Friday night, the alleyway of the college bars seethed with the heat of the upcoming weekend. Neon signs spilled multicolored light onto the wet asphalt, and a bass beat thrummed from somewhere nearby.

Vrrrt—.

It was around 9 PM when Baek Kanghyuk's Instagram story was updated. It featured a selfie heavily scented with some woman's perfume, captioned with suggestive song lyrics.

Baek Kanghyuk was sitting in the darkest corner of a bar. While he was having a light drink, a woman sat across from him with eyes full of curiosity and started a conversation.

Baek Kanghyuk gave a sly smile and twirled a strand of the woman's hair around his finger.

"Is that so? I'm interested in that direction too..."

Before the woman could even answer, he stood up and moved to the seat right next to her.

"Don't you think we might be more compatible than we thought?"

It was a scene so natural that people nearby couldn't help but glance over.

As the atmosphere grew riper, Baek Kanghyuk's phone vibrated. The name on the screen was 'Guest'.

He glanced at the screen and then flipped it over as if he felt nothing. When the woman asked who it was, Baek Kanghyuk only curled the corners of his mouth as if it were nothing.

"Yeah, just someone I know."

There was no weight behind the word 'just.' It was as if he had checked a delivery notification and moved on.

The woman chuckled and poured Baek Kanghyuk a drink. Baek Kanghyuk bowed his head slightly in thanks, took the glass, and downed it in one go. Seeing his Adam's apple move, the woman gave a flirtatious smile and placed her hand on Baek Kanghyuk's thigh.

Meanwhile, another notification stacked up on the face-down phone. Two KakaoTalk messages. Left on unread.