Danger is slowly approaching!

There was hardly anyone in the class who wasn’t afraid of him. Kevin seemed very amiable, but that was only on the surface. In truth, he was quite a handful. Perhaps it was because he was so indulged at home that he always did as he pleased. Even Han sometimes found him impossible to deal with.

He reminded Han a lot of Xiao—always clinging to him, and only growing more persistent with each rebuff. Han didn’t want the same thing that happened with Xiao to happen again, so he let Kevin have his way most of the time. As long as it didn’t cross his bottom line, Han wouldn’t interfere. That only encouraged Kevin to push further, constantly testing his limits. All Han could do in the face of this was press his hand to his forehead in exasperation.

The car pulled up in front of the bar, whose name was amusing—“i, need, you!” How odd, Han thought; no matter how many times he saw it, he couldn’t understand why Kevin would choose such a strange name for his bar. Familiar with the place, Han walked right in.

He glanced around, but didn’t spot Kevin anywhere. Strange. Had he not arrived yet? It didn’t make much difference.

Han took a seat at the bar and asked the bartender for a glass of XO. Swirling his drink, he gazed, as was his habit, toward the dance floor. The place was already packed with people. Women in revealing outfits swayed their hips, while lustful men—hunters on the prowl—closed in on their chosen prey. The women seemed quite satisfied with the results they provoked, lifting their chins proudly, faces aglow with triumph.

What Han liked about this place was that there was no need to hide. Here, everyone shed their masks and danced with abandon.

He took a small sip, all his worries momentarily forgotten. The click-clack of shoes against the floor interrupted his thoughts.

Kevin, delighted, quickened his steps when he spotted Han sitting at the bar. He jogged over and, out of habit, slung an arm around Han’s shoulders, teasing, “Hey, brother! What brings you here tonight?”

Beaming, Kevin dragged a chair over and settled right next to Han, eyes shining with curiosity. Han found his childlike demeanor amusing, the corners of his mouth twitching into a faint smile—just enough to send Kevin, who was already infatuated, into a daze.

Kevin’s face was alight with delight as he exclaimed, “Han, you smiled! You really are handsome!” He grew even more lively, leaving Han at a loss for words.

Heavy metal reverberated through the bar, rock music looping endlessly as people twisted and writhed to the beat. Happiness filled the entire space, and watching it all, Han suddenly felt out of place, as if he didn’t belong.

Kevin called the bartender over and asked him to bring out his treasured vintage liquor from the back. Han watched, thinking to himself how generous Kevin was—actually willing to open his favorite bottle.

Anyone who knew Kevin was aware that his greatest passion was collecting fine spirits. His cellar was already stocked with rare, discontinued bottles from around the world. Many had tried to buy from him, only to be shown the door. Eventually, no one dared covet his collection anymore.

Kevin picked up a case of wine and gestured for Han to follow. Han set down his empty glass and went upstairs with him.