Here I Lie // ATEEZ ✔

- 16 -

Kang Yoochan's body sways to the rhythm of the loud, pounding music on the dance floor, his movements guided by the alcohol surging in his body. He isn't completely drunk; it's only his third glass for the evening, but somehow today the effects feel heavier, more numbing. He doesn't mind though, drowning among the club-goers and sinking in his labyrinth of diminished awareness. Some people bump into him; that might get him agitated on some other day and he would break their jaws on the dance floor on said days, but tonight, he holds it in. Today has been a wonderful day, and he has come to the club to celebrate with his two close friends: Park Seongjin and Choi Jinhan.

His two friends are sitting near the bar, Seongjin with nothing but an iced water served to him and Jinhan downing another shot. They are looking at him, most probably with jealousy, because he is the only one married to a beautiful woman, but even so, he is the only one out of the three that girls show their interest in. Their visit to the club tonight is a testament to that; he can feel the girls dancing too close to him, and one who keeps intentionally bumping into him even when he has steered clear from coming in her way. He has the looks and a wife, but here, he forgets the second part.

Plus, since tonight is a celebration, it doesn't hurt to act like he doesn't have a wedding band on his finger. His father had just transferred every right he has of the company to him this morning, because apparently the old man is dying and he had always wanted his oldest child to inherit the company. His wife is away with her friends travelling, voyaging on a boat somewhere in the middle of the sea, probably the South China Sea. She is probably out there cheating with some younger man, so he ought to return the favour too. Their marriage was never about love anyway; it's only the money.

He is pushed slightly to the right by a man in a hoodie, taller than him by around 10 centimetres. He doesn't want to pick a fight because it will ruin his mood, so he opts to go to the left side of the dance floor. It's maybe the alcohol making him hallucinate but the man, face masked by darkness and with only eyes visible, is tailing him on the floor. When he moves to the right, the man follows. As he takes left, the man quickly shifts his direction too. Deciding that he's only being critical, he lets himself get absorbed in the music. Then he laughs at himself for being paranoid, because the man has disappeared from the crowd.

Over at the bar, Jinhan shakes his head when looking at both of his friends; one is too uptight, who does not know how to enjoy himself, while one is enjoying himself too much, even with a family waiting back home. But what can he do? They are his lifelong friends, and they are the only ones who stick with each other. Doesn't matter if it's good... or bad.

"Who on earth drinks iced water at a club?" he slurs, speech affected by his own drink. "Park Seongjin, you goody-two-shoes. No wonder girls are intimidated by you until they don't even dare come close to you; you're too perfect. Good family, good looks, good manners. You don't even smoke nor drink, even when you hang out with us. But even with all of that, guys like him-" he points towards the dance floor, "get married first."

Seongjin chuckles, peering into his glass of iced water. He shakes it; the condensed water runs along the side of the glass and the ice produces clinking sounds as they hit the walls. Over the loud thumping of music, he shouts back, "I guess everyone have different fates, who are we to judge on why he got married first?" He smiles. "And you know how I cannot handle alcohol, because I get knocked out even after a half glass. It would be embarrassing to witness that so I would rather stay away."

They shift their vision towards the dance floor, and catch sight of Yoochan gesturing to them, saying that he's going to the bathroom. They shrug; it's not like they're going to follow him anyway.

"He's acting a bit strange today, don't you think? Too ecstatic, but he doesn't even try to pick a fight with anyone. On any given day there would at least be one person he would give an uppercut to," Jinhan says.