Underground Bar

Kang Jinha floated back to his room as though he was sleepwalking before closing the door behind him. 

And as soon as he did, all the strength left his body and he collapsed like a broken marionette with its string severed. He clutched his throat with one hand as a violent tremor wracked his entire body. 

Breathe, he told himself. Breathe, Kang Jinha. 

It was to no avail, however. He still felt as if the walls were crushing in on him. His heart seemed to have transformed into a balloon and it kept expanding and expanding until his chest was about to burst at its seams. Each laborious breath he took was reduced to a wheeze, sounding like the air was leaking out of his throat. 

"...Ugh!" 

Slapping a hand over his mouth, Kang Jinha stumbled into the bathroom and kneeled over the toilet to throw up the milk he had just drunk as well as the dinner that had yet to be digested. Only after nothing was left in his stomach did his nausea ease and he could breathe once more. 

Panting heavily, he flushed the toilet and struggled to stand with his shaky feet. 

He then turned on the tap and splashed some cold water onto his face. Surrounded by the sound of rushing water, he supported his arms on the sink and stared at himself in the mirror, at how haunting and haggard he looked.

"I can't let Aunt and Minhyuk see me like this tomorrow…" he muttered to himself. Those two people would definitely worry about him and wonder if they had mistreated him somehow, and that's the last thing he had wanted to see. 

Making up his mind, Kang Jinha left the bathroom, put on the first jacket he saw and stuffed his phone and wallet into his pocket. "Just for a while…" he mumbled as if trying to remind himself, "I'll just be gone for a while. I will return before they wake up." 

Once again, he slipped out of his room without a sound and glanced at the guest rooms where his aunt and cousin were staying. Faint light spilled out from the gap beneath one of the doors, and he knew without a doubt that Kwon Minhyuk had resumed working after brewing himself a cup of coffee. 

Kang Jinha was not the slightest bit nervous, however. He'd had plenty of experience sneaking out of the house under his cousin's nose that he could find his way even with his eyes closed. 

After his face was ruined by the monster's venom, walking around under the daylight was no longer an option for him lest he scare the public, thus he could only do it during late hours when everyone else had already gone to sleep. 

Turning away, Kang Jinha secured a hat on his head and covered his face with a black mask, only revealing a pair of icy blue eyes which radiated gloom. He was aware that he didn't need to bundle himself up anymore, but he still felt safer this way. 

With utter ease, he exited the house and evaded surveillance cameras along the way. 

At such an ungodly hour, the security guards couldn't resist dozing off in their post, and the only thing Kang Jinha needed to pay attention to was the ones on patrol duty and the CCTVs. But they posed no problem for him. Around fifteen minutes later, he managed to leave the residential complex like a quiet ghost, making full use of the darkness and his slender stature. 

Walking down the desolate street, he couldn't help but look around while comparing the scene with his memory. "Oh, that store hasn't closed down yet… and that high-rise building is still under construction. How nostalgic." Under the veil of the night, Kang Jinha was akin to a fish swimming agilely in water. The tension in his body ebbed away, and the tightness in his chest also loosened ever so slightly. 

But alas, this world still felt unfamiliar to him. He was at a loss because he had no idea where to go. 

Should he return to his old house? 

He considered this for two seconds before shaking his head. The journey there was too far, and he could only make it if he hailed a taxi or boarded a bus. The back-and-forth trip would waste too much time. Plus, his sentiments toward that house mainly lay with the person living within. With his grandmother still alive, the house no longer held the same importance it once did to him.

As Kang Jinha pondered over his limited choices, he continued to walk aimlessly, allowing his feet to guide him wherever. 

He only snapped back to his senses when he realized that his surroundings were no longer tranquil. Unbeknownst to himself, he had wandered too far and ended up in an unknown location. 

He had no idea where he was now. Looking around, he noticed that the area was dominated by old buildings squeezed together like a pack of sardines. Neon lights flicker to life from the signboards overhead, their electric glow casting a sheen on the cobblestones. The air was thick with the mingling scents of sizzling skewers, sweet roasted chestnuts, and the faint tang of spilled liquor from nearby food stalls. People crowded his line of sight, talking and laughing, their cheeks flushed with either laughter, alcohol, or the chilly night air. 

The rest of the city had drifted into slumber, yet it seemed like only this hidden quarter had awakened to life. 

Kang Jinha stood still in place, at an utter loss. Where was he now? Had he stumbled into another realm, perhaps? The atmosphere here was so different from the up-scale community he lived in that he couldn't help but wonder as such. 

When a group of young women walked past him, Kang Jinha reflexively tugged the brim of his hat lower and stepped aside to avoid bumping into them. 

"Hey, hey, is that news true? Is RYU really going to appear tonight?!" 

"Heol, how many years has he been on hiatus? Three, four years? It seems like he hasn't produced any songs since Doomsday!" 

"Right, everyone almost thought that he'd died!"

"So is it just a rumor, after all?"

"Ah, I don't care. I want to go there and try my luck!"

Their voices were so loud that Kang Jinha's eyes couldn't help but trail after them. 

He saw the whole group heading straight to an entrance which led underground. The signboard overhead was written as 'Midnight Tryst' with bright red neon lights surrounding the words, extremely eye-catching. If he listened carefully, he could hear faint music emanating from there, barely audible above the din. 

This was… an underground bar?

The group of young women were not the first visitors Kang Jinha noticed. Over the next ten minutes, people continued to walk through the entrance in two or threes. Women were dressed to impress with their pretty outfits and stunning make-up, while the men were more casual. Kang Jinha even spotted a few men in suits holding a briefcase, seemingly having come here straight from their workplace, their faces haggard yet filled with anticipation for what was to come. 

They seemed to exude a certain aura that made Kang Jinha unable to look away. 

It was an indescribable kind of wildness, of giddiness, of… madness. 

What is it? Kang Jinha couldn't help but wonder. What makes you so happy? What makes you seem so… free? 

At that moment, he was akin to a starving traveler catching a whiff of mouth-watering aroma from a distance. Before he even realized what was happening, his feet had led him toward the entrance like he was bound by a spell. 

As he descended the creaky stairs, he could feel the vibration in the air more and more clearly. The air carried a mixture of perfumes, cigarette, and alcohol, creating an indescribable blend that sent his head spiraling. 

What was he doing here? What exactly did he want to do? Did he not have somewhere better to go than a fucking underground bar?! 

Alas, it was too late by the time Kang Jinha wanted to retreat. 

The path behind him was blocked by people, and the dim corridor was so narrow that it could only accommodate two people at most. At a moment of inattention, Kang Jinha was swept away by the crowd, and the next thing he knew, a thick double door swung open before him. 

It was… too loud!!

Deafening music blared through the air, and the ground beneath his feet seemed to shake and pulsate along with the beat. Colorful lights flashed from somewhere unknown, illuminating the sea of bodies twisting and dancing before him. 

He nearly choked from the pungent mix of smoke and booze in the air. Less than five seconds had passed and Kang Jinha had already wished he had never stepped foot in here. He should have never given in to curiosity! 

Now it was too late for regrets. He could not even go back the way he came from. 

A force persistently pushed him forward, and he could only relent with some helplessness before he was trampled by the crowd, all the while clutching onto the hat atop his head. 

Kang Jinha's eyes frantically swept over the blurred faces around him before he spotted a space that was relatively empty further inside. Bracing himself, he ducked his head and weaved through the crowd, but halfway through, someone suddenly grabbed his shoulder! 

Shocked, he swung his fist by reflex, but luckily he managed to brake himself on time when his eyes met with a pair of smiling ones. The one who had stopped him was a woman with long curly brown hair that reached her waist, clad in a revealing dress that left little to the imagination. 

Alas, Kang Jinha hadn't even had a proper look at the other person's face when she suddenly leaned into his ear and shouted to rival the music, "Here for the first time?!"

Kang Jinha instinctively recoiled when he sensed her approach. It wasn't only due to the proximity, but also the smell of her perfume which caused his nose to itch even through the mask he was wearing. He did not bother wondering why she could see through him in a glance – he simply wanted to leave this place as soon as possible. Just right, this person seemed to know her way around. 

Not wanting to get too close, Kang Jinha opted to raise his voice instead, "Excuse me, where's the exit?!" 

Apparently, the woman failed to hear him and shouted out an 'huh?!'

"Where's the exit?!" Kang Jinha swore he had never shouted so loud before. Even then, his voice was still lost amidst the pandemonium. It took all of his strength to voice that one question, so much that he was left panting a little afterwards. Yet at the same time, there was just something about this lack of restraint that loosened the tension in his nerves. 

Fortunately, his question was heard this time. 

The woman responded with an amused laugh. "Why would you want to leave when you can have all the fun here?!" her bright red lips moved so fast that Kang Jinha failed to register what she was saying. "Fun, do you hear me?! Let's have fun and forget all of our troubles!" 

She opened her arms wide and laughed out loud. 

Kang Jinha stared at her in surprise as she tossed her head back and finished her drink in one gulp before placing it aside and diving to the dance floor. An intoxicating flush colored her cheeks as she twirled along with the rhythm of the music, with an ever present smile on her face.

What makes you so happy? 

The question once again surfaced in his mind. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the office worker he had seen entering this place moments ago. The bespectacled man, who had appeared so prim and proper earlier, was now standing on top of the table with half of his shirt unbuttoned, his tie hanging loosely around his neck. He was holding a bottle of liquor in his hand, dancing and singing in abandon while people cheered wildly around him. 

Kang Jinha stood still in a daze.

He seemed to have understood something. 

It wasn't that they were happy – it's just that only in this place, at this moment, could they shed off the façade they wore during the day and unleash the madness that had been suppressed in their hearts. 

Here, everything was covered in a shadow of glamor and concealed under the flashing lights. 

Here, no matter how hard you shouted, cried, or danced, no one would judge you or look at you with scrutinizing eyes. Here, you could fully let loose and free the side of yourself which couldn't be shown under the daylight. 

Let's have fun and forget all of our troubles! The woman's exuberant remark crossed his mind once more. 

Fun… huh? 

Slowly, the hand that was tightly gripping the hat loosened, and Kang Jinha raised his head to take in this hidden yet magical place for the first time. "Maybe," he muttered to himself, "this is what I need tonight?"

Hadn't he been craving for some liquor all along?