[Jung Sanghyun et alii]

Bre insists the "groom" is in the elevator. I mean, who am I not to believe her? I don't think I have to play detective to find him, though. It's unlikely it's Roy, since he doesn't wear any rings. It must be the other man, who has stayed at the corner since we all got stuck here.

I wave at him to catch his attention, but he frowns at me. He must simply want to pick his suit from the tailor shop as soon as possible; as such, he sees me and my inconsiderate action as obstacles. I don't blame him for that. However, now that we're all here, he should at least tell me openly that he still holds a grudge against me.

I say, "Now, sir, I know the glare game has got boring and you have no reasons to talk to me, but I do have a question for you." His expression changes as I mention that. I really hope he has genuine interest in listening to me and doesn't pretend, only to refuse to answer or insult me later on.

He sneers. "As if I care... Now, leave me alone, dude, or you'll face trouble. I'll call the police right now." Too bad for him, his threat sounds so empty that I can feel it vanish in the thin air. There's barely any signal on this lift. He has no other choice than answering my questions, unless he wants to ruin his mood further.

"Listen, sir, you have a really short temper, I see. Now, please, don't take me for granted. Just because I sound measured, it doesn't mean I can't be pissed off. So, you either pay attention to me, or-" He waves his hands nervously. He's cornered. I'm not fond of mind games, but if they're the only means to earn respect from that man, then so be it.

Bre chimes in. "I've told you, he's easy to spot. He's always in such a bad mood." She tries to laugh off his displeasure at me, but it doesn't work. His glare becomes more intense, it can literally cut the air thin. This means I've almost hit his weak point; his short temper might become his downfall unless he collaborates.

Unlike before, my patience starts to run thin. "Enough with the glare game, dude. You don't want me to make sure everyone knows how much of an asshole you are. And, before you retort that I am, I'm aware of that." The girls are uneasy at the sight of my face turning shades of red and purple.

The other man gloats at my popping veins. "This only proves the asshole is you. Maybe grow up a little bit before talking to me, you whiney prick." That's enough. He really wants to be outed as a piece of shit. Fine. He wants to play this game, I see. Okay. I'll make sure to crush him.

"Adam! That was uncalled for!" intervenes Bre. "Just because he messed up with that fucking button, to put it mildly, you don't get to call him names like that. If anything, it's you who's being immature and a jerk."

"You, Sanghyun, on the other hand, went a little too far," points out Lacey. "You shouldn't have stooped so low." She's right. I've just showed my worst side. I really need to start thinking twice before talking because, so far, I've only made a disaster.

I offer the Adam guy an apology, backed by Roy, Lacey and Sally, but he doesn't seem to be content with that. What does he want me to do? Kneel before him and suck his balls? Lick his ass? Bite his toe nails? I can do that.

Suddenly, Adam says, "You know what? You remind me of my girlfriend." Is that a good thing or not? So why is he so resentful? As much as I did what I did, the punching ball phase is over. He needs to stop projecting his frustration on me, and so do the rest here.

"Is she here?" I ask, to which he groans. I take that as a no. She wouldn't be too happy to see that I'm giving her boyfriend the hardest time of his life, all while he should be happy for his upcoming wedding.

I ask again, "Do you trust her?" This is a dangerous question. I've just secured a barrage of insults for later. Sally and Bre are left with their mouths wide open at my total lack of tact.

To my surprise, however, Adam doesn't belittle me. Instead, he mutters something I don't understand. I don't think I'm prepared enough to know, so I stay put and eye the girl with the blonde fringe who's still at the corner. Apart from a few glares here and there, she hasn't interacted much with the rest of us yet.

"You don't have any insults in store for me, do you?" I ask her in a taunting tone, which makes Bre and Lacey face palm. The other girl just gives me an annoyed look, but doesn't say a word. God, she's a lot more patient than the rest of us combined.

She sighs. "Look, you seem a bizarre type, from what I can see. I don't know why the fuck you'd press the emergency button, and I don't think trying to find reasons why is a smart idea now, but... yeah, you literally give me the chills at how... strange you are."

Should I take that as an insult? I don't think so. It's too feeble to be considered as such, but it isn't nice enough to pass off as a compliment. I guess it stands in the middle. One thing is sure: the girl knows her way around words. I'm sure she knows some of the other folks here on this freaking elevator.

Lacey introduces her to me. "So, Kaitlin, this is Sanghyun. The guy who messed up with that button, you know." The two girls laugh softly, ignoring the creases that form around my eyebrows. At this point, there's no more use in getting angry at admitting I did something dangerous and I'll have to face the consequences for it.

Still, I believe this situation is a perfect way for me to see how coherent these people are, first with themselves, and then with one another. What would have each of them done had they pushed the button? Would've they beaten themselves down over that, or would've tried to sort it out swiftly and quietly to avoid comeuppance?

Instead of posing existential questions to me, Kaitlin just asks me, "Are you new here? You don't strike me as a social person." She's just hit the mark. I'm terrible at maintaining healthy interactions with other people, and today is further proof of it.

I admit. "Well, I've been here for a few months, so I don't know if that technically counts. And, yes, I usually prefer going out at night." At first, I don't pay attention to Roy and Adam snickering and comparing me to a vampire for my habits.

But, come on, being a night person definitely comes with benefits. First off, you don't have to dodge the traffic. Secondly, you don't necessarily have to cross paths with the one person you loathe. Last, but not least, I can have some true time for myself, something I can't even think of during the day.

Yes, being night people is a lot easier than being early birds. And a lot more fun.