Loving the Playboy||L.Hs

four.

"Yunjin, let's leave," Haeun said firmly, her patience already wearing thin. Yunjin, however, pouted her lips, swaying to the music with a giggle.

"Nooo, I'm not done yet~!" she protested, her words slurring.

Haeun sighed deeply, rubbing her temples. The loud bass thumping in the club was only amplifying her growing frustration. Her eyes, as much as she tried to avoid it, kept drifting back to Heeseung. He was seated with his friends, laughing and chatting as though the world revolved around him.

And the girl beside him? Haeun couldn't help but notice how close they seemed. She tried to convince herself she didn't care, but her heart squeezed involuntarily.

"I can't stay here any longer," she muttered under her breath.

Turning her attention back to Yunjin, Haeun's eyes narrowed when she spotted a guy sliding his hand around her waist, guiding her towards the darker corners of the club. Alarm bells went off in her mind.

"Oh, no, you don't," Haeun mumbled, quickly getting up from the barstool.

She maneuvered her way through the crowded dance floor, her annoyance spiking when Yunjin barely acknowledged her approach. The guy gave her an unimpressed look as she grabbed Yunjin's hand.

"Sorry, but she's with me," Haeun said sharply, pushing his hand off her friend's waist.

"Whoa, relax," the guy said with a smirk, his hand moving back as if to reclaim Yunjin. "We're just having fun."

Haeun's eyes blazed. "Yeah? Well, she's had more than enough fun for tonight," she shot back. "Now let her go."

When he didn't relent, Haeun's tone dropped into a low, deadly register. "You don't want to mess with me. I'm one call away from having you hauled out of here, and I'll make sure you regret it."

The guy scoffed, his bravado faltering. "What are you gonna do? Call 911?" he mocked.

Without missing a beat, Haeun reached into her purse and pulled out her business card. "Actually, I'm a lawyer. So, yes, I'll call 911-and I'll see you in court if you don't back off now."

His smirk disappeared as he read the card. Muttering something under his breath, he let go of Yunjin and stormed off into the crowd.

"That's what I thought," Haeun said, her voice laced with finality. She adjusted Yunjin's bag on her shoulder and practically dragged her stumbling friend toward the exit.

---

Outside the club, the cool night air hit them like a slap. Haeun hailed a taxi, keeping a firm grip on Yunjin, who was now humming an off-key tune and giggling at nothing.

"You're a mess," Haeun muttered.

"Oh, c'mon, Haeun. You looooove me~," Yunjin slurred, swaying like a leaf in the wind.

"I swear, if you don't stop, I'll leave you here in the street," Haeun grumbled, though the smile tugging at her lips betrayed her words.

As they waited, her attention was drawn to a familiar figure by the parking lot. Her heart skipped a beat.

There he was. Heeseung.

Haeun's eyes followed him as he helped the girl she'd seen earlier into the passenger seat of his sleek black car. The girl leaned on him, clearly drunk, and Heeseung's touch seemed almost... tender.

The sight made Haeun's stomach churn.

"Are you getting in or not?" the taxi driver asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry," she said hastily, helping Yunjin into the back seat before climbing in herself.

As the car drove away, she glanced out the window, catching one last glimpse of Heeseung. Her chest felt heavy.

---

The next morning, the apartment was filled with the sounds of Yunjin's groans echoing off the walls. Haeun smirked as she stood in the kitchen, sipping her coffee. She was waiting for this.

Yunjin shuffled out of the bedroom, her hair a bird's nest and mascara smudged across her face. "My head is killing me," she whined, heading straight for the fridge.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't drink like a fish," Haeun quipped, setting her mug down.

"Let me live," Yunjin mumbled, gulping down water.

"Do you even remember last night?" Haeun asked, raising an eyebrow. "Because I had to rescue you from some guy who was two seconds away from dragging you out of the club."

Yunjin's eyes widened. "Wait, was he cute? What was his name? Did you get his number?"

Haeun rolled her eyes. "You're missing the point. He wasn't Prince Charming; he was a creep."

Yunjin pouted, leaning against the counter. "Well, then, thanks for saving me. You're my hero," she said dramatically, fluttering her eyelashes.

Haeun sighed. "Just be careful next time, okay?"

"Got it, Mom," Yunjin teased. "Anyway, did you meet anyone?"

Haeun hesitated, her mind flashing back to Heeseung. Why couldn't she stop thinking about him?

"Not really," she said, shrugging.

Yunjin tilted her head, studying her friend. "Not really? That's suspicious."

"I saw Heeseung," Haeun admitted, her voice softer now.

Yunjin's jaw dropped. "Lucky for him I was drunk. Otherwise, I'd have given him two black eyes to take home," she fumed.

Haeun laughed quietly but quickly turned somber. "He looked... different."

Yunjin noticed the change in her expression but didn't press further. Instead, she smiled and said, "Let's focus on the present. You've got work, Miss Lawyer. Get out there and slay the day!"

Haeun chuckled, grabbing her bag. "Thanks, Jen. Try not to destroy the apartment while I'm gone."

As she left, Yunjin's cheerful words echoed in her ears, but deep down, Haeun couldn't shake the feeling of old wounds reopening.