Gratefulness~ pt.4

It's Tuesday evening and we are supposed to meet up at Young Bae's place and spend some time together. It's the perfect excuse to skip a few classes of history so that I get to train dancing and compensate the late-night rehearsals.
I'm completely free of all my duties already at six because the media classes get cancelled. Ji Yong has earlier informed me that he will pick me up after visiting his sister's clothing store and stoling pieces from her new collection but since I have lots of time left I decide to be healthy and walk to the dormitory. On my way there, Seungri calls me and I get surprised because I have never really speaked with him on the phone before. I answer anyway.
"Yeoboseyo?"
"Yeoboseyo? Mineha! Seungri here," I can hear music yelling in the background and I wonder where he is.
"Ne?"
"Young Bae. Hyung!" The phone call crackles and the bass is drumming loudly. After a while Tae comes on line.
"Yeah? Mineeha?"
"Yes, it's me," I pronounce clearly. I'd like to know what is going on already.
"We are here at my apartment. You still have classes?"
"Already?" I'm surprised. "No, I don't!"
"It's one of the dancer's birthday party and we're planning it. Wanna join?" he clears things up.
"Is Ji Yong there too?"
"Yeah. He's decorating right now with Deukie... What are you doing?" he laughs at his friends and then continues speaking with me. I can hear Ji laughing and shouting something back.
"What did he say?" I smile by mysef. I'm always so happy hearing his voice. I wouldn't need anything else in the world.
"Blah blah blah.. He misses you," Tae tells me with bored tone and I can hear a door closing. I can hear his voice better. "Am I a cupido?"
"Is he coming to get me ? I'll be ready in ten minutes," I put my bag on my makeup table. I can feel Ariel's eyes staring at me as I'm getting ready to spend another night with the top idols. I grab my makeup bag and get the needed stuff out. My outfit is already hanging in front of my close A short black lace dress, a festive long cardigan and on the floor golden combat boots are waiting for me.
"Are you so keen to see me?" Young Bae laughs and I sneer back.
"Yeah, sure. You're the reason why I'm coming."
"But, seriously," his tone changes. "We have to talk about the situation. I think she's planning on something."

"Take this," Ji hands me his brand new leather jacket and I laugh cheerfully. I am a bit tipsy.
"Waeyo~?" I wonder and take the jacket fumbling.
"With that open necklane," he points at my V-necklane. "Cover it. Young Bae might have some thoughts... And you might catch cold."
"Thoughts?" I laugh and lean on his shoulder.
"What thought would he have?" I babble teasingly and eventually Ji ends up helping the jacken on me. He looks at me in a new way. Just like the most popular kid in the class would look at his embarrassing friend who is about to ruin his cool image.
I notice it and correct my behaviour right away. Ji glances at me quickly, or actually just at his jacket.
"And don't drink too heavily, ok?"
I nod silently and turn around after he leaves, to find Young Bae from the balcony. I feel a bit embarrassed after meeting Ji Yong and I keep blaming myself for a while for acting so stupid, like a teenage girl. Although, I am not the only one who seems to have drunk a bit. But still, I don't want to embarrass him. Ji hasn't even spent a lot time with me during the evening. We just decorated the walls with balloons and kept dragging each other down as we were balancing on the back of the sofa. We had fun.

Young Bae swaves at me. He's sitting on the other side of the balcony on a leather-covered deck chair. The table next to him is filled with cans and bottles. A woman stands up and makes me way, smiles me in a friendly manner. I sit down and make sure that no one else is interested in our discussion. A few men are smoking cigarettes a few meters away and the others are moving and chatting on the opposite side of the balcony.
I put my soju bottle down on the floor and recall Ji Yong's words. Tae straightens his posture and leans on the table so that he wouldn't have to speak so loudly. His mohawk has started to face the ground.
"She was here today," he says as he leans on his palm and looks over the cityscape relaxedly, just like we were discussing some normal subject.
"Oh," I freeze and lean agains the wall. "But what did she say?" I ask in high-pitched voice but when I look at him, I try to act differently. Young Bae takes his phone and replies someone, then putting his phone bak in his back pocket.
"Ji Yong is looking for you," he glances at me and I have to do something with his smudged eye makeup. It looks like his eyes were melting.
"Thanks," Tae smiles shortly as I swipe the excess eyeliner off.
"But he knows that I'm here," I wonder. I look at my soju bottle.
"He said he's outside waiting for you," Tae says and shrugs. Suddenly loud bass sound start drumming and Tae pouts. He reaches over me to the door and asks the closest person to put the music volume down.
"But why? Are we leacing already...?" I get confused.
"I don't know. Maybe he just wants to spend time with you," he guesses. And it would be understandable. There's only a few days left before I have to say goodbye to him for some time.
"But what about the thing? Shouldn't we talk more about it? What are we going to do?"
"Just..." Tae reaches to my soju bottle and hands it to me. "Don't worry about it."
"But I'm already involved," I note. Tae huffs as a lost.
"I'll text you, okay?" he says shortly and glances at me blankly.
"Okay," I answer unsurely and stand up. Tae stands up too and out of the blue I feel an urge to hug him.
"Take care of yourself," I say and then thank him for the party. Tae stays on the balcony and moves to talk with the others as I gather my things and leave his house. I hope he'd text message me shortly.

Notes

Teaser for chapter 20