A warm breeze blew across the shop, wind chimes echoing in harmony with the autumn air as Seulgi flipped the CLOSED sign to OPEN. The carved wooden signage just above the entrance, KSGalleria, now decorated with leaves of amber and green, marking a fresh beginning for autumn.

It's a sunny Monday morning. According to today's schedule, Seulgi still has an hour until her students arrive. She made her way from the entrance towards the back door, never getting tired of sparing a glance at the variety of artwork displayed across a huge wall. From paintings to three layers of shelves filled with wooden and plastered crafts. A smile forms across her face as she stares at the mini chalkboard splayed at the center of all the extravagance. It seems out of place she thinks, like she always does every time she sees it. Written over the board, in white chalk, she reads:

 

Monday/Wednesday: Wood Carving & Sculpture

Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday: Acrylic, Oil & Watercolour Painting

Friday: Pottery

 

The schedule she's memorized by heart. Her everyday life fulfilling every inch of her passion. She's gotten so used to the cycle of it all. This is her home, literally since she lives on the fourth floor of this building and because this is what it's been like for the past few years. Any changes to the cycle may be too much, but if it's the good kind, she'll welcome it with open arms. The entirety of Rouge Street is her home. Her workshop, Wendy's recordshop (Mysterious Recordshop), Joy and Yeri's boutique (Sate Anne's Boutique), Lisa's gameshop (Lili's Arena), Jisoo's bar (Alc Dior), Chaeng's flowershop (Roses 'R Us), Jennie's bath and body shop (Rubyscents); the list goes on. Her best friends from high school, the people she holds dear to her heart, and all the other friends she made along the way.

The familiar sound of wind chimes interrupts her train of thought; announcing the arrival of a friend, or perhaps a stranger?

 

“Hey,” the stranger said.

Seulgi nods to the stranger.

“You look disappointed.”

“I just thought you were someone else.”

 

Wendy; a blonde shortie, her room neighbor, shop neighbor, hometown neighbor, her neighbor for life, best friend in short, stood at the entrance yawning.

 

“Wanna grab some breakfast?” the blonde asked

“Usual?”

“Well, no. There's a new burger place next door, to your left. Wanna try it?”

“It's still 7 in the morning?”

“Sign says they're open 24 hours. So, wanna try it?”

“Cool.”

 

Seulgi grabs her wallet and both of them made their way outside. The world was just the perfect kind of peaceful. A morning scene that she's gotten used to, serene in her personal sense of security. The sun shining through glass windows, the distant sound of a wife scolding her husband, tires screeching from the damp road the rain from the night before left behind, a newsstand announcing today's issue, hungover teenagers sloppily crossing the street, police sirens wailing in the distance, the sound of a man grunting because he stepped on dog poop. She inhales sharply, choking from the strong acidic stench of urine the drunk teenagers left behind. Ah, yes, the hustle and bustle of this part of the city never fails to make her feel like she's in her own version of a sanctuary.

 

“YOU FORGOT TO LOCK THE GLASS DOOR AGAIN!”

“I LEFT FIRST!”

“YOU DID NOT! YOU WERE IN THE BATHROOM WHEN I LEFT!”

 

Even the sound of her two friends arguing makes her feel at ease. Seulgi and Wendy watch the scene from across the street, a scene witnessed at least twice a week. It never gets old, the taller thinks. Joy looks pretty today, the blonde thinks. Seulgi looks over at her love struck emo best friend. The sparkle in her eyes says she's been in love with the same girl for years, but her lack of confidence and effort to prove it says otherwise. But the eyes, chico, they never lie.

The blonde waves her right hand signalling for their attention, looking a little too giddy compared to the yawning mess that showed up at the entrance of the workshop earlier.

Yeri; a short, short-haired brunette notices the signal and taps her long legged best friend, Joy. The aforementioned girl blondie has been in love with for years.

 

“Look at the little corgi! He looks so excited to see me!”

“That's Wendy.”

“Potayto, po-ta-to.”

 

The two wave back and immediately cross the street not even bothering to check for any cars that might, you know, run them over.

The entire street errupted in a series of honks and complaints from both sides of the road capturing both girls attention. At the same time, a few meters away from the chaos, the sound of a car door closing and engine starting could've been heard if not for the choruses of Monday morning blues. But the faint sound was still noticed by Seulgi. As she shifted her focus from the busy street towards the direction of a woman who just got into her car, the car drove away. And just like any other fragment of a day's memory, a trivial scenario, the memory of her noticing that scene was easily disregarded.

 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah! We already said we were sorry! Geez.”

“Hey toots.” the short brunette greeted the two women.

 

“Breakfast? New burger place.” the blonde said, pointing towards the direction of the new shop.

“Cool. Heard the owner is pretty.” Joy replied

 

It must've been the woman in the car. Seulgi thinks vaguely, although not sure why such information would even link to what Joy said. Amongst other passing thoughts.

 

“What? Word limit reached already? Not even a 'good morning Yerms!'?”

“Good morning, Yerms.” Seulgi said plainly.

“Ah, I just love your energy! Go, girl! Give us nothing!” Joy teased, earning a warm smile from Seulgi.

“Woah, high beam.” Wendy deadpanned and squinted.

 

The four of them went to the burger place. For a shop that had just opened a day ago with zero promotions, not even a soft opening or a hard opening or whatever the hell kind of opening there is, the place was reeling with hungry customers. The four didn't expect to wait in line for food at seven in the morning. More importantly, this amount of people are already awake at this time of the day? That's impressive.

And for a place so tiny, the amount of booths were endless. In a matter of seconds, kidding! we're not that fictional, minutes the four were already seated.

While everyone else was mesmerized by the pictures laid out on the menu, Seulgi couldn't help but appreciate the interior of the place. Rustic with a modern twist, she thinks. Not once did she find wood and metal combinations artistic, but the emphasis of a home-y rural vibe while incorporating a Western diner design made it work. It wasn't extravagant per se, but it was enough to attract curiosity.

The four ordered different types of burgers, So we could taste a variety of flavors all at once! Plus, think of all the money we could save! Yeri not so subtly coaxed the other three.

Once the orders arrived, the enthusiastic duo scrambled to take pictures of the food while the older two sat unamused and hungry.

 

Yeri ordered a barbecue cheeseburger, Joy ordered a grilled chicken burger, Wendy a vegetarian (the meat is still meat, it just has a lot of layers of vegetables), and Seulgi ordered the Double Patty special.

 

 

 

 

All the way across town, a phone rings. The driver of the vehicle that left the chaotic scene from earlier rummaged through her purse. Eyes glossy from lack of sleep? Crying? Exhaustion? Or a reaction to the mild attack of a polluted city air trumping her line of sight? Who knows because neither does she.

 

“Hmm?”

“Sweetie, are you on your way back?”

“Yeah.”

“Where have you been anyway?”

“Just... Here.”

“Well, as long as you're okay I guess. See you. Have a safe flight, you know I love you.”

“See you, Bogum.”

 

Joohyun drops the call and sighs heavily. Not a day goes by that she feels satisfied. What am I missing? Amazing suitor, amazing job, amazing parents, amazing family. There's nothing more she could ever ask for, nothing more to need and want yet she feels hollow. Is my life really falling into place or am I just freefalling?

But has it always been this way? She looks back on her life, to the extent her memory could offer, and traces it back to three years ago. The memory is so vivid and delicate, the feeling still fresh. I woke up one day and saw my life and the world around it in a different light.

She has seconds to decide before she reaches the intersection. As she slows down, she signals a left turn, towards a different home. She reaches a round-about and exits to a road leading her back to her safe haven, CRABae Patty.

 

 

 

 

Wendy slumps in her seat, feeling satisfied. With all the vegetables in her burger who wouldn't? Seulgi wipes Seungwan's mouth and hers with a tissue and decides she's done for. The other two, however, scramble to reach for the last few sips of her drink. After a series of I reached for it first! With a chorus of You already drank Wan's! And a bridge of Fine, let's share! The two decided to leave the drink be.

The four girls paid their separate bills, walked out of the place and went their separate ways. The two younger women crossed the street, not forgetting to look both ways this time, and finally opened up shop.

 

“C U L8 R” Wendy gestures with her fingers

“What?”

“I said. I mean, I gestured: 'see you later'.”

“Oh. Cool. Okay.”

“Okay.”

 

And they both went their separate ways. Seulgi took out her keys and unlocked the glass door to her workshop. While she was turning her key, a woman a few meters away was also turning the key to her ignition. As Seulgi went inside, the woman got out of her car. Just like everyone else inside and outside Seulgi's life, they went their separate ways and went on to start their day.

 

 

 

 

“YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE THIS!”

 

Three rows of tables filled with children and middle aged men & women snapped their heads towards the direction of an overly enthusiastic Yeri.

 

“Yeri, I thought I told you to only interrupt me when there's an emergency.”

“THIS IS AN EMERGENCY.” Yeri counters, voice still a pitch higher.

“OH MY GOD, WHY? WHAT HAPPENED? IS IT JOY? DID SHE HIT HER HEAD ON A TRAFFIC LIGHT? WAS WENDY ATTACKED BY THE KINDERGARTEN KIDS FROM THE NEXT BLOCK AGAIN? IS THERE A FIRE ACROSS THE STREET? IS IT A HIT AND RUN? IS THAT A SANDWICH?”

“Seulgi, calm down. I was just ex—”

“Is. That. A. Sandwich.”

“Well, yeah. Uhm, so as I was saying—”

“Leave the sandwich on the table.”

“What? But—”

“Leave. It.”

 

Yeri did just that, but not without slamming the entire foil on the wooden table.

 

“Good. Now, what were you saying?”

“LILI'S ARENA IS ON SALE! FIFTY PERCENT OFF!”

“WHAT?!”

 

Seulgi, as fast as lightning, ran towards the backdoor, grabbed her wallet and along with Yeri, bolted out of the main door. The scene happened so fast the class was still in the middle of processing what kind of sandwich Yeri brought when Seulgi appeared again, faking composure and confidence.

 

“Ahem, I apologize. It's two minutes till break time. You guys can start cleaning up for the morning and eat your lunch right after. I'll see you at half past 1.”

 

 

 

 

Wendy just finished sending off a customer when she spots a familiar figure browsing through the K-pop section.

 

“Joy? What are you doing here?”

“It's lunch break.”

“But you don't have a lunch break.”

“Oh right. Well, Yeri's there so.”

 

“I'M TELLING YOU! THEY'LL HAVE IT ON SALE! AND IF THEY DON'T WELL THEN WE'LL JUST GET THE LATEST VERSION! WHAT DIFFERENCE WOULD IT MAKE?”

“FOR THE LAST TIME, WE CAN'T SKIP A VERSION! IT HAS A STORYLINE! AND WHO THE HELL JUMPS TO PART 2 WITHOUT GOING THROUGH PART 1?”

 

Yeri and Seulgi walked past the recordshop in a hurry, sounding like they're ten feet apart when they're really just side by side. Joy notices the two, shrugged then went back to looking for whatever she's looking for. It's not like their boutique is famous anyway.

Wendy, from behind the counter, pauses her Harry Potter marathon and seized the opportunity to approach Joy. She checks the mirror and ruffles her bangs thinking that it made that much of a difference.

She gets up and removes her plaid button up, revealing a black band shirt with a Nirvana logo in the middle.

 

“Hey, Joy.”

“'sup.”

“So uhm, what are you into? I like The Beatles.”

“I don't care. Help me look for The ReVe Festival: Day 2.”

 

Wendy, who wasn't even moving, tripped on air and decided to help Joy look for the album, too scared to tell her that the album has been out of stock for a long time. Any opportunity to spend time with Joy, however small or embarrassing, is an opportunity nonetheless.

 

 

 

 

“Miss Irene, the young man at booth three has a question I don't know the answer to.” Nayeon, one of her waitresses said. Hands trembling from nervousness. It's her first day after all.

“Okay. I'll take care of it.”

 

Joohyun then left the cash register to her trusted right hand, Tzuyu, and made her way to booth three.

 

“WAIT NO, YOU IDIOT! LILI'S IS ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE! LET GO OF MY HAND.”

“Oh, right, sorry.”

 

Two unfamiliar faces were heard arguing just outside the glass window, where booth three is located. A really short girl was yelling at a taller, older brunette. The young man following the scene smiled at the cute interaction.

 

“Good noon, sir. What can I do for you?”

 

The young man looked up from the view outside and was stunned to see CRABae Patty's owner. At least, that's what he assumed. The woman standing in front of him is gorgeous. So if the rumours were true, that the owner of the place is pretty, then she was undercomplimented. This woman is exhilerating.

 

“Uh.”

“Yes sir?”

 

He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Is he in a movie? Is this a movie set? If he stares creepily enough, will a man from across the room yell Cut!? It felt so surreal. It's like the woman and the people around him were moving in slow motion. And now she's flipping her ponytail, god, she's breathtaking. How did—

 

 

“Sir? I'm sorry but we don't sell alcohol in this place. I believe those three bottles of Soju were bought from outside the shop? I do hope you read our policy of No outside food and drinks allowed.”

 

 

Right. The world wasn't slowing down nor was it spinning. He's drunk. Three bottles of Soju is no joke.

 

 

“I'm sorry. I didn't notice the sign. I guess I'm already drunk. And I think I got into a fight earlier. I don't remember. Everything's a bit hazy.”

“That's alright. I'll let this pass as a warning. Now, what was it you wanted to ask?” Joohyun flashes the young man a beautiful smile, teeth showing and eyes crinkling and all, causing the man from the other booth to choke on his saliva.

“I was wondering if there's any way I could get the Double Patty special, but with only one patty?”

 

Joohyun stares at the young man for a solid minute. Dahyun, her other waitress, passed by and caught the scene, confusion evident on her face. She tried shaking Joohyun, but Joohyun wouldn't budge. She asked the other waitresses for help. Just as they were about to splash Joohyun with water, she spoke.

 

“Excuse me?”

 

Joohyun's voice was low and firm, not at all threatening but enough to stop the waitresses midway. The voice was demanding but confused? Still, the other waitresses scampered away. Thankfully, Joohyun didn't even notice their interference, she was too stunned by the question the young man asked her.

 

“Uhh, can I order a Double Patty special but with only one patty? Would it still be the same price or are you gonna deduct the patty from the original price?”

“You want to order a Double Patty special, but with a single patty?”

“That's right.”

“...”

“...”

“Why don't you just order the Regular Burger?”

“Oh, would that make it cheaper?”

“...The price isn't even the issue here.”

 

The young man stared at Joohyun, confused by the accusation.

 

“Well, not everyone can afford everything the way they are.”

“What? What I mean is, you can just order the Regular one patty burger instead of ordering the Double Patty special and requesting for a single patty.”

“Then it wouldn't be special now, would it? Like you said, it would just be a regular burger.”

“...”

“...”

“Okay, one Double Patty special minus a patty coming right up.”

 

When Joohyun reached the counter to place the young man's order, she said, with gritted teeth

 

“He'll have a Regular. If he asks for a receipt, put in the Double Patty special minus a single patty, make sure the price from the Regular coincides with the basically Non-Double Patty special. No. Questions. Asked.”

“Copy, Maam!”

Joohyun makes her way back to her office. After spending the entire morning behind the counter and the entire evening helping out in the kitchen, her body is in dire need of a rest.

 

 

 

 

“Hey my dudes!”

“WHERE DID YOU PUT TLOU? DO YOU STILL HAVE STOCKS? DO YOU HAVE PART 1? IS PART 2 ON SALE? TELL ME!

“I don't have the answer to any of your questions.”

“POTANGINA, YOU'RE NOT LISA!”

 

The woman who greeted them pointed to her body in an up and down motion.

 

“Uhh, obviou—”

“Haiiiiiiiii.”

 

Yeri ran up to Lisa, who just got back from assisting a customer, and pulled the collar of her button up shirt, showcasing a show of strength a girl her size isn't capable of, much less doing it to a girl who's two times taller than her. The taller squirmed in fear, not wanting to answer the question she knows is coming.

 

“LEAD. THE. WAY.”

“Yerms, I—”

“HEY DUMBO, GET THAT STANDEE.”

“I'm older than you and my name's Seulgi. And that's not a standee, that's Jisoo.”

“WELL OKAY, SEULGI WHO IS OLDER THAN ME, GET THAT JISOO.”

 

Lisa may be squirming in fear, but her mind says it. She's accomplished everything she's ever wanted to accomplish, her little sister Niki is finally out of college (she dropped out and cut ties with her entire family), she's probably already satisfied with the time she's spent with the girl of her dreams, her gameshop is a success, Jisoo finally paid her debt, there's nothing more to hope for. So dying wouldn't be so bad, right?

 

“Yerms... We're all out.”

 

Yeri, compared to her very aggressive greeting, carefully and calmly let go of Lisa's collar. Her eyes were glossy and her lips were quivering. All the time she spent waiting for this HUGE sale, all her savings, her late night cravings to finally play this game, were all dumped down the drain of hopelessness. She feels like she's lost the will to live.

She got down on her knees, her shoulders were shaking from pent up misery caused by the slipping of yet another chance of finally getting her own copy of the game. She slammed her hands on the tiled floor, the coldness overpowering her senses. The other three looked at her with so much sadness in their eyes, tears threatening to escape at the sight of their fragile friend breaking down. With all the strength she has left, she raised her head and faced the ceiling. She grasped and tugged at her hair, her hands still trembling from the feeling of loss in its most hurtful form. Then, with all the emotion and voice she could muster, she screamed at the top of her lungs

 

“nOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO--”

 

The three taller women hugged each other, powerless, they could only look away from the heartbreaking scene.

 

 

 

 

“What was that sound?”

“That was the sound of Yeri in despair.”

“Oh.” Seungwan shrugged and continued rummaging through the section.

“Wendy be honest with me.”

 

All of a sudden, Wendy felt nervous. Has it finally come to this? Has she been that obvious?

 

“I'm always honest with you, you know that.” So much for being cautious.

“Promise?”

“Yes Joy.”

 

Joy releases an exaggerated sigh and turns to Wendy.

 

“Wendy.”

 

Wendy eyes her expression critically. She doesn't look bothered nor does she look like she's about to reject someone. Instead, she looks... exhausted?

 

“They haven't restocked Day 2 have they?”

 

Wendy sighed in relief and guilt, more of the latter. She wanted Joy's hope to not falter. Even though she knows deep down how ty the company is and that there's a slim to none chance of the album ever being restocked, she still wanted that glimmer of hope to flicker.

 

“I'm sorry, Joy. I should've told you sooner.”

“Well why didn't you?!”

 

Wendy flinches from the sudden raise of voice. She sympathises with Joy on this. She's more sad than scared now.

 

“I didn't want to dampen your hope and hurt your feelings!”

“And you thought feeding it wouldn't hurt? You were gonna hurt me either way! You might as well have hurt me with the truth!”

 

A string of tears escaped from Joy's eyes as she cradled herself in the safety of her own arms. She felt hurt, betrayed by one of the few people she trusted the most.

 

“Joy, I never meant to hurt you.” Wendy's crying now too. Nothing hurts more than hurting the one you love.

“And yet you did.”

“Please Joy—”

“No, I can't even look at you right now.”

 

She wipes what's left of the bitterness, grabs her purse and makes her way towards the door. Away from the pain, from false hope, from the traitor.

 

Wendy could only look at her retreating form. She has one more solution. Of course she has, Wendy always has a plan B. She just hopes it's enough.

 

 

 

 

“Ooh, what happened to her?”

 

Jennie stopped painting her nails and faced Chaeng, irritation visible on her forehead. She didn't want to have to repeat the words again. It will only ruin the atmosphere.

 

“They haven't restocked The ReVe Festival: Day 2 yet.” she says, through gritted teeth. Her mood now sour.

 

Chaeng didn't say anything, her face reflected every negative emotion she felt inside. She slammed the nail polish on the counter and started pacing back and forth.

 

“Chaeng, calm down.”

“SHUT UP!”

“Fine.”

 

Jennie got up from her seat and grabbed her purse. Not even hiding the fact that she's even more irritated than Chaeng.

 

“You know, just because you already have a copy doesn't mean you get to treat people like .” Jennie spat and proceeded to walk out of the store.

 

Rosé couldn't say anything back. Jennie was right, for someone who didn't have to feel the burden of it all, she overreacted a little. She sighed and stared at her copy of The ReVe Festival: Day 2 proudly sitting on the shelf situated at the center end of the store.

 

“I wish you knew how much everyone else longs for you.”

 

 

 

 

Joohyun woke up from her nine hour nap. Her phone was flooded with texts and calls from her parents and Bogum. The only interesting part was she didn't feel guilty at all.

She stood up and stretched. Her tiny hands and feet waving freely inside her still empty office. She went out and saw the contrasting difference from earlier that day to a more peaceful night at the burger place. It's nine o'clock in the evening.

Tzuyu's shift had ended hours ago. The new cashier was squirming and pacing from left to right behind the cash register. Sana, if she remembers correctly.

 

“Is something wrong?”

“Oh dear, a little pee came out.”

“What?”

“Sorry boss! I just really need to go to the bathroom and Jeongyeon's still busy refilling the ketchup bottles.”

“You go ahead, I'll take over for you.”

 

Sana, without a hint of embarrassment or reluctance and without wasting another second, ran towards the bathroom. Joohyun settled herself behind the counter. Since there weren't that many customers around, she didn't need to be too attentive.

She took out her phone and stared at the never-ending thread of messages, voicemails and missed calls. She didn't want to have to deal with them right now. In fact, she didn't want to have to deal with them for a long time. Maybe even forever, who knows.

She started typing her message. There's no way they would stop her. Her parents promised her independence as soon as she got out of college, and it's been three years, about time she took their offer. And Bogum, well, it's not like she had that much care for him to begin with. Maybe this is what's been missing the entire time. What she's been craving for, the hollowness that's begging to be filled. Maybe independence, a new life, a new city could fulfill that. And it's not like she's starting from scratch. This place has been a part of her life plan for years. And it's not like she hid it from everyone else, no one just bothered to ask her about it, so feeling guilty about this shouldn't even be an option.

She finished her long message. A simple I want to be on my own, for now, or maybe forever with a little Don't try to find me with a splash of If you do, I will never forgive you for it and some I'll keep in touch. But don't even think about interrupting my new life here and there. Ending it with I'm doing this for myself and not because I feel any kind of resentment. This is the new life I choose. Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself.

Joohyun contemplated on sending her message. Her little thumb hovered over the Send button a little too long. No matter how confident and decided she is, there's still a part of her that fears the real world. She's about to take a giant leap into independence. It's scary and overwhelming yet tempting. But what if she fails? What if she isn't ready? What if all of this, is just a phase? A momentary lapse? What if—

 

“Hi. Is the Double Patty sp—”

“SEULGI?”

“JOOHYUN?”

“What are you doing here?”

“I should be asking you that! Do you own this place? What are you doing here in Seoul?”

 

Joohyun's mind was reeling. Excitement overflowing within her once again. It feels so surreal to just bump into an old friend in this huge city, this is a sign! This is definitely a sign! Her deity is pushing her to taste the sweet and addicting flavor of freedom!

 

“I do. Wow, you've grown up a lot.”

“You're one to talk! No wonder everyone's been raving about the pretty owner.”

 

How long has it been? She couldn't count the years with one hand. Seeing Seulgi after all these years is a huge wake up call. The clumsy cub is now an independent bear!

 

“Wendy, Jisoo and Jennie are here too! We should go meet them. You know, catch up?”

“I'd love that.”

 

Then silence. Just two old friends staring at each other, not believing the other is actually right in front of them. Joohyun breaks the silence first.

 

“Uh, Seul?”

“Hmm?”

“Your order?”

“Right! Hmm. I was wondering, is it possible to order the Double Patty special but with one patty?”

 

Joohyun's right eyebrow twitched at the question. Events from earlier today flashed right before her eyes. Her alter ego, Irene, lashing out in frustration. Dear God, not this again.

 

“Kidding. One Double Patty special to go please.”

“Oh god, I thought you were being serious.”

 

Joohyun breathed a huge sigh of relief and punched in Seulgi's order. Seulgi must've noticed the sudden change of demeanor, her artistic side imagining smoke coming out from both sides of her ear and the bunny's nostrils. It was a genuine question though, but the moment she noticed the familiar twitch of her old friend's eyebrow, she decided to pass it out as a joke. 

Small talk and two glasses of service water later, Seulgi's order arrives.

 

“So what do you say?”

 

Joohyun was still reluctant. Seulgi showcasing an opportunity to rekindle with old friends seem like a good enough sign for her. But is it enough? Still, she decided to accept the offer. The night isn't over just yet, the message is still idly sitting in her drafts. She needs a clear cut sign, one written in big bold letters with blinding lights that'll sure to knock some confidence into her—

 

•ALC DIOR•

 

Not this kind of sign but close enough.

 

 

 

 

“Joy can I talk to you?”

 

It's time to put plan B into motion. Wendy stood in front of Joy, beer in hand, ready to offer her token of apology.

 

“I'm still not done not wanting to talk to you.”

“Please...”

 

Maybe it was the nervousness in Wendy's voice or the alcohol taking charge of Joy's indecisive nature, but the moment their eyes met, Joy couldn't turn her down for a second time.

 

“Fine.”

 

And maybe the way Wendy's eyes shined brighter compared to the past few minutes made her feel things, but she's not gonna admit that.

Wendy led them towards the back exit to an alleyway that reeks of urine and vomit and unfinished bottles of alcohol.

 

“I'll make this short 'coz les be honest, it stinks. The odors stings my nostrils. So, here. I'm sorry Joy. I never meant to hurt you.”

 

Joy couldn't believe what she was seeing. She was sure the haziness in her head was overwhelming her other senses.

 

“Is that—”

“Yes. It's The ReVe Festival: Day 2, unsealed. I've been saving this for months now. It was supposed to be for a special occassion but... things happened. So here,”

 

Wendy hands her the album. She stares at it for a few seconds before she notices a little blue sticky note on the plastic cover. When she was finally ready to say something, Wendy had already left. She stared at the entire album for a few more seconds before reading the scribble on the note, in cursive handwriting, that says:

 

Circumstances forced me to give this to the rightful owner earlier than planned. Happy Birthday in advance.

 

Before her body could react, her heart already gave it away.

 

 

 

 

Jennie was ready to forgive and Chaeng was ready to apologize yet the distance that existed between them told a different story.

 

“Shhh, Yeri. I know how hard it must be for you right now. But everything will get better.”

“You don't know how it feels like, Lisa. I feel weak. Empty even.”

 

Yeri was right. For someone who pre-orders everything she sets her eyes to, Lisa doesn't have a single clue how it must feel like. She's heard stories, but she's never experienced it firsthand. She wishes she could do something. By now, Yeri was having another breakdown. Her heart clenches at the sight of her short friend being vulnerable.

Jennie and Chaeng stare at the other two, heart breaking at the sight of their friends current situation. Pain from loss needs time to heal, misunderstandings need communication. When they saw how Lisa tried her best to console the unfixable Yeri, they realized the essence of friendship.

Almost simultaneously, they lifted their gazes from their two friends and looked at each other, ignoring the shyness and guilt that's been eating them up.

 

“I apologize for my behavior earlier.”

“I understand why you reacted that way.”

 

They smile at the silliness of it all. They shouldn't have let a few seconds of pent up frustration ruin their entire afternoon.

 

“I'll go first. I'm sorry for overreacting. It was petty and insensitive of me.”

“I forgive you. And I'm sorry for walking out. I was being super sensitive.”

 

A lone tear escapes the florist's eye.

 

“Hug it out?”

 

Jennie opens her arms out for her friend. After hours of laying low, they finally closed the distance between them. Jennie perfectly fits the description of someone who would hold grudges but she will always have a soft spot for her friends. Lisa could go ahead and use her favorite Chanel crop top to wipe her play station and she'd still forgive her. It might take a few days, weeks even, but she'll get over it. And Chaeng doesn't have a single ounce of pride in her body. When she's ready to genuinely say she's sorry, she'll say it.

 

 

As soon as Wendy got back to her seat she saw her two friends reconciling, whom she noticed were obviously ignoring each other ever since they arrived at the bar. She felt relieved and envious at the same time.

 

“Wan.”

 

Her heart skipped a beat. This woman never fails to elicit a reaction from her. She ignored her though, and focused on her third bottle of beer instead. If she has to face another rejection, she needs a little more liquid courage.

The overpowering voice was replaced by a scent. The familiarity of it all tugging at her heartstrings. It takes her another split second before she realizes how close the woman is.

Just as she was about to look away, not wanting to get overpowered once more, the woman hugged her.

 

“Thank you. And not just for the gift, for being a good friend in general.”

 

Wendy smiles at that. It's all she needed to hear.

 

“Always, Joy. Always.”

 

Joy breaks the hug and stares at her blonde friend. Wendy really is such a good person, always have been. She feels guilty for taking advantage of that every chance she gets. When she was left alone in the alleyway, she realized how easy it is for other people to give up on her. But Wendy never did. Wendy always understands, always goes out of her way to make Joy feel important.

She reaches for her glass of whisky and raises it slightly above the table. Wendy takes this as a sign of truce. She raised her half empty bottle and clinks, marking the end of yet another dispute.

 

 

SLAM

 

 

The mixed atmosphere of reconciliation and misery that surrounded the entire booth came to a halt when a huge thud errupted at the center of the table.

 

“Yeri.”

 

Jisoo's voice was serious. For a moment, her circle of friends could see fire blazing in her eyes. One would think she was about to win a game of Monopoly. Then, almost instantly, her fierce eyes melted into softness when Yeri stared back at her.

She slides the rectangular case she was holding.

 

“Jisoo, how did you—”

“And where the hell have you been?!”

 

Jennie's voice echoed in their booth. She looked like she was ready to strangle her but Jisoo was trying to sound cool at the moment, so she kept her wavering confidence. This was her shining friend moment after all.

 

“I just got back from gambling with a bunch of teenagers. I—”

“You what?!”

 

Jisoo shuddered at the sudden interruption but she has to stay in character no matter what!

 

“saw how they were betting their videogames. Apparently they were at the sale today. One of the kids—”

“Why the hell were you gambling?!”

“got a copy of TLOU. I have no experience in gambling so—”

“You bet your you don't. Do I have to lecture you about this again?!”

“I asked one of our bartenders, Moonbyul, to help me out—”

“You still went with it?! Jisoo!”

“and since they were underage teenagers, I used an ace. I bet a bottle of Jack Daniel's for their copy of TLOU—”

“So you're telling me you gambled and consented underage drinking?!”

“thank god Moonbyul won. I got their copy of TLOU, and they got a bottle of Jack Daniels with expired apple juice inside. Teehee.”

“Cool.” Lisa fist pumped Jisoo.

 

After hearing Jisoo's revelation, the other end of the table erupted in tears once again. But this time, they were tears of Joy.

 

“Joy, why are you crying?”

“I'm just so happy for Yeri.”

 

Everyone, except for Jennie, glanced at Yeri who was looking at Jisoo with glossy eyes.

 

“No more tears!” Jisoo exclaims.

“No more tears.” Yeri repeats and approached Jisoo.

“Thanks mate.”

“Anytime.” Jisoo winks at Yeri.

“Jisoo I am not done with you!”

 

Yeri hugs Jisoo and the entire table cheered.

Wendy ended up consoling Joy, Lisa and Yeri were hugging and jumping up and down, Jennie pulled Jisoo's shirt collar and kept shaking her, Chaeng was laughing at Jisoo's situation.

 

“Hey guys.”

 

Seven heads looked up at Seulgi. Four of them noticed the pretty girl beside her, ready to tease the hell out of her. When they were about to react to this very rare occurence, the other three beat them to it.

 

“JOOHYUN?!”

“Irene!”

 

While the other four were still processing the fact that everyone else knows who the pretty girl is, the other three looked so excited to see their old friend.

 

“Oh my god, Joohyun! I haven't seen you in a long time!” Jennie said, still reeling.

“Joohyun! You aged well!” Wendy commented.

“Your name's Joohyun?” Jisoo asked, looking genuinely confused.

 

 

 

 

Before they arrived at the bar, Seulgi gave her a few pointers about her friends to which Joohyun listened diligently.

 

“Well, you already know Wendy, who's still in her emo phase by the way.”

“Oh wow, it's been seven years.”

“Exactly. Jennie, still the same Jensaurus we all know. Jisoo's still aloof and Jennie still babies the hell out of her.”

“Understood. Continue.”

 

They got up from their seats and went out of the burger place towards Jisoo's bar, located just across the street.

 

“Lisa has short hair, owns a gameshop. Joy has long legs. Yeri is short, she and Joy own a boutique. Chaeng has a sharp chin, she owns the flowershop next to Jisoo's bar.”

 

Joohyun tries to calm her nerves. Seulgi's pointers were useless.

When they arrived at the bar, she saw four different booths with what seems like an entire friend-group in each booth.

The first booth were a group of very prim and proper ladies who, despite there being seven of them, were enjoying one bottle of white wine.

The second booth had three couples and one very out of place middle aged woman, she assumes isn't part of the group at all. The place was crowded, she was probably just sharing the table with the others.

The third booth was very chaotic. She thinks it must be because of the alcohol. One girl even had three bottles of beer in front of her.

The fourth booth was pretty normal. Just a bunch of people in their 30s. One even looked like Jennifer Aniston with her boyfriend, who looks a lot like Bob Saget.

 

Joohyun closed her eyes as they approached the booths. She didn't want to know if she was right. She wanted the element of surprise. She took a deep breath, clutched at Seulgi's arm, and walked towards the booth. As she exhaled, she opened her eyes.

 

Booth Three.

 

 

 

“Nice to meet you everyone. My name's Joohyun. I'm the owner of CRABae Patty.”

 

 

Everyone welcomed her with open arms. Everything about them is so warm. She was nervous for nothing. Yeri, the short girl, was clinging to her much like her baby sister used to. Joy and Lisa were already teasing her. Chaeng kept complimenting her about the food.

 

“So how long are you gonna stick around?” Jennie asks her immediately after she got back from scolding Jisoo.

 

“I don't know if I should. I mean, I don't know if I can. I don't even have a place to stay for tonight.”

 

Jennie smiles at her reassuringly.

 

“You can stay with me for a while. Or as long as you want. It's no problem for me. We used to be inseparable back in high school, right? I'm still the same Jennie.”

 

Joohyun felt so at ease after hearing that. She could get used to this. The dynamic of the group makes her feel at home, a feeling she hasn't felt in a while.

 

“Excuse me for a sec.”

 

She got up from the booth and made her way outside. The autumn night was calming. She never noticed the trees that surrounded this street before. The warmth of the people around her kept this part of the city alive

Maybe that was the indescribable feeling. Three years of being homesick.

Would it be so bad if she stuck around?

She took a deep breath and took out her phone. The message was still in her drafts, untouched. One tap is all it takes. One tap will turn her life around.

She hovers her thumb over the Send button once again. Fear overpowering her strong will to be independent. To experience a new lifestyle, a new family.

 

One more sign, please. One more sign.

 

 

 

 

“Hey, everyone's looking for you.”

 

Seulgi interrupts her thoughts. Her eye smile much brighter under the moonlight.

 

“Why?”

“Like I said, everyone can't stop raving about the pretty owner of the new burger place.”

 

Seulgi attempts to wink at her, failing miserably. Joohyun snorts. Some things never change.

 

“I'll be right in.”

 

Joohyun flashes Seulgi an appreciative smile. The big bold letters with blinding lights was the wrong sign to be looking out for. Maybe all she needed were seven warm faces and a bright eye smile to smack her senses.

 

She presses the Send button. A huge wave of relief, excitement, nervousness and confidence washes over her.

 

 

 

 

 

“I'm home.”