Closer with you (ongoing)

CHAPTER 30

Party with SNU students or party with people that wanted to be nowhere near SNU students. That was ultimately what Yongsun's decision came down to.

She chose the latter.

It wasn't a particularly difficult choice. The first night of Midnight Madness—the concert, the club—she'd been there and done that. Aside from the addition of the hotel afterparty, things were a carbon copy of the year before. She didn't see the value in doing the same thing twice, especially when presented the option of experiencing the night from the perspective of those wholly uninterested in anything SNU-related. In the words of Seungyeon, one of those wholly uninterested in anything SNU-related, "Not everyone wants to be surrounded by SNU kids. It's actually one of my worst nightmares." A bit harsh, and no doubt linked to the one-sided animosity that SKKU had towards the prestigious university, but the former athlete wasn't wrong. SNU was not the center of everyone's world.

It wasn't as if Yongsun was putting the prospect of clubbing with non-SNU folks on a pedestal either. She'd done that several times, too. It wasn't a novel activity for her given how often she, thanks to Sirae, had frequented clubs and bars around the city and away from campus. With Midnight Madness being as massive of an event as it was, though, clubs and lounges throughout the city were stepping their game up in hopes of attracting those looking to start their weekend with a bang . . . but with a bang away from the college students that infested the city.

The party Sirae hosted was in Hongdae at NB2, one of the biggest hip-hop clubs in Korea. Clubs were usually packed on weekends, but tonight, it was next level. Between the people sandwiched in and the smoke from everyone's cigarettes, there was barely any room to breath. She, Chorong, and Seungyeon stayed in the private rooms away from much of the commotion, but when even that became unbearable an hour into their time there, the trio took their patronage across the street to NB1, the smaller, but much-easier-to-breathe-in affiliate club to NB2. Most of their night was spent there, mingling and enjoying the easy-going atmosphere. The music was excellent and no one in the crowd thought themselves above dancing. All in all, the night was a lot of fun.

As a graduate student, Yongsun didn't usually feel too far removed from undergraduates. There were a few pop culture things that her friends—usually Wheein and Hyejin—schooled her on, but that aside, she wasn't much older than those experiencing college for the first time. In fact, there were a good number of undergraduates that were her seniors in age. She felt ancient, though, as a heavy yawn tore through her body. It was only around 2:00 am.

"You okay over there, granny?" Chorong shouted over the music.

"I'm not a granny!"

"You're yawning like one. It's still early."

"I'm tired. It's been a long week."

"Do you want to leave?" Her roommate's voice softened.

"That's not fair to you and Seungyeon. I don't want to ruin your night. I'll head back, the two of you can stay." Yongsun stood to collect her things. She saw Chorong open her mouth to protest, but another voice cut in before she could do so.

"What's going on?" Seungyeon asked, eyebrows furrowed from confusion.

"Yongsun wants to leave."

"Why?" She directed her question at Yongsun this time.

"I'm tired."

"Getting up there in age, huh?" The taller woman joked.