Truth or Dare?

It was now time to celebrate as Suga and Hye-Ri carefully put plates and food down the table. When everyone was seated and have eaten, Jimin put all the liquors on the table and teasingly put the bottle of Tequila in front of Hye-Ri.

She scowled at Jimin and cursed him with all the swear words she could think of in her head.

Everyone had glasses, and shots, and Jung Kook, Jimin, and Taehyung started to play fight while Jin and Nam joon are talking and pouring each other drinks. Suga and Hoseok are in deep discussion while Hye-Ri looked at them with a smile on her face. Jung Kook called her and asked if she could be a referee like the ones in WWE and happily joined them and started cracking up.

Lila, on the other hand, looked at Hye-Ri's outfit from head to toe. She wore big, oversized shirts in black, and baggy cargo jeans. Her hair is disheveled and in a messy bun. She had no make-up on and has pale features.

'The only thing good about her is her green eyes and foreign look, and that's about it.' Lila thought.

She looked at her in disdain as she took a shot and got busy with her phone. "Guys, why don't we play a game that everyone can join in?"

Everyone stopped for a moment and somehow agreed because everyone was busy doing their business.

Everyone was seated around the table, but Jung Kook switched his seat from Lila's side to Hye-Ri's side.

Lila couldn't hide her irritable face but cleared her throat to start. "Why don't we start with a trust game first? We say what we like about the person on the right then the last person will return the favor and tell the person on the left the same thing."

Suga and Nam Joon groaned and said that if they wanted to skip they would drink three shots of tequila, to which they joined almost immediately; Hobi started with Nam Joon to his right, then Nam Joon to Jin, Jin to Jimin, Jimin to Lila, Lila to Taehyung, and when it was time for Jung Kook's turn, he looked at Hye-Ri and said: "Noona, I like your tattoos."

Hye-Ri laughed and winked at JK, Lila could be heard in the background asking "She has tattoos?"

It was Hye-Ri's turn and before she said anything, stretched her arms up, making the sleeve of her shirt fall down to her shoulders revealing her full-sleeved tattoo to Lila, she flexed a little and then turned to look at Suga; for a long time she thought, 'there are many things that she liked about him... what should she say?'

"Come on, we don't have the whole day," Lila interjected, and Hye-Ri shot a knowing glance to Jimin.

Jimin, on the other hand, shook his head and sighed disappointingly at Lila.

"Yoon-gi, I like your softness."

"Softness?" Lila asked again. "You like men?" She asked in shock.

Hye-Ri snorted, "Don't judge a book by its cover, lady. I dress like this because I'm comfortable wearing these and just because I'm not lady-like and have tattoos that doesn't mean I'm a straight-up lesbian." She poured herself a drink and took the shot in one go, and turned to Suga. "Of course I like men-- Men Yoon-gi."

Hobi was the first one to laugh his heart out with Hye-Ri's joke and the others followed. Suga turned beet red, yet again with Hye-Ri's sudden confession. She pointed a finger at Hobi clicking her tongue, thanking him for getting her joke that fast.

"Ya, Ya." That was all Suga could say as he tried to stay cool and stable in his seat. Hobi and Jimin teased the hell out of Yoon-gi while Hye-Ri and JK clapped their hands at Suga's response.

"Now, why don't we start with real drinking and stop these petty games?" Hye-Ri asked, pouring everyone a shot. She even gave a shot glass at Lila and winked at her. Jimin, who stood up when he teased Suga, sat to his chair again beside her.

"I wanna go somewhere else." Lila tugged on Jimin's shirt.

"Go where? Your friends? You told me you'd spend the holidays with me. So you're staying." Jimin said firmly to Lila. His face was serious.

**

After a while, Lila once again wanted to play with Truth or Dare. She didn't shut up about it until everyone just agreed.

She spun the bottle on the middle of the table. Whoever the mouth of the bottle lands to will be the one doing the truth or dare, and the bottom will ask. The mouth of the bottle landed on Hye-Ri and opposite to her is Nam Joon.

"Okay, Truth or Dare?" He asked.

"Dare," Hye-Ri answered confidently.

The members "ooh-ed" and anticipated what would their leader dare her to do.

"I dare you to write a poem you know by heart and recite it in front like you're in a classroom."

"Well, that was a boring dare," Lila commented.

"Hye-Ri's good with poems, right? I saw your book collection on your apartment and it's full of Shakespeare and Jane Austen." Suga spilled one of Hye-Ri's most hidden secrets, that she is a sucker for old literature romance.

She looked at Suga in shock, and JK pulled her up and pushed her lightly to the front to the center stage. Everyone cheered and clapped for her.

"Can I just not do it? What's the consequence?" She asked, clearly embarrassed with the sudden spotlight.

Jimin stood and gave her a bottle of tequila. "No, thank you I'll just recite here and not spill my guts out with that." She concede.

'Here goes nothing.' She thought and cleared her throat before starting.

"Look at me spilling beers and wine on the table We're both drunk and the earth is spinning;

Everyone thinks that they know us--

But they know nothing, love

All of this silence, patience, and waiting

Even if the line ends without a hook; I'm holding on.

I have held my hands back from you since day one

Waiting for the day to say you're mine and only mine.

I keep thinking,

Is this the right time? the right day? the right way?

Ahh, I'm confused and don't know what to do;

But all this silence, patience, and waiting

All lead me to you, and only you."

With the last line, Hye-Ri looked at Suga from the table. For Suga, it felt like the earth stood still and focused only on Hye-Ri. He knew in his heart he has liked her from the beginning because she's able to understand the deepest of his emotions and would never give him a slight bit of prejudice. She was open and a good listener.

He felt her stare as she said the word 'You'. The only thing he could see was her. Her background faded, everyone's cheers muted, and her face red with embarrassment as she blushed from the downpour of compliments. She wasn't used to it and quickly sat down to her seat. He didn't break his gaze towards her because, in his mind, he realized he liked her from the moment he saw her across the counter taking his order.

Nothing mattered anymore.

And when she sat there next to him, she met his eye and smiled. "Was it okay?"

"Yes, it was." Was his heartfelt answer, and gave her a subtle, soft smile as she poured another drink for herself and drank it shyly.

The other members looked at Suga like he was a different person, he wore a soft expression on his face and even put his elbow on the table and rested his face on his knuckles, his stance fixed on her.

She looked at him and pinched on his cheek.

"Yah! Yoon-gi Hyung! The table is already full of ants!"

"Get a room!"

"Just date already!"

***

Everyone was practically drunk by 2 am and one by one the members have resigned to their rooms, while Jimin, Lila, Hye-Ri, and Suga were the only ones left. Jimin was too drunk to drive and called for a deluxe taxi for Lila. While waiting for the taxi to arrive, Hye-Ri noticed the tensioned mood between Lila and Jimin and jerked on Suga's torso.

"I think I need to check something on my bike."

"What? You lost your keys?" Suga asked, Hye-Ri gave him a look and threw a glance at Jimin and Lila who are not speaking to each other. Suga received the telepathy. "Ahhh, I think we should head to your bike."

"That's what I said." Hye-Ri nodded, she even had to grab on Suga's waist because he was too unsteady to walk on his own. It was a little difficult for him though, because of the height difference, he tried to not put on too much weight as he clung to her little frame.

Jimin noticed Hye-Ri and gratefully nodded for catching up the situation and giving them space. Hye-Ri replied with a wink and a look that says 'go do your thing' before finally fleeing out of sight because she parked her bike a little far away from their dorm.

"You know, I can just grab a taxi here. You can go back to your dorm." Hye-Ri was out of breath as she supported Suga's weight.

"I want to see you off so I know you're safe."

Hye-Ri's knees became jelly with Suga's concern that they fell on the floor and Suga catching her.

"You should stop with the pick-up lines because it's making me weak." Hye-Ri smacked Suga's shoulder and he crouched in pain. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry!"

"You could be a little gentle." He put his other hand to his injured shoulder. "I tore ligaments before when I had an accident while delivering. It's been in pain but the pain is tolerable. So, if you're going to hurt me, just be gentle." Suga pleaded.

"I'm sorry." Hye-Ri gently put her hand on Suga's back and helped him stand up and gave what her five-foot-height-and-drunk state could give. She successfully lifted him and put Suga's hand over her shoulder. They both stared at each other after that, and it was a long lingering stare. Her chest felt like drums beating out of her ribs, it hurt her, but it hurt her in a good way... she saw in his eyes the worries, the carefulness of his touch, and the way he would look at her lovingly. Hye-Ri felt like it had been a lifetime since she felt this way, she never knew whether or not to accept the feeling...

"I'm not gonna hurt you." She reassured him, smiling at him revealing her dimple.

"I'll gamble on that." Suga dipped his head down and grabbed Hye-Ri's face and kisses her square on the lips.

Hye-Ri, taken aback by his action, looked at him wide eyed. The earth stood still beneath her feet as he put both his hands gently on her face, her thoughts were jumbled and everywhere and she felt her brain fly of her skull. Time paused for second and just before Suga could break the kiss, she threw all her thoughts away and tiptoed to stroke her fingers to Suga's nape and deepened the kiss.

Hye-Ri was not going to held back any feelings for him, she had been holding back and restraining, fate had given them a good chapter and Hye-Ri wanted to cherish this chapter in her life thinking she's not going to let this one go.

*

*

*

In the morning, Suga found a note in his pocket. It was Hye-Ri's poem last night in Hobi's handwriting.

He became sober with the letter and couldn't believe what he was seeing. The hangover he's feeling felt nothing as he read the letter again and again.

"It's a beautiful poem, Hyung, as if it was done a long time ago rather than impromptu last night." Hobi's sudden appearance jolted Suga in his bed, making him yell a little. He didn't realize Hobi had entered his room because he was preoccupied

by the poem.

"I know, thank you for writing it and taking my moment away, now get out." Suga took his pillow and threw it to Hobi and chased him away.

It was only 2 pm and he felt like he had slept a good long hour of sleep and felt full of energy as he stood from his bed. He got to the kitchen and cooked everyone an army stew, a good soup for hangovers.