Nivritti clenched her fists and squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the blow to land.
But Jae-Hwa snaked her hands around Nivritti's shoulder and grabbed her by her neck and brought her closer to her. "No, I cannot hit you," she kissed Nivritti on her head. The free-flowing hair of Nivritti went inside her mouth, and she started spitting instantly and let go of her. Nivritti fell to the side of the couch laughing.
And Jae-Hwa continued, "you are my best friend. I never had such a friend before who took such great care of mine," hiccupped Jae-Hwa. Nivritti understood that slowly the alcohol was getting inside her system and working its charm. She was under the influence of alcohol.
"You helped me first," praised Nivritti.
"What? Just by talking to you?" scoffed Jae-Hwa.
"Yes, when no one talked to me, you did. You took me in on my first day," said Nivritti with gratitude.