Chapter 30

That night, Ju-woon fell asleep without much thought. Honestly, at this point, he didn't know what he felt towards Min-ho, but he didn't care either. Even if it turned out to be something romantic... Wait, why was he even thinking about this?

The next day was the weekend, and... oh, crap. Ju-woon completely forgot. Today, he and a few others were supposed to go to a club. And, of course, Min-ho was going to be there.

Ju-woon just hoped it wouldn't turn out like the last time he got drunk. He didn't really know what to do with his day, so he ended up sleeping in, knowing he'd be up late. Not like he could fall asleep properly, anyway, since someone—Min-ho—was on his mind more than he cared to admit.

He drifted off without realizing it, only to be jolted awake by his phone ringing. It was Soo-bin. Oh, no. Please don't tell him he's coming…

Soo-bin's loud voice cut through the grogginess. "Yo, Ju-woon! You're coming to the club, right?"

How stupid was Soo-bin? Wasn't he the one who told him about it in the first place?

"Yeah, I'm coming. 10 pm, right?"

"Got it. See you then!"

Ju-woon hung up, checked the time, and froze. Shit. It was already 9 PM? How long had he been sleeping?

He quickly threw on a white shirt, baggy jeans, and a red zip-up hoodie, rushing out of his apartment. He got on the bus and headed straight for the club. It was a bit strange for them all to gather at a club instead of just having a party at someone's place, but whatever.

When he arrived, the music hit him first, a thumping bass vibrating through his chest. The flashing lights hurt his eyes, and he could hear laughter and screams from inside. It felt overwhelming, but familiar. Ju-woon wasn't usually the type to feel out of place in these settings, but tonight, there was something else—something different.

As soon as he stepped inside, he heard someone calling him.

"Hey, Ju-woon! Over here!" a voice yelled, cutting through the noise. Ju-woon turned to see a girl waving at him, and... that was, no, who even was that?

"Hey, I'm Ningyi," she said, her voice easily outshouting the music. "This weirdo over here told me about you."

Ju-woon followed her finger to see Min-ho grinning at him from across the room. The two exchanged glances—brief, but enough to make the tension feel heavier than usual.

"Nice to meet you," Ju-woon said, offering a small smile to Ningyi. She glanced at Min-ho with something like amusement before waving and walking off, leaving Ju-woon and Min-ho alone.

Min-ho grinned, that same cocky grin that made Ju-woon roll his eyes. "Don't just stand there like a statue. Let's go grab a drink."

Ju-woon shrugged and followed, not really caring about the drink itself. He wasn't even sure what he ordered—probably something to just numb the headache that had already begun to form.

The night went on, with Ju-woon running into a few people he knew. Min-ho did the same. But despite mingling with others, they somehow gravitated back toward each other, like they couldn't help it.

Ju-woon could feel the odd tension building between them, but he wasn't sure if it was just the alcohol messing with his head or if something more was there. Every time Min-ho was nearby, Ju-woon felt a strange heat prickling along his skin. And the way Min-ho looked at him sometimes... it wasn't playful or mocking anymore. There was something else to it.

But Ju-woon couldn't figure out what that something else was.

After a while, he started to feel the effects of the alcohol more acutely. His head was pounding, and his vision felt slightly off. He needed a break.

"Be right back," Ju-woon muttered to Min-ho before heading to the bathroom, hoping the cool air would help clear his head.

Of course, Min-ho followed him.

Ju-woon didn't mind too much—he'd be lying if he said he didn't feel a little weirded out by how attached Min-ho had seemed lately. But Min-ho didn't speak as they walked into the bathroom together. Instead, he walked past Ju-woon and went straight to the mirror, adjusting his hair like he didn't have a care in the world.

Ju-woon felt the air shift around him as he leaned against the counter, grabbing a water bottle that a random classmate had left behind. His thoughts kept circling back to Min-ho, though. What was this? Why did everything feel so... different?

Just as he was about to finish the water, he glanced at the time. 2 AM? Damn. Time had gotten away from him.

"I'm staying a bit longer," Ju-woon muttered, more to himself than Min-ho. "I'll head out soon."

Min-ho, still preoccupied with his hair, didn't seem to understand what Ju-woon said.

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