➴ bar。

@lee heeseung. A single glimpse granted without the demand for a reply, equanimous strut leading her to the secluded portion of the establishment, which she had frequented quite regularly aiding in her mindless descent to the area, a brief scan of the immediate vicinity denoted the awareness of the current occupants, none of which were the intended acquainted causing her to retrieve her stowed away device in means of checking one more time. With her confirmation, ire flashes over her visage, not one to tolerate the excessive expense of her time without due purpose, and so she decided to wait for a moment.

The layout of the interior wasn't the type one could confuse with much of the space open save for a few secluded areas meant to entice those seeking the overt opulence of vip seating, leading the blonde to spare another observance. Ignoring those seated inside the barriered off portions she mentally eliminated each person until the stranglers waiting around remained, surely she would recognize a single face amongst the masses, or at least that was her intention.

weaving through to the opposing side, bleached brows furrowed as spurious orbs narrowed at the perception of a sole inhabitant, the lone male facing away from the direction she approached leaving her to stare at the broad expanse of his back, with the influx of clientele Minjeong serviced she had seen her fair share of varying builds, however it was the hair that eventually threw her off, the peculiar shade a delusive sight but she had already reached the male, deciding she might as well check to see if he was who she was expecting, she continued her onward stride rounding the space to intercept the male, tilting her head as she took in the entirety of his features, undeniably his comeliness went without mentioning, yet she was still confounded as to why the appealing stranger appeared before her in the stead of her usual unsightly encounters.

Opting against bothering him save for a brief curl of her rose tinted brims, she retrieved her pocketed device to inquire the whereabouts once more before she abandoned the notion, fingers tapping away in a brisk manner before halting as the chime of delivery was met with the ping of retrieval from a device nearby, long lashes blinking as suspicion rose to a frown worthy degree, her orbs peering over in the direction heard.

Confident in her ability to recall those she exchanged with, she was positive his face was new, unfamiliar at best and that equally explained the unsaved number in which she received the initial text, furthering her perplex, instant was the numerous onslaught of reasonings and conclusions spilling into her mind as she tried to make sense of it all, it wasn't unusual for someone to change their appearance but that was a more extreme assumption compared to the more viable possibility of a referral, her sudden piqued desire to unravel the confusion circumstances urged her to finally speak, her dialectic accent present with each word.

"Hey, are you waiting for someone?"

@go minsi. as he washed his hands in the bar's bathroom, jiwoong checked himself out in the mirror. today, at best, he was a 7/10 in terms of appearance. his hair was slightly damp, having run a wet hand through it prior, trying to cool himself down. all morning long, just before he had set foot into the establishment, he had been golfing— spending hours in the sun. along the bridge of his nose and at the apex of his cheekbones, he could notice a faint hue of redness— he had burned. jiwoong sighed in exasperation. he should have put some sunscreen on. hopefully, the cute bartender that he was coming to visit (hyungseo), wouldn't notice. if she did... he shook away his feelings of insecurity and worry. on the bright side, he hoped that she wouldn't mind a natural, blushing look to his face. jiwoong has yet to rizz her, and he couldn't do so if he were to get into a timid headspace.

grabbing a sheet of paper towel, drying off his hands before turning off the taps to the sink faucets. taking the handle of the bathroom door with another piece of paper towel, jiwoong opened it, before tossing the garbage into the trash can on his way out. stepping out, he walked back down the hall to return into the main area of the bar, but came to a quick halt, when he spotted a crime taking place.

a familiar-looking woman was standing by the bar's bulletin board, defacing an apartment ad that he had put up. specifically, she was drawing over his face— adding nose hairs to his picture, with the permanent marker she held in her hand. why this girl was doing such a feat was beyond jiwoong. either the latter had some personal vendetta against him, or was just simply immature. he thought it was more likely the first plausibility than the second, as there were more plenty of ads with portraited faces that surrounded his, yet, for some odd reason, she had only drawn upon his.

amused at the thought of the karma that she was soon going to be facing, jiwoong stood over and behind her in silence, watching her continue to vandalize his printed visage. when she was done, he swiftly plucked the marker out from her hands. "my turn; to add nose hairs to your face." jiwoong mused, smiling pompously. however, when the woman finally turned his way, jiwoong's simper immediately fell into a deadpan. he knew her— unfortunately, for him.

the criminal was go minsi; his highschool crush and senior year prom date. his raised hand that was holding the marker, threatening to draw on her face— fell, to his side. jiwoong avoided her gaze, quickly turning his head to the side. "hey." he merely stated, unsure of how to end such awkwardness.

@kim mingyu. "you're delusional." minsi sighed, slightly irked and shaken by his accusations. she needed to calm down, it wasn't like she showed her face in her videos. there's no way he would actually know, especially kim mingyu out of all people, who likes to drink 8 lemon drop shots and a all by himself. she had nothing to worry about except her blood pressure. he had a knack for increasing it on command.

"i didn't know i was considered first-class service. maybe your standards are low." pushing the shots closer to him, she narrowed her eyes at him, amused by his sudden remark. "if i get to push you into the river, i think going on a date with you is a worthy sacrifice. miyeon is a better choice for you." minsi was half joking, but something morbid inside her wondered how he would look swimming. doggy paddle? would he float on his back like an otter? could he even swim? maybe there was a reason why he was not on the swim team with her. either way, it felt weird to joke about her estranged sister.

"watch that , if you spill it, it's gonna be a pain to clean." minsi wagged a finger at mingyu, the scowl on her face fading into a slight grin. she wasted no more time entertaining the headache-inducing customer and brought her attention to a different patron, who always ordered mom drinks. "one on the beach? coming right up." she held in a laugh as she took his card to open a tab. she'll never get over the fact that a ma dong seok lookalike would only order fruity drinks.

@kim jiwoong. Seoju, a second home.

While she works nearly every night, there’s always a thrill meeting new and old faces underneath the dim lights of both the cozy sanction and the night sky. That isn’t to say that there aren’t some rough nights here and there where all she yearns for is to be in her corner, cooped up with nothing but silence, but today she’s in her element. She only hopes the people around her feel the same despite their sunken 9 to 5 eyes and shoulders. Hyungseo could only smile when their dim gazes end off with a tiny glisten, knowing that she’ll see them another time because she’s done her job well.

“Promise me you’ll come visit me?” It’s a saddened look, but she feigns more desperation for the drama, holding her own hands tightly in a pleading motion.

The female customer wipes a fake tear before taking hold of Hyungseo’s hands with fragility as she leans over the counter. “Of course I will, Seo. I promise—We’ll keep in touch!”

This is the kind of effect she has on people, someone who’s an expertise at being personable, versatile, and warm. However, it’s important to mention in passing that she isn’t a pushover. There are rare encounters that leave her frowning, yelling, or angry with furrowed brows and clenched fists, but she isn’t afraid to hold her own with unpleasantries. It helps that her brother Hoseok is in the kitchen observing not only the place but interactions between her and Minsi when the bar is bustling with laughter, cheers, and banter.

Today’s a bit busier than usual and Hyungseo’s the only bartender for the next hour until Minsi comes in. She finds herself apologizing more than usual about the wait (it wasn’t that long) as she swiftly mixes the drinks, but it helps that the customers are lenient and more worried about having a good time. However, there’s one customer she has yet to interact with and it’s a man she hasn’t seen before. He’s made a statement of himself with his rather clean-cut look, but he isn’t out of place.

She peers at the man with a wide smile with a jut of her chin, “I’ll come get you in a sec.” It wasn’t a second by all means, but she’s quick to appear in front of him with a more lax nature. “Hey, welcome to Seoju! I’m Hyungseo and I’ll be your bartender today,” she slides the mini menu over to him but continues to maintain eye contact with an amused glint, “Here’s the menu if you need it—I’m assuming we’re coming by just to loosen up for the night after a long day of work, huh?” it’s evident in her tone that she’s had her own experience in that realm of work, but she’s happy she’s out of it. “I can give you a few if you need it, but you got any questions for me?”

@cho miyeon. She still carried the weight of cheeriness and jollity on either shoulder, it seems. Something which almost stuck to someone like glue whenever they interacted with Miyeon. However, this was not a trait to falter on - she very much carried on with glee and poise unlike many other students at the time. Did he find it somewhat annoying back then? Possibly. But being young lends itself to always finding the 'annoying' in what are otherwise well-meaning people. Juyeon takes the card willingly, letting the fragmenting bar lights gloss over the laminated finish as he takes a look at either side. Just by its touch, the material of the card was high quality, sitting confidently sturdy between his fingers. The small smile bathing in the pool of his lips never left for a moment.

"Oh, thank you. I'll be sure to keep this handy." The business card slots favorably into the pocket of his wallet before his fingers lurch forward for another solemn sip of his drink as his posture regards her still in his seat, "I wish! I wish I lived a more exciting life as you seem to make it out to be." A bit of laughter leaves the lips still coated in the nectar of the drink. "You see, if I were seeing someone, you think I'd be all alone at this bar?" He jokes before continuing. "Not much either than I've just had dates with a few women here and there, but it's tough being as busy as I am. It's like I'm almost asking for a relationship to magically come to me. But I know that's not how it works." He laughs again, swirling and fiddling the drink around his glass. "But you? You seem full of energy as always. Where did you just come from? How's your love life?"

@go minsi. She almost misses herself sticking a tongue in her cheek when she hears the other woman’s responses, evidently annoyed by her retort. This is one of the things she hates about them when they approach these discussions where one of them prances along like it isn’t worth mentioning. She understands most of the time the two of them fail to give a about most things, but this one thing can’t be avoided. She knows Minsi knows this very well.

Hyungseo heaved out a heavy breath before feigning a fake wide smile that would reach her now crescent eyes, “Why wouldn’t you? He was pretty hot, just your type. He wasn’t some old bald creep for once! Plus, you two were hitting it off!” If her face failed to show how she truly felt, the rather aggressive squeaking of the rags polishing the counters did.

Each time, a part of her would cheer when Minsi would set out to find someone else, but recently it seemed like each trial lead her back to Hyungseo.

The moment Minsi slid the number back in her pocket, she reached out to grab her wrist, hindering her from pondering further. “I’m not trying to nag at you, Min,” her grin now replaced with an expression of uncertainty, “Look, you can’t hang out with me forever—we can, but you know what I mean.” The comment confirmed her suspicions and she wasn’t sure how to feel getting her answer. Though it’s evident Hyungseo fails to be the person with the nicest words to say, but she shakes her head from her thoughts, now letting go of her grasp with knitted brows, “Besides… I thought you were trying to go on more dates, getting more serious, maybe even settling down with someone. What happened to that one guy you were with?”

Perhaps Hyungseo was the cause of making the night seem longer, but the ticking thoughts were continuously amounting to the overwhelming weight on her chest. What she knows is that she’s moved on from their past summer flings long ago, but Minsi isn’t. What scares her more is that she doesn’t know how far this feeling extends or if Minsi knows Hyungseo’s over it.

She takes one step forward, adjacent to her with the trash bags in her grip, “We’re done,” she states with a halt, taking one good look at her before continuing with a downcast gaze, “For the night, I mean.”

She takes the trash out but leaves the remaining number in her back pocket.

@kim rei. It had only been 5 minutes past the time they agreed on that Chaeyoung decided to order wings to share, knowing that whatever caused her best friend to be late (which was pretty normal in itself), she would still be here at some point. It was when she was taking a sip from her mixed drink that the woman in question arrived, and Chaeyoung instantly broke out into a wild grin. "Oh, look at you looking all y," she whistled, giving Rei a dramatic up-and-down while she spun around to show her outfit. Growing up, Chaeyoung had always been too shy to wear the things that she wanted. The older the grew, the more confident they became and the more excited Chaeyoung became to dress up and show out whenever they went out. "You gotta clip that girl's nails! Last time I was over, she thought we were playing around and ed up my ripped shorts. She can't do any wrong though," the elder laughed, sliding the drink she ordered Rei (and watched very carefully) to her friend beside her.

"Thank you, this might be the last time I wear this crop top though. Too warm, chest too big." She adjusted her shirt for the 100th time since she got there, giving up when that seemed to be of no help once again. At the mention of her doing something, Chaeyoung hummed and took another gulp of her drink, hoping that by the time she finished she would have the courage to finally tell her best friend what was going on. Her fingers squeezed her straw, twirling the ice in her cup around a few times. "Me and the ex are back together. Went and talked to him a few nights ago."

@kim minjeong. The vibrations of signal the blue-light device were reduced to often garnered his attention, albeit each wave granted his acknowledgement were that of nugatory piddling of his peers, he felt no sense of haste in offering an response to. The garnet happened to conjecture every remedy trafficker were dilatory, as if it were an requirement kin to a uniform, but what did the male know? A mere surmise but eventual ascertainment. He’d almost turned the device to an avoidant ear safe for his last interest in checking it, low and behold; amongst the grouped bars of messages were the contact above one he had a regard for.

There it was; that token infamy simper stretched to brief visibility.

Upon the all-telling release, Heeseung didn’t bother meeting his standard objectives. His twisted psyche egged him to reschedule it all for he held advantageous matters to attend to. He was but a pilot to his downfall, and ‘Winter’ was going to be his progression or descend to it. Clicking the underlined link it transferred to his GPS, to which upon becoming situated, he took off to the highlighted path.

But there was one hitch, Heeseung had no idea what she appeared like. Granted he’s never seen the person, it wouldn’t had been an setback if he hadn’t lied as if he was aware of them. Once he passed that threshold those doors shrouded, strums of bass vibrated the outsole of his shoes. A foggy spur poisoned the air with smoke, and a stench of the premises secrets commingled in one, his orbs darted about the scene in heed. How could he single them out? Their whereabouts didn’t matter, but certainly his did. He took but a few steps left of the entrance until he was met with a set of booth cushions, to which conveniently he were the only figure standing, if one were to ignore the congregation by the opposite end. Tugging out his phone, he shot a single text after.


[ To: 윈터 :plug: ]
— standin by the booths

[post deleted by owner]

@lee chaeyoung. Though this had been one of their easier weeks, a new business was always a handful and even with the light workload, Rei was looking forward to being able to unwind with the one person who got her more than anyone. As both best friends and co owners, they shared a lot of the same stressors and dealt with them similarly. Sometimes... Tonight was simple, a few drinks at the bar over girltalk and perhaps a late night food run if it were left up to Rei who could never say no to a bite to eat after a drink or several. She contemplated it on her way, ubering to their usual about ten minutes behind schedule.

When she'd finally made it inside, her eyes scanned the area before landing on Chaeyoung and she hurried over to crowd into the space next to her at the bar with an apologetic grin, already gesturing to her own outfit. "Listen- I cannot be blamed for my poor time management skills today, Marcie ripped my pants right as I was about to leave so I had to find something as fast as I could." wiggling in her choice of a black leather mini skirt, she did a small turn before taking in her best friend fully. "You look hot though- oh , what'd you do this time?" she squinted.

@lee juyeon. Right here in this moment, surrounded by the lively ambience of the bar, the smell of stale liquor and cheap perfume, it felt like Miyeon had taken a time machine back to college. She lit up with a smile as he recognized her and leaned in close to hear him better over the music and chatter. She took a good look at him from head to toe, nodding at his demeanor as she commented, "A high school socials studies teacher fits you perfectly!" taking into account the way he so passionately lectured about sociology back in the day. She couldn't help but chuckle at the image of him doing that every day.

"I'm a marketing director now!" She answered cheerfully before digging into her clutch for her business card that read, "Cho Miyeon," followed by her email and number. The company she worked for (i haven't decided on yet) had started up after college with a bang and she quickly rose up the ranks with her social and management skills. "Feel free to reach out to me whenever about whatever! It's so nice to reunite like this after so long," She added, looking at him with a look of longing for her youth, then tapped on the counter for his attention, "So, tell me, tell me, I wanna hear all the tea! Have you been in touch with anybody since college? How's your love life? I wanna know it all!"

@kim hyungseo. "alright mr. park, take care." after he ended the call, he pushed through the door of the bar he had been to, one week prior. jiwoong sighed as he made his entrance— what a headache of a day it had been. all he wanted and needed was a stiff drink. finally, his work was done; friday evening could begin and start up the weekend.

it began with him making his way through the busy establishment. without haste, jiwoong arrived to the bar top. conveniently and coincidentally, there was an opening; an unoccupied bar stool. taking his seat, he awaited for the bartender, occupying himself with his phone once more. the real estate agent was checking his messages. there were no new notifications— everyone was either busy, unread or simply unavailable. with a pout, he locked his phone, dulling the lit screen. hopefully, somebody would get back to him. he hated spending his time away from work in solitary. the only instances in which he preferred to be alone was when he was two of the following conditions; hungover or sick. both of which normally preceded the ends to his weekends, not the starts.

he was ready to order now. jiwoong peered around, eyes searching for the bartender. it was just then that he noticed how busy the bar was becoming. he spotted the bartender, whom was getting slammed with work, serving and attending to all of the guests by herself. yet somehow, she was expertly managing the situation, keeping it to a level of controlled chaos. jiwoong watched her profile; how she flitted from each guest onto the next, making sure they were taken care of— all the while ensuring their glasses didn't go empty. he could hear her reacting to every guest, adapting her charm to their suitor, personalizing her company in a sense.

the realtor became an avid on-looker, continuing to watch her work. he smiled to himself. as someone who also worked with all sorts of different people on a daily basis, jiwoong knew it wasn't easy catering to people, but the bartender had mastered the art of it to her advantage. it wasn't the only form of artistry that she graced— she was also cute and attractive... eyecandy that looked sweet, giving him a sugar rush.

@shim hyewon. To be frank, Chaeyoung wasn't the biggest fan of drinks until it included her best friend, a good gossip session and when she needed a night away from thinking about her bad decisions. Though clarity was quick to come the next day, her head deep in her toilet and further regretting her decisions, it was a good time with Hyewon nonetheless. It didn't take long for the Uber to pick her up from her apartment and then drop her off at the bar on the east side of town, wearing the tightest clothes that she owned and taking a spot at the bar.

Chaeyoung pulled out her phone, letting her friend know that she arrived. She was about five minutes shy to the time they had agreed on, and she used whatever remaining time it was taking for Hyewon to arrive to think about what she wanted. Should she wait to get them food? Eventually she got the bartender's attention and ordered herself a drink, and something for her best friend when she showed up.

@im changkyun. maybe nothing unusual would happen, come on now, stop being paranoid yeojin. it had taken yeojin some pondering and many persuasions from the people she's with now to have yeoj tag along. it's okay, everything's okay just have fun. she took a seat at the barside, most of her attention on the people making the various types of drinks. she wasn't watching them with any particular reason, just as one could call it as her spacing out. yeah, you'd be surprised how easy yeojin could sometimes zone the out despite her surroundings of whether or not the area is loud or completely silent. she had started that habit of hers whenever her job was getting too stressful for her to handle but she... managed to pull through, somehow, or perhaps just also with the help of those she currently loves and adores in her life.

yeojin hummed lightly only for that to be interrupted when the drinks were finished. "oh, thank you sir." she responded to the bartender guy and paid for them. taking a hold of the drinks she'd been given, yeojin went back over to her group. thankfully it wasn't too many beverages so she didn't have too much of a struggle as well as the swift walk back, not too many people were in the way. the woman flashed a small smile while handing them drinks before going back to her original seat which was thankfully not taken.

once she sat back down, her eyed widen as she instantly caught sight of her brother at the place, right close to where her and her friends are at. "oh?" she muttered and raised an eyebrow, only to realize, oh damn, history nearly repeat itself. "kyunnie oppa? .. what are you doing here..? um- thank you?" she called out to him and watched the scene next to her.

@im yeojin. changkyun was finishing the last touch on his client's car when he got a text from his friend, notifying him about his younger sister's whereabouts. he sighed. he had already scolded yeojin and told her to stay away from such places. why is it so hard for her to listen? he got up and put on his leather jacket as he slid into his car.

it didn't take him long to arrive at the club. his eyes wandered around, searching for his younger sister. he sighed and tried to act cool when he noticed her. when yeojin left to grab another drink, his sharp eyes noticed a man suddenly adding something to her glass. that's pretty messed up when you don't do your job as clean as you think.

changkyun scoffed at the sight. "not today or ever, bastard," he muttered as he went up to the guy and grabbed his collar. "what do you think you're doing?" the man was surprised and shaking his head. "I didn't do anything. I'm just trying to hang out?" changkyun smirked. "listen, if you don't want to die tonight, you better out of my sight now."

@im changkyun. yeojin didn't think she'd find herself here again, currently out spending hanging out with some co-workers who all shared the same off time. well, there should be no need to overworry now, she trusts these people nowadays so history shouldn't repeat itself right? she's happy with donghyuk, there's no obsessed ex of hers lurking around the city, as far as she knows. she should relax her mind and enjoy herself here and actually listen in on the current spontaneous topics around the sweet group.

she shrugged off those thoughts, pushing them back away into the back of her mind. she emits a soft sigh while blinking few times, taking a sip of her cocktail. it wasn't anything major, as it was only her first drink since she wasn't in the mood to have much, tipsy is as far is she'd go, maybe. yeojin glanced on over to jiyeon, a co worker of hers who must've called out to yeojin while she was spacing out. "i'm sorry about that, unnie, what was it..?" she asked the older woman and grinned, listening to the topic for couple minutes while sipping her cocktail. yeojin leaned back against her seat and sat comfortably, placing her drink down aside on the table next to her chair, unaware of what peculiar eyes could be watching.

the woman stood up for a moment to stretch and brush her hair out of her face before plopping back down again, only for one of her colleagues to ask if yeojin could order more drink on another's tab. yeojin being the sweet woman she is to those who deserve it, agreed and went on over to the bar and waiting till a bartender was available to order.

@cho miyeon. The bar still was as quaint as it could be, and Juyeon was just one of the many regular patrons at the bar. He's a big fan of just sipping on a gin and tonic and letting himself unwind after a hard day's work of teaching all day, like it was for many days of the week. Still, he was able to make out a voice which stuck out more grandly than the rest, and it was quite familiar. The tone and inflection rang true to him, and he was more than curious to turn around and meet a face he was surprised to see after such a long time.

"Oh, no way. Miyeon! What a surprise. Yes, it's me, Juyeon." His posture in the bar stool shifted to acknowledge her, as she took her seat. "Yes, that sounds like me. Always being one for words when it came to sociological theory." The memory which comes back to him reels a laugh from him. And to think she had remembered him for such a detail. Running into her at this space and time of the night, well, was unexpected. But the city was vast, and the scope of encounters was almost limitless. Surely, it was bound to happen at some point. Juyeon's tone was soft, yet receptive to the question the young woman has posed to him.

"I've been well, thankfully. Still in one piece even after all of this time. It's good to see that you look joyful and cheery as ever. You know, I got a job as a social studies teacher at a high school. It gives me a place to at least go on about theory - now I can do more talking but in a school setting to justify it." Another measly laugh falls from his lips still stained with the liquid of the night, still stirring in his glass. "How about you? I thought the city was so big, I never thought an encounter like this would happen, but here we are!"

@kim hyungseo. it was probably the third night in a row that this guy had come to the bar, sitting right in the middle of her section. minsi didn't mind the attention he gave her, she could feel him watching her almost the entire time. not only was he respectful, but he was a delight to look at. eye candy amid a sea of middle-aged men asking for another highball was like a breath of fresh air. he checked off all the traits of her ideal type in men like it was a to-do list. yet she did not bother to talk to him much, and when he handed her his number, the bartender was highly unimpressed. the reason why?

he was not hyungseo. that piece of paper was no better than trash. so when that piece of trash was returned to her by none other than hyungseo, confusion manifested upon her visage as she met the woman's steely gaze.

"what do you mean? it's not like i need his number." minsi's monotone voice concealed the fact that she was secretly in awe of hyungseo's beauty under the warm incandescent lights, dimmer than they usually are. they're probably gonna have to change the bulbs soon. "i won't contact him anyway."

it wasn't like she was in a rush to get into a relationship or get married. even her parents didn't care—or more so that they were too drunk most of the time to care about anything. minsi made a mental note to drop by her parents' house before going to her apartment. they were still her parents after all, and she had to make sure they were alive and not living in a pigsty.

"it's like you're so eager to give me away—or errrr...marry me off? you get the point. not even my mother is concerned with those things." minsi's tone grew cheerier and lighter than before, but something about the way she stood and looked at hyungseo screamed otherwise. "being alone is not too bad. besides, i could just hang out with you." disappointment seeped through her facade as she thought back to the summers they spent together curled up on the couch, head in her lap as they verbally critiqued every single bad horror flick like it was their job to do so. all those nights they'd accidentally fall asleep huddled together under the stars after it got a little boring staring at white specks in the sky. did it all mean nothing?

of course. they both understood that it was nothing. they were just friends. friends that knew the exact contours of each other's lips, but still friends nonetheless. girls kiss each other all the time and fool around. sure, you could consider it a fling. though there was always a small part of minsi that couldn't seem to accept that it was just that and nothing more.

slipping the paper into the back pocket of the female's jeans, she quickly sauntered away to wipe down the counter, but really, minsi wanted to avoid hyungseo's unnerving stare. she had already wiped the counter a couple of minutes ago.

she knew that woman was about to say something. "who knows? maybe you'll have better luck with him."

@go minsi. "Wah. Were you always like this? Scary." The man lifted his shoulders to his ears in a feigned shiver. "70% is for me, including the . Are you worried about me, now? Don't worry. I've had plenty of practice," he scoffed and watched as she fulfilled his order. He knew how much he got on her nerves, but seeing her reaction was much too entertaining to pass up. Mingyu often found it easy to read people, but Minsi was one of the few who remained a mystery to him. Or maybe he hadn't bothered to pay attention to her before. He shook his head, dismissing the fleeting memories of the past. There was no point in reminiscing about the days before his life went off track.

"Ack-!" His brows twitched and his cheeks caved in when the lemon slice was shoved into his mouth. He quickly spat it out onto a napkin and hissed, his nose scrunching at the sourness as he shot her a half-hearted glare. "Here you go again. With the way you get worked up, people would think //you're// Remimi. You're just jealous and an anti-fan aren't you? Even if she were a troll hidden under a bridge she would still be pretty to me, got it? Talk about my Remimi again. Tsk." He shook his head in disapproval.

"Obviously, I come here for the first-class service and delightful company. And if I wanted someone who looked like your sister, I'd ask you out. Hm? What do you say? A date with me might be fun." Mingyu couldn't keep a straight face, cringing back and grimacing as soon as the words left his lips. "Forget I said anything. Our first date would end up with one of us pushing the other into the Han River." He tilted his head towards the tray of shots when one of his co-workers called out to him. "These are done, right? Thanks, boss, just put it on my tab. I'll be back to bother you in a bit."

@lee juyeon. Miyeon scooched her way to the bar, squeezing between between to catch the bartender's attention. "Can I close out my tab?" She shouted over the multitude of conversations going around her, "Last name on the card is Cho!" As the bartender turned around to search for her tab, she happened to catch the eyes of a somebody seated at the counter. Something about him rang a bell... but where?

She pressed her finger on her chin, cocking her head to the side as she squinted at the stranger... college? Right then, the bartender called him by name, "Juyeon!" and all of a sudden, she clasped her hands together. Sociological theory! In that moment, her face lit up with realization of who this stranger was.

Quickly, Miyeon signed her receipt, writing a tip for the bartender before excusing her way toward Juyeon, tapping his back with her credit card still in hand. "You're Juyeon, aren't you?" She asked with the brightest smile on her face as if she'd remembered his name all these years, then gestured at her chest, "It's me, Miyeon! Remember me?"

Her lips pressed together as she tried to conjure the memory of the night they met, squinting her eyes deep in thought. "We were at my ex's place and you gave me a whole lecture that helped me pass my sociology class!" Miyeon packed her card into her clutch and tapped the shoulder of the stranger sitting beside him and asked, "Excuse me, can I sit here?" before making herself comfortable by Juyeon's side as if she were going to stay here for the whole night. "It's been too long!" She exclaimed comfortably with a sparkle in her eyes as if they were well acquainted in college, "How have you been? What have you been up to?"

@go minsi. It’s a feeling of unease in her gut as she lets the scene unfold in front of her.

There’s an attractive man with a sheen of excitement in his drunken eyes behind his messy fringe, sickly infatuated with the bartender in front of him. The feeling isn’t jealousy or contempt, but a slight tinge of frustration and annoyance because this is her best friend interacting with what she knows is exactly her type. However, Minsi’s behaviour is quite aloof, almost dismissive for no good reason, but again and again, she lets herself sabotage her chances of moving on by letting their past wrangle her by the neck. They’re back in their cycle and the feeling almost chokes her. Hyungseo needs to go home before she ruins the night.

The man scribbles down what seems to be his number, slides it to Minsi, and Hyungseo thanks him before sauntering up to lock the doors to close off the night. He was pleasant, someone she wouldn’t mind hanging around all that much. When she turns around with the intention to tie up the trash, she notices the same slip of paper hovered above today’s work. Her nails dig into her hands as she clenches her fist, but she exhales a tired breath before putting the paper in her pocket. She’ll bite her tongue and won’t think about it until they’re done.

There’s part of her that doesn’t blame her for not moving on. For all the summers they spent together, cooped up in each other’s presence with occasional shared breaths and intimate touches. At one point, Hyungseo’s heart beat for Minsi, but they were too comfortable—too dependent. They were girlfriends in every aspect without disclosure, but what they were chasing after was the high of it all rather than love itself.

When they finally made it out of the store, she gives the back door one final tug before turning to look at Minsi.

“Ah, you forgot something…” The smile is wide enough to nearly break her face as she rummages through her pocket. The streets have already fallen to slumber with only the dim lamps and the stars to light the way. She takes Minsi’s open hand, lightly slapping the crumpled number in her grasp, “Here.” The smile is gone, quick replaced with an indecipherable expression, but she holds a steady gaze, hushing, “Min, I really don’t know why you keep doing that.”

@kim mingyu. minsi almost let out an audible sigh the moment mingyu’s annoyingly confident grin came into vision. she was an easy-going girl, yes—but only when you did not push her buttons, and boy, did this man love to push her buttons. it was almost game to him, poking at her like she was bubble wrap. customers are always good for business, but he might be the first customer she would willingly pay to not come to the bar. narrowing her eyes at him, minsi took a deep breath before taking his card with a nod. “i hope you don’t choke on that this time,” she stopped to catch a glance at the men in the back. “or one of your lackeys over there. these all better not be for you.” 

as mingyu began to run his mouth, minsi hurriedly began making his shots, hoping to get him out of her as soon as possible. but there it was again, that dreaded mention of her artist name. it bothered her enough to put down the bottle of vodka mid-pour. her blood pressure and anxiety rose in an instant. meeting his eyes, she grabbed a lemon slice and shoved it into his mouth. “we’ve been over this before. how do you even know if remimi is cute? for all we know, she might be ugly. like an ogre. maybe that’s why she hides her face. i don't get the hype.” under her dark hair, the tips of minsi’s ears burned bright red. “so why do you keep coming here? there’s other bars with cute women—not that they’d want you.” minsi jokingly stuck the tip of her tongue out at him before resuming her work.

“perhaps you’d like my sister. she looks cute…because she looks like me, buuut i think you’d have a better shot somewhere else. yeah. maybe go somewhere else next time.”

@go minsi. Go Minsi. The girl Mingyu often found annoying in high school along with the others who liked to approach him whenever he and his ex were in a bind. It was probably unfair to lump the lot together, but it was easier that way. Most of them didn't matter, anyway. As the music blared against his eardrums, making it ring, the male maneuvered his way over to the bar, a boyish grin curling at the corner of his lips when her eyes met his. "Yes. It's me. Again," he said, beating her to it. "Missed me? Actually, Mom always told me not to ask questions I wouldn't like the answer to. 7 Lemon Drop shots and one Buttery . Please." He was teasing but knew better than to push it too much.

Mingyu wasn't sure how it got to this point. The typically one-sided banter was the most he'd ever spoken to her, despite seeing each other daily during their school years. He leaned against the bar after sliding his card over for the tab and sighed as he watched his coworkers messing around towards the back of the bar. They weren't the best company, but they were pleasant enough. "I need to stop hanging with these losers. Find a cutie. Like Remimi." He turned back towards Minsi and pursed his lips. "But let's be real. Coming here every night isn't gonna help me meet someone like her."

[ sorry it's short! i didn't want to go too far ahead without you ]

@natty suputhipong. yedam only hoped for peace and quiet while he was getting used to working at this bar. well, more so a calm experience of not being questioned by people as to why he announced leaving the industry only to go work at this location just simply a couple of days later, or the male's been overthinking that bit and nothing will happen, though one may never know about the types of surprises that life could have in store. one would also think that yedam may turn to wanting to work at a more relaxed location nowadays but a part of him, a mental and inspiration flame of sorts, still wished to learn about the different cultures or types of people that may come in and out of this establishment. the various experiences that one may want to share to the small male or bits and pieces of details that he could hear from side conversations and attempt to piece them together, see what kind of funny or intriguing result it would end up with.

people are interesting, that's what yedam always thought because he'd enjoyed people watching yknow? since he'd had to do that momentarily while bedridden at the hospital back in los angeles before he was allowed to travel back home as well as some other random occasions that he can't recall off the top of his head. enough of that, everyone does that towards spontaneous moments of their lives anyways, it's nothing special.

yedam stepped into the bar, eyes wandering around the scan the slowly familiar surroundings. he made his way over to the backbar, swiftly clocking in to start his shift, though hoping it was successfully done because he did, unintentionally be quick at it. he greeted his few other coworkers that already stood behind the bar with him, two already there, one must be elsewhere. thankfully it wasn't too busy at the moment, so yedam had some minutes to himself before a customer would approach him for a drink.

he emits a faint sigh while taking a quick look over at the items that he'd be working with for a couple hours since he's still somewhat new, a rookie could still up a drink, and he didn't want that to happen if possible, but occasionally, it does go on without realization. this'll be what he's doing for the next few hours from the evening into the late night, wonder how it'll be.

@lee juyeon. a panicked scream erupted from the crowd. as juyeon pulled the drunken man off of her, minsi lay on the ground for a moment, dazed and confused—she did not know if it was from her being concussed or from witnessing the customer who had disliked her since she served his first drink (which was most definitely a good one, so her skills were certainly not an issue) fight someone in her place. it was probably both. the patrons of the bar scrambled to her side, forcefully pulling her up while another group tried to break up the brawl between the bigot and the teacher. 

no one was brave enough to get in between them. minsi would have—if the metallic taste of blood had not reached the back of . she cussed under her breath, shakily making her way back to the bar to grab a rag, holding it up to her nose. needing to call the cops was a thought that would have never crossed her mind. until now, and oh, how she loathed the police. desperate times called for desperate measures, but not before some trash-talking first. 

“get off of him you ugly motherer!” minsi hoped that juyeon knew she wasn’t talking about him. if so, that’s some self-esteem issues that he must unpack. fueled by the adrenaline rushing through her veins, she continued to speak from the sidelines, voice burning with passion, yet muffled from the damp rag held up to her face. “god, have you ever heard of biuality befo—“ the impressive sight of the male kneeing the man’s crown jewels so viciously caught her tongue. instead, a laugh bubbled in her chest that took every ounce of willpower to suppress. “oh never mind.” 

and when juyeon’s eyes unexpectedly locked with minsi’s, the seriousness of the altercation flooded back to her. swiping her phone from the counter, she dialed the number in hidden awe. he had never looked her in the eyes before. 

“hello? a customer attacked me and is assaulting another person. please come. now.”

the subsequent moments were a complete blur. the bar emptied. the semi-unconscious man handcuffed and put into the back of the police car. the usb containing the cctv footage snatched out of her hand. she and juyeon sat beside each other in an awkwardly quiet drive to the police station. 

the car vaguely smelled of fried chicken and stale fries. side-eyeing the male every few seconds, minsi’s lips hesitantly parted after what seemed like an eternity of contemplation. “hey, tha—“ her hoarse voice was barely a whisper in the police cruiser before being interrupted by the car door loudly opening, the warm overhead light flooding the comfortingly dim space and illuminating their faces. a small cut had grazed juyeon's cheekbone, the type that you would see strategically placed on the main lead of an action movie. he was still devastatingly attractive, and somehow, that irked her just a tiny bit, still unable to let go of the slightly hostile attitude he seemed to hold towards her. just from the feeling of pressure from swelling in several areas of her face, minsi knew that she did not want to look at her reflection in the window.

[ continued at the police station ]

@go minsi. any onlooker could guess that juyeon was a regular at this bar, yet the young man, still stained by the tiredness of teaching every evening, would still be in denial of such obvious truth. 'no, no, i just like a little gin and tonic after i'm done grading papers,' he would claim. but he would only be professing to unconvinced ears. he did not want to admit it, but his stature always instinctually carried itself to the bar after work. perhaps he just enjoyed how well the ambiance boded for him after a long day. perhaps he just really likes how they make their drinks. nonetheless, he found himself seated at the tail end of the bar counter lonesome. the seclusion was deliberate - he only cares about his drinks and his thoughts. he is one to just casually scroll on his phone during this time, perforating the dimness of the interior of the bar with the less-than-subtle brightness of his phone. two or four drinks at a time was his rule. more than that, and he might as well not teach the next morning. the only time he would split his attention elsewhere was to ask for another drink from the bartender, and the bartender was his only gripe of the establishment. still, even someone who was merciless with him in his adolescence could make a drink as noteworthy as the one cradled between the creases of his palms. the tendrils of his fingers absentmindedly played with the condensation festering around the base of the drink; he liked his drinks extra cold, after all.

rarely do sounds other than the languid chatter of those simply enjoying a drink break free from the monotony, but it seems tonight was a bit different. though not proximate to what seemed to be a growing altercation between the bartend and a rowdy customer, their voices transcended distance. the man's syllables were laced in nothing but ignorance and bigotry. the previously pursed lips of the young man soon falters as he notices the man increasingly become irate, manifesting his anger in putting his hands on the woman behind the bar. the sparing pittance of attention he previously gave to the situation now had his focus be entirely reliant on the altercation, raising his voice towards him in, albeit, growing consternation as he rose from his seat and approached them to intervene, "hey! hey! hey! dude, what do the do you think you're doing to her?"

if only juyeon gave way to intervening sooner - the woman had seemed to have taken multiple beatings, features polka-dotted with unsightly marks. he grabs the man off of her, only for him to look over his shoulder and follow with a right hook to juyeon's face, challenging the sturdiness of his stance as he stumbles back in pain. the bigoted man matched juyeon's height but superseded him in weight, of which became apparent to the young man as the two both wrestled yet he was the one relying on his back foot. one could tell neither him nor the drunken man were fighters, only knowing how to utilize their body weight to overpower the other. the man pushed juyeon against the wall adjacent to the bar, haggard words seeping from his alcohol-laden breath, 'who's this huh? your ing boyfriend? wait, you like men AND women, sweet cheeks? how the hell does that work???' the drunken man said. struggled groans and yells vaulted from juyeon's throat as he pushes the man off of him finally, dragging him against the bar counter before swiftly swinging his leg to knee him in the balls, "i bet you were looking for some action down there tonight, huh? how do you like that?! and that!??!" after a series of knees to the twin cherries, juyeon looks to the bartender still clad in dishevelment and bruises, but still able to keep herself together which is what mattered to him, "call the police now!" they thankfully had ample time as the drunken man appeared incapacitated for the time being.

@natty suputhipong. [TW: mentions club ]
There was nothing Mingyu hated more than losing control. Considering a part of his life was taken from him, it was needless to say that he wasn’t going to surrender any more of it. Whatever he chose to do from this point forward was because //he// chose to. Ironic how this mindset lead him to the dimly lit club. He stood at the entrance, deadpanned, as his coworkers from the construction site snickered beside him. “I want to leave.”

“No, Mingyu. Don’t be such a . We said we were in this together. If you really don’t like it once you step inside, you can go.”

He did agree to be more open. Another thing he hated most was going back on his word. The man sighed as he stared down at the lengthy consent form neatly stacked on a clipboard in front of him. With another hard glance at his surroundings and his fellow mates, he scribbled his signature hastily and turned in his forms.
After a few more processes and the assignment of their roles, they were finally led toward the back, where the room opened up into a larger, creatively decorated space. There were people, but one could hardly tell they were there unless they wanted you to.

“See? This isn’t so bad. I’m going to go check things out over here. Don’t behave,” his coworker gave a teasing smile before disappearing, the others scattering away after him.

“I guess I should grab a drink,” he mumbled to himself after taking one last glance and spun around on his heels to head over towards the bar. But instead of a clear route, his planned pathway was obstructed by something— or someone hard. His hands shot out to catch her by her shoulders, his eyes widening when he saw she was seconds away from slamming her head against the entrance post. “— Heard of a little personal space? Are you alright?”

@lucas wong. Soyeon prayed her false confidence with a mix of liquor can get her through this. She finally takes a sip of her drink then nods her head. "Mhm, that's right. Here I was thinking my hospitality was forgettable." A small chuckle passes her lips, the faint color of pink spreading around her face was enough to give her away. Was it the drink making her warm? She shakes away the thoughts of the memories in her head before turning to face the other. "So Lucas, what brings you around? It certainly has been awhile since you were here."

@jeon soyeon. A gentle smile played on his lips watching you do an amused moment. The book sign lost in his memory due to time, the cafe she spoke of a drunk blur of events but a night with you. Those we pleasant memories more thank happy to be present in the forefront of his mind. It had been year since they last seen one another, months since they spoken and days since he'd a random dream about her. He wondered if she'd thought about him to. There was only one way for him to find out.
"Asteria?Mmmmh...don't tell me Soyeon." He paused wagging a guessing finger. "Am I right?"

@lucas wong. Soyeon quickly tried to turn away but failed miserably as she was caught by the other. The bartender, sliding her requested drink of a tequila sunrise over to seemingly took a step back from the situation unfolding in front of him. She glanced down at her outfit, cursing quietly as she had came in her work uniform as well.
Soyeon cleared before looking the man in the eyes, a pained smile spread across her lips. She remembered him well. Wong Lucas. The famed author who had once set up a book signing at the cafe. One thing led to another and somehow he wounded up in her bed the next morning. How could she have forget?
"Your memory doesn't fail you. Yes we have met before. You did a book signing at my cafe once. Asteria?"