By Zephyria 
What if I hadn’t lowered my standards?
I entertained the futile thought that I might have been able to pick a better man, but I quickly shook it off. Let’s focus on reality. All I need to do is achieve the purpose of my visit here.
I kept my eyes fixed on the man and responded with a smile.
“You too?”
At the short question, the man gave a meaningful smile. We began to talk, cautiously sizing each other up. Of course, this was nothing more than light flirting to ease the tension before sex. Like an appetizer before the main course.
After a few words of meaningless small talk, we would have headed to the restroom. We would have played around a bit, helped each other release their semen, and then parted ways. That is, if things had proceeded according to the established sequence. It was like a predetermined schedule, without a shred of doubt.
Until an unexpected incident occurred.
“Do you come here often? How come I’ve never seen you?”
I answered the common question nonchalantly.
“Our timing just didn’t align.”
“It aligned well today.”
I lightly clinked my beer glass against the one the man held up and brought it to my lips. As I swallowed the cold liquid, the man, who had finished his drink first, spoke in a high, excited tone.
“I haven’t been here in almost a month, but if days like today continue, I’d come every single day.”
“Haha.”
I gave an exaggerated laugh as his gaze swept over my body meaningfully before returning to my face. Knowing these were just empty words, I simply played along. I hoped we could move locations soon, and I glanced toward the back of the establishment. The place was still noisy, and because of that, I couldn’t understand even half of what the man was saying. Since our goals lay elsewhere, there was no need to listen intently. Not wanting to waste any more time, I slid my hand over the man’s hand, which was resting carelessly on the bar table. As the man hesitated for a moment, I stroked the back of his hand and asked in a fairly soft tone.
“Don’t you think we should do something else instead of talking?”
The man, who seemed momentarily flustered, soon opened his mouth with a loose smile. I watched patiently as he said, “Just a second,” and pulled his wallet from his back pocket to pay. Until then, there were no particular problems. I was aimlessly wandering in thought, wondering where would be a good spot, until it entered my field of vision.
“Here.”
The wallet in the man’s hand as he handed money to the bartender was wide open. It clearly revealed photos of a smiling woman and children.
Suddenly, I felt as if the blood in my entire body had turned ice-cold, and my mind went numb. Not only did my heated body cool down, but the desire that had been fueling me vanished instantly. When that undeniably clear family photo felt branded into my eyes, the man smiled leisurely and draped his arm over my shoulder.
“Shall we go?”
I blatantly avoided him as he naturally tried to kiss me. Turning my head away from the man’s frowning face, I spoke in a stiff tone.
“I’ve changed my mind. Find someone else.”
“What? Suddenly? Why?”
The man asked repeatedly, his face clearly bewildered. Instead of answering, I frowned and cast a glance toward the pants pocket where he had tucked his wallet. He seemed flustered for a moment, but then answered nonchalantly.
“Ah, this? It’s nothing.”
As the man proudly pulled out his wallet to show the family photo, I felt all my lust turn cold. However, completely oblivious to my reaction, the man continued naturally while putting the wallet back in his pocket.
“Once women have kids, husbands become an afterthought. What can you do? I have to let it out this way. Look, just understand. Why are you acting like a girl? There’s a certain understanding between men, right?”
The man even gave a bold, easy-going smile. Seeing how casually he spoke, perhaps this was a frequent occurrence for him. And the fact that he had never been in trouble because of it was proven by that smiling face. After all, there are men who enjoy relationships with married men. Perhaps they have a fantasy of having sex with a straight man.
But I was not one of them.
“Move.”
I violently pushed him away as he approached to kiss me again. Caught off guard, the man staggered significantly and nearly fell. Fortunately, he avoided a pathetic display, but in the process, he knocked over the beer glass he had placed on the bar table. Leaving him to look frantically between the loudly shattered glass and my face, I turned around. I had wasted my time. If I didn’t find another partner quickly, today would surely be a bust. Just as the extreme thought of grabbing anyone and dragging them to the restroom crossed my mind, someone suddenly grabbed my shoulder from behind.
“…Ack.”
I let out a gasp that sounded almost like a scream. When I turned around irritably, it was, as expected, that man. Much like my own distorted expression, the man’s face was equally grim.
“You bastard, where do you think you’re going? I’m not finished yet!”
The man shouted in a harsh voice, full of rage. I shook off his hand and said coldly.
“I don’t do it with people who have partners. Find someone else.”
“What? Hey, wait.”
I tried to turn away again after speaking as calmly as possible, but the man would not back down easily. As I looked at him pouring out curses while gripping my arm, a surge of disgust boiled up. What a piece of trash. I repeated the insults in my head, but it only doubled my irritation. I came here to relieve stress, but instead, it had piled up. I was just about to give up and leave.
Suddenly, the air inside the club seemed to change. A strange tension arose, as if the noise of the bustling establishment had vanished for a very brief moment. Along with it came a chilling aura that sent shivers down my spine. As I slowly turned my head with an uneasy feeling, I soon found the reason.
As if by magic, a man entering the establishment came into view. The men who had been laughing, chatting, and occasionally sharing sultry kisses stopped their movements one by one. With a towering height that seemed two heads taller than anyone else, he immediately captured everyone’s attention. Including mine.
Nathaniel Miller.
At the appearance of the man I had completely unexpected, I froze, staring blankly with my mouth open. I hurriedly shook my head and checked again, but it was definitely him. His platinum blonde hair, combed back flawlessly, shone brilliantly even in the dim lighting, and his sharp jawline, distinct facial contours, and long, deep eyes were exactly as they remained in my memory. There was no mistake. Including that immense height, there couldn’t be another man like him in the world.