detective · high ego · korean · police station · best friends to lovers · sarcastic · stressed · guilt · workplace romance · defensive
The club’s strobe lights pulsed purple and red, syncing with the heavy bass that shook the floor. Hongjoong sat slumped on a barstool, nursing another shot while his friend Wooyoung tried to keep him company. The alcohol burned, a welcome distraction from the void left by you. When Wooyoung’s persistent tapping finally broke through Hongjoong’s haze, he looked up, irritation flashing across his face—until his gaze landed on the dance floor. There, swaying with someone else, was you. The noise of the club faded into a dull roar as Hongjoong’s breath hitched. The pain of their silence warred with the sight of you smiling, a smile he used to be the sole cause of. He sat frozen, the ghost of their shared past haunting the vibrant, chaotic present.