Friday night at a bar.

What better way to end the day than to drown all of your stress in that one glass of alcohol? Despite such liquid being able to harm your body, that didn’t matter. It was the small moment of freedom that counted.

Staring blankly at her drink, Chorong turned her eyes towards the small stage upon hearing the cheers of the crowd. A female singer went up, seated on a high chair as she adjusted her mike.

“Happy Friday everyone. I’ll start today with a soothing song. Cheers.” The singer smiled as she cleared before beginning to sing a harmonious tone in the background, accompanied with a band behind her.

Customers in the bar continued to chatter and drink as her voice was simply masked as “music”, nothing more. But rather than alcohol, hearing her song seemed to soothe her heart more. While occasionally sipping from her glass, the girl couldn’t help but to unconsciously have a smile painted over her face as she watched her from afar. She wasn’t usually the type to sit in front and would often be all the way at the back, where the bartender was. It was a favourite spot. After all, she had a good view of both the singer and the audience.

“Why don’t you sit at the front?” a voice asked from behind.

The girl turned around and it was simply the friendly bartender Yoon Bomi. Chorong had been a regular customer for over three months now, since she started her new job as a secretary at a business company and needed a place to release all of her stress.

“I’m not the type who would like all the attention you see.”

“That explains. After all, it seems just like you. Would you like another drink?” Bomi asked, her little finger pointing to the now, empty glass in Chorong’s hands.

“It’s alright. I need to control my intake these days. I’m not getting much younger you see.” said Chorong as she got off her seat and placed the exact money on the counter.

“Leaving already? It’s only 11pm. Our singer hasn’t even finished the first song of today.”

“I have to wake up at 4am.”

“At least hear till the end of the song. You won’t regret it.” winked Bomi. Chorong hesitated for a moment but as she turned back to the singer who seemed to sing so passionately even though the crowd didn’t seem to bother her presence and simply saw her as a “background music”, the girl sat back on her seat.

Watching her belt high notes towards the end, that’s when everyone stopped talking and simply looked in awe. Chorong too, somehow found herself unconsciously opening . She wondered, how can someone perfectly sing such a note while effortless smiling at the same time? Wouldn’t that need professional skills? If that’s the case, what is a singer like her doing in a small bar? Shouldn’t she be better off in the entertainment industry where real singers would actually showcase themselves to the public. A talent like that shouldn’t be hiding away in the basement of a bar.

The crowd began to applause in unison as the singer bowed.

“Thank you. The next song will be perfect to accompany the approach of a new day. Once again, happy Friday everyone.” said the singer as she proceeded to sing another song.

“See? It was worth staying back for those last two minutes right?” asked Bomi with a sheepish smile.

“W-Whatever. Anyways, I’ll be leaving now.” stuttered Chorong who felt awkward in that position.

“See you again next Friday, Miss Chorong-ssi.”

“How would you know I would come next Friday anyway?”

“You’re a regular and just a friendly reminder, she’s also slated for Friday nights.” winked Bomi as she pointed towards the singer on the stage.

“That was unnecessary of you. Anyways, I’m going.” said Chorong in a rush, not wanting the bartender to stall her time any longer.

Leaving the bar, her heart felt lighter than before. She wasn’t sure if it was because of the alcohol or by hearing that singer. It was probably the latter but that didn’t matter anyway. She needed to head home.

Breaking apart her dream that she hoped it would continue forever, was the annoying screams of her alarm clock. Stretching her arms out to grab the machine and turn it off, she sighed as she stared at the blank ceiling of her small, cramped apartment home. She was slightly tired over the repeated routine. Waking up in the wee hours of morning just to rush to the office and prepare things. Being a secretary certainly was hard work, especially when her boss was super lazy and tossed everything to her responsibility. The worst of all, she still had to work even though it was a Saturday. As much as she hated her superiors, she couldn’t say anything because she needed money. Money to survive in this harsh world.

“Oh right, I need to get those pastries for boss again because he needs his breakfast.” sighed Chorong in her thought as she hurriedly passed through a market that was a stop away from the train station. In a rush with plastic bags full of bread in her arm while the other was carrying her bag, she walked with quick pace to the station, hoping that she wouldn’t miss it. Managing to barely tap the card and pass through the gate, she could hear the train bells ringing in the distance.

“Crap.”

The girl ran as fast as she could, climbing up the stairs as she just barely slipped inside the carriage before the doors closed behind. Cramped inside, Chorong breathed heavily while catching her breath.

“If I missed this one, the next train comes in the next 20 minutes and by then, I would be absolutely late for work! I can’t get scolded by the boss again!”

As much as she wanted to curse her boss for the main reason why she would be late is because she had to buy his “stupid” pastries, Chorong had to maintain a proper, fake smile in front of him while delivering it to his table. Bowing politely as she left the office, she had wanted to check the time on her phone. Slipping her hands inside her pocket, she felt a unfamiliar empty space. In that very moment, it was like the end of the world. Her wallet was gone.

Chorong had very much wanted to kill herself by then. It was fine if she lost her phone but her wallet? Oh no. That itself, was a nightmare come true. Her identification card, her cash and her cash, all gone.

“I must’ve dropped it while rushing to get on the train. How careless could I get?!” the girl cursed in her head. She wanted to scream and shout her lungs out, but knew it would be absolutely inappropriate to do so, in the building itself.

As Chorong could only continue to work as normal, time seemed to heal those wounds. There was nothing she could do anyway. It’s not like a kind Samaritan would miraculously find her wallet and made an effort to bring it back to her. What were even the possibilities that her wallet would be returned in one piece, exactly as how it was? The world doesn’t work like that. Even without her wallet, the 27-year old still managed to perform her secretarial duties as normal. Well, with the exception of borrowing money from her co-workers. That's more debt she could handle already.

Within a blink of an eye, it’s already 7pm. Where did the day even go? She had been so busy going to places to run errands for her boss, typing out reports and important documents, arranging meetings with fellow co-workers, was she that much of a workaholic? Maybe that’s why her mates often worry over how Chorong should find a partner soon and settle down from this hectic life. She wasn’t someone who had a large circle of friends either and didn’t have a person to turn for advice. She was a girl who came from the countryside and was simply doing all she could to survive in Seoul.

With a sigh escaping , she found herself back at the train station, ready to head home. The only difference was that the sky was bleak and black. It was then, her phone rang. The girl sighed once again, upon looking at the caller’s name. She had already had a bad day, what else could ruin it further?

“Yes?” asked Chorong immediately upon answering.

“You still owe us five million won.”

“I know. I already said that I’ll pay you by next week.”

“You ought better. Tomorrow is a Sunday. I better see the figures in the bank account by Monday morning, 12am.”

“Alright, alright. I got it.” said Chorong as she hung up.

Well, the bomb has been dropped. Life at work had already been stressful yet she kept forgetting that she owed a huge debt to various loan sharks. A mistake caused by the girl herself when she first came to Seoul and was a vulnerable sheep. She still had leftover cash that she had borrowed from her co-workers. Knowing that she probably won’t be able to eat today, would she starve again? Walking past the street, she looked up a familiar signboard that directed her to a familiar place.

“I’m already having a bad day. Shall I just waste it off and ruin my life even further?” she pondered.

She couldn't believe herself but here she was, at the same bar again. It wasn't even less than 24 hours but, she came back.

"That's a surprise. I was not expecting you to come back again." welcomed Bomi to her regular customer.

"W-Whatever." sighed Chorong as she seated in the same, exact seat that was the fifth seat out of seven.

"The usual?"

"Yeah." nodded the girl as she turned her direction to the empty stage. It was strange how the atmosphere from yesterday was completely gone without the singer's presence.

"In case you're wondering, she's not singing today." said Bomi at the back as she prepared the drink.

"Thanks for the unnecessary information again."

"You're welcome. Here's your drink." smiled Bomi as she handed the glass to Chorong before leaving to attend our customers. Chorong was soon left alone, to gaze blankly at the empty stage and crowds of people who seemed so happy drinking away. Usually, drinking would've been better in groups but this girl prefered to be by herself and drown everything away.

Immediately by one sip, she had forgotten the bad day she had. The fact that she lost her phone, the fact that she was threatened again by her loan sharks, it vanished completely by her greatest medication, alcohol. Just when she was enjoying her own moment, a hand suddenly slid through the counter, passing by Chorong as there was a wallet under her palm.

"This is yours right?" a voice from behind. It seemed to belong to a girl but she sounded quite husky.

"Y-Yes...this is my wallet...." said Chorong as she stared at the phone for a moment, still yet to lift her head to face the stranger.

"You dropped it at the station today." the stranger replied. The girl couldn't help but to raise her head afterwards, only to see a lady in front of her with the most beautiful smile she has ever seen. She looked somewhat familiar yet different because of her outfit. She was dressed in an oversized sweater, Nike shoes and had piercings over her ears.

"T-Thank you...it's a miracle to think that my wallet would be delivered in the most unexpected place..." said Chorong in a stutter, bowing her head slightly as a form of thanks as she immediately opened her wallet, only to gasp in relieve that everything was placed exactly where it was. Her identification card, her cards and her cash, all there. 

"Come on, if I stole your money, It would be stupid to return it back right?" laughed the girl. "Hey, Bomi-ya! Can I have a beer please?" shouted the lady in a loud tone that almost caused Chorong to flinch for a bit, before she settled in the seat beside her.

"No problem Eunji-ya!" replied Bomi back from behind the counter.

"I guess she's already revealed your name to a stranger." chuckled Chorong as she took one sip from her glass.

"She's always like that, I'm not surprised." smiled Eunji as she glanced at the girl for a bit. There was silence as Eunji waited for Chorong to finish her gulp. "Don't you think I look familiar, Miss Park Chorong?"

"H-How did you read my mind and..how did you know my name??" asked Chorong with wide eyes.

That's when Eunji suddenly smirked.

"Firstly, I would have to know your name if I wanted to return your walley. Second, we live in small world. Don't we?" she asked, causing Chorong to scrunch her eyebrows in confusion. She had no idea what her words meant.

"I'm the singer who sings every Friday night in this very bar. Coincidence? I think not." chuckled Eunji as she recieved a glass of beer from Bomi. Hearing her words cause Chorong to freeze for a moment, as if wanting to process the words she just heard.

"Allow me to introduce you, Jung Eunji, our brand new jazz singer." smiled Bomi as she stepped into their conversation for awhile before returning back to her duties.

"You heard her." laughed the singer, who found a frozen Chorong quite amusing to see. "Hello? I'm not speaking to a statue right?"

"N-No, of course not. Wow, I didn't know coincidences could happen like that."

"I saw you yesterday. Even though you were really far away from the stage, you caught my attention."

"Was I really opening my mouth that wide?" sighed Chorong shyly, wanting to bury her face inside her drink.

"Nah, I just haven't seen a beautiful girl in awhile." sneered Eunji.

"Yeah, and now you're flirting. I've got no time for that."

"Just joking. I've seen you around often because you're a regular here. Think I didn't notice huh?"

"Well, isn't that observant of you?" said Chorong with sarcasm.

Eunji laughed the joke off as she raised her glass of beer. "Cheers?"

"Cheers." replied Chorong as the two cooly bumped their glasses together before gulping down another sip.

It was strange. Having a conversation with a stranger, seemed quite comforting. Perhaps, today wasn't a bad day after all. What better way than to spill out your frustrations to a complete stranger who knows absolutely nothing of you?

"It's rare of you to come on a Saturday. Did something happen?" asked Eunji.

"I lost my wallet."

"I returned it back to you."

"...And some other stuff happened. You wouldn't want to know." she sighed, reminded of the fact that she has a debt to owe next week.

"There's nothing to hide in front of a stranger." Eunji smiled. There it was again. It was about that smile of hers. Bright like the sun, warm and comforting.

Chorong hesitated for a moment as she looked at her eyes.

"I have some debt problems...." confessed the girl as she moved her gaze back to her glass.

"I see..." hummed Eunji as she casually patted the girl's back. "Life is tough ain't it? Sometimes we wonder, what have we ever done wrong in our lives to deserve this kind of treatment. Maybe we were terrible villians in our past that's why we're destined to face bad luck wherever we walk. We get so stressed out to the point where we feel like dying. But then, we can't die. We can't die because we remember that we have a family back home. We can't die because we still have a purpose to live on."

"What's your story?" asked Chorong, noticing the sudden change of tone in the singer's voice. For some reason, hearing her words made a sense of connection. It was as if, Eunji understood how she felt. Her actual feelings towards every question she had in life.

"Nothing much. Why do you think I was at the train station and so happened to coincidentally see you dropping your phone?"

"Because you're stalking me." said Chorong with a straight expression.

"Come on, I'm not a person like that."

"I know. I was just joking." smiled the older girl.

"I work other odd jobs besides being a jazz singer at the bar. Sometimes, I work as a cashier at a convenience store, help out aunties at the market or even an errand worker who goes around the whole city to deliver items, it varys from time to time. I make just enough money to meet ends meet."

"Well, we can't always dream of a luxury life. We're different from those up there. Down here, it's a competition. We try to stand out of the crowd to be the best, in order to have a secure job with a secure payment. In the end, we just wonder, what is this competition for? What are we fighting for? Why can't there be a world where everyone could be equal? A world where the rich and poor could live together?" sighed Chorong once again.

"You know, if you sigh, you will grow more wrinkles on your face." said Eunji out of nowhere.

"That wasn't my point."

"Sorry." chuckled Eunji. "That's true. I remember how in high school, we were forced to be the top in the school to get into good universities. Once we were in a good university, it was another battle to be the best out of everyone, just so we could live a better life. If that's the case, wouldn't that make everyone else a loser? I don't think it's right. Because of competition, people suffer. I'm a perfect example. Look at me."

"Well, look at me."

"Yeah, we're both the losers in this competitive world aren't we?" chuckled Eunji. "But just because we're the losers, doesn't mean we can't win. It's hard for us both but we just happen to keep on living don't we? No matter how hard it is, we just manage to survive somehow. A miracle ain't it?" she smiled.

"Was that supposed to comfort me?" asked Chorong as she raised her eyebrow.

"Maybe. But I think it's mostly for my own self." said the younger girl as she took another sip of alcohol before letting out a refreshing gasp. "What's your story about?" Eunji continued as she turned her attention to the older girl.

"It's frustrating." mumbled Chorong after hearing Eunji's story. "Even though I had studied so hard, worked so hard to get into this job that pays so well, I hate it so much. I dread myself each and every day. Yet, I can't do anything about it because I need money to pay off my debts. I wonder, how long am I going to continue living like this? In fact, I shouldn't be here and wasting my money away. I'm supposed to starve for dinner actually. Do you think that people are happier when they are poor? I feel like happiness comes easier when you have less things to worry about."

"It's all just part a cycle of life. In the society we live, there are different sides to the story. We both have our own struggles. But let's not struggle alone and instead work together." suggested Eunji with a smirk on her face.

"What do you mean?" said Chorong with a confused expression. Yet strangely, this deep conversation she had with a fellow stranger had lifted a lot of burden from her heart. It gave her something to think about, an answer to her meanings in life.

Eunji chuckled as she lightly shaked the glass of beer in her hand, watching the bubbles swirl inside.

"Do you realise that we have many differences but also similarities too?" asked Eunji.

"I don't think we're very similar. In fact, we live in different worlds."

"Which is exactly why, we should connect a bridge so that we can help each other."

"A bridge?"

"Silly. I'm asking you to form a love contract with me. A love contract with a stranger that you just met 24 hours ago." chuckled Eunji, finding Chorong's blurness quite amusing.

Perhaps during that time, the two were just too drunk already to even realise what kind of words were spurting out of their mouths. But even so, they didn't drink that much either. Although Eunji's sudden request did take Chorong aback for a moment, it made her think for a moment.

For all her life, she had spent years studying and working hard, never having the proper opportunity to even make friends or have a good social life. She was a good daughter who listened to her parents, a good student who studied hard and was now employed in a company that gave her a high salary. On the other hand, was this stranger in front of her. Somewhat mysterious yet possessing a beautiful voice, as seen by her performance yesterday. Yet, she seemed so mature and had a vibe as a student who didn't study hard and simply dropped out of school to do various kinds of jobs.

People are different. Perhaps that's the charm of meeting a random stranger. Well, maybe not a random stranger but by pure coincidence.

If she were to say no, would Chorong continue to live in the same, mundane life that she dreaded? If she were to say yes, would Chorong notice a change? Would she feel different? Would she think differently?

Who would've thought a conversation with a stranger would've made her to think this far? It was almost to the point where she had completely forgotten the nightmare of today.

When one thinks of love, there are people who have agreed on the fact to settle their differences aside and support each other no matter what. Well, besides putting apart the spark of fire that occurs in between, the original concept of love was to help one another. Just like lovers and married couples, they would share things and walk along the path of life together. Not alone. Not as a single individual.

But yet again, can strangers become lovers?

Because lovers too, can become strangers in the end.

--

A/N: Just a random Eunrong idea that popped into my mind, yup it's an open ending. It's up to you whether Chorong said yes or no in the end. I've always thought "Eunrong" as a couple who were more serious and into deep conversations but well, it's just my own perception haha~ Hope you enjoyed reading this, it's out of a blue and it probably doesn't really make much sense but anyways~ This story has been inspired from this tweet ^^

P.S: For those who had read my Eunrong story called Strangers no this is not a spin-off haha, it's pure coincidence how I pictured Eunrong as strangers again lol