From Afar | Winrina

17 | She, Who Deserves Her

| Kim Minjeong

Alcohol.

I smell alcohol.

This was not a new smell to me. My sister sometimes comes home to Seoul just to drink alcohol just because she doesn't like the mixed smell of smoke and perfume in the clubs.

She tends to get dizzy because of the smell, while I get dizzy because of the noise.

But why do I smell the alcohol, you may ask?

"Let's drink."

"Huh?"

She smiled at me. "Let's drink and get drunk, Minjeongie."

That was what Aeri said as soon as she stepped inside her mansion. After her date with Yuji.

I expected her to come home with a big smile on her face, since she accomplished the goal she's been dying to experience. A date with Yuji. A date with her crush-my crush.

But she came home and immediately approached me, asking me to drink with her.

I remembered declining that offer before. I don't drink, I won't drink.

But here I am, along with my friends, in Aeri's living room, looking at the tons of bottles of beer in front of me.

Aeri is drunk, and quiet.

I expected her to become more loud if she got drunk, but I guess I was wrong.

My friends are drunk too, except for Ryujin who looks like she can still take three bottles more.

That girl is a drunkard, I swear.

They are loud. Even Chaeryeong is becoming loud. Yuna is doing a silly dance in front of us while Yeji and Jisu are laughing at her.

Ningning is at my side, quiet like Aeri.

I am drunk too.

Ryujin made me drink a whole bottle, and Aeri gave me another one. I wasn't used to drinking alcohol, hence why the effect quickly got into me. I'm feeling dizzy.

I looked at the girl who's on the other side of the couch.

Yuji, my beautiful Yuji.

She's just sitting there but she still looks so pretty. How unfair was that?

I don't know if she's drunk or not. Her cheeks are a bit red, but she's also quiet like Ningning and Aeri. So I think she's still thinking straight.

Wait, is she straight?

My eyebrows furrowed.

No, I don't think so.

I scrunched my nose and looked at her again.

Really pretty.

How did Aeri achieve to have someone like her?

I'm jealous.

I'm so jealous.

I wish I was the one who could have her.

I wish I was just like her so I can have her.

I wish I was Aeri.

I wish I was my best friend.

I chuckled.

I think I'm the one who's not thinking straight here.

I stood up from my seat. A bit wiggly, but I managed to walk towards her. I held her wrist, which seemed to startle her, but I didn't let go.