Kyu Hyun was no more in the mood to be here, but he didn’t want to upset Ji Soo. They went back to the VIP section, but things weren’t the same. Everyone was silent while Kyu Hyun had a glass of whiskey and was drinking it with a grudge.

Yun Ho was downstairs, keeping an eye on Chang Min as he danced around the crowd and lost him a bunch of times under the darkness.

Chang Min rushed up to the bar and held a peace sign to the bartender. “Two glasses of water, please.”

The man chuckled, “No more alcohol for you?”

“I know my limit, hyung,” he said, chuckling.

The man nodded and handed him both glasses. “That’s good. Few can handle their alcohol.”

Chang Min chuckled as he drank the water without taking a breath and handed back the glasses. He leaned against the counter and asked, “What about sodas or drinks that taste nice but don’t make you drunk? I still need to get home later.”

The bartender nodded his head as he put something together for him and asked, “What about that group? They seemed to know you?”

“Only the asshole that tried to drag me away, the other asshole who’s watching me is his dog’s best friend,” he said.

The bartender looked over at Yun Ho, who was looking at him too, then looked at the VIP section and saw Ji Soo standing there watching Chang Min.

He smirked and said as he handed Chang Min his drink, “I won’t ask, but I think your man’s dog doesn’t like you very much. Is he your ex?”

Chang Min shook his head. “He’s nothing to me.”

The bartender felt the ache in his heart. He chuckled, “Are you alone?”

He nodded his head. “I used to hide away, but recently a friend encouraged me to go out and I’m enjoying my time.”

“Well, you are welcome back here anytime. Serving someone as handsome as you is such a pleasure,” he said.

Chang Min drank the soda finished and handed him the glass. He tapped the counter twice, saying, “I’ll see you next time, Hyung.”

“Leaving so soon?” He asked.

“Mn, I’m hungry, so I’m going to look for something to eat,” he said.

The man nodded his head saying, “Make sure you come when it’s my shift, Thursdays through to Saturday.”

Chang Min nodded and winked. He looked around, then walked over to the VIP section and stood at the rope.

Kyu Hyun saw him and quickly stood up. He walked up to him and asked, “Did something happen?”

He shook his head, saying, “I’m hungry. Give me cash.”

“Is that it?” He asked, disappointed.

Chang Min nodded and looked over at Ji Soo, that looked like he wanted to come over and say something.

Kyu Hyun rubbed his forehead, then took out his wallet and gave him all the notes that were inside it.

Chang Min looked at the money and started counting it. Just as he was about to give some of it back, Ji Soo came over, asking, “What are you doing?”

Looking at Kyu Hyun, he said, “See you at home.”

“Which is when?” He asked.

“When I feel like it,” he answered and left.

*

Ji Soo slapped Kyu Hyun on the arm, saying, “I’m going to phone your mother and ask about him if you don’t tell me who he really is.”

“It’s your funeral,” he said and went back to sit in his seat. The frown he had was deeper this time, and anyone could tell that his mind was in conflict.

Kyu Hyun couldn’t stop thinking about Chang Min. He used to be like a ghost, but now he was everywhere, even in his mind.

Ji Soo sat down beside him, asking, “Why would he say that you are married? Two men can’t get married here.”

Kyu Hyun looked at him and sighed. “Stop overthinking things. He’s just trying to get on my nerves, that’s all.”

“But does he know about us? If he does, why would he say that?” He asked.

“Didn’t I just tell you? He has always been like that,” Kyu Hyun lied.

*

As they were driving, Kyu Hyun had his gaze fixed on the road. His mind wasn’t in the right place tonight, and it was all thanks to Chang Min.

Why did he have to find out, and why did he have to be at the club?

Yun Ho told him what Chang Min had said about being there, that they were disrupting him and not the other way.

He was so used to hiding Chang Min away that now it was troublesome to keep up the lie.

“There’s Chang Min,” Yun Ho said from the passenger seat.

Everyone in the car looked at Chang Min, that was walking on the sidewalk. Oddly, it almost looked like he was dancing.

Kyu Hyun looked at him, then looked for a parking spot nearby. It was up ahead and if Chang Min kept walking, then he’d meet them.

He parked the car and waited patiently. Ji Soo, sitting in the back with two others, asked, “Why are we waiting here?”

“We’re waiting for him,” he answered as he looked into the rearview mirror.

“Why?” He asked.

He sat up and turned to the back. “Can you just stop with all the questions? I have a headache.”

“Am I the cause of it?” He asked.

“Yes you are,” Kyu Hyun hissed.

“How? What did I do? You’ve been acting strange since the day we met him. Is there something going on between you two or not?” He questioned.

Just as Kyu Hyun was going to answer, there was a knock on the window. They were all focussed on the argument about to happen that they didn’t know when he had appeared.

Yun Ho looked at the funny faces Chang Min was making, then slowly wound the window down and Kyu Hyun looked at him, asking, “When did you get here?”

“A while ago, what did you want?” He asked.

“How did you know it was us?” Yun Ho asked curiously. It was dark and so was this car.

Chang Min shook his head. “No one is speaking to you.”

“He helped me pick out the car,” Kyu Hyun answered.

He looked at Chang Min, asking, “On your way home?”

“Mn, but I’m buying ice cream first,” he answered.

He nodded his head, sitting properly in his seat and said, “Get in, we’ll buy it on our way home.”

Chang Min shook his head. “I refuse.”

“Get in or I’ll kill you,” Kyu Hyun said, glaring at him.

Chang Min hissed and went to the back. Opening the door, he came face to face with Ji Soo and burst out laughing. Climbing in, he pushed him away and closed the door.

Rolling the window down, he leaned his head back and pulled out his phone. Checking his messages, he answered a few and asked, “Why did you phone me?”

“Why didn’t you answer?”

“Didn’t feel like it,” he mumbled, then smiled as a notification came through.

Ji Soo was getting cold beside him and said, “Close the window.”

“Four people sitting in the back? Give me a break.”

Jo Soo glared at him. “We picked you up. Be grateful.”

“Who said you must? Also, last time I checked, this car belonged to me,” he said lazily.

Ji Soo huffed and glared Kyu Hyun’s way. “What is he talking about?”

Kyu Hyun gripped the steering wheel tight till his knuckles turned white and said, “The longer you talk to him, the stupid, you’ll make yourself look. Just sit there and be quiet and YOU, stop saying unnecessary shit.”

Chang Min turned to him and sat forward. He tapped Kyu Hyun’s cheek twice, saying, “Don’t forget my ice cream. We already passed three convenience stores.”

They just drove past one, and he parked the car.

He looked back at the others and said, “I’ll be back.”

The two of them jumped out of the car, Chang Min literally running away from him, making it to the store first.