A smaller beach town outside of Brisbane and Sunshine Coast. It was a perfect spot to celebrate their first year as adults. A year out of high school, Seonghwa and his group of friends wanted a trip away their home country of South Korea. Australia, a massive exotic land with massive exotic possibilities, had been on the group’s collective bucket list for the past couple years. But a standard tourist trap destination would never catch their eye. While they wanted a beach, they preferred a smaller one, though also not a potential murder dump. There were enough resorts to attract exotic singles, and enough local haunts to thrill their need to experience a different kind of normal.

After a day of watching his friends try, and fail, to pick up girls Seonghwa left them to drink the night away in their hotel room. Earlier, on their searches for food Seonghwa had spotted a bar that called to him not far from their hotel. He took to the night streets, smiling at happy tourists passing along the way.

The bar wasn’t special and that was exactly what he liked about it. A stucco face painted a dusky yellow, an outdoor patio to the side, palm frond decorations, and an 80s rock playlist lightly carried on the winds. Seonghwa opened the door and walked inside, not even sure what to expect.

The lighting was dim. To his right an open room with retro arcade games and a billiards table, to his left the bar with stools in various shapes and states of disrepair. Seonghwa stood out strongly in his skinny jeans and loose button-down shirt, front tucked into his waistband. The locals were all in shorts and tank tops, but they didn’t stare too long at the newcomer, judgements passed silently as they continued their drinks and conversations. He ordered a Jameson and coke, choosing to not sit on one of the stools, leaning against the bar instead while waiting for his pour. With no one looking open to conversation in this room, Seonghwa stepped away with his drink to try his luck in the game room.

A few men and girls were crowding a fighting arcade game, yelling out moves that they would make and cheering for strikes landed. But the crack of a fresh break on the pool table caught Seonghwa’s attention. A young man with a head of fluffy, bleach fried blond hair caught his breath. Seonghwa swallowed some of his drink and made his way to a corner of the room, hoping he wasn’t too obvious in his staring.

The blond was Asian, Seonghwa couldn’t tell from his face, or style which country he might descend from. His baggy cargo shorts, sweaty tank top covered in an open short sleeve button down, made him feel very local. It was the accent that made it obvious he belonged here, an Australian drawl and completely irristible at that. As he hit shots and pocketed balls, Seonghwa heard his friends call him Chris.

Chris was gorgeous and Seonghwa couldn’t stop himself from touching his own short dirty blond hair, and neck. Chris and those shoulders that were just broad enough, just strong enough, stealing all of his attention. His hands were wide and rough, looking as capable with a sledgehammer as they would be with a delicate ing. As Chris leaned in to line up shots on the table, Seonghwa could see his body was athletic and well muscled. Trying to stop himself staring his body up and down, Seonghwa stole glances at his face. Rectangular and smooth, strong chin and wide full lips. A nose too big to be attractive on any other face, was charmingly beautiful on his.

Before he’d realized it, Seonghwa had finished his first drink and felt a little flush in his cheeks from it, or was that from the gorgeous man and his way with the table? He got up for some air, returning his empty glass to the bar and ordering another. He couldn't believe how instantly his mind had undressed a random stranger. Something in the water, and the heat. Composing himself, he tried to look natural, glancing at the other inhabitants of the bar and doing his best to immulate them. Calm, and relaxed Seonghwa, who definitely didn't care if there was an incredibly y guy the next room over.

Returning to the billiards room, Seonghwa was greeted with a full smile from that beautiful face and an offer. “Do you play mate? Fancy a game?” Instant loss of composure. Seonghwa swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to remember his English to reply. "Ye- Yeah." The most intelligent, throat cleared mid word, reply he could muster.