(Highly recommend playing this music from In Love With A Ghost as bgm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XZJ5mD6nSU&list=PLSk70TV-6b5OLz9XllHhQZZB794SPRrPj)

“I’d never liked the concept of “perfection”, it’s scary. Nothing is ever perfect, perfect means nothing.”

There she goes, head held high, gracefully slipping into a bar which is just around the corner. The neon signs they use scream too loud to her friends’ liking so they rarely agree to come with her. 

Minkyung wholeheartedly loves her friends. But people live their lives differently, so there she draws the line.

She is happy with her friends. Still, they cannot really take away the burdens that threaten to crush her shoulders every day or magically make her life easier forever and ever.

And so, she always puts on a pretty smile, yet not pretty enough for herself to look at.

“Hey.” The bartender greets her almost immediately and gestures the others to make way for her to the counter. “You’re early today.” 

“No need to work overtime today. I’m already grateful, uh.” Minkyung throws her purse onto the stool next to her. Perhaps a little too hard that it startles a couple making out a few inches away from them.

He laughs dryly while his hands are working fast and precisely on the drinks. They carry on chatting as Minkyung continues to complain how inhumane her boss could be.

Just when the bartender is about to ask if their most loyal customer wants the same old order, he spots an approaching figure who has been eyeing the girl for the past few minutes. 

So, he gives her a look. So, she puts on a nice smile before turning to the newcomer.

There is nothing unusual about that. She’d never really go out with them anyway. All she ever wants is a hard drink and someone to chase the night away. She always goes home alone.

Everything goes according to plan, everything is as “peaceful” as a bar is supposed to be, until the front door is pushed open with a bang and at least three girls are talking over each other. 

“Eunwoo, it’s mine. Give it back to me.” 

“Kyungwon, it’s time to go home.”

“No, Eunwoo. Let her be. We’ll wait in the car.”

“But…….”

Then, a tall girl manages to squirm through the shadows of her friends walking in a straight line even though her cheeks are rosy under the dim lights.

If Minkyung’s eyes are functioning just fine, is she holding a Kermit puppet in her hand? She thought she isn’t as wasted a second ago?

“Hi,” The girl, or Kyungwon to be exact, is sitting right next to her and strikes up a normal conversation with the amused bartender. “Can I have your signature please?” 

“Sure, ma’am.” Grabbing the dollar pills Kyungwon politely hands over, he proceeds to resume his original task.

Minkyung thought her ears are tricking her as well, for Kyungwon doesn’t even slur at the slightest. What’s up with this girl?

She can’t wrap her head around this girl who just comes like a storm, who doesn’t look like she belongs here but is taking shots like nobody’s business, who lets her Kermit sit on her left like it’s just another friend of hers.  

She even waves Mr. Nice Guy off at their second drink because she is just too occupied to solve this mystery in front of her. You don’t see a girl like that every night for sure.

“Hello to you too!”

Minkyung is taken aback when she is suddenly greeted with a toothy grin instead of a sharp side-profile that she has been stealing glances at. “Oh, hi.”

Kyungwon props her chin on the palm of her hand, while adjusting Kermit on its seat with another, “Do you come here often?”

“I work nearby,” She fidgets a little under Kyungwon’s curious stares. “So, yeah.”

“Say,” The brunette lets her eyes linger on Minkyung’s face before popping her question. “You come here for a good time, right? So you’d come here no matter you’re happy or sad or feeling usual, right?”

“That’s one interesting question.” She finds herself fiddling with her newly-dyed auburn locks.

The world stops evolving for a moment before Kyungwon cackles so hard that she almost falls from her stool. 

“You should be expecting more since you’re talking to the person crowned as ‘the weirdest kid in the block’ ever since the day she was born.”

Minkyung could only blink in response, not knowing if she is traumatized by the laugh or impressed by the speech.

Seeing that, Kyungwon laughs harder. “Hey, you should take a look at your face just now. You’re pretty funny too.”

“Oh, really.” Strangely, Minkyung giggles. 

“Oh, really really.” Kyungwon tries to copy Minkyung’s calm tone but fails miserably. Still, she sounds as cheerful as ever.

Minkyung feels like, as if Kyungwon just arrived from another planet and made contact with someone random at a bar. 

But it is fun. When Kyungwon laughs, she feels like laughing too.

When Minkyung comes back to her senses, she comes back to Kyungwon checking her out with weird looks.

“What?” So now she’s flirty? 

Kyungwon shakes her head lightly and pushes an empty shot glass away. “You are taller than me.”

“Wait, what?” Well, totally unexpected. 

“I said,” Kyungwon leans closer to make sure her words are rightfully transmitted to her only audience. “You are taller! I finally found a girl who is taller than me!”

Scared of her eyes, Minkyung pulls away in a reflex. “Right. Then what?” Gosh, this weird kid.

“For that,” Kyungwon scrunches her nose in an oddly adorable way. “You should join me for a toast!”

The bartender arrives just in time for a new round of orders. Whilst Minkyung can’t believe she’s actually bonding with someone other than the bartender here. 

For some reason, she just lets Kyungwon get her way.

But then, the brunette just happens to check her phone and stands up swiftly after paying for both of their drinks. 

“Dude, I should really leave.”

Minkyung almost chokes on her drink, “Hm?”

“I think the idiots are waiting for me. Kudos!”

Kyungwon just heads to the door without looking back. This time, she doesn’t walk so straight. 

She doesn’t even ask for her name.

She just left Minkyung a really nice smile.

And her Kermit.

Wait, what?

Minkyung smiles at the stupid Kermit that is smiling back at her too.

-

The story goes on with Kyungwon frantically returns to the bar the next day looking for Kermit.

And that’s how Minkyung exchanges contact and becomes friends with “the weirdest kid in the block”. 

Here is where the real story, aka our adventure, begins.

-

- “Hey, are you there?” 

- “Yep. Alive and whole :p”

- “Yeah, as if I care if you lose a limb.”

- “Aw, come on.”

- “I care about Kermit. How’s Kermit doing?”

- “You’re no fun.”

- “How. Is. Kermit.”

- “Beautiful as ever.”

  “:(”

  “You meanie.”

- “So,”

  “Are you almost off from work too?”

- “Hm,”

  “Not really.”

  “I’m not working lately.”

- “Oh, I’m sorry.”

  “I shouldn’t have asked.”

- “Nah, that’s a normal question to ask.”

  “I’m sure you don’t mean any harm, Minky.”

  “Can I call you that? Minky?”

- “Yeah, sure :)”

- “So, Minky.”

  “I might just be honest with you here.”

  “If you don’t mind.”

- “Kyungwon?”

  “You sound serious.”

  “You okay?”

- “You remember the night when we first met, right?”

  “I drunk a lot that night, which I don’t usually do.”

- “Yeah…. You said you don’t like bars.”

 - “I was fired that day.”

  “It was ugly. They accused me of something I didn’t do.”

  “But I knew they just wanted to get rid of me. They’d never liked me anyway.”

  “So I packed my things and left.”

  “Although I don’t have much left.”

- “I…….”

  “I’m sorry to hear that, Kyungwon.”

- “It’s okay. I’m starting all over.”

  “You know what,”

  “I thought I was gonna bawl my eyes out but I didn’t.”

  “I kept drinking to make myself cry but my tears just didn’t come out.”

  “I used to cry a lot whenever I drink :P”

“Maybe it’s because of you.” Kyungwon deletes it and starts again.

- “But I’m over it now.”

  “:)”

- “You sure?”

- “Sure sure ;)”

“Well, I’m always here.” And so, Minkyung deletes and rephrases it somehow.

- “I’m here for you if you wanna talk about it.”

- “Thanks.”

  “It means a lot.”

  “Anyway,”

  “Do you have plans for this weekend?”

- “I will be out to watch a concert with some friends.”

  “You?”

- “Sounds like a great plan.”

  “I’ll go back to my hometown to visit my parents.”

  “Haven’t been back for a long time.”

  “Well, since I have time now.”

- “Kyungwon.”

  “Are you sure you don’t wanna talk?”

- “Don’t sweat it.”

  “I’m a grown-up too remember?”

  “I’m not as soft as you think, Minky.”

- “Fine.”

  “I should wrap up my work for the day now.”

  “I’’ll talk to you later.”

- “Okie dokie.”

  “Bye.”

-

- “Kyungwon.”

- “Shoot.”

- “May I ask you something?”

- “Just go ahead, Minky.”

- “Like,”

  “What will you do if someone keeps bugging you?”

  “As in, keeping messaging you and texting you and asking you out?”

- “Woah.”

  “Is it a creep we are talking about here?”

  “Someone you met in a bar?”

- “No!”

  “It’s a friend.”

   “Met at work.”

- “Okay.”

  “But a friend won’t do that.”

“I won’t do that.” Kyungwon sighs, deletes the words one by one before typing a new one.

- “Is it that obvious?”

- “But she seems really friendly though.”

- “She?”

- “Yeah.”

- “Oh, okay.”

- “You got no problem with that?”

  “Right?”

- “It’s your business, Kim Minkyung.”

  “And I don’t think anything can weird me out, you know ;P”

- “lol Kyungwon”

  “Thanks :) It means a lot, really.”  

- “Np.”

   “Always glad to help.”

- “And hey, ”

  “Almost forgot.”

  “How’s work?”

- “Yeah……”

  “Still getting used to it. But, I’m good.”

  “I think my dad is right about me.”

  “I should just stick to what I love to do the most.”

- “Ah, I miss home too.”

- “Christmas is coming.”

  “Won’t you be able to go back and chill for a week or something?”

- “They won’t be in town T^T”

  “ to be me.”

- “But do you have plans already?”

- “Like what?”

“Are you asking me out?” Minkyung ponders and decides to ditch this one. Luckily, Kyungwon’s reply comes fast.

- “We haven’t seen each other for a while now.”

  “My friends are throwing a house party for Christmas.”

  “It’s like a tradition.”

  “So, you wanna join?”

- “Oh, you sure?”

  “I know literally none of your friends.”

  “Except Kyulkyung.”

- “You know what, Kyulkyung will be there.”

  “Since your senior is coming too.”

- “What?”

  “Explain.”

- “Her name is Nayoung, right?”

  “They have been eyeing each other for a long time.”

  “As far as I know.”

  “Oh, don't tell me you didn't know?”

- “ me!”

  “I have no idea.”

  “You should have told me!!”

- “lol. I thought you know!”

  “And I didn’t know how to, dude.”

- “You weirdo.”

- “So,”

  “Are you in?”

- “Well, yes!!”

  “Haven’t done parties in like a century lol”

- “lol Minky”

  “So you’re into parties too?”

  “Anyway, I’ll text you the details later.” 

- “See you there, Kyungwon :)”

- “:)”

-

- “Yo.”

  “Kim Minky.”

- “Yes?”

- “How are you?”

- “Same old.”

  “:(”

- “You down?”

- “A little, yeah.”

- “Work?”

- “Nah.”

- “Wanna talk?”

- “I don’t wanna bother you.”

- “I’m here already.”

  “Minky.”

  “Just spill it.”

- “It’s so hard.”

  “Kyungwon.”

  “I just can’t do it right.”

- “What is this about?”

- “You dated before, right?”

- “Yeah…. And?”

- “Why is it harder to desire one person than to desire a dozen?”

- “…… I don’t know.”

  “I wish I know too.”

- “Yebin said I’m not really there when we are together.”

  “So we always fight.”

  “I don’t know anymore.” 

  “I don’t wanna fight.”

  “I just wish I have a way to fix it.”

- “Yebin?”

- “Oh.”

  “You remember the girl who kept bugging me last year?”

  “We are dating for a few months now.”

   “But she is still very nice to me.”

- “Ah, I see.”

  “I’m happy for you.”

- “Like,”

  “I realized that it’s very brave of her to do that back then.”

  “So I agreed to go out with her.”

  “It’s all good.”

  “But it’s just….. Sometimes, it can get rough.”

- “But she still treats you well, right?”

- “Yeah.”

  “I thought settling down is the right thing to do.”

  “Why is it so hard?”

  “Have you ever felt the same way?”

“Maybe you just haven't met the right person yet.” Kyungwon thinks maybe it’s not the most appropriate thing to say. So she opts for another reply.

- “I get frustrated sometimes too.”

  “You can work it out.”

  “Together maybe.”

- “Thanks, Kyungwon.”

  “I’m glad that you’re here.”

- “No problem.” (Kyungwon just deletes the smiley face there.)

- “Enough about me.” 

  “What are you doing in this summer? Traveling perhaps?”

- “Nothing much.” 

  “Would love to if my savings will allow me!!”

- “Oh, I see. Where do you want to go?”

- “Scandinavia? Haha but surely will cost a lot.”

  “Hey, look. I’m sorry I got to go soon.”

  “I have to go catch a movie with Siyeon.”

- “It’s okay.”

  “A date?”

“I swear I have heard you talking about her a few times already.” Realizing it might be too nosy of her to say so, Minkyung does not send that message.

- “No, it’s just a friend.”

- “If you insist ;P”

  “You go now!”

  “We can always text each other :)”

- “See ya.”

-

- “Hey Kyungwon,”

  “Thanks for sending me a birthday gift :)”

  “How’s your trip? Still in Sweden?”

- “Hey!!!”

  “So you got the parcel :)”

  “Yeah, I’m staying ’til mid-August.”

- “It must be really nice…”

  “Enjoy much? Haha”

- “Totally love the pace in Stockholm :)”

  “It gives me lots of inspirations too!!”

  “It’s an awesome city.”

- “Hey, if you are happy, I’m happy.”

  “Hm, am I smelling a new collection from Kang Kyungwon?”

- “Stop the teasing :p”

  “Uhm.”

  “And, Minky?”

  “Do you wanna say something?”

- “Not much.”

  “Not really important.”

  “Forget about it.”

  “You should go on and enjoy your trip.”

- “You know you can always talk to me.”

  “Kim Minkyung.”

  “I know we don’t talk as much these days.”

  “But I’m still here.”

- “Yebin and I……. We broke up.”

  “Both of us can’t take it anymore.”

  “I guess it’s better in that way.”

  “I’m tired of fighting over everything.”

- “Oh.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“You deserve better anyway.” Once again, Kyungwon chooses to keep this to herself.

- “Are you alright?”

- “Yeah. And it’s not the thing I’d really wanna talk to you about.”

- “Huh?”

  “What’s it then?”

- “Please don’t be mad at me for this.”

  “Kyungwon-ah.”

  “I really wanna ask you for a long time.”

- “Why would I ever be mad at you?”

  “Just ask, Minky.”

  “I promise I won’t be mad.”

- “Okay. Here goes nothing.”

  “That night at the Christmas party……. I know it has been a while like,”

  “Didn’t we leave the house and take a walk around the block?”

  “Why didn’t you kiss me that night?”

- “I…….”

  “I wish I know.” 

   “Actually, I wish I did.”

- “Did you?”

- “Why are you asking me this now, Minky?”

- “I’m sorry. I ruined everything, didn’t I?”

  “I shouldn’t have asked.”

  “But I have been thinking about it lately.”

  “You should go back to your trip now.”

  “Forget it.”

  “I’m sorry.”

- “Minkyung.” 

  “Kim Minkyung.”

Kyungwon stares blankly at the status that reads, “Minky is away.”

-

- “Minky.”

  “Hey, are you joining Nayoung and Kyulkyung’s housewarming party?”

- “Oh hi, Kyungwon.”

  “It has been so long.”

- “We haven’t really talked since I got back.”

- “Yeah, I’ll be there.”

- “Great :)”

“I haven’t seen you in so long.” Kyungwon groans and changes it into something less ambiguous.

- “We haven’t seen each other in so long.”

- “Yeah.”

“I kinda miss you.” And so does Minkyung.

- “Miss talking to you.”

- “Me too.”

  “Like,”

  “I wasn’t mad last time.”

  “But were you?”

- “Maybe, hm,”

  “We can talk about things when we meet later?”

  “Everything changes so fast and I feel like things are different between us now.”

  “Do you know what I mean?” 

- “I do.”

  “Sure.”

  “Hm, I’ll see you at the party?”

- “Yeah. I’ll see you there.”

It’s the first time where their conversation ends so shortly.

-

- “Kyungwon-ah.”

  “Are you still up?”

- “Yeah, what’s up?” 

   “Besides me and you :p”

- “Right lol. Just be honest with me again.”

  “I know I’m much of a bother sometimes.”

- “No no.”

  “Not that I mind. Is something bothering you?”

- “I know you weren’t dead drunk last week at Nayoung’s house.”

  “So when we continued drinking at your place,”

  “Did you plan that we would hook up?”

- “What?!”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I didn’t. Of course not.”

- “Okay.”

  “It just, feels, weird.”

- “I’m sorry. Did I make you uncomfortable?”

  “Look, I really didn’t plan to...... like, make it happen.”

- “Yeah...... I shouldn’t have doubted you.”

  “Sorry.”

- “Minky.”

- “Yes?”

- “Why do I always feel like you are holding something back?”

  “You can tell me anything.”

- “Aren’t you too?”

  “Whatever. this.”

  “And, like, I dunno. But I just had to leave that morning. I didn’t mean to run away.”

- “Have you mistaken anything?”

  “Did I do something wrong?”

- “No, it’s not you.”

  “Well, it’s getting late.”

  “I should go to sleep. Still got work tomorrow.”

- “Okay.” 

  “Night.”

-

- “Minkyung.”

  “I know things are different now but,”

  “Maybe, do you want to come to my show? I have free passes.”

- “Oh, hi.” 

  “I’m so happy for you!”

  “But I have to check my schedule first.”

- “Ah, nvm :)”

  “You’re always welcome, just so you know.”

- “Kyungwon,”

  “I don’t know what to say anymore.”

  “I always have words stuck in my throat. But not really. We are texting lol”

- “Just let it out.”

- “Yebin and I got back together.”

  “It’s not like, on the spur-of-the-moment I swear-”

- “Wait.”

  “So you and I was?”

  “At least to you, I mean.”

  “Kim Minkyung, are you serious?”

- “Don’t get angry with me and listen to me first, okay?”

  “I just wanna talk to you about things.”

- “It’s you who didn’t want to talk about things before.”

- “Kyungwon, don’t snap at me.”

- “You didn’t want to talk to me after that night.

  “You have never really wanted to talk to me, Minkyung.”

  “Like from the start.”

  “I was scared of saying anything wrong all the time.”

  “I don’t even know when I started to be so scared.”

  “I can’t say I’m happy for you this time.”

- “It’s not like that.”

  “Kyungwon.”

  “Kyungwon, please.”

  “Don’t you do this to me too.”

- “I’m not her, you know.”

  “I was always there.”

- “But,”

  “But why didn’t you say something before?”

- “It’s too big of a risk to take, I guess.”

  “As if I have the balls to tell you.”

  “What if you are gone forever?”

  “I just want to keep talking to you.”

  “Like we did at the bar.”

  “I even thought it’d be cool to leave you hanging like that.”

  “Ha, what a fool.”

- “No, Kyungwon.”

  “You should have told me way before.”

  “You had your chances.”

  “I remember I once told you why I agreed to go out with Yebin in the first place.”

  “She’s brave. She said the things you dare not to say.”

- “No. You don’t understand.”

  “I’m not like you.”

- “But I know you.”

  “We-” 

- “We are always so different.”

  “I have a simple life. I don’t ask for much. I keep seeing the same people in my life.”

  “Not the exact same bunch of folks, I mean, I haven’t met anyone like you.”

  “I keep seeing you. No matter how distant we have grown to be.”

- “Isn’t it too late for us to say these things?”

- “I don’t know.” 

  “I don’t know what to do with you, and how I feel about you.”

  “It’s already too late that I couldn’t back down. I just know that.”

  “Yes, I was drunk that night when we first met. Now I wish I wasn’t.”

- “I……”

  “Why are you saying all these things right now?”

- “Maybe it’s finally time.”

- “What time? Time for what?”

- “To let go.”

  “Bye, Minkyung.”

- “Kyungwon.”

  “Kang Kyungwon.”

And this time, the tables turn.

Minkyung can only watch Kyungwon’s status change. 

“Kyungwon is away.” 

 I hope it’s entertaining in its own way :)

And wait, our adventure is just getting good - by voting, you can unlock Kyungwon’s story and the ending.

There is a different ending for each option though. So be careful ;) 

So, on Kyungwon’s big day where her fashion show is held, Minkyung has work. And you will now make the choice for her.

Option A: Buy a Kermit and put it in the bar where you first met, hoping you two would talk again (like, pretty please?).

Option B: Just ditch work and head straight to Kyungwon’s show (and everyone, right?).

Poll closed :)