Don't Remember Saying "I Do"

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟭 - 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝟮

...

Russian, she thought, though she had no evidence for it. He just looked... Russian. Like he belonged in a novel about tragic aristocrats, dangerous mafias, and frozen landscapes. Then, as if sensing her stare—and maybe he did, maybe she was being that obvious—his gaze slid toward her. Their eyes met. The world didn't stop. The music didn't fade. But something in Soo-jin's chest did a strange, fluttery thing, like a bird waking up from a long sleep. His expression didn't change. He didn't smile. He just... looked, assessing. Curious, maybe. Or maybe just bored.

She looked away first.

"Coward." She said to herself, blaming the soju. And her sweat-slicked eyes. And Jun-ho. She blamed Jun-ho for everything, actually. That felt fair. Her feet, apparently operating independently of her brain, carried her forward. Past the drunk Parasite explainer. Past a couple making out against the bar like they were trying to win an award. Straight toward the empty stool next to the Russian wolf. She slid onto it with all the grace of a newborn giraffe. Her elbow knocked against the bar. She winced. Smoothed her dress—a simple black thing she'd thrown on because it was the only clean item in her closet—and signaled the bartender.

"Soju," she said to the, her voice coming out rougher than intended. "Neat. Don't judge me."

The bartender, a young guy with a sleeve tattoo and a sympathetic expression, nodded and turned away. And then a voice. Low. Accented. The kind of voice that felt like a sip of cold vodka—burning and smooth at the same time.

"Is that a drink order, or a warning?"

She turned. He was closer now. Much closer. The violet glow of the bar caught the sharp planes of his face, casting shadows under his cheekbones. His eyes were gray. Pale as frost on a winter window. And they were fixed on her with an intensity that made her stomach flip. His English was perfect, but the accent was unmistakable. Russian. Definitely Russian. It rolled through the words like distant thunder.

Soo-jin's brain, pickled in soju and spite, offered up the only response it could find. "Both," she heard herself say. "Also, maybe a cry for help. Depends on how the next ten minutes go."

A beat of silence. The music thumped around them, filling the space between words. Then, the corner of his mouth twitched. Not a smile. A threat of a smile. The kind of expression that suggested he hadn't used those muscles in a while and wasn't sure he remembered how.

"Then allow me," he said, lifting his glass in a small salute, "to buy the next cry for help."

...

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏 - 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟐

𝗧𝗢 𝗕𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗨𝗘𝗗!