Studying abroad can be incredibly lonely at times.

That night, I was in my room, indulging in a little treat for myself, when my best friend suddenly burst through the door.

"Doing it yourself is no fun. Come on. There's a super cool cabaret show going on. Let's go see it together!"

On stage, my friend was reclining in a chair behind the curtain, with two strong-looking men on top of her.

"Come on. Join us for a group dance..."

"Mm..."

I lay in bed with my eyes closed while holding a newly unwrapped toy, rewarding myself with a little treat. As the soft buzzing sound filled the room, a wave of pure joy washed over me.

My name was Joan Wise, and I was studying in Dorseth, Valveria.

Due to the distance, my boyfriend, Norris Floyd, and I were separated by miles, and the only way to ease my loneliness was through video calls. Now, for example, my boyfriend's voice came through my phone, urging me to hurry.

"Joan, come on. Don't stop!"

Norris was out of breath, clearly impatient.

"Hey, don't rush, babe..." I pouted playfully at the camera.

I slowly moved the camera downward, giving him a peek at my curves and toned waist. After dating Norris for years, I knew exactly what would catch his attention.

As expected, I could hear his breathing getting heavier.

I smiled smugly, ready to shift the camera further, but to my frustration, he was done!

I couldn't believe Norris couldn't even keep up for a few minutes.

I was beyond annoyed. It was lonely enough being in a foreign country with no one around, and now this guy couldn't even satisfy me with this small thing...

I felt deflated. But I couldn't be unfaithful to my childhood sweetheart, so I just lay back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

Suddenly, my bedroom door flung open! It was Abigail Stevens, my roommate.

"Abigail, you can't just barge in without knocking..." I scrambled to tidy up the mess on my bed, but of course, she saw everything.

Abigail laughed when she saw how flustered I looked.

She glanced at the blanket that had slipped to my waist and teased me, "Joan, babe, you look all innocent and sweet; I didn't expect you to have such... big needs behind closed doors."

"I don't! Don't say that..." I bit my lip, my face burning with embarrassment, like ripe tomatoes.

But Abigail didn't seem to care. She pulled me up from the bed with a grin. "What's there to be shy about? Come on. I'm taking you somewhere way more fun. It'll be a million times more exciting than your little toy!"

"Huh? Where?" I quickly got up, eager to know.

Abigail batted her eyelashes and gave me a mischievous smile.

"It's called... the Crazy Show."

Crazy Show? What on earth was that?

I was confused, but Abigail kept going. "Joan, honey, you look amazing in clothes and even better without them. With your body and your face, you'll have everyone at that place fighting for your attention! When we get there, you'll have as many men as you want. Trust me..."

Before I could respond, Norris's voice suddenly cut in from the phone.

"I don't want you going there!" he said, sounding panicked. "That place doesn't sound like anything decent. It's too dangerous for you to go alone," he continued, trying to convince me with concern in his voice.

Abigail sneered at him, "Dangerous? Please, we'll be together, Norris. Do you really want Joan to be stuck here, just sitting around, only able to pleasure herself with you on video calls?"

Before Norris could reply, Abigail hung up the phone.

I hesitated for a moment but finally agreed to go with her.

After all, I was so lonely... I really needed something exciting!

The next day, Abigail showed up holding a dress, insisting I put it on.

I looked at the tiny amount of fabric in my hands, and my face instantly turned red.

After slipping into the outfit, I stood in front of the mirror, admiring myself.

The dress revealed large portions of my smooth, fair skin, with my bosom pressing together tightly, and my legs wrapped snugly in black stockings.

I eyed my reflection with satisfaction. I had to say, I looked hot.

Soon, Abigail and I made our way to the venue where the show was taking place.

It was similar to any other nightclub—dim lighting paired with loud, energetic music. The crowd was thick, with people constantly coming and going. Among them, a few handsome guys approached, politely trying to strike up a conversation.

The weight that had been pressing on my chest slowly eased.

There wasn't anything dangerous about this. There were just a lot of good-looking guys here.

"Excuse me, Miss. Can we buy you a drink?"

Suddenly, two guys appeared in front of me.

One was named John, the other Smith. Both were dressed in expensive-looking clothes, with the most noticeable thing being that neither had buttoned the last two buttons of their shirts.

Their well-defined chests were almost about to burst out of their shirts, and from the gap between the buttons, I could even see the outline of their impressive abs.

Wow, I knew some people had natural advantages when it came to physique, but I didn't expect them to be this well-built.

You could even see the outline of... down there...

I smiled shyly and nodded in acknowledgment.

The music was blaring, and the flashing lights were making it hard for me to keep my eyes open.

As the night went on, the drinks kept coming, and I felt myself getting lightheaded.

"I can't take it anymore. I'm done drinking," I said, placing my glass down, feeling a sense of relief as I collapsed back onto the couch.

But I could hear them still urging me, "The performance's about to start. That's the highlight of tonight! How did you turn into such a drunk already?"

"Yeah, come on. Have another drink with us…"

They helped me sit up, and I leaned against John's chest, hearing his strong heartbeat and feeling the overwhelming presence of his masculinity.

Without thinking, I reached out and touched his solid chest.

"I can keep drinking, but only if you let me touch... just a little..."

I had been away from home for so long, and I was craving the company of a man.

I needed muscle, a man, someone to take charge...

The two men exchanged a glance before guiding my hand down their shirts.

"You can touch it, Ms. Joan. Touch however you like!"

"That's right, Ms. Joan. Be bold! It'll make things easier later..."

Easier?

What were they saying?

But I didn't care anymore. I was swimming in their masculine energy, my head spinning.

The performance was about to start, but I had no idea how much I had drunk. Suddenly, I felt like I was going to be sick.

"I'm going to the bathroom, sorry," I muttered, covering my mouth as I hurried to the restroom.

For some reason, I felt like I was being watched, like prey, and it sent a chill down my spine.

My phone kept buzzing with messages from Norris.

[Joan, please don't go to that show.

[Those places aren't good! Look at the video I sent you!]

I glanced at the messages and immediately switched my phone to silent.

That guy… He couldn't make me happy, and now he was trying to stop me from finding my own joy.

Why should he have any say?

Just as I turned off my phone, a flurry of messages from Abigail came in.

[Joan, where are you? The performance is about to start! Don't wander off. Come to the dressing room and get ready!]

I checked the time and quickly jogged to the backstage area.

It was empty, and I was just standing there, confused, when I suddenly heard soft sounds coming from the dressing room.

"Mmm, ah..."

That voice sounded familiar… Was that Abigail?

I froze, my gaze fixed on the door of the dressing room.