"He's at it again."

Jinwoo looked up from his shot, glancing in the direction Seungyoon was glaring at. 

Seunghoon, surrounded by all kinds of people, had his arms around two women while he laughed loudly. 

Even though the lighting was dim, Jinwoo could make out the wandering hands of one of the women, a dark haired one, and the other woman, a brunette, nuzzling into the crook of his neck. 

It was a scene he'd become all too familiar with.

"So?" He asked, knocking back the shot. 

"So?" Seungyoon repeated, frowning at him. "He shouldn't be doing that!"

Jinwoo sighed, signaling the bartender. "But he is, isn't he?" 

While Seunghoon spent his time collecting kisses, Jinwoo wasted his getting, well, wasted. He was partially to blame though, always agreeing to play as the wingman, despite how much he loathed the outcome. 

The bartender poured another shot, the clear alcohol filling the glass in mere seconds. Jinwoo traced the rim, trying and failing to shut out Seunghoon's voice. The man was too extroverted, too outgoing, too damn likable. 

He was everything Jinwoo wasn't. Yet Jinwoo was the first to be asked, not to mention dragged, out for his nightly escapades.

"You're too good for him," Seungyoon murmured.

"Takes one to know one," Jinwoo shrugged, taking the shot in one fluid motion. 

He'd gotten so used to hard liquor in the past months that the taste didn't even faze him. Before he would retch at the bitterness, face scrunched up while Seunghoon laughed at him. 

That laugh, that special brilliant one, Jinwoo had once believed he was the source of it. Until he realized that he heard it more from a distance, drawn out from other people that weren't him. 

"You should join them," he said, gesturing at the group. 

Seungyoon shot him an incredulous look. "Are you drunk?"

Jinwoo rolled his eyes. "They're playing one of those games you like."

He didn't have to glance sideways to know that the drunken games had begun; the boisterous laughs mixed with the pitched giggles drifting towards the bar told him enough. 

Seungyoon's eyes widened a slight fraction, but he quickly averted them to the drink in his hand. Jinwoo knew though, knew that he was trying to conceal the hints of excitement. 

"I'm pretty sure Mino's joining," he commented offhandedly, waving at the bartender. 

You'd have to be blind to not notice the obvious crush Seungyoon harbored for Mino, or you'd have to be Song Mino. Either way, Seungyoon visibly perked up as he all but stood up from his seat. 

"Really?" He asked, trying to sound unfazed despite peering in the general direction. 

Jinwoo scoffed, already reaching for his umpteenth shot. "Seungyoon, I'm an adult. I can take care of myself."

If it weren't for the fact that the night felt as ty as every night, Jinwoo would've been offended at the look of utter disbelief on Seungyoon's face. 

But, alas, the night as usual. 

"Just go," Jinwoo muttered, gulping down the shot. "Or else I'll go, and I'll tell Mino about your-"

"Okay, okay," Seungyoon hissed, holding a finger against his lips. "I'll go. Just, be more subtle, please."

"Whatever you say."

Seungyoon took a deep breath, composing himself, before downing his drink in one go. He stumbled to his feet, throwing a worried glance at Jinwoo who watched him with slight amusement, as he staggered over to the group.

It wasn't as though Jinwoo didn't appreciate him. He did, more than he showed, but Seungyoon had an annoying habit of nagging, a lot. 

Jinwoo wanted to wallow in his own self-pity by himself, thank you very much. 

He craned his neck, watching the grin grow on Seunghoon's face upon Seungyoon's arrival. The crowd cheered as well, welcoming him with open arms as he tried to find a place to sit. Jinwoo couldn't see the face belonging to the tuft of black hair that Seungyoon decided to sit next to, but judging by Seungyoon's tense shoulders Jinwoo was sure the person was Mino. His assumptions were confirmed when Mino slung an arm around Seungyoon, eliciting a rather embarrassing yelp from the other man. 

While Seungyoon tried to excuse himself, Jinwoo turned his gaze to Seunghoon who was holding up a black card with some kind of white design printed on both sides. 

The paper kissing game, how surprising. 

"Um, excuse me, sir."

He shifted his focus away from the group, staring at the bartender who seemed to wear the exact expression Seungyoon had worn. 

Except she seemed to have an underlining hint of pity, which only served to irritate Jinwoo.

"Yes?" He raised an eyebrow, urging her to hurry up.

"Are you sure you haven't had enough to drink?" She asked, eyeing the line of shot glasses beside him.

"You get paid to do this, right?"

"Yes, but sir-"

"Could I, please, have me another shot then?" He interjected.

She looked at him for a few seconds, sighing before complying with his order.

He watched her for a moment, taking in her appearance. She was pretty, the kind of bartender you'd only find at luxurious clubs, with blonde locks that cascaded down her back and a black fitted dress that didn't reveal too much but enough to imagine. 

If Jinwoo wasn't as pathetic as he felt, one had to hit rock bottom when the bartender questioned one's drinking decisions, he might've asked her out. 

Sadly, he wasn't only pathetic but also in love with someone who couldn't give a damn about that fact. 

"Oh my god!" 

Seunghoon's high pitched drunken voice interrupted his self-pity session. He looked over at the scene, squinting to see past the throng of people mingling. The sight had him managing to crack a brief smile.

Seungyoon had abandoned the card, fingers carding through Mino's hair as he kissed him deeply. Mino didn't seem taken aback, hands cradling Seungyoon's face as he appeared more than eager to please. 

Jinwoo took his gaze away as Seunghoon rose to his feet, chastising the two. He returned to his shot, ignoring the bartender's glances. 

"Alright, lovebirds. Break it up," Seunghoon called out, feigning anger. "Everyone else also wants to play this game too."

Laughter followed; laughter that Jinwoo hurried to drown out through his shot. He was beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol, vision blurring ever so slightly. 

It was good though. He wouldn't have to pay attention to whatever Seunghoon was doing.

Apart from the inevitable hangover, he'd only have to feel like over that one thing. 

"That's not a very nice look."

Jinwoo turned his head towards the voice, bleary eyes meeting amused ones.

"That's not someone you'd expect to see here," he countered, turning back to the bar counter. 

Taehyun took a seat next to him; the one Seungyoon had occupied before remembering his existence revolved around Mino, and smiled that smile that made him look sad even though he wasn't. 

"Well, the apartment gets stuffy after a while." He replied while signaling the bartender. 

Jinwoo blinked a few times. It wasn't as though he hung out with Taehyun often. Out of all four of them, he knew him the least, and that was saying something since he hadn't even spoken as much as three words to Mino since Seungyoon had filled him in on all the information. 

While he talked to the bartender, Jinwoo studied his profile. The sad smile was still present, but now it was actually sad. Jinwoo could tell. 

He might not know Taehyun that well, but he knew misery when he saw it.

It wasn't that difficult considering that was how he felt on a daily basis. He'd become a professional at concealing it during the day times before letting it out during the nightly rounds at the bar. 

"Tough life?" He asked once Taehyun got his drink.

Red wine, Jinwoo wondered briefly if Taehyun wanted everyone to see how sad he felt. 

He looked a bit taken aback, taking a second to compose himself before coughing lightly. "Depends on how you would define that."

"As in, someone you're stupidly in love with not noticing your obvious feelings."

Taehyun didn't respond, only tilting his head to the side in question.

"Or, perhaps, someone you're stupidly in love with who loves you equally much, but who's also angry at you." 

The flash of guilt that crossed Taehyun's face was enough for him. He pushed aside his empty shot, placing the glass in the line of shot glasses. 

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." He murmured, beckoning the bartender. 

Taehyun sat in silence. Jinwoo expected nothing else while he waited for his drink. He'd decided on a rum and coke as a finisher to the very disappointing night, like all other nights. 

A couple minutes passed between them, with Jinwoo sipping on his drink and Taehyun staring at his wine. He'd almost gotten halfway through when the other man sighed deeply.

"She's not angry at me," he whispered, taking a sip. "She's furious with me."

"Different words, same meaning," Jinwoo pointed out.

He snorted, taking a longer drink. "And they all translate to I don't want to see you, ever, again."

There was no bite to his words, only a bitterness hidden behind a small smile. He hid it well; Jinwoo didn't understand why he hadn't gotten to know Taehyun better before.

They had more in common than he'd thought. 

"And you accepted that?"

Which was why he wasn't going to give him pity. Because if Jinwoo knew himself well, which he was quite certain he did, he hated being pitied. 

Taehyun looked at him, not in surprise but in relief. "Yeah, I did."

"Where does she live?"

"Montreal-"

"You should go see her."

Jinwoo had a newfound appreciation for Taehyun's company, but he could only take so much self-pitying in one night. He barely stood out with himself. 

Taehyun didn't seem to share that sentiment, judging by his confused expression. 

"What?"

"See her," Jinwoo repeated, tracing his index finger along the rim of the glass, "you should go see her."

The response was a blink and a slow, pondering drink from Taehyun. Jinwoo managed to count to ten before he got a reply. 

"Do you think she'd want to see me?"

"Do you want things to end like this?"

Jinwoo didn't mean to come off as blunt, but he was frankly too drunk to care. 

"No, but she might..." Taehyun trailed off, not even bothering to hide his sadness.

"Doesn't hurt to try," he shrugged.

The silence that followed was inevitable. Taehyun chewed on his lower lip in deep thought while Jinwoo started to feel the alcohol kick in. He was about to rest his head on the counter when Taehyun spoke.

"Maybe it doesn't," he whispered, sounding a bit hopeful. 

Jinwoo nodded, mostly because he didn't feel as if he could give a coherent response. Taehyun smiled, one that actually reached his eyes and seemed bright. He drank the rest of the wine, standing up once he was done.

"Thanks, Jinwoo."

Jinwoo waved his hand at him. "Have a nice flight." 

Taehyun's smile grew a bit brighter as he turned to leave. Before he started walking though, he glanced over his shoulder. 

"You know," he mused. "You should really practice what you preach."

Jinwoo didn't even have time to be offended, Taehyun already leaving for the door. 

He scoffed at the words. As if he hadn't tried multiple times. There wasn't much he could do when his crush was more oblivious than Mino. 

A loud giggle pierced his foggy mind. He looked in the direction, watching the paper kissing game unfold once more. He had no idea how many rounds had been done, but he knew it was nearing an end seeing as more and more people were too busy making out than passing the card along. 

Jinwoo had to give it to Seungyoon. The man certainly had an impressive lung capacity to keep up with Mino, who he'd heard less than pleasant things about from his close friend. 

The card was three people away from Seunghoon who was snuggled up to the brunette. She'd been the source of the giggle, snickering at Seunghoon's every word. 

The sight was enough for Jinwoo to promptly down his rum and coke. 

Taehyun's words rung in his head. His own words echoed alongside them, urging him on. 

Jinwoo had suffered for too long, hadn't he? What would happen if he decided to act out on some much suppressed feelings? 

Nothing, nothing would happen, because he was too tired to care anymore. 

He was tired of Seungyoon caring about him. He was tired of Taehyun being relatable. He was tired of all the pitying and self-pitying. 

But most of all, he was tired of himself. 

"Sir," the bartender interrupted his train of thoughts. "I really don't think you should drink-"

"Whatever," he said, rising to his feet.

He ignored her confused look, too focused on not falling on his face as he walked towards the crowd. As he came nearer to Seunghoon, the card did as well. 

But before Seunghoon could place his lips onto the paper, he stepped in through the ring of people.  

"Mind if I join?"

His voice jolted Seunghoon, the card falling from his lips as he jerked his head to face him. 

Their eyes met, and Jinwoo tried for once to convey what he felt through his gaze. 

Seunghoon blinked, before a dazzling smile overtook his features.

"Thought you'd never ask."