. Escaping Anguish (II)

[S]hin Ha-eun's voice trembled slightly as she recounted, "A-and he... s-said he's breaking up with me..."

An unexpected hiccup interrupted her words, and she quickly covered her mouth, her eyes widening with disbelief at the unladylike noise she had just made.

Inside the club, dim lighting casted alluring shadows on plush, velvet-draped walls. Glittering chandeliers refracted light, creating a dazzling display of colors.

The seating arrangements catered to various preferences - private booths for intimate chats and plush sofas surrounding tables for a more secluded experience.

Along the bar counter, tall barstools welcomed guests to enjoy the company of hosts while sipping on carefully crafted cocktails.

"Who would've thought Poison had such a charming client tonight!" With an amused chuckle, a man placed a few more cocktails on the table in front of her, leaning closer to be heard over the loud music.

With his hair slicked back and dyed in a bold red color, he donned a fashionable black shirt, leaving a few buttons undone. The black suit pants added to his polished appearance, and his edgy side was evident with piercings in his earlobes and left eyebrow, complemented by tattoos on his arms.

His current role was to serve her drinks while they awaited 'Poison' to come and attend to her.

Shin Ha-eun blinked her drowsy eyes, feeling the warmth of the alcohol flush her cheeks. As his words sank in, she turned her gaze to the side, her blush intensifying.

"Your boyfriend is such an ass! You know that?" he remarked.

"Mm hmm! Han-sol told me the same thing!" she clumsily replied, nodding in agreement.

"Oh? So, you're on a first-name basis with Scarlet?" he asked.

"Mm hmm!" Shin Ha-eun nodded again, taking a sip from the cocktail he had just handed her.

"Well, I go by the name Flame here!" The man introduced himself, boldly sliding his hand up her arm, rubbing it slightly and added with a cocky arch of his brow, "You know, you could choose me instead of Poison! I'm pretty popular too!"

The action made her visibly uncomfortable as Shin Ha-eun briskly pulled her arm away from Flame's grasp. He feigned hurt but persisted, attempting to inadvertently touch her again.

Swatting his hand away, her voice quivered as she said, "D-don't touch me!" followed by another hiccup.

"What did you expect anyway?" Flame seemed annoyed at her rejection and sneered mockingly. "All those who come here are usually just looking for a good time."

A gasp escaped her lips at the implication of his words. This was definitely not what she had expected a host club to be.

She had heard that host clubs were mostly for single or heartbroken women looking for non-sexual entertainment for the night. But Flame's words scared her a little bit.

"You know, I'll give you that for coming alone to a host club!" Flame remarked, seemingly unimpressed.

"I-I'm not alone! T-there's Han-sol?" Shin Ha-eun stammered, trying to defend herself.

Flame scoffed at her innocence, "Oh yeah? He was only doing his job, finding new clients for the club on the streets! That's what he got for messing up his face! If things were to go wrong, who do you think he'll support?"

The grim reality of her situation sank in, sending a shudder down Shin Ha-eun's spine. She now felt foolish for trusting and following an unknown man to a place like this.

What if she ended up in danger? The thought of getting kidnapped and forced into a life of prostitution made tears well up in her eyes, and she trembled in her seat.

Noticing the fear he had instilled in her, Flame attempted to soothe her, "H-hey, this was only a…"

"What's going on here?" An unexpected voice interrupted whatever he was about to say, startling both Shin Ha-eun and Flame.

The owner of it sauntered over to her private booth, clad in a black tight-fitting shirt with a few buttons undone. His left earlobe adorned with a piercing, and his messy, pushed-back hair exuded a decadent charm. However, it was his captivating whirlpool of brown eyes that caught Shin Ha-eun off guard.

Damn, this guy was hot!

"A-ah? Jin—I mean Poison, you're finally here?" Flame stammered, clearly taken aback by the intruder.

It suddenly dawned on Shin Ha-eun that 'Poison' was the host Han-sol had chosen for her.

A slight twitch in his brows accompanied his declaration, spoken in a deeply sexy yet laid-back voice, "Were you hitting on my client?"

"O-of course not! I-I wouldn't…" Flame tried to defend himself.

"T-hat's exactly what he was…" Shin Ha-eun interrupted cuttingly, paused with another hiccup, and then continued, "Doing!"

Yoo Jin-ho studied her carefully before suggesting, "Lady, hold your breath for 10 seconds! This should stop the hiccups!"

'Oh my god! Am I making a fool of myself in front of such a hottie!' Shin Ha-eun mentally squealed, following his advice.

She inhaled deeply and puffed out her cheeks like a fish, holding her breath.

To Jin-ho, she appeared rather young and inexperienced in this kind of environment. He knew she was fortunate he was her host since many others might have taken advantage of her vulnerability. Besides, her poor alcohol tolerance made matters worse.

"Move on!" Jin-ho ordered Flame, taking a seat in front of Shin Ha-eun at the table.

As she couldn't hold her breath any longer, Shin Ha-eun pursed her lips at Jin-ho. It was only then, she noticed that her hiccups had stopped, so she cautiously inquired with a slur, "Are you people going to sell me into prostitution?"

"Of course not! Who told you that?" Jin-ho asked curtly, shooting a deadly glare at Flame.

Taking the hint, Flame raised his hands in surrender and backed off to avoid any unwanted trouble.

Stammering, Shin Ha-eun pointed in Flame's direction, "T-th-that guy said that!" She then took another gulp of her drink.

"Flame?" Jin-ho demanded confirmation, and she nodded again. He heaved a sigh and offered a piece of advice, "This is no place for a girl like you to be! What brought you here, huh?"

As the effects of the alcohol began to kick in, Shin Ha-eun started whining again.

"H-he said I was dumb!" She sniffed, wiping away the tears with the sleeve of her shirt from being reminded of her harsh breakup again. "That's why he was breaking up with me!"

"You're not dumb!" Jin-ho soothed patiently, understanding her situation. He had been through something similar recently, which is why he could relate.

"I know, right?" She sniffed a few more times, taking another gulp of alcohol. "Is being sincere and honest about your feelings dumb?"

"It isn't! He's just a fool for not appreciating whatever you were doing for him," Jin-ho reassured her.

"You think so?"

Jin-ho nodded, gently taking the cocktail glass from her hands. "Go a little slow with the drinking, will you? Want something to eat?"

"Hmm… Okay!" She pursed her lips at him, thinking that her host wasn't so bad.

Oblivious to her thoughts, Jin-ho raised a hand, beckoning for Flame again.

***

Patting her pants to feel for her phone, Lee Ju-hee retrieved the contraption from one of her pockets and glanced at the screen, reading the name Shin Ha-eun along with a cute bear head emoji.

"Hello? You needed…" Her words were interrupted by the loud music blaring through the phone. She continued, "...needed something, Ha-eun?"

"Hello?" A man's voice echoed from the other end of the line.

Lee Ju-hee felt herself tense up as various thoughts flooded her mind. "W-who are you? Where is Ha-eun?" she asked, her voice carrying a hint of venom.

"I'm calling from Wine Mystic! ...wanna see you... friend... sending you the location...." The guy's voice was partially drowned out by the loud music, making it difficult for her to hear him clearly.

From the bits and pieces she managed to catch, she sensed that something troublesome had happened to Shin Ha-eun.

Besides, Wine Mystic? Didn't the host that died in front of her eyes a week's back work there?

Her phone vibrated again, and Lee Ju-hee quickly tore her ear away from the phone to check the screen.

Indeed, he had sent her the location of 'Wine Mystic', whatever that place was.

"Okay! I'll be there in a few..."

"…Will be waiting…" That was the last thing she heard before the other line went dead.

***

A/N: Officially Introducing host Flame: