FREAKSHOW.

八

Haerin watched as Hyunae and Hoseok left the pub, taking another sip from her glass as Seokjin next to her did the same, their movements almost in sync.

The two were sat in total silence and had been since they sat down at the little table indoors, tucked into the darkest corner of the pub. Then again, the entire pub was shrouded in darkness, so there was no escaping it.

Haerin didn't get lost in her thoughts a lot, but she couldn't stop thinking about how Seokjin looked familiar, that she had a vague recollection of his appearance from somewhen.

Seokjin, on the other hand, was trying to forget about their failed heist that had occurred yesterday, just trying to forget the stress of being in the mafia for a little bit. It had been Hoseok that dragged him away from the circus to lighten up, but he wasn't exactly hesitant to the idea, immediately telling the others where he was going.

Running into 'Hyunhae' - as they called themselves - wasn't the plan, but he didn't mind, as long as it didn't stop him from enjoying his evening. 

"So... come here often?"

"No."

"Oh okay, blunt replies it is. Are you normally this talkable?"

There was no reply that time, Haerin sighing as her attempt at a light-hearted joke didn't work. 

"Have we met before?"

After a few minutes of silence, Haerin suddenly asked the question that had been prying on her mind, not expecting any sort of answer from Seokjin, the stoic man that had just returned to the table with two more drinks in his hands. He slid one across the wooden table to Haerin and she smiled out of kindness, waiting to see if he would respond in any way.

"Yes."

"We have?! I thought I recognised you..."

"You don't remember?"

That was the longest string of words she had heard him speak and she almost didn't hear them, focusing on trying to rack every single one of her memories to try and remember Seokjin. But she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Nope, please tell me!"

"You asked me if I was a pimp."

Whilst he only said one sentence that didn't give much information away, Haerin immediately made connections in her head and gulped loudly, quickly chugging the rest of her drink and putting her head in her hands. 

"That... was you?"

He didn't respond this time, only nodded slightly as he too finished his drink, staring out the window at the nonstop rain and the setting sun. It had gotten pretty late pretty quickly and they would have to return to the circus soon. Well, they didn't have to, but Seokjin needed to talk to his boys as soon as possible.

Haerin groaned, her head still in her hands. She very quickly remembered how she knew Seokjin and relived the whole night again in a few seconds, this time feeling all of the embarrassment she should have felt then.

...

Haerin was in a mood, a pout plastered on her face as she gulped down another shot. Was it her fifth? Her sixth? Who knew at this point. She could have just counted the glasses that were stacked on her table but she couldn't be bothered, too tired to see properly.

It was 1 am, at least she guessed it to be. The clock was far away and the hands were beginning to blur into one shape, as were the numbers. One thing she did know was that it was past her curfew, but she didn't care anymore. What would happen to her? She would get a yelling and told to go to sleep, like every time, it didn't exactly phase her anymore.