The bar was alive with laughter, music, and the clinking of glasses as I stepped inside, the dim light washing over me like a warm embrace. I spotted my friends at our usual booth, a comforting sight in the midst of my emotional turmoil. Their faces brightened as I approached, their excitement cutting through the haze of disappointment that had settled over me.
“Wayne! Over here!” Shin waved, his smile infectious, but I could barely muster a grin in return. I slid into the booth, the familiar scent of beer and fried food grounding me as I attempted to shake off the remnants of the evening’s disaster.
“Hey, man! You made it!” Timmy clapped my back, his boisterous energy a stark contrast to my somber mood. “What’s up?”
“Just the usual,” I muttered, glancing down at the table. “Got rejecte
