“Age?”, the bouncer asked the man before him, taking a look at him.

“26”, the man curtly replied, fixing his fedora on the process.

The line for the club was quite short, and the streets in HongDae were very vibrant at this time of night. Food stalls, shopping malls, even the street buskers are playing both chill and lively songs. Since it’s a Saturday, the place was specially jam – packed.

“ID please”, the bouncer asked the man. Handing his ID, the bouncer was caught – off guard and took another look at the man in front of him. Without hesitating, he quickly ushered the man inside.

 

“That was a close one”, DongWoo remarked, removing his fedora and hand – combing his hair.

It was his first time to sneak out of the dormitory without the members finding out. Since everybody was exhausted from yesterday’s performance, all of them, except SungJong and MyungSoo, slept right away as they reached their dormitory. The latter two went out to do some shopping and eat out. Seizing the chance, he snuck out the moment his two dongsaengs left the dormitory.

 

Making his way through the club, he bowed his head as he went to the bar stand, sitting at the edge of the long countertop table. He took quick glances to see if everyone had noticed him.

“Scotch please”, DongWoo told the bartender, to which the bartender nodded and went to prepare his drink. I can’t believe that actually worked, he thought, as he placed himself on one of the stools.

Clubs like these weren’t new to him. During comeback promotions, they would attend club – hosted performances, with either HoYa or L acting as the DJ. Invitations were frequently given to them but their manager scrutinizes each event carefully, making sure that they weren’t going to very wild ones. They did enjoy attending as such, but they didn’t really have the time to just relax.

“Glass of scotch”, the bartender handed him his order. He grabbed the glass and took a quick sip. Shocked by its extremely bitter and dry taste, he swallowed it immediately, his face scrunching from the experience. Not wanting to be embarrassed in front of the bartender, he gulped the whole thing down, causing the bartender to look at him both in awe and confusion.

“You’re quite strong with your liquor”, the bartender remarked, wiping the glasses from the table.

“I’ll have another drink… a mojito, this time”, DongWoo tried to keep his composure. Again, the bartender concocted the drink, swiftly handing it to him after finishing.

“You might want to slow down on this one”, the bartender cautioned him, to which he nodded.

 

He continued looking at this surroundings. Everything about this place is so… vibrant… and alive, he thought, taking a sip from the mojito he ordered. The neon lights, the fluid dancing of the crowd, the invigorating music, it suited his taste well; how he loved it when people danced, and how the music just takes control over his body. He wanted to go to the dance floor and break out some new moves that he was working on, however, hesitation crept up to him, and in defeat, he just continued to look from afar.

“Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for the wildest, the craziest, undefeatable dance machine, Izzy!”, the DJ announced, making the crowd create a space on the dance floor. DongWoo turned his gaze to the open floor, searching for the dancer as his curiosity shot up. Not long after, someone emerged from the backdoor, wearing the most colorful clothes he has ever seen. Not too shabby, he thought, taking another sip of the drink.

As the girl made her way towards the dance floor, the whole club went dark, and only one spotlight lighted the place. As the music started playing, her body responded with both sharp and fluid movements, causing DongWoo to gape. Every movement of her body captured his attention, studying her technique, as well as admiring her curves.

You look like a ert, DongWoo thought to himself, slapping his face in the process. As much as he wanted to look away, he just can’t. Every turn, every shift of her body had his eyes glued onto her. The music ended, as well as her dance. As expected, she earned a huge round of applause from the crowd. DongWoo was still at awe with her performance that he didn’t notice that she was walking towards the bar stand, seating beside him as she arrived.

 

“The usual, Sun”, the girl told the bartender with a wink, wiping the sweat on her forehead. The bartender handed her the drink he made, wiping off the liquid that spilled while handing it.

“I filled it a little extra today since you did manage to gain another fan by the looks of it”, the bartender remarked, pointing his lips to DongWoo’s direction. The girl smirked, as she took a huge sip.

“You dance?”, the girl asked, looking at his direction.

“A little bit”, DongWoo replied, taking a look at the girl. She was surprised at first, but regained her composure quickly.

“I see. Quite bold of you to go here alone”, she remarked, taking a sip of her cocktail.

“How do you say so?”, he replied in confusion and at the same time, nervousness. He downed his drink in one go, causing both the bartender and the girl to look at him in surprise.

“Nevermind”, the girl answered, looking away from him and taking another sip of the cocktail.

“Do you go here often?”, he asked her, shifting his seat closer to her in which she noticed.

“Sometimes, when I need to loosen up”, she replied, tying her hair into a knot in the process.

Yes, he thought, his mouth forming a quick smile in the process.

 

The silence between them proved to be awkward as DongWoo tapped the table with his fingers, and the girl checking her phone from time to time. To ease the discomfort, the girl took the initiative to speak up.

“This doesn’t seem to be your scene, DongWoo - ssi”, the girl uttered, causing him to look at her in bewilderment. She saw through him. Who wouldn’t recognize him, she thought. He regained his composure in a while, straightening his shirt.

“Relax, I won’t tell anybody”, the girl assured him, finishing her cocktail in one gulp.

“Thanks”, he uttered, reaching his hand out to her for a handshake.

“I don’t usually do this but okay”, the girl offered her hand in return.

As they reach each other’s hands, both of them felt a surge of electricity, causing both of them to recoil.

“Well, so much for a handshake”, she murmured, holding her hand to rub away the current.

“Sorry, uh, yeah, DongWoo… but I guess you know that already. Your Izzy, right?”, DongWoo replied, brushing his hand through his hair.

“That’s my stage name”, she clarified, straightening her jacket. DongWoo continued to probe her real name, much to her luck.

The girl was hesitant at first, too afraid to reveal her name. I’m just another girl, she thought. Still gazing at him, she let out a light chuckle.

Truth be told, she was a fan of him. She loved INFINITE as a group and started to be interested in dancing because of DongWoo. Watching him dance was like watching the water flow through the river, or how the waves form in the ocean; calm and smooth. She wanted to be just like him. She practiced for years until she perfected her technique. On rare occasions, she would attend their fanmeetings and concerts, but stayed low-key most of the time. She never thought that she would get the chance to meet him up close. The gods of dancing must have blessed me, she thought.

“You don’t need to know mine”, the girl replied, much to his disappointment.

“Why not?”, he retorted, hoping she’ll change her mine.

“No names, no attachments”, the girl said, looking at him straight to his eyes.

“What makes you think that I’ll be attached to you?”, DongWoo laughed playfully, causing the girl to laugh too.

“Call it a hunch”, she shrugged, slowly crossing her two legs together.

 

“So why did you come here?”, she asked him, playing with her fingers.

“Oh, to loosen up a bit. Haven’t been visiting clubs for seven months already… too busy with comebacks and schedules”, he replied in an exhausted manner, making the girl worried.

As if being possessed by another person, she stood up and walked close to him. Maybe it’s the alcohol, she thought, as she felt a surge of energy running through her body.

“Come with me”, she said, offering her hand to him.

“To where?”, DongWoo asked in confusion, slightly pulling back his hand.

Moments of his hesitation offered her the opportunity to seize his hand and pull him towards her. With their faces only two inches apart from one another, she replied in a whisper.

“You’ll see”, she uttered, causing shivers to run down to his spine.

He had to admit that she was intoxicating to look at, like wine that he couldn’t stop drinking. It was difficult for him to resist her.

 

They quickly ran as they exited the club. DongWoo didn’t understand why there was a need to run but he just followed her. She’s his guide for the night. He never felt so alive for a long time. It was exhilarating but at the same time, relaxing, just what he needed for the night.

“Will I ever get to see you again after this?”, he asked, taking quick breaths as they ran.

The running came to a slow stop, and in front of them was a dance rave, waiting for them to enter.

“Why ask that now?”, she replied, winking at him in return.

“Will I?”, he asked again in a more serious tone, causing the girl to hold his hand.

“Some time in the future, maybe… with a banner and a lightstick, perhaps”, the girl playfully said.

Is she…, he thought. He was frozen for a minute. How, he thought, with the sudden realization finally hitting him.

It was the only validation that he needed at the moment. They both entered the rave hand in hand, with her leading him in, just like how she led him to this new experience. The night was young, and so were they. Loud music, endless dancing, it was as if the night was planned solely for the both of them. In the middle of the chaos, he found himself looking at the girl as she danced gracefully and sharply on the dance floor. Forget about the future for a while, he thought. With a smile, he made his way towards her.

“Live for today”, she whispered to him, as if she just read his mind.

 

He knew quite well that this won’t be the last time that he’ll be seeing her.