Under the thunderous sound wafting from an unknown indie rock band wailing on stage, Yunho stepped into the little bar getting more and more perplexed as the minutes ticked by. He couldn’t understand the circumstances he now found himself in. He had returned to the Wolf Moon, more on a whim than anything else, only to find the place far different from the last time he had been there. The quaint bar, decorated in the surrounding twilight and the twinkling lights of faint stars, was now alight with activity. Hundreds of patrons, of every kind, were crammed in like rats. Drinking happily and undulating along to the music, as if all of the world was one big party. Every table and chair, and every stool around the beautiful granite bar was filled with people conversing and laughing as if they were having the time of their lives, while the waitstaff flittered all around with bright smiles on their faces.

 

Without a word, the young woman he had met at the door motioned him to keep following as she made her way precariously through the crowd. Yunho did his best to keep up, even though he had nearly lost sight of her three times, and by the time they cleared the crowd on the other side of the bar, Yunho found himself standing before one of the private booths he had noticed the last time he had been there. The curtains were drawn, and in front of it stood a red velvet rope cordoning off the area from the rest of the patrons. To the right of the booth stood a tall man with dark brown hair, muscled arms, and a broad chest covered in one of the bar’s signature staff t-shirts.

 

“Kibo,” he heard the woman say to the man. “This is Mr. Jung.”

 

“Understood,” he replied in a deep, almost menacing voice, before immediately bowing in respect.

 

“This is Kibo,” the woman supplied, turning back to Yunho. “He’s been assigned to be your security for the night.”

 

“Security?” questioned Yunho. The surprise was heavily evident in his voice. “But, I don’t really need security.”

 

“Owner’s orders,” she clarified. “His responsibility is simply to deter our other patrons from disturbing your time here. And, to keep the peace should any incidents occur.”

 

“Are we expecting any incidents to occur?” countered Yunho curiously.

 

“No. Of course not, Sir,” she immediately answered. “It’s only a precaution. The Midnight Moon Festival is one of our busiest nights. It’s not uncommon to have a few patrons not know their limit, drink a little too heavily, and get out of line from time to time. So, it’s more of a ‘better safe than sorry thing than anything else.”

 

“Make sense...” nodded Yunho. “I guess.”

 

With a smile, the young lady turned toward Kibo and gave him a quick nod. The bouncer immediately detached the velvet rope and waved Yunho and the woman past. Reaching her hand out, she gently swept away the curtains to reveal a crescent moon-shaped booth, trimmed in deep black velvet and leather, surrounding a deep mahogany table decorated with a crystal vase glowing with candlelight.

 

“Please have a seat, Mr. Jung,” the woman prompted as she motioned her hand towards the left side of the booth’s arching bench.

 

With a flicker of uncertainty flashing across his face for only a moment, Yunho stepped into the private area and sat down. As he settled into the comfortable seating, the woman sat down across from him and grabbed what looked like a leather-bound folder from the seat beside her.

 

“Now...As the hostess for the night,” she began again. “It is my responsibility to see to it that you enjoy your time while you are partaking in our establishment. The Owner has left strict instructions as to your care while you are here.”

 

“Strict instructions?” questioned Yunho curiously. “What does that mean?”

 

“Let’s me see,” she answered, immediately opening the folder in her hands.

 

“Ah,” she continued as she began to read aloud. “You are to have the utmost privacy. No other patrons will be allowed to interfere with your evening.”

 

“Hence, Kibo,” supplied Yunho understandingly.

 

“Yes,” she nodded before continuing. “You are to be treated with the utmost respect and any orders you make tonight will be completely on the house –no questions asked.”

 

“On the house?” questioned Yunho.

 

“Yes, Sir,” she answered before adding. “It seems, for whatever reason, the owner wishes you to spectacularly enjoy your evening with us. So all your drinks will be free.”

 

“Ok,” smiled Yunho, fully liking the way this was going.

 

“And...” she added, as she glanced down at the folder in her hand one more time for clarification. “It seems, as to make sure that you are fully satisfied with your evening, the owner has also assigned one of our best bartenders to be your own, personal bartender.”

 

“Personal bartender?” questioned Yunho curiously.

 

“Yes,” she nodded with a smile. “He will be responsible for taking your orders, making your drinks, and serving you all night.”

 

“I see,” sighed Yunho.

 

“Does that piece of paper happen to mention the name of this personal bartender?” he questioned.

 

“I’m afraid it does not,” she answered. “There is only a note scribbled in the margins that the appropriate bartender will be notified ahead of time and that it will be that bartender’s responsibility to introduce himself at the appropriate time.”

 

“I understand,” nodded Yunho.

 

Yunho sat there for a moment, mulling over everything he had learned, and couldn’t help but wonder why he was being treated so well. What was he missing?

 

“May I ask a question?” asked Yunho.

 

“Of course, Sir,” she smiled.

 

“Why does this situation seem so strange?” he questioned.

 

“I beg your pardon?” she immediately responded.

 

“I mean...I didn’t make any plans to actually be here. I didn’t tell anyone, any management here that I was coming tonight,” he explained. “So, I don’t actually understand why I am being treated this way.”

 

“Why am I on the VIP list?” he questioned.

 

“As I said before, I do not know. The Owner sets the list,” she replied.

 

“So you have no idea?” he questioned.

 

“I’m afraid not,” she answered.

 

“I see,” sighed Yunho.

 

A moment of silence fell between them before the woman spoke up again.

 

“Well...now that you are settled in,” she continued as she stood up from the booth and tucked the folder under her arm. “I must return to my post. The staff in charge of your care tonight should be with you shortly.”

 

“Ok.” nodded Yunho.

 

Taking a step, the hostess pulled back the velvet curtain, and just as she was about to disappear out of sight, she paused to look back and Yunho as the man looked back up at her.

 

“Was there something else?” he questioned.

 

She knew she hadn’t been fully honest with the man.

 

“Perhaps...” she whispered more to herself than to Yunho.

 

She waited for a second, then as if she had made a decision she sighed heavily.

 

“I’m not supposed to say anything,” she answered.

 

“You can trust me.” smiled Yunho coaxingly.

 

“Well...” she smiled, leaning towards Yunho conspiratorially. “I thought you might like to know one thing before I go.”

 

“Which is?” questioned Yunho curiously.

 

“I’m sure you heard it, outside. When the other patrons said something about us never having a VIP before?” she supplied.

 

Yunho nodded.

 

“Well, it’s true,” she continued. “The Owner has never delineated a VIP before, until you.”

 

“I’m not sure what your relationship is with the owner...or why he’s so intent on making sure you have a great time while you’re here...” she added “But whatever the reason is, I thought you might like to know that your name began to appear on our nightly Guess List roster sometime last week. And we were ordered to be on our toes, should you come to the bar.”

 

“It seems like he was almost waiting for you to come back,” she added.

 

“I see...” sighed Yunho.

 

“It’s really strange.” she sighed.

 

“Well,” nodded Yunho, finally understanding at least a little piece of the puzzle he currently found himself in. “I’m not really sure why he would do that myself.”

 

“I understand, Sir,” she smiled.

 

“I guess I’ll find out eventually, wouldn’t you agree?” he quipped with a replying smile.

 

“I’m sure you will,” she giggled before bowing one last time. “I hope you enjoy your evening, Mr. Jung -whatever comes.”

 

“Thank you.” nodded Yunho.

 

As the woman disappeared behind the curtain with a smile, Yunho rested his arms on the table before him and released a deep sigh. All of this seemed too weird. He had never given anyone his name the last time he was there. He had even gone so far as to use an alias to hide his identity. Yet, somehow, here he was. Sitting in a private booth, assigned a bodyguard and a private bartender, being treated like a VIP that was never supposed to be.

 

“What the hell is going on?” he muttered.

 

A moment later, Yunho heard a beep echo through the small confines of his private booth.

 

“What was that?”

 

Looking around him, he tried to ascertain the source of the sound but saw nothing. Moments passed, and as soon as Yunho decided that it must have been a figment of his imagination, the beep echoed once more. A second later, he heard Kibo’s deep voice wafting through the curtain.

 

“Is there a problem Mr. Jung?” he questioned.

 

“I keep hearing a beep,” answered Yunho.

 

“It’s the intercom, Sir,” he informed.

 

“Intercom?” repeated Yunho questioningly.

 

“Yes, Sir,” replied Kibo. “In the center of your table, Sir, there is a recess there. Just under the candles.”

 

Leaning over the edge of the table, Yunho reached out and pushed the table’s centerpiece to the side and immediately noticed a flashing green button.

 

“Just press the button, Sir,” added the man.

 

“Ok,” replied Yunho, as he reached out and pushed the button.

 

“Hello?” he questioned awkwardly.

 

“Good evening, Mr. Jung,” came a seductively sultry and smoky voice. “My name is Jae. I have been assigned to tend to you tonight as your personal bartender.”

 

“Oh?” answered Yunho slightly surprised. He had never thought that the private booths at the Wolf Moon were so sophisticated.

 

“Before I come to introduce myself properly...” Jae’s voice continued. “I thought, perhaps, that you might like a drink. Would you like to order something now?”

 

“Macallan Scotch on the rocks?” answered Yunho with a questioning tone lacing his voice.

 

“Thirty-year?”

 

“Yes,” answered Yunho.

 

“Anything else, Sir?”

 

“That’ll be all for now.”

 

“Very well, Sir,” replied Jae. “I will have your order ready shortly. If you need anything else before I arrive with your order, please feel free to hit the little green button and I will be here for you.”

 

As the light on the intercom flickered off, Yunho leaned back in his seat and let out a strained sigh.

 

“Well, at least he’s nice,” he mumbled.

 

While he waited for his personal bartender to make his first appearance of the night, he settled deeper into the velvety softness of the booth’s rich interior and let the music emanating from the stage on the other side of the bar flow all over him.

 

When he had first arrived, the band on stage had been playing a heavy metal anthem with wailing guitars and thumping drum lines. The music was loud, almost too much so for Yunho’s taste, but it had a good beat. After the hostess had seated him in the booth, the music had changed to something more up-tempo. Something more reminiscent of a dance track, with an almost hypnotic rhythm that seemingly begged you to dance along. Yunho liked that one better. It was catchy, and the lyrics were relatively fun.

 

When the third song, a barn burner with screaming guitars and wailing lyrics finally ended, the bar grew somewhat quiet for a moment. Yunho wasn’t sure why, but at that moment he really didn’t care. Taking in the silence happily he leaned his head back against the backrest, closed his eyes, and tried to relax a bit.

 

A moment later, the sound of a lone guitar playing a soft melody echoed into the booth. At first, it was nearly silent, almost gentle. Like a lullaby, soft and sweet. Then it grew a little louder, the same chords playing over and over again in gentle succession, as the moment seemed to build and build to a lovely rhythm almost reminiscent of a soulful ballad. And then, seemingly almost like out of a dream, a sultry and nearly sensual voice began to echo over the crowd. It was soft at first, matching the gentleness of the melody wafting in the air but as the song began to build more and more, so did it.

 

Yunho sat there, listening to the song as an almost peaceful euphoria washed all over him. The song was unbelievably sad, so heartbreaking, and painful, and the voice that made those words come alive matched the lyrics of the song perfectly. He could hear the agony of regret, feel the sorrow from loss, and the pain of longing, all in the tortured man’s voice. It was as if the singer was laying his soul bare, showing the world everyone ounce of his personal pain with every note, and yet it was so unbelievably soothing that Yunho felt he could listen to those words over and over for the rest of eternity. It was beautiful.

 

When the song came to a close a few minutes later, the crowd erupted into thunderous cheers.

 

“Good for him,” thought Yunho as he listened to the crowd’s adulation slowly grow quieter after a few minutes. “He did well, he deserves an ovation.”

 

Seconds later, the gentle beep from the intercom rang out once more. Opening his eyes, Yunho leaned over and pressed the button again.

 

“Yes?” called out Yunho.

 

“It’s Jae again, Mr. Jung.” replied the man. “I just wanted to inform you that I will be with you momentarily.”

 

“Did you forget about me?” questioned Yunho playfully.

 

“Not at all, Sir,” answered Jae in a nearly apologetic tone. “The owner had something for me to do...real quick before I started my shift.”

 

“I’m finished now,” he added.

 

“I understand.” nodded Yunho.

 

“Would you like me to bring you anything else?” questioned Jae, his voice sounding almost a little worried. “We don’t only serve alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. We also have bar snacks. Peanuts. Crackers. Fruit. Those sorts of things. Would you be interested in some?”

 

“No thank you.” Yunho slightly chuckled. Jae seemed to be really stressed out about the fact that he had left the bar’s one and only VIP waiting. “The scotch will be good enough for now.”

 

“Yes. Sir,” Jae replied, his voice sounding suddenly lighter. “I am on my way.”

 

A few moments later, Yunho heard the sound of what sounded like a bell ringing. Glancing up towards the curtains that obscured his little booth from the rest of the bar, he caught the sight of a small golden bell dangling from a red cord. As his eyes focused on the bell a little more, it moved and jingled once more.

 

“Mr. Jung?” came a questioning voice.

 

“Yes?” replied Yunho.

 

“It’s me. Jae, Sir.” answered the bartender. “I’m here with your order. May I come in?”

 

“Of course,” answered Yunho, as he internally smiled at the man’s politeness, and glanced down to notice a pair of dark leather combat boots, wrapped in silver chain and adorned with shimmering buttons, lingering just on the other side of the wall of red before him.

 

As the man stepped in just beyond the curtain, Yunho let his eyes slowly trail up the man’s figure inch by inch. His legs were long, wrapped in black leather pants that were so skin-tight that they looked almost like a second skin. His hips were narrow, adorned in a wide black leather and studded belt that hung down on one side as if loosely placed there as an afterthought. His chiseled abs and chest, obscured by a black mesh tank with a plunging neckline, looked so strong and yet strangely seductive that Yunho could feel his interest pique more and more as the seconds went by.

 

“Do all their bartenders dress this way?” he randomly thought, as the moment he met Su the last time he came to the bar flickered across his mind, and he continued to let his eyes roam ever northward.

 

Moments later, Yunho suddenly froze when his eyes finally managed to land on the man’s face.

 

Familiar golden eyes, lined in dark kohl, stared back at him with an almost amused glint.

 

“Hello again,” said Jae gently.

 

“Joon?” questioned Yunho, completely surprised.

 

“That’s good,” smiled Jae, as he stepped a little closer and sat down in the booth across from the stunned man. “At least you remember me.”

 

 

 

Stunned into silence, Yunho didn’t know what to say.

 

“Well...” questioned Jae. “Aren’t you going to say something?”

 

“Who are you?” questioned Yunho in almost a whisper. He was so confused.

 

“Name’s Jaejoong,” replied Jae with a mischievous smile. “Kim Jaejoong.”