reminisce | e'dawn. [🗸]

[chapter twelve]

- 천천히 -

Shinwon's house was nearly empty. We were early.

Inside, Shinwon, Yuto, and a boy unbeknownst to me were talking at the table. Wooseok knocked on the threshold to the kitchen, gathering everybody's attention. They turned their heads, all excited to see us standing there.

"Hey!" Shinwon exclaimed, standing up from his seat to greet us. He turned so I could see the other two guests, and Yuto waved happily. The other boy sat with an excited grin. "Hyojong, this is Hyunggu. Hyunggu, Hyojong."

I bowed towards him respectfully, and in doing so, I saw he was wearing striped Adidas sneakers and tight jeans. Stylish. "Hi."

"Hey," said Hyunggu, bowing at me as well, and standing up to hug Wooseok.

"Did you two carpool?" Wooseok asked, pointing at Yuto and Hyunggu with both index fingers. I remembered someone had told me they were next-door neighbors.

"Yeah," Hyunggu said, pumping a fist into the air. "Eco-friendly!"

"Amazing," Shinwon complimented, shaking his head and clapping very slowly. His sarcastic manner made Wooseok and me laugh. "While you two were saving the environment, I got a text from Changgu. He said he's not feeling well enough to show up."

"Poor Gu," Hyunggu frowned. I noticed that his expression had changed with every new thing Shinwon mentioned, leading me to believe he had a lot of energy.

"It'll be his second URI in two months. He's going to the ER."

"The ER?" I broke in, concerned. "It's that serious?"

"Do you know what a URI is?" Wooseok asked. I shook my head. "Well, he's having difficulty breathing and is constantly sick. You might not get to meet him for a while."

I just nodded, waiting for someone to change the subject. Luckily, the doorbell rang, but before Shinwon could get to it, Hui strutted inside. He was carrying a bunch of snacks in a bag.

"Hui!" I said. It was an accidental outburst, but I was glad to see him.

"Hey, Hyojong," he smiled, his eyes narrowing down to chinks. Shinwon took the bag of provisions and lined everything up on the counter, where bottles of soda and soju were laid out. "Am I early?"

"Yeah, somewhat," Hyunggu shrugged, as Shinwon was busy. "None of the girls are here yet."

"Damn!" Hui complained.

Wooseok sighed, too. "Who's coming?"

"Hana," Yuto answered immediately. "I couldn't pick her up."

"Is Hana who you spent Christmas with?" I asked, smirking as I remembered Wooseok's complaints about their closeness. Yuto blushed but nodded anyway.

Shinwon, who was still busy with the food, continued, "Soojung, Yeona, Baekhee... the list goes on."

I sat down beside Hyunggu and engaged in conversation long enough not to notice there were probably thirty other people present after just half an hour had passed. Shinwon moved to the living room, where I also saw Hongseok, Jinho, and swarms of strangers. Yuto was clinging onto the side of a girl who was equally as clingy--she must have been Hana. And I noticed nearly everybody at the party was wearing New Year's merchandise.

"Have you ever been to a party?" Hyunggu asked, noticing how I gazed into the living room at all the dancers and game-players. Shinwon hosted a good party, it seemed.

"No," I shook my head, looking back at my new friend.

"They're really exciting, if you couldn't tell," he chuckled. "Sitting here is probably boring you to death. Wanna dance?"

"I can't dance," I said.

"I didn't ask if you knew choreography," Hyunggu laughed, standing up. "Just dance. There's music."

I followed him into the living room regardless of my contradicting instinct, but it turned out to be a lot of fun. There was a loud stereo which could be heard from all corners of the house, and because nobody was upstairs, the living room and kitchen were filled to the brim with Shinwon's guests. The TV was also on and showed a program taking place in New York City. I couldn't understand what the hosts were saying.

At ten o'clock, Wooseok came up behind Hyunggu and me, seeming very hyper, and thrust some oddly-shaped sunglasses in my face. I put them on so he'd be satisfied. Half an hour later, Hyunggu had a circle formed around him and was breakdancing a solo that looked extremely difficult and planned. I grinned when he made eye contact with me, for he was really talented. Then, at eleven o'clock, someone had nearly broken a lamp, but I learned that that someone had been Shinwon himself, so I didn't worry much for the house's well-being. The music grew louder, the food less plentiful, and I more entertained. I had to find Wooseok before the clock struck midnight.

He was in the kitchen with two girls facing him, and they were all drinking pink soju. I approached hesitantly in case he was busy, but he beckoned me over to him when he acknowledged me.

"Hey, Hyojong," he said, lifting his tiny glass. "This is Jaehwa and Eun." They giggled at me.

"It's almost midnight," I told him, peering over the rim of my sunglasses.

"Oh, thanks for reminding me!"

"What's your resolution, Hyojong?" the girl with shoulder-length navy blue hair, Eun, asked me. She had a septum piercing and wore a turtleneck tucked into her black jeans.

"My resolution?" I repeated, unsure what to say officially to these strangers. She and Jaehwa smiled expectantly, so I blurted, "Exercise." Wooseok started cackling.

"You're going to dye your hair, aren't you?" he asked once he had calmed down. I nodded. "There you go. He'll look hot next year."

"I bet he will," Eun commented, deliberately bumping into me when she pulled Jaehwa away by the hand, far from Wooseok and me. I widened my eyes at my tall friend and silently begged him for an explanation.

"I never knew she was flirty," Wooseok laughed, and I joined. "Maybe you'll have a girlfriend next year, too."

"Will not."

We transitioned into the living room and fought to stand in front of the TV, where a gigantic metal ball swathed in fairy lights was about to drop to signify the arrival of the new year. That's what Hui told me anyway, for I was standing among my closest friends, including Hyunggu. With five seconds to spare, I stood on my toes and kissed Wooseok on the cheek. Happy New Year.

-

a/n

Choi Yujin as Eun
Park Jeonghwa as Jaehwa

thanks for reading! how do u like the story so far?