The Conquest (Underworld 5) SH

13: Single's Inferno

As the night continued, Chan found himself in the far corner of the mansion's expansive patio, sipping on a glass of whiskey with a deep sigh. He stared into the glass, swirling the amber liquid as if it held the answers to all of life's mysteries—or at least the mystery of why he was still single.

"Why am I the only one without a partner?" Chan muttered to himself, leaning back in his chair. He took another sip, feeling the burn as it went down. "Everyone else is so damn in love. It's like I'm cursed or something."

Just then, Hansol appeared, carrying his own drink and looking equally pensive. He flopped down into the chair next to Chan with a dramatic sigh, echoing his friend's mood. "Tell me about it. We're the last of the single ones. The forgotten souls."

Chan turned to Hansol, narrowing his eyes. "You too, huh?"

Hansol nodded solemnly. "Yeah. It's like we're living in a rom-com where everyone's paired up except us. The side characters who never get a love interest."

Chan groaned, running a hand through his hair. "I don't get it! I'm cute, right? Like, at least a solid eight on a good day."

Hansol smirked, nodding in agreement. "Definitely an eight. Maybe even a nine if you smile more."

"Exactly!" Chan exclaimed, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "So why am I still single? I mean, even Jihoon—JIHOON—gets more action than me, and he's basically married to his Busam drughouse!"

Hansol chuckled, taking a sip of his drink. "Well, maybe you just need to lower your standards. Start with someone who isn't a complete fantasy."

Chan shot him a look. "Lower my standards? Do you hear yourself? I'm not asking for a supermodel, just someone who can keep up with my dance moves and doesn't mind late-night ramen runs!"

"Is that too much to ask?" Hansol sighed theatrically, clinking his glass with Chan's in solidarity. "Apparently so."

Their lamentation was soon interrupted by the others, who had clearly been eavesdropping on their conversation. Mingyu, with his usual mischievous grin, sauntered over and leaned against the patio door, shaking his head in mock pity.

"Oh, look at the poor single souls, drowning their sorrows in booze," Mingyu teased, loud enough for everyone inside to hear.

Seokmin, always ready to add fuel to the fire, popped up next to him. "Maybe if you two didn't spend all your time pining away in corners, you'd actually meet someone!"

Chan rolled his eyes, waving his glass at them dismissively. "Like you're one to talk, Mingyu hyung. You and Wonwoo hyung argue like you've been married for fifty years. That's not exactly the romance I'm aspiring to."

Wonwoo, hearing his name, joined the fray, smirking at Chan. "At least we have each other. What do you have? That glass of whiskey?"

"That glass of whiskey," Mingyu echoed with a laugh. "And Hansol. How romantic."

Hansol sighed dramatically, placing a hand over his heart. "It's true. All we have is each other in this cruel, love-filled world."

Seungcheol, ever the older brother figure, came up behind Mingyu and Wonwoo, wrapping an arm around both their shoulders. "Come on, give them a break. Not everyone can find love at the same time."

Jeonghan, never one to miss an opportunity for teasing, leaned against Seungcheol, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Or maybe they're just hopeless. I mean, Chan's still practically a baby. Maybe he should focus on finding his way out of the friend zone first."

Chan groaned, burying his face in his hands. "This is exactly why I'm still single. You're all the worst."

Hansol nodded in agreement, raising his glass to the others. "Here's to being single and surrounded by horny couples. May our suffering be short-lived."