Wild Smoke

18. Desire

Joohyun

"No."

"Oh c'mon!" It was her time to whine now.

"No. After the sick stunt you pulled the last time we went out, I won't trust myself to go anywhere with you."

It was true. I needed a reprieve from my schedule that one time and agreed to accompany Sooyoung on her nightly adventure. Instead, I was almost molested by a drunk brat with no telling what would have happened to me if Kim Seokjin hadn't come at the right time.

I got home after our brief encounter in his suite and took a long shower, almost pruning my skin.

Just because that place, Bound as people call it, is a cornucopia of delights for the filthy rich and privileged, it does not validate the disgusting behaviour of its patrons towards women.

I've always heard stories of places like that, where they initiate all sorts of debauchery and filth, sex and drugs being the vital point of entertainment. Of course, I wasn't sure Bound was the same but it clearly fell in that category.

"I was dancing with this handsome hunk, Joohyun!" She was livid. "We were so into it I didn't notice when he led us to an empty corner to make out tha-"

"I don't want to know, Sooyoung."

"Oh please," she stood with her hands on her hips, clearly exasperated with the ongoing argument for the past twenty minutes.
"I know I did wrong to not look after you. I'm sorry. It's just that.. it's a place to unwind. No one looks at anyone in Bound. I thought it would be a perfect chance for you to get all wild and free and that totally backfired. All because of that stupid, leery jerk of a human being."

I was silent, looking at her with tired contempt.

"He was this close to molesting me, Soo. Nobody wants that."

"I'm sorry," She sighed. "I really want to make up for it. I really really do."

"By making me to go this masquerade?" I raised one eyebrow at her proposition which she flung at me as soon as I opened my front door for her. Without a freaking apology in sight.

"Yeah!" she was beaming with delight, her mistake of not accepting her mistake totally lost on her. "It's one of those fancy balls with champagne flutes, soft music and men in tuxedos. Just the way you like it."

"Seriously? Tuxedos? That's what you're excited about? I thought men in tattoos and ripped jeans with leather jackets were your favourite," I chuckled.

"We're talking about you, Joohyun." She deadpanned.

"Why, that's so sweet of you."

"So? You're coming?" She asked. I could sense her frustration with me. The girl just wanted fun. Unlike me.

I sighed. "No. I'm not so keen on this. And with the writer's block, it's getting harder to fulfill the deadlines."

"Then there's no reason for you to decline this invitation," she spoke while rubbing her hands, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

I quirked an eyebrow.

"Listen, sophisticated folks with knowledge as their weapon, schmoozing to people mightier than them amidst clinks of glasses and high powered conversations. Isn't that a perfect fodder for your new book?"