* * *

Inconsistencies create a state of dissonance.

Thundering music and flashing lights, and pairs of glittering earrings and heels, drifting in the dark. Smoke and shadow.

Yoseob was racking up shots at the counter, slurring out endearing stories between gulps, sobbed-out stories of, apparently, his ex-girlfriend.

“…She was sooo beautiful... and quiet. But the proud kind of quiet, you know? Not the shy kind. And tall, gosh, she was taller than I am…”

Patiently, Kikwang listened. But there was also a certain feeling in his mind, strange and with no name. Almost like an expectation. Anxious, Kikwang was waiting for something to happen, without even knowing what it was.

Once again, Yoseob reached to refill his glass.

“I think you’ve had enough… Yah, Yoseob… Really, don’t drink any more… Aish… Yoseob…” tried Kikwang weakly, in a tone in which you’d warn your cat not to jump on the furniture, knowing very well that, in the end, she’ll do as she damn pleases.

As though he didn’t hear him, Yoseob continued his story. Something was faintly familiar about it, yet Kikwang couldn’t put his finger on it.

“She didn’t like sunlight. And she always had these stupid- comments, about life and such, some deep crap that didn’t make any damn sense. Life is like coffee. Seriously! Who says stuff like that?!” ranted Yoseob, flailing his arms around for effect, knocking over all the glasses in a half-meter radius.

 “But, still…” continued Yoseob, totally oblivious to the mess he’d made, “it was sorta adorable, when she talked like that. I don’t know how or why, but it was. She was adorable.” Yoseob finished softly.

“What’s her name?” asked Kikawng, though, curiously, he had a strong feeling he won’t get an answer.

“Her name… ” began Yoseob, eyes suddenly widening in shock. “Why, it’s…”

In a flash, Yoseob’s eyes went from big and confused, to closed. All of a sudden, he slumped to the floor, now a mass of chubby limbs.

“Must’ve had one too many…” Kikwang muttered, biting his lip. His own failure to react earlier worried him. He didn’t really do anything to stop his friend, did he?

“Come on, let’s just get you home.” reassured Kikwang as soon as Yoseob cracked open one eye.

He didn’t dare leave him alone, so they headed for Kikwang’s apartment.

Separated by only a curtain, Kikwang’s roommate was still awake. A rapper who called himself Bang. He didn’t seem surprised at all to see Kikwang and Yoseob arrive in the middle of the night.

“Hey you two, be a little more quiet than usual, will ya? Or I’ll get moans on my mixtape.” Bang smiled a wicked grin, before continuing. “If that happens, do try to keep a rhythm. Might use it as the background track.”

* * *