My lovely best friend had a terrible week at work, and decided that the best way to blow off steam would be to get dolled up and spend an evening flirting with hot guys at the club. That is how I find myself in an uncomfortably short, tight dress and painful heels at a loud, bright, smoky bar on a Friday night. Of course within 5 minutes of arriving, my BFF is already laughing loudly and flashing an eye smile at a tall, bronze-skinned stranger, abandoning all thoughts of the amazing best friend who so kindly accompanied her tonight.

Nobody wants to be the third wheel, right? So I desperately look around for an escape and spot my haven in the form of an empty booth tucked in the far back corner. I slowly back away, pausing after each step to make sure they don’t notice my stealthy exit. When I am sure I am far enough away to blend in with the crowd, I make a run for the corner booth, taking care not to spill the British Bulldog grasped in my hand. Letting out a relieved sigh, I plop myself unceremoniously into the booth and scoot myself all the way in, back against the wall with my feet on the bench. Bridge of my nose pinched between my fingers and eyes closed, I can’t help but wonder, “How did my life get to this point?”

My moment of solitude is short lived, as the noise of someone clearing their throat and stating, “You look like you don’t want to socialize,” breaks my concentration. Not bothering to open my eyes or remove my hand from my nose, I motion with my free hand replying, “I don’t, so please don’t talk to me.”

To my horror, instead of hearing retreating footsteps, it sounds like the stranger is settling in across the table from me. I open my right eye a slit and glance at the round-eyed guy, protesting, “Look man, didn’t I just say--?” Without even looking, he cuts me off, “I’m not the one talking here.” That effectively shuts me up, and I turn my attention towards the bar to see how my friend is doing. Her and Bronzy are standing slightly closer together, and she is laughing again, this time lightly touching his arm. He takes her drink and places it on the bar, then pulls her out to the dance floor. Kim Sunggyu’s “41 Days” is playing; the strong drum beat and synth melody are perfect for dancing along, for losing yourself in the haze of smoke and thick air of other peoples’ sweat. I roll my eyes and take a sip of my drink. The guy next to me scoffs at something as well, downing the rest of his whisky.

We sit together in relative silence for over an hour when I notice a couple of guys at the bar looking and motioning our way. At first I think nothing of it, but it has been at least 15 minutes now and it is starting to creep me out. “Hey,” I say, breaking our pact of silence, “have you noticed those three guys at the bar who keep looking over here?” Silent boy shrugs, “Eh, don’t mind them.” I arch an eyebrow and turn to look at him, “Do you know them or something?” Blinking placidly, he responds, “You are asking a lot of questions for someone who doesn’t want to socialize.” Despite the sarcasm, he continues, “But if you must know, those guys are my friends, and they are probably debating whether or not they should barge over here to make us feel really awkward. That tan guy who was near them earlier is my roommate/best friend. They dragged me out to this godforsaken place that they know I hate in an attempt to make me talk to people and get out of my shell. for them, I found you.”

My lips curl up into a faint smile—he sounds just like me. Maybe I should reduce my “unwanted advances from overly-intoxicated guys” bullet to a single check. I hum shortly and nod to acknowledge his statement, before settling back into the silence that I now know we both appreciate. The atmosphere feels more comfortable than awkward. It is nearing the end of our second hour alone together and his friends finally motion to him that they are ready to leave. Scooting to the end of the booth and standing up, he turns to me and asks, “So who should I tell them I charmed tonight?”

“Riyoung,” I answer simply.

He nods, “If anyone asks, I’m Kyungsoo.” And just like that his back fades into the crowd, and we once again become strangers in the night.