Chapter 25

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"I would have wanted a chill vibe this evening. You know, we'll have a glass of champagne or some red wine, and get drowned on the aroma of some scented candles on the table and all over the place, and listen to a set of chill out songs until we all get wine-drunk and love-drunk and we'll all go home later thinking that love is a fairytale and St. Valentine will save us from our hangover tomorrow," the beautiful Chaeyoung said on the mic.

She was on her rockstar Madonna-inspired 80's outfit. Chaeyoung chose to wear a faded black boyfriend tee that had the iconic Rolling Stone Tongue printed across it, which she rolled up and tied tightly in the front, showing her flat abdomen. She paired it with a pair of high-waisted acid-wash vintage mom Guess jeans that was badly ripped on the knees and which she rolled the hems up, to accomodate her black army boots. A series of chain accessories were clipped and hanging on the belt loop. She was wearing a black cross earring on her one ear and a silver hoop earring on the other, along with the other earrings on her both ears because she had at least a total of eight piercings.

Her hair was permed and tied in a sophisticated high bun. A yellow paisley-designed bandana was wrapped around her head, the ribbon at the top, and another bandana was tied around her neck in a fashionable way, together with a set of dangling necklaces. Her lips was painted in full blood red and she even put a fake mole at the upperside of her upper lip, for fun.

The crowd before her responded with a series of laughter from the guys and a dragging romanticized 'Aawww!' from the ladies who mostly were wearing ridiculously big, hairy wigs and sunglasses bigger than their faces. They had a glass of Alabama Slammer on their hands, courtesy of Jiyeon and Chahee, while the guys were gripping their hands around their bottle of beers and they all raised it to Chaeyoung and together they were chanting "Hear! Hear!" Coaxing Chaeyoung Park to be funny as hell and tell them the things they wanted to hear.

Chaeyoung started strumming her guitar and played the intro to her opening song for the evening. It was a classic Bon Jovi song, volume down. Followed by A-yeon's drums, who chose to wear her famous lingerie attire on her YouTube viral video instead of dressing in retro-style. Much to the delight of the young and excited uni-boys and to the amusement and horror of the girls. It was winter, after all. Nobody in their right mind would wear a lingerie. But A-yeon was, of course, an exception. Because she's hot and sexy as fudge and she could pull the ludicrously revealing lingerie attire off.

"But my girls think otherwise. They don't want a chill-out evening, apparently. So, they rebel against me," Chaeyoung said with her soft voice, which made her audience laugh louder. "So, what do you say we'll have a whole lot of 80's rock n' roll to celebrate this Valentine's Eve? We'll all still suffer from a bad hangover tomorrow, anyway" she continued with a chuckle.

The crowd erupted and cheered and wolf-whistled. Mainly because they thought that Chaeyoung was being unusually funny tonight and because they really wanted to drink the night away and suffer a bad hangover on Valentine's Day tomorrow. So that they have an excuse not to wake up early and feel the pressure of the V-day in the morning. Plus, the song that Chaeyoung and her band was about to play was a great song. One they vaguely remembered they listened to a lot when they were all toddlers and their fathers would play it on their cassette players on Sundays and weeknight after-dinners.

"We've always wanted to play this one in front of you, guys, on a party and a night like this," Chaeyoung said while working on her guitar. Jin-Ah and Ji-In were now working on their instruments, as well. Harmonizing with Chaeyoung and A-yeon. Both wearing heavy makeups, both trying to replicate the band Kiss and Alice Cooper, arguing that though both great acts were formed in the late 70's, they were dominant in the 80's.

Most of the people in the audience were not in a relationship, or had been in a relationship but it ended before they even know it, and they were all grateful for the Orange's 80's-theme pre-Valentine's party, because the girls didn't have to dress up to impress a date and the guys weren't required to buy flowers and chocolates or teddy bears and wear a suit.

They all just wanted to party and get wasted on Valentine's Eve, with good music and good 80's drinks and probably some beer, and not ending their night in some cheap motel rooms and wake up tomorrow with a bad hangover and stupid regrets, with a stranger snoring loudly beside them in the bed.

"Alright! Here we go!" Chaeyoung screamed on the mic and started stomping her foot along with the beat of A-yeon's drums. "I need y'all to sing along with me on this one, boys and girls," she added.

"1. . .2. . .1, 2, 3, ow!" A-yeon shouted on her mic and rolled her drumsticks between her fingers before slamming them hard against her drumset. The whole place erupted in cheers and everyone started jumping on their feet, drinks spilling on the floor and on their clothes, but who cares about it anyway.

The smoke machine just went off, their night have just started. Chaeyoung's voice started to fill the interior of her bar, electrified by the excitement and the hype of the big, hairy wigs bobbing up and down in the space in front of her, making her forget entirely about the solitude that she was craving for just a few hours ago. Their version of the great Jon Bon Jovi's Livin' On A Prayer sounded cool and contemporary, with Chaeyoung's steady vocals and a whole lot of rock n' rollin'. She and her band was setting the stage on fire with their energy, it was contagious.

Meanwhile, Lisa have just parked her car in front of the Orange. They went straight to Chaeyoung's bar after Jennie practically begged that they should make a quick stop-over at Lisa's apartment to check on Leo and Luca and after they grabbed a quick unsophisticated dinner that consisted of hotteok, dumpling and teokkbokki at a food stall on their way to the Orange. Again, after Jennie practically begged Lisa. The chaebol found it thrilling and somewhat appealing to eat street food while standing and bracing the cold, in their expensive Chanel outfits. Amusing the onlookers and feeding the desperate souls that were wandering around the busy Hongdae streets looking and hoping for a Valentine's date, mostly were men.

Lisa thought it was a completely ridiculous idea but she still gave in, anyway. Because how could she ever say no to her Nini? Especially when Jennie would look at Lisa with those cat-like eyes of hers the same way that Leo would look at Lisa when the cat wanted a treat.

They could see the number of people dressed in retro glam and thick woolen coats lining up along the sidewalk, bracing the winter air, waiting for their turn to finally be admitted inside the bar.

"Wow! Look at that! I did not expect to see these many people heeding the call to wear retro on this Valentine's Eve," Lisa said in awe. "This is weird. Like, a good kind of weird. I feel like I started a revolution or something."

"I feel like I'm transported back in time," Jennie said as she look outside her window, scanning her eyes on the ridiculous big hairs and neon spandex before her eyes. A few even had the temerity to wear a thong and glitzy boots. "This is actually have a Rock Of Ages slash Saturday Night Fever kind of vibe."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. This is crazy!" Lisa exclaimed and laughed.

"Maybe they want something new for a change," Jennie commented.

"Something new by going back in time by wearing retro. The irony," Lisa said and shake her head in the profundity of her own words. "Anyway, are you ready?" she then asked Jennie.

Jennie raised her brows in a quizzical way and replied, "Are you?"

"Of cou--Oh, shit. I haven't told Chaeyoung you'd be coming with me tonight," Lisa groaned and slumped to her seat.

"Shall I just wait here while you announce my entrance to them?" Jennie asked sardonically.

Lisa then looked at Jennie with a funny expression on her face that Jennie could only interpret as Lisa thinking how she was being ridiculous by suggesting such a stupid idea.

"Don't be silly. Come on," Lisa said and was about to open her door when Jennie suddenly grabbed her arm.

"Hey, Lili. Wait," Jennie said in haste and stopping Lisa from stepping out of the car.

"What is it? Are you nervous?" Lisa asked, looking concerned.

Jennie shook her head and chuckled.

"No, silly. I just want to say that you look beautiful tonight," Jennie said.

"And so are you, mademoiselle Jennie," Lisa said and attemped a sloppy curtsy.

"No, I'm serious. You really look beautiful tonight. Red looks good on you. And you were right when you said that red symbolizes life, actually," said Jennie, her voice was somewhat trembling.

"Why is that?" Lisa asked, a smile was visible on her face.

"Because you look so hot right now, you kind of...you kind of setting everything around you on fire," Jennie said.

It would have been perfectly okay if Jennie just said she looked pretty or cool or whatever. But hot? The word hot carries a whole lot of other definitions other than hot, as far as Lisa knew. What did Jennie mean exactly about her being hot? Hot, as in sexy hot? Or hot as in beautiful, sexy and everything unworldly hot? Was she making Jennie hot?

"Including you?" Lisa asked and laughed a little. She meant it as a joke to pacify her own nerves.

But Jennie looked dead serious and was staring straight into her eyes, straight into her soul, that it made Lisa's heart skip a tune and her stomach did a double-flip. No, triple flips. Especially when Jennie leaned in closer. Her hot, minty breath was blowing all over Lisa's face.

"Specially me, Lili," Jennie whispered on Lisa's ear before she planted a kiss on Lisa's side of the mouth. A little portion of it have actually landed narrowly on the side of her lips, Lisa could actually taste Jennie's matte lipstick.

Jennie's lips lingered a little too long on Lisa's skin, leaving a lipstick stain on the spot where her kiss had landed, before she quickly opened her door and emerged from the car. Leaving Lisa in a frenzy, with a hammering heart and a funny tingling hot sensation below her abdomen. Intentional or not, that was hot!

Lisa heaved a few short breaths until she made sure her knees could support her weight when she stepped out of her car and followed Jennie towards the entrance.

And when Lisa caught up with the stunning chaebol, Jennie just looked and smiled at her sweetly, as if she did not almost kiss her Lili on the lips a moment ago, and held Lisa's hand as they admitted themselves inside the Orange. Where Chaeyoung was already going off on the stage like a loose firecracker, whipping her hair and banging her head, singing "Take my hand, We'll make it, I swear!" and her audience responding "Oohhh oohhh! Living on a prayer!" with ardent passion.

"Hot damn, Lisa! You're planning to set everything on fire tonight, aren't you?" Jiyeon gasped appreciatively as the tall blond, in a high bun and flaming red trouser suit approached the bar. Jennie was in tow, obscured by Lisa's tall frame.

"Not as much as how those leotards are going to make everyone go crazy tonight, Jiyeon," Lisa said loudly and winked, leaning closer to the bar so that she and Jiyeon could hear each other clearly. "Anyway, I brought someone," she added and invited Jennie for a seat beside her.

When Jennie came into view, clad in an elegant Chanel Little Black Dress, adorned with a set of pearl jewelries on her neck, ears and wrist, and with an air of the chaebol that she always have been, Jiyeon almost dropped the glass she was holding and nearly knocked the bottle of Bailey's in front of her.

"Hello, Jiyeon-ssi! It's good to see you again," Jennie greeted the hot bartender with a polite smile and a courteous bow.

Jiyeon was torn between screaming and swooning when she saw Jennie, resulting to her just standing on her spot with her mouth gaping and eyes widened in shock.

"Well, look who's here?" Chahee interrupted with her velvety voice as she approached them and stood beside Jiyeon. Her eyes were averting from Jennie to Lisa. "Hey, Lisa! Hey, Jennie! You both look stunning tonight," she said and subtly elbowed Jiyeon on the rib.

"Jennie looks elegant, more than anything else," Jiyeon said, finally snapping out from the shock.

"Thanks!" Jennie said and showed the two hot bartenders her gummy smile. "You two look--,"

"Like we're about to lead an aerobics class later at midnight," Chahee said, laughing as she did so. "This is her idea," Chahee added, pointing at Jiyeon accussingly.

"This is better than wearing a spandex, though. Chahee was obsessing over neon spandex, it drove me crazy. So I had to step in and talk her out of it. I didn't want to look like Black Panther in neon spandex tonight," Jiyeon said, addressing Jennie.

She and Jiyeon were wearing tight leotards (yellow for Jiyeon and pink for Chahee), drawstrings shorts (black for Jiyeon and baby blue for Chahee), mesh crop tops that have prints across the front that both Jennie and Lisa couldn't make out the patterns and neon head bands. Both were also wearing volumptous blond wigs, beads, arm bands and leg warmers.

"I was about to say sexy like a goyang-i," Jennie said with an amused smile.

"Yeah. I could set you both up on a date with Leo and Luca," Lisa interjected with a laugh.

"Well, that's the nicest thing I've heard tonight about our outfit, to be honest," Chahee said and smiled at Jennie appreciatively. "We were teased about aerobics all night because Jiyeon saw an Olivia Newton-John's video on YouTube the other day and well, this is it," Chahee gestured her "Physical" costume.

"Actually, Sue Sylvester made me watch it. Anyway, what do you, guys, want to have?" Jiyeon finally asked to divert the talks about their aerobics costume and so that Chahee would stop ribbing her because of it.

"What do you, guys, have?" Lisa asked.

"Lots, actually. We have the usual beer and gins. And some famous 80's drinks that Jiyeon and I concocted for tonight. The Slippery Nipple is a must-try," Chahee recommended.

"The Slippery-what?" Jennie asked, looking flabbergasted.

"Nipple," Chahee volunteered. "It's just a cocktail, actually. And it's quite famous in the 80's."

"It's just 51% alcohol, made up of Irish cream and Sambuca. So, do you, guys, want to try it?" Jiyeon asked both Jennie and Lisa.

Lisa and Jennie exchanged looks, as if they were mutely discussing whether they should give The Slippery Nipple a try or they should just settle for a drink with a less-vulgar name. The Slippery Nipple won when both of them nodded and smiled at the same time.

"Alright, we'll have it," Lisa finally said and Jiyeon actively whipped two glass of cocktails in front of them.

"Hey, Lili? I have to use the powder room," Jennie said, leaning closer to Lisa and holding on to Lisa's arm affectionately. The gesture did not slip through Chahee's notice.

Lisa stood on her feet and asked, "Do you want me to come with you?"

Jennie smiled but shook her head and said, "No, no. Just stay here and save me the seat." And excused herself to Jiyeon and Chahee.

And when Chahee made sure that Jennie was finally out of earshot, not that Jennie could actually hear her if she was a few feet away due to the loud music, she turned to Lisa to asked a few questions.

"'Lili?' So, are you and Jennie an item now?" Chahee asked Lisa.

Lisa smiled meaningfully but shook her head and said, "No."

"And Chaeyoung doesn't know that Jennie's here?" Chahee continued.

"I forgot to tell her, Chahee. It's been a wild day. But, I'll talk to her once she's done with her set," Lisa replied.

"Okay. But Lisa, before you do that--please wipe that lipstick mark off your face before Chaeng will see it. Right there," Chahee suggested with a smirk, pointing at the exact spot where Jennie's kiss have landed moments ago.

"Oh!" Lisa exclaimed, looking embarrassed. "It's not what you think, Chahee-ssi!" she said while trying to wipe off the the lipstick stain on the side of her mouth.

But Chahee just laughed at Lisa's reaction and saw Jennie walking back from the powder room.

"So, Jennie. Where's your friend, by the way?" Chahee asked Jennie as the latter have settled on her seat next to Lisa.

"Do you mean Jisoo? She's somewhere having dinner right now," Jennie answered. "Hi!" she greeted Lisa with her bright gummy smile as if she saw her the first time.

"Hi!" Lisa replied and they both laughed at their absurdity.

"You mean like a date?" Jiyeon joined the conversation.

"Well, if having dinner with some people from the U.N. and discussing things that involves making the world a better place would be considered a date, then yes. Maybe?" Jennie explained nonchalantly while checking the appearance of her The Slippery Nipple.

"U.N.? As in the United Nations?" Chahee asked, looking and sounding taken aback by the discovery about Jisoo.

"Is Jisoo part of the U.N.?" Lisa also asked.

"No. Not officially," Jennie replied, shaking her head. "But her foundation is involve with charity works around the world. The UN wants to thank her tonight, I guess. It's a gala dinner, what she's attending right now. That's what she told me."

"Wow! Jisoo is something," Jiyeon sighed appreciatively. "No wonder she's like that."

"Like what, Jiyeon-ssi?" Jennie asked curiously.

"Like she can sniff bullshit from a distance," Chahee said as she looked over at Chaeyoung who was now starting to sing Aerosmith's Angel on the stage, changing the mood of her audience from being hyped up and rowdy to somewhat sober and somber.




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