She’s been here multiple times that she can’t even count it with her fingers. Her fingers that always find themselves tapping on the counter in rhythm with whatever song that girl  at exactly 7 in the evening. It’s always a surprise how Lia seems to lose herself in this strange place filled with strangers yet it feels much more homey than home itself.

In some weird way, Lia finds herself hypnotized whenever she hears that particular voice coming from that platform, whenever she sees those closed eyes that even closed, portrays the most beautiful story.

“She sounds so lovely, doesn’t she?” She pulls her eyes away from the storyteller to the bartender, seeing a small smile on her beautiful face as she fills up a glass with scotch. The model watches as the bartender gives it to a man who’s watching the performance on the stage.

 “What’s her name?” Lia finally finds herself to ask.

Jiu smiles from wiping the counter and gives the woman her awaited answer. “She’s Shin Ryujin.”

Shin Ryujin. Even her name’s sounds like…sounds like home.

“She seems so familiar with the people around here.” Lia wonders as Ryujin eggs the crowd to sing with her.

Jiu smiles and nods. “She’s been playing here since she was 15, so that would explain that she does have a reputation.”

That’s a very long time.

“How old is she now?”

Jiu stops for a moment to think. “She’s 18 now, I think.”

“Oh, she’s just a year younger than me.” Lia chuckles at the small coincidence.

“Then what brings a 19-year-old woman here?” Jiu leans towards the counter now that she’s done with serving the customers around the bar, offering the unfamiliar face her kind smile.

Lia looks around, shrugging her shoulders after she meets the bartender’s eyes once again. “Just wanted to check the place out. It was recommended by my friend.”

Just like metal attracted to magnet, Lia’s eyes fall once again on the woman singing.

“About her,” Lia can never stray her eyes away from the storyteller. “is she single? Because I would really like to know her.”

“Her heart’s already been taken, Miss.” Jiu informs, grabbing her own bottle of water. She gestures towards the platform. “By her.”

Lia flies her eyes towards the side of the stage to see a brunette woman, significantly taller than the singer she’s enamored with, approaching the said woman who has her s