Unevitable | Ryeji |

Chapter 8: Night of Deceptions

Yeji's POV:

The stress from work was too high for me, so I decided to hit a club to refresh my mind.

I didn't want to go alone, so I called Felix, Karina, and Lia to join me. I invited Minho and Seungmin as well, but they were too lazy to get out of bed.

As we entered the club, the loud music filled our ears. The pulsating beats and vibrant lights created an atmosphere that was both electrifying and distracting, just what I needed to forget about work for a while.

The dance floor was packed with people, their bodies moving in sync with the rhythm. I could feel the bass thumping through the floor, a steady pulse that seemed to echo the stress I was trying to leave behind.

Felix led the way, weaving through the crowd with ease. Karina and Lia followed, their eyes already scanning the room for a good spot to settle. We found a table near the dance floor, giving us a perfect view of the action.

We ordered drinks, and I took a moment to just breathe, letting the club's energy wash over me. Felix was already talking animatedly about the latest case, but I tuned out the details, focusing instead on the feeling of being somewhere other than the office.

As the night wore on, I started to feel the tension ease out of my shoulders. Karina dragged me onto the dance floor, and I let myself get lost in the music, moving without thinking. It was a temporary escape, but it was exactly what I needed.

*
*
*

Just as I started to relax, Felix nudged me and pointed towards the bar. "Hey, Yeji, check out that guy over there."

I followed his gaze and saw a striking man with sharp features and an easy smile. Felix, ever the social butterfly, decided to strike up a conversation. He made his way over, and I watched with mild curiosity as they exchanged a few words.

A few minutes later, Felix returned with the stranger in tow. "Hey, everyone, this is Hyunjin," Felix introduced. "We just met at the bar. Hyunjin, this is Yeji, Karina, and Lia."

Hyunjin greeted us with a friendly nod. "Nice to meet you all. Felix was just telling me about his job. Sounds fascinating."

I raised an eyebrow. Felix had a knack for embellishing the truth, especially when meeting new people. "Oh really? What do you do, Felix?"

Felix grinned, playing along. "I'm in sales, actually. Marketing and all that jazz."

Hyunjin chuckled. "Interesting. I'm a photographer. I travel a lot for work, capturing moments around the world."

I could tell by the way Felix's eyes sparkled that he was enjoying this little game of deception. I decided to play along, intrigued by where this might lead.

"Well, it's great to meet someone with such a creative profession," I said, smiling at Hyunjin. "It must be exciting to travel so much."

Hyunjin nodded. "It has its perks. So, what do you do, Yeji?"

I hesitated for a split second before replying, "I'm in corporate management. Lots of paperwork and meetings, nothing as thrilling as photography."

Hyunjin smiled. "Every job has its own excitement, I suppose. It's all about perspective."

As the night continued, we chatted more with Hyunjin, each of us carefully maintaining our fabricated stories. It was refreshing, in a way, to step out of our usual roles and just enjoy the moment without the weight of our real identities.

After a while, Felix and Hyunjin drifted back to the bar, leaving me with Karina and Lia. Karina leaned in, her voice low. "That Hyunjin guy seems interesting. What do you think, Yeji?"

I shrugged, sipping my drink. "He's charming, that's for sure. But who knows if he's telling the truth about his job? We're not exactly being honest either."

Lia laughed. "Yeah, but it's all in good fun. Besides, it's nice to just unwind for once."

"You guys look alike" Karina comments.

"You think so?" I ask and she nods.

We watched as Felix and Hyunjin chatted animatedly at the bar, their laughter blending with the music. It was clear they were hitting it off, despite the pretense.

For a moment, I allowed myself to relax and enjoy the atmosphere, letting the stress of my real life slip away. Tomorrow, we'd go back to the grind, back to chasing shadows and solving mysteries. But tonight, we could be anyone we wanted to be.

Felix and Hyunjin returned to our table, each carrying a round of drinks. "Here you go," Felix said, handing them out with a grin. "Hyunjin has some great stories from his travels."

Hyunjin smiled modestly. "Oh, they're nothing special. Just moments that stand out here and there."

"Come on, tell us one!" Karina urged.

Hyunjin took a sip of his drink, then began. "Well, there was this one time in Paris. I was there for a shoot, and I stumbled upon this little street festival. There was music, dancing, and the most amazing food. I ended up spending the entire day just capturing the joy and energy of the event. It reminded me why I love what I do."

We listened, captivated by his story. Even though I knew he might be fabricating parts of it, I found myself drawn to his charisma.

As the night wore on, we danced, laughed, and shared more stories-some real, some not. Felix and Hyunjin seemed to grow closer, their banter easy and comfortable. I could see the spark of genuine connection between them, even under the layers of pretense.

Eventually, the night began to wind down. The club's energy mellowed as people started to leave. We gathered our things and made our way outside, the cool night air a refreshing contrast to the club's warmth.

Hyunjin turned to us with a smile. "It was great meeting you all. Maybe we can do this again sometime?"

Felix nodded eagerly. "Definitely. It was a lot of fun."

We exchanged contact information, still maintaining our fabricated identities. As we parted ways, I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. Tonight had been a break from reality, a chance to be someone else for a while.

As we headed home, I knew the real world would catch up with us soon enough. But for now, I was content with the memories of a night well spent, and the hope that perhaps, just maybe, our paths would cross again.