"Anyone want anything else?" she asks, waiter at her side. Everyone shakes their heads.
"We're good," Minjeong chirps with a thumbs up.
Aeri's jaw drops when Yizhuo revises their orders. Rashers of thinly sliced pork, pork belly, lamb and chicken skewers, soju, and beer. It totals up to a round up of a whopping 400k won.*
"Woah, how are you gonna afford that?" Somi wonders out loud.
"I'm a singer," Yizhuo says. She doesn't brag. It really is just a fact that she is, undeniably, a singer, and a really good one. Aeri chews the inside of her cheek.
Then she pulls out a stack of bills. It's a single thick stack, bound together with a rubber band. She snaps the menu shut.
"Thanks," she says to the waiter, putting the menu in his hands along with the money.
The seating arrangements are comfortable and Aeri's grateful for it, sandwiched between Jimin and Somi as Minjeong sits beside Jimin next to Yizhuo.
She wishes Somi wasn't right next to Yizhuo though.
"Was she born rich?" Aeri asks, leaning over to Jimin.
"Nope, people just love to hear her sing," Jimin answers.
"Aeri," Yizhuo calls out. It makes Aeri jump.
"What?" she replies a little too quickly.
"Do you drink?"
Aeri nods. She's not familiar with this Yizhuo. It's uncanny to see her not being vulgar. But then again, she hasn't really had a chance to see anything but Yizhuo being vulgar.
Before she gets to say anything, Yizhuo's already engaged in conversation with Minjeong and Jimin. Something about classes and whatnot, and she catches Minjeong squealing when she announces she's going to be in Yizhuo's classes because of timetable changes.
"You look close with her," Aeri says to Somi, hushed.
"Why are you whispering?"
"I don't wanna make things weird!"
"You're the one making things weird here," Somi hisses.
"Aeri, you okay there?" Jimin asks. Aeri's out of it. Why is she?
"Yeah, I'm okay."
"Watch your head," Yizhuo cautions. She brings a hand flat over Minjeong as the waiter sets down a huge platter of raw sliced meat so it doesn't hit her head. Another waiter brings over a bin of charcoal with tongs and sets up the barbeque. Aeri takes note on how Yizhuo thanks them first. She watches how elegantly she speaks even when she's being pushy.
Somehow, that annoys her even more.
Jimin starts handing out chopsticks and spoons to everyone. Somi takes a pair of tongs and starts grilling meat. A while later, bottles of flavoured soju and beer arrive.
"You shouldn't drink on an empty stomach," Yizhuo advises, taking meat from the grill and plopping it onto everyone's plates. She takes over the grill from Somi.
"Like to be in control, don't you?" Somi jabs.
Yizhuo feigns shock and gasps. "Jeon Somi, you need to buy me dinner before you say that," she chuckles.
"My head hurts," Aeri mumbles.
Jimin overhears her. "Do you want to go home? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, just not used to being out so late," Aeri lies. She has a habit of staying out till 2am, content with swinging her legs on benches in night parks filled with street food and buskers.
So, not out with friends, she means.
Minjeong leans over to Aeri holding a bottle. "Aeri-ah, you want some?"
"Sure," Aeri says, holding up her glass. She watches as clear liquid flows into it. Minjeong pours her a full shot.
She throws her head back and drinks it in one gulp. It goes down her throat smoothly and she feels it burn at the bottom of her belly the way she likes it. In the corner of her eye, she catches Yizhuo's concerned gaze.
Funny. Concern and care is not a familiar look on her, but it's intriguing. Aeri smirks and has another before she starts eating.
"So, Aeri, what are you going to SMU for?" Jimin starts.
Aeri makes a wrap with garlic and pork belly. She dabs on some sauce with her chopsticks. "Linguistics and Literature," she answers before taking a bite. "I like to read and write."
"She's a true scholar," Somi cuts in. "I've known her for like, a week and a half, and the world from her eyes is so adorable," she adds, shaking her head to get rid of the alcohol burn.
"Let's be friends," Jimin offers. "Seriously. I'm sorry we really never got to talk."
"It's fine. It's all my fault anyway," Aeri apologises, chewing. "I kept avoiding you guys because of Yizhuo."
"Because of me? Why?" Yizhuo butts in.
"Your face is so pink," Minjeong laughs at Yizhuo. Yizhuo smacks her with a hand lightly.
She holds her cheeks in her hands. "This is a light blush."
"Hm... it's less of a puppy blush and more of a full blown tomato red," Jimin says. "But it does make you look pretty. Like, shy girl in a drama, you get me?"
"Awesome," Yizhuo says, satisfied. "Anyway," she continues, turning to Aeri, "you wanna answer my question?"
"Uh, you're super intimidating. I'll admit that," Aeri grunts.
And all Yizhuo does is go, "Hm," and swirl her soju in her glass. Aeri's eye twitches. The nerve...
"So what do you major in?" she asks Jimin instead.
"Business psychology."
"What about you?"
"Me?" Minjeong swallows. "Oh, I'm a special case. I'm a dual major in performing arts and psychology!"
"...and Yizhuo?"
"Why don'tcha ask her yourself?" Somi teases, tipsy. Aeri groans. It makes Minjeong bubble up with laughter.
"Alright, I'll tell you," Minjeong says. "She's the performing art's class' ace. SMU's-"
"-Princess. Is that really a name she has?" Aeri asks. Minjeong nods seriously.
"She's had all A's above 96 percent for two consecutive years. This is going to be the third," Jimin says.
She's not surprised to hear Yizhuo majors in performing arts. That's just so her.
Somi flops onto Jimin.
"Somi? You good?" she asks. Aeri pokes her shoulder.
"Holy shit. She's out cold," Yizhuo sighs.
Aeri perks up. That's the Yizhuo she knows and likes.
It's fun to discover new things about Yizhuo, even if she doesn't mean to get close to her.
Because someone like Yizhuo is untouchable. She's rich. She's pretty. She's so...
"...she's so fucking cool," Aeri slurs, leaning against Minjeong. Blush heats up her cheeks and meat fills her stomach.
"Hey, Somi-ya, let's get you home. Okay? Somi?" Yizhuo says, patting Somi's cheeks.
Somi gives her a thumbs up quickly. Yizhuo starts digging through her pockets for her keys when Jimin interrupts.
"Ningning, Minjeong isn't feeling well either. You mind if we go home first too?"
Minjeong looks at her quizically. Sure her tolerance level is low, but she's just tipsy - who wouldn't be after a few shots?
"I'm-" Jimin squeezes her hand under the table, "Oh! Yeah, I have a migraine. I had more than three shots. Sorry, Ningie."
Yizhuo deflates and sighs. "But we were supposed to have movie night." Then, "Jimin, you okay to drive?"
"I have a good tolerance and I'm alright," she says with a smile.
Aeri watches Yizhuo with interest. Minjeong leans over to her with the heel of her palm on her temple as a feign. "Aeri, will you be okay?"
"What do you mean?"
"I'm leaving with Jimin and Somi."
Aeri realises. "Oh no."
"Good luck," Minjeong smiles before Jimin picks her and Somi up to their car.
*~$300