"Also, the other day—"
I didn't let Shu finish whatever mortifying story she was about to share. Without hesitation, I slapped my hand over her mouth.
"Stop," I said firmly, my glare sharp, as I could feel the heat rushing to my face, probably glowing red at this point.
Shu, of course, just smirked beneath my hand, clearly unfazed.
"Okay, but on one condition," she said mischievously, her words muffled against my palm.
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. "What condition?"
"Give me a kiss," she demanded with exaggerated puckered lips, sending a fresh wave of horror through me.
"Eww!" I grimaced, pulling my hand away just as she leaned in, attempting to kiss me. I quickly blocked her with both hands. "Stop it! Ugh. If your boyfriend knew what you're doing, he'd leave you in a heartbeat."
"Oh, he wouldn't," Shu replied with a laugh, completely unfazed.
Of course she wouldn't care. Shu, the ever-playful troublemaker, rarely stayed in a relationship long enough to worry about things like boundaries.
"I just want one kiss," she teased, puckering her lips again and laughing as she leaned toward me. "C'mon, just one?"
She was clearly messing with me, enjoying my discomfort far too much.
For anyone unfamiliar with how my two best friends and I interact, I'm sure this would look insanely inappropriate—like we were in some weird polygamous relationship.
But we're not.
We're just… incredibly close. We've been through everything together growing up, and that kind of bond tends to blur lines for others looking in.
Also, let's be real—they're both obsessively affectionate toward me. And sometimes, it's a little too much.
"They're always like this, by the way," I heard Yujin say to the others in the group, her tone casual, as if she'd long been accustomed to Gigi and Shu's antics with me.
"Yeah, this is completely normal for them," Somi added, laughing along.
"Ugh," I groaned, still fending off Shu's relentless attempts. "God, woman, how many shots have you had?" I muttered, exasperated. In a last-ditch effort, I raised my hand toward Ari. "Ari, help me!"
Without hesitation, Ari reached over and pulled me effortlessly toward her, causing me to stumble and land squarely on her lap.
Breathe.
You don't know how loud I'm screaming in my head right now.
"Ah, not fair!" Shu whined, dramatically pouting. "Come sit on my lap—I'll keep you warm!"
Before I could respond, Ari placed both hands gently on my waist and pulled me even closer to her.
Oh my god. Yuu, breathe. Breathe.
"You're drunk, Shu," I said flatly, doing my best to keep my voice steady despite my current predicament.
But Shu, being Shu, just whined even louder, clearly unfazed by my tone. Before I could continue scolding her, Gigi returned, plopping into the circle with a raised brow.
"What did I miss?" she asked with an oblivious tone.
I am officially done with this game.
I excused myself, telling the group I needed to tuck in Shu, who was looking more and more like a wilting plant about to keel over.
Ari, being the angel she always was, offered to help, but I quickly declined. First, because I was still embarrassingly flustered from earlier, and second, because this was my perfect excuse to escape this nonsense.
Once upstairs, I helped Shu out of her makeup and into her pajamas, carefully tucking her into bed like the overqualified babysitter I apparently am.
"Thank you," she mumbled with a sleepy smile. "Best birthday ever."
I couldn't help but smile at that. "Sleep well, birthday girl."
As I turned to leave, I heard the soft sound of her snoring, already fast asleep.
I was on my way to my room when I heard Ari's voice calling out to me.
"Yuu, is Shu asleep?" she asked, briskly walking toward me with that radiant smile of hers.
God, she's a literal work of art. Honestly, I wouldn't mind having her face as the last thing I see before going to sleep tonight.
Ari was saying something else, but I completely missed it because I was too busy being captivated by her ridiculously gorgeous smile.
"What do you say?" she asked again, her hopeful smile making my knees weak.
Without even thinking—or confirming what she'd just said—I responded, "Yeah, sure."
"Great! Let's go," she said, grabbing my hand. My heart practically leapt out of my chest at the contact.
Before I knew it, I was back in the circle, seated beside Ari, who was beaming at me like I'd just made her day.
"Welcome back, Ice Princess," Gigi teased with a smirk. "Knowing you, I thought you'd bailed for good, but here you are."
What. The. Fudge.