Solbin opened her eyes that morning, feeling somehow uncomfortable. Her first thought was that she didn't remember anything from the night. The last image she recorded in her mind was of Jungkook and his friend meeting and then treating herself to a candy. Even worse disturbing was that she woke up in bed, but she was not in her hotel room, but in a luxury suite.
She rolled onto her back and looked to the side, opening her eyes wider when she spotted a young man lying next to her.
The sight of his sleeping face led the girl to completely panic.
She jumped out of bed, and her attention was caught by a mirror hanging on the wall, in which she was reflected, wearing only her underwear.
- Oh shit," she whispered, blanching her face. - What have I done?
With panicked eyes, she looked around the interior, trying to find her dress and shoes. Jungkook was asleep as if killed and didn't react to the noise at all. He must have been a hard sleeper that he didn't hear her dressing one shoe and tumbling to the floor.
Breathing heavily, she ran to the door and took one last look in the direction of the bedroom.
- I hope I never see you again....
The mysterious dust was still hovering over the heads of the young people, introducing them to the story written by the shamans.
The girl did not realize even then that this was the beginning of a love story that would bring her pain, suffering, and tears.
As she ran down the corridor toward the elevator, it seemed to her that people passing by were looking at her as if she were a whore. This was just a figment of her imagination, as she felt bad about the idea that she had experienced her first time with a boy she barely knew, and worse, she remembered nothing from that night.
- What have I done," she whispered as she leaned against the wall in the elevator and pressed her hand to her forehead. - This was supposed to be special...
She reached the door and rushed inside the room, noticing that her friend was sitting on the bed, looking through some photos. She lifted her face and looked at Solbin with confused eyes. Her red hair was in complete disarray, and the heavy makeup she hadn't washed off was smeared around her eyes, making her look like a panda.
- I don't know what happened that night, but I got married to a man I don't know. - She raised her hand, showing her friend the ring.
Solbin sat down next to her and looked through all the photos. Ara, dressed in a white dress, with a flowery garland on her head, stood next to Seokjin, smiling radiantly at him.
- Where did you get the wedding dress, and he has the suit in the middle of the night? Where did you get the rings? - She asked in a panicked voice, to which the redhead only shrugged her shoulders.
- This is the least important thing... I should think deeply, why did I marry him?
Chills ran through the blonde's body.
- I don't know what happened that night, Ara, I don't understand why we don't remember anything, but I think we should get out of here. I slept with a man I don't know, you got married to his friend. We need to get out of here. - She jumped off the bed and ran to her suitcase. - We have to get out of here before they find us. I won't show myself to Jungkook's eyes, your wedding wasn't even real.
- I hope... - entered her sentence, Ara, hastily jumping off the bed. - We have a plane soon. Let's pack up and get off this strange place. - She ran to her suitcase and unexpectedly smiled at her friend. - You finally slept with someone, Sol. It's just too bad you can't remember if he was any good.
The blonde threw her blouse at her.
- You're the crazier one, since you got married to a stranger.
- And do you remember, at least, whether you took precautions?
- Ara! - screamed the girl, feeling like crying. - Don't stress me even more! Doesn't it bother you why we don't remember anything?
Ara put her finger to her lips.
- Do you think there were any drugs in those candies? That's probably why they tasted so delicious.... That would explain our crazy decisions.
- Pack quickly and let's get out of here. I'm terrified. This night was a nightmare and I want to forget about it. I hope that when I return to Korea, I can get over it.
*
Her hands shook as she sat on the plane, thinking about how she had unknowingly ended up in bed with someone she didn't know. She wondered if he had already gotten up and remembered what had happened between them.... Was it possible that he was looking for her?
Ara looked at her finger, which had a silver ring on it.
- What am I worried about? It was just a ceremony...
- Just a ceremony? So what if it was abroad? Many couples vow in this way without registering it at the city office.
- You said yourself that this wedding was fake, and I have nothing to worry about. You should be comforting me, not depressing me. - Ara epitomized like a child. - Legally, we are not married, and that is the most important thing.
- And how do you know what vow you took before God?
The redhead hit her friend on the head.
- I don't even remember who gave us that vow! Are you kidding me? You can't see this person in the picture!
Solbin rolled her eyes.
- I hope that when we return to Korea, we will forget this foolishness rapidly. I'll focus on seeking employment, occupy my head with meaningless thoughts, as long as I don't recall that nightmare night.
- Stop it, Sol. You lost your virginity, and you're acting as if you found out you have a terminal illness.
- For me, the first time was supposed to be special with a man I would love. I'm not like you, so yes, this is as much of a shock to me as finding out about a terminal illness! - she exclaimed in a whisper.
- Okay, let's say it's important if you got pregnant. You didn't even take a phone number from this man.... do you want to be a single mother? Even if you do, you need alimony.
This time it was Ara who got in her head from her friend.
- If you mention pregnancy again, I swear I'll kick you off the board!
The redhead stretched in her chair and looked at Solbin with sympathetic eyes.
- You are panicking so much, and I would advise you to just go to a gynecologist for a check-up. There you will hear the truth.
*
After leaving the bathroom, Solbin sat in the middle of the fluffy carpet, looking at the wall for a good five minutes.
- Is it really possible that nothing happened between us? - she whispered to herself, wondering what could have happened that she was stripped down to her underwear, sleeping in the same bed with Jungkook. - Any chance I didn't turn him on?
She shook off these thoughts.
- Bottom line. I should be happy, if I didn't make a mistake, I would regret it for the rest of my life. I can still experience my first time with someone I will love. - She let the air out of her mouth with relief - Even being high, I can control myself, that's for sure. This speaks well of me. I am a decent woman.
- Solbin, are you all right? - Mom's voice, brought her heart to a standstill for a moment. She took a deep breath and picked herself up from the floor, trying to recover so that her parents would not recognize that something bad had happened during the trip.
- Yes, mom!
- I thought you were talking to yourself.
- I was talking to Ara.
She came out of the room and smiled broadly, not letting on that something was wrong.
- You left your suitcase in the hallway and rushed into the bathroom so quickly that we didn't have an opportunity to greet you.
- I wanted to pee terribly. Now I can hug you. - She hugged her mother tightly, purring with joy. - It's only been a week, and I missed you very much.
The woman grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her away to look closely at her face.
- Did you mess up something in Thailand?
- What, no," she replied hastily, but the blush on her face, betrayed that she was lying. The mother squinted her eyes. - I came back safe and sound. Everything is fine.
- I know you inside out, you won't fool me, Solbin. - The girl opened her eyes wider. - Did you meet what bachelor? - Nothing can be hidden from her. - I hope you will tell me about him later. Now come and eat something.
- Mom, there is nothing to tell about. I didn't even have an opportunity to get to know him well. It was a very short acquaintance, and I'm sure I'll never meet him again," she defended herself fiercely, not wanting to talk about the subject in detail. She wanted to forget about this man as soon as possible.
*
A week has passed since the girls returned from Thailand. Solbin sent her resume to every good company, applying for a secretarial position. She hoped to find a job quickly, but so far, no one has reached out to her.
The main reason was that she had no experience besides a degree in the field.
If she fails, she will have to try with an internship....
- Stop worrying so much about finding a job. For now, you are not starving. - Ara always gave a damn about everything. She was the spoiled daughter of entrepreneurs who lacked nothing in life. She didn't have to seek employment because Daddy provided her with a no-limit card, since she was his beloved daughter.
If only he knew that she was not at all as polite as she pretended to be at home, and had the devil behind her ears....
- I do not come from a wealthy family.... I have to earn money for myself and help my parents in the process. They don't earn coconuts.
The redhead took a sip of orange juice and rolled her eyes.
- You graduated from a good university, you're intelligent, so you'll easily find a job. You are pretty, tall, shapely. You have a CEO, and a secretary is the CEO's business card. Furthermore, you will definitely be accepted somewhere.
- Wish it was all as simple as your words. - Solbin sighed loudly. More and more people came to the café, considering that it was approaching noon. They were sitting in the garden, sipping juice.
- The most important thing is that you have not lost your virginity. After all, this is your treasure. - Ara looked at her friend with amusement in her eyes.
- Stop making fun of me. At least I don't have a monkey mind like you. You are illegally married. - She snorted under her breath at the blonde.
Ara crossed her arms on her chest.
- I am gaining life experience. Everything must be tried, my dear. - She took her phone out of her purse as the ringtone of NCT U's latest song rang out. She furrowed her brow, noticing that it was an unfamiliar number. - Probably a silent admirer again who wants to go out with me.
Solbin was sipping juice through a straw, not taking her eyes off the redhead when she answered the call.
- Pardon? - This was the first time she had seen her friend turn deathly pale. She opened her mouth and stared at her face with terrified eyes.
- What is it? - Solbin asked in a whisper.
- Are you sure it's not a mistake? - Her hands began to tremble with nerves. - Yes, my name is Go Ara. Are you sure that my husband and I have a marriage certificate to collect?
Solbin spat out the juice she had been sipping through a straw so far.
- Thank you. - The redhead hung up and, frighteningly pale, put her cell phone back on the table. - Tell me how this is possible? How could we register our wedding in Korea while being in Thailand? For this, we need our signatures, proofs, and birth certificate....
She drank all the juice in one gulp, clenching her fingers on the glass.
- How is this possible? - whispered Solbin, trying to analyze it in her head.
- Is this some kind of damn magic, Sol? What really happened that night? Can you explain it rationally?
Both girls did not know the answer to this question. Only the shaman who wrote down their story on the pages of the notebook knew them....