#― 𝑰𝑵𝑪𝑳𝑼𝑫𝑰𝑵𝑮 ! ❯ loosecchange.

[myjinri]

aaes winter gala closed starter for @loosecchange

the gala still had some runtime left, but jinri wanted to leave. she had been one of the first arrivals, and have been making small talk all night with whoever was around her. her social battery is low and has been extremely low for the past half hour, but according to her manager, she's expected to be here for another hour. perferably two, but they weren't going to push her if she absolutely couldn't stand being there anymore. she had felt like a robot since she arrived, running on autopilot, giving well-trained answers to questions with a small smile on her face to mask her true feelings. fuck. she needed a drink badly, but she had promised herself she wouldn't go anywhere near any alcohol while away from home.

the start of dinner provided her an escape from reality into her own mind. she kept an ear listening in case someone spoke to her, which rarely happened since she appeared to be focused on her food instead of the people she was sitting with. occasionally she'd bring herself back to the present and add in a few comments to the discussion going on at the table, but went back into her mind once she had nothing else to contribute. she had spaced out long enough to have completely missed the small ceremony the event was having as well. noticing that the people around her were speaking once again, she quickly looked around to see if anyone notice she was out of it.

her scan of the room was what made her realize she was sitting next to someone she knew: hyunwoo. that fact startled her a bit because she had been detached enough that she didn't take the time to see the people she may have been talking to. she can't remember if she had spoken to him directly in that time, which she internally cursed herself for. she couldn't remember what was the last thing they were texting each other about either, nor who was the last one to respond. jinri had an inkling it might've been her, only contributing to her thought of being the worst friend someone could have "hey stranger, long time no see. i almost didn't notice you there." it takes everything in her to muster up a smile that reaches her eyes opposed to the blank stare she just had, but it was still genuine. diving into a full conversation may be something she regrets with how mentally exhausted she is, but jinri felt as if she owed hyunwoo an attempt at the very least. "have you been enjoying the night so far? 'cause i'm trying but it's been difficult. and potentially give me a few tips if you're having a better time than me?" she's a little nevous, barely voicing her last sentence from uncertainty of how her words would be received by him. after all, hyunwoo could be upset with her for all she knows.

[myjinri]

the idol nearly wants to roll her eyes at the words as soon as she heard them. since jinri knows the actor a bit, hyunwoo's reply really isn't that shocking. having shared a couple of drinks with actor and potentially being bad influences on each other, she should've expected that to be his big 'secret' behind being able to enjoy himself at these events was alcohol. not that jinri was judging, because she would be a huge hypocrite if she was since it was the same for her.

but no matter how predictable it may have been, it was still disappointing to hear. jinri slumps back in her seat and groans as she closed her eyes. "is it impossible to enjoy this gala painfully sober?" the answer is yes. well, at least for her it's impossible. she's so close to just giving up on her promise in favor of feeling that comfortable buzz. she opens her eyes once again and looks directly at his cocktail. she hesitates with saying her next few words, as it opens a door she wanted to leave closed tonight. "is it any good? might have to try it later if you like it." her gaze shifts back to the other's eyes, not wanting to tempt herself any further. "i'm tired. i've tried almost every trick in the book to make this night go by faster and nothing really worked."

before she can even think about retreating back into her own thoughts, hyunwoo's mention of a game keeps her attention. her eyes follows the direction of his point and she closely listens to every word with a small smile on her face. the game is silly, but it surprises jinri enough that she lets out a giggle. it's not the stuffy business talk she's been engaging in, so she's willing to indulge hyunwoo in his game. maybe tonight wouldn't be as bad as she initially thought? she picks up her glass of water, but speaks before she takes a sip. "i hope everything you said actually happens, because i am totally blaming you if i go on any social media and see that." she's way too amused at this for her liking, but it's the highlight of her night so far.

"mind if i give it a try?" she doesn't wait for an answer as she turns around to scan the room, looking for a target. jinri's scanning the room for a few seconds before she stops on someones that catches her interest. she's silent as she observes them, appearing as if she was lost in thought again before she speaks again. "look at those two," pointing in the direction of two young and relatively unknown individuals who are terrible at acting like they don't know each other. "they were giving each other heart eyes a few seconds ago. potentially a newfound relationship or one that hasn't had it's time to fully blossom. maybe a dating ban is causing their caution? an insider with loose lips catches them and a blind item post goes up by the end of the weekend. however, they go undetected since neither are stars yet." she takes another sip of water once she finishes. in her opinion, it's not as funny as hyunwoo's, and she has no idea if she's anywhere close to the truth, but it was fun coming up with a scenario on the spot. an incoming question for hyunwoo finally pulls her attention away from the two 'lovebirds'. "was i a victim of your little game earlier as well?" she's well aware she wasn't at the top of her game tonight, so she wouldn't have blamed the other if he decided to have a little fun with the reasoning behind why jinri was so out of it.

it was a good distraction, but the feelings and thoughts she had prior to this conversation returns. once again, jinri is quiet as she tries to find something else to say in order to keep the conversation going. all she could think about were remarks at her expense, so that's what she went with. "if i didn't know any better, i'd say you're looking for trouble engaging in a conversation with me at an event like this." she's a little anxious at the thought of things being misconstrued into something it's not. even though she has been working on it, jinri's still not entirely favorable in the eyes of the public and has no doubt they'd have a field day making her a villain once again.