INT. LUNAR CABARET – DOWNTOWN
Evah sighed again, deeper this time, staring at her reflection in the restroom mirror.
My fault for assuming we were going to a restaurant.
Her new friends — Nina, Kio, and Paul — had practically begged her to come. All single, all overworked, and apparently on a mission to "find love."
"Come on now! I know that look, but we're getting old. At least try to be interested!" Nina said, the brush in her hand waving dramatically. She was the pretty, bubbly type — Evah still couldn't figure out why she was single.
Beside her, Kio, a woman of few words, nodded vigorously.
"I really don't have time for this," Evah muttered.
"See? That's exactly our problem!" Nina fired back, striking a pose. "Always science, always experiments. And now look at us — going home alone, lonely!"
Kio nodded again, eyes wide in exaggerated agreement.
Evah almost smiled. Nina's dramatics were exhausting but oddly charming.
"Unless…" Nina turned, brush in one hand, powder in the other, eyes narrowing. "Unless you already have someone at home."
Evah gulped. Yup. No way I can explain this properly.
"Yes, yes, alone and lonely. Let's go back — Paul's probably waiting." Evah grabbed her bag and headed back to the table she already regretted sitting at.
Now she sat, sipping what it tasted like water from a cocktail glass that had long since lost its ice, pretending it was something stronger.
The bass pulsed through her chest. The lights flashed in waves, painting the crowd in red and violet. On the corners, people kissed like they'd never see each other again.
"There's no way," Evah murmured to herself, raising her glass in mock cheer just to survive the night — for her friends' sake.
They were seated in a rounded VIP booth, soft and pale blue like a cloud, with a low table in the center. Around her, everyone had paired off, chatting or flirting, while she sat in the middle — the lone island among couples.
Still, Evah found herself smiling. They look happy, she thought.
Even as irritation pricked her, she reminded herself—this was the kind of feeling she'd missed after working nonstop, the kind that slowly faded away along with the friends she once had.
I need to tell Yuka about this. She'd love it. Though if she and Nina teamed up to get me a boyfriend… that would be a problem.
From frustration to daydreaming — that's how her mind always worked.
Lasers cut across the air, snacks appeared on the table, and she began to think — maybe this isn't so bad after all.
Then she leaned back, eyes sweeping across the dance floor — and froze.
Something flickered in her peripheral vision.
Can't be. .
She didn't turn immediately, just replayed what she saw in her head:
Across the dance floor, another VIP section. A man seated in the center.
One leg crossed, arms stretched casually across the sofa.
The lights barely touched him — but his eyes...
Blue. Sharp. Piercing through the dark like shards of crystal.
Her breath caught.
She blinked, turned —
Nothing.
The seat was empty.
Her brow furrowed, doubt creeping in. She put down her drink on the table and kept her eyes fixed on that spot.
"Are you okay?" Paul asked beside her.
"Yes, I'm good." Evah forced a smile and stood. "I'll just go to the restroom."
Nina and Kio both looked up, checking on her, but Evah just smiled again and slipped away from the table.
A few minutes later...
Paul, sitting beside the girl he'd just met, leaned forward and waved to get Kio's attention.
"Don't you think Evah's taking too long?" he asked, glancing at his watch.
"What?" Kio, seated farther away, tried to lean in to hear him—but Nina cut in, already waving a hand.
"I'll go check," she said, pointing at herself.
The two nodded in agreement. Nina turned to whisper something to her partner, then stood and slipped away from the noisy table.
The hallway outside the dance floor was dimmer—music muffled, laughter distant. Despite the crowd inside, the space here was almost empty.
A long mirror stretched along one wall beside a pair of restrooms marked with glowing signs. The only light came from the mirror's edge and the thin line of LEDs running along the floor.
She stopped by the mirror, scanning the corridor that stretched ahead—long, dim, and quiet. At the very end stood a door that looked like a stockroom, its surface half-swallowed by shadows. For a moment, she thought she saw movement there—a faint silhouette shifting against the darkness.
Nina squinted, leaning a little forward. "Evah?" she whispered.
Then she caught it—the glint of familiar shoes. Evah's. She recognized them instantly from the hallway's faint floor lights that ran like glowing lines beneath each step. Relief started to rise, but it froze when she noticed another pair of shoes directly in front of Evah's.
Her heart skipped.
Now that her eyes adjusted, the shadow took shape. It wasn't just Evah. A man stood before her—tall, his back facing Nina. His arm was braced against the wall beside Evah's head, trapping her in. The narrow space between them was filled with the heavy hush of closeness.
Evah's face was not visible— the man's features remained hidden, swallowed by the dark. Only his outline, the slope of his neck, and the faint movement of his head as he leaned closer could be seen.
Nina's hand flew to her mouth. Her heart thudded in panic—and a little thrill.
Then she heard it.
A soft sound, breathy and low, echoing faintly from their direction.
Kissing?! Her jaw dropped.
That was it.
Nina turned on her heel and bolted back toward the tables, her hands pressed to her mouth, eyes shining with excitement.
Evah. Finally. Found. Someone.
And she was absolutely ready to announce it—with every single detail.