drunk act

⋆ 𐙚 ̊.CHAPTER 16✶⋆.˚

🇽​​🇴​, ​🇪​​🇻​​🇪​​🇱​​🇾​​🇳

Evelyn stormed through the crowd, ignoring the flashing lights, the pulsing bass, and the dozens of students laughing and dancing around her. She didn't know where she was going—all she knew was that she had to get away.

Her vision was slightly blurred, though whether it was from the alcohol or the lump in her throat, she wasn't sure. What the hell was wrong with her? Why did she care? Minho could kiss whoever he wanted, and it had absolutely nothing to do with her.

Right?

Pushing past a group of students, she finally found a quiet corner near the staircase. She pressed her back against the wall, inhaling sharply.

Breathe, Evelyn. Just breathe.

But the image of Minho with Madison refused to leave her mind. The way his arms had been loosely wrapped around her, the way Madison had leaned into him, the way he had just stood there—not pulling away, not stopping her.

Evelyn clenched her jaw.

"Ugh," she groaned, rubbing her temples. She needed to snap out of it. Maybe she should go back to her dorm, sleep this whole night off, and pretend none of this happened.

But before she could push herself off the wall, someone stepped in front of her.

Minho.

His usual confident smirk was nowhere to be found. Instead, he looked... frustrated. Annoyed. But more than anything, he looked conflicted.

Evelyn rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Oh, great. What do you want, Minho?"

"Seriously?" His voice was sharp, but there was something underlying in his tone—something almost uncertain. "What the hell was that?"

She let out a bitter laugh. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I interrupt your little moment back there?" She crossed her arms, feigning indifference.

Minho's brows furrowed. "That's not—" He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "What were you doing with Jaebum?"

Evelyn blinked. For a second, she thought she misheard him.

"What?"

"You heard me," Minho said, his voice lower now. There was an edge to it, something almost dangerous. "You don't even know that guy, and you just—"

"Oh, and I suppose you know Madison?" Evelyn cut him off, tilting her head. "Please. She's just another girl throwing herself at you, and you love it."

Minho's jaw tightened. "At least I wasn't grinding on a random stranger."

Evelyn let out a sharp, humorless laugh. "Oh, so that's what this is about? You're mad because I danced with someone else? News flash, Minho—I don't belong to you."

His eyes darkened. "I never said you did."

"Then why do you care?" she challenged, stepping closer. "Why did you follow me out here?"

Minho stared at her, his expression unreadable.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The only thing between them was the pounding music in the background and the tension so thick it was suffocating.

Then, his lips parted, like he was about to say something.

But he didn't.

Instead, he clenched his jaw, shook his head, and turned on his heel.

And just like that, he walked away.

Evelyn stood there, frozen, watching his retreating figure.

Her heart was pounding. Her hands were trembling.

Evelyn stood there for a moment, her breath uneven, her mind racing. What the hell was that? Minho had looked—what? Angry? Annoyed? Jealous? No. That was impossible. He didn't care about her like that.

Then why did he follow me?

She pressed her fingers against her temples, closing her eyes. This was getting too complicated. Minho was just Minho. The same arrogant, insufferable guy who thrived on annoying her. He wasn't supposed to make her feel like this—like her heart was about to claw its way out of her chest.

And yet, here she was.

With a frustrated sigh, she turned on her heel and made her way back inside.

The party was still in full swing—students were dancing, laughing, and the air was thick with the scent of alcohol and perfume. She spotted Kitty and Q near the drinks table, but she wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone right now. She needed air.

She pushed past the crowd and stepped outside onto the balcony, breathing in the cool night air. She leaned against the railing, staring at the city lights in the distance.

Forget about him, she told herself. Forget about tonight. Just let it go.

But just as she was starting to calm down, she heard the sound of footsteps behind her.

A part of her hoped—no, expected—it to be Minho.

But it wasn't.

It was Jaebum.

"There you are," he said smoothly, stepping closer. "I was starting to think you disappeared on me."

Evelyn forced a small smile. "Yeah, just needed some air."

Jaebum leaned against the railing beside her, a smirk playing on his lips. "Too much excitement for one night?"

"You could say that."

He chuckled, then turned to face her fully. "You know, we never got to finish our dance."

Evelyn hesitated. Something about the way he was looking at her—it felt off.

Before she could respond, Jaebum reached out, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "You're really beautiful, you know that?"

She took a small step back. "Uh, thanks."

Jaebum didn't seem to notice—or maybe he didn't care—because he reached for her waist, pulling her closer.

Evelyn's heart sped up, but not in the way it had with Minho.

This wasn't excitement. This was discomfort.

"Jaebum," she started, trying to keep her voice steady. "I think—"

But before she could finish, a new voice cut through the night air.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Evelyn's eyes widened.

Minho.

He stood at the entrance of the balcony, his jaw clenched, his eyes burning with fury.

Jaebum scoffed. "Dude, relax."

Minho ignored him, his gaze locked onto Evelyn. "Are you okay?"

She hesitated for only a second before nodding. "Yeah. I'm fine."

Jaebum rolled his eyes. "Man, you need to chill. We were just talking."

Minho took a step forward, his expression dark. "Didn't look like just talking to me."

Jaebum smirked. "What's your problem, man? You jealous?"

Evelyn's stomach twisted.

But Minho didn't even flinch. Instead, he stepped even closer, his voice dangerously low.

"My problem," he said slowly, "is that I don't like seeing guys like you getting handsy when a girl is clearly uncomfortable."

Jaebum raised his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. No need to get all protective. Sheesh."

Then, with one last glance at Evelyn, he muttered, "Your loss," and walked away.

Silence settled between them.

Evelyn let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding.

Minho ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply before turning to face her. "You sure you're okay?"

Evelyn met his gaze, something unspoken passing between them.

And for the first time that night, she didn't feel like running away.

She nodded. "Yeah. Thanks, Minho."

He held her gaze for a second longer before looking away, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Come on," he muttered. "Let's get out of here."

And without another word, he started walking.

And this time, Evelyn didn't hesitate before following him.

Evelyn followed Minho down the dimly lit hallway, the muffled bass of the party still thumping behind them. Neither of them spoke, but the air between them was thick—charged with something unspoken.

She didn't know where they were going, but she didn't care. She just needed to be away from everything—the party, Jaebum, and most of all, the way her chest tightened every time she thought about Minho and Madison.

Minho finally stopped near a quiet corner of the house, leaning against the wall with a heavy sigh. He ran a hand through his perfectly styled hair, messing it up just slightly.

Evelyn crossed her arms. "You gonna tell me what that was back there?"

Minho scoffed. "You mean stopping you from making a dumb decision? You're welcome."

Evelyn rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. I was handling it just fine."

Minho's jaw tightened. "Yeah? Because from where I was standing, you looked anything but fine."

Evelyn opened her mouth to argue but stopped. Was she fine? Truthfully, she wasn't sure. The alcohol in her system made everything feel hazy, but she did know one thing—when Jaebum touched her, she didn't like it.

And Minho noticed.

That realization made something inside her stir.

"Whatever," she muttered, shifting her weight. "I didn't need you to swoop in like some kind of knight in shining armor."

Minho smirked, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Trust me, Raven, you're the last person I'd want to save."

"Then why did you?" she challenged, stepping closer.

Minho's expression faltered for just a second—just long enough for Evelyn to see something flicker in his gaze.

But then, he scoffed, looking away. "Because unlike you, I actually use my brain. And my brain told me that you were about to make a really bad choice."

Evelyn clenched her jaw. "Oh, and making out with Madison wasn't a bad choice?"

Minho's head snapped back toward her, his smirk completely vanishing.

Bingo.

She crossed her arms tighter, refusing to let the lump in her throat show. "Yeah, I saw you. Looked like I interrupted something important."

Minho's lips pressed into a thin line. "You're seriously bringing that up right now?"

"Why not?" she shot back. "You're acting like you care so much about me and my choices, but you were literally two seconds away from shoving your tongue down Madison's throat."

Minho scoffed. "Oh, so that's what this is about."

Evelyn's face heated. "This isn't about anything."

He took a step closer. "Are you jealous?"

She laughed—too quickly. "Jealous? Of you? Please."

Minho tilted his head, studying her. "You sure? Because it kinda seems like you are."

Evelyn's heart was pounding so loud she swore he could hear it. She hated this—hated the way he got under her skin, the way he could read her like an open book even when she didn't want to be read.

She needed to get out of here.

"God, you are so full of yourself," she muttered, turning on her heel. "I'm going back to my dorm."

But before she could take another step, Minho grabbed her wrist.

Her breath hitched.

The contact was warm—solid. And for a second, she didn't move.

Minho's voice was quieter now, but still firm. "Evelyn."

She swallowed hard, refusing to look at him. "Let go."

A pause. Then—

"You're crazy."

"So are you."

He exhaled, but she could hear the hint of frustration in it. "Just... let me walk you back."

Evelyn finally turned to face him, her lips parted in surprise. "Why?"

Minho hesitated. His grip on her wrist loosened, but he didn't let go.

For a moment, it looked like he wanted to say something—something real.

But then, as quickly as it appeared, it was gone.

He smirked. "Because if you trip and fall on your ass, I wanna be there to laugh."

Evelyn rolled her eyes, yanking her wrist free. "You're impossible."

Minho just grinned. "And you love it."

She didn't respond. She just turned and started walking, partly because she was too drunk to deal with him right now and mostly knowing—without having to look—that he was right behind her.

The music was still pounding, neon lights flashing wildly across the packed dance floor when Minho caught sight of Professor Finnerty. His stomach dropped.

"Shit."

His sharp eyes darted to the entrance, where, just as he feared, Principal Lim and Professor Lee were stepping inside. Their disapproving gazes swept across the chaotic party scene.

Minho didn't waste a second. He spun around and grabbed Evelyn's hand, lacing his fingers through hers as he yanked her towards the nearest exit.

"Party's over, we need to go."

Evelyn barely had time to react before she was being dragged through the crowd. She could hear Minho shouting at people on the way.

"Q! Florian! Get out, now!"

"Pack it up, we've been found!"

The rush of adrenaline mixed with the alcohol swirling in her system made everything feel surreal. She giggled as Minho pulled her along, her heels barely keeping up with his quick steps.

Outside, the cold night air hit them like a wave. They sprinted towards the dorms, Minho still gripping Evelyn's hand like a lifeline.

Halfway there, Evelyn stumbled. The alcohol was kicking in at full force now. Her vision blurred slightly, and her legs felt wobbly.

"Whoa—" she muttered, tipping forward.

Before she could hit the ground, Minho caught her by the waist, his grip firm yet careful.

"Are you serious right now?" Minho huffed, holding her steady.

Evelyn blinked up at him, her lips parting in an amused smile. She traced a finger lightly over his collarbone, her eyes hazy.

"You would look so handsome if you didn't always throw insults at me," she mumbled, her voice soft.

Minho stiffened.

His ears burned at the unexpected compliment. He could feel the warmth of her body against his, the way her fingers lightly traced his shirt.

But, being Minho, he quickly masked his reaction with a signature smirk.

"Oh?" he teased, tilting his head. "So you do find me handsome, huh?"

Evelyn giggled, swaying slightly in his arms. "Maaaybe."

Minho sighed, pulling her upright again. "Come on, let's get you back to the dorm before you embarrass yourself even more."

But Evelyn was not done talking.

She leaned in closer, her face just inches from his, her breath warm against his neck.

"Minhoooo," she drawled, poking his chest. "Why do you smell so good? It's actually unfair. Like, what is this? Expensive cologne? Natural hotness?"

Minho groaned, rolling his eyes. "God, you're so drunk."

Evelyn pouted. "I'm not drunk, you're drunk."

"I haven't had a drop of alcohol tonight, genius."

"Exactly, so technically, I win."

Minho raised an eyebrow. "That made absolutely no sense."

Evelyn let out a dramatic sigh. "Why do you always have to argue with me?"

"Because you're always wrong."

She gasped, placing a hand over her heart. "Wow. Rude."

Minho rolled his eyes, adjusting his hold on her waist so she wouldn't topple over again.

"You know what, let's just—"

But before he could finish, Evelyn placed a finger against his lips, effectively shutting him up.

"Minho?" she murmured, her eyes unusually soft.

He swallowed. "What?"

Her lips curled into a small smile. "Would you still hold me like this if I wasn't drunk?"

Minho froze.

His heart did a weird little flip, and for the first time that night, he was completely speechless.

But he recovered quickly, masking whatever he was feeling behind a smirk.

"You think too much when you're drunk, Raven."

Evelyn just hummed in response, resting her head against his shoulder.

Minho sighed, shifting her weight against him as he kept walking. He didn't answer her question.

Because deep down, he already knew the answer.

ruka:

yayyy double updates haha. i love this chapter its so cuteeeee. also I love you all so much for 2.6k reads!!! that's a LOT and I mean a LOTTT  i couldn't be more grateful !! <bows>