Ditching the piles of paperwork and endless deadlines for a spontaneous late-night hangout was easily the best collective decision we made all week. The night was already freezing, but the cold didn’t stop us. Geisler’s Riki was already revving his engine by the curb, his grin visible even under the dim streetlights as he yelled, “.. Last one to the diner pays for the drinks!” That single sentence was enough to set off Scalden’s Riki into full competitive mode, muttering a quick challenge before speeding off ahead. The city lights blurred into streaks of gold and neon as we rode through the empty streets, the cool wind hitting our faces while we laughed at nothing and everything all at once.

Once we finally arrived and claimed a worn out corner booth at our usual 24-hour spot, the energy didn’t slow down one bit. Eldraeth’s Heeseung took one look at the massive, grease laden platter we ordered and let out a dramatic sigh, rubbing his temples. “Are we actually planning to finish all of this, or are you guys just trying to test my patience tonight?” he asked, looking entirely done with our lack of self control. Bosche’s Heeseung just grinned, leaning across the table to steal a fry right from his side of the plate. “Relax, we’ve got all night to burn,” Bosche’s Heeseung replied, tapping his fingers against the laminate table. Geisler’s Riki was already busy snapping blurry, candid photos of everyone, ignoring the complaints while Scalden’s Riki tried to steal his phone back. Times like these with food on the table and loud arguments echoing in a diner, always hit different.