Backstage | Kwon Soonyoung

04.

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The lights of the bar were moody and the sizzling sound of meat being grilled on fresh charcoal roamed the air. Light laughter sounded from around the room and the team cheered over a pint of beer. Hoshi looked around, glad to see that there wasn't any other customer on the floor other than their team for the risk of someone recognising him would go down quite a lot.

"Soonyoung-ssi, why don't you give the toast for your welcoming party?" Mina asked him with a smile.

He accepted readily. Being in control of the room, especially in a drinking atmosphere was his speciality. He stood up with a beer of his own in hand, looking at all the new faces he had met today, "I'm new to the office but I can already tell that the Chuseok episode is going to be a blast! I hope you will take good care of me as we go on to be a huge success!"

The group applauded his words and raised their glasses as Mina chanted, "To our new hire, Kwon Soonyoung!" And everyone agreed, clinking their glasses and taking a large gulp of their drinks.

The team was a rowdy bunch but surprisingly just as kind too. Mina, regardless of rank and superiority, took it upon herself to grill and serve while the team members let no glass remain empty. Games were played, dares were given and Soonyoung found himself relaxing in the comfortable mood of the room.

"I like Mina the most." The writer spoke, almost drunk as she raised her glass and looked at Mina, "You picked me instead of other senior writers because you said you saw something in my work... *hiccup* and then you nitpicked on every mistake in my script." A good-natured laugh went around the room as Mina watched her co-worker affectionately. She cared about her team, clearly and had already done her dues to get them to be a part of it. It was nice seeing loyalty among the few people in the room, pleasant even.

The people there didn't treat each other as colleagues strapped on the hierarchical pyramid but instead equals balancing one scale. Hoshi smiled, he liked this.

And so, with the Writer's true confession, the bottle was spun once more. The onlookers watched in anticipation just as it stopped, one end pointing at Mina and the other at Hoshi.  He laughed along with the crowd and raised his hand in victory, "I get to ask, no?"

Mina nodded, urging him to go on, playing the good sport for the game as Hoshi asked, "What's it going to be, truth or dare?"

"Dare."

Her answer had no hesitation in it and she seemed to be enjoying as she gave him a coy smile, still holding her first beer. Soonyoung looked around the table for suggestions with many weird and funny requests going around. Someone wanted her to balance a bottle pin on her nose while one mentioned singing a song.

But Hoshi had other ideas. Mina was an interesting woman and for an entire day, she had played with his mind and sanity. She was hot but acted like she didn't know it, cute with the way she laughed at the silliest things and secretive in the manner she looked at him, tempting him to learn more. He didn't know whether it was the drinks that had gotten him all excited or the way her eyes looked at him as he spoke,

"I dare you to chug an entire pint of beer, a new one mind you, in 10 seconds." If there was some reason she was specifically drinking slowly or not at all, Hoshi was going to change it. Someone had mentioned she was an easy drunk and more than anyone else, Hoshi wanted to make it happen.

Mina looked at him with an eyebrow raised, "And if I can't?"

"Kiss the maknae, then!" The drunk writer yelled from behind earning laughter from everyone. Hoshi took the bait, his aim entirely on making Mina drink.

"Yeah, why not? It just means you have to finish that glass no matter what." Hoshi shrugged as he spoke, garnering a bunch of oohs from the team. Most of them were far too drunk to care and those that were somehow in their senses were interested in what would happen.

Mina looked at Hoshi, amused that he would take such an offer. "Alright." Holding a new and full glass of beer in her hand, she raised it to her lips, meeting eyes with Soonyoung as she began drinking.

"10, 9, 8, 7..."

She was already down half a glass and the excitement within the room was rising with the lowering levels of the beer in the glass. Mina was known to have a low tolerance and avoidance of liquor yet there she was chugging the glass like it was no one's business.

"...4, 3, 2 and!"

Mina hit the glass on the table with a loud bang as everyone erupted in cheers. Claps at her buzzer-beater and growing excited, they congratulated Mina for her small feat. Hoshi too gave out a victorious smile at having her drink as she stood up and walked towards him.

Looking him in the eye, her eyes growing hooded, Mina walked towards Hoshi determined. He could only stare at her, wonder what it was that had brought her to him when he felt her soft lips press down him, kissing him.

Mina had bent over the table, her white shirt no protection to the small line of cleavage that showed as she pressed her lips to his, eyes closed and soft at touch, surprising him in a way he had never imagined.

Barely lasting for over three seconds, Mina's sudden yet tender kiss had an unimaginable effect on Hoshi. He could smell the sweet ropy fragrance of the perfume she kept on her desk and taste the sweet vanilla of the lip gloss she had been using. It was surprising but not unwelcoming and soon, just as quick it had started, it was over and Mina had pulled back, leaving room for the possibility of more.

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