The piano played faintly in the almost empty lounge, the lighting dim; a few couples occupied the tables by the big glass windows.
In the middle of the lounge was a square shaped bar surrounded by comfortable-looking stools. Hyungwon in his black fitted suit sat on a stool contemplating a shot or an entire bottle of Vodka, at this point he considered an alcohol poisoning.

"I'll just have one shot of Vodka please," he informed the bartender and slumped in his barstool, dreading the evening ahead.

He heard someone slump beside him, and looked over, it was a girl about his age, wearing an off-shoulder dress, the long slit showing off her tan legs, he tried not to let his eyes linger for too long.

"Soju shot, please," she asked the bartender and drummed her polished nails on the bar.

"Here you go, sir, miss," the bartender put two shot glasses filled with transparent liquor in front of them, Hyungwon raised his shot and she mirrored the gesture with a polite smile then downed the shot at once feeling the burn that came after.

"I do not get paid enough for this , Jun." She sighed resting her cheeks on her hands, her elbows propped on the bar.

"I'm not your therapist." The bartender looked tired.

"You're mean." She pout.

‘Adorable’ Hyungwon felt a strong pull towards her for some reason.

Her phone rang and she groaned, "Yes!" She answered, "No, he's not here yet--- yes, I'll be nice--- whatever." She hung up, “ugh, why is this my life?”

The bartender shrugged.

Hyungwon watched her with amusement.

"What are you looking at?" She gave him a side-eye glance, more like a glare really.

"I find you amusing," He simply replied.

She made an obscene, not very nice gesture at him with her middle finger.

He was taken aback; laughing in disbelief, "that's rude!" He finally recovered.

"Yeah, well, my capacity of politeness is running out, so tough luck, buddy. Plus you can’t just call someone amusing, that’s rude.”

"I apologize I didn’t mean it that way-”
Before he could say more her phone went off again and she left with a quick “gotta go” directed at the bartender.

He stared after her; if he wasn’t waiting for his mother’s call, he would've followed her.

It wasn’t long before his own phone rang, his mother was waiting for him at the restaurant in the building across the street.

Hyungwon dragged himself outside putting on his coat; he thought about running away while watching the numbers of the floors ding by, though he ended up at the top floor; he looked around immediately spotting his mother waving at him excitingly.
He waved back and moved towards their table next to the big windows overlooking the Changdeok Palace.

Hyungwon greeted his mother with a hug, "hello mother," he smiled.
"Son, I want you to meet Hyejin!" She clasped her hands together, clearly more excited than he is.
"Hi..." He raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Hello, nice to meet you! Your mother said great things about you." She recovered first, smiling politely and offering her hand.

Hyungwon lifted her hand to his lips, and placed a gentle kiss on the back of her hand, "the pleasure is all mine," he grinned.

Mrs. Chae asked Hyejin about her school, family and all the polite small talk, peppering in some backhanded compliments about her “noticeable weight gain but same features when she was little” while Hyungwon listened.

“I’ll get out of your hair now,” Mrs. Chae smiles.

"So, we meet again." he smirked as soon as his mother was out of earshot.

"Oh, shut up."

"Rude, didn't you promise to be polite?" He looked at her with a playful glint in his eyes.

There was a beat of silence where he looked at her and she looked anywhere else.

"Go on a lot of blind dates?" He asked.

"First time," she replied curtly.

"Would like a drink?"

"No."

“You’re not really Hyejin, are you?”

She quietly replied, “no, I’m not.”

“Why isn’t she here?"

“Don’t know.”

"You don’t have to do this, you know? You obviously don’t want to."

“You don’t know me.” She said defensively.

“Well, do you?”

She looked at him finally, then closed her eyes and sighed deeply.
"Look, I'm here because I had to be, okay? I don’t want to be and I do know why Hyejin doesn’t either, and I promise it’s not personal, she doesn’t even know you. I was supposed to come here, ruin the date and leave but you seem like a really nice guy and I'm sorry, I have to go now."  maybe because she thought he was nice or perhaps it was another thought she didn’t want to entertain that made her tell the truth. She got up to leave, but he caught her wrist.

"I appreciate your honesty, thank you," He smiled, and grudgingly let her go.