“Do I bore you?” Mizuhara Kiko sat beside Ji Yong at the bar, trying to regain his attention. She tried her hardest to appeal to men. It would be a shame if this one got away. Smoothing her slim white dress, she looked at him intently, urging him to do something.

            “No, no. I’m sorry. My mind just seems to be in another place tonight.” Kwon Ji Yong concentrated on the woman in front of him and smiled guiltily. “What were we talking about again?”

            “Never mind that. Tell me what you think of Tokyo. It’s not like any other city, definitely not where you’re from.” Kiko tried not to sound annoyed with him. Her looks and tone together made her seem standoffish, the only thing she didn’t like about herself.

            “Tokyo is,” Ji Yong paused. “Kawaii?” He laughed a bit. “I really enjoy the city. It travels at a different pace than Seoul somehow. It’s a nice change.”

            Kiko sipped her drink and listened to him continue to speak. Ji Yong’s Japanese was a little awkward, but he was good for a foreign speaker. She had to wonder why he had come to this bar in the first place though. He was in town for his concert. She knew this much, but he was in this classy bar of all places. If he was trying to lay low, he was doing a bad job. They had met in the bar about twenty seven minutes ago. Kiko was just coming in to get a drink and relax after a long day when she spotted Ji Yong’s distinct black and white hair. He wore a dress shirt and casual pants with some designer jacket. He had been sorely out of place in the dimly lit bar and made no kind of effort to conceal his identity. This was a bar where singles came to find a partner for the night, but Kiko didn’t know if he knew that. She herself had come on a few occasions to find a suitable man to spend the night with.

            “Were you expecting anyone to meet you tonight?”

            “Not anyone in particular.” Ji Yong paused and thought. “Honestly, I was waiting to meet someone. Traveling as much as I have lately makes me lonely no matter who’s around me. It’s nice to have human interaction outside of my usual world, you know, like I’m not the only person in the world.”

            “I know the feeling well.” Kiko smiled and raised her glass towards Ji Yong. “To being with someone and not being lonely.”

            Ji Yong smiled and raised his drink likewise. The chink of their glasses resonated around them as they took a sip. The two of their souls resonated as well and they completely knew why the other was at the bar that night.

~~~~~

            “This is a pretty impressive collection of records.” Ji Yong looked up and down rows of jazz and rock albums lining one of the walls in Kiko’s apartment. He had walked her home, but she had insisted he stay for a while.

            “My father and I are big music fans.” Kiko smiled and handed Ji Yong a glass of wine. “Half of our collection is at his house.”

                        “Really?! Impressive!” Ji Yong took a sip of his wine, a great pick for tonight. “What’s your favorite?”

            Settling herself on her sofa, Kiko thought. She had excused herself to change a few minutes earlier and now wore a light peach sweater and leggings, leaving her a little more comfortable around her guest.

            “I’d have to say that I enjoy some English indie albums. They aren’t vintage, but they make a select amount of record versions of their music.” Kiko suddenly got up and looked around for a record. Once she found the one she was looking for she put it on her record player, making sure Ji Yong didn’t see the cover. She smiled and looked at him. “This one is definitely one of my favorites right now.”

The rich sound of soft guitars filled the air, changing the mood of the room. Ji Yong sat on the couch next to Kiko and closed his eyes, concentrating on the lyrics.

Poured myself a warm glass, and laid awake 
I prayed that with my soul to take
I thought about you all day, yeah we have the same face
I fell asleep so confused, parts of me remind me of you 
How could I ever wish away?

“It’s a very melancholy song.” Kiko looked out of the large window on the wall across from her. “It’s about a lover that is so close to you that when they leave, it’s as if a part of you is missing.”

            Ji Yong watched Kiko’s expression soften, and she lost herself. He could tell that her spirit was elsewhere like his had been earlier that night, another time and another place. And just like that, Ji Yong was exhilarated by her. He wanted to know her intimately, softly, and elegantly. He watched her throughout the song, smiling. Kiko was unlike any other woman he has known. From the moment he met her in the bar, he enjoyed her features, the way she tucked her hair behind her ear, the way she sounded annoyed and tried to look like she wasn’t. As the song ended, Kiko came back to her senses and looked back at Ji Yong. There was a comfortable silence between them as the next song came on.

            “You’re very beautiful.” Ji Yong smiled and watched Kiko get a little flustered.

            “Thank you.” Smiling, Kiko tucked her hair behind her ear again. “In my work, I get told I’m beautiful a lot, but you’re the most genuine about it.”

            Setting down his drink, Ji Yong got up and looked around at albums once more. He stole glances at the woman sitting on the couch every once and a while as the music played. The notes connected their souls. They didn’t have to talk. They just understood each other.

(Chapter 2 maybe to come? It will depend if I'm inspired.)