LAPSED

⚠ 𝑰𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑺𝑬𝑪𝑻𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑱𝑶𝑼𝑹𝑵𝑬𝒀𝑺 ⚠

"ᴡʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ᴍᴇᴇᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴀᴍᴇ ᴘᴇʀꜱᴏɴ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ, ɪᴛ'ꜱ ᴀʟᴍᴏꜱᴛ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ᴀ ꜱɪɢɴ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ʙɪɢɢᴇʀ ɪꜱ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴏɴ. ɪᴛ'ꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ᴀɴ ᴀᴄᴄɪᴅᴇɴᴛ ᴏʀ ᴄʜᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴄɪʀᴄᴜᴍꜱᴛᴀɴᴄᴇ – ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀ ʀᴇᴀꜱᴏɴ."
—𝕿𝖎𝖓𝖆 𝕱𝖊𝖞

ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡ

"I SURVIVED the accident only to be killed by my brother — once he discovers where we went, especially when we're supposed to be sleeping over our house, Son Chaeyoung," Dahyun told the younger female as the latter continued to pull her inside a nightclub at Itaewon. Dahyun's voice held a faint note of protest, but her body language told a different story. She didn't resist Chaeyoung's grasp on her arm, allowing her friend to lead the way while she trailed behind her.

Fortunately, Dahyun's brother — Kim Myungsoo — had a corporate retreat somewhere (province) in South Korea for two days and two nights. It was only yesterday when Dahyun asked him if she can let Chaeyoung stay in their house to accompany her while he's not around, and he immediately agreed to that idea. He had known Chaeyoung for years and there's no reason to be against it. After all, it's Chaeyoung, even if he had known her for being obstinate and hard-headed lady, her presence with Dahyun was enough to give him peace of mind knowing that his sister was not home alone.

Unbeknownst to him, Chaeyoung had brought his sister in a place where he least expected them to be, and his sister wasn't even resisting in her hold.

A grin appeared on Chaeyoung's lips upon guessing that Dahyun likes the idea of partying too (though she wouldn't mention it). "Oh, come on. Don't you like this? The thrill of partying with strangers mixed with the possibility of your brother finding out about us getting wasted. . . Doesn't it excite you?"

"Why would I be excited to face oppa's rage?" Dahyun asked rhetorically, her tone filled with a hint of annoyance. As they queued up for tickets, she couldn't help but feel a sense of unease at the grandeur of the place. "This place looks so luxurious. Are you sure we can afford the entry fee?" she whispered to Chaeyoung, eyeing the fashionably-dressed crowd ahead of them in line.

Dahyun looked down at her outfit, suddenly self-conscious. She felt a pang of embarrassment as she took in the other people around her, all dressed in their finest and most fashionable clothing. She couldn't help but feel like she stood out like a sore thumb. As if wounded, she consciously looked down at her outfit - a cropped denim jacket over a black-and-white striped turtleneck, long sleeves tucked into a denim skirt of the same color, black tights covering her legs, black sneakers, and black gloves. To her defense, she had packed light for her stay with her brother and didn't have many fashionable options available in her luggage. This was the best outfit she had brought from home.

She took a deep breath and tried to shake off her insecurities. "Who cares what they think," she thought to herself. "I'm here to have fun, not to impress anyone."

"Well, it's settled," Chaeyoung said, her chest puffed up with pride. She leaned in close to Dahyun and whispered, "I managed to get us free tickets."

Dahyun's eyes widened in surprise. "How did you manage that?" she asked, impressed.

Chaeyoung grinned mischievously. "Let's just say I have my ways," she replied, playfully. "Actually, I signed up on the club's website," Chaeyoung explained with a smirk, "and since I've been here countless times, I managed to acquire the guest privilege that not many patrons know about. So, that's how I got us free entrance tickets. Easy peasy lemon squeezy."