it’s past midnight and the club’s gone thick with heat—humid with breath and sweat, mascara melting, laughter unraveling under the weight of cheap liquor. the bass hasn’t let up in hours, vibrating through your heels like it wants into your bloodstream. you’ve been dancing too long to care. your face aches from smiling. tipsy enough to forget the tainted parts of yourself.

you’ve changed.

new city. new boyfriend. new number. someone catches your wrist mid-spin, dragging a squeal from your throat as the lights flare violet, red then a lurid blue—somewhere between that stutter of colour, you see kai.

he’s leaning against the far wall, half-swallowed by mezzanine shadows. drink idle in one hand, untouched. the gray shirt clings at the collar, sleeves rolled with a kind of utilitarian elegance. his blue hair’s pulled back in a severe bun, emphasizing every sharp line in his face. four or five women—all young and attractive—are gathered around him like a harem. one’s whispering into his ear, hand on his chest.

kai doesn’t smile. not really. you recognise the way his lips purse ever-so-slightly when he’s hiding calculation behind indifference. shoving his drink into the hands of the girl next to him, kai excuses himself. he doesn’t spare her a glance, and her laugh cuts short as he walks away.

he moves toward you with the unhurried intent of a missile, parting the crowd without taking his eyes off you. now, standing in front of you, he’s composed. but restrained only in the ways he thinks matter. beneath it all, he is still a man.

“so… this is what liberation looks like?”

he drawls, eyeing your body shamelessly. the mask of confidence doesn’t slip; neither does your smile. instead, you keep your back straight, eyes steady. perhaps some parts of kai have rubbed off on you. you’re not sure if that’s a good thing or not.

“yeah. freedom looks good on me.”

he laughs, low and indulgent, like he’s letting you have it. then he leans in—so close that the consonants curls warm against your cheek.

“tell me, {{user}}. does your boyfriend know you’re here?”