The both of you arrive and as Chanyeol is busy locking his bike, you are observing your surroundings. Eventhough it is a Wednesday evening, the streets of Hongdae are still filled with people of all ages, a majority of them being young people. The area around your university has always been bustling and today is no exception. Some street performers have already started showcasing their talents and through the windows of restaurants you see groups of friends making toasts to the end of yet another day.

Chanyeol stands up and you pass him back his guitar. He gives you a grateful smile, placing his hand on your head. "Thanks."

"Get off," you remove his hand, looking around the place. "So, where is this bar?"

"Here, parked in front of it," Chanyeol gestures with his thumb to a lit doorway between two other stores where a staircase leads downstairs to the pub. Next to the entrance, you see a chalk stand promoting a "super hot vocalist and guitarist". You are guessing that must be the one right next to you since they have even bothered to draw an animated portrait of him winking. Whoever drew that should be promoted because it does look like a webtoon version of Chanyeol.

"Ah, this hyung... he promotes me too much. This doesn't look like me at all," Chanyeol points at the drawing with a shake of his head. 

"Really? It looks like you though," you look at it again.

"You should have seen when he first tried to draw me, it was horrible," Chanyeol pretends to make a gagging face. "Well, I guess it's getting better. Anyway, come on, you're going to witness my to die for performance soon. I sing better than Baekhyun."

As you descend the stair, you scoff. "To die for? Yeah right, don't compare yourself to him! He's crowned the vocal king of our university for a reason." It is true, you reason, Baekhyun has performed on stage dozens of times for school events, yet everytime he sings you still get goosebumps. On the other hand, you have never heard Chanyeol sing before, so you start to wonder if his skills can really be up to par with Baekhyuns, or something entirely different.

The door is already open to let customers in, but there is no noise coming  from inside, only the soft tune of contemporary R&B tracks. When you step inside, there are no patrons except for a male and female bartender chatting behind the bar counter and another whistling male mopping the floor. Chanyeol clears his throat, causing all three heads to turn to him.

"Chanyeol hyung!" The male bartender comes out to greet him. He has a slick black crew cut and sharp eyes. His face is long but he has a defined jawline, he looks like he could be a model. 

"Oh, hey Chanyeol, you're here?" The girl, who has big beady eyes and bright orange hair lifts herself off the counter. Why is everyone here so good-looking? Even the employee who was mopping the floor had a baby face.

"Who is this?" The male bartender stares at you, then at Chanyeol for an introduction. 

"This is Gayoung, she's a dance major and a friend from school," Chanyeol introduces you before continuing. "This is Hyunbin, he's younger than us. This is Yeoreum, she's older. And finally, this is Dohwan."

"Nice to meet you guys," you bow slightly and they wave their hands, being equally flattered to have met you. 

"You can drop the formalities, we're all friends here!" Yeoreum assures.

Huh, already? But we just met... The people are extremely friendly, or maybe it's the fact that you have met too many bitter people in your life that even a kind gesture like that is unfamiliar.

As Yeoreum and Gayoung are getting to know each other, the three boys watch from them conversing animatedly from the sidelines. Dohwan throws his arm around Chanyeol, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Based on Chanyeol's prediction, he is probably going to ask him about Gayoung. He has never brought anyone with him here for a gig before, so this is out of the blue for the three of them who have gotten so used to him coming alone for the past four years.

"Finally, I was wondering when you would bring someone," Dohwan tuts him. "I was starting to think your guitar was your girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend," Chanyeol's eyebrows furrow when Dohwan and Hyunbin look like they aren't buying it. But it's true!

"She will be your girlfriend, soon. After she sees you on that stage tonight, she's going to fall head over heels for you," Hyunbin gives him two thumbs up. 

"No, no, no," Chanyeol turns around to face away from the two girls. His two friends huddle near him, lowering their heads so they can hear him whisper. "She likes someone else. So much that she wants her first connection to be with him." At this, Chanyeol's shoulders unknowingly deflate. Everyone knows that a first connection is a big deal.

"Ah, you have no chance then," Chanyeol glares at Hyunbin, wondering if the younger one had to phrase it in such a condescending way. "I mean it sounds like she's fallen pretty hard for that someone."/

"You should have gone for her in freshman year. What a waste," Dohwan pats him on the back. Are they pitying me or something? "Oh, boss is here. Break a leg for your performance later!"

Dohwan, Hyunbin and Yeoreum hurry back to their work posts. The boss emerges from the kitchen in a white collared shirt and a black apron tied around his waist. Jay, a man