Another Level: CLC SYS

chapter 2: drinking buddies

Chapter 2:
drinking buddies

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SEUNGYEON

Sometimes all you really need is for a friend to call you to drink especially when you're feeling like shit in the shit sense of the word shit. Whoever invented the word shit needs to get an award. Like, shit could mean so many different things. A good kind of shit. A bad kind of shit. A stinky shit.

Anyway, I'm in this small pub in Itaewon with Seunghee who has drunk two bottles of soju in less than 30 minutes. She really doesn't say anything until she's drunk enough. That's the only time Seunghee would ever rant on about things in life.

"I'm worried about Yeeun." She says with no context at all.

"Why? She's happy."

"I know! But-" She pouts and sighs. "That Joon guy seems so perfect! You know nobody could be that perfect."

"Uhm-hmm, careful. You actually sound like someone who likes that Joon guy."

Seunghee snorts. "Ew! The moment you two take interest in men, they become off limits to me. But oh well, we never had the same taste in men."

That's when I get a phone call from Yeeun. "Speaking of, Yeeun is calling."

"She probably saw the trend list and worried you're gonna bawl your eyes out."

I shake my head before answering the phone call. "Oh, Yeeun-ah, I thought you were on a date with Mr. Perfect."

"Mr. Perfect? That's the best nickname you can give my Joon? Anyway, where are you?"

"Itaewon. Seunghee and I are drinking."

"Without me? That's a friendship crime right there."

"Come join us, if you're not on a date. I'll send you the location."

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YEEUN

I sigh as soon as I spot Seungyeon and Seunghee in a deserted pub. But I also smile because I always like quality time with them. I think I should feel a little guilty towards Joon for being so excited.

"Do you want me to come out there and tell everyone that's a big fat lie?" Seunghee asks her as I take a seat between them.

"What? What? Calm down." I say, gesturing for the server so I could order food.

I could tell Seunghee is already drunk. Her cheeks are really red and her words are stumbling after the other. "OhㅡYeeun-ah, let's tell the media that whoever that anonymous person is behind that post is a liar! Our Seungyeonie isn't a bully! You know that! We have to protect our Seungyeon-"

"Is it worth anything? People will believe what they want to believe and if they want to believe I'm a trash, then I'm a trash." Seungyeon drinks down another glass of drink.

At this point, I think I'll need to stay sober.

"Are you dumb? You're not whatever people say you are. You're talented and you're a good friend, and you're a good person and a badass woman, all in one. What you are isn't whatever those people say. People who hate themselves so much they want you to hate yourself too." Seunghee makes wild gestures with her hand in the air as she talks. Thank God the entire pub is closed due to Seungyeon's presence.

I nod, pouring them drinks. "Right, right. She's right, eonni." I agree. It's always better to agree with Seunghee when she's drunk.

"And, huh, why do they even expect anyone to be a saint? Even popes in Vatican aren't saints, they certainly aren't pure. We're put in this world to sin. They have no right to act holier than thou when they're out there hiding behind the screens, spatting out sinful words!" Seunghee grabs the entire bottle of soju and before I could stop her, she has already drunk it.

I sigh, shoulders dropping.

Seungyeon smiles down at her drink, still calm.

But only a few minutes later, the entire scene switches into the both of them crying.

"Your family do not deserve you!" Seungyeon holds Seunghee's hand. I'm just trying to be sober. "You're not their bank account! I know you wanna give back to your parents, but this is too much, Seunghee."

I nod again, pouring all of us drinks.

"Oh Seunghee! Do they even ask how you are?" Seungyeon asks her and then they begin crying again.

I gesture for the server to give us more tissues.

I'm starting to feel sleepy as I fail to be the only one sober here."I have an idea!" Seungyeon says

"Does that involve getting rid of all the BS in our lives? Because if so, I'm in." Seunghee says.

Seungyeon looks at me expectantly. "I would like to hear this drunk idea first."

"I'm not druuunk!"

"Yeah, only drunk people say that."

"Are you drunk?"

"I'm not!"

Seungyeon giggles. "Let's live together. Wouldn't that be nice? We've always dreamed about living together since high school."

"I think it would be less stressful if I lived with you guys! I could probably focus more on my work." Seunghee agrees.

"Yes! I won't be so lonely and Oh Seunghee won't be so stressed about her family, and Jang Yeeun-"

I raise my hand, stopping her there. "Can Jang Yeeun be a freeloader?"

They both stop and throw dried anchovies at me. "Get a job!" They say in unison.

I grin. "I will."

"Well, until then, you can freeload, I guess." Seungyeon says with a yawn.

"Really? I was just kidding."

"We can't survive without you." Seunghee points a finger right in front of my face.

"Bring it in for the group hug!" Seungyeon yells.

"Noooo!" Seunghee and I squirm as she wraps her arms around the both of us with struggle.

I don't know if I would have felt better than this if I had gone out on a date with Joon instead but right now, I feel very much at home. It doesn't exactly feel like everything was going to be alright for all of us but it does feel better knowing that we'll always have each other's backs.

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Author's note:

Thank you for reading.

Just for anyone wondering if the rest of CLC members would be here, the answer is YAS. It's just that the main characters are Seungyeon, Seunghee and Yeeun. But Eunbin, Yujin and Sorn would definitely, definitely appear.

I'm super excited about this book. 💜
Hope it'll be fun! (at this point im hoping with yall that it would be fun bc idk lol)

—heymello