TRAPPED || Taegguk

[ 57 ] Ode to debauchery

"I didn't take anything, actually."

Seoyeon gave him a suspicious glance. "You sober?" When the man nodded, she had to fight with herself to contain her snort. "Tryna quit?"
As expected, Jeongguk shook his head, so she allowed herself to chuckle. "Thought so. Can I get you anything? I don't have drugs, but I have tequila and lime juice."

"If you're offering me a margarita, the answer is yes." Jeongguk simply said. He would need the alcohol to survive until the end of his shift.

"That is what I'm doing." Seoyeon grinned. "But seriously, how are you doing Jeongguk?"

"Good." He watched her get a fresh bottle of tequila from the big fridge behind her, catching an accidental glimpse of the tattoo on the back of her thigh when she bent down to get another glass. He'd never dared ask about it, but the inked spider had always intrigued him.

"Still seeing the hot rich guy?" Seoyeon asked, pushing Jeongguk's drink closer to him with a mischievous smile.

"Yup." The older answered, popping the p as usual.

"Going well?" She continued, playful smile turning into a smirk as she watched Jeongguk blush. "Oh? Is it actually going somewhere?"

"It might be..."Jeongguk mumbled, shaking the pink off his cheeks with a vehement shake of his head. " But I don't know if I should really be dating right now." At that, Seoyeon pursed her lips with a melancholic look in her eyes. She knew exactly how her friend was feeling, for she was no stranger to doubts when it came to love either. In fact, she overthought everything so much that relationships now seemed more like a complicated math problem of which she didn't know the formula, than a fun, emotional experience.

Yet she couldn't let her friend end up like her. If there was even an atom-sized hope of saving him from losing himself completely, she would do anything she could to help him. More than anything, she wanted Jeongguk to be happy, and though it pained her, she knew the only way for him to ever feel that way was if he cut all ties with Han — and anything related to the man. For everything he did for the man, destroyed him a little more. It was only a question of time before Han sucked the soul out of his body and left him a hollow shell of a man, just like he'd done to her.

And if it was too late for her, the innocent glimmer of light in Jeongguk's eyes made her think that perhaps, it wasn't too late for him.

"Why shouldn't you be dating? You're in your twenties, that's what people do at that age. They date. And you've been holding off for a long time. Don't self-sabotage by depriving yourself of a good experience, Gguk."

Jeongguk was about to answer, she could tell by the way his adam's apple bobbed as he nervously swallowed his saliva. But just as he was about to open his mouth and speak up, an all-too familiar voice cut their conversation short.

"Jeongguk, come with me."

Han.

Jeongguk's fingers clenched around the thick glass of his cocktail, his heart pounding in his rib cage when he turned around to face the man.

As per usual, Han was sporting his nerdy rectangle-shaped glasses and an expensive, loose suit with a black tie that seemed to be way too tight on his neck, judging from the redness surrounding the knot of it. His left hand was in the pocket of his trousers, the other reaching out grab the glass of whiskey Seoyeon had just poured him.

"But I'm not done with my shift?"Jeongguk frowned, confused and anxious. What did the man want now? Had he not tortured him enough over the past few weeks? "I'm supposed to work unt—"

"I don't give a fuck, Jeongguk. Seoyeon can take your shift, can she not?" He glared over at the girl; who hurried to nod her head yes — it wasn't like she really had a choice, anyway. "Great, then it's settled. Seoyeon, go get changed. Jeongguk, you're coming with me."