Relaxed, that's the word I would use to describe the atmosphere at the moment. Everyone's face is calm, soft smiles playing on their faces as well as golden sparks dancing in their eyes now that the sunlight reflects in them, golden hour having arrived while we lost track of time while playing games.
Yeona just explained us the next game before leaving to get the booze, as she called it. We're supposed to, one by one, make a statement about something you could have done, and who ever has done it, has to take a shot. So of course, we're all going to get drunk soon, making everyone excited as the last time we went out drinking together was a lot of fun. Now that we're all inside, in Yeona's house and not in a public space, me and Lee Know aren't going to stay sober, wanting to let go as well. I can only hope no stupid mistakes will be made, although that's a part of life as well.
"Okay, I'll go first," Hyeon starts, "Drink if you've ever been drunk, like actually wasted and not remembering everything."
His words are closely followed by Seungmin's: "Haven't we all?"
"I hope so, gotta get us all to get some alcohol in first, we need to lose up a bit," Yeona's friend shoots back, resulting in chuckles and shaking heads before we all take a shot, each one of us having been so drunk that we've blacked out.
Usually I'm the one informing them of what they did the night before, and having seen them all completely wasted I've plenty of fun moment's that I'll never make them forget. A soft smile playing on my face at the thought.
"Drink if you've ever had a crush!" Yeona says, raising her glass for us to follow, already knowing each one of us has had one. Downing another shot I feel the liquid burning down my throat. She obviously chose something with a high alcohol percentage, meaning some of us won't need many more shot's before feeling the effects.
"Take a shot if you've ever pulled an all-nighter," Lee know says, before turning to me and smirking, "and take two shots if the last one was this month."
Rolling my eyes at him I reluctantly down a shot, before filling the glass again and taking another. His not so hidden scolding makes me chuckle slightly, knowing how he and the guys get when I pull to many all-nighters, getting stuck while producing music, losing track of time as lyrics are written and notes are played.
I notice Yeona, Felix and Hyeon taking too shots as well, while the rest just take one. Confused my eyes lock with Felix, the younger sheepishly smiling at me, already knowing what my reaction would be. 'Gaming,' he mouths at me causing me to sigh. Maybe I should start doing a lap around the dorm when it's getting late, to make sure everyone's getting to bed? Although I doubt I could convince anyone of them to sleep when they know I'll go straight back to work once they're asleep.
Pushing my thoughts away I glance over at Jeongin, who's next. "Okay, drink if you've," he starts, halting as he thinks of what to say. "If you've ever watched the same movie five times or more."
Yeona eagerly downs her shot, the girl now already being five shots in, and the alcohol is clearly taking effect. "Disney!" She shouts before giggling softly.
Felix and Hyeon also took a shot, the latter of the two groaning as he does so. "It's her fault," he says, pointing at Yeona who's looking at him with a smug grin. "She made me watch the same movie over and over again." As if he could see the guys' thoughts he quickly adds: "Trust me, I tried to leave, but you don't know how clingy she can be."
At his words I glance over at Yeona, only to find her laying her head on Lee Know's shoulder, who flicks her forehead in response making her pout before sitting up straight again, an alcoholic daze already dancing in front of her eyes. "I think we'll find out tonight," I state, chuckling softly, to which Hyeon agrees.
With me being next I start to think what the next question should be while we chat among each other. We're obviously not taking shot after shot, snacks are laying around us all as we chat among each other, every five to ten minutes doing another question, giving the alcohol some time to settle.
Before starting we all estimated at how many shots we would get drunk and at which we would be wasted, with that in mind we decided that playing 7 rounds should be more than enough to get everyone drunk. Less rounds would do the trick too, but with seven we were sure. As we couldn't give everyone a turn, the randomizer on Han's phone decides who's next. Which is me this round.
Wanting to think of something that will make a few drink, but not all I try to think of something specific, something that will allow me to learn something new.
Remembering Felix's worried state when he talked to me about the drunken kiss he shared with Yeona. It's clear that he keeps overthinking it. Whenever his eyes have landed on the girl tonight, they have been filled with something hard to pinpoint, there has been some obvious want in his eyes. Perhaps lust? Maybe desire. Whatever it was, it is definitely not something that should be in your eyes when you look at 'just' a friend. His overthinking about that kiss, his worries if Yeona regrets it. He has vented to me about it a few times already over the past few days.
An idea slowly makes its way to my conscience, I want to wave it off, wanting to choose something else, but curiosity gets the better of me; I could use this moment to clear things up for him, to figure out if Yeona remembers.
Before I have the chance to think it over the words have left my mouth. "Drink if you've kissed anyone in this room,"
If Yeona remembers the kiss, she'll drink, if she doesn't she won't. Unless she and Hyeon have kissed of course, but I doubt that. I don't see her for a person who kisses their friends, or to befriend someone she has kissed before. Keeping my eyes locked on the girl, she doesn't move to take a shot, her eyes darting around to see who does.
I notice how Felix brows furrow at her lack of action, he probably realises the same as I do; that she doesn't remember.
"A kiss on the cheek counts too," I state quickly, making Jeongin, Han and Lee Know grab their glasses with a groan. Felix's eyes lock with mine, a thankful smile on his face. Having added the 'kiss on the cheek' means Felix won't be the only one to drink. I knew this would make both Jeongin and Han drink as they have kissed some of the members cheeks. Adding myself to that, I expected four of us to drink. Lee Know taking a shot as well makes me eye him with suspicion. I knew he was at the receiving end of some kisses, but giving, that I did not know. As if he felt my gaze, he turns towards me before shrugging and continuing to chat with Han. Not bothering to linger on it I just shrug it off.
The following two rounds, resulted in a lot of shots being taken. The first question – being asked by Hyeon – was if any of us had met someone famous. I had almost let a chuckle escape my mouth as my eyes locked with some of the others. With us being around many other kpop idols, we of course have met famous people. Yeona and Hyeon's reaction made it even better. Their eyes appeared to almost pop out of their heads, eyes wide and mouths agape. "Who did you meet?" was the first question Yeona had asked. Before giving any of us a chance to respond, she shot many more at us: "Did you guys meet them together? Or did you all meet someone else? Are you just like, really lucky people?"
It was quite obvious that she had a lot of alcohol in her system, as she had thrown herself into Hyeon's arm, excitedly shaking him while shouting in his ear: "They're gonna take us to meet famous people! We're gonna meet all my favourite artists with them around!" In her dazed mind it all made sense, leaving us to chuckle at her behaviour. Hyeon asking her if they could meet his favourite artists as well, and her rolling her eyes while muttering a 'of course not,' was icing on the cake. Scoffing at his best friend, Hyeon had quickly shoved her off himself, resulting in her stumbling to the ground.
The drunk girl laying on the ground, looking up at the ceiling with a pout while a tear ran down her cheek, made Hyeon panic instantly, worry visible in his eyes, fearing that he hurt her while pushing her off. I of course hurried over as well, even though the alcohol had made my mind a bit hazy, my leader-mode instantly turned on, making sure she was okay.
Yeona swatting Hyeon's hands away as he tried to make sure she didn't hurt herself, caused the male to scold her: "Don't swat me away like a fly! I'm making sure you're not hurt!"
"But you are a fly," Yeona had whined in response, "at least annoying like one of those, buzzing around me like-, like-, like a moth is drawn to light. Can't blame you, you're like a moth, fuzzy and eating clothes inside a closet, while I am-, yeah. What am I? Ah right, the sun, blinding you with my beauty! And your moth-yness can't resist the pull of my light."
Chuckling softly at her words, I realised how little sense they made. The girl jumping from one topic to the next within a sentence. Hyeon, who was not assured yet that she was okay, slapped her hand away for the fifth time, rolling up Yeona's sleeve to check for bruises.
"Yah! Pervert!" she had shouted at him, jumping up and hitting the back of his head.
"Pervert?!" Hyeon had responded, offended. "It's your fucking arm. You're not naked you drunken moron!"
Having given up on making sure Yeona was okay, I just joined the others in laughing at the two friends bickering. If she was okay enough to jump up and bicker, then she was most likely fine.
"In summer you wear more revealing clothes, so keep your mouth shut and let me check your arm." Hyeon rolled his eyes before he had pulled the girl closer once more.
"But that is my choice! You're undressing me without consent! Consent is important you perv!"
Groaning at her he had pinched the bridge of his nose. "Can I roll up your sleeve?"
Looking at her best friend with confusion, she had responded with: "Of course, why d'you even ask." Her words making me and the others double over with laughter, drunk Yeona is definitely a lot of fun to be around. Hyeon's mouth fell open at her words to which she had muttered a soft 'weirdo,' making who-ever wasn't dying from laughter yet, burst out laughing.
The other question that was asked – by Seungmin this time – was one that made everyone who had gone skinny dipping drink. Which meant every single one of us.
Me and the guys obviously had gone skinny dipping together multiple times before. My mind had drifted back to the happy memories we had made together. That one time the eight of us had gone on a vacation to a lake house, hidden deep in the woods. The nearest houses a twenty minute car-ride away, meaning no one was near to see us.
The first night was the best, the night-sky filled with stars, no clouds visible. The moonlight reflecting on the lake, calling to us. So we listened. Our clothes scattered on the floor as we had jumped into the lake, laughter the only sound in the silence of the night.
After that night, we had gone skinny dipping each day, sometimes even twice a day. So yes, of course we all had to drink.
With those two shots in my system as well, I too was becoming quite drunk. The stories told by others becoming funnier with every passing minute. Some of the words being used, no longer making sense. The Korean and English used mixing together into a new language, one only Felix appeared to understand without trouble.
Having given up trying to understand the story I had been telling for the past ten minutes, Yeona suggests putting on a movie. Having lost the direction my story was going into myself I gladly accept. Not bothering to catch what the movie is going to be, my mind wonders is telling the story backwards would have swapped the direction from east to west, only to hope west would have been the direction the story was supposed to go.
Shaking my thoughts off I let myself fall backwards onto the matrasses covering the floor. Their isn't much space, not enough for ten people to lay down without touching at least. With a sly smile on my face, I quickly pull Seungmin towards me as he walks past me to find himself a place. Pulling him against my chest I nuzzle my nose into his neck, squeezing him tight. Some incoherent slurs escape his mouth, followed by some grumbling.
Changbin's loud voice breaks the silence: "My butt isn't a pillow!" Laughter erupts around me at his words.
"But it's comfy." Felix whines, revealing he was the one using Changbin's butt as pillow.
The rest of their back and forth comments are drowned out by the starting of the movie. Trying to focus on the flashing screen I squint my eyes. The sounds echoing in my mind making the words hard to understand. It's only when I notice someone in a red spandex suit on the screen that I realise what movie it is.
"Ah, my husband," I mutter softly, causing Seungmin – who has finally given up on trying to get out of my hold – to groan in response, already knowing that I'm gonna be responding to each and every scene.