The Whispers (Underworld 6) VK

7: Late Night Walk

The night was buzzing with energy as Hansol and Chan, along with the rest of their basketball team, headed to a popular hangout spot near the university to celebrate their recent win. The team had dominated the court, and the victory had everyone in high spirits. Chan, as usual, was the life of the party, blending seamlessly into the crowd. He was laughing, joking around, and soaking up all the attention that came his way. Meanwhile, Hansol—better known as Vernon by his teammates—couldn't have been more disinterested.

As soon as they arrived at the bar, Chan was immediately swarmed by teammates and fans alike. His natural charisma and easygoing nature made him the center of attention. He was holding court in the middle of the room, telling a hilarious story about one of their matches, gesturing wildly with his beer in hand as the group around him laughed uproariously.

Hansol, on the other hand, found himself gravitating toward the farthest, quietest corner of the bar. He had a beer in his hand, but he wasn't really drinking it. The loud music, the chatter, and the general chaos of the place didn't appeal to him. He preferred quiet, or at least some semblance of it. But with Chan in the mix, there was no escaping the madness.

As Hansol sipped his beer, his gaze wandered around the room, landing on his teammates who were already getting rowdy after a couple of drinks. They were singing along to the music, patting each other on the back, and occasionally raising their glasses in his direction. Every time they did, Hansol offered a stiff, almost awkward smile before turning back to his beer.

It didn't take long for one of his more boisterous teammates, Joseph, to notice Hansol's quiet corner retreat. With a sly grin, Joseph nudged the others and pointed toward Vernon.

"Look at Vernon over there, acting all cool and mysterious as usual," Joseph called out, loud enough for the whole group to hear. "Bro, why are you sulking in the corner? You should be out here, enjoying the victory! We won!"

The others followed Joseph's lead, and soon, Hansol found himself at the center of a new kind of attention—the teasing kind. One by one, his teammates wandered over to his corner, beers in hand and grins on their faces.

"Vernon, what's with the brooding? You look like you're contemplating the meaning of life," one of them teased, slapping him on the back.

"Come on, man! You're supposed to be the star player tonight, not the designated loner," another chimed in, winking at him.

Hansol rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed but too polite to snap back. "I'm just... not into this," he said, taking another slow sip of his beer.

"Not into this? You mean not into fun?" Joseph laughed, wrapping an arm around Hansol's shoulders. "Dude, lighten up! We're celebrating! You should be out there doing shots with us, not sitting here nursing a single beer like a grandpa."

Hansol smirked at the "grandpa" comment but still didn't budge from his spot. He glanced over at Chan, who was now fully immersed in a dance-off with some of the team members, completely in his element. Hansol chuckled to himself. Of course, Chan was loving every second of this.

Joseph wasn't done yet. He leaned in closer to Hansol and whispered conspiratorially, "Or... is it that you're just waiting for some special someone to walk in and catch your eye?"

Hansol groaned, pushing Joseph's arm off his shoulder. "You're reading way too much into this."

The other guys started piling on the jokes. "Oh, I get it! He's being all mysterious to lure in the ladies. The strong, silent type, huh?" one of them called out, earning a round of laughter from the group.

Another teammate joined in, pointing dramatically toward Hansol's corner. "Girls love a brooding athlete. Hansol's probably already got a whole fan club of girls writing love letters to him while he's sitting here looking all serious."