94 — Pick Your Poison II

The strobe lights caught Dae Hee's smile, illuminating the curve of her lips with each flash. Light danced across the glossy waves of her hair, glinted off the golden hoops that brushed against her jaw, and traced the elegant line of her exposed throat.

She had light make-up on, enough to exalt her natural features, but not so much that it looked painted on like a clown. And underneath the bright neon, she seemed to glow in a way that had nothing to do with the club lighting.

A tiny little black dress clung tightly around her, a sleeveless number that had a short, flowing hem at the top that revealed a good amount of cleavage, enough to tantalize without outright showing skin. The lower half of the dress consisted of two long slits on both legs that ended just a quarter way above the knees, allowing the girl to wear her outfit without having to pull them down when she walked.

Did she look good? Absolutely. More than good. Stunning. A little devil on my shoulder, the part of me that was still Jair Campinho, whistled.

But my eyes didn't linger. They didn't heat up. There was no spike of interest, no animal urge. They just registered a fact: Dae Hee was attractive. The information was filed away, a simple data point in a mind that was already preoccupied with something—someone—else.

"Dae Hee." My voice was flat. "What are you doing here?"

Her laughter came back, a bit tinkly, a bit forced under the bass. "I could ask you the same thing. Aren't you supposed to be training for the World Cup or something?"

"Aren't you supposed to be... I don't know, studying for some exam?" I shot back, the words coming out clipped, almost bored.

My gaze, for a moment, drifted past her, scanning the crowd for my friends.

I saw Jong-su, his arm draped over one of the girls from earlier, his head thrown back in a drunken laugh. The other two women were chatting animatedly with Dae-hyun and Sung-tae, who both looked like they'd just been handed the keys to a candy store.

Jun-hwan was still at the bar, nursing a drink, his posture stiff, his eyes a little too wide. He looked like he was calculating the structural integrity of the barstool.

"Touché." Dae Hee said, shifting her weight. The motion drew my eyes back to her for a split second. She had her hands clasped together, fingers idly playing around. A faint blush covered her cheeks, either from the alcohol she had probably drank or the stuffy, humid air in the club. Or both. "My friends dragged me out. Said I needed to 'loosen up'." She made air quotes with a flick of her fingers, a wry twist to her lips. "What's your excuse?"

"The resident idiot." I said, tilting my head in Jong-su's direction. "He has a magical keycard and a death wish."

Dae Hee followed my gaze.

"How did you even get past the bouncers?" She looked back at me. "They're notorious for carding. Unless you have a fake ID that's better than the ones we tried to get last year."

"The resident idiot has connections." I repeated Jong-su's earlier explanation with a flat, dismissive tone. I didn't feel the need to elaborate. Nor did I wonder how she got past the bouncers. Then again, she was a beautiful young woman, so maybe they let her in for that alone.

Dae Hee chuckled. "I see. And he got all of you in too?"

"I guess I have that effect on people." I said. It wasn't a brag. It was a statement of fact, delivered with the same emotionless neutrality as a weather report. Gosh, I wanted out of this conversation.

"You certainly do." The woman's voice was softer now, her eyes searching my face. I could feel the weight of her stare. "You played an incredible game, by the way."

I arched an eyebrow, a little more interested now. I mean, she was talking about football, after all. "You watched?" The question came out before I could stop it.

"Of course, I did. I always do." She said sheepishly. "I think it's safe to say everyone's watching you, Oppa."

"I didn't expect you to be such a football fan." I said, shifting my weight from one foot to the other.

The bass from the speakers vibrated through the soles of my shoes.

"Only when it's interesting." She countered. "And you... well, you are very, very interesting. To watch, I mean. Football. Watch you play football."

She chuckled awkwardly.

"Is that so?"

"Mhm." She hummed, her gaze dropping to my lips for a fraction of a second.

My phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out, expecting a text from Mia or Su Ah, but it was just a random notification. I clicked my tongue, quickly putting it away.

Dae Hee, meanwhile, took a step closer. She looked up at me, blinking, big eyes wide, framed by thick, dark lashes.

The proximity didn't faze me. "Where are your friends?" I asked, tugging a little at my collar.

"Around." She said vaguely. "Probably at the bar, or dancing somewhere."

"Well, don't let me keep you."

"I wasn't planning on it."

She reached out and brushed a stray strand of hair from my forehead. Her fingers were cold against my skin. I didn't move away. I didn't lean in. I just stood there, watching.

"Are you okay? You look a little serious. Wanna go out for some fresh air?" She offered, her voice soft. Concerned, even.

You see, there was a problem with this seemingly shy-but-not-quite-so-shy-anymore girl. There was nothing outwardly disconcerning. She looked sweet and well-behaved. The kind of girl your parents would love. She probably also aced every single one of her exams without even trying. She was probably popular among teachers. She probably had a bright future, a path already paved for her. She probably went to church. She wasn't ugly, either. She had a great face and a great figure.

But I'd learned from experience that these types, the ones who seem too perfect, often have a few screws loose.

The way she looked at me. The way her eyes narrowed. The way she lingered on every word I said. The way she had to get a little too close, the way she talked. It didn't bother me, but it didn't go unnoticed. There was a calculating glint in her eyes. The kind of look that says 'I know I can get whatever I want', but the 'and I will break whoever stands in my way' part was left unsaid. I knew this type. I'd seen it before, a different shade of the same color that I was currently seeing in my own sisters.

She was playing a little, dangerous act.

"You don't have to worry about me." I said, my tone even.

"But I do." Dae Hee replied. She bit her lip. "You played your heart out on the field. You must've worked yourself to the bone, Oppa. You deserve a break."

"Seriously, I'm fine."

She let out a small sigh, but then her expression changed.

"Okay then." She said. "How about a dance? Just one. As a celebration." She ended with a big smile.

This was it. The moment of truth. I could say yes and get it over with, but that wasn't my style.

I took a step back.

"Listen, it was... unexpected to see you. I should get back to my friends."

"Wait." Her fingers brushed against my forearm. The touch was fleeting, barely there, but it felt deliberate. "Don't go yet. I mean, you're here, I'm here. It's been a while since..." She poked her fingers together. "We saw each other. I don't see you at school either. You're... you're one of the few friends I have, Oppa."

The word 'friends' hung in the air, fragile and a little sad.

I stared at her, not with pity. I tilted my head, thoughtfully.

I had spent years around people who wanted something from me. In my past life, it was fame, money, a piece of the Jair Campinho legacy. Now, it was more complicated. My teammates wanted my talent, my fans wanted my goals, my sister... well, she wanted me.

And Dae Hee?

What did she really want?

I stared at her, and stared. Unblinking. Eyes ever so lightly narrowed. She actually had the audacity to blush. Under the ever-changing neon lights, it looked like a smear of pink paint across her cheeks.

She looked down, away from my intense stare, and her hand fell from my arm.

I saw it then. The slight twitch in her jaw. The way her shoulders tightened for a split second. The mask of shy vulnerability slipped for just a moment, replaced by something else. A flash of... irritation? Resentment? Sadness? It was there and then it was gone, replaced by that same carefully constructed look of earnest longing.

It was a performance. A damn good one, but a performance nonetheless. A small pang of sadness shot up through me. Why? Because I was tired of these mind games, and I really, really thought, at first, that this girl was genuinely innocent. Not that it'd have changed anything tonight. I would've still brushed her off. But knowing it was some sort of act made it easier to shut the door.

"You okay?" I asked, my voice low. It was meant to be a casual question, but the way her breath hitched told me it had landed like a threat.

"I..." She looked back up, her eyes wide, and for a second, I thought I saw a flicker of genuine panic. "I just... I feel like I'm bothering you."

"You're not bothering me." I said smoothly. "I just have to go."

"But why?" She pressed, her voice rising slightly, a desperate edge to it. "We haven't even talked properly. I just... I want to know how you've been. Really."

"And I appreciate the concern, Dae Hee. But I'm with my team. We're celebrating. It's a team thing. Maybe we can talk another time?"

"......"

Dae Hee didn't answer for a long while, then...

"Maybe." She sighed, donning on her best smile. "Alright then. Well... don't have too much fun without me, Jae-il Oppa."

Then she turned and disappeared into the sea of bodies.

I watched her go for a while. My jaw clenched.

Something about her just rubbed me the wrong way. It wasn't a feeling I could put my finger on, a knot of unease that I couldn't quite untangle. It was an instinct, a gut feeling that screamed 'wrong'.

I felt a little guilty. Just a little. The way I had treated her. It was harsh. I could've been a little nicer, a little more diplomatic. I didn't have any proof that she had ulterior motives. Maybe she was just a lonely girl who had a crush on me. Maybe I was reading too much into it, my old, cynical heart pointing at moving shadows where there were none.

But then again, in my line of work, in my past life, those gut feelings were the only thing that kept you alive. You ignored them at your own peril.

I turned around and walked back to the bar.

I didn't dance. I didn't drink.

Yet I was already exhausted.

"Girls, please leave." I said to the three women still fawning over my teammates. My voice was flat and carried a strange authority that made them stop and stare. I didn't raise my voice. I didn't have to. "We're going."

The girls looked at each other, then at the boys they'd been flirting with. Jong-su pouted, but he didn't argue. He probably deemed my seriousness more important than the prospect of a one-night stand.

"Leaving so soon?" The petite one from earlier, the one I'd ditched, whined. "But the night is still young!"

"I'd rather not explain to our coach why half his starting lineup is passed out drunk in a nightclub, or worse. Let's go." I gestured sharply with my head.

The three women looked at me, their faces a mixture of disappointment and indignation.

"Fine." The petite girl huffed, grabbing her purse. "But you're missing out."

I didn't respond.

With a final, mournful look at the boys, the three girls sashayed away, their hips swaying to the rhythm of the music that was now starting to give me a headache.

"Party pooper." Jong-su muttered, but he was already sliding off his barstool. Dae-hyun looked relieved, and Sung-tae... well, Sung-tae looked like he was about to object, but one look at my face and he thought better of it.

Jun-hwan, to his credit, was already on his feet, looking sober and ready to leave. He'd barely touched his drink.

"Come on." I said, turning away from the bar. "Let's go before we get into real trouble."

We made our way past the dance floor, a writhing mass of bodies under the strobe lights. Jong-su swayed a bit. Dae-hyun supported him, his own movements a little unsteady. Sung-tae brought up the rear, a look of profound disappointment on his face.

I caught his look. "Sorry, buddy. You'll get your chance another time. When you're not a national player with a coach who could kill you."

I felt bad, really. But a smidgen of discipline would go a long way.

He sighed. "Yeah, I know. Still... they were cute."

"They're also probably not looking for a long-term relationship, Sung-tae." I pointed out.

"Who said anything about long-term?" He shot back with a weak grin.

I huffed.

We pushed through the main doors and back into the cool night air. The sudden silence was a shock to the system, a stark contrast to the pulsating chaos we'd just left. The city lights blurred around us, and I felt a wave of exhaustion wash over me.

"Guys, you go ahead. I'll catch up in a minute." I said, slowing down until I lagged behind.

Jun-hwan, who had been walking beside me in silence, stopped. He looked at me, his eyes questioning. "You sure?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Just need a minute."

He studied my face for a moment, then gave a slight, almost imperceptible nod. "Alright. Don't be too long."

He and the others trudged off, their chatting and laughter fading into the distance. I watched them go until they turned the corner, then I turned towards the bouncers.

I approached them, picked up my phone, and found Dae Hee's Kakao account. I opened her profile picture, zoomed, and showed it to them. "You've seen this girl?" I asked the larger of the two.

He glanced at the screen, then back at me. His face was an impassive mask.

"Maybe." He said, his voice a low rumble. "A lot of faces come through here. Why?"

"No reason. Just curious." I replied. "Was she alone or with friends?"

He frowned. "And why would you want to know?" The smaller bouncer stepped forward. "Look, kid. We've already bent the rules for you and your friends. Don't push it."

"I'm not pushing anything." I said calmly, putting my phone away. "I'm just asking a question."

The large bouncer held up a hand to his partner. "Relax. He's just a kid."

A flicker of irritation crossed my face.

"Kid, my ass." I waved my phone around, right at the motherfucker's face. "These very same minors you just allowed in to drink and fuck themselves up are national football players. We've got media coverage and everything ready to blow up. One call from me and the police show up with reporters behind them. Prosecutors open a case, your liquor license is gone by next week, and the owner fires both of you the same day to look clean." I let that sit for two seconds. "Or you answer one simple question and nothing ever happened. Your call."

The two men exchanged a look. Veins twitched. Hands balled into fists.

I stood there, waiting.

"The girl..." One of them said, at last, his voice losing its friendly edge. "Came alone."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." The man huffed. "Hard to forget someone so hot. She came alone."

"How long ago?"

"Five minutes after you and your friends went in."

I looked at him. "Did she leave?"

The man shook his head. "Not that I saw."

I nodded, my mind already working.

"Alright. Thanks for your time." I said, politely.

Then, I turned and walked away, not waiting for a reply.