Ch6.

                                    

                                          
LAST NIGHT…(flashback)
Taemin was out cold, slumped awkwardly on the ledge, his beer can precariously close to falling. 
“Why do I always end up carrying your drunk ass?” Jungkook tired crouched to hoist Taemin onto his back.  
Taemin mumbled incoherently, his head lolling against Jungkook’s shoulder. “Saranhaeyo jungkooka!!!!!” 
“Shut up! You’re lucky I’m still sober,” Jungkook said, adjusting his grip as he made his way down the narrow stairwell to Taemin’s bedroom.  
After dropping him on the bed, Jungkook stood for a moment, watching his friend snore loudly. A faint smile tugged at his lips. “What a mess,” he said before heading back downstairs.
The music was louder now, the party hitting its peak. Bodies swayed under dim, colored lights, and the air was thick with the smell of alcohol and sweat. Jungkook grabbed a beer and leaned against the kitchen counter, scanning the room.  
In the living area, Hanna adjusted her dress for what felt like the tenth time, her unease growing. The party was wild—louder and rowdier than she’d expected. She spotted Sujoo with a group of his friends, laughing boisterously.  
“Babe, come here!” Sujoo called out, waving her over with a bottle in hand.  
Hanna hesitated before walking over. “You’re already tipsy, aren’t you?”  
“Nah, just having fun,” Sujoo said, throwing an arm around her shoulders.  
She smiled tightly, feeling out of place. The conversations around her were shallow and meaningless. Sujoo seemed completely in his element, but Hanna felt herself drifting further from him.  
“I’m going to get some water,” she said.  
“Don’t be boring, Hanna. Stay and drink with us,” Sujoo said, pulling her closer.  
“I’ll be back,” she replied firmly, slipping out of his grasp.  
Hanna stepped into the kitchen, her hand brushing against the cool countertop as she reached for a glass. The muffled bass of the party music pulsed in the background, but everything around her seemed to slow down. The neon lights flickered on the walls, throwing distorted shadows of people laughing and dancing, their movements exaggerated as if caught in a dream. She saw a glimpse of Sujoo through the open doorway, surrounded by his friends, laughing loudly, confidently gesturing as he spoke about his future plans—traveling, expanding his career after college, moving to a better city. It all felt so certain, so well-defined.  
And yet, she couldn’t shake the emptiness inside her. The future for her felt like a foggy stretch of road with no clear destination. She was stuck in that cramped apartment—10-A, with its creaky floors and constant leaks—barely making it through each day, let alone envisioning what came next. The glass trembled slightly in her hand as she stared at the water filling it. Why didn’t she feel like she belonged here, or anywhere? 
On the other hand, a pair of eyes were fixated on her. They were scanning her from a safe distance. Slowly, she turned her head, and there he was—Jungkook, leaning against the doorway, his gaze transfixed on her with an intensity that made her breath hitch. His eyes didn’t shift, didn’t soften; they were almost unreadable. The seconds dragged on, each one thick with unspoken words, with a weight neither of them seemed willing to break. Hanna’s pulse quickened, and she almost expected him to say something, anything—but he didn’t. Instead, after what felt like an eternity, he simply turned and walked away, leaving the space between empty once again. 
“What does he think of himself?” She stayed in the kitchen for sometime. 
By the time Hanna returned, the atmosphere had shifted. A circle had formed in the living room, with Jungkook at its center.