We all turned our eyes toward Yang Jinsu and Chulgyu as they showed up.
Chulgyu flashed a wide grin. "Can I join in too? No? Hahaha."
Yang Jinsu smirked back at him, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "What do you mean no? Of course you can. We're all drinking together tonight."
Park Dong and Heejun both glaring at the two as they made their way over. The air grew heavier that uneasy silence that comes right before a fight.
Jinsu crouched down in front of Suwon, the smirk never leaving his face. "So, Ji Suwon… you're part of the group now, huh? Hahaha."
Suwon didn't respond. He just averted his eyes.
As Chulgyu settled down, his gaze caught me across the circle. For a split second, the grin slipped the memory of the bathroom incident flickering in his eyes. Anger flashed there, but just as quick he smothered it, dropped to the ground to sit.
The bottle cracked open one by one, bitter scent of alcohol filling the air.
Chulgyu chuckled after his first gulp, shaking his head. "You guys still can't hold your drinks, huh? Heh. Pathetic. Still, it's been a while. Every time I invite you guys, you make excuses. Always avoiding, always busy. HAHA."
Park Dong glanced at Chulgyu, his expression darkening. Of course… you always lose it when you're drunk, he thought bitterly, watching the scene unfold.
Jisung tried to lighten the mood, though even his smile looked forced. "Still… it's nice to drink together like this, haha." His tone wavered, betraying how uneasy he actually felt.
He glanced at Chulgyu. "You've been hanging out with Yang Jinsu a lot lately, huh?"
Chulgyu slung an arm around Jinsu's shoulders, grinning lazily as he raised his cup. "Yeah. We're both studying for the GED, so we hit the PC bang when we're bored. We're basically dating at this point, haha." He wiped his lips with the back of his hand, still holding his cup. "You guys know how it is. It's not like I've got other friends now anyway, right? Hahaha."
The laughter didn't catch. The air turned heavy, everyone avoiding each other's eyes. Suwon, sitting quietly with a can of Coke, noticed the shift immediately. Wow… I've never seen them this tense before. Guess nobody really likes that guy.
Chulgyu's gaze drifted toward me I was leaning back, lazily chewing on a piece of candy, eyes fixed on the clouds. Then he turned to Suwon, narrowing his eyes.
"Hey, you're that Yadong, right?" he said, his voice mocking. "Quit drinking Coke and have some real alcohol, you idiot."
Suwon blinked. "Huh?" His thoughts froze. Did he just call me an idiot?
"I-I get drunk even off one drink," Suwon stammered, lifting his Coke slightly. "I'll just stick with this."
Chulgyu lit a cigarette, the flame flickering near his lips. "You build tolerance by drinking. Cut the crap and drink."
Yang Jinsu chuckled beside him, eyes cold. "Haha, yeah."
Suwon forced a small laugh, still holding his can. "L-Last time I puked after just one drink…"
Chulgyu sighed, his tone sharpening. "Then not drinking?"
He dropped his gaze, exhaling smoke before adding flatly, "Don't ruin the vibe. Drink."
Suwon froze, fingers tightening around the rim of his can. His eyes darted to the others Park Dong look at him too, Daegyu chewing his lip, Jiseong scratching at the back of his neck like he wanted to say something but didn't.
The tension thickened, pressing down on everyone.
Park Dong defended Suwon. "This guy can't handle drink just one drink and he's wasted."
I popped another grape candy into my mouth, the crackle of the wrapper oddly loud in the silence. Then I leaned back on my palms, gaze still fixed on the clouds drifting across the sky.
"You heard him," I said, voice low but steady, "he pukes after one drink. What's the point in forcing it?"
Chulgyu's head snapped toward me. His smirk faltered, irritation flashing in his eyes. For a second, he looked like he was about to spit something nasty back. But then he clicked his tongue and leaned away, downing his own drink instead.
"Tch. Whatever. Guess some people don't know how to have fun."
Suwon let out the faintest breath of relief, shoulders dropping as he set the cup aside.
Chulgyu took another drag, ash trembling on the end of his cigarette. "You guys acting awkward to each other you guys fight or something?."
Heejun snorted. "He confessed to Seol Hyorim, then took it out on us when she rejected him."
Jinsu's face flamed. "W-what?!"
Chulgyu laughed, low and short. "Seol Hyorim? That Seol Hyorim?" He leaned back, tipping his head as if remembering. "Nah, I get it though. She was pretty back in middle school now? She got even prettier."
Chulgyu's smile turned sharp. "You seriously confess to her? You want to get on her brother's bad side?" He let the words hang, then puffed out a cloud of smoke.
He flicked the ash away and added, voice softer but dangerous, "Still she's impossible to ignore. Even before every time I see her, I really want to f*ck her."
Chulgyu's continue while chuckling. "I bet she's wild in bed, too bad Yangjin HAHAHAHA."
Jinsu forced a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Yeah, I was thinking the same thing but got rejected lol." His laugh trembled the bravado was paper-thin.
I stopped looking at the clouds and look at both of them. For a few seconds the rooftop went quiet, then I look at others to see their reaction seeing them not having any attention to say anything.
I snapped.
One second the rooftop was full of tense conversation and cigarette smoke the next, everything narrowed to the shape of Chulgyu's smug face. I rose without thinking muscles moving on their own and before anyone could react I had a hand in his hair and slammed his head into the floor.
The sound cracked like a board. Chulgyu's grin shattered into a hiss of pain. He tried to push up I drove my knee into his shoulder and shoved him back down.
Yang Jinsu tried to back away but too slow and I caught him with a clean kick to the stomach. He folded, the air whooshing out of him, eyes wide and stupid. While he doubled over, I gave Chulgyu two more fast, controlled hits across the jaw until his head lolled, stunned.
Everything slowed. Someone gasped. Someone swore. A can ricocheted across the rooftop and clanged against the parapet.
"One more word about Seolhyo," I said, my voice low and cold, "and I'll kill you."
"Hey man that's enough."
"Calm down Seojin!"
For a heartbeat the rooftop held its breath. Then hands were on my arms Daegyu, Park Dong, Jiseong grabbing, pleading, trying to pull me back. I shoved free so hard three of them stumbled like dominoes.
"Hey man that's enough."
"Calm down Seojin!"
I didn't bother to hide the disgust in my voice. "What the hell is wrong with you?" I face them.
"Aren't you guys, her friends? You're just letting some asshole talk about her like that laughing while you do nothing. Do you know how cowardly that looks?"
Silence crashed down after that. Even Chulgyu, bleeding at the corner of his mouth, managed only a wet, humorless laugh. Jinsu made a choked sound and clutched his midsection, eyes flicking between me and the others who'd tried to restrain me, anger and shame mixing on his face.
Park Dong rubbed his jaw as if the words were physical. "Seojin..." he began, but it died, useless and small.
I gave them one last look scanning their faces, the shame, the shock, the ones who'd tried to hold me back and the ones who'd stood by. Then I turned back to Chulgyu.
"Don't let me see your face again," I said coldly.
I pushed open the door. The dull clack of it echoed.
No one said anything. The chatter all of it died instantly.
Heejun slowly rose from where his seating. He took a long look at Chulgyu, who was still sitting there with that smug grin, smoke curling from his cigarette.