Hyeon drives leisurely like he knows exactly where we are headed but I don't see Loona's bright red convertible anywhere. And that car is pretty hard to miss. 

"Did Loona leave much earlier? How do you know where she's going?" I ask Hyeon who's gaze is fixed on the road ahead. 

"Not long before you. And I placed a tracker I bought online under her car. Don't worry I made sure no cameras or staff caught me doing so."

My eyes widen and he laughs. The evening sun highlights his high cheekbones and I notice the dark circles under his deep set eyes.

I wonder how many of those sleepless nights were spent on Dalia and try not to think too much about it. My stomach is still churning from all the alcohol I consumed today and the car ride is beginning to make me feel dizzy. 

Thankfully, we don't go very far. Hyeon turns off at the exit to a small town called Damyang and we drive past numerous housing estates before reaching a dingy looking row of shops. 

"It says she stopped somewhere around here," Hyeon murmurs as we look around for her red car. 

I don't spot any striking coloured vehicles, only dull ones parked haphazardly along the asphalt concrete. 

"That's weird. The tracker says she stopped here." Hyeon pulls over into a parking spot and immediately sifts through his phone. 

I sit forward and look at the decrepit looking shop lots in front of us. I doubt Loona would ever be seen in a place like this.

All the signboards are old and weathered. The cement walkway chipped at its corners. The cars parked here all look like they have been left here to decay. All except one. 

A sleek black Maserati Alfieri would probably blend in with the other grey/black coloured cars flanked on either side of it, if no one was looking. But it is too shiny, too new. My father had always been a car enthusiast and even though it is parked halfway through a garage shop, I can still tell the model by looking at its rear end.

"I don't think it's working." Hyeon taps on his phone screen and then knocks it with his knuckles as if that would show where Loona is. 

My eyes are still fixed on the Maserati, sticking out to me like a sore thumb. 

"Don't you feel that looks odd here." I point to the car.

Hyeon looks it over and then returns his attention to his phone screen. "Looks like any other car around here." 

My spine straightens and I look him over in disbelief. "You can't tell that that's a Maserati? And that the others all just regular sedans?" 

Hyeon's eye brows raise but he doesn't seem to get what I'm hinting at.

"I think we should take a walk. Scout the place." I say determinedly and unbuckle my seatbelt. 

"But she might not be here," Hyeon protests but I'm already out of the car, walking up the steps to the rows of shops. 

The air is cold today but Hyeon reaches me quickly and his shoulder brush against mine, his proximity providing some warmth. 

We walk past and peer into the empty garage with the Maserati. It's evening now and there's no one working, the car sits idly in the workshop. If this were Hadong, there would be a sea of people already gathered around it taking pictures, my father front and centre. 

He's always loved cars even though he used tractors most of his life. 

"What a beauty," Hyeon murmurs, finally getting a good look at the car. 

"Yeah, not everyday you see something like this here." I note and then look at the back of the shop where heavily tinted windows shield us from the view of the office. For all we know there could be someone inside, watching us. 

I look at the back lane behind the garage and notice the bright tinge of red, peaking from under a silver waterproof car cover. It looks about the same size as Loona's convertible. 

"Look over there," I point to it but then a loud sound booms from the back of the room, behind the office. 

"We should go," Hyeon says following my gaze. "Last thing we need is to get charged for trespassing." 

I nod and follow him outside. We walk past an empty cafe and then a small secluded fried chicken joint with a few occupied tables but still no sign of any famous Kpop idols. 

There are no restaurants or bars passed this point, only offices that are closed for the day. 

"That looked like her car. But maybe we lost her. Maybe she's somewhere else." I shrug dejectedly. I turn to Hyeon expecting him to agree with me but his lips are pursed in concentration. 

He walks over to the staircase by the end of the block and presses the side of his face to the white cement wall by the landing. 

"What are you--?" I walk over to him but he lifts a hand, gesturing to his ear. 

"I can hear something. Sounds like music," He closes his eyes, deep in concentration. 

"Music?" I mimic his movements and immediately hear synchronised beats thumping in my ear. "From upstairs?" 

"Only one way to find out." He says excitedly and leads the way up the stairs. "Stick close to me." 

He doesn't have to tell me because I instinctively move closer as darkness envelopes us. The staircase has no lighting, only a single yellow strobe light that flickers on and off giving us little to no visibility as we walk up cautiously. 

The music is louder now that we've reached the first floor but there are no visible signboards. This must be some sort of hidden bar, like a speak easy. 

It reminds me of when I told Jiho I'd always wanted to visit such places and now here we are. The memory of Jiho's adorable expression during our conversation causes a dull ache to form in my chest. 

I haven't seen him since that day at the cafe and I would be lying if I said I didn't miss him thoroughly. Texting hasn't been enough. I want to see him, hold his hand, talk to him till the sun came up. 

"Looks like it's coming from here," Hyeon interrupts my thoughts and points to a row of letter boxes. We can clearly hear some house music playing on the other side. 

He opens a few letter boxes and door slides open when he tugs on the letter J. 

"Welcome to Just Us," A door attendant immediately greets us and I look inside, hoping to spot Loona before she catches me instead. "Do you have a reservation?" 

My throat tightens unsure of what to say but Hyeon is much quicker on his feet. "My girlfriend and I need someplace to be alone. You know away from paparazzi, that sort of thing." His fingers slip through mine and I pretend to be the shy doting girlfriend when the attendant looks me over. 

He studies both mine and Hyeon's faces but he doesn't seem to recognise me, which I'm not sure is a good thing or not. After a long pause he nods slowly and holds his hand out. "Welcome. You will find this place most private and suitable for your...endeavours." 

He casts a look at Hyeon when he says this which fills me with discomfort but I have no choice but to act the part and follow my so called boyfriend inside. 

My finger's itch, wanting to be released. It doesn't feel the same as it did when Jiho was holding my hand but Hyeon holds on tightly as we walk to the bar. 

"Keep your head low. If Loona is here, the last thing we need is her recognising you." 

I do as told and he orders us two drinks. I slowly slip my hand out of his when my glass of orange juice arrives and take a sip. 

The bar tender is staring at us so I lean in and whisper into Hyeon's ear, trying to make our exchange look more intimate than it is. "Do you see her anywhere?"

"No." I notice Hyeon shift slightly, looking as uncomfortable as I feel. 

"Would you two like someplace more private?" The blonde haired very young looking bartender leans in and smiles at us cheekily. "Our celebrity couples tend to get the private rooms at the back. So you can be more comfortable with each other." 

I feel my cheeks go hot and both Hyeon and I stare a look. 

Hyeon quickly scans the empty bar and replies. "Yeah, why not. How much will that cost me?" 

"That depends on you. How much is your private time with your beautiful girlfriend worth to you?" 

I notice Hyeon's shoulders stiffen but then he takes out his wallet and places a thick wad of cash on the counter top. The bartender's eyes widen greedily and he pockets all of it. 

"Lucky girlfriend." 

"Lead the way," Hyeon instructs, taking my hand in his again. I try not to think about how warm they are and what Jiho would think if he saw this, no matter how unlikely that situation maybe. 

We follow the blonde boy down a narrow corridor, flanked by booths on either side all covered by drawn deep red curtains. I can hear some voices as we pass and wonder if Loona is in one of them. 

I hear some hushed whispers and my heart rate spikes when I recognises her signature cackle. I peer through the curtain but it's only enough to spot her brown hair. My fingers tighten around Hyeon and he turns to me. 

I nod at the private booth we just passed and he gestures at the one next to it. 

"We'd like this one please." 

The bartender who seems completely smitten with Hyeon after his huge tip, agrees immediately and leads us inside quietly. 

The private booth consists of a long U-shaped sofa with a marble table giving us just enough leg space to crawl through. Once we are seated he arranges for some drinks and just the thought of more alcohol makes me feel like puking again. 

"Don't worry, I'll drink a little for both of us," Hyeon murmurs in my ear affectionately while the bartender looks us over. 

He mixes a glass of whiskey and ginger ale for both of us and then bows. "Enjoy." I don't miss the sneaky look he casts us before leaving but Hyeon and I are quick to focus on the booth next to us. 

Or rather the heated whispers between Loona and mystery man. 

We look like two contortionists, plastered to the side of the sofa next to theirs but they don't sound like they are talking anymore. 

Hyeon and I look at each other when the soft sounds of kissing and moaning reverberate through the thin partition between us. My face turns beet red and Hyeon quickly turns away in embarrassment. 

We stay silent like this until the make out session finally finishes. 

"Stop worrying about the ledger, darling. For all we know she burned it." The male voice is unrecognisable but Loona's panicked voice isn't. 

"If it ever gets out we'll all be ruined." 

Her voice is so muffled, I have to press my ear to the partition to be able to put the words together. 

"Did you hear something? Is there someone next to us?" She suddenly says and my heart lodges itself into my throat making it hard to breathe.

"Let me check." The male voice is louder now and I stare at Hyeon in panic. 

The curtain covering our booth is flung to the side but I don't see anything except Hyeon's face, so close I can feel his breath on my skin. He angles his head and fists my hair, making it look like he is kissing me. 

His lip brushes the tip of my nose and I close my eyes, pretending to be lost in the moment even though this entire situation has my nerves on edge. 

"Sorry guys." The man releases his hold on our curtain and I open my eyes to see Jungseok's side profile before he disappears from view. 

"Just some couple making out," He says to Loona. 

"We should leave. I feel uneasy today," She says and we hear some shuffling on the other side. 

Hyeon and I are frozen in this position, his hands on either side of me, holding us in place as we pretend to make out till the coast is clear. I notice his arms are tense, the veins in his forearms so pronounced as he closes his eyes, his lips barely a centimetre from mine. After the shuffling of curtains and a few minutes of silence he finally leans back and we both stare at each other.