Unevitable | Ryeji |

Chapter 32: Love or Danger

Ryujin's pov:

It had been a week since I last saw Yeji, and right now, I was at the bar where Niki worked, drinking like an alcoholic. The alcohol did little to ease the storm raging in my mind. Each gulp seemed to blur the sharp edges of reality, but the guilt and anxiety never fully faded.

Niki glanced my way occasionally, but I barely noticed. My thoughts were consumed by Yeji—by her gaze, her curiosity, and the unsettling connection we shared. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face, and it only made the weight of my decisions feel heavier.

I knew the stakes were higher than ever. The mission felt like a precarious tightrope, and I was terrified of falling. The alcohol might numb the edges for a moment, but it couldn’t erase the dangerous path I was on.

Niki approached, his voice laced with concern. "Ryujin, you need to stop drinking so much. It's not good for you."

I looked up, my vision swimming slightly from the haze of alcohol. "Not now, Niki. I just need this."

He frowned, clearly frustrated, but I could see the worry in his eyes. I didn't have the energy to engage, nor the patience to explain that right now, this drink was the only thing that was keeping me from completely unraveling. Ignoring his plea, I took another long sip, letting the burn of the alcohol drown out the chaos swirling inside me.

Deciding to distract myself from the ever-present thoughts of Yeji, I pushed myself off the barstool and made my way to the dance floor. The pulsing music and the rhythmic movement of bodies seemed like a perfect escape from the whirlwind in my head.

I scanned the crowd, searching for someone who might help me forget. The dance floor was packed, and the lively atmosphere was a stark contrast to the turmoil I felt inside. I tried to immerse myself in the music, hoping that by engaging with someone else, I could silence the echoes of Yeji’s face that lingered in my mind. As I started to dance, I hoped this distraction would bring me some semblance of relief.

On the dance floor, I found myself moving to the beat, letting the music consume me. I approached a group of women who were laughing and dancing energetically, hoping to blend in and shift my focus. I struck up a conversation with one of them, her smile genuine and her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

As we danced together, I tried to let the moment carry me away. Her presence was a distraction, a temporary reprieve from my thoughts of Yeji. We exchanged lighthearted banter and moved together to the rhythm, and for a while, I felt a bit of the weight lift off my shoulders.

But even amidst the lively crowd and the pulsating beats, a part of me remained distant, unable to fully escape the storm of my emotions. As the night went on, I found myself hoping that this distraction would be enough, but deep down, I knew that escaping my thoughts of Yeji would be more challenging than I had anticipated.

Feeling the weight of the night and the distraction starting to wear thin, I headed to the washroom, hoping a brief break might clear my head. The fluorescent lights flickered as I pushed through the door and found an empty stall. I leaned against the cool wall, taking a deep breath as I tried to steady my thoughts.

In the silence, my mind drifted back to Yeji once more. The loud music and the thrumming crowd felt distant compared to the quiet of the washroom. I glanced at my reflection in the mirror, trying to reconcile the person I saw with the turmoil I felt inside.

It was clear that no matter how hard I tried to escape my feelings, they were still right there, waiting for me to confront them. I splashed some water on my face, hoping the cold shock would help me gather my thoughts before heading back into the chaos of the night.