So this version is the original version where they're not actresses filming anything or whatever. LOL. Just decided to post this because I couldn't update my other fics yet.

 

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The night is young, and so is Joy. She is still on the 10th floor, energy as high, if not higher than it was 45 minutes ago when they first stepped into the premises, screaming her heart out to one of this night's opening acts; some local band that Joohyun had never heard of until tonight.

 

It's November Street's third and final song when Joohyun decides to head upstairs. Their lyrics are a little too whiny for her liking, and with her little knowledge in music, she figures that every song so far shared the same chord progression and sentiment, and it got old too quickly. She's not gonna put herself through three more minutes of unrequited love.

 

The rooftop was part of Joy's pitch; she told Joohyun that the venue has easy access to fresh air and quiet in case things get too stuffy and too loud. Joohyun was sold, and with her as sort of a chaperone, the younger got her dad's permission.

 

The spiral staircase would have been a problem if Joohyun had too much to drink, but the beer in her hand-- which costs her a significant chunk of her daily budget-- is already warm, and she's only had two sips.

 

She pushes the metal door open and is welcomed by the cold wind and regret; her denim jeans and her white CK shirt prove to be a little too flimsy for the night breeze.

 

She uses her free hand to her right arm up and down for some warmth as she walks toward the concrete ledge.

 

She sets her beer bottle down and enjoys the view; society might be falling apart and everything may be pointless, but it doesn't look like so from here.

 

She wraps her arms around herself.

 

She probably wouldn't be here if she hadn't quit her job.

 

She'd take unemployment over coming up with another choreography on a Friday night.

 

Kind of.

 

Moving forward is a slippery slope.

 

She promised herself a month. And then it became two. Then three.

 

How many months does it take for a burn out to stop... well... burning?

 

She's starting to think that maybe her dad was right; that making your passion your profession isn't a smart move.

 

Too bad this bar doesn't serve creative juice.

 

Or maybe she just fears losing her worth in a world where one's value is measured by productivity, and right now, at this moment, she is not accomplishing anything. She can't even warm herself up with her tiny hands.

 

She picks up her beer bottle. Alcohol it is.

 

She downs the remaining contents, trying not to flinch at the bitterness.

 

"Easy there, lady. That's a strong one."

 

Joohyun almost chokes at the last drop.

 

Was she so spaced out that she didn't see she has company?

 

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," the stranger says, her voice dropping an octave.

 

Joohyun recognizes the girl-- from a TV show or from someone's lesbian daydream. She's not entirely sure, except that the girl doesn't look... regular, per se. 

 

"No, it's okay," Joohyun shakes her head. "I should be more aware of my surroundings." She bends down to set the empty bottle on the polished concrete, turning her body towards the girl as she straightens up.

 

"It's easy to get lost in your thoughts this time of the night," the girl smiles, feeling her jeans for her pack of smoke and lighter. "I hope you don't mind," she motions to the vice in her hand. "I haven't quite kicked the habit yet."

 

"Hey, no judgment, stranger," Joohyun shrugs. She doesn't own the space, anyway, and she's had her fair share of secondhand smoke from former co-workers who shared the same vice.

 

Said stranger chuckles, and Joohyun raises an eyebrow in confusion.

 

"You were judging November Street's songs so hard earlier."

 

"I..." Joohyun begins. It's probably her brows that gave her away. Damn things have a life of their own. "How did you know?" She asks anyway.

 

"I was looking around, and then I saw you," the girl says, lighting her first cigarette of the night. "And I was glad I wasn't the only one."

 

Joohyun giggles. There's no use denying. "I'm guessing someone just dragged you here, too?"

 

"Yeah," the girl nods after the first puff. "My geographically challenged best friend with inferior taste in music," she jests.

 

"It's just a matter of preference..."

 

"Yeah, but," and another puff, "it's their lyrics, you know? I get that it's 'relatable,' but don't people get tired of hearing cliches they've heard a million times before?" The girl brushes her short hair up with her free hand before taking another puff. "I know I do."

 

Joohyun can't exactly argue with that. Because, same. But...

 

"Well, there's only so many ways they can write pining and one-sided love."

 

The girl looks at her, scoffing then chuckling, like she said something as controversial as pineapples on pizza, putting her cigarette that isn't even halfway down out against the ledge before putting the into her jeans back pocket.

 

Guess she draws the line on waste pollution.

 

"They can always write it realistically," the girl begins, moving closer towards Joohyun. "People always-- ALWAYS-- love again."

 

"Sounds like you're coming from somewhere."

 

"Oh, I am," the girl admits. "I'm glad I am," she continues, smile plastered on her face as she takes off her leather jacket. "Turn around for me, please," she instructs Joohyun, who's only just noticed that she's still trying to warm herself up.

 

"Oh, no, I'm--"

 

The girl walks to the spot behind her before she can refuse, draping the jacket over her shoulders. "You're cold and it's either this or I wrap my arms around you," she chuckles, walking back to her previous spot, in front of Joohyun. "I'm Seungwan, by the way, in case you wanted to know."

 

"Joohyun... in case you wanted to know." Joohyun can't help but blush a little at the gesture-- and maybe at Seungwan's toned arms, revealed by her figure-hugging black shirt, but that's a topic for another day.

 

Or the next meeting.

 

Who knows?

 

The night is still young, anyway.

 

She hopes the orange-y lights by the pillars are helping to hide the pink on her cheeks.

 

She shrugs the jacket-lending off as basic human decency for now. "How about you, though?"

 

"Nah, I just wear that to look cool," the girl says. "We're gonna be here for a while and I don't want my company to catch a cold. I mean, unless you wanna put yourself through several more versions of one song?"

 

Joohyun just smiles because she doesn't.

 

"You know," she begins, slotting her arms into the sleeves. "As cliche as this is, no one's ever leant me a jacket before."

 

"Oh, you poor thing," Seungwan jests. "Still, there's more chances you'll get offered a jacket than you not loving anyone else ever again."

 

"But you gotta stop at some point, right?"

 

"Yeah, but you don't give up on love just because someone doesn't reciprocate your feelings."

 

"Oh, you poor thing," Joohyun jokes back. "So... who didn't reciprocate your feelings?"

 

"This might be hard to believe because I'm hot as , but it's quite a list."

 

"It's not hard to believe."

 

"Hey!" Seungwan gives Joohyun a light shove. Usually, she would be taken aback by a stranger being this comfortable, but instead, Joohyun just lets out a hearty laugh.

 

"I was kidding!"

 

"You should be. I work hard to get this body," Seungwan exclaims. "Can't say the same about your face."

 

"Now, what's wrong with my face?" Joohyun asks, hands on either waist, feigning annoyance. 

 

"Absolutely nothing."

 

"I know."

 

"You should."

 

Joohyun bites her lip, keeping a certain question from escaping .

 

The night is still young, anyway.

 

"It's hard to explain, you know," Joohyun begins, carefully putting an end to the pregnant pause. "I think unrequited lovers, during their peak, sort of wear the fact that they're alone in it as a badge, and then shove it into people's faces, like, 'hey, look, I'm a certified lover since I keep on without getting what I give out. Ain't I the bigger person, right? You'll root for me, right?'"

 

"And November Street just write about the peak, right?" Seungwan poses.

 

"It's still realistic, though. For people at that peak right now. Overdone? Yes. Unrealistic? No. A lot of people still think they deserve an award for being stupid and go on ruining their lives or being miserable just because they didn't get an 'I love you' from a certain someone."

 

"Yeah... I've been there," Seungwan admits. "A pity-partying who thought the world owed her just because she's hurting... herself."

 

"Well, who hasn't?" Joohyun shoots the other girl a sympathetic smile. "But see? It happens. But yeah, it's tiring."

 

"It is," Seungwan nodded. "It was."

 

"Well, I'm glad you're past that, stranger," Joohyun says, giving Seungwan a light tap on the shoulder. "I know I am." A pause. "Kinda."

 

Seungwan scoffs. "I'm sorry. It's just hard to believe that you chose someone and that someone had the audacity to not want you."

 

"Do not patronize me."

 

"I am not."

 

Joohyun smiles, and Seungwan is relieved. "It's not a someone, though," Joohyun clarifies. "It's my previous job."

 

"Oh."

 

"Yeah. Was blinded by this passion and thought it'd be a good idea to make a living out of it, and now I'm just," Joohyun pauses, exhales, "I guess ing sick of it."

 

"Yeah? What were you?"

 

"A choreographer."

 

"Ooh, I didn't see that coming" Seungwan mumbles, looking at the other woman from her plain CK tee to her regular wash jeans that gave away nothing.

 

"I know I don't reek creative or artistic or fun vibes, okay?" Joohyun huffs, rolling her eyes at Seungwan. "But I am, okay? Or at least I was..."

 

"Are you sure creativity's the issue or are your joints just giving up on you?"

 

"Yah!" Joohyun attempts to land at least one solid slap on Seungwan's left shoulder, but Seungwan is swift to back away, so she ends up almost tripping on air instead.

 

Just almost because Seungwan is just as swift to break her fall.

 

"Whoa! Aren't you manic-pixie-clumsy," Seungwan exclaims, hands gripping Joohyun's shoulders.

 

​​​​​"Oh, shut up," Joohyun retorts, breaking free from Seungwan's gentle grip, steadying herself. "I'm not your character development tool, thank you very much."

 

Seungwan chuckles. Joohyun might be slightly uncoordinated for a dancer, but the lady sure does not miss a beat.​​​ "This might be yours, though," she counters, on a more serious note "This break, this time. You'll be surprised how much 'doing nothing' moves the plot forward."

 

The look in Seungwan's eyes, though, is definitely doing something. So is the way the she runs her fingers through her short brunette hair. So is the way she her lips after every two sentences, like a ing chronic seducer.

 

But the night is young, anyway.

 

So Joohyun shakes her head (at least she does in her head), turns her face away from Seungwan, and puts her trustee blue scrunchie to good use and ties her hair into a ponytail to prevent any hair-tucking-behind-the-ear-moment, in case it's one of the chapters in Seungwan's playbook.

 

"I don't know," she sighs crossing her arms, resting them on the ledge, leaning over. "Maybe taking my dad's offer will move the plot much quicker."

 

"Maybe..." is the most appropriate response, and also because it's hard to go beyond two syllables in the face of a beautiful woman's most beautiful angle.

 

She gulps. She's managed to seem cool for a good several minutes now. She'll get through this.

 

She mimics Joohyun's position, leaning over the ledge, eyes looking for a building with lights brighter than the potential of whatever this is that's going on between her and a woman whose existence she didn't know until several minutes ago.

 

"What's the offer?"

 

"A posh apartment complex under my name."

 

Seungwan thinks Joohyun's joking.

 

"What, like the Bae Area?" she scoffs.

 

"Exactly the Bae Area," Joohyun answers nonchalantly, eyes still focused on the cityscape.

 

This time, Seungwan turns to look at Joohyun, eyes wide and mouth hanging open in what-the-fanfic-ery.

 

An actual ing chaebol.

 

She manages to pull herself together just in time before she starts to look like a total idiot.

 

"We... Well, in that case, my jacket's $15 per hour," she jests.

 

Joohyun faces Seungwan once again, "Best I can do is $5," she offers. "I'm not touching my trust fund anytime soon."

 

"How about $5 and your number?"

 

The night is still young, anyway.

 

Joohyun keeps on telling herself.

 

"You are... something," she starts. "Do you scam people for a living?"

 

"Oh, how I wish," Seungwan laughs. "But I just work with various labels and co-write songs that sell to the masses no matter how overdone they are."

 

A smirk begins to form on Seungwan's face.

 

Joohyun's eyes are the size of a plate as she connects the dots.

 

"You're kidding..."

 

"Hearing your thoughts was refreshing. Most people just eat that up, like there's anything groundbreaking about 'if we're not together in the end, I'll restrain myself from falling in love again.'"

 

"Oh, but it sells, all right," Joohyun says, recalling the image of Joy from 20 minutes ago, almost bawling as the younger one sang along to the line. "Aren't you your own worst critic..."

 

"And yet, I write the same over and over," Seungwan chuckles.

 

"Tell you what," Joohyun takes a step closer. Or a little too close. Either way, she's blissfully unaware. "I'll let you write about this."

 

"What exactly?"

 

"This,"Joohyun looks around."This rooftop," points at herself, "this stranger," and then back and forth at Seungwan and herself, "and this conversation."

 

"What, this flop of a conversation?"

 

Seungwan is just trying to get a reaction.

 

And of course, Joohyun is gonna give it.

 

Because, God, that beer was really strong. And Joohyun isn't.

 

"So flop that you had to put out your dollar a stick cigarette to keep it going?" She raises an eyebrow. "Huh?"

 

"I can always light another one," Seungwan shrugs. "But you wouldn't be able to kiss me if I do that now."

 

Now, Joohyun would say 'what made you think that' if it wasn't for Seungwan's nicotine sprinkled Tic-Tac breath hitting her right in the face. People gush about couples' height difference all the time, but the truth is having someone at eye level is where the tension is at. Joohyun knows she isn't drunk-- it's one freaking bottle, for chrissakes-- but maybe uninhibited and dazed enough that she walked up this close to this practical stranger without noticing.

 

"I'm not drunk."

 

"Just what?"

 

"Just been single for a while, that's all," Joohyun manages, eyes going from Seungwan's eyes to her lips and again, before stepping back to leave a little space for the sapphic goddess of slow-burn romance. "I think we're still at that part of the story where I'd prefer to use my mouth for talking."

 

"How boring..." Seungwan yawns, feigning disinterest.

 

​​"If you have nothing beyond this 'James Dean Daydream look in your eyes' thing you got going on, then yes, I guess it is."

 

"Well, at least I'm not 'Trouble.'" Seungwan plays along before leaning in to whisper "I mean unless you want me to be," into Joohyun's ear.

 

"I... I... I probably would if you quoted anyone but Taylor Swift." Joohyun's resolve is crumbling, only being held together by the slight cringing.

 

"You started it."

 

"It's not my fault that you look like a Taylor Swift lyric cliche."

 

"Baby, just say yes."

 

Joohyun bursts out laughing.

 

"I'm a dork, okay?" Seungwan backs away slightly, raising her hands, sighing in defeat. "That jacket has 75% of my cool."

 

"You are," Joohyun nods eventually. "Can't say I don't like it."

 

"But can you say yes?"

 

"No, at least not to trouble, but..." A pause. "You know, I thought this night was just gonna be another filler episode, but you came in here dressed like a plot twist."

 

(Taylor Swift, eat your heart out.)

 

Joohyun pauses again. Seungwan is sporting a grin-- good or bad, Joohyun's not sure. She might be reading this wrong. "I mean, unless this is just a cameo. Then..."

 

"Well," Seungwan begins, "we all gotta start somewhere."

 

The night is young, anyway.

 

There's a few more hours before the episode ends.

 

"Okay, Seungwan."

 

"Okay, Joohyun."

 

They shake each other's hand, both nodding like idiots.

 

"I guess we're not kissing tonight, huh?" Seungwan asks.


 

"Well, giving the audience what they want is not always--" Joohyun is cut off by Sooyoung's phone call. "Sorry, it's my friend," she says, finally letting go of Seungwan's hand. "Sooyoung, what is it? Now? Okay."

 

Seungwan's phone rings not a second later. "Seulgi, hey. Yeah, I'm not bailing, calm down."

 

"Sorry," they say in unison as they slip their phone back into their pockets. Seungwan motions for Joohyun to go first. "Sorry, my friend says the main act is about to start and that I wouldn't want to miss it."

 

"Don't worry, they can't start without me," Seungwan mumbles.

 

"What?"

 

"Nothing," Seungwan chuckles. "Let's go, I wouldn't want to miss it either." She grabs Joohyun's hand and leads them to the stairwell.

 

Seungwan lets go of Joohyun's hand the moment they reach the 10th floor. It's three times more crowded than it was earlier. The last opening act is leaving the stage, making way for the main acts' instrumentalists. "Can you find your friend from here? I kinda need to go somewhere."

 

"Where?"

 

"To the stage," Seungwan winks before running away.

 

"Wha--" Joohyun is once again cut off, this time by a strong hand that grabs her by the wrist.

 

"Unnie! There you are! And whose jacket is this?"

 

"Someone's."

 

"Duh," Sooyoung rolls her eyes and does not press for any more answers. "Anyway, come on. I saved our spot at the front."

 

"You can do that?" Joohyun asks as Sooyoung drags her along.

 

"I just did."

 

Joohyun finds herself at the front row next to Sooyoung, and she finds Sooyoung waving at someone at stage right.

 

Sooyoung and her ways.

 

"She's Neverland's manager, in case you're wondering," Sooyoung says.

 

"I wasn't."

 

Well, Joohyun wasn't... until Seungwan appears behind the said manager.

 

"Guys, guys, guys, guys, it's Wendy!" Girl number 1 behind Joohyun screams.

 

"She's not blonde anymore?" Another girl says.

 

"She's just as hot though!" Another girl says.

 

"I wish everyone could look that good after a breakup," and another one.

 

"I almost didn't recognize her!" And another one.

 

"Oh my God, Karen, you are such a fake fan," the Karen's friend says.

 

​​​​​"I'm just not gay, Gretchen, I just like the drummer more."

 

​​"Woodz is gay, Karen. Everyone in Neverland is gay."

 

"What's your point, Gretchen?"

 

Them big ears hearing unsolicited info dumps, making Joohyun's head spin.

 

"What is happening?" Joohyun mumbles.

 

"It's their first gig after a year of hiatus, Unnie. Have I not told you? It's also Wendy's first public appearance since then," Sooyoung is almost screaming to her ear. The crowd is going nuts.

 

Seungwan... Wendy takes the stage. She steps into the mic and shoots Joohyun a quick glance.

 

"It feels good to be back."

 

The cheers get louder.

 

"I'd like to thank you all and my bandmates and my manager for being so patient, and you've all waited long enough, so I guess I better stop babbling and get on with new music?"


"God, yessss!" Sooyoung, together with the rest of the crowd-- besides Joohyun who is still practically speechless-- screams her lungs out.


"This might be a change of pace from the songs from the last album full of pining, so... Yeah. This first new song is called 'Even In An Alternate Universe.'"


The crowd hushes down to make way for new music. The song starts with synths. Then the drums. Then the bass. And Seungwan wasn't lying when she said she just wears the leather jacket to look cool because nothing about Neverland's sound requires their vocalist to sport one.

 

Everything is so surreal

Made up so many scenes in my head

And now, they're real

What Joohyun doesn't understand right now is... why someone who sings this amazing chose to withhold the fact that she's a vocalist. Jesus, Sooyoung managed to fry proper sunny side up once, and she still brags about it to this day.

I couldn't want anything more

I've never been so sure

 

Now, Seungwan wrote this song six months ago specifically for her band, during the early stages of getting her together-- pitching all of the depressing stuff to other artists-- with Neverland's fans in mind. But if she's going to cameo in Bae Joohyun's life, or Bae Joohyun's night, it's never too early to start giving her the main character treatment (and goddamn, does she look the part).

 

So Seungwan looks at Joohyun. And the song goes:

 

Are we in it for the long run?

Are you in it with me?

 

You know what Joohyun thinks? If white men who have missions to save or destroy the humankind still find time to get busy with the most beautiful civilian amidst the weight of their responsibilities, then there is nothing wrong about a lesbian-- whose career might be hanging by a thread-- taking a chance at romance-- in a bar her friend just dragged her into-- with the main event of the night.

 

Even in an alternate universe

We'd still be hand in hand

 

"Okay, did Wendy just aim her seduction eyes at you?"

 

"Everyone aims their seduction eyes at me, Sooyoung," Christ, maybe Sooyoung's confidence is rubbing off on her.

 

"Yeah, but you did not dodge hers, uh-uh."

 

"Sooyoung, you waited a year for this new song, can you please just bask in it's glory?"

 

"Oh, I am basking, all right," Sooyoung teases, exaggerating her headswaying to the rhythm, playfully elbowing Joohyun's arm.

 

Did it ever occur to you

 That what we have right here

Is something we should keep?

 

The second prechorus begins, and this time, the crowd joins Seungwan... or Wendy in singing.

 

Are we in it for the long run?

Are you in it with me?

 

The second prechorus ends, and this time, Joohyun may or may not have the answer.

 

The night is still young.

 

Maybe she'll make the most out of it.

 

 

---

 

 

It's 12:50, 40 minutes after Neverland's last song ended. The whole band is now enjoying their alcohol at one of the VIP tables.


It's 12:50, 40 minutes after Neverland's last song ended, when Joohyun finally catches Seungwan alone.