I Can't Stop Me

Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

11:56PM

Chaeyoung  was sitting behind a glass bar counter as she chugged down the alcoholic beverage laid in front of her by the hardworking bartender. She was clad in black riding zipped up jacket matched with dark jeans and a pair of boots. The upbeat sound of club music around her fell into background as she got drowned in her thoughts. Emptying the content of cold beer in her hand, she signaled the bartender for another. A new one was immediately laid in front of her.

The bartender resumed with his task of serving the other patrons. The club was lively as usual which meant that business was doing great as well.

"What were you saying, Jihyo?" Chaeyoung asked over the loud club music, turning her attention to Jihyo who was sitting to her right. She took a sip of her beer before settling it on the counter.

"I asked if you are alright, Chaeyoung." Jihyo replied in a louder volume for her to be heard. The music was starting to get louder by the minute. "You seem to be out of it. We are here for more than half an hour already but you haven't move from that place." She continued as she sipped her cocktail. Putting down the beverage she resumed. "And you even ignored that gentleman who offered you a drink." She gestured towards the direction of the young director's left. Had the young director been in her usual self, she would have acted negatively on the advances made by the young man.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" The young director asked in confusion before turning to her left where a handsome young man was smiling at their direction. A glass of gin was held up towards them. "Jerk." She muttered before turning her back towards the grinning young man and faced her manager instead.

"He is just being friendly, Chaeyoung." The manager commented after smiling at the handsome young man behind the young director.

"And you are being too trusting, Jihyo." Chaeyoung retorted after gulping a huge volume of her cold beer. "He just wanted to get into someone's pants." She finished before leaning her left elbow on the bar counter and playing with the bottle of beer in her right hand.

"Not every man thinks like that, " The manager replied with a frown on her face. Not liking the young director's negative perception about men.

"This is not the kind of place where you can find stupid Prince Charming, Jihyo" Chaeyoung replied. "Look around you. Why do you think these people are here?" She gestured towards the wild crowd in the dance floor and the drunken patrons around them.

"They're here because they want to enjoy life and so are we, Chaeyoung" Jihyo replied before starting to get up from the bar stool. "Come on, Chaeng. Let's dance and enjoy the night!" She said merrily, grabbing Chaeyoung's  hand and leading her to the dance floor.

"Jihyo, you're drunk." The young director commented as she reluctantly followed her manager's lead. "Just how many cocktails…" she glanced at the bar counter previously occupied by her manager and saw a number of glasses good enough to make the latter let loose. "tequilas have you taken?" She corrected herself, raising her voice as the sound of the music got louder the closer they got to the dance floor.

"I'm not drunk, Chaeyoung" Jihyo replied when they reached the dance floor. She leaned closer to the  young director's ear before speaking. "Not yet." She added in her high volume voice before withdrawing herself and starting to sway to the beat of the music.

The club music got louder and the crowd surrounding them got wilder. Spectrum of lights danced to the rhythm of the music. Bodies were flushed together as sobriety started vanishing into thin air, leaving everyone for the time being.

"I'm sure you're so sober, Jihyo." Chaeyoung commented dryly, still rooted on the dance floor.

"Come on, let's dance!" Jihyo yelled as she kept on dancing. "You don't have taping until next week. Loosen up, Director." She said before throwing her hands around Chaeyoung's neck.