Indistinctive laughter and talking voices of different people hollowed every surface inside the pub. Upbeat and laid-back Korean indie pop songs blasting on the small speakers mounted on the walls that produced a festive mood once any customers set their foot through the main door. Most common regulars could be found here were mainly adults or group of colleagues that wanted to have a good time after a whole day of working, and college students who wanted to celebrate their after-club parties since the pub was couple blocks away from a university. The usual spot of the loners was at the bar countertops where they would usually sit one stool apart from each other – in which some of them most of the time were crying from a broken heart for their partner either dumped them or cheated on them, or some handful of problems that they felt like the world was against them. There were also the opportunity seekers who lurked around just to hit on someone – and their most common target were the loners at the bar countertops for they knew that these people were fragile at their current state. Of course, there were people who just wanted to dine and drink. Everything was quite lively and fun – saved for the one particular corner in the pub where the atmosphere was kind of dull and dead like it was disconnected from the rest of the world.

“How long are we going to wait before the start of prayer session? Seulgi whispered, who was seemingly inebriated as she leaned on Irene who was sitting beside her.

Irene wiped her nose for she was grossed out from the strong stink of beer in Seulgi’s breath as she whispered back. “What the hell are you saying?”

The pair was having a break from their duties inside the pub since it’s almost late and there were only few customers remaining in which most of them were drunk already who seemed like just passing time until the closing hours. They were sitting at their usual spot of four seats and a rectangular wooden table at the corner reserved exclusively for them only, sitting across them was Jimin whose back was against the wall, her right elbow was on the table with the temple of her creased forehead was resting on the palm of her hand for support while her other hand was holding the book standing upright on the table, blocking the view of the pair from peering through. Her eyes were glued on the pages of the book in full unwavering concentration. The duo didn’t have any idea what was going as well as they were uncertain if Jimin could hear them, most especially Seulgi who was saying nonsense.

The pub was both co-owned by Irene and Seulgi. The pair first met few years ago in a local bar near their university when they were separately drinking alone at the bar tops because they were drinking their hearts out for both flunking their major subjects in Business Administration causing them to be dropped out from Mokpo National University. They struck up a conversation there where they thought that one of the small led lights mounted on the frame of the liquor bar cabinet that was burnt out, was a firefly due to their drunken state. They eventually became close friends after that in which they learned that they both had common interests of starting a pub business since they both like drinking their hearts out.

They also both co-owned a small two-story building where they were both residing at the second floor in a typical home setup while they turned the first floor into a pub that had a modern contemporary with the touch of classical Irish inspired interior design with few rustic accents. For the wall interior design, there were certain walls that were made of beige tiles for modern twist and there were certain walls that were made of Cambridge bricks which complimented the reclaimed wooden floor design and the rude wood where the tables and seats were made of. Since it had an Irish theme design, the barrels were used to decor the ceiling along with the track lights which was the lightning was not too bright so it would bring a warm atmosphere to the interior.

“Should I confess my sins too and then repent to change for the better? It isn’t too late, right?” Seulgi asked again as she covered from a sudden hiccup, leaning much closer to Irene.

“Huh?” Irene furrowed her eyebrows at Seulgi as she couldn’t understand what the girl beside her was trying to point out.

“Aigoo, come on,” Seulgi tugged Irene closer as she wrapped an arm on her shoulder, patting her head. “Isn’t your soul feeling a little inspired right now?”

“Huh?” Irene sighed quickly as she pushed her away, slapping Seulgi’s face lightly many times as if she was trying to revive her from her delusions. “Get a grip, woman!” the older woman scowled.

The front door swung open where the duo turned their heads at Ningning who arrived just now. The younger girl didn’t have a hard time to find for them for she knew exactly where were their reserved usual spot as she walked towards them with heavy steps, looking burnout but her exhaustion instantly went away where she couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw Jimin was there with them, as she quickly ran to them and put down her backpack onto the floor, gawking at Jimin as she wiped her eyes to make sure she’s not dreaming. The younger girl wanted to greet Jimin but by the looks of it, she couldn’t because the older girl seemed too oddly focus on reading the book and didn’t want to be bothered.

“‘Sup Ningning! Finally, you’re here. We’ve been waiting for you,” Irene whispered, greeting her as they watched her grabbing another chair from the empty table beside them as she placed her chair at the end of the table and she sat there because the empty chair beside Jimin was occupied by her coat and her scarf – like the raven girl didn’t want anyone to sit beside her and took a glimpse of what she was reading but the younger girl didn’t mind because seeing her best friend and spending time together with them was enough for her.

“Hey unnies,” Ningning greeted tiredly as she slouched when she seated, hanging the back of her head on the top rail of the chair, looking at the barrel decors on the ceilings.

“Why are you late? Aren’t you supposed to arrive here earlier?” Irene asked as she slapped Seulgi’s hand, making Seulgi glared at Irene because she wanted to poke her finger inside the nose of the younger girl because her nostrils were exposed. Irene gestured Seulgi to get a drink for Ningning at the bar for she didn’t want to leave drunken Seulgi alone because she might do weird funny things to the other two especially when’s she a little intoxicated in which Seulgi complied like a puppy.

Ningning jolted as she sat properly, facing Irene. “You know, some group art project stuff. We started to plan out for our project to be submitted before our exams. That’s why we go to the market to buy the materials we needed. It turns out that they didn’t have all the materials we needed so we need to visit various art shops just to buy those missing materials,” she ruffled her own hair due to frustration and exhaustion as she complained. “That’s why I’m too exhausted.  Anyway, what’s going on?” Ningning asked, pointing at Jimin using her pouted lips.

Irene sipped from her beer on the table. “Based from what I’ve heard from the gossips of their neighbors, Jimin and her aunt had an intense argument causing her to bolt out and quit her job but we’re not really sure if it’s true and we can’t ask her because she’s been like this for hours already since she got here.”

Ningning was surprised; she felt bad that her best friend went through a bad argument and causing her to lose her job, but at the same time, she’s happy because her best friend was now finally free from hell. “Wow, is Jimin unnie okay?” she asked.

“I think so? She looked… fine,” Irene shrugged her shoulders. “I guess.”

The younger girl started to worry but she decided not to pry about that for now as she glanced at her best friend who looked like she’s having a hard time on reading the book with creased forehead and eyes burning in full concentration – absolutely didn’t want to be disturbed.

Ningning leaned closer to Irene as she asked above whisper. “What’s that? What is she reading?

Irene glanced at the book as she whispered back. “We don’t know either.”

“Maybe a bible? It looks like a bible to me,” Seulgi blurted out of nowhere as she placed a cup of hot chocolate milk for Ningning on the table without spilling it out as she went back to her seat beside Irene.

Even though Ningning was already beyond the legal age, her unnies took care of her and they still didn’t let her drink any alcohol every time she’s visiting the pub unless there was an occasion. Even though there was an occasion they still watched her carefully because the youngest girl had a really bad alcohol tolerance and Ningning didn’t seem to mind at all because the main reason she wanted to go to the pub is for companionship with her unnies and her favorite hot chocolate milk – even though the hot chocolate milk was out of the menu, her unnies still made that drink only for her. “Thank you Seulgi unnie!” Ningning beamed brightly.

“Shut up Seulgi! Jimin might hear us,” Irene whispered loudly, shaking her head as she turned her head to Seulgi who was now leaning her head and shoulder against the wall, feeling dizzy for suddenly moving whose eyes were shut as they thought she already passed out from drinking.

Irene continued as she faced Ningning. “It’s kind of funny that I’ve never seen her hold a book since we met her and it’s our first time to see her so focused in reading just like that.”

Nodding in approval while sipping on her hot chocolate, Ningning asked as she glanced at Jimin. “Can she hear us?”

“I’m not really sure,” Irene bit her lower lip as she followed the younger girl’s sight. “She isn’t really responding.”

Seulgi chimed in once again as she came back from her senses in which Irene hope she didn’t due to her drunkenness. “You know what? Maybe it’s a bible. Is she going straight now?”

“This is much confusing than my uality,” Jimin blurted out of frustration, suddenly burying her face between the pages of the books as she grumbled under her breath before returning her previous position, trying to focus again.

The trio looked at Jimin as Seulgi clapped happily as she clasped her hands together. “Nope. Definitely not a bible. She’s still a soggy pasta,” she happily declared.

“Huh? A soggy what?” Ningning asked with knitted eyebrows as she took another small sip from her hot chocolate milk.

“Don’t mind her. She’s drunk,” Irene chimed in as she also drank from her glass of beer.

Seulgi continued in amusement like an old professor who was enthusiastic to share her wonderful knowledge to the world. “A soggy pasta. Do you know the famous saying? A spaghetti is straight until it gets wet.”

Irene and Ningning almost spilled out their drinks from what they both heard but the youngest girl cracked up for she really found it entertaining every time the Seulgi got drunk.

Wiping quickly, Irene put down her beer on the table.  “Jeez! Woman! Can’t you see we have a baby here?” Irene covered Ningning’s both ears.

“But unnie, I’m already in my 20s,” Ningning disagreed, laughing from their reactions.

“But, still you are the youngest here,” Irene insisted. “Jimin is not reading a sensual book or something. The book cover looks decent,” the oldest girl pointed out to the book Jimin was reading but the raven girl was still unbothered like she didn’t hear anything from the commotion happening just right in front of her.

“We will never know. Maybe it’s a rated SPG stuff but in an upgraded premium version. You know, Jimin is a very discreet person. She doesn’t want anyone to know what’s she’s doing,” Seulgi picked up a glass of beer on the table as she sipped from it.

“Shut up Seulgi. You’re drunk,” Irene grabbed the glass of beer from Seulgi’s hand in which the oldest gave her a frown look. “And this is mine. You have enough beer for tonight.”

Ningning wiped a tear from laughing as she asked them. “Did you try to get her attention though?”

“Well, some of the customers tried,” Seulgi answered something somehow sensible as she leaned again against the wall, shutting down her eyes.

“Oh, right. Her unofficial pub fans club,” Ningning awed as she chuckled.

Since then until now every time Jimin came in, the pub always started to full packed of customers which made the two older woman  both busy in serving them which was very good in their business side in which sometimes they were thinking to hire Jimin just to sit in the corner doing nothing so the customer sales will boost if ever she got unemployed from her aunt – in which they thought now was the right time to ask her even if it was just a joke but Jimin was too occupied by reading the book since she got there.

“We also tried. We brought her beer here but it’s left untouched. Knowing Jimin probably by this hour, she’s already on her fourth or fifth glass,” Irene sighed. “She’s just too focused about that book.”

“This is not so Jimin unnie. Most of the time she’s just spacing out while drinking. What must be that book?” Ningning got slightly worried.

“Should we peek?” Seulgi asked weakly for she’s too dizzy at the moment.

Irene faced Seulgi. “I don’t think it’s a great idea. You know Jimin, she doesn’t want anyone invade her privacy.”

“You’re right, Irene unn