The Next Life (?? ?? ???)

"Y/N?"

The sounds of my name being called and the front door closing barely registered to me, my vision completely blank as my head rested on my arm on the dining table. I faintly recognised footsteps striding over to me. I lifted my head and cracked my eyes open ever so slightly, the light that peered in sending shockwaves of pressure and pain through my skull.

"...you stink. I thought you said you didn't drink."

I clutched the bridge of my nose, squeezing my hazy eyes shut. I didn't, not usually. But when I rediscovered Wendy's stash of soju that morning, and the sight of it triggered a cascade of memories, one thing led to another, and...

"I still don't understand why you keep coming over." My words came out like cursive writing in sonic form. "The others need it more."

"The others," she slid the half empty soju bottle away from my grasp, "aren't capable of drinking themselves half to death with a single bottle."

"I'm the only one who deserves it. She died wh–"

"Y/N, we're not doing this again." Standing behind me, she slapped both hands on my shoulder. "Go get yourself cleaned up. Take a shower. A cold one, preferably."

"But–"

"No "but"s." She squeezed my shoulders, causing me to tense up by reflex. "If you're not out in 15 minutes, I'm calling an ambulance."

My thoughts swirling in my head, I begrudgingly conceded. I stood up from my chair and shambled over to get cleaned up.

The water bit into my skin, especially with winter approaching. It would appear that Sooyoung was right; though it wasn't doing the impossible and sobering me up completely, it did jolt me awake the moment the water hit my skin. In fact, it was out of the question to even think of anything while I was in the shower. An added bonus to the situation, it seemed.

When I stepped out of the bathroom in fresh clothes that didn't smell of alcohol, I was greeted by the sounds of metal clanging and the faucet running in the kitchen.

"See? Much better." Sooyoung turned off the faucet and revealed two bowls of instant ramen, which she picked up and placed on the newly tidied dining table.

I could only clear my throat in response, my mouth feeling dry. I went over to get myself a glass of water as she produced a couple sets of cutlery from the silverware drawer. The cold water did little for my dull headache, but it brought instant relief to my throat.

Sooyoung and I sat at our usual spots at the table, in the far corner of the rectangular dining table. I mumbled my thanks for the food as we began to eat.

"So Christmas is next Sunday." Her words, initially muffled, cleared up after she swallowed her food. "Any plans?"

I nearly scoffed, my noodles suddenly becoming just a little less appetising. Holidays were always spent with Wendy, since we'd had no one but each other for a long time. I shrugged. "I'll probably stay here alone and rot."

She responded with a bitter laugh. "I almost wish I could rot together with you, honestly." Letting out a sigh, she cracked her neck. "What better time than the holidays to be belittled for my life choices and compared to my little sisters, right?"

I almost spoke up, telling her to be grateful that she had a family to belittle her, but I decided against it, instead taking in another mouthful.

Her bringing up Christmas, however, did fill me with a new dread. It was the 16th, and the end of the month was approaching. I'd been ghosting my manager and skipping out on work ever since... the incident. A problem for future Y/N, I told myself, though it did little to quell the rising pit I felt growing in my stomach.