Chapter 7.

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Namjoon

I should have known that alcohol was only a temporary distraction.

I couldn't take any more liquor and decided to call it a night. After making my stumbling way to my room, I lay on the bed for what felt like ages. 

My mind was just too full of flying thoughts and replays of my conversation with Sophie. I handled it very poorly, didn't I?

I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep until I thought it through so I grabbed a shirt from my table and stalked to the room of the person I could talk to about this.

A few - now steady - steps later I was knocking on the door of the third room on my right.

"Cmhmm," mumbled a voice from the room and I slowly opened the door, making sure Jimin was actually alone in there. I wasn't up for another awkward interaction tonight.

"Jimin?" I blinked to let my eyes adjust to the dimmed lightning in the room and found Jimin sprawled on the bed, still wearing his party clothes.

"Mm?" Jimin didn't bother lifting his head from the pillow as I sat down on the edge of his bed. 

Jimin's room was slightly bigger than mine, although we all had small rooms compared to Jungkook's - he seemed to be favoured by fate because he'd gotten the biggest room in the whole house. The look on Jin's face when he'd realised the youngest one was the one with the best room was unforgettably hilarious.

The small lamp on his nightstand provided the only illumination, but I could still see the neatly stacked notebooks on his table and the organised clothes in his closet. Despite having the reputation of not being serious, Jimin had his life pretty organised.

"Do you have a minute to talk?" I asked quietly and lay down on the bed, adjusting a pillow behind my head.

Probably hearing the worry in my voice, Jimin popped his head on his hand and faced me. "Of course."

The reason for coming to talk to Jimin out of all my roommates was simple. He already knew about Sophie and what'd happened on New Years, because he'd been the one to drag me away from her.

I had tried to find her later that night, but there were so many people there and I couldn't find that green dress or that pretty smile anywhere in the crowd.

"I was sort of a jerk tonight," the more I reflected on it, the more I realised how rude I'd been.

"What happened?" Jimin asked, his eyes only half-open. A second later they flew open as he seemed to realise what this was about. "Sophie?"

I nodded and went back to fumbling with the rim of my shirt.

"What did you do?" Jimin asked almost accusatively.

I explained what I'd said to Sophie in the hallway and why. But Jimin just kept shaking his head no, more and more visibly.

"Dude, you really screwed this up," said Jimin sympathetically, but at the same time, I could feel the disappointment in his voice.

"I know," I said and I did realise it now, just how enormously I'd messed it up.

"So, what are you gonna do about it?" Jimin's head fell back to the pillow, but he looked fully awake.

"Apologise," I looked up to the ceiling, "if she'll even talk to me."

"Good," Jimin clapped his hands once, "we'll plan it out tomorrow."

I thanked him for the help and got up. I turned off the lamp, letting the room bathe in the welcoming darkness and found my way back to my room. Having talked about it, eased the uneasiness in my chest just enough that I could fall asleep. 

---

Sophie

"When did you get home on Friday?" Nina asked me after we ordered lunch. We met in our usual lunch spot, the little Italian restaurant with the best pizza I'd ever eaten.

It was now Tuesday and I had gotten over it already, mostly because I was so annoyed with myself for overthinking it. But I still cringed a bit when Nina asked me.

"Late, but Jin threw such a great party I couldn't just leave." It was true, and I'd enjoyed spending some time with Maggie.

Nina took a sip of her wine and looked at me with raised brows. "Did anything interesting happen?"

"Hm?" I asked, preoccupied with the pasta in front of me. Gosh, it was so delicious.

"Was he there too?" Nina took a bit of her pizza. It smelled heavenly, and I'd have to get a bite of it later.

"Why do you ask?" I was trying very hard to avoid the subject.

"Because," Nina explained like it was the most obvious reason, "he's hot and I want to live this experience vicariously through you."

I swallowed, "Well, you won't be able to, sorry."

Nina's fork dropped from her hand. Yes, she was one of those who eat pizza with a knife and fork, and I had already given up on trying to convince her otherwise a long time ago.

"What happened?" It seemed that she only now really looked at me, trying to figure it out from my features.

"Nothing, he just made it clear he didn't want anything to do with me," I shrugged, trying to make it sound like it was no big deal.

But Nina was already on the offensive, "What did he say?"

I looked away and stared out the window at the empty street outside. Snow had fallen again and made the street look serenely peaceful.

"Sophie, what did he say?" Nina was not giving up, she still hadn't picked up her fork and was letting the pizza grow cold.

I exhaled loudly, preparing to let it all out. "He said that he would never have spent New Years with me if he'd known I was Jin's sister."

Nina's mouth fell open, "For real?" She looked outraged, "What a jerk."

I nodded in agreement, desperate for a change of topic, "Can I have a bite?" I asked her, my gaze on the pizza.

"If I get some pasta," Nina held out her plate, and I switched it for mine. 

I was relieved that we were done with that topic and we ended up talking for so long that it'd gotten dark outside. Granted, it was winter so it was only 5 pm, but still.

"Any more plans for tonight?" I asked Nina while we were waiting for the receipt.

"I'm going over to Matt's, so...no?" she laughed at herself and if I was being completely honest with myself, I wished I had someone to spend cold winter nights with. But that just wasn't my reality.

"I'm just stopping by Jin's to drop off a cook-book of mine. Apparently he wants to perfect making soufflés."

We stepped outside and were hit by a sharp gust of wind. Just before we got into our cars, Nina said, "And if you run into Namjoon by any chance, tell him these fists are ready to fight if he ever speaks to you again."

I rolled my eyes at her theatrics, but it still felt nice to have someone who always had my back.

Besides, he was probably at practice, so I wouldn't be seeing him.


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