#chaleure

If Chaeyeon knows one thing, it’s this: there is no party worth going to that doesn’t taste like cigarette smoke and reckless abandon on coke. This warehouse apartment her brother dragged her to in Seoul has none of those things. It had cheese trays and potpourri by the entrance. Chaeyeon held tight to Joonki’s arm as he walked around the room hugging guests. Joonki matched most of the visitors with his white button down shirt and navy blue slacks. His hair like most of the guys in the room was slicked back and well combed. On the other hand, her leopard fur coat caught onto wooden tables and her red heels clicked too loud.

“You said this was going to be fun.” Chaeyeon huffed.

“For me.” Joonki smiled and set her down on one of the couches. She sunk in immediately. “Stay here, I’ll get you some drinks.”

When Chaeyeon’s eyes perked up, Joonki pinched her nose, “Like iced tea or lemonade. Don’t be difficult.”

Chaeyeon ditched Joonki the second he got up. She’s leaning against the balcony railing now, feeling the wind touch her hair and her hair touch her skin. The “party” roars on behind her. No, not roar. It whispers, talks in a polite tone and covers its mouth when it laughs. The parties she went to roared. Beasts begging the room, the block, hell the whole world to know that they were hungry. And her shouting back as loud as she could that she was ready to be eaten alive. She looks down at the street below. The cars move fast in red streaks. She bets they’re heading towards houses wrapped in smoke. Houses soaked in alcohol. Houses one lighter away from bursting up into flames. A whole different world, she figures, is just one fall away. Chaeyeon swings her hands over and lets her body hang limply. The air touches her fingers and sends a chill down her arm. It stops where the railing touches her chest. She stands on the tips of her toes and looks straight down. She smiles at the sensation coursing through her veins. The thrilling sensation of dying. She sees her friends in the area behind campus. It’s late at night and the only stars in the sky are the yellow orange glow of their lighters. Smoke fills their face and covers them up until all she could see were their eyes. Brown against white against night. Staring at her. Daring her to stand on the ledge and just jump for crying out loud.