, she could’ve done better.”
“oh, she knows. i bully her for it all the time.”
hyunjin chuckles, and heejin probably would’ve stared at her smile forever if bagel hadn’t meowed petulantly, sinking his claws briefly into her thigh. she winces. even the cat knows she needs to get a grip.
“bagel,” hyunjin admonishes, lifting him from heejin’s lap as he hisses in protest. “be nice.”
“it’s alright, really. let him stay.”
“nah, i was gonna move to the bed anyway.” hyunjin plops down and sets bagel next to her. he begins licking his paws. “come join us.”
heejin blinks. “on the bed?”
“yeah, it’s more comfortable.”
heejin grimaces. “my clothes aren’t exactly clean…”
hyunjin lifts an eyebrow. “i’m a cat owner. believe me, it’s fine.”
“fair.” heejin slowly rises, gingerly settling down on the empty stretch of mattress on hyunjin’s other side. bagel stalks over hyunjin’s legs and back into heejin’s lap almost immediately.
“traitor,” hyunjin mutters. heejin stifles a smile. “wanna do something?”
“sure. truth or truth?”
“come again?”
“it’s like truth or dare, but just truths.”
hyunjin shakes her head sadly. “the dares are the best parts though.”
“hey, it’s not like we have much to do.”
“i’m joking,” hyunjin says with a faint smile. “truth or truth?”
“you’re starting?”
“my house, my rules.”
heejin bites back a laugh. “you asshole. fine. ask away.”
hyunjin hums. “favorite color?”
“boring,” heejin says, drawing out the second syllable. she grins when hyunjin knocks their shoulders together. “i don’t think i have one.”
“just pick something you like.”
she pauses to think. “then purple. how long have you had bagel?”
“that’s also pretty tame.”
heejin shrugs. “just following your lead.”
“i think it’s been about two years now.”
“is he around two years old?”
“only one question at a time.”
heejin groans. “you’re no fun. fine, your turn.”
“tell me the name of your last ex.”
if heejin hadn’t finished her ginger ale, she would’ve done a spit take. “where’d that come from?”
hyunjin shrugs. “you wanted less boring.”
she has a point. “oh, god, okay.” heejin grimaces. “can i ask what you consider dating?”
hyunjin blinks. “that bad?”
heejin sighs. “we were really on and off… and she never told anyone.”
if hyunjin’s surprised by the pronoun, it doesn’t show. her mouth narrows with sympathy instead. “closeted?”
“mhm. she’s out now though, i’m not sure if you know her. the name’s jinsol jung?”
hyunjin’s eyebrows rise. “she might’ve TA’d my first-year math class. isn’t she haseul’s age?”
“yeah,” heejin sighs, suddenly very intent on examining the patterns in bagel’s fur. “not my proudest moment.”
hyunjin doesn’t pry any further, something heejin is incredibly thankful for. if she did, heejin would’ve had to explain how jinsol was also her TA, which is something she would like to talk about even less. she clears her throat. “anyways. who was the last person you slept with?”
in the low lighting, the flush dusting hyunjin’s cheeks is harder to detect. “my question wasn’t this bad.”
heejin snorts a bit too loudly, slapping a hand over her mouth when bagel sleepily meows in protest. “you still have to answer.”
hyunjin sighs. “i thought everyone knew that engineering students don’t get laid.”
“most engineering students don’t look like you do.” heejin prays that her own blush is mostly concealed by the darkness.
hyunjin’s eyes bore into hers, all too knowing. “i didn’t ask for her name,” she finally says.
heejin yanks her gaze away. “casanova much?”
hyunjin laughs softly. “maybe, but those days are over. my workload has gotten too big.”
“how long has it been then?”
“one question at a time,” hyunjin repeats.
“oh, come on. it’s a stupid game.”
heejin expects hyunjin to protest, but after a pause, she answers. “half a year, give or take. after a dance competition in the summer.”
heejin raises her eyebrows. “you dance?”
“not currently. i tore my ACL not long after.”
heejin winces. “that’s really bad.”
hyunjin shrugs. “hazard of the trade. i’m mostly recovered now.”
“will you get back into it?”
“we’ll see.”
heejin pinches gently at bagel’s spine. “i’d like to see you dance one day.”
a smile ghosts across hyunjin’s mouth. “you’ll have to stick around, then.”
heejin shrugs, averting her gaze. “since our respective roommates are dating, i don’t think it’ll be an issue.”
hyunjin inhales. “y—”
she snaps her mouth shut as a series of knocks comes through the door. as if on cue, haseul lets herself in, clearly a few drinks deep. “hyunjin, have you seen jungeun’s roommate? she’s— oh, heejin, you’re here already.” she frowns. “have i introduced you two?”
“bagel,” hyunjin explains, gesturing to the orange tabby sound asleep on heejin’s thighs.
haseul sighs. “seriously? it took a week for him to tolerate me.” she waves a hand. “no matter. heejin— jungeun’s really drunk and is probably gonna crash here, so you’re free to go. i’m gonna go check on her.” with that, she whisks herself out of sight.
heejin no longer feels any urge to leave, which she tells herself is owed to bagel and definitely not hyunjin. on the other hand, she got no sleep last night, and although tomorrow marks the start of the holidays, she really shouldn’t stay too late.
she hoists an indignant bagel onto hyunjin’s lap and pushes herself off the mattress. “guess i’m calling myself an uber.” she turns back to scratch bagel under his chin. “be good, okay?”
“he won’t,” comes hyunjin’s voice from above.
heejin smiles, smoothing a hand over bagel’s head. “c’mon, look at him. he’s never caused trouble in his life.”
hyunjin snorts. “you haven’t seen what he can do.”
“i’ll enjoy this while i can then.”
heejin scratches bagel behind the ears for a few quiet moments while hyunjin watches. then: “i think he’ll miss you.”
“really?”
“yeah.” hyunjin clears her throat. “you should— come to visit him.”
heejin lifts her head, wide-eyed, to meet hyunjin’s gaze. her heart pounds in her chest.
“only if he wants me to,” she finally says.
hyunjin smiles, and— oh god. she has a dimple. was that always there? “he’d like that a lot.”
“okay,” heejin replies, a touch too breathless. straightening, she quickly clears her throat. “i should get going. thank you for tonight.”
“no problem.” hyunjin tilts her head. “come back soon?”
“yeah— yeah. i’ll see you around.”
heejin almost walks into the doorframe when exiting. hyunjin laughs, and maybe heejin does have a terrible weakness for cute animals and pretty girls, but she already can’t wait to hear it again.