It is the start of December and the winter night was mercilessly cold to the lone soul that is making her way to the club for the first time in ages. It was heartbreaking for the individual as she passes countless shops and couples that are already getting ready for Christmas, especially the couples. As the silent figure slowly made her way down the streets, her expression remained blank as thoughts of the event that happened during the day replayed through her mind on loop.

“I can’t do this anymore, we are done here. Never look for me again.” The lines repeated in her mind with the image of him kissing another woman and looking so happy doing so. She could still remember her voice trembling as she said it to him when he saw her and tried to explain the situation. It was the first time she exploded instead of turning a blind eye to the countless time she had witness him courting other ladies, it was the last straw. She had endured watching him hang out with other females and believing his lies of them being just “friends”, she had ignored her friends’ warnings and trusted his stories but catching him taking it one step further and kissing another woman and watching him pretend to explain his story as an accident so boldly because he thinks he will be able to get away with it again was too much for her this time.

As soon as she reaches the traffic across the club recommended by her brother, she finally looked up from the floor for once and stared at the club’s entrance to question if this was a right choice. She wasn’t the type of person to visit clubs, she would usually prefer to consume her alcohols with friends at home to enjoy the company or alone at a quiet bar to enjoy the tastes. But tonight, with her heavy feelings, her brother figured a club might lift her spirits and keep her distracted from negative thoughts. Without giving any more time to contemplate turning back, she crossed the road with a sigh and headed into the club after showing the bouncer her ID.

The loud music was intense, something she wasn’t used to nor liked but it was definitely distracting her from the thoughts that made her decide to visit such a place. With a more pre-occupied mind, she headed for a private corner of the club reserved for her by her brother and started ordering a line of drinks to chase her thoughts away. After all, it’s a rare occasion that her brother would confidently offer to pay for her drinks despite knowing how heavy of a drinker she was, an offer most likely made so boldly because the club was owned by his friends, so she could go all out tonight and not worry about a thing.

[Switch POV]

It was the end of her DJ shift as she swiftly exits the station, exchanging a handshake greeting with the next DJ on her way out and headed over to the bar for a drink. It was ladies’ night in the club and with a smile on her face and a drink in her hands, she scanned the crowd for a prey to latch on tonight.

No one, not a single soul caught her eyes. Was this going to be one of those rare nights where she would not have someone to accompany her for drinks? She wasn’t a heavy drinker, but she loved drinking with company and on nights her drinking buddy, Hyelin, couldn’t make it, she would find a stranger to latch on for some free drinks. The poor unfortunate souls that gets picked would always have their tolerance level tested as she loved watching people get drunk before making off for the night with her drinking tabs on them.

She lets out a sigh as she scanned the dance floor once again, considering if she should just grab a random person or should she continue to look for someone that catches her eyes. As her eyes run through the messy crowd, a face caught her eyes from afar. A prey, all the way across on the other end of the club from where she was, a pretty little soul that stood out from the crowd. If it wasn’t for the group of drunk dancing girls parting from the crowd to get more drinks, she would have missed the lone female in the corner hiding behind the dancing crowd from her view. She immediately stood up and headed for the corner, leaving the boredom she was beginning to feel behind.

As she got closer, she noticed the solemn look on the damsel’s face. This was going to either be an interesting night or a tough night depending on how the person before her reacts. She lets out a smile and approached the figure with courage since she was already past half the dance floor and was too lazy to head back to the bar and look for a new target.

[Switch POV]

She had ordered a wide variety of drinks, but she was now regretting it. With so many drinks in front of her and no one to drink with, the loneliness sets in and she felt like a fool. She was only a few drinks in when a stranger approached her.

She had noticed vaguely from the corners of her eyes as a silhouette made their way through the dancing crowd in her direction but she had paid no heed to the matter until the person stood in front of her table of drinks. She looks up at the person who disrupted her alone time with the drinks and was awestruck by the appearance of a chic individual in front of her.

She was for some reason drawn in by the aura of the person in front of her and unconsciously her jaws dropped and a whisper escaped , “So pretty…” before she looked away and cleared in embarrassment of being heard when the person tilted her head in surprise. It must be the effect of mixing some of these drinks was all she could repeat to herself in her mind as an excuse as she looked back up with determination and trying to keep her voice from trembling when asking “Do you need anything?”

[Switch POV]

She had made it to the other end of the dancefloor, the crowd had gotten feisty as the beat started dropping while she was halfway through. She gave the DJ a glare before shrugging it off and heading towards the girl she didn’t want to lose sight of. For some reason, this was the first time she was drawn towards a prey so strongly.

As she approached the table, she checked that there was no one around her target. Sure enough, no one seems to be around nor approaching to stop her but she was puzzled when she saw the whole table filled with different drinks as though it was a party for 3 or more. She was about to weigh her options since she noticed the few emptied drinks at the corner of the table when her target looked up and suddenly whispered something she wasn’t expecting. “So pretty”, a compliment she rarely hears at first sight since she was often told her make-up and dressing looked quite strong especially for a first impression. She tilted her head in amazement at the compliment and noticed that the person in front of her noticed seems flustered by her reaction.

“Do you need anything?” the trembling voice slightly threw her off guard as the person that sat before her did not look like the type to sound so shaky. She quickly gave a reassuring smile and replied “Hello, my name is LE and I’m a DJ here. I just got off work and was looking for some drinking company since my drinking buddy couldn’t make it. Would it be okay if I join you for a few drinks?” It wasn’t her usual policy to be so straightforward but with the trembling voice from earlier, she figured that her victim might be on full alert against her if she chose to lie.

[Switch POV]

“S-sure” was all she could let out after a brief moment of contemplation. She had drinks that she didn’t felt like drinking alone and the DJ that stood before her had drawn her attention. There was something unique about the person that stood before her but she had no idea what. But whatever it was, it has taken everything off her mind and started getting it filled with nothing but the curious thoughts of the sudden drinking partner she got.

Partner? When did such a thought crept into her mind? They were still strangers and she hasn’t even introduced herself. She patted the seat beside her awkwardly and watches as LE gracefully settled down happily, a nervous smile spreading across her face to hide her pounding heart beating crazily in her chest. What is this odd feeling?

“I’m Solji, I ordered way too much drinks so feel free to grab a random one and enjoy it.” She said as casually as her trembling lips could while pretending not to be nervous. She quickly grabbed another drink and tried her best to not stare at her sudden company. But her eyes were disobeying her as she stole glances and admire the glamorous presence next to her.

The club was dark for the most part, especially in the corner that they were seated at, which she was thankful for because it hid the flustered look she was sure was on her face. But at the same time, she was thankful for the flashing dancefloor lights that illuminated the features of LE who was having a blast deciding which drink to pick.

Her silky golden hair flowing effortlessly over her shoulders, her eyes that shimmered like a pair of jewels whenever the lights shone past, the soft velvet lips that are curled into a smile as she turned to look at me, wait a minute, me?

Solji snapped back into reality as she noticed LE staring at her with a smile, her head tilted at an angle with her soft looking hands gently wrapped around a drink that’s being offered for a toast. She quickly smiled and gave a toast to LE with the drink she was holding and chugged the entire cup as a sign of welcome. She felt her heart skipped a beat as she watches LE downed the chosen drink after the toast as a return gesture.

[Switch POV]

Overjoyed, LE has found herself a great target. Her target was alone and had tons of drinks to boot. The night was going smooth and she settled down happily as soon as her drinking buddy for the night patted the seat as a welcoming signal. As she was settling down, her partner offered her the drinks available and introduced herself as “Solji”.

As she was picking a drink to start the night with, she had to pretend to not notice the glances that Solji seemed to be throwing at her. Was she still wary? If so, she had better pick up the pace and lower Solji’s guard or it might get unnerving over time. She picked a Martini as a starter drink and offered a toast as appreciation to Solji who seemed to abruptly wake up from whatever trance she was in.

As the two drinks gave off a wonderful ringing note when the two glass cups came into contact with each other during the toast, both of them chugged their drinks in glee. “It’s your first time here I presume? Never seen you around before.” She was sure she would have seen Solji around if it wasn’t a first since she is a regular DJ around this area and with such refined features on this individual, it would be hard to miss. She noticed Solji’s silent nodding and immediately followed up with “So, what is a lady like you doing all alone with so many drinks tonight?” casually while enjoying her second drink slowly to appreciate the taste. She froze up in shock when she received a reply she wasn’t really prepared for. Did she land herself in a bad situation?

[Switch POV]

“I just broke up with a jerk and decided to take my mind off with some drinks.” Solji was surprised at how straightforward she was when she replied to the casual question that LE asked. She was even more surprised by how coldly she said it and how little pain she felt when the things that happened in the day barely fazed her anymore. Was she over that jerk already? Was it the drinks? But she had barely had any.

Suddenly deep in worried thoughts, she was almost distracted by her own thinking when she realized the wide-eyed person staring at her. It must be awkward for LE with the sudden answer and situation so she quickly laughed it off. She immediately chugged another drink to drown out her nervousness and returned a smile like it was totally nothing.

She tried to think of another topic to change to but nothing came to mind except the thoughts of how smooth LE’s skin looked filled her mind. Was her drink spiked? Why was she having such thoughts about a  total stranger. She quickly tried to get the thoughts out of her head and think of something else to say.

She tried her best to not panic as she hurriedly changed the topic since her curiosity at the same time decided to flare up as she remembered that she was approached out of the blue. “Ahem, anyways, let’s ignore what I just said. Let’s talk about something else. Erm, what made you approach me?”

[Switch POV]

It was oddly entertaining to watch Solji struggle with her bountiful reactions. From the straightforward attitude she had when she gave a cold, shocking reply to the cute furrowed brows she wore when deep in thoughts to a cute, flustered look when she realizes she had been deep in thoughts. She had enjoyed watching the dark-haired beauty in front of her changing expression as quickly as a cartoon character. And although the cold answer made LE concerned at first, she knows better than to be involved with personal problems especially those blurted out mistakenly in a fit of drunken speech.

Then it appeared, the curiosity of the sudden approach. Guess its time to come up with a story or a lie but before she could stop herself, she found herself once again being truthful and replying with a simple “Because you were alone and seemed lonely.” It wasn’t a total lie when she said that, but she just couldn’t get over the fact that she was being truthful instead of her usual lying self. What is going on? Why can’t she seem to lie at all tonight?

[Switch to General POV aka Narrations? Idk]

The night progress on slowly as the two ladies continued to drink the remaining drinks and making small talks. Although no more sensitive topic was brought up, the atmosphere remained increasingly positive as the two got closer and closer with their heartfelt small talks. They got to know a bit more about each other, much to their own confusion at how open they were to each other.

[Switch back to Individual POV]

As time passed and the drinks started running out, LE who had been holding back as she watched in amazement over Solji chugging one drink after another, started getting worried that she had met someone who was similar to Hyelin who has a high alcohol tolerance. The targets she usually went for doesn’t have a higher tolerance than hers so she can usually leave after drinking her fill. But the maiden in front of her doesn’t seem to be getting drunk anytime soon and as soon as that thought ended, Solji ordered a bottle of Soju. Well, at least it’s Soju. Both of them expressed their love for the drink during their small talk earlier.

“It’s my favourite drink” as Solji as said. She was tempted to get her number for future drinking parties since she seems like such a perfect drinking buddy for Hyelin. Deep down, she was even questioning who was the bigger Soju lover between the two and honestly she would have to wait to find out. There were 2 pressing matters on hand that she needs to figure out.

Firstly, has she met her match? A victim with a super high tolerance is sitting right in front of her. Although the face was flushed, she seems to still be awake and well. Not a hint of being drunk other than maybe the occasional wobbly actions.

Secondly, Solji. It’s one thing having to hold back drinking to avoid passing out before her target does but its another to be actually friendly and open with her target. Over the course of the few drinks, she had been comfortable and open with Solji. Something she has never done with her previous preys. What is it about Solji that she feels a sense of closeness even though they had met for the first time and all? She was even mesmerized by Solji’s demeanour.

As she kept sipping on her drinks, she kept watching Solji drink under the excuse that she was checking if Solji was finally drunk or not. No, that wasn’t the real reason for staring at Solji at all. She was enchanted by Solji’s features such as her adorable dimples that surfaces whenever a joke she makes made her laugh. She was utterly engrossed in the smiles Solji wore constantly ever since the mood got lighter and Solji seemed to be over whoever the jerk she mentioned was. She felt surprisingly happy whenever Solji laughed and she, too, would laugh along.

As the bottle of soju arrived and the two of them drank it, Solji finally passed out. Guess it was a good idea to leave all the strong beverages to her while she took the mild ones first. She’s had her fair share of drinks and odd feelings so she stood up to ditch the scene. But as she looks back for a final look over at Solji, she felt oddly guilty for leaving a girl like her asleep in a noisy bar that is sometimes full of lurkers.

She contemplated her choices and decided to send a text to the bar manager to keep the drinks they had on her tab. Surprisingly, the bar manager texted back saying he knows Solji’s brother and the tab for their drinks would be on the house. He offered to send Solji back but she felt responsible for knocking her out with drinks so she declined the offer and said she would take care of Solji instead.

[Fast Forward half an hour]

She regretted her life choices. She’s now in her room with Solji asleep soundly on her bed since she realized she didn’t know where Solji lives and her own house was the closest place she knew was safe. Plus, she was stubborn and didn’t want to call the bar manager after so confidently saying she’ll take care of Solji.

She contemplated moving Solji to the sofa so that she can have the bed to herself but seeing as how Solji was so deeply asleep, she couldn’t bear to do so. Instead, she headed to the bathroom to grab a quick shower before heading to dreamland. She’ll leave the trouble of coming up with an explanation of the whole situation for tomorrow.

[Switch POV]

She was out and by the time she came to, she was having a slight dizzy spell. But more than anything, she was confused. She was in a dark room and on a soft bed. Where was she? She sat upright, groaning softly as she looked around with the dizziness still lingering. Maybe so many shots of strong drinks in a row wasn’t such a good idea, it’s amazing she’s alive honestly.

As she squinted to adjust her eyes in the dark, she noticed that she was in a room that definitely did not belong to anyone she knows neither does it look like any hotel at all. Where was she and should she be worried? She was slightly starting to panic but the dizzy spell caused her to lie back down in resignation. “Maybe this is just a dream and when I wake up I’ll be at home…” she told herself as she slowly faded back to a deep slumber.

[Switch POV]

It had been a long time since she came into the shower. She couldn’t tell if it was the alcohol or something else but Solji has been on her mind ever since she entered the shower. She stood under the shower and was hoping the water would clear her mind and rid the thoughts of the fast-asleep figure on her bed outside of the bathroom. But nothing was stopping her from recalling how slender Solji’ body was in her arms when she helped her into the taxi nor how gentle Solji’s sleeping face was during the taxi ride when Solji’s head was resting on her shoulders.

None of the images were getting out of her mind at all even after switching to a cold shower in a desperate attempt to forget. Her mind was drowned with thoughts full of this stranger that she barely got to know much about over small talks they’ve made during their drinking session. She has also never brought a person home, especially a target. She was so confused by the drastic changes in habits she has thanks to Solji.

After a long period of standing under the shower in confusion, exhaustion and dizziness started to set in and LE had no choice but to stop the shower of reflection and step out. She dried herself with a towel and wrapped her hair with another before making her way to her room and sitting down on the side of the bed where Solji laid.

She watched as Solji’s chest rise and fall slowly, listening to her soft breathing and even slowly breathing in sync with her subconsciously. She gently reached out and started the soft, sleek shadow-black hair, careful not to wake up the owner who was fast asleep. Then something totally unexpecting (to the character not the readers because clearly we all wanted it to go in this direction ;D ) happened, she started inching her face closer and planted a kiss on Solji’s puffy cheeks first. She can’t tell whether it was the alcohol or exhaustion kicking in but she was so drawn to her new friend. Friend? Can she even consider themselves as friends right now? But that is not a worry, right now the person in front of her seems to have awoken from that light kiss she gave. Mild panic started setting in, she wasn’t ready to explain the whole thing. It’s starting to make her lightheaded. But thankfully, it was just a false alarm as Solji simply repositioned her head to a much more comfortable looking angle. As soon as she was in the clear, all her fear was dispersed and she slowly started blacking out from exhaustion finally hitting her at full force. She'll just worry about everything tomorrow...

[Switch POV]

Something soft had briefly landed on her cheeks. She wasn’t sure what it was but the cooling sensation left on her warm body from the alcohol felt refreshing. She wasn’t fully awake but she felt comfortable as a nimble hand her hair ever so gently as though she was a child. Each touch was light as a feather yet it left a warmth inside her.

But she did not move, not for the longest time since she was first woken up and repositioned her head until the sensation stopped. With each that brought warmth also brought awareness that she was somewhere unknown. A pleasant floral scent was coming from the person treating her with such care yet she couldn’t help worrying and pretending to still be asleep until an opportunity comes. And soon it did for after what seemed like an eternity of feeling anxious and comfort at the same time, the person seemed to have dozed off as the patting stopped and all around the quiet room only the sound of breathing echoed through.

She opened her eyes and in front of her was a face barely just inches away that almost made her scream but she was at loss for words at the sleeping beauty in front of her instead. She almost couldn’t recognize the gentle child-like face in front of her, so different from the charismatic one she remembered from the club. For some reason, despite the fact that she doesn’t know exactly where she was, she doesn’t feel any hostility from nor towards LE who is asleep sweetly next to her. She doesn’t feel anxious anymore once she found out who was with her and slowly, after intertwining her hand with LE’s, she drifted back to sleep.

=End of Chapter 1=