CHAPTER FOUR

“Man, we’re glad you’re back! Let’s go to celebrate it!” Seunghyun, also known as Top, tells Jiyong on the phone as soon as he found out that his long friend is back to Korea.

“I didn’t know that you’re also back from Tokyo.” Jiyong replies him. He was sitting on his desk reading while Seunghyun called him and asked him to go out with them. He knew that Seunghyun left to Tokyo years ago, long before he left too. They weren’t too close back then, but seems like they want to party tonight.

“Yes, I’m back bro. Let’s go party tonight, I already invited all the crew. It’s been a long time since we got to see each other, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, you’re right.” He stops for a moment, then recompose himself. It wouldn’t be the first night he goes to a party anyways. “All right, tell me where we should meet.”

“Extra King Bar, the baddest bar in the whole Seoul.”

In less than an hour Jiyong finds himself in front of the bar. But he scoffs for a moment. This morning he was sure enough that he will leave behind this behavior because he’s not a teen anymore and he needs to focus on what’s really important to him. He was decided to leaves the parties and drinks. Even more now that he started to work at the company at the vice president. Wasn’t it what he was looking for anyways? He knew that he will take after his father one day. They were trusting him in doing a good job, he couldn’t disappoint them. But again, he mentally made a plan: only few hours, no drinking.

Jiyong steps out of his car and walks to the door. First thing he notices is the loud music, a lot of people dancing, shouting, drinking, smoking, there’s a lot of smoke there that he can’t see anything.

He was looking for his friends when Seunghyun come to him, greeting him after so long, leading him to their table.

“Look who’s here!” Seunghyun says to the others, shouting of course and the other men sitting there shouted as well like they’ve knew each other for years. Honestly, Jiyong knows that he never met any of them before.

“Sit down Ji, I’ll give you something strong. We’re going to party hard tonight. You know what’s the best part about this bar?”

Jiyong shakes his head and another man talks.

“I heard that they have y workers in here, if you know what I mean.”

After seeing Seunghyun approaching the bar, Jiyong already regretted coming there with them. It only had been ten minutes and he already want to leave to his home. He wasn’t the type to party hard but he used to enjoy them before, moreover when he was in LA. But seems like not anymore.

“Drink it man, it’s vodka.”

“No thanks, I’m driving.”

“I’m driving too, so? We can leave the cars there and take a cab.” Seunghyun says and in one second the vodka from his glass disappear.

“You should stop drinking too.”

The other ones started to laugh, and he mentally slaps himself one more time. He should leave now, anyways Seunghyun was so drunk, he bets that he won’t even remember that he was there with them the next day. He stands up and tries to make his way among all the people there blocking him.

“Hey y, give me your phone number, will you?” the man says to Chaerin while she was serving him at the table his drink. She was counting the hours until she could get out of there because she hates this place. She swears that among all the jobs she had, this one is the most gross one. There was smell of alcohol and smoke, she never thought she would have to get close to people like that. If it wasn’t for the circumstances, she wouldn’t even get close to this place.

“Here’s your drink.” She tries to sound as more casual as possible.

“Wait, have a drink with us.” The man strongly grabs her arm, forcing her to sit next to him. Chaerin gets scared because of his act, she tries to stands up but then he grabs her again even stronger than before.

“Let me go, . You’re hurting my arm.”

He laughs while pouring some white powder into the glass then takes it in his hand and gives it to her.

“Come on girl, that’s for you.”

Chaerin stands up and was about to run away when he starts to follow her. He grabs her one more time and was about to push her on the table when someone punches his face hard. Too hard that he lost balance and falls on the floor. Even though there were so many people no one stopped to look at it. The man tried to get up and look at the one who hit him just now. He couldn’t do so, because another punch on his face stopped him.

“Ji, stop please.” Chaerin cries when she was Jiyong punching that disgusting man over and over again. It happened so fast that she couldn’t assimilate it, then she saw him. What was he doing there?

Jiyong looks at her before taking her hand and walks them to out of the bar. As much as she wanted to, she couldn’t leave. It was her job and she needed it. Jiyong didn’t stop till they reached his car in the parking spot. But she did, because she was aware that she couldn’t leave.

“Don’t tell me that you’re working there.” Jiyong says when she let go of his hand. He can see her better now; her all cheeks were red and her eyes were teary. He was about to leave when he saw that idiot messing up with her and he wasn’t able to control his anger. Yes, he gets angry over the idea that someone is messing up with her.

“I’ll have to go back.” Chaerin makes few steps, still hesitant. Jiyong lightly grabs her hand again, making her facing him.

“You won’t go back there ever again.”

“You don’t understand anything. Let me go.” She can’t take it anymore; her tears start to run over her red face. Jiyong glups. He hate