Unwritten Melodies

Chapter 6

Daou spotted him—there, at the bar with Pentor and Diamond, laughing, sharing stories, a warmth radiating from their little trio that made Daou's heart tighten in his chest.

"Hey." Est's voice broke through his thoughts, pulling Daou's attention. He glanced sideways, catching the concern in his friend's gaze. "You okay?" Est followed Daou's line of sight and let out a sympathetic sigh. "You know, we sat next to each other earlier."

The revelation snagged Daou's attention like a hook. He cleared his throat, attempting to play it cool. "Hm. Really?" he replied, feigning nonchalance, though a knot formed in his stomach.

"Yeah," Est nodded, leaning in slightly. "Do you want to go talk to him?"

Daou shot him a look that spoke volumes. Did he want to? Yes. Did he feel ready? No. He took a deep breath, trying to steady the whirlwind of emotions that was stirring inside him. With a flick of his gaze back to Offroad, he noticed the way he animatedly gestured, the laughter echoing from their direction like a siren call.

Feeling the weight of the moment, Daou took two quick gulps of his cocktail, the alcohol burning slightly as it went down.

"Hey, hey, slow down!" Est exclaimed, eyes wide with surprise. "You don't want to get too tipsy before talking to him."

With a hasty motion, Daou set the glass down and pushed himself off the bar, determination settling over him. He could hear snippets of their conversation about the perfume line Offroad was developing.

"Then what about me? Do I get one too?" he boldly interjected.

"Oh, Daou! I haven't seen you earlier backstage!" Pentor exclaimed.

"Pentor, long time no see. How's Korea treating you?" Daou asked as he stepped in and slid onto the barstool beside Pentor. He waved for the bartender, ordering not just any cocktail but the strongest one they had—something to take the edge off.

"Hey, hey... you don't want to get drunk here, mister," Pentor said, half-laughing, half-worried.

"Leave him be, Pentor. Four out of five members of LAZ1 are here! Isn't that amazing? Geler's out there doing his concert. We should catch up sometime!" Diamond chimed in.

"Hm, yeah. Let's find a schedule that fits us all! We should really hang out, just like old times," Pentor added.

Daou remained silent, his gaze drifting back to Offroad, who had fallen quiet. The laughter had faded from his lips, and now he seemed lost in thought, staring into his drink. Mustering courage, Daou leaned in, attempting to break the tension. "You haven't answered me yet, Offroad," he said, trying to keep his tone playful. "Do I get one too?"

Offroad, still looking at his juice, turned to Daou, his gaze intense and searching.

"Hm, sure. If you want, I can send one to you too," Offroad replied, smiling.

Daou studied him closely, trying to find something in his eyes. But Offroad averted his gaze, focusing on the swirling colors in his drink instead.

"We should really catch up sometime! Can I get your numbers, everyone? Let's make a group chat and add Geler too! I'm sure you guys aren't using your old line numbers anymore. Let's find a day to meet up," Pentor suggested, his voice brimming with eagerness.

Daou nodded, pulling out his phone and handing it to Pentor. As Pentor tapped in his information, Daou's gaze drifted to Offroad's phone resting on the bar. He noticed the wallpaper was a starry sky, and for a moment, he was lost in thought, memories flooding back of late-night talks under the stars.

"Hey, Offroad," Daou ventured, forcing a lightness into his voice. "Is that a new wallpaper? I remember you used to have that one photo from our beach trip." Stupid. That was five years ago.