No Strings Attached

Same place, different noise

The flyer was ugly. Neon green, Comic Sans font, clipart of balloons. Taped to every possible surface in the department hallway.

“Welcome Party for First-Years!! Come mingle~”
Friday, 7 PM @ Baekho Hof. Free chicken, cheap drinks, upperclassmen required to attend.”

“Why are we going to this again?” Ji-yeon asked, holding the flyer like it had personally insulted her.

Minji slung her arm around Ji-yeon’s shoulder as they walked. “Because I’m a good senior, and you’re my emotional support human.”

---

The welcome party was already in full swing when Ji-yeon and Minji arrived.

The back corner of the restaurant had been claimed by their department, and the air smelled like fried food, soju, and way too much cologne. Someone had already started yelling about a drinking game. Minji looked thrilled.

Ji-yeon, not so much.

Still, she followed her friend in, settling onto a low stool with a sigh. She accepted a small plastic cup and nibbled on a piece of tteokbokki.

“Okay!” someone shouted. “Baskin Robbins 31!”

Groans, cheers, and laughter. Ji-yeon blinked. “We’re playing that here?”

Minji leaned in. “Come on. Just one round.”

The game started. Numbers flew by. Ji-yeon tried to keep up, her brain just slightly fogged from the noise and the one sip of soju she’d already had.

It was funnier than it should’ve been.

When she ended up having to drink—twice—Minji clapped like it was the highlight of her night. Ji-yeon took tiny sips, but even those were enough to make her cheeks warm.

After about an hour, the room got louder. Hotter. She leaned into Minji.

“I’m gonna step out. Get some air.”

“You okay?”

“Yeah. Just... warm.”

Minji nodded, distracted by someone calling her over for another game.

Ji-yeon slipped out quietly. She stood outside the restaurant, the cool air brushing against her face. The noise from inside was muffled now. She breathed in and out.

“Escaping?” a voice said behind her.

She turned.

It was Hyun-il.

He had one hand in his jacket pocket, the other holding his phone. His usual unreadable expression.

“Just needed air,” Ji-yeon said simply.

He nodded, then tilted his head toward the street. “I’m going to the convenience store. Want something cold?”

She hesitated, then shrugged. “I’ll come.”

They walked in silence for a minute. Ji-yeon felt the alcohol more now—not enough to be clumsy, but enough that her brain was softer at the edges.

The store’s lights were bright, and the cold section blasted her with AC.

Hyun-il grabbed a bottle of water and a can of coffee. Ji-yeon wandered to the freezer, staring at the rows of ice cream.

“You picking something or just admiring the colors?” he asked, glancing over.

She reached for a melon bar, then stopped, patting her coat pockets.

No wallet.

She frowned. “Ah... I left my bag inside.”

“Want me to spot you?”

“It’s fine, sunbae. I'm already in your debt. I don’t need it that badly—”

He grabbed a second melon bar and dropped it on the counter before she could finish.

Ji-yeon stared at him. “I said I—”

“Yeah, I heard. It’s ₩1,500. Relax.”

She didn’t answer, just followed him out with her hands stuffed in her sleeves.

They sat on a low wall just outside. She unwrapped the bar slowly, the cold hitting her teeth as she took a bite.

“…Thank you,” she muttered.

Hyun-il leaned back on his hands. “You’re more polite when you’re tipsy.”

She side-eyed him. “I’m always polite.”

“Mm.”

They sat there a little longer, eating in silence. The street was quieter than usual—just the occasional car, and the hum of the convenience store fridge behind them.

When she finished, she held the empty stick in her hands, fidgeting with it. She took a glance at Hyun-il's face. His snake bites shimmered in the faint moonlight.

“Why do you have those… piercings?” Ji-yeon asked, gesturing lightly around her own bottom lip.

Hyun-il raised an eyebrow. “You like them?”

She shrugged. “They look cool. I guess.”

He gave a small smile. “That’s why. I thought they looked cool too.”

Ji-yeon nodded, then stretched her legs a bit. “We should probably head back.”

Hyun-il stood first and tossed his trash in the bin. She followed, the last bit of cold from the ice cream still lingering on her tongue.

They walked back together, side by side, without saying much.

But this time, the silence felt a little easier.

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