Chapter 5

It was sunset, the evening air was perfect. A cool breeze wrapped itself around Ju-woon as he walked leisurely down the street, his headphones on , the musics beat guiding his steps. . today It was the kind of sunset that made everything feel unreal. Ju-woon loved this weather there was something about it that made him feel like the world had stopped, as if everything was happening at the perfect pace.

He had just finished up with his grocery run at the local supermarket. The usual stuff some quick snacks, a couple of cans of soup, fruit, maybe a few things he could throw together in the next few days.

As he made his way down the aisles, the soft hum of the store in the background

Ju-woon couldn't help but think about how nice it was to have these little moments of peace. His life had been a little chaotic lately, and although things seemed fine on the surface, there was a quiet kind of weight hanging over him. But right now, none of that mattered. It was a rare moment when everything felt... simple. Easy. He smiled to himself as he made his way toward the checkout counter.

With his groceries bagged and the subtle satisfaction of a day well-spent, Ju-woon strolled out of the store. His sneakers made soft sounds on the sidewalk as he walked, the cool breeze tugging at his hoodie. He adjusted the earbuds in his ears, lost in the music, humming along softly to the beat. He didn't think much about where he was going or what he was doing. It didn't really matter.

As he walked down the familiar route back home, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out absentmindedly, glancing at the screen. It was a message from Hyeon, one of his close friends from the art department.

"Yo, you free tonight?"Ju-woon's eyebrows raised slightly as he read it

Pausing in his tracks for a second. He knew where this was going. Hyeon was always dragging him into some kind of party or gathering. Still, he was kind of in the mood for it. It had been a while since he'd done anything social, and with how chill the evening felt, he could see himself having a good time

"Sure. What's up?"

"party at Yujin's place tonight you should come. ."

Ju-woon tapped out a quick reply, nodding to himself as he read the message. It was the usual thing, but for some reason, it felt like something he needed. Or maybe he just wanted a little more noise to break up the quiet he'd been in.

"I'll think about it I'll let you know later."

He slipped his phone back into his pocket, letting the soft hum of his music fill the air again. The streets were almost empty now, the sky glowing . Everything felt... perfect. Ju-woon wasn't in any rush. He didn't need to think too much about what was next. He had his night planned for now.

When he finally reached his apartment, he let himself inside, the familiar scent of his place welcoming him. He kicked off his shoes, tossed his grocery bags on the counter, and made his way to continue working on his art project. It had become a little ritual whenever he was in the mood to clear his head, he'd pick up his brushes, set them against the canvas, and just paint. No grand ideas. No specific goals. Just whatever came to mind.

his hand started moved instinctively, the brush strokes flowing smoothly as his mind wandered. His thoughts drifted to the day how it felt to be out, the breeze, the sunset. It was like everything else fell away when he was painting. The world got quieter. And in those moments, nothing else really mattered.

As he painted, a thought lingered. Hyeon had been right—he did need to get out tonight. It wasn't often he let himself get caught up in the chaos of a party, but tonight felt like a good time to do it.

meanwhile that was happening Min-ho leaned back against the worn-out couch, his phone in his hand as he stared at the screen, eyes half closed. He wasn't the kind of guy who liked to do anything with too much effort. He lived his life by the "whatever" mentality if something was easy and felt good, he did it. If not, he moved on.

Right now, he was on FaceTime with a friend, laughing about something again. The connection was a little spotty, but it didn't bother him. He was too used to this.

"Yeah, I got invited too," Min-ho said lazily, his voice a little more muffled than usual "Hyeon hit me up yesterday about the party. Told me I should stop by ill head over later"

His friend on the other end made a noise of agreement, clearly just as uninterested as Min-ho felt about the whole thing. But Min-ho wasn't about to turn down a party—free drinks, people to mess with, and the chance to kill time. It was the perfect excuse to leave his apartment and actually be social, even if he didn't care that much.

"I'll probably head there around 10 or something," Min-ho continued, his fingers scrolling through his phone. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure Ju-woon's going. Hyeon told me. I'm sure I'll see him there."

There was a pause as his friend on the other end nodded in acknowledgment, agreeing that it'd be interesting to see what happened. Min-ho just grinned.

"Should be fun. See you there," Min-ho added, before hanging up and tossing his phone on the table in front of him.

For a moment, Min-ho just stared at the ceiling. His mind wandered, but it didn't go far. The party was going to be the same as always—loud, messy, and full of people who didn't matter much in the grand scheme of things. He wasn't particularly excited, but then again, he wasn't really the type to get excited over anything.

It was just another night, nothing much. 

Right?

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