Chapter Two
1680 Words
The club was louder than usual that night.
Lights flashed across the crowded dance floor while music shook the walls with heavy bass. People laughed, danced, and moved carelessly beneath the colorful neon lights.
But Ted barely noticed any of it.
His eyes kept searching through the crowd.
“You’ve been looking around for the past twenty minutes,” Zuan whispered beside him. “At this point, people will think you lost your wallet.”
Ted ignored him.
Minho smirked from behind. “No, he lost his heart.”
Bobbie burst into laughter while Ted shot them all an annoyed look.
“I’m serious,” Ted muttered. “Can you guys act normal for once?”
“That’s impossible,” Minho replied proudly.
Before Ted could answer
Everything around him suddenly slowed.
Near the far side of the club, standing beside the glowing blue lights, was the girl.
The same silver earrings.
The same calm smile.
The same beautiful eyes that somehow made the entire room disappear every time he saw her.
Ted froze immediately.
Zuan noticed first.
“Oh,” he whispered dramatically. “The Princess is here.”
Bobbie followed Ted’s gaze and slowly nodded.
“Okay… now I understand.”
Even Minho looked surprised.
“She’s actually beautiful.”
Ted swallowed nervously.
For the first time that night, he suddenly forgot every confident speech he had practiced in his head.
His heartbeat became louder than the music.
Zuan pushed his shoulder lightly.
“Go.”
Ted blinked. “What?”
“Go talk to her.”
Ted stared at the girl again.
She was laughing softly with her friend, completely unaware that someone across the room was fighting for his life internally.
“I can’t just walk there randomly,” Ted whispered.
Minho rolled his eyes dramatically.
“She’s a human being, not a dragon.”
Bobbie stood up calmly.
“If you keep waiting, somebody else will approach her first.”
Ted immediately looked back at the girl.
A tall guy had already started moving toward her direction.
“Damn,” Minho muttered.
Ted’s expression changed instantly.
Without thinking twice, he stood up.
“Finally,” Zuan said proudly.
Ted adjusted his black jacket nervously before walking through the crowd.
Every step suddenly felt heavier.
His friends watched him closely from behind.
“Do you think he’ll survive this?” Minho asked.
“Honestly?” Bobbie replied. “No.”
Meanwhile
Ted finally reached her side.
Up close, she somehow looked even more beautiful.
The colorful club lights reflected softly off her skin while her long, dark hair fell perfectly over her shoulders.
For one dangerous second, Ted completely forgot what he wanted to say.
The girl turned slightly and noticed him standing there.
Her brows lifted curiously.
Ted cleared his throat softly.
“Hi.”
Smooth, he thought sarcastically.
The girl looked at him quietly for a second before giving a small polite smile.
“Hi.”
Her voice was softer than he expected.
Ted suddenly understood why people lost their minds over simple things.
“I know this might sound random,” he began carefully, “but I’ve seen you here before.”
The girl tilted her head slightly.
“You have?”
Ted nodded.
“A few times.”
“And you finally decided to say hello today?”
Ted laughed nervously.
“When you say it like that, it sounds worse.”
A small laugh escaped her lips.
And somehow, hearing that laugh felt like victory already.
“I’m Ted,” he said, holding out his hand slightly.
She looked at his hand for a moment before shaking it gently.
“I’m Aria.”
Ted repeated the name silently in his head.
Aria.
For some reason, it suited her perfectly.
Before either of them could continue
“Teeeeeed!”
Ted immediately closed his eyes in frustration.
Behind him, Minho was waving aggressively from across the club like an embarrassing parent.
Zuan and Bobbie were laughing uncontrollably beside him.
Ted wanted the ground to open instantly.
Aria looked past him before laughing softly again.
“Your friends seem interesting.”
Ted sighed deeply.
“Trust me,” he said, “they’re a problem.”
Aria smiled warmly.
For the first time that night
Ted stopped feeling nervous.
Aria glanced over Ted’s shoulder again, still smiling softly.
“So those are your friends?” she asked.
Ted turned slightly, following her gaze. Minho was still waving as if his life depended on it, while Zuan pretended to calm him down, and Bobbie looked like he had already accepted chaos as normal.
“Unfortunately… yes,” Ted replied.
Aria chuckled. “They look like they care about you.”
“They care too much,” Ted said under his breath.
That made her laugh again, and Ted noticed something strange: every time she laughed, his nervousness reduced a little more.
A few seconds of comfortable silence passed between them.
Aria leaned lightly against the counter she was standing by. “So… you said you’ve seen me here before?”
Ted nodded. “Yeah. The first time was last month.”
“And you just watched from a distance?” she teased.
Ted rubbed the back of his neck. “I wasn’t exactly planning to… get involved in anything.”
Aria raised a brow slightly. “And now?”
That question caught him off guard.
Now.
Ted looked at her properly this time. Not from across the room. Not through moving lights or noise. Just her.
“I think…” he said slowly, choosing his words carefully, “I got tired of wondering.”
Aria studied him for a moment, as if trying to read whether he was serious or not.
Then she smiled genuinely this time.
“Good answer.”
Before Ted could respond, a shadow appeared beside Aria.
The same tall guy from earlier.
“Hey, Aria,” the guy said smoothly, ignoring Ted completely. “I’ve been looking for you.”
Ted’s expression changed instantly.
Zuan, from afar, shouted silently with exaggerated gestures: Oh no.
Bobie shook his head slowly.
Minho whispered, “This is where the movie turns serious.”
Aria looked between the two of them.
“Oh,” she said calmly. “I’m talking to someone.”
The guy finally looked at Ted, noticing him properly for the first time.
“And are you?”
Ted straightened slightly.
“I’m Ted.”
A brief silence followed.
Aria’s gaze shifted back and forth between them, sensing the tension rising.
Then she said softly,
“I think I’ll stay here a little longer.”
And at that moment, Ted realized
This wasn’t just a meeting anymore.
It was the beginning of something he would have to fight for.
The music continued to play around them, but neither Ted nor Aria seemed to notice anymore.
The tall guy eventually excused himself after realizing Aria wasn't interested in continuing the conversation. As soon as he disappeared into the crowd, Minho pumped his fist in victory from across the room.
Bobbie immediately pulled his hand down.
"Act normal," Bobbie whispered.
Meanwhile, Ted and Aria continued talking.
To his surprise, the conversation felt easy.
They talked about music.
They talked about their favorite foods.
They talked about the city, funny childhood memories, and the ridiculous things people did at clubs.
For the first time all night, Ted completely forgot he was nervous.
Aria smiled as she listened to one of his stories.
"You know," she said, "you're different from what I expected."
Ted raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
She nodded.
"When you first walked over, you looked very serious."
Ted laughed.
"That's because I was trying not to embarrass myself."
Aria covered her mouth while laughing.
"Well, you failed."
"Thanks," Ted replied dramatically.
Their eyes met.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The atmosphere suddenly felt different.
Quieter.
Warmer.
Ted could feel his heart beating faster.
There was something in the way Aria looked at him that made him wonder.
Maybe...
Just maybe...
She felt it too.
Before he could lose his courage, Ted took a small step closer.
"Can I ask you something?"
Aria nodded.
"Sure."
Ted hesitated.
For the first time that evening, he looked genuinely nervous.
Aria noticed immediately.
"What is it?"
Ted let out a slow breath.
"When I first came over here tonight, I thought you would probably ignore me."
Aria smiled.
"And yet here we are."
"Yeah."
Ted looked into her eyes.
"Maybe this sounds crazy, but I feel like we've known each other longer than a few hours."
Aria's smile softened.
"I was actually thinking the same thing."
Ted felt his confidence growing.
"So... I'm going to ask something honestly."
Aria waited.
Ted rubbed the back of his neck.
"Do you enjoy talking to me as much as I enjoy talking to you?"
Aria stared at him for a second before laughing softly.
"You really get straight to the point, don't you?"
Ted smiled nervously.
"I'm trying."
For a few seconds, Aria said nothing.
Then she took a small step closer too.
"Yes."
Ted blinked.
"Yes?"
"Yes," she repeated.
"I enjoy talking to you."
A smile slowly spread across Ted's face.
One that even he couldn't hide.
Aria laughed.
"You seem happy about that answer."
"I am."
Another moment of silence passed.
Then Aria looked at him playfully.
"Can I ask you a question now?"
Ted nodded.
"Anything."
Aria folded her arms.
"Do you like me, Ted?"
This time it was Ted's turn to freeze.
Across the room, Minho nearly fell off his chair watching.
Zuan grabbed Bobie's arm.
"Oh my God."
Bobbie couldn't stop smiling.
Back near the counter, Ted looked into Aria's eyes.
There was no point pretending anymore.
"No," he said.
Aria's expression dropped.
Then Ted smiled.
"I don't just like you."
Aria looked surprised.
Ted continued.
"I've been trying to find the courage to talk to you since the first day I saw you."
For the first time that night, Aria blushed.
And for the first time since they met, neither of them looked away.
- Writer
