BAR SONE
AUTHOR:ANONYMOUS

Dark angry clouds swirled in the pitch black night sky. Not a speck of light from the distant stars could be seen from the grey city streets, hiding as if this world didn’t deserve their lights. Slowly the gentle drizzling rain intensified, each drop falling down like hailstones.

A small figure hurried through the pouring rain, her right arm held over her head, her quick feet negotiating the quickly-formed puddles as she hopped from side to side. She was wearing a light beige trenchcoat that reached down to her knees, tightly tied around her slender waist with black stockings beneath that showed no sign of the tender pale skin that lay hidden. She looked into the sky, squinting against the rain, looking for any signs of reprieve. It appeared as the skies would be stubborn tonight, as she sighed, letting her arm slump down. There was no point, she reasoned, her glossy brown hair was already soaking wet, still held up in place by the lavender bobby pins.

‘At least I’m warm,’ she thought, ‘And where is that goddamn bar, I swear it keeps changing locations’

As if the sky itself had heard her thoughts, lightning flashed nearby, its thunderous roar following soon after, the rain intensifying. ‘Or not....’ she grumbled to herself.

She took a moment to wipe the cold water off her face with her milky white hand, huffing out a breath that caused mist to form in front of her before continuing her search. Her brown heels clicked against the degraded concrete pavement, drowned out by the pounding of the rain. It was an ungodly hour to be wandering the city streets with no-one else in sight, not even the occasional car passing by. The darkness was only broken by the string of lamp posts that she used as a guide.

She paused before a familiar set of stairs, peering down its depths. It ran downwards, away from the rain, the cold, hidden away from the elements like a sanctuary of sorts, a gangster’s hideout.

‘Finally found it....’

As she proceeded down the stairs, the sound of rain fell away, leaving only the sounds of her breathing and heels. A musty mahogany door stood at the end of the stairway, greeting her gaze. It seemed as if it were alive, throbbing and pulsating ominously. The short distance from the last step to the door seemed to stretch out forever. She smiled as she saw the neon text that flickered on and off.

“S_NE”

Lifting one hand up, her eyes telling her she had crossed the infinite distance in a flash, she pushed the door aside. The bar’s dirty outside appearance spoke nothing about its interior. The polished marble floor shone, the dull yellow lights that hung low dimming their brilliance. Six barstools were lined along the table, five on the main length, and the other on a separate edge by itself. A pale pink piano sat in the corner of the room, mostly covered by a thick cloth grey with dust. The warm Jarrah counter invited her to just sit and relax, to leave her problems lying at the back of her mind and just live.

Walking towards the coat hanger, she shrugged out of the drenched coat, revealing a short bright sky blue dress which ended at her knees, the tips of it seemed to hang in the air as she stepped. Sliding the hanger into the sleeves, she turned her head back to the bar where she found a familiar pair of eyes looking in her direction.

“My my, somebody’s dressed up today. What seems to be the occasion?”

Giggling slightly, she poked her tongue out at him in return. “This is how I always dress. Just because you wear ‘that’ everyday doesn’t mean you can be surprised when your patrons look good.”

“What do you mean ‘that’?!” he replied indignantly, brushing at the lapels reassuringly, “The tux is nice and casual, leave it alone.”

“Sure casual...” Eyeing his perfectly ironed suit and neatly tucked in cufflinks, she rolled her eyes.

Dropping the hanger back on the rack, she walked towards the bar stools where he stood behind the bar patiently. “By the way ‘ahjusshi’,” she emphasised the title, as she jerked her thumb back at the entrance, “You should really fix that light on the door.”

“Ah, I wa-“

“And you should really make this place easier to find. God. I spent ten minutes in the rain looking for this place, I might just go somewhere else next time.” She sat down on the white plastic seats, elbows resting easily on the comforting wood, her hands cupping her face. She batted her eyelashes teasingly at the young man, inviting a retort.

He leant his head down and sighed with a smile. “I was getting to the sign okay? Geez. It’s not working for all of one day and you’re complaining already. Maybe you can do some ‘magic’ and it’ll fix itself eh? And really, it’s not ‘my’ fault you can’t find this place, maybe you should grow taller so you can look for it better.” He dropped his elbows with a thud onto the wood, staring back at her face about a foot away. Lifting a finger, he touched it against her smooth forehead, jabbing at it with a light impulse at every word. “Don’t. Call. Me. Ahjusshi..”

‘Personal insults now was it?’, she thought as she flinched away from his prods, her eyes squinted. “Hey, what did you say about my height?! This place is underground! Un. Der. Ground. You pabo you.”

“I know I know,” he allowed, “I didn’t have anything else to say back so...” He propped his elbows up on the bar counter, cupping his face like the girl, feigning defeat. Their faces mere inches apart, he asked, “What will the lovely shortie, Kim Taeyeon have today?”

She let out a guttural growl, or tried to. Problem was, it came out sounding like a soft whimper which she quickly abandoned as the man’s grin grew more pronounced. ‘Fine...I’ll let this one go.’

Trying to bore holes in him with her eyes, she leaned in close enough to catch the light smell of his breath, “I’ll have a.........”

The bar door gave a short squeak, the sign of a hesitant, wary soul. Both Taeyeon and the bartender averted their eyes to stare at the door hanging ajar. A pair of pink fingernails held the door in place as their owner contemplated whether to enter.

Her neck craned backwards watching the door, Taeyeon thought, ‘Hurry up and just come in already, you’re killing the atmos-‘

Before she could complete the thought, the door creaked fully open, revealing a pale beauty, clad in a black coat, her true figure hidden by its length. Taeyeon widened her eyes at the sight, turning slightly dry. She’d seen a fair few lookers in her time, some even managing to pique her interest, but nothing of this sort of beauty.

With a nervous step, the beauty in black turned around to close the door behind her before moving to sit on the far side of the bar, her heels clicking against the tiles as she walked. Her fingers intertwined and rested on the wood, her head looking down.

Tearing her eyes away from her now still figure, Taeyeon turned her head away, only to find the bartender watching her with curious eyes. She could feel her cheeks suddenly flushing and spoke quickly to cover it.

“Quick Leeteuk...er...just get me anything...a Black Velvet. No. Martini. No wait. A Manhattan.The Queen’s drink.Straight up. “

Bemused at her stuttering, Leeteuk noted the order as usual. Gathering the ingredients, he shook it up with grace and finesse, finishing with a flourish. Instead of the classic cherry, Leeteuk garnished it with a strawberry, knowing her preferences, as he slid it over to her.

“Drink’s served.” He told her absentmindedly as he cleaned the shaker. Seeing it still sit on the counter untouched in his peripheral vision, he looked up at Taeyeon. She had an elbow propped up supporting the side of the face as she stared to her right.

Pushing it towards her with two fingers, Leeteuk said, “Umm...Taeyeon. Drink’s ready.”

“Hmm? What? Oh.” Taeyeon flushed again, embarrassed for not noticing as she took it and lifted it to her lips.

As Taeyeon drank, her eyes darted to the right, sneaking another look at the brown haired girl. The alcohol coursed past her lips, past her tongue which tasted like nothing. ‘Strange....’ she thought. She tilted the glass, wondering what was wrong with the drink.

Just then, the sounds of Leeteuk’s voice wafted across to her as he greeted the other customer. “Hello. Welcome to the bar. Let me get that coat for you.” Taeyeon gave into her curiousity, plainly staring at the girl as she took off her coat.

‘Oh. My.’ Her delicate hand undid the buttons slowly, pulling it off her shoulder with a certain grace that Taeyeon couldn’t quite put her finger on. Below her black coat, it revealed a skin pale enough to match her own and a dress that made her feel underdressed. She wore a strapless one-piece dress, one that stuck to her figure like a second skin, the straps on her black heels complimenting the pink dress. She pulled at the band in her wet hair, letting it cascade down past her shoulders in a wavy pattern. Taeyeon watched as she shook her head softly from left to right, the glistening brown hair hanging and bouncing in the air as she did.

Taeyeon’s eyes followed the contours of her body both front and back as she stood to pass Leeteuk her coat, almost imprinting her figure into the back of her eyes. As she sat back down, her eyes met Taeyeon’s. And didn’t look away. The two of them sat there frozen for what felt like an eternity before Leeteuk returned to the bar asking her what she’d like to have.

Taeyeon pulled her eyes away, exhaling a short breath she didn’t realise she had been holding the whole time. Her ears picked up the dialogue between the girl and Leeteuk.

“Is there a particular drink I could get you, Miss.....?”

“Hwang. Tiffany Hwang. And I’ll have a Pink Lady if you would please.”

‘Her voice is so melodic...and husky.’

Taeyeon continued to watch Tiffany out of the corner of her eye as she drank from the glass in front of her as Leeteuk prepared her drink. “Ah..A strawberry garnish too.” Tiffany ordered as she glanced around the bar.

Her eyes seem to fixate itself on a certain object in the corner of the room, making Taeyeon turn in her seat to find what she was at.

‘Oh. The piano. Maybe she likes pink? I wonder if I can – ‘ Her body suddenly shivered, interrupting her thoughts as goosebumps ran down her bare arm. Someone watched her. She turned back, to find Tiffany’s eyes fixated on her. Taeyeon jerked her head away, looking down at the drink in front of her. ‘Why is she staring at me...’

“Your drink is served.”

“Thank you.”

Taeyeon lifted her head up again and almost found herself with gaping open. The composed porcelain face that had entered ten minutes ago had broken to reveal a bright smile and thin crescent moons for eyes, her bare shoulders lifted up that left Taeyeon stunned.

The bar was totally silent save for the occasional tinkle of glass against the counter. Taeyeon mulled over whether to go over to Tiffany or not, swirling the strawberry around in her drink.

‘Go! Quickly. Before she leaves.’

‘But I’m nervous...and won’t it look weird? A random person coming to greet you in a bar?’

‘Who cares whether it looks weird. Isn’t that what bars are for?’

‘Bars like this are for people to get away from the world. I don’t want to interrupt – ‘

‘You’re a person who wants to get away. She’s a person who wants to get away. Why not get away together?’

Taeyeon sighed inaudibly, holding the strawberry still in what remained of the drink, watching it resist the turbulent liquid. ‘I’ll go ask her after I finish this strawberry,’ she allowed herself and nibbled at the apex of it whilst shooting Tiffany a furtive look from across the bar. The quiet brunette sat still, too still to be relaxed.

Another nibble.

Her shoulders were slumped over the edge of the counter , the sign of a tired, weary and confused soul. Bearing no sign of the life and vigour she had earlier. Indeed someone who seemed like they wanted to get away from it all.

Nibble.

Her head hung over her drink, hair making a glossy curtain as she stirred the pink straw moodily. It was clear her mind was on something. She took a long draught from the straw until the sounds of a hollow straw echoed around the tall glass.

Finished.

Taeyeon’s heart thumped, sounding in her ears. Her drink sat there half-finished as she turned in her chair, all her attention focused on Tiffany.

‘Now’s your chance, she’s finished her drink. Be smooth. Offer her another drink. Simple as that.’

She opened to speak, a natural smile forming on her face. ‘You can do it!’

But all that came out was a breath of dry air. The words were stuck in and all she could do was stare blankly as Tiffany smiled again at Leeteuk, leaving a fifty thousand won note. Silently she watched as Tiffany got up to retrieve her coat, once again hiding the slender figure beneath it. The sound of Taeyon’s pounding heart in her ears drowned out everything else while her body refused to listen to her repeated attempts to get off her seat. Her muscles were tensed in anticipation to move, her stomach coiled in nervousness. All for nought as Tiffany opened the door. The rain downpour outside became audible for a moment, making a gentle humming that soothed and then it was gone again.

Just like Tiffany. A beauty that appeared and disappeared so fast, leaving her speechless, Taeyeon didn’t even know if it was real or not. She slumped back into her chair, breathing out a long sigh. She snatched her drink, downing the rest of it in one go. The liquid burned as it passed into her stomach. Placing the glass back on the counter, she stared dead-panned, not really seeing anything.

“Taeyeon?”

Leeteuk’s face slid into her field of vision, looking slightly worried.

“Mm? What is it?”

“You look a little out of it today that’s all.”

“Is that so.....Make me a Red Eye then. Maybe I do need to be revived.”

As Leeteuk walked to the back looking for the tomato and other ingredients, he called over his shoulder. “You know, if you wanted to talk to her, you should have just said something.”

Taeyeon froze, shifting around uncomfortably in her seat, her lips sealed. Admittedly, that’s what she should have done. Should. But she couldn’t. The words just refused to come out. She didn’t want to admit that just in case it gave him another thing to about. Mute Taengoo. Ugh. Danshin was bad enough already.

“Why are you so....quiet?”

Leeteuk came back to the front of the bar, holding two bottles and a tomato. Easily, he slid the bottle caps off, pouring both at the same time before squeezing the tomato into it. Pushing the finished drink towards her, he said, “Here, your Red Eye.”

Taeyeon took it, and took a mouthful of the liquid. It tingled, making her shake a little as she felt her chest feeling warm and fuzzy. Content. That’s how she would put it. An unconscious smile came over her lips as she examined the bubbles in the drink.

“This drink reminds me of the first night I came here.” Taeyeon held her glass up in regards to Leeteuk. “Do you remember the first time I pushed through those doors?”

“Of course. You were my first dansh- “

“Yes, I get it, your first danshin customer.” Her eyes narrowed momentarily, throwing daggers with at him. “I was scared. Tired.Stressed.Confused. And pushed through that door in the hopes that I’d find a sanctuary where I could just leave my world behind at the entrance,” Taeyeon smiled a little sadly, “I wonder what she was running from. What she wanted to leave behind. What she wanted to forget,” she mused.

Downing the rest in one go, she set the glass back onto the table with a loud clink as she got off her chair. “Until tomorrow then Leeteuk.”

“Always a pleasure Taeyeon.”

Tightening the belt around her waist, Taeyeon moved to pull the door open, the gentle pitter-patter of the calmed rains greeting her.

“Oh. Taeyeon. I have a feeling that she might be back the next day. She seems like a regular sort.”

She nodded mutely once at him, before shutting the door.

‘Why was your soul crying out...’

----------------------------------------------------------
The next day....

Taeyeon sat at the same seat as yesterday, yawning with stretched wide open. Anxiously, she fiddled with the watch on her wrist. Midnight, it read,

‘ Still too early.’

She tried to sit still, but her body would do nothing of the sort as she fidgeted around in her seat uncomfortably, touching her silky hair, smoothing out the invisible crease lines on her periwinkle dress. Unconsciously, she turned her head towards the unmoving front door. ‘Still no sign.’ Taeyeon sighed and looked down at her watch again. Two minutes past midnight.

‘This is going to be a long night,’ she thought glumly.

“Taeyeon!”

“What?”

“I swear if you look at your watch, the door and then sigh one more time, I’m going to boot you out.” Leeteuk said, half-laughing at her. “Just take your drink, it’s not like by talking about her she’s going to magically show up.”

Grumbling to herself, she pouted and snatched the drink. He was right, watching the open seas for a ship that only appeared once wouldn’t bring it back. But as soon as she finished this thought, the door creaked yet again.

“Welcome.”

Silence greeted Taeyeon’s ears as she strained to hear the voice. She fought not to twist around, in case it was someone else. However, as the gust of wind from the open door blew, a sweet fragrance assaulted Taeyeon’s senses, lulling her into a feeling of content and wholeness. She shivered,adrenalin and excitement blazing like wildfire throughout her body. Inching her head slowly to the left, she caught the edge of an already familiar smile and an eye before twitching back, grinning like an idiot at the numerous bottles on the shelf.

Time seemed to warp, passing both slowly and quickly as Taeyeon imagined getting off her seat, walking over to Tiffany, ignoring her shortness of breath and rapid heart rate to ask Tiffany if she’d like a drink. But before Taeyeon knew it, a gust of cold wind and sweet scent broke the shackles of stupor. Blinking rapidly, she looked to her right, wondering who else had entered only to find Tiffany gone, an empty glass standing on currency the only sign of her having been here.

“Yah...Taeyeon. I think you’ve successfully managed to scare her off now. You stared at the wall for almost thirty minutes.”

“Huh? Thirty minutes? What?”

Sighing, Leeteuk fell into the chair next to her, rotating to face her.

“You. Have. A. Problem.”

Taeyeon slapped away his prodding fingers. “Do not!”

“Do so! You had your eyes closed, and you were smiling to yourself.”

‘Oh crap...’

“Look, you even have shifty guilt-ridden eyes!”

“Be quiet. I’m building up to it okay?”

“Sure you are. You’re like a nervous guy asking a hot girl out on a date.” He got off the seat and patted her head gently. “I need to close early today, so you better get going.”

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Taeyeon rested her weary head on the counter, her vision running down the length of the bar. Strands of her brown hair, highlighted by the yellow lights floated up and down, kept in time with her breaths. It had been a long day, she had seen the sun rise and set, seen the moon rise to its peak, all from the window at her office.

‘I’ll just....close...my eyes for awhile....’ she thought sl