"How'd you guys know each other?"
Jiwoo was staring at Somin when she asked that question, her face looking thoughtful and curious.
Somin stared back at her, chewing the meat in her mouth silently.
Surprisingly, the night didn't suck as she initially thought it would. She was having fun eating, drinking and talking to them random things. Maybe it was because they didn't mention anything about her date with Woo-jin. Maybe it was because Woo-jin was acting the same. Or maybe it was because they were on their third bottle of soju and were well on their way to getting drunk.
"I knew Woo-jin through a friend in university when I was in my second year," Somin answered Jiwoo. "And Tae-hyung, well, I didn't know he was Woo-jin's best friend when I met him in a club."
"A club?" Jiwoo looked at Tae-hyung. "Were you there to pick up some girls?"
Somin snorted. "Like he could. You see," she pointed at Tae-hyung who was just listening to the whole exchange with amusement, "this guy had the whole homeless thing going on. Remember when you arrive for the first time in our company and saw him again? He looked that way but worse. I actually thought that he was a creep within the first few minutes of meeting him."
"You're kidding," Jiwoo breathed, her eyes growing wide.
Somin shrugged and picked up her glass. "Hope I was."
**********
"Are you going to drink that?"
Somin was sitting at the bar when the man beside her spoke. Na-eun had forced her to come to this club for some afterschool partying near their university and she was resting while Na-eun danced with some guy.
The man sitting next to her was staring at her beer. Despite the dim lighting of the club and the occasional strobe lights flashing, Somin could still make out some of the man's features. His hair was long and covering most of his face. He was wearing glasses and had whiskers on his jaw. And he smelled a bit... bad.
Somin felt a little chill down on her spine. The guy was mega creepy.
"Um, why?" she asked him as she subtly leaned away.
"Can I have that?"
"Are you sure? A guy gave me that bottle. He might have slipped something."
He cocked his head to the side. "Is that why you didn't touch it."
She nodded.
"Free beer for me then," creepy guy muttered as he reached out for the bottle, pulling it towards him. "Sorry. I ran out of cash. And my best friend is holding my wallet hostage."
Despite her first impression, Somin found herself curious. "Why would he?" she asked.
"He doesn't like me sneaking out of our shared apartment to drink," he replied.
"Then he should have joined you."
He took a long pull of his beer before replying, "He's out with a girl right now."
Somin eyed the empty bottles of beer in front of him. "Are you alcoholic?"
He chuckled and Somin could hear the sadness in his voice when he answered, "I'm trying not to be. I... I just want to forget someone."
Ah.
Somin gave him a pitiful look.
He got his heart broken.
"You'll get over her soon," she said, craning her neck to look for Na-eun.
"It's been three years. I don't think I ever will."
Somin whipped her gaze back to him. "T-Three years?" she sputtered.
He took another long pull. "Yeah."
"How long did you date?"
He was silent for a moment. Then Somin's shock took another hit when he answered, "We never got the chance to date."
Alright, this was so sad in so many levels that Somin's cold heart thawed for him.
"Do you... do you want to talk about it?" she asked.
The man was quiet for a while.
Then he said, "Will you listen?"
Somin thought about all the possibilities of her talking to a complete stranger. Maybe this was his way of picking up a girl, telling some sob story to get into her pants. But Somin knew those types of guys. She grew up dealing with all sorts of assholes in life. She knew he wasn't the same as them. She didn't how she did, but she just knew.
"I will," she said.
And he smiled.
**********
"Somin's not joking," Woo-jin said with a chuckle as he cooked the meat on the grill. "He did look homeless. If I didn't force him, he'd never cut his hair or shave. Or even take a shower."
Jiwoo looked at Tae-hyung with a guilty expression.
"I'm actually just a slob, Jiwoo," Tae-hyung said, kissing the side of her head. "And it was a pain, trying to be the perfect honor's student in high school. I guess I kind of just let go in university."
"But wasn't Jiwoo the trigger?" Somin smugly pointed out.
Woo-jin sighed. "You're making her feel even more like crap."
Somin waved her hand dismissively. "Why should it bother her? It's in the past. And I'm sure Tae-hyung would be grateful of me."
Jiwoo frowned at her. "Why?"
"Because you won't ever think of leaving him ever again," she answered, earning a wink from Tae-hyung.
"See what I had to deal with back in university, Jiwoo?" Woo-jin said with a low laugh as he refilled Somin's glass with soju.
Jiwoo wrinkled her nose at Tae-hyung and Tae-hyung wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He whispered into her ear and she giggled before smacking his shoulder.
Somin raised the glass to her lips and glanced at the couple in front of her.
Her heart twanged.
Because she probably will never have something like that.