A Kiss For A Kiss

08

"Slow down, girl," Jisoo warns, watching me closely. "You'll choke on your liquor. What happened?"

"Stuff." My voice comes out harsher than intended, laced with an edge I don't bother to soften. I down my fifth cup of beer, the bitter burn of it scorching my throat. Normally, I'd stick to wine—something light, refreshing. But tonight? I need something stronger. Something that could drown out my thoughts.

"Yeah," she replies, rolling her eyes. Her gaze narrows on me, as if peeling away the layers of my defenses. "What kind of stuff?"

"Stuff." I snap again, signaling her to get me another shot. The alcohol's finally hitting me. My vision blurs occasionally, and a strange sensation tingles at the base of my spine, making me want to giggle. I hiccup, barely registering it through the fog that's settling over my brain. The numbness spreads, and I feel... sober, in a twisted way.

"Maybe I should text Lisa that her friend's finally lost it," Jisoo mutters, her voice flat despite my groan of protest.

"I dare you," I growl, wiping my mouth with my sleeve.

"I'm serious, Chae-young," she says, her tone sharper. "You don't look okay."

I snort softly. "No shit."

I turn away from the bar, facing the dance floor. People move in a rhythmic blur, lost in their world of music and light. Normally, I'd be tempted to join them, to lose myself in the crowd. But not tonight. I came here to forget, to drink until the memories fade, not to dance or flirt or pretend everything's fine. Not like before—before the shooting, before I realized how broken I was.

People look at me and see a carefree blonde who loves to sing, play guitar, and manage her simple life. But when I look in the mirror, I see blood on my hands. I'm no innocent woman. I'm a murderer who's managed to walk free. Unlike Jungkook, I don't relish in it. I didn't ask for this blood on my hands—I was forced into it.

Just as I'm about to turn back to Jisoo, a man catches my attention. He's heading toward us, eyes dark and sharp, oozing trouble. I focus on him, my instincts prickling as his gaze locks onto Jisoo, making me want to slam a fist into his face.

"Hey, baby girl," he says to Jisoo, and I can feel her tense beside me. What the hell? His line is laughably cheesy, but the unease it stirs in me is no joke.

"Excuse me?" I interject, stepping between them. I glance between them, the tension so thick it could be cut with a knife. "Who are you?"

"I'm Taehyung. You can call me V." He directs the latter part at Jisoo, whose face is reddening. Then his attention shifts to me, his expression hardening. "I'm a friend of Jeon. You know him."

Cold panic grips me, freezing the air in my lungs. No. This can't be happening. I thought they said they wouldn't target my friends—that my loved ones would be off-limits. But this? This is a message. A warning that I'm being watched, every move I make observed.

"Chae," Jisoo says, her voice accusing. "Who's Jungkook?"

"Oh, she didn't tell you?" Taehyung feigns surprise, too dramatically. "He's a pretty nice guy."

I suppress a bitter laugh. Sure, he's a nice guy if your idea of nice includes being a cold-blooded killer.

"Chae-young!" Jisoo practically shouts, drawing attention. "You have a boyfriend we don't know about?"

I freeze. "What? No! Absolutely not."

Taehyung snickers. "Nah, they just wanna screw each other. No big deal."

"You shut the hell up," I snarl at him, heat flooding my face.

"There's nothing wrong with lusting after someone," Jisoo mumbles, her eyes still glued to Taehyung like she's already decided to take him home.