Chapter Text
Hongdae is a famous district in Seoul, internationally known for its vibrant nightlife. In the middle of March, its streets were packed with groups of young people—talking, smoking, laughing, and some even struggling to walk properly. The neighborhood was filled with pubs, karaoke bars, arcades, and clubs of all sizes. A true paradise for those who enjoyed that kind of lifestyle. Of course, there was also another group of people who had no interest in that type of entertainment whatsoever.
By that point in the night, Kim Minji felt completely overwhelmed. She checked her digital watch and saw it wasn’t that late, yet she already felt drained and exhausted. She had never been drawn to nightlife—if anything, she had never really been excited about going out, not even with her high school friends. She much preferred having a quick dinner in her apartment, taking a warm shower, organizing her study schedule, and, if possible, getting to bed before eleven. Inside that club, her body seemed unfamiliar with the stimuli surrounding her, reacting accordingly.
She remembered how, years ago, one of her friends used to try to convince her to skip class and go to a karaoke or a dance hall with their group. But Minji had always been a responsible girl, one who followed certain rules—being the middle child among three siblings came with its own challenges—so she usually turned down the offer. It wasn’t like she had never been to a party, but for various reasons, she had never really enjoyed one. And this time didn’t seem to be an exception.
"I shouldn’t have come."
How had she ended up there? Simple. One of her university classmates had insisted—persistently—that she join them, just because she was one of the few people she genuinely got along with. Besides, that same girl had helped her with a project some time ago, when Minji had been struggling with the schedule of her elective computer science course, so she used that to her advantage.
It was as if her voice was still echoing deep in her head:
"Please, Kim Minji! I don’t want to go alone..." Hikaru’s voice rang in her ear as they walked through one of the faculty hallways.
The tiny girl, with dark hair and small eyes, had started making a fuss the moment they stepped out of the International Student Office.
"You’re not going alone," Minji replied without turning to look at her. "You have plenty of friends, Hikaru. That spoiled voice of yours isn’t going to convince me. Why don’t you invite one of your Japanese friends? I’m sure they’d love to go with you."
"Some of them already said they’re coming. But you’re my friend too! Can’t you make an exception for me? It wouldn’t hurt to take a break from your books for a day. We don’t even have exams coming up—I don’t get what you’re reading so much for."
"That’s not why I don’t want to go. I’m not obsessed with studying, either. I just don’t like those places. Hongdae makes me feel a little uncomfortable."
"I know, but… just this once!" Hikaru whined, getting more insistent. Then, as if something had just clicked in her mind, she suddenly straightened up, taking on a much more confrontational stance. "Actually! I just remembered you owe me one—so I’m calling it in now."
Minji stopped in her tracks.
"What on earth do I owe you?"
"The other day, I helped you with that project you couldn’t finish because of your computer science exam. Or have you already forgotten?"
Minji frowned at the Japanese girl's remark.
"As far as I remember, you only helped me with the cover page and the table of contents… And what does that have to do with a party? I could make it up to you in plenty of other ways that would benefit you a lot more."
"But it’s my birthday party!" Hikaru kept protesting. "And I want you to be there with me."
That was a solid enough argument for Minji to run out of excuses. She knew she had every right to say no, but at this point, she could almost consider Hikaru something close to a friend. Or at least, she knew that’s how the Japanese girl saw her. After all, Minji had been the one to show her around campus during her first few weeks in Korea, and somehow, despite being quite different, they had clicked. The thought of turning down her birthday celebration made her feel guilty.
She was also well aware that Hikaru was playing dirty to get her to agree.
"I hate you," she muttered, making her resignation clear. The shorter girl broke into a wide grin, recognizing her victory.
"And wipe that look off your face. I’m warning you—if I feel uncomfortable at any point, I’m leaving."
"That won’t happen! You’ll see. You’ll like my friends."
One way or another, she had ended up giving in to the pressure and agreeing to attend the party at that pub. Due to some personal inner conflicts, she had arrived wearing a black mask that covered part of her face, but Hikaru had forced her to take it off once they were inside. Minji didn’t like having her face exposed, but she figured it would be hard for anyone to recognize her amidst the darkness, flashing lights, and the overall atmosphere of the place.
From the very first moment, she felt a knot in her stomach caused by anxiety, but she forced herself to keep it under control, reminding herself why she was there.
But her prediction had been spot on—after a couple of hours, she still hadn’t felt the supposed fun she had been promised. To make things worse, at some point, she had lost sight of the birthday girl and now found herself with a group of foreign students, several of whom she knew, but not well enough to feel truly comfortable.
On top of that, the presence of a certain person unsettled her more than she wanted to admit, so part of her focus remained on avoiding her and making sure she didn’t have any kind of contact with her.
The night dragged on more slowly than she would have liked, though without any major incidents—only a few minor episodes breaking the flow: a couple of bottles shattered due to careless hands around her; a guy tripped over someone else, nearly starting a fight; someone jumping behind her accidentally yanked her hair; the sound of an object falling from the second floor, hitting a guy in the back near her, though he barely seemed to care; and a girl shouting to push away a young student who kept insisting she dance with him.
All of that had happened in less than an hour, and soon, Minji started feeling even more overwhelmed.
Half an hour later, the atmosphere had become almost unbearable. Scents blended in the air: the sweat of packed bodies, the traces of perfume clinging to people’s clothes, the heavy scent of liquor saturating the space, and the unmistakable smell of cigarettes and other substances drifting through the crowd.
Minji felt like she could collapse at any moment. Her ears throbbed from the music—not unbearable on its own, but paired with a mild headache that worsened with every vibration, it became too much. Her eyes burned from the constant shifts in lighting, and now, dizziness was starting to set in. Her body swayed slightly as a strong wave of nausea built up in her stomach.
She hated feeling like this. She hated this place. But more than anything, she hated not being able to adapt, as she might have under different circumstances. She would try to hold on a little longer, then leave. The last thing she wanted was to ruin her friend’s birthday by making a scene and passing out on the floor.
At some point, she realized that the people dancing around her weren’t the ones she knew, but rather their friends—girls she recognized by sight but had barely interacted with. Deciding it was best to step away, just in case her body’s warnings turned out to be right, she took a few steps back. But before she could distance herself, someone accidentally pushed her, nearly making her lose her balance. The impact, though not too strong, intensified her dizziness, and the nausea that had been building in her stomach shot up to her throat. She wouldn’t last much longer.
Disoriented, she scanned the crowd, searching for a familiar face—someone who could at least point her toward the exit, since her dulled senses weren’t cooperating.
And then, she found one.
But, as luck would have it, it belonged to the very person she had been trying to avoid ever since she realized they were in the same place. Her red hair stood out vividly under the shifting lights, making her impossible to miss.
Hikaru had invited her without saying a word about it—which, to be fair, she had no reason to. After all, her friend had no idea that something had happened to make her feel this uncomfortable. For better or worse, the girl recognized her instantly. She stopped dancing right away and watched her closely from a few bodies away.
Recognizing her own weakness and the state she was in, Minji gave up on avoiding her. Their eyes met for a couple of seconds, and the girl frowned, probably noticing something off about her expression. Minji held her gaze, hoping that tiny connection would keep her conscious enough to prevent her from fainting. The girl seemed to catch on and, with some difficulty, started pushing through the crowd, shoving a few people aside until she finally reached her.
"Kim Minji?" she asked, in what Minji thought was a low voice—but she was probably shouting over all the noise. Her small, monolid eyes showed concern. "You don’t look well. Are you feeling sick? Dizzy?"
She placed a hand on her shoulder. And while that physical contact made her a little uncomfortable, Minji had to admit that it also gave her a sense of stability—like it lessened her chances of collapsing onto the floor.
As her only response, Minji simply nodded.
"Did you drive here?"
She nodded again, but everything around her started spinning.
"I want to leave…" she whispered, trying to speak louder, but her voice wouldn’t cooperate—it came out muffled.
She wanted to get out of there, but from where she stood, she couldn’t even tell where the exit was. Normally, she would have found a way to slip out right away, but right now, she just couldn’t think straight.
The girl who had come to her aid gently guided her toward a less crowded area, away from the center of the dance floor. There, the crowd was more scattered, making it much easier to breathe and talk. Almost immediately, Minji felt her throat clear, and her voice returned. She let out a soft cough, though it only seemed to worsen her headache. Lifting her head, she turned to look at the face beside her.
It was Kawai Ruka, one of the international students and a friend of Hikaru—someone Minji had met before under certain circumstances. Though she was shorter than Minji, she was a couple of years older, which was the reason she had addressed her directly by name.
They weren’t in the same department, but they had met during group study sessions and had shared the occasional conversation in different situations—like the time they had been chosen to buy snacks for one of their many gatherings, or that one afternoon when they had run into each other at lunch, and Ruka had offered to keep her company after noticing she was alone.
She was in the country on an exchange scholarship, just like Hikaru, though Ruka had been there longer. Overall, she was a pleasant person with strong leadership skills and a firm personality, though also a bit clumsy. Now, Minji could also add that she was considerate—at least, that’s how she was acting at that moment. The girl held her firmly by the elbow, helping her stay balanced.
"You should go home, Minji," the redhead said, pulling a brightly colored handkerchief from her pocket and gently wiping her face, brushing aside the black strands of hair that had fallen over it.
Now, Minji could hear her better, but she was a little—maybe too—close. She knew it was so she wouldn’t have to raise her voice over the music, but she was clearly crossing into her personal space, making her skin prickle. Given the few centimeters between them, she could clearly see the concern written all over Ruka’s face.
After a few seconds, during which she took longer than expected to react—and which the girl used to keep wiping her face with the purple handkerchief—Minji averted her gaze and raised her hand, stopping her. She gently took the handkerchief from her and stepped back, finishing the job herself by wiping the sweat from her forehead. Ruka didn’t seem fazed by the gesture.
"I’ll tell Hikaru you had to leave," she went on as if nothing had happened, keeping her eyes on her. "If you stay here, you’ll end up passing out."
"I will," Minji agreed, though she didn’t really need to be told. Her feet were already itching to move toward the exit, but she didn’t want to be rude and felt like she needed a few more seconds to steady herself.
"Did you drink too much?" the Japanese girl asked, grabbing her arm again and moving her a couple more steps away as she noticed a newly arrived group gathering nearby to start dancing.
"I haven’t had anything to drink," Minji replied. "I just feel off…"
"Even better. In that case, you’ll be fine. You should leave now while it’s still early."
"Yeah. Thanks, Ruka-unnie…" She managed a small smile and slipped the handkerchief into her pocket, knowing she’d have to return it later. "Tell Hikaru I’m sorry."
"She’ll get it. Don’t worry. Just go already."
A brief moment later, after politely thanking the girl for her concern, Minji stepped through the exit door and found herself breathing in the fresh air. Almost immediately, she began to feel better. She retrieved her mask from the back pocket of her pants and covered her mouth. The parking lot wasn’t far, and since she hadn’t had anything to drink, she figured she’d be fine to drive in a few minutes.
Although the change of scenery brought her some relief, the street was still overwhelming. It was a sight that stripped away the glamor people often associated with South Korea—people sitting on the ground smoking, alcohol bottles in hand, others passed out, and girls surrounded by groups of guys or older men walking with their arms slung over the shoulders of much younger women. Scenes often depicted in movies but conveniently left out of travel agencies' social media feeds—for obvious reasons.
Minji pulled her keys from the pocket of her university jacket as she walked, avoiding eye contact with anyone, and made her way toward her car. She had parked in a small lot next to a concrete wall—easy to spot. She recognized it right away: a 2004 Hyundai Accent, blue. A three-door model with a purely decorative antenna sticking out on the driver’s side that had been there since she bought it.
It was an old model, but it was hers, and it did its job. Besides, she had upgraded it just enough to connect her phone—though she rarely did—and had installed air conditioning. She found it amusing to see a similar model parked a few cars away, though clearly a much newer version. Someday, she’d be able to afford something better, but for now, she didn’t need to.
Once inside, Minji shut the door without locking it, turned off the automatic light, and pulled off her mask. She needed some silence and darkness. Deciding to rest for a few more minutes, she leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes, sinking into the comfort of her small refuge. In the distance, she could still hear the music from the crowded street, and it felt surreal to think that she had been there just minutes ago.
She was now more certain than ever that parties weren’t for her. She needed her bed, and she needed it as soon as possible.
Fatigue weighed heavily on her body, and Minji knew that if she didn’t start the car soon, her willpower would fail her, and she’d risk dozing off right there. While Korea was known for its safety, she couldn’t afford to let her guard down in a neighborhood full of people under the influence. Still, exhaustion was stronger than common sense at that moment, and the comfort of the space urged her to keep her eyes closed just a little while longer…
Suddenly, she felt the passenger door pull open, jolting her upright. Her eyes widened as she quickly turned, cursing under her breath and instinctively reaching to switch on the cabin light. She froze in place, completely stunned, as a girl climbed into the seat beside her, slamming the door shut with a grunt, muttering something that sounded like a complaint while fumbling with her seatbelt—or at least trying to.
From her seat, Minji could make out some of her features: dark brown hair, straight but disheveled, with a blunt fringe that must have looked neat under normal circumstances but now hung messily, partially revealing her forehead. A few strands clung to her neck, damp with sweat, and her red-and-white jacket was left open, likely due to the heat. Underneath, she wore a white mesh-style top, so thin and sheer that her black sports bra was clearly visible. Her dark blue jeans appeared stained, probably with alcohol, and slung across her body was a small black-and-white bag, slightly open as if hastily closed.
"Hey, what the fuck. Why did you just leave me like that?" the intruder muttered under her breath, speaking in perfect English, though with a peculiar accent. Minji had no trouble understanding her words.
The girl’s face was heavily made up, maybe a bit too much. Her eyes, which must have once been perfectly lined, now had smudged eyeliner. There was some blush on her cheeks, though it was barely noticeable due to the natural flush from the heat of a night spent dancing. And her lips, painted a bold, almost unnatural shade of red that didn’t quite match her age, stood out starkly against her slightly pale complexion.
After assessing the intruder and concluding she wasn’t a threat, Minji steadied her breathing and let out a heavy sigh. Then, she turned back to the girl, frowning, clearly irritated by the intrusion.
"What do you think you’re doing?" she asked, completely forgetting the usual formality she tried to maintain in case the girl was older than her. Though she didn’t seem to be at first glance, Minji preferred to be cautious. However, the situation had unsettled her enough to make her drop her usual composure. "Who are you, and what are you doing in my car?"
The girl slowly turned to face her, a look of confusion on her face. She didn’t just seem confused—she looked lost. Her eyes were watery, and she smelled of alcohol, which explained the flush on her cheeks and the glassy look in her eyes. She blinked a few times, rapidly.
"You’re not Harvey," she said. Her Korean didn’t sound entirely natural, and combined with the English phrase she had spoken earlier, it wasn’t hard to figure out she was a foreigner. Still, her words were slightly slurred from the alcohol. Her features, hidden beneath a heavy layer of exaggerated makeup, suggested she was Asian, but her eyes were noticeably larger and rounder than usual.
"No, I’m not," Minji replied, her tone making it obvious that the mistake was beyond clear. "You definitely got into the wrong car."
"Oh." The girl turned toward the windshield, staring blankly ahead as if trying to recall something, though clearly struggling. "Said they were leaving, and I thought it was just talk. Did they really think I’d call a taxi by myself? Who does that…? I don’t even know where I am," she went on, referring to whoever she had mentioned before. Harvey. Her boyfriend, maybe? That seemed likely.
"Did someone leave you here alone?" she asked, feeling somewhat curious.
"Yeah. A friend. I don’t know where she went…” Boyfriend ruled out. Was Harvey a unisex name? "I think… her car looks like this one…" Her words were getting more and more tangled, as if her intoxication was only worsening by the minute.
"Can’t you call her or something?" Minji asked instinctively. The girl’s condition was more than obvious.
She opened her bag, pulling out her phone, and Minji couldn’t help but wince at the sight of a completely shattered screen. Cracks ran all over it, flickering with green, red, and white lines—the only signs that the device had ever worked.
"Fuck," the girl muttered, almost making Minji let out a small laugh at yet another curse. "I’m doomed." She shoved the phone back into her bag.
"Okay, let’s see…" The brunette tried to keep her cool. Clearly, this girl needed help, and now that she was already inside her car, Minji couldn’t just turn a blind eye.
Not like she could have ignored her even if she wanted to. That wasn’t how she had been raised.
"Did you come with more friends or just her?" she asked. The girl looked at her again.
"Uh… Harvey, Juria, Lily…" She counted on her fingers. "They brought me here," she answered as best as she could. Minji could tell that even her movements were clumsy, and that both her awareness and whatever remained of her sobriety were hanging by a thread.
"And do you think they all left?"
The girl nodded vigorously.
"Yeah. Fuck them."
"Are you sure?" Minji insisted, ignoring the curse.
She shook her head again, nodding forcefully, but immediately raised a hand to her forehead—a clear sign of dizziness.
"My head is spinning…"
"Don’t shake it," Minji sighed. Just moments ago, she had been feeling something similar without even drinking, so she could only imagine how awful the girl must be feeling. "I guess I can’t ask you what they look like or where you last saw them… Do you at least remember the name of the place you were at?"
"No… But there was a sign with some really funny, badly drawn horses."
A smile briefly appeared on the girl’s face, only to disappear almost instantly—probably due to another wave of dizziness.
Minji remembered that the club she had been taken to also had horses—though they looked more like ponies—on its sign, so she figured they had been at the same place. She had no desire to go back there herself. And if what the intruder was saying was true and her friends had already left, going back would be pointless. They’d just waste time, exhaust themselves even more, and the girl would probably end up either passing out or getting lost in the crowd.
"Harvey is Japanese… about my… height," the girl tried to continue, making a clear effort to cooperate, but she quickly shut her eyes and pressed her lips into a thin line, as if trying to keep the nausea from rising up her throat.
That information wasn’t particularly helpful, considering the neighborhood was well-known for its many pubs and entertainment venues catering to foreigners. On a Friday night, Hongdae was completely overrun with students and tourists from all over.
"Don’t push yourself. Let me think of what you could do…" Minji said, keeping her eyes on the little intruder. Despite her revealing outfit, her obvious drunkenness, and her height—clearly shorter than Minji’s—there was something about her that exuded vulnerability, only making Minji more concerned for her.
And to make things worse, the girl looked up at her with eyes that, under the dim car light and the glassy sheen of alcohol, resembled those of a pleading puppy.
Or a lost one.
"I can’t believe this…"
Minji held her head in her hands, wondering why her already miserable night couldn’t just end normally. She wasn’t feeling her best either, but she was nowhere near as bad as the girl sitting next to her. After a few seconds, she straightened up, adjusted herself in her seat, then turned to properly secure the girl’s seatbelt—something she had abandoned after failing to do it multiple times. With that done, she switched off the cabin light and started the engine.
"Alright. I’ll take you home. Just try not to fall asleep or throw up," she stated.
"Yes, yes, yes," the girl replied with a grin, raising her left hand to her forehead in a mock salute.
Wrong hand, Minji thought, but she held back the comment.
She opened the glove compartment, took out a pack of cookies, and handed it to the girl, who took it slowly.
"Eat that. It’ll make you feel better," she said without looking at her, turning her body instead to focus on reversing her car properly out of the parking spot. There was no turning back now.
"And zip up your jacket. You’re too exposed. You’ll catch a cold."
"Thank you…" the girl murmured softly, and with some difficulty, obeyed the instruction.
…
A few minutes later, they were on the highway, leaving behind the part of the city mostly used for events and nightclubs. Minji glanced at the clock—it was almost three in the morning. She knew Seoul was a massive city, and the girl could live somewhere incredibly far away. For a brief moment, she almost regretted offering to help her.
But that thought was quickly interrupted when she noticed the girl nodding off beside her.
"Hey! I told you not to fall asleep," she called out, raising her voice. The girl barely flinched.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she mumbled again, though this time without raising her hand.
"Well? Where are we going?" Minji asked as they left behind the highway that crossed Hongdae and entered the roads leading toward the city center.
"Where what?"
"Your place. Where do you live?"
"Oh. I don’t know."
Minji took a deep breath, trying to avoid any automatic response that might startle the girl even more. She exhaled slowly, feeling the headache threatening to return.
"Okay…" She tried to gather all the patience she had to deal with the situation. "You don’t remember your address? At least the name of your street?" she pressed.
"Something… Uil something… Eun…"
"That could be anything…"
Forced to pick a route as they reached an intersection, Minji quickly chose to follow her usual path. She was starting to realize there wouldn’t be a quick solution to this, and she didn’t want to get lost in the process. It hadn’t even been two years since she had moved to Seoul, so she still didn’t know the city all that well. Her phone battery was running low, and she wanted to avoid using the map.
"Do you remember if there’s a building nearby?"
"A supermarket… Something close, a few blocks away."
"That doesn’t help me much either…" Minji sighed. She was beginning to realize that this task would be even more difficult than she had first expected.
Another nod.
"Why don’t you tell me about your friends? Harvey. Talk to me about her." Minji wanted to keep the girl awake—it would be a nightmare dealing with a drunk person if she passed out. Plus, she still held onto the hope that she’d remember something useful. She needed to keep her conscious somehow.
"The fuck with her," the girl replied, once again swearing in English. "Who the fuck does she think she is? They all left me, and then my fucking phone decided to fucking die."
This time, Minji couldn’t hold back a small laugh. Somehow, the girl was funny. The problem was, she had no idea what to do with her at this point.
"Is her name really Harvey?" she asked, curiosity getting the best of her.
"…I think it’s her last name."
Minji raised an eyebrow.
"You think? Are you sure you’re even friends?"
The girl just popped another cookie into her mouth.
For a while, and with evident effort, the intruder kept answering her questions and mumbling things in both Korean and English, throwing in a few more curse words here and there to better explain herself at times. But eventually, her murmurs faded into silence.
Minji knew it was only a matter of time before she gave in. With no clear destination, they were just driving aimlessly, and the girl wasn’t in the best condition. She couldn’t push her any further.
Letting out a yawn, Minji decided to turn on the radio at a low volume. She usually preferred driving in silence, but right now, she needed something to keep her awake.
There was nothing left to think about. Nothing left to do.
She set course for her apartment.
...
She opened the passenger door and gently shook the sleeping girl's shoulder. From that angle, she could get a better look at her and estimated that she was probably around her age, maybe even younger. That worried her, considering she was barely about to turn twenty, and the girl with bangs had clearly drunk more than her body could handle.
Waking her up was easier than expected. The girl opened her eyes and immediately began looking around.
"This isn’t my place…"
"Nope. It’s not," Minji replied, offering her a hand to help her out of the car. "We’ll keep looking for your home tomorrow. For now, come on, it’s late."
The girl gave her a suspicious look for a few seconds but eventually took her hand. With Minji’s support, she managed to get up and step out of the car, wobbling as she mumbled with a slightly slurred tongue,
"I trust in you just because you’re pretty."