Loveboat in 서울

𝟙𝟝

After the Dragon's threats, we laid low. But on Friday night, hours after I ace our first Hangul exam, Sohee and I and a half dozen girls from our floor decide to chance it again. We tiptoe into the humid midnight and down three flights of stairs.

The Dragon has posted a guard at the back, and although a part of me doesn't believe we can pull off another break-out, we've planned tonight with care: splitting up into smaller groups, leaving past midnight, after the guard in his booth at the top of the driveway has gone home and even the Dragon should be deep in REM—plus disguise: I tuck my scarf more securely around my face.

In the lobby, we move stealthily past the potted plants, the cherry-root chairs. Outside, the waxing moon illuminates the lawn. We hurry around the lily pond, the splash of the fountains drowning our steps. A laugh escapes my lips and Sohee pinches my arm.

"Shh," she breathes.

We near the guard's booth, the street coming into view. A cab passes and we quicken our pace.

Then a muted voice behind us calls, "Chingudeul, deuleobwa!"

Jungwoo in his paisley pajamas is jogging after us, shoving his glasses toward his face. On his heel, Jihyo gasps for breath, the colors of her skirt muted by moonlight.

"Run!" Sohee cries. I yank my scarf tighter. We're hailing a cab on the street by the time Jungwoo emerges around the bend behind us, then our doors double-slam. We're laughing so hard Sohee can barely give the driver directions to Club Babe.

"They're not really trying to stop us," I gasp as we pull from the curb. I can't help feeling guilty. "Jihyo looks like she'd rather come out with us than chase us."

"She's not the enforcer type." Sohee finger-combs her hair into order. "Anyways, it's game."

"How so?"

"They need to make a show of trying, but they don't really want to catch us. If they did, then what? Drag us back by our hair?" She shakes her head. "The program wants us to have a blast, so kids'll keep coming to Loveboat."

"The Dragon seemed serious," Krystal says.

"We got a lecture." Sohee scoffs.

"Maybe it's that Asian nonconfrontational thing." Sulli adjusts the rings on her fingers. "When have your parents ever stood up to anyone?"

"My parents never rock the boat," Sohee says.

I adjust my spaghetti straps. "My parents would stop me."

"Maybe they're' more Americanized."

"No, my dad's put up with the crap from his boss for years. They're only confrontational when it comes to me."

Sohee laughs. "Too bad for them they're not here," she says.

I smile. "Too bad." Turning back, I see Jihyo watching us from behind Jungwoo, who is scowling, texting on his phone.

Out of his line of sight, Jihyo gives the cab a small wave before we round the corner.

ʕु-̫͡-ʔुྉ*ᴸᵒᵛᵉᵇᵒᵃᵗ✲ﾟⁱⁿ*。⋆ 서울。⋆ *

A contingency of other Yonsei kids are already rocking it up at Club Babe.

Sohee makes a beeline for Kang at the bar. Wonder Boy's here, too, and as it turns out, he's a terrible dancer—big motions, no variety, just rocking to the baseline, nodding to the beat. Yay, finally, an imperfection! But he doesn't dance much anyways. He sticks to the bar with the guys like abalone shells on rocks, and in my book, the farther he is from my space on the dance floor, the better.