When the Clock Strikes|Pi Han Ul x Reader|

(S02) Chapter 20

“It means you look like you haven’t slept in days.”

I sighed. “Because I haven’t.”

Ha-Ya tilted her head. “And? You’ve been in a mood all day. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I lied smoothly.

They didn’t buy it.

Seok Kyung grinned. “Then go to a club.”

I nearly choked on my water. “What?”

“A club,” he repeated. “You know, where people have fun? Socialize? Maybe meet someone?”

I groaned. “No way. I need sleep.”

Ha-Ya wagged her finger. “Nope. If something’s bothering you, the best way to deal with it is the club.”

“Who said something’s bothering me?”

Seok Kyung smirked. “Oh, come on. You’ve been looking all gloomy since morning. Spill.”

I scoffed, grabbing my bag. “I don’t have time for men. I barely have time for myself.”

Ha-Ya sighed dramatically. “Which is why you need to let loose.”

“Pass.”

Seok Kyung groaned. “You’re no fun.”

I laughed, shaking my head as I slung my bag over my shoulder. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

As I stepped outside, the cool night air hit me, refreshing and sharp. The sun had set, and the streetlights cast a dim glow over the hospital parking lot.

A club, huh?

Maybe they were right. Maybe I did need a distraction.

With a deep breath, I made up my mind.

I was going.

______________

The neon lights flickered against the dark sky as I stood outside the club, my fingers gripping the strap of my bag a little tighter than necessary.

I had never been to a club before. Never even considered it. Between my insane residency schedule and my already packed life, the thought of squeezing into a loud, sweaty place with too many strangers had never appealed to me.

But tonight felt different.

Maybe it was the exhaustion pressing down on me. Maybe it was the way my thoughts kept circling back to Han Wool and Harin. Maybe it was just the need to prove to myself that I could do something—anything—that wasn’t tied to him.

I took a deep breath and stepped inside.

The moment I walked in, the bass of the music vibrated through my bones, a deep, thrumming beat that seemed to pulse with every step I took.

The club was dimly lit, the air heavy with a mix of expensive colognes, sweat, and the sharp scent of alcohol. Multi-colored lights swung across the crowd, illuminating faces for half a second before plunging them into shadows again.

People were everywhere.

Dancing in the center of the room, bodies pressed together in a way that felt both hypnotic and suffocating. Some leaned against the bar, laughing and flirting. Others sat at the high-top tables, drinking and watching.

I swallowed, my fingers brushing against the fabric of my dress. But I still felt out of place, like I had wandered into a world I didn’t belong in.

But I wasn’t here to belong. I was here to forget.