Sleep was not Seulgi’s friend that Thursday night. The hours ticked by as she pored over her notes and text, interrupted only by Sooyoung’s return two hours after midnight. The younger girl attributed her early arrival to the lack of both drugs and “interesting” (Sooyoung’s codeword for “”) people at the party she’d chosen to attend. To Seulgi’s pleasant surprise, Sooyoung brought home a container of Seulgi's favorite chicken and broccoli meal along with a large can of coffee. Perhaps Sooyoung believed that her roommate was still in a depressed mood, but it was actually quite the opposite.

    Midway through that surreal night, Seulgi had taken a short break from studying in order to smoke. She knew that use was counterintuitive to productivity, but she ignored her better judgement and spent three full hours working on her songs. During that time, her attitude took an odd shift, and she was compelled to hold Joohyun’s earring in her hand as she did so. She tossed the gemstone up and down, its alterations in her perception of the world flickering on and off with each twist of her wrist. Creative energy coursed through her, crashing through her veins and arteries, tingling over the heads of her nerves and the shafts of her bones. She pounded away at her keyboard, lyrics leaving her as she muttered them under her breath, white electric glow emanating from the laptop screen and playing on her face.

    Connections were made, conclusions were drawn. Writing had always been a cathartic act for her, but never had it brought such sincere euphoria, such clarity of the mind. Her consciousness flowed like a stream, and she thought of the predicament she was in. She still hesitated to use the word “magical” - the logician in her was too strong for that, at least in the present moment - but whatever Joohyun’s earring was doing to her was something beyond current human understanding. In between gluts of musical inspiration she did some cursory research on the phenomenon the jewel incited, found no reasonable explanation for it.

Seulgi briefly mused on the concept of calling her brother, asking him for advice, then thought better of it. They had their own burdens to deal with at home. She didn’t need to drag them into her mess of a life. She would shoulder this burden (whatever it was) alone.

    And was it really a burden? As a child she’d yearned to become involved in the supernatural, whisked away from her bland life and thrown into a world of magic and romance. Whether it was Hogwarts or the Underland, Arrakis or Roshar, Middle Earth or Gilead, she dreamt of glory, quests, and adventure. Now, at the age of twenty-one, it seemed that such an opportunity was presenting itself. And, in all honesty, it excited her. The questions at the forefront of her ponderings became whether she would find herself within the pages of an epic fantasy novel or the dark scenes of a horror film.

    When dawn came, Seulgi made her way to the classroom, leaving behind a snoring Sooyoung. The exam went by in a blur of simple questions. Even the open-ended ones came easily to her, and by ten that morning she was sprawled out in her bed, recovering from the tribulations of the night.

    Seulgi awoke just before sunset. The morning had been overcast, but the beauty of long-angled sunlight and fresh azure flashed outside her window. The room was empty, though Sooyoung’s side showed signs that the younger girl had performed her weekly tidying up at some point during the day. Despite the drastic shift in her sleep schedule, Seulgi felt positively refreshed. Maybe it was the prospect of seeing Joohyun tonight, or the anticipation for answers about the darkness-bending earring.

    Seulgi texted Sooyoung just before she hopped in the shower, seeking advice on what exact outfit to wear that night. What followed was a series of disjointed video phone calls, involving an already-drunk Sooyoung (and, embarrassingly, some of Sooyoung’s rowdy drinking friends) appraising each of Seulgi’s proposed outfits for the evening. Eventually they conceded on a black, billowing crop top as well as a pair of her nicest, most form-fitting jeans. Afterward, Seulgi wolfed down a small meal of peanut butter, graham crackers, and coffee, smoked a bowl, and - at Sooyoung’s prior recommendation - took three shots of some disgustingly sweet cinnamon whiskey. As she brushed her teeth, she received a text from Sooyoung stating that they could meet at the Lounge around ten. Seulgi knew that meant ten thirty at the earliest, so she decided to sit down and write while she waited.

    Joohyun’s earring sat beside her as she typed away. Occasionally, she matched the lyrics with sweet, upbeat, undulating chords. The song was completed by nine, and by that point Seulgi had begun to feel the crawling pitter-patter of nervousness sneaking into her gut. Compelled by its drive, she found herself walking out into the night by nine fifteen.

    Tempted as she was, Seulgi avoided touching Joohyun’s earring the entire ride to Main Avenue Campus, having decided that it was best for her to learn more about it before she activated its mysterious effects again.

***

    The Galactic Lounge was nearly empty when Seulgi arrived. She took the same seat she’d taken before, examining the interior of the bar. There was one other woman sitting on a cushion, auburn-haired with full cheeks despite her slim frame. She didn’t look away from the book she was reading as Seulgi entered the Lounge.

    “Evening,” Thomas said, walking over to Seulgi and adjusting his spectacles. He wore a polka-dotted bow tie that night. “What can I get you tonight?”

    “Um. What do you recommend?” Seulgi asked. She now knew better than to try deciphering the menu without Joohyun’s help.

    “You seem like a gin and tonic kinda gal,” the bartender said. “Simple and easy to stomach.”

    “Is that supposed to be a compliment or an insult?” Seulgi asked, cocking an eyebrow.

    “A compliment for sure,” Thomas said smoothly, words flowing into his own mirror of Seulgi’s grin. “Waiting for Joohyun, right?”

    Seulgi started. “I am, yeah. How’d you know that?”

    “She mentioned it last night,” Thomas said. “She seemed excited.”

    Before Seulgi could question the man further, he swept away to fix her drink.

    As if I wasn’t already obsessed enough. Seulgi thought ruefully, looking around.

Without any patrons present, the Galactic Lounge appeared blander. Still nice as far as Main Avenue bars went, but missing an essential component of its atmosphere. The lighting was the same, but it lacked a magical quality about it that the gyrating figures and laughing voices seemed to bring with them. The dance floor was the most affected; it no longer looked abyssal or distant, but rather a normal stretch of plain white tile.

    Seulgi’s hand dropped to the space in her pocket where Joohyun’s earring was nestled away. What was the implication there? That the people who came to this club, rather than the club itself, gave it the paranormal traits it had? Seulgi stole a glance at the woman seated on the couch, noting that she had a set of earbuds in. The woman was still lost in her book, balled fist pressing against her chin, attention honed in on whatever she was reading. Was that woman part of this whole affair? Was she aware of the goings on here? If Seulgi was a braver girl - like Sooyoung, for instance - she may have approached this woman, struck up a conversation with her, and tried to get some answers before Joohyun arrived. But Seulgi wasn’t Sooyoung, so she sipped her gin and waited.

    Within twenty minutes of Seulgi’s arrival, others began to trickle in. Immaculately dressed, model-esque women dangled from the arms of tall, chiseled men in tuxedos like intricate ornaments. People of all cultures and ethnicities, with various accents and intonations, all gorgeous, all just imperfect enough to appear human. Yet again Seulgi felt underdressed, but no one showed signs of notice. They offered her polite greetings as they passed, forming congregations around the bar, greeting Thomas and putting orders in for food and drink. Seulgi darted her head around as the crowd thickened, hoping to see Joohyun’s familiar face as she arrived. Instead she was greeted by the grinning countenance of her roommate as she maneuvered her way into the seat beside Seulgi’s.

    “Hey, roomie,” Sooyoung said, leaning and looking around. “So, where is she?”

    “Not here yet,” Seulgi whispered, making sure that no one was listening in on their conversation. “I’m honestly shocked that you showed up this early.”

    “I was too excited. What are you drinking? Do they have Jack and coke here?”

    “Probably,” Seulgi said offhandedly, realizing that they were being approached by a familiar face. A more youthful version of Joohyun, with a dimpled smile and a curtain of dazzlingly blonde hair.

“Hey, Yerim,” Seulgi said quietly.

“Call me Yeri,” the girl answered. She turned to Sooyoung. There was a gravity about her gaze that Seulgi had seen all too often when people met Sooyoung for the first time. “And who’s this?”

“Sooyoung. I’m Seulgi’s roommate.”

They clasped their hands together and shook, lingering a bit longer than was the norm for a formal greeting. 

“I’m Joohyun’s sister,” Yerim scanned the crowd, pointed at the woman on the couch. She remained reading her book, ignoring the world around her. “That’s Seungwan. She’s my sister, too.”

“Where’s Joohyun at?” Sooyoung asked, inspecting the area around Seungwan.

For some reason, Yerim’s cheeks took on a slight pink hue, and she gained a sudden interest in fiddling with her fingers. “She’s still getting ready. She’ll be here soon.”

Seulgi exchanged a look with her roommate, but luckily Sooyoung refrained from making a potentially embarrassing remark. For once.

Thomas brought a drink over for Yerim. It was tan in color, with frothy whipped cream at the top.

“Irish coffee?” Sooyoung asked. “Good choice. I might get one too.”

Seulgi begrudgingly admitted to herself that she was glad for Sooyoung’s presence. The younger girl had a far better grasp for casual conversation than she ever could.

Yerim’s blush deepened. “Um… no, I don’t know what that is, actually. If there’s liquor in it, I’m not allowed to drink it. Joohyun and Seungwan say I’m not old enough yet. This is hot chocolate. Do you want a sip?”

“Oh,” Sooyoung said, showing only a small flutter of the confusion she must have felt at Yerim’s words. Then, she continued in the gentlest voice that Seulgi had ever heard her roommate produce. “Well, it’s a coffee with whiskey in it. How old are you?”

“Eighteen, technically.” Yerim said, lips parting into a thin, shy grin.

“I’m nineteen,” Sooyoung said. Then, to Seulgi’s shock, she leaned in, placed her lips at the edge of Yerim’s drink, and drank. She drew back, the foam from as she did so. “Wow! That tastes amazing!”

Yerim giggled, betraying her relief with a tone that shifted from tense to comforted. “You want me to order you one?”

“Yes, I do,” Sooyoung said, “But since you opened my eyes to this wonderful drink, I’ll pay for both of them.”

With a thrilled exclamation of agreeance, Yerim skipped off to Thomas, who was polishing a glass on the opposite end of the bar.

When Yerim was out of earshot, Seulgi held both hands up to Sooyoung in a gesture of utter bewilderment. “What was that?”

Sooyoung shrugged and didn't meet Seulgi’s eyes. “She seems sweet.”

“I…” Seulgi trailed off, searching for the proper words to express her confusion. She was unable to. “You’re an enigma, Sooyoung.”

    A flash of Sooyoung’s usual self came to light, and she winked. “That’s the point. I always keep ‘em guessing.”

    Yerim returned with two hot chocolates as well as the bill for both drinks. Sooyoung took this development in stride, taking her credit card from her wallet before leading Yerim to the other side of the bar to pay.

Before they left, Sooyoung gave Seugi a pat on the back and whispered to her: “I figure you wouldn’t want me around for when Joohyun gets here.”

Both women vanished into the throng of people. Seulgi shook her head slowly, watching them go.

Whatever. I’ll unpack that later. For now-

A gentle tap on Seulgi’s shoulder broke her stream of thought. Joohyun smiled at her as she turned, giving her no opportunity to relax before wrapping both of her arms around Seulgi in a quick embrace.

“Hello,” Joohyun said, taking the seat Sooyoung had vacated. “Sorry I’m late. I had some things to take care of before I came down.”

Seulgi, still flustered from the sensation of Joohyun’s body pressed against her own, merely gave a high-pitched giggle and a shrug in response.

Joohyun wore a jet black dress, milky shoulders and collarbone revealed above curls of thin, frilly fabric. She continued with the form-fitting design (a fashion choice which Seulgi wholeheartedly supported), extenuating the wide curves of her hips. The dress ended just above her mid-thigh, toned quadriceps flashing with each subtle movement of her legs. Her hair was held up in a long ponytail. Unobscured, the heavenly aesthetic of her face was frank, almost cosmic. Jaw like chiseled marble, eyes that sparkled with the glow of the overhead lights, making them seem as though they were shimmering pools of liquid chocolate. Pinned to her left ear was a gemstone identical to the one in Seulgi’s pocket.

    “How has your week been?” Joohyun asked as Thomas floated his way over to take her order.

    Seulgi finished her drink and requested another (whatever Joohyun was having) before answering. “It’s been good. Busy with schoolwork and tutoring, and,”

    Seulgi hesitated, felt the earring’s heavy weight in her pocket. “Other stuff.”

    “I would imagine the coursework for biology classes is rather rigorous,” Joohyun said. “How is your art going? Have you found time for it?”

    Thomas delivered their drinks. Seulgi wasn’t sure what Joohyun had exactly ordered - she had merely pointed to the item she desired - but its light pink body and fruity smell seemed agreeable enough. “In between studying, yeah. I actually got a song done this week, which under normal circumstances takes me double that.”

    Joohyun beamed. “That’s great! You should sing it for me when you get the chance.”

    A furious heat crept its way into Seulgi’s cheeks, and she took a sip of the mystery drink. It tasted of cranberries, with the warm tint of hard liquor leaving a trail down .

    “I dunno about that…” she said uncertainly, worrying that she may offend Joohyun. “I don’t usually sing for people, or share my songs with anyone, for that matter.”

    “That’s alright then,” Joohyun said in the same cheery tone. “Art can be a private affair. You aren’t obliged to share it with anyone else.”

    Seulgi was momentarily dumbfounded by Joohyun’s answer. She’d never received such a response from someone who wanted to view her work. Normally, they’d poke and prod, urging her to perform for them as though she were a circus animal put on display for their amusement. It always ended in a stream of muttered, awkward refusals and apologies.

    “Th-thank you,” Seulgi finally managed to squeak out. “I appreciate your thoughtfulness.”

    “It’s nothing. Simple courtesy, is all,” Joohyun took a drink and peered past Seulgi. “Have you seen my sister, Yerim? She said she would meet me here.”

    “Yeah, actually,” Seulgi replied, happy to change the subject. “She’s with my roommate, Sooyoung. They’re drinking hot chocolate together.”

    Why did that sound so weird to say out loud?

    Joohyun stiffened and put her drink down. Perplexed, Seulgi followed her gaze to the dance floor. Five figures basked and scintillated in the music, faces hidden by a shroud of darkening, sparkle-flecked fog. Three of them danced independently. The remaining two moved as a pair, their forms melding behind that curtain of pseudo-space, making them appear as a single, multi-limbed being when they drew close. Though it was difficult to tell for sure, Seulgi thought she caught glimpses of Sooyoung’s cream-hued blouse, or perhaps the gold tassels that hung from Yerim’s dress.

    Seulgi squinted, watching them, only partially registering the disapproving cast that had begun to come over Joohyun. She recalled having to walk through the dance floor last week, and the horrible sense of terror it had instilled in her. She had previously attributed that feeling to her excessive drinking, but with the effects of Joohyun’s earring in mind-

    “What are Sooyoung’s intentions with my sister?” Joohyun asked coolly, snapping Seulgi back to the present.

    “Huh?”

    “Their dancing is rather intimate, don’t you think?” Joohyun said without taking her eyes off the pair. “It’s almost inappropriate.”

    Seulgi frowned. “Well, I mean… I can’t really tell from here. There’s this weird fog over them. Makes it hard to see.”

    Joohyun made no comment, and instead sipped her drink. Her attention remained fixed on Yerim and Sooyoung.

    Well, this is as good a time as any, I guess.

    “So I’ve been meaning to bring something up,” Seulgi said, fishing in her pocket. “The other night, when you helped me get into that taxi, I think you dropped your earring.”

    Joohyun looked down at the earring in Seulgi’s hand, finally torn away from watching her sister, lips parted in disbelief. Seulgi ignored the squirming shadows that had started to caress the world around her.

    “I noticed it the next morning and decided that I would give it to you tonight,” Seulgi took a deep breath, allowed Joohyun to take the gem from her sweat-slicked hand. “And, I’m sure this is gonna sound crazy, but when I touch the earring, it makes things get kinda weird. Like… the shadows change, and start moving on their own, without any changes in the light. They bend, and start to radiate out, almost like they’re coming toward the earring.”

“I know what you mean, yes. I’m sorry you had to experience those things.” Joohyun said, palming the earring. Her tone carried the strained evenness of a woman who was just barely keeping herself together.

Seulgi swallowed, becoming aware of how hard her heart was pounding in her chest, how tight her lungs felt beneath the sudden weight of the conversation.

“So it was real?” she whispered, inching as close to Joohyun as she could, social convention tossed aside in the wake of her revelation. “I’m not crazy?”

Joohyun held Seulgi’s stare. Sadness flowed beneath the surface of those chocolate pools, tugging at Seulgi’s already fatigued heartstrings.

“It’s real. And I wish you hadn’t learned of it.” Joohyun whispered. She placed her hand over Seulgi’s. It was soft and warm. Seulgi longed for the courage to link their fingers together. “Can you try to forget it happened?”

    Seulgi had considered hundreds of possible responses from Joohyun - from avoidance of the subject, to denial, to enthusiasm - but melancholy was not one of them.

    “Why?”

    Joohyun finished her drink. “I would rather not get into it.”

    “But-” Seulgi began, then stopped, grasping for a way to delve deeper. Was this some type of ancient, forbidden magic that Joohyun had accidentally allowed to slip?

    “Seulgi,” Joohyun pleaded, taking Seulgi’s hand, cupping it between her own. A surge of hot chills ran through Seulgi’s forearm, made its way into her torso, spread across her entire body. “Can we just talk about it later?”

    Joohyun’s utter desperation was far too much for Seulgi to shrug off. There was no way she could knowingly deny this woman.

    “If you insist,” Seulgi said. “But can you just answer one thing?”

    Joohyun sighed and nodded. Seulgi was unsure of whether it was a sigh of relief or resignation.

    “Is it magic?”

    A hint of a smile broke through the gloom of Joohyun’s sadness. “No, far from it. Magic is too sweet of a word. Would you like to see real magic?”

    “If absorbing shadows isn’t magic, then yeah, I’d totally like to see what you’d consider ‘real magic’.”

    Joohyun released Seulgi’s hand from her own. She placed the pads of her fingers against the bar, dimpling the glow thrown by the overhead bulbs. Her fingers curled, and with them came five spheres of orange, leaving empty spaces of shade in their place. Joohyun turned her palm upward. The spheres blurred with movement, but remained attached to Joohyun’s fingertips.

    “That earring molds shadows,” she whispered, bringing her fingertips together. “I can mold the light. Bring your hand here.”

    Seulgi obeyed. Joohyun ran the glowing tips of her fingers along Seulgi’s knuckles. Smears of burnt orange left tracks against her skin. There was a liquid heat about them, and they began to fade as Joohyun pulled away. As they vanished, the light returned to the empty spaces she had stolen them from.

    “You can’t just show me that and not explain it,” Seulgi said, still staring at the spots on her hand. “So you can control the shadows and the light?”

    Joohyun turned her hand, opened her fingers, and revealed a ring. Gold-banded, with a strip of white diamond running along the center of its form. Joohyun took Seulgi’s left hand by the wrist, and slipped the ring onto the fourth finger. It fit perfectly. Unlike with the earring, there was no immediate effect on reality, but Seulgi could feel a charged energy inside and around the piece of jewelry.

    “Yes. And now you can, too.”

    Seulgi looked over the ring, turning it about, inspecting it with awe and apprehension. She cocked an eyebrow. “If you didn’t want me to have earring, why are you alright with me having the ring?”

    “That ring’s powers suit you much better, Seulgi.” Joohyun said with an intonation that implied that the answer was obvious. “They’re pure and beautiful.”

    Taken aback by the unexpected compliment, Seulgi nearly choked on her drink. Joohyun thumped her on the back a few times to assist her coughing.

    “Sorry,” Seulgi said, voice strained and hoarse. “I’m not used to being complimented like that. Thank you.”

    “I can tell,” Joohyun said with a giggle. “And you’re welcome.”

    Seulgi took another drink, slower this time, in order to clear fully. As she did, realization struck her like a train.

    She just completely dodged my question.

    The cruel mistress that was social anxiety prevented Seulgi from confronting Joohyun. She found herself wondering whether Sooyoung had brought any Xanax with her.

    “So what’s going on with the dancing?” Seulgi decided to ask, pointing over at the dance floor. “Why is everything so clouded for me?”

    “That I cannot tell you. Not by choice, either. I can see the dancers as plain as the Sun and the Moon.” Joohyun said. Then, with a hint of annoyance, “Including the way your roommate is groping my little sister.”

    Seulgi chuckled, earning her an exaggerated glare from Joohyun. The attraction between Yerim and Sooyoung seemed insignificant in the face of the newly uncovered fact that magic existed. “Sooyoung’s bold when it comes to romance. She can be very forward. But she’s a sweetheart, at her core. Trust me.”

    “I’ll trust you on that. So long as she doesn’t hurt my Yerim,” Joohyun said. There was a borderline obsessive quality about the way she spoke that reminded Seulgi of how her brother had acted, back in high school when boys had expressed interest in her. Not that their advances had ever amounted to anything.

“On the topic of romance, you and your roommate are opposites, then?” Joohyun said, regarding Seulgi with a piercing stare from above the rim of her glass.

    Again, Seulgi nearly choked. She managed to prevent herself from inhaling her liquor, however.

    “Is it that obvious?” Seulgi asked, unable to filter her thoughts, blinded by shock.

    “No, I wouldn’t say that. It’s merely an assumption I can make from the way you act.”

    With that, Joohyun took Seulgi’s hand in hers, began inspecting the ring. Throbs of heat rushed through Seulgi’s body. Was this a kind of spell that Joohyun had cast on her? Or was this a product of Seulgi’s immense, insatiable infatuation?

“I’m surprised you haven’t tried using this yet. Most mortals would be too enticed by the idea of it. Or, at least, that’s what I’ve been told.” Joohyun turned Seulgi’s hand about, scrutinizing it, eyebrows coming together and lips pressing into a wet, pink, wrinkleless line.

    “You’re immortal?” Seulgi asked, mesmerized by the way Joohyun was manipulating her limb. Then, remembering what Joohyun had said before, “Sorry, I don’t mean to pry. I know you don’t want to talk about it.”

    “No, there are only certain topics I would rather not discuss. Immortal may not be the proper word for it, but you and I are certainly not of the same breed.” Breaking pretense, Joohyun allowed their fingers to interlock. Breathily, with a glazed stare that made Seulgi’s pulse kick into an unhealthy rhythm, she whispered, “That doesn’t bother you, does it?”

    Suddenly, the room seemed very hot.

    “N-no,” Seulgi murmured. “Not at all.”

    An extra second of locked eyes, Joohyun’s searching for something that Seulgi couldn’t fathom, Seulgi’s gawking at the sheer exquisivity of the woman she was blessed to be so near. And then, the moment was gone. Fluttering away in a hollow wind as Joohyun pulled back, rested against the bar, pale point of her elbow pressing to the hardwood as she tipped an ice cube from her glass and into . She continued to look at Seulgi, an air of smokey inquisition crashing like storms across those hazel oceans as if she were daring the meek woman before her to make a move.

    “What are you, Joohyun?” Seulgi heard herself asking.

    A twinkle of humor from her personal angel, l followed by the chastising wag of a finger and a slight shake of the head. The message was clear. Some answers would come easily, but not all of them.

    That was fine with Seulgi. She loved a good mystery, even within the context of the fantasy romance that her life had become.

    From behind her came a damningly familiar voice, breaking the tension that had knotted between the two stars as their orbits grew dangerously close to one another.

    “Alright, I think I need an actual drink now,” Sooyoung said. She came up to the bar, jamming herself between Joohyun and Seulgi, leading Yerim by the arm. The pair were sweaty, chests heaving with labor and tiredness, cheeks flushed with a crimson that couldn’t have stemmed solely from dancing.

    We’re not the only ones doing some flirting tonight. Seulgi thought.

    Yerim’s goofy, relaxed grin fell as she was met with Joohyun’s shrewd visage. “Um, just a soda for me.”

    “Oh?” Sooyoung said, pausing midway through the order she was barking to Thomas, “I thought you wanted-”

    Sooyoung caught Joohyun’s gaze. Even beneath the frigid weight of the woman’s regard, she did not falter. “Hey, I’m Sooyoung. It’s nice to meet you.”

    Joohyun nodded, then addressed Yerim. “Seungwan was looking for you.”

    The blonde opened in what could have been protest, but then seemed to think better of it, giving a squeak of affirmation before darting off.

    Undeterred, Sooyoung continued to order. “You want another drink, Seul?”

    “Sure,” Seulgi said, looking back and forth between Sooyoung and Joohyun. Something was wrong. Sooyoung had seemed so excited to meet the woman before, but now given the opportunity, she seemed to be flat out ignoring her. “Your choice.”

    Sooyoung ordered a soda (Seulgi would have laughed at the irony of it, had she not been paralyzed into silence) and two shots of vodka. She did not offer anything to Joohyun, and instead pulled her phone out and began pounding away at her keyboard.

    “You seem to have taken a liking to my sister,” Joohyun said.

    Without looking up from her phone, Sooyoung’s lips turned upward. The expression was more sneer-like than a true smile.

    “Yeah, she seems really nice. Kind of a bummer that she’s not allowed to drink, though.”

    “Seungwan and I have that rule that for good reason,” Joohyun said, conveying a labored sense of casuality in her tone. “She’s young and naive. It prevents her being taken advantage of.”

    Thomas dropped the three drinks on the bar before them. Sooyoung took one of the shots, passed it to Seulgi with enough force to spill some on the monolidded woman’s hands, then took her own shot without flinching.

    Sooyoung’s sneer transformed into a rictus. The look aged the younger woman by a decade, made her appear corpse-like. Seulgi had only seen Sooyoung like this a handful of times, chiefly in situations where she was belligerently drunk, or under the influence of a large amount of . In every case, the outcome hadn’t been pretty.

    “Taking advantage of people is something that you’re pretty familiar with, huh, Joohyun?”

    Joohyun gasped, color rising in her face, fists clenching at her sides.

    Seulgi stood, emboldened by the moderate buzz of alcohol that burned within her.

    “Hey, calm down,” she said pointedly, standing between the two women and giving Sooyoung a death glare. “What’s your deal?”

    Sooyoung gulped down Seulgi’s abandoned shot.

“We can talk about it later. I left my glove in your car.” Sooyoung turned to Joohyun, the soda at her with vehemence. “Here, give this to Yerim. Tell her I had a wonderful night, and that I’ll be seeing her in a couple days for our date.”

    With that, Sooyoung seized Seulgi by the arm and began dragging her toward the front door. Curious bargoers watched their grand departure, particularly Yerim, who stood beside a still-seated Seungwan, hand cupped over in what was probably horror.

    Joohyun sputtered, meaningless words falling from her lips with indignant emotion. Seulgi noted the spider web of cracks that had started to appear on the side of glass as she was whisked away.

    That’s not just a trick of the light. She’s just that strong.

    Sooyoung and Seulgi burst into the night, met by a fine mist of rain and a handful of insincerely jolly moonbeams. A few people were lounging outside of the bar, smoking cigarettes and chatting amongst themselves. They paid the girls no heed.

    “What the was that?” Seulgi demanded, tearing free of her roommate’s grip. “You know the ‘glove in my car’ code is only for emergencies.”

    “It was close enough to an emergency. It was me saving you from having your heart broken,” Sooyoung said. “I called a cab. We’re going home.”

    “What are you talking about?”

    “I’m talking about Joohyun, and her hypocritical ways. Of course she didn’t tell you, did she?”

    Seulgi exhaled heavily through her nostrils, trying to extinguish the growing fire of her temper. “Give me a straight answer.”

    “In between dancing with Yerim, we got to talking about her family.” Sooyoung paused, considered something briefly, then spoke again. “I’ll spare you the details. Bottom line is, Joohyun is deceiving you. She isn’t who she says she is.”

    Reflexively, Seulgi’s hand went to her ring. Its pulsating glow intensified as she rubbed her flesh against the jewel. Sooyoung didn’t appear to notice. She held Seulgi by the shoulders, looked her in the eye. The hardened mask that had dominated her softened, melting beneath the rains of pity.

    “Joohyun is married, Seulgi.” Sooyoung said softly. “She has a husband.”

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Longer chapter, but much more going on here than in the previous. Got some answers, but even more questions. Who is Joohyun's husband? Why is she so hesitant to talk about the shadow magic?

Next chapter is an "interlude" chapter, from the POV of a different character. Can you guess who it'll be?

Remember to upvote if you enjoy the story!

Thanks for reading!