TOP - Chapter 4 (1/1)

I carry my black small suitcase out of the plane hurriedly. I just want to go home and enjoy a perfect 24-hour sleep after going back and forth from China to Korea 6 times! My colleagues are calling my name, possibly wanting to invite me for their soju party but I pretend I couldn’t hear them. I like them, I do. But after 3 straight nights spending with giggly girls, I need a break!I jump on the taxi and give the man my address. He smirks, seeing my uniform but I couldn’t care less. Being a stewardess always earns me this look from men. What are they thinking really? That we’re going to serve them off flight too? Disgusting. I took out my phone, wanting to reach out to Kara to make sure she’s still alive but when I took it out, a small folded paper drops out of my pocket.I sigh. “Thank you for flying with us, Lee-ssi. Hope to see you soon” I chanted the memorized line with a standardized smile to the man with a rod pierced through his ear.“I think we’ll see each other earlier than you may think, Seohee-ya” He teased. God, if only I can punch a customer, this man would be a goner since the moment we take off. Suddenly, he took out my hand but before I could retort and pull my hand back, he placed this folded paper on my palm.“Use it wisely” he said before he finally disembarked from the aircraft.  I shove back the paper into my pocket uncaringly. Whatever it’s in there must be some cheesy or stupid line he throws at the girls earlier that makes the girls giggling in glee. Yes, they’re good looking but so are most of the idols these days. There’s so many of them that I can’t keep up. I’d rather stick to my jazz, thank you very much.“Yeobuseyo?” Kara answers our home line.“You’re still breathing?” I dive straight to the point.“Only bruises and bumps” She answers proudly.“How many?” I ask monotonously.“Too many” She answers.“And our apartment?” This is what truly worries me.She scoffs, “No scratch! Don’t worry, I went home with some dude. The house is still crystal clean!”I sigh in relief. Kara, my housemate, my best friend, my sister from another mother, is a party mania. Every weekend she would jump from bar to bar and club to club just to dance and get intoxicated. It doesn’t help the fact that she’s a bartender as well. She would get violently drunk that each weekend she would go home at some random guy’s bed. It’s bad, I know, but I can’t do anything about it. It’s her lifestyle.“Are you going home?” She says, pleads.“Yes. I’m the taxi” I answer, rubbing my tired eyes.“ASSA!! I’ll order jajangmyeon!” She cheers before hanging up the phone.After 20 minutes, I finally arrive in our humble yet warm house. Oh who am I kidding? Humble would be an overstatement. This place that we call home is close to be called as a junkyard. It is extremely small, horrendously humid due to lack of ventilation and incredibly old. But with our salary, this is the only one we can cope.I walk up the stairs carrying my small suitcase slowly. I have all of my energy left me the moment my feet touch the ground. Flying is nice, flying is fun but after 48 hours being mostly on the plane, I think the sky suck off my strength.Once I am inside, Kara greets me as if it’s my birthday.“I MISS YOU” She jumps into my embrace.“I can’t breath” I say through my choked throat.“Oh right” she quickly let go. “So, anything fun on the job?” She asks, eyeing my suitcase. I know she has no interest in my story, she’s just anticipating of what food I brought from overseas.“Same old, same old” I answer while dragging my suitcase into our small bedroom. I plop my behind on my bed while Kara stands excitedly on the door, not leaving her gaze off my suitcase.“Right…” She says absent-mindedly.“I didn’t buy you anything, by the way” I answer before I strip off my uniform.She gasps, holding her chest. “Why would you say such a thing?! I didn’t expect you to anyway!” She snorts and leaves the room, pretend as if she’s offended but I know she only leaves because I am no longer interest her.I change into my sweatpants and loose singlet before I put my hair back into a messy bun. I hear the doorbell rang and noises in the kitchen. I walk out of the room and find Kara placing the jajangmyeon on our kitchen table. I smile feeling satisfied.I begin to devour the noodles in mere minutes. The taste of home never disappoints. We chat and gossip as we breathe in our noodle. If a man walks into our apartment right now he would think that he arrived in hell with two disgusting looking woman as his greeter.“So” Kara rests her back on the back seat of our plastic chair. “Any interesting thing happened?”“Ah!” I remember, “I drink the best looking cocktail in Beijing couple of days ago! You have to take a look!” I quickly grab my phone from our room and begin to dwindle with it, searching for the photo I took.“Er…” She stands next to me, “Who’s Seunghyun?”“Huh?” I look up and see her holding a crunched up paper. I immediately snatch it from her. It’s the paper that the Lee kid shoved onto my palm earlier. It must have been stuck to my phone before. ‘Seunghyun 02-411-1987’ Who the hell is…?“Who is it??” Kara snatch back the paper from my paling hands. “Seunghyun?? Why didn’t you tell me you met a guy?? Oh damn girl! I thought you’re a lesbian! Thank God!” She prances around our apartment.Suddenly, she stops, holding the paper as if it’s the holy bible. I immediately know what she’s thinking and I know for sure that I have to stop her before her lack of common sense, or any sense at all, would create problem for me.“We should call him” She confirms my fear.“No. Don’t think about it” I walk towards her blazing my threatening eyes.She pouts. “But…”I shake my head and extend my arm, like a mother asking for the kid to hand in her toy. She lowers her head in disappointment but before I could grab the paper off her, she charges towards me and snatches my phone with her.“HA HA! Let’s call him!!” She runs around our small apartment holding my phone in her right hand and the paper in her left.I chase her around, shouting profanities at her direction but she is too flexible and too energized that she’s able to get out of my grip every time. She manage to presses all of the number but before she could press call, she stops and an evil smirk plastered on her face. Her thumb grazes over the call button.“Don’t you dare” I hiss.She smiles wider and that goddamn thumb of hers slowly presses the goddamn button.It rings.I no longer care who she is and what she means to me. I jump on top of her, sending both of our bodies on the cold hard tile floor. Her grip on my phone is still strong but I wrestle her around that my phone thrown away. We wrestle with each other, trying to grab my phone. Stomach is kicked, hair is pulled and hands are scratched. I don’t care. I just need to press end for that call. She insisted and fights me with it but she must’ve forgot that they teach self-defense at my work.Finally I manage to press the red button on my phone that lays innocently on the floor and Kara's body stops fighting. She groans out of frustration.“Why can’t you just meet a guy, already??” She complains as I get off from on top of her. I grab my phone and place it securely in my pocket. There’s no way this girl can get my phone again.“I’m waiting for my prince to come carrying my glass shoe” I answer nonchalantly before I feel my phone vibrates.I take it out and freeze upon seeing the number. My screen flashes, signaling me to answer the call but before I could react, Kara’s quick hand already possessing my phone.“OMO! It’s the number!” She shrieks excitedly.“Hang up! Hang up! Hang up!” I shout back in fear. But as expected from my useless housemate, she picks it up instead. She presses the green button and loudspeaker the call. I growl in pure fury.“Yeobuseyo?” a low disgruntled voice comes from the phone. Kara’s eyes widen and she quickly mouthed ‘He sounds hot!’I stomp my feet on the ground and pound my head while cursing God for giving me such a troublesome roommate. I finally sigh, knowing that I still have to be polite to the men whose number we abused. “Yeobuseyo. Juisonghabnida, I called a wrong number. Sorry to distur--”“Seohee?” He asks and my blood runs cold. He knows me?!Kara lets out a muffled whimper and her eyes are an inch away from being dropped out of her skull.“Ah… err…” I stutter.“Seungri gave you my number, didn’t he?” He asks irritatedly.Who’s Seungri?“Mr. Lee gave me this number. I’m sorry for the trouble, sir” I apologize. He must be an important man that he gets annoyed knowing that his friend gave me his number. But, who’s he anyway?“Can you delete it? I don’t want you to misused my number” He says arrogantly.“Don’t worry sir, I was just calling you in case you were waiting for my call. Well then, have a good day to you” I snap and hung up the phone before he could give me another reply.“Who’s thaatttt??!” Kara leave no second before she pesters me.“I don’t know but from the sound of him, he must be an arrogant prick” I massage my temple and sit on our worn off sofa.“From the sound of him, he must be one hell of a hot man” Kara plops herself next to me and stare at the ceiling dreamily.“Want his number? Go ahead” I toss the torn off paper to her lap and she snickers.“I thought he told you not to abuse his number?” She says, playing with the paper.“I crossed my fingers” I say before leaving the giddy girl and head to our bedroom. ***

I’ve woken up by excessive shaking from my ever so annoying housemate. I’m sure I’ve only been sleeping for few hours and the sky outside is still dark so what’s with the earthquake? She shakes me as if her life depends on it. I groan in frustration and shove her body off me weakly but she still insists on murdering my sleep. What does she want now?“What?” I growl, keeping both eyes closed.“You have to come! Come! Come!!!” She yells to my ear.“AISH!! WHAT THE HECK!!!” I sit up straight, completely annoyed.She smiles sheepishly at me once I open my eyes. I show her my unamused look, which I’m sure she’s knows very damn well.“Well?” I ask impatiently.“So, there’s this party tonight…” She plays with her finger.I quickly lay my body back onto the bed. “count me out”“NOO!!!” She whimpers loud and irritatingly. She pull my body back up so I am back sitting on my ass.“I need you to come with me!” She begs“Darling, I really love you but seriously, I can’t keep up with your partying!” I say exasperatedly.“No! No! It’s not for partying! It’s for my job!” She pleads.“Job?”“Yeah! So listen, there's this hip club in Hongdae and I wanted it sooo bad to work there! I heard the executives are coming to my club tonight for some kind of a private party so I need to impress them!” She pleads.“What do you need me for?”“Moral support” she quickly answers.“Which means… Pretend not to know you and praise your drinks excessively in front of them?”“Bingo” She snaps her finger at me.I roll my eyes at her. Even if I don’t want to go, I know she’s going to pull all tricks on me and I ended up following her so to save me the time and effort, I might as well give in now.“Alright then. Wake me up when we’re leaving” I prepare to roll back to bed until her hand pull me back up.“We’re leaving in 15 minutes” She says, smiling from ear to ear as if she has no sin. ***

I am in my tight black dress that Kara successfully persuaded me to wear. She told me that I look good and that it accentuates my curves. What curves? I barely have any line that is not straight, let alone a curve. I soon realize that she was simply forcing me to wear it to attract the attention of the executives that she wants to impress. I realize it a tad too late for we are already in the cab on our way to her club.Once inside the club, Kara quickly leaves to the bar, leaving me alone in this still empty club. An hour from now, I expect the club to be packed with sweats, smokes and raging hormones.I sit on one of the benches, watching Kara busy herself with preparation. I like watching people work. It’s motivating.“Why are you here so early?” A voice directs his question to me.I turn and find Junsu, Kara’s colleague, looking mighty fine with his black shirt and black pants with his hair properly gelled to create this messy but sexy look.“Moral support” I nod towards Kara.He laughs, “I heard about YG coming…”I follow his figure as he makes his way into the bar, “Are you sure you’re here for Kara? Not for drooling over YG?” He asks, pulling out bottles and places them neatly on the shelf.“Who’s YG?” I ask.He stops and slowly turns to see me. His forehead crinkles in question, “Are you serious?”“What? Am I supposed to know?” I cock my head sideways.He chuckles and shakes his head, “No, I don’t think you have to. It’s just that most girls would”I extend my arm towards him, “Hi, my name is Seohee but my best friend often refer me to as an alien form from Saturn”He laughs loudly at my joke, “Hahahaha! I know, I know… You’re always different, Seohee” He smiles that heartwarming and ovaries busting smile at me.I chuckle and turn my head away. I don’t think my heart can take any more sight of him.Hours passed and now the room is packed with men and women getting drunk and grinding their asses with each other. I never get it. I never understand the fun of getting wasted and act sleazy in a small-contained room. I simply sit on the bar stool watching the mindless people as I wait for Kara to give me a hint to start my acting. I have my red wine in hand to keep my mood light.The hint never came and the clock already ticking one. I’ve been sitting on the stool bored out of my mind for the past three hours and nothing happens. I’ve been teased and flirted on by seven different men but the ones that Kara wanted to impress never came.“I’m leaving!” I shout at Kara when she passes me.Panic, she quickly goes to my side of the bar and whisper loudly, “They just arrived! Please! Please stay a while longer” Her eyes are desperate and I couldn’t say no.I turn my back on her and resume on watching at the intoxicated people on the dance floor. I twirl my fourth glass of wine in my hand as I my head begin to wander around the people. I begin to create a background story for each one to keep myself entertained.“NOW!!” Kara hisses from behind me and I instinctively turn my seat around to face her.“Can I order the special?” I recite my line.“Ah, you always order that, customer-nim” She plays coy.“Well, that’s the only reason why I come here, Kara” I make sure her name is spoken loud and clear.She takes a glance at the person next to me and I’m sure that’s the one she wanted to impress but I couldn’t dare myself to look to keep up with the act. Her eyes beamed and her spirit lifted. “Yes, customer-nim! I’ll make you that special drink!” She declares loudly before busying herself with her self-proclaimed best cocktail.From the way she lights up, I’m sure our little act caught by the people that she wanted to impress so I still play my part, instill my innocence while I wait for my drink.As I take my wine to my lips, I hear a man’s low and deep voice calling my name. “Seohee?”

Red wine spurts out of my mouth.