I felt right silly meeting up with Hina near the entrance of a club called Volt. I was told to dress casually but wasn't sure how casual it should be, and I went out of my flat a few times only to go back in and get changed again. I ended up just going with black trousers and black shirts. Maybe my logic was that could help me blend into the shadow better so I could stay in my quiet corner throughout the night.
When I was waiting at our meeting point though, I was having second thoughts. I haven't gone clubbing for years, like, literally years. Even when I was a student I was more into going to rock concerts and such rather than having a night out at a club where people spend most of the time on the dance floor with the over-enthusiastic DJs spinning EDM records all night.
Man, this is going to be a pain…
I was also nervous about how things would go meeting up with Hina and her friends. If I may say so, I was rather young looking for my age and the work I do, but I wouldn't fool anyone that I'm a similar age to these teenage girls even in the dimmest lit corner of a club. Also, Hina very strongly warned me that I wasn't to address her as Miss in front of her friends. Of course, they all know that Hina is now the CEO of the Chan Group, but Hina doesn't want them to think she's brought a Personal Assistant to their night out. She was adamant that we just say I was a friend she made at work.
Well, there goes her immature thinking again. You might get close to your colleagues and maybe go for some drinks after work hours, but nobody would go clubbing with their colleagues.
Around 9 O'clock Hina turned up in what I recognized to be Ema's heavily armored SUV. Ema first got out of the car and came around to open the door for Hina, but just before she spoke to me.
"Make sure you don't repeat the same mistakes"
She sure gets frosty and fiery when it comes to protecting and taking care of her Hina.
Ema then opened the door and Hina saw me waiting just a few steps away from the car and shot me a smile.
I wasn't quite sure what she was doing that for so I just stood and waited for her to come out.
"Ahem, Ahem"
Hina didn't get out of the car and just ahem ahemed.
What did she want?
I looked at Ema and she just gestured with her chin that I should come help Hina get out.
What is this? A prom night?
Whatever.
I walked to the car and Hina stretched her arm out expectantly, so I grabbed her hand and helped her get out of the car.
"Thank you, Sin"
She was wearing a black tank top and tight white jeans, and what appeared to be custom-decorated designer-brand sneakers. I was used to seeing her just in her work clothes or in her pajamas at her home so this was the first time I actually saw her 'dressed up'.
"You may let go of the hand now"
Ema blurted out and I realized that Hina was already out of the car and I was still holding her hand.
"Oh, I'm sorry…"
This is already getting embarrassing. It just felt like everything I did was awkward and out of place. How am I supposed to be casual with my boss and treat her like a normal 'friend'? Especially when she's pretty much just graduated from high school?
"It's okay, Sin"
Hina just smiled as I let go of her hand.
After that awkward moment (which only I seemed to have found awkward) we made our way into the club venue. We literally just walked in with Hina waving hi to the bouncers as they let us through the VIP entrance. Welp, and there I was wondering just how long we might need to queue to get in. Perhaps I just wished that we'd spend more time queuing outside than inside the club. I felt more nervous and dreadful than entering an exam room for which I prepared nothing.
Screw it. That's what I've always been good at. Or at least that's what Chairman Chan has kept on telling me to believe in. Walk in anywhere blind and find my way to survive.
"Hi, Hina-!"
There was a group of girls at the VIP table on the second-floor balcony looking down on the dance floor. A quick glance at the table told me that they'd been here for a while already and had been drinking Dom Pérignon and various cocktails, as well as having some tequila shots lined up. Okay, we are not doing this again. Anything but Tequila for Hina.
Hina received a warm welcome from her friends who must have not seen her for at least two months or so, and she hugged each and every one of them as if reuniting with long-lost family members.
Right. It was always easy for me to forget that Hina had a life outside of the company. With Chairman Chan, it wasn't really like that as his life was all about work. His family was important to him of course, but other than that, he did not socialize with other people for fun. Every lunch and dinner and drink we went for were with key people that we needed to be on good terms with in the industry. Seeing Hina now though, I was reminded again that she was just a young girl who would, or should, have been enjoying herself with her friends before she headed off to the universities. It was that precious time between graduating high school and entering university that she'd been thrust onto the throne of the Chan Group.
"Sin, these are my friends. Yejin, Heyun, Maichi, and Teri. We all went to the same high school and we all graduated together"
"Hi, nice to meet you"
They all greeted me in unison.
"Ni-, nice to meet you all"
Damn. Why am I stuttering?
"And everyone, this is Sin. My colleague from work. We work really closely together at work"
I wasn't gonna accept or deny that so I just politely bowed my head and we all sat down.
As soon as Hina sat down though, I panicked as everyone grabbed a shot of Tequila and offered one to Hina and me as well.
I looked at Hina to signal to refuse but she just shrugged and accepted. This wasn't what we agreed on, but it would have made things awkward again if I were to stop her from doing what she normally does with her friends. So well, I also took a shot and felt like it went straight to my head.
Me and transparent liquors really don't go well together…
After that, I really couldn't keep track of what was going on. The girls were getting progressively more drunk and got louder as they did, talking about random things. Their use of slang which I didn't manage to keep up with in past years made it extra difficult for me to follow some of the conversations too.
During all this, the mood was great from what I could read. I just sat back chilling and spaced out but everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, including Hina.
This is what we are here for so I guess that's all that matters for now.
Hina also looked very happy and sometimes she acted and talked in a way that I haven't really seen her do before. She tried her best to get me involved in conversations but I think at some point she realized that I was just happy to chill and let them have their fun, she didn't really push for it, thankfully.
However, as time passed, I started to feel progressively worse.
I didn't understand why, but honestly speaking, the happier they looked the more depressed I felt.
I couldn't say it was because I felt excluded because Hina and her friends seemed to make a lot of effort to get me involved and look after me so that I wouldn't be bored. I felt kinda bad and sorry that maybe I was coming across as borderline rude, not really being able to engage myself with them. But after they all seemed to have accepted that I might just be a 'quiet type' I was left alone, in a nice and friendly way.
So that was not it.
And I was starting to see what it was.
I need to get away from here.
Just as my thoughts reached that point, Hina grabbed me by my wrist as she stood up abruptly.
"Sin, let's go somewhere"
"Mi.. Yeah?"
"I know a cool spot that I think you might like"
"Ok"
Hina then took me to the dance floor downstairs. I was getting worried that she was going to make me dance with her or something, but instead, she guided me to a corner of the dance floor where a massive speaker stood. The closer we got to it the more I felt the beat ripple through my body, and it felt like the beat was getting direct to my heart.
Once we made it to the speakers, Hina sat on the floor and gestured for me to sit next to her, which I duly obliged.
We then leaned our back on the speaker that was blasting the loud music. I felt like every bass drum beat was hitting me directly in the heart.
Neither of us said anything, but strangely enough, sitting in front of the loudest spot in the whole venue brought me more calm than when I was sitting upstairs with Hina and her friends.
"Sin"
Hina suddenly whispered in my ear, which startled me. To make herself heard over the loud music she brought her lips way too close to my ear and I felt tingles in my head.
"Yes…?"
"I just want to tell you how I'm feeling"
How is it that it's so loud here yet I can hear her speak?
"I've got to make you understand…"
"O… Okay…"
Just what was I getting nervous for now?
"Sin, I'm never gonna give you up"
Then the DJ killed the music except for the bass drum, so all I could feel was how hard it was hitting me now and how close Hina was to me.
"I'm never gonna let you down"
…?
"Never gonna run around and desert you"
Hang on a minute-
"Never gonna make you cry
Never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you"
ARGGGGH!!! THIS BRAT!!!! I JUST GOT FRIGGING RICK ROLLED!
Then the DJ brought the music back again which was welcomed by a loud roar of the whole crowd on the dance floor. I wasn't sure how I could get her back but as I was trying to say something, Hina got up from the floor and stuck her tongue out, looking cheeky. She then waved her hand and turned around to run away.
Man... This girl…
She makes me feel better in the weirdest possible ways.