Dahyun runs a finger around the rim of her glass as her eyes wander behind the bar.

Thirteen boxes of liquor populate the ground and the mat under the bartender’s feet dispel all notions of this bar being at least one-michelin star (not that any bar gets any michelin stars). It’s crusty and painted with mold. Still, it’s being used and it must be grateful for the patronage. At least it’s useful.

She adjusts the frames on her face before she takes a swig of her drink.

Smooth. It flows down nicely - stream-like and calm. It’s probably one of the few instances that please her today. Everything is just so crummy now.

According to her best friend, there are two kinds of people in this world: ones who do and ones who try to do. She’s more so the latter. At least, that’s what she thinks she is. Momo told her the opposite, though Dahyun likes to think Momo doesn’t have the slightest clue what she’s doing in this world so she takes whatever that girl says with a grain of salt.

Dahyun sighs before holding her hand up.

“Check please.”

“Do you want to open a tab?”

Dahyun stops, looks the man in the eyes, and there is silence.

She nods once and says, “Yeah give me one.”

Only she knows how much she needs it.

She stumbles out of the bar, hand grasping a railing as she hurls herself forward towards the nearest trash can before vomiting.

She slumps against the trash can, remnants of her vomit around - bits and pieces of the burrito she had earlier today.

At the end of the day, Dahyun’s like this. It wasn't like this just a day before. If anything, she was happy - ecstatic to be living, away from the liquor and instead with a glass of water and a granola bar.

The thing is - she expected this. She expected that would hit the fan. It was clear as day; she was stupid not to have heeded the signs.

Dahyun's done her fair share of stupid things; this takes the cake.

Christ, she misses her so much.

//

(“My name is Sana.” This bubbly girl is holding her hand out asking for a handshake. Now Dahyun would oblige if not for that she is completely frozen still because of this girl’s ethereal beauty.

She's sporting long hair that Dahyun loves, coupled with it’s shade of red-brown, and her lips grinning as she’s expecting Dahyun’s hand to dart out soon enough. Not a single thing in this world could have prepared her for this moment - for she's completely taken aback and her lungs have given up all hope of breathing.

“M-My name’s Dahyun. Nice to meet you.” One stutter is good enough. It's better than her presentation for Physics that got her so flustered she had to leave the room to get some fresh air before she came back. Needless to say, she lost a few points in clarity and time.

Their hands meet and the electricity that follows only serve to give her some sort of seizure. God, what’s happening with her today. Her best friend Chaeyoung certainly up there in attractiveness. Dahyun gives her at least an eight out of ten (varies from person to person).

Suddenly as if there was a strange shift in space time continuum, the once kind and innocent smile turns into a smirk - sly and snake-like in nature.

Needless to say, Dahyun’s lost this before it even started.)

//

Dahyun wipes with her sleeve as she heaves herself off the concrete. She ignores the passing looks and just continues forward, bumbling towards her condo. Well, what she thinks is her condo. She’s winging it at this point.

When the convenience store comes, a huge ol’ 7/11 that seems as though it shouldn't be a 7/11 but rather a department store, Dahyun knows she's on the right track albeit knowing that there's a while to go before she reaches home.

She ignores the vibrations in her jacket pocket or rather she doesn't feel a single thing; she numb - totally out of the loop. It doesn't bother her that people are worried - no - Dahyun doesn't have a care; she doesn't have a reason to.

It's when she rounds the corner of her apartment that it hits her.

//

(I've seen you around here so much,” Sana comments as she walks along with Dahyun to class. “I've been meaning to talk to you but I was just nervous.”

Dahyun purses her lips. Sana admitted something that embarrassing and they've just met. Just who is this girl?

“No worries. At least we've met right? Better late than never I'd say.”

Sana smiles, not smirk this time. Who knows what could happen if she did? The whole world would probably collapse and she’d die in a moment’s notice cursing the fact that she could've just looked away and ignored it.

“I agree. Anyway, where are you going?”

“Just this theatre lecture. I would normally skip these kinds of classes but attendance is mandatory so I'd rather not lose points.”

“So you're a point .”

Dahyun frowns. In just a few minutes, they went from cordial greetings to being called a . She doesn't know if that's the custom these days, but it's pretty ing strange.

“I'm not a point . I just like to have a backup for when I'm-”

“- for points,” Sana interrupts with this -eating grin on her face. Jesus Christ, Dahyun wants to squeeze those cheeks and just smother her with kisses like how an aunt would do to their nephew.

Dahyun throws her hand up into the air; there's no changing Sana’s mind. So stubborn, so freaking annoying, and just downright dis-

Sana leans forward and presses her lips against Dahyun’s cheek briefly before pulling back. Full pearly whites show as she points her thumb to the side.

“My class is this way. Nice to have met late, Point .”

Dahyun’s point is proven.

Sana is downright disrespectful.)

//

Dahyun turns the knob to their apartment, well, hers now. She steps over the broken glass of the picture frame they had bought earlier this week - the picture smiling happily at her still. She doesn't have the energy or the motivation to do it back.

It had been an argument of sorts, though she’d like to argue it wasn't much of an argument and just a beatdown with words. She had completely torn Dahyun apart, rebutted every point Dahyun tried to make, and Dahyun was left desolate as she sat on the beige leather couch thinking about how it could've gone wrong so fast.

It went wrong so fast.

It's Saturday now - Dahyun had drunk her sorrows for the past few hours. Dahyun hates how it just had to be the day where she has off to get heartbroken. She wants to drown herself in work, forget for even just a moment what happened earlier.

Maybe this break would get her a ing clue on what to do now.

//

(“Can you please stop saying hajima like ha-jiema? It's really throwing me off the groove Dahyun.”

Dahyun lets off a boisterous laugh as her nostrils flair and stomach hurts. She keels over on the couch as she slaps Chaeyoung on the thigh.

“Alright. Just cause you used the word groove, I'll let you off.”

Dahyun lies her head down on Chaeyoung's lap as they watch an episode of Friends - the one where Joey got sponsored by some Japanese lipstick called Ichiban.

This has been their routine of sorts for a few months now, starting with an episode of House of Cards (but then Kevin Spacey happened and Dahyun didn't want any part of that. Chaeyoung didn't really give a , a good show is a good show).

“I bet four,” Dahyun raises the topic up.

“I bet five then.”

It had also been a routine for them to make stupid bets that would usually result in some disciplinary action by the University. Far too long have they been messing around with the girl’s locker room so they switched over to the tennis club.

“You don't think Momo would be able to smash them in under four minutes? Have you seen the last game they played? She made them cry.”

“I added a minute because have you seen who her partner is? Minatozaki Sana, you know her don't you?”

Dahyun purses her lips. Of course she knows who Minatozaki Sana is - the girl who made her forget her mother language in just a few seconds and gave it back just a few seconds after.

“Fine. You're right, but I believe in Momo. She didn't win the singles tournament for nothing!”

Chaeyoung smacks her up alongside her head. “Singles are way different from doubles you idiot. There's this level of coordination you have to have and if you've seen their practices - you'd know this Minatozaki girl ain't going to cut it. Christ, I want whatever our tennis coach has been smoking pairing her up with Momo.”

“We both know you don't do drugs. You act all tough but you're just afraid.”

“Oh piss off.”)

//

Saturday is a chore to live through.

It starts with waking up on the couch, staring at that ceiling that was painted navy blue for some reason for who knows how long. Though when the sun hits her in the face, it must be somewhere around noon when she gets up and contemplates about what she should do next.

She doesn’t bother eating lunch, her stomach not rumbling like it usually does - like it lost all semblance of what is was supposed to do (which is rumble when she needs it).

The moment she steps out of the train station off to get her clothes at the dry cleaners, she’s glad that her stomach didn’t tell her to eat.

Because if she did, she’ll have the food strewn across the concrete steps and she didn’t want to cause such a scene.

Dahyun hides behind a pole, eyes peering out as she leans. It’s terrifying, so ing frightening. There must have been something in the liquor she drank last night, because this is not ing happening.

She’s there with her best friend laughing without a care in the world - slapping her shoulder as something funny must’ve came up.

It hurts when they turn and their hands come into full view - locked together.

Dahyun wants to rip her own eyes out and burn them, but she can’t stop staring.

//

(“This is Myoui Mina speaking.”

Dahyun presses the phone against her ear as she frowns. This Myoui Mina answering Minatozaki Sana’s phone? Dahyun’s not sure she follows nor does she like what’s going on.

It’s Saturday morning. Fridays are usually the ones where crazy happens - Dahyun doesn’t expect it to happen the day after either.

Still, she answers albeit apprehensive on the situation.

“Kim Dahyun. My name is Kim Dahyun. I-uh Sana gave me this number to call, but I must’ve gotten the wrong one. Sorry.”

She’s about to hang up if not for loud rustling and the soft ‘give me that’ over the phone.

Next thing Dahyun knows, her ears are getting blessed by none other than Minatozaki Sana.

“I’m sorry about that. Mina has a sick sense of humour answering other people’s phones while they sleep.”

Dahyun bites her lip. There was something going on.

“No worries. I was just wondering…” Dahyun sighs. “-nevermind forget it.”

She hangs up and her arm carrying her phone slumps to her side.

There’s no way Minatozaki Sana would be so careful as to-

Her phone vibrates and she’s left speechless as to the text that adorns itself onto her screen proudly.

[08:37:57] Minatozaki Sana: Dinner later? I need to talk to you.)

//

Dahyun sits alone, typing away on her computer in the library, trying to get her work done. However in this god-forsaken library, distractions come in droves and she’s left reading a twitter feed on how there was a shooting outside a restaurant just a mile away.

Christ, Dahyun’s never heard of a library this loud before - must be some new-age thing.

(Dahyun’s acting like she’s old when she’s probably the most childish in her group of friends)

She just can’t find any peace today. This is her off day and not a single thing is going right so far. She’s seriously contemplating on riding the train back to the bar again and getting wasted.

However, two nights in a row of continuous drinking is hardly practical for someone of her meager bank account.

She doesn’t have anyone anymore to share the bills either.

“I’m sorry but can I take this seat?” Dahyun looks up and smiles politely at the woman in front of her - a little taller than Chaeyoung, more voluptuous and well endowed too.

Dahyun looks to her own chest before scrunching her nose in annoyance. Some people just get lucky with the genes, she guesses.

Dahyun gestures for her that it’s okay and the woman gladly takes a seat - pulling out a book in the process.

A Visit From the Goon Squad. Dahyun gives a slight smile - seeing that this woman is reading one of her favorite books. Okay alright, maybe some things are going right today.

“Are you at the slideshow?” Dahyun asks abruptly and she regrets every fiber in her being that gave her such gall to speak out like that.

Though when the woman shakes her head ‘no’ and says, “What’s that?”, she knows it’ll be alright.

//

(Dinner consisted of shy stares and welcome advances - coupled with the fact that Dahyun’s internal organs must be bleeding, but it’ll be alright considering nursing major Minatozaki Sana is there to heal her wounds. (Although she’s hella scared since she saw the tennis match and wondered how Sana got into the team the first place).

But past the explosions in her stomach and everywhere inside - Dahyun’s cool, calm, and collected on the outside. With a confident smile and her chin up, it seems as though she has everything under wraps (meaning: she wants to wrap herself up and throw herself into the incoming traffic but that’s besides the point).

She doesn’t know how, but Sana has gotten a hold of her hand and is grasping it firm but soft - tight enough for Dahyun to not be loose but also not hurting the poor girl.

Dahyun’s not sure if she likes this new form of skinship.

“Dinner was fun. Let’s do it again sometime.”

She’s not sure if she nod ‘yes’ or just shake her head ‘no’. There’s so many damn possibilities and Dahyun wants to be right this time. No mistakes, just pure genius should be the way to go right now.

Then she remembers the phone call earlier today and she frowns once more.

“Yeah. You should bring your girlfriend too. Myoui Mina?”

“Mina? Oh, sorry that must’ve looked awfully like we’re...me and Mina aren’t like that. She just crashed at my place.”

Dahyun bites her lip. Honestly, she barely knows Sana. Her clumsy nature and her wry smirks are really what she’s paid attention to. She’s not sure if Sana’s lying, but who is she to say she is? She’s no oracle. The closest thing she’s ever gotten to figuring out a person is when she’s being an armchair psychologist on reddit (and even that’s 50/50).

Although she’s going to trust her this time, however stupid this may be.

“Alright then. She’s not your girlfriend then. Is she coming?”

Dahyun hears nothing for a few moments and she turns her head to see Sana’s head down looking at the ground they’re walking on.

Her voice is soft, but it’s like cannons in Dahyun’s ears.

“But I want to be alone with you,” Sana whispers.)

//

Her name is Jihyo aka ‘Your genes are better than mine’. (Although Dahyun doesn’t say exactly that. It was close in nature.)

Dahyun’s less than deft hands were tugged by Jihyo’s more agile ones to the restaurant a block down from the library, each holding their respective books in hand - Dahyun’s 11/22/63 and Jihyo’s A Visit from the Goon Squad. It had been an hour when they met, both of them sitting down and talking about literature, to this current moment where they’re sharing shy stares from across the table.