41. scaredy scared kitten

"I don't believe it."

"Why would I lie?"

Soojin was bewildered at the fact which Seojun clearly wasn't lying about. She looked at him, with both confusion and doubt.

"You've never danced with a girl before?"

It was unbelievable for her to ever imagine that the most admired, obsessed over and the proclaimed bad boy hadn't danced with a girl before.

"Have you danced with a guy?"

That sure made Soojin frown, "no, but that's different."

"How?"

"The guy I asked turned me down." She shrugged, playing with the chopsticks on her plate. "I didn't ask anyone else after that."

Seojun looked at Soojin, the way she said that was obvious who she had asked. He then looked at the very sad party. No matter how expensive the drinks and food were, the party was very lame. He had never been to a fancy event before, despite being best friends with Suho.

And he was glad he didn't, what a boring thing.

"That's all there is here?" Seojun changed the subject, eyeing the little groups of elite people eating the little pretentious food. "This is a fancy dinner party?"

Soojin eyed the gathering. Soft music played in the background. The buffet was open yet no one ate much other than what was served. Groups of similar professionals were together, doctors and surgeons at one side, actors and celebs at the other.

Soojin even knew what they'd speak about. Everything about them was fake, with the unending comparison of businesses, their successes and their prodigies.

"Pretty much."

Seojun rolled his eyes, with a exasperated sigh while Soojin held back a chuckle.

It was a blessing her father was too busy with Lee Jooheon's conversations to look at the odd duo at the corner of the room. The rest of the Saebom clan was gathered in another part of the room, talking, clicking pictures, eating the cake.

Basically having fun without them.

Well, Seojun chose to stay back with her and she had no choice.

"Aish, what a waste of fine wine." He looked longingly at the open bar, wondering how long until he was gonna get his hands on them. "No offence but these parties downright suck. Suck."

"None taken. They do fucking suck." Soojin's choice of vocabulary caught his attention. "Try multiplying hundreds of these over the span of my life."

"Well that means you haven't been to a real party before."

"No chance. I've been studying my ass off. The only parties I am allowed are the ones where I'm supposed to fake smile at anyone who greets me. Eat fancy steak. Puke it out later to avoid getting fat. Yay me."

Seojun pouted, glancing at Suho and Jugyeong who were standing hand in hand. He met Suho's eyes and they questioned each other.

"I'm leaving." Seojun whispered which Suho caught clearly. "Taking Soojin with me."

Suho immediately looked over at Dr. Kang, and then back at the duo. He shook his head, warning Seojun to not do so but Seojun only smirked in response.

"Gaja," Seojun stood up, almost scaring the mindless Soojin. "Let's go..." He forwarded his palm only for Soojin to wonder how crazy could Seojun get.

"What? Where?"

"Somewhere better."

Soojin didn't think twice before placing her hand on his, holding her bag and eyeing her father. He was too busy to notice her and even if he did, what worse could he do to her?

Plus there wasn't many days left for her to keep overthinking about everything.

They held hands as they tiptoed towards the exit, trying to walk as elegantly as possible to avoid being noticed. Once they were out of the huge entrance door, Seojun picked up pace and rushed with Soojin besides.

"Wait... Wait..." Soojin paused, which was followed by Seojun's sigh.

"What?"

But he smiled when she untangled her strapped heels and took them in her hand, with a smile on her fact that did something to the boy.

"Let's go!"

Seojun held her hand again as they ran out of the lobby, avoiding the curious and disgusted looks they got from the bystanders and made their way out in the parking lot.

Panting, Soojin rested herself at Seojun's bike while he quickly dialed someone.

"Chorong, gather the group. Pali." He smiled, as he handed the spare helmet to Soojin and wore one himself. "You ready princess?"

"You bet."

She smiled, sitting back on his bike with the hand he offered as they rode away from the very elegantly sad hotel. Soojin held Seojun's shoulders, but with a looser grip. He sped on the streets, while she reflected on what he has said when they had their very intense encounter. She couldn't believe Seojun not only pinned her to the wall, he also confessed.

He liked her.

Her.

Someone as kind as him, liked someone as stupid as her.

Why?

I like you. Jinjja johaeyo.

Soojin couldn't help but replaying the soft words of affection Seojun had uttered to her. She never really got a lot of encouragement or appreciation, so this was a first.

"Alright. Here we go." He stopped at the entrance of his building.

Soojin got down with the held of Seojun while they heard cheers from the top of the five storey building. Both of them looked astonished at the little crowd on the terrace, awaiting them.

"What's happening?" Soojin asked while Seojun parked his bike in the nearby slot. "Aren't they your hooligan gang?"

"Yes. Let's get you to a real party."

_

Birthdays were not Soojin's favourite. Mostly because she did not like hers. She tried celebrating them when she was a kid, but her parents did not really care about it. They would host a grand celebration and not attend it. Her father would be busy at the hospital and her mother anywhere but home. 

It sucked, but Soojin quickly pretended that they were there with her. She would keep huge celebration, call the entire school, and pose in the most elite clothing yet there was no real joy in those grand parties. She was also upset how she'd put an act of being the happiest but could not fool herself. 

The last time she was happy was a long time ago. 

Which was of course to be changed now that the birthday cake was out. 

Chorong was blushing with a party hat that he wore, while the rest of the clan were teasing him and cheering for him. Soojin did not know it was Chorong's birthday and honestly, Chorong did not know it either. Appararently they had not celebrated his birthday which was last month on account of family issues, but now they were in the mood for it. 

The cake was a little blob of burnt batter, with loads of chocolate ganache poured over it. The background music quickly switched to Cupid  and Soojin could not help but chuckle at how all the boys started dancing to it. She was in a corner, per usual, but the place was tiny and hence the distance was barely enough. 

With the bunch of Seojun's gang friends-harmless pranksters-as Soojin had learnt, and Seojun's sister, everyone were having fun. The cheers roared when Seojun's mother came in with a tray of warm goodies, and they left the birthday boy to attack on the snacks. 

"You are right," Seojun said, able to sneak out two cookies from the tray beforehand, "they are a bunch of hooligans." He offered Soojin the other cookie which she gladly took, hungry. "Ya idiots, slow down."

Soojin bit into the cookie, "wow, this is good."

"I know right." Seojun beamed with a silly proud smile, "this is from the restaurent Omma is co-owning and I keep telling her to have a pile of these cookies out front rather than keeping them in a printed menu." 

The rest of the snacks which were sponsored by the cafe Seojun worked at on a trade of him working without pay for a week arrived and the clan soon disbursed into devouring those. Chorong was more excited to cut his weirdly shaped birthday cake which one of their friends who had liked baking. 

He was not good at it, he just liked it.

"YA STOP EATING." Chorong yelled at them, gathering their attention, "let's cut the cake. And SAVE SOMETHING FOR ME."

Seojun had an arm around his sister who greeted Soojin with a nod. Soojin nodded back at the sharp girl and then looked at the gathering.

The birthday song was sung. Cake was smashed. Pictures taken. Food devoured. And music enhancing the entire evening.

Seojun's mother had left the hooligans be with Seojun's sister and the rest of them were dancing around on pop songs while Han Seojun and Chorong clicked picture with goofy faces.

All this while she couldn't help but keep her eyes on Seojun and the way he was with his gang. They loved him, undoubtedly so, he loved them too. Soojin was smiling, especially how they kept pestering him for little things such as another picture or a signature k-pop finger sign and how Seojun would deny only for him to agree by the end.

Attention seeker.

"Ya Kang Soojin, you cannot keep standing aside when we're all in the mood for dancing." Seojun called out to the secluded girl.

"No no no," Soojin immediately shook her head, "I cannot."

Chorong whined, "Kang Soojin, it's my birthday. Come on." The rest of the gang members pouted too, "Come on." They all chorused together.

They really had rehearsed how and when to singsong.

"Your birthday was last month." Soojin pointed out, slowly the rest of the boys were gathering around her. "So it technically isn't..."

Chorong raised his head with determination, "But we're celebrating it today!"

"And I wished you!"

"But you didn't bring me a gift!"

Han Seojun was enjoying how for once he wasn't the party to banters, rather the audience. Also, both Chorong and Soojin were eyeing each other with intense glares. But Soojin caved, she didn't bring him a gift and birthdays warranted a gift.

It was the norm.

"Gah, arraseo." Soojin sighed, accepting defeat, the rest of the boys cheered and hooted. "What do I have to do..."

Ten minutes and half a dozen eggs later, Soojin stood facing the railing and then at the mischievous boys behind her.

"This is a terrible idea."

Han Seojun chuckled, "it's not. All you have to do is aim one of the eggs to land on the men who are sitting there." He pointed to the bunch of drunk men seated on a bench, just farther away from the apartment.

"Why? What if I get caught!"

"Oooh, Kang Soojin is a scaredy scared kitten." Chorong teased her and the the rest of them repeated the last words, "scaredy scared kitten."

That was enough to trigger Kang Soojin's competitive streak. She took the basket of eggs which they had readied for her and held the raw thing in her hands.

The first she threw didn't land further than the yard. The second landed somewhere far in the dark. And by the third, Soojin was losing it.

"They're eve-teasers." Seojun whispered near Soojin, "they cause ruckus and trouble in the area, have numerous drunk episodes and consider women to be a lower species." He took the egg from the basket and handed it to her.

Whether it was all her unresolved trauma or the fact that the adrenaline was pumping in her veins, she didn't know but she really aimed the three eggs on the trio. A splash sound was heard, followed by yelling and cursing that made Seojun's entire group of friends duck.

Seojun took Soojin down and they all shushed to avoid being in the radar, but Soojin's heartbeats were pacing and without the need to wash her hands. Rather Seojun was holding her hand as they rested their back against the wall and looked at each other.

"Best party ever."

_

A/N

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