wenrene
"Why are you making me do this, Seul..."
Seulgi sighs, fluffing one of Joohyun's dresses and setting it carefully on her bed. "You know you need to go out and talk to people other than me for once, right?"
Joohyun seems to disappear further into the cradle of bedsheets she's nestled in, giving Seulgi an icy look. Seulgi off-handedly thinks that even her signature glare has been dulled. "I don't have to do anything."
Seulgi's eyes soften. She knows how hard the rumors, the leaks hit Joohyun. She knows how much Joohyun suffered. "Hyun, you need this."
Joohyun looks away, unable to meet Seulgi's gaze that always feels like it's piercing into her soul. "...Fine."
Seulgi smiles, throwing a dress to her best friend. "Here, put this on." As Joohyun starts to crawl out of her safe haven, grumbling, Seulgi gently pats her shoulder. "It'll be okay, unnie."
As Joohyun nods, she wonders if Seulgi's right.
~
Joohyun shudders as she walks into the bar.
She shouldn't have come. She can feel it already, the judging looks from strangers, the unwanted attention. It's too much.
She shouldn't have come.
Seulgi takes her hand. "Unnie, it's okay."
Joohyun shakes her head, eyes flickering around. Her shoulders tense, rising, the walls press in on her...
Seulgi's grip anchors her down. "I brought you here to have fun, okay? Don't mind them. Let them talk if they want to. It doesn't matter to you."
Joohyun's vision shakes, but she still nods.
It doesn't matter.
Seulgi tugs her to the bar, and Joohyun sits down automatically, eyes trying to burn a hole through the polished wood counter. Her best friend waves a bartender over, and Joohyun dimly registers footsteps approaching, then halting.
The bartender pauses, eyes widening and sweeping over her curiously, and Joohyun shrinks into herself further, gaze falling anywhere but the person in front of her, deathly afraid of the recognition in their eyes. This was a terrible idea.
But then she sees shuffling out of the corner of her eye, accompanied by a lightly whispered "Kim Yerim don't be rude". Her head snaps up, eyes meeting another bartender's set of melting brown ones. Pink lips curve into an apologetic smile. "Sorry about my friend."
Joohyun can only stare at the bartender's everything, really. The short, silky brown hair, the sloping contours of her face, and most of all, the absolute lack of judgement in her eyes. Joohyun isn't sure if the bartender is clueless or an angel.
The bartender's cheeks flush, probably at Joohyun's prolonged stare. "So... what can I get you?"
Seulgi steps in, sensing her best friend's unavailability. "Can I have a glass of water?"
The bartender nods, turning back to Joohyun. "Okay. For you?"
Joohyun starts, voice raspy from disuse. "Uh... Surprise me."
She realizes a second too late how forward that must've sounded, and immediately wants to take it back, if not for the pink that creeps further up the pretty bartender's neck as she turns, stuttering a soft "I'll try my best."
Seulgi immediately looks over to Joohyun with a knowing smile. "So..."
Joohyun only swats Seulgi's arm, trying to not let a blush of her own slide on her face.
~
Captivating. That's the word for it.
Joohyun can't seem to take her eyes off the way the bartender makes her drink, slim fingers dexterously preparing the cocktail. Soon, a glass of some cherry-red fluid, piled with ice, sits in front of Joohyun. The bartender smiles nervously. "Try it?"
Joohyun does. The flavors hit her tongue, melding into one another, a harmony of taste in her mouth.
The bartender didn't disappoint.
Seulgi pokes her. "Well?"
Joohyun meets the bartender's expectant eyes with a swallow. "It's... really good."
And the smile on the other woman's face is sweeter than any cocktail Joohyun's drunk before.
~
Joohyun's been here for a while now.
She now knows the bartender's name: Seungwan. A pretty name for a pretty girl.
Seungwan, or Wendy, was born in Korea but headed to Canada for schooling. She had met Sooyoung and Yerim, the other two bartenders, after coming back. Sooyoung was the one who had got her the job, actually. Joohyun made a mental note to thank Sooyoung for that.
However, Joohyun still hasn't garnered the courage to ask Seungwan for her number. But she is drunk enough to ask the bartender whether she recognized her or not.
Seungwan's doe eyes flick away, but soon meet Joohyun's again. "I... well, you're Irene Bae. Everyone knows you."
Joohyun frowns, leaning maybe a little closer than necessary. "That doesn't bother you?"
Seungwan's eyes crinkle into a gentle smile. "I don't treat anyone unfairly because of rumors. You're just another customer, right?"
Joohyun's heart sinks a little. So she's just another customer.
"And, I mean... you didn't do anything wrong. And you're pretty. Maybe just a little."
And as Joohyun's gaze shoots up to see Seungwan's red-tinted cheeks, her heart soars too.
~
"Seul... why are you ditching me..."
Seulgi sighs at her best friend. Joohyun tips forward into her seat a little, brown hair swinging in front of her face, lips curving into a pout.
A drunk Bae Joohyun is quite the sight. Usually aloof, and at best mildly emotional, Joohyun turns into a clingy mess when she's inebriated. Seulgi knows this all too well.
Which is why she's practically forcing Seungwan to take her home.
She's already discussed it with the 2 other bartenders working, Sooyoung and Yerim. While Seungwan and Joohyun were too busy flirting, Seulgi approached the other two, a plan set in her mind. Though it involved the other bartenders working extra taking care of customers later on, they've all agreed that their friends need to get laid. Sooner or later.
Besides, Seungwan is good for Joohyun.
Seulgi has noticed how relaxed Seungwan made Joohyun. It's almost envy-worthy, how she could comfort Joohyun through simply being there, while Seulgi couldn't. Despite being Joohyun's best friend for over 6 years, and staying by her bedridden side for weeks.
But as long as Joohyun is happy.
Seulgi cards a hand through Joohyun's dangling locks. "I want to stay here for a little while longer, okay? Besides, Seungwan can take care of you."
Seungwan looks anything but able to take care of Joohyun, standing off to the side as her friends lecture her about her nonexistent love life or something of that vein. Quoting Sooyoung's exact words.
Joohyun glances to Seungwan too, half-lidded eyes staying on the other woman for maybe a second too long. "But, Seul..."
Seulgi pulls Joohyun to her feet as a red-eared Seungwan starts to makes her way out from behind the bar, a slight frown on her face. "Look, she's coming."
Joohyun turns around. Seulgi watches, amused, as Seungwan's face immediately melts into what one can only describe as being "absolutely whipped", lips parting and quirking up in that slight way that Seulgi wishes she'd be able to experience one day.
But for now, she can only nudge Joohyun to Seungwan's side, gazing fondly at the way Joohyun settles her arm around Seungwan's waist for support, the younger girl immediately grasping Joohyun's shoulders firmly, leading her out the bar.
Seulgi turns with a sigh to face Sooyoung and Yerim. "They look married already."
Yerim makes a face. "Disgusting."
Sooyoung shakes her head in agreement.
Seulgi decides to not comment — the two standing in front of her are enough, after all — and instead takes a sip of her now-lukewarm water, silent laughter curving her lips.
~
Seungwan doesn't know what to think of Bae Joohyun.
Otherwise known as Irene Bae, the woman was a solo singer from an important brand, though her beautiful face landed her many roles in advertisements and even films and her distant personality, especially towards men, earned her the reputation of "ice queen". Seungwan had never really got into Irene's discography, though she respected the other woman and her huge fanbase that crossed the world.
Then, Irene vanished off the entertainment scheme for being caught kissing another woman.
Seungwan remembers the backlash all over social media, remembers biting her knuckles in anger at the stupid homophobes with enough audacity to say "2 women shouldn't be together". She remembers the last live Joohyun streamed on Instagram to apologize, remembers the hateful comments popping up, remembers the defeated look on the singer's face as she bid even her haters "goodnight". She remembers the frustration rising up in her throat, knowing how discriminating and unjust society is, but unable to do anything about it.
Then, for Joohyun to show up in her bar was just...
A surprise? A liability? A privilege?
Whatever it was, Seungwan didn't expect it. At all.
Getting to talk to Joohyun was even less expected, however, and Seungwan felt herself maybe fall even deeper than before. How was she not supposed to? The woman was stunning, charming, everything anyone could wish for.
But now... Taking Joohyun home was an entirely different and nerve-wracking experience.
Seungwan flashes yet another worried glance to their taxi driver, cursing Sooyoung and Yerim for setting her up like this. Not that she minds the comforting weight of Joohyun's head on her shoulder.
But the singer's proximity is just a bit much for poor Son Seungwan to handle.
Joohyun leans back, eyes captivatingly dark under the night's cover, glinting occasionally from street lights. A tapered finger pokes Seungwan's burning cheek. "Mm..." She blinks, agonisingly slow. "You're cute."
Seungwan bites the inside of her cheek. "Joohyun-ssi..."
Joohyun frowns. "Call me unnie."
Seungwan sighs, giving in. "...Unnie, you're drunk."
Joohyun pouts, and Seungwan swears her heart skips a beat. "And you're not. Hmm... That's not really fair. It's because your drinks are so good."
Seungwan prays Joohyun can't see how red her face is.
Joohyun thankfully ignores the lack of response and presses into Seungwan's side, curling her arms around the younger woman. "Seungwan... Seungwannie... Can I call you Wannie?"
Joohyun's hopeful eyes gaze up at Seungwan. The bartender sighs. "Of course, unnie."
"Wannie. I like it..."
Wannie is of course the nickname Sooyoung and Yerim had landed on for Seungwan ages ago. But it sounds inexplicably different rolled off Joohyun's tongue.
Seungwan registers that — in the midst of her own thoughts — Joohyun had fallen asleep. Seungwan finally breathed a sigh of relief, finding a slumbering Bae Joohyun to be much less anxiety-inducing than a conscious one.
Besides, this way, she can finally text Sooyoung and Yerim.
---
Wannie
you two
i'll kill you
Doong
wow unnie
do you not appreciate me and yerims efforts to get you laid
Squirtle
yeah unnie
besides it's joohyun bae
otherwise known as the most beautiful woman ever
Doong
...
Wannie
you're sleeping on the couch tonight Kim Yerim
Doong
...
she's right
Squirtle
noo please
Wannie
aish you two
at least fight after you get me out of here
Joohyun-unnie's sleeping on my shoulder
this is not good
she's too pretty
help
Squirtle
...
see Seungwan-unnie agrees with me
Doong
you little
---
Seungwan groans. Those two. They'll be the death of her one day.
Then, Joohyun's soft voice beside her almost causes a heart attack. "You think I'm pretty?"
Seungwan whips around to meet Joohyun's eyes, teasing with laughter. "W-well.."
Joohyun leans dangerously close, voice lowering to a pitch that plucks at Seungwan's heartstrings. "Do you actually think I'm pretty?"
"Of course" is what Seungwan wants to say. But she settles for a frantic nod instead.
Joohyun smiles almost blindingly. "Good."
But then, she stays for a second longer on Seungwan's shoulder, eyes straying to the bartender's parted lips, before a muted expression slides over her face. The ex-singer turns away, pressing herself into the leather of the carseat.
Seungwan finds herself missing Joohyun's warmth.
So, for better or for worse, she slides a hand around the other woman's waist, which fits almost perfectly in her hold. To her relief, Joohyun seems to melt into her arms.
The car eventually pulls into the driveway of a modest house. Seungwan opens the door and gets out, turning to take Joohyun's hand as the older woman exits as well. Seungwan insists on paying the driver, who then leaves. The two make their way to the wooden front door.
Seungwan feels a sense of disappointment settling over her. It doesn't help that Joohyun seems to be looking at anything but her.
She should've known, though, that this wasn't going to lead to anything.
Seungwan takes a breath. "Um... Bye, unnie." She turns to leave. "Goodnight.
"Wait!"
Seungwan looks to Joohyun with a start.
"Thank you." Joohyun's gaze is cast to the ground, long eyelashes casting shadows on her rose-tinted cheeks. The light glinting off her chestnut-hued hair makes her seem almost ethereally beautiful.
Seungwan stares. "...Why?"
Joohyun shrugs, seeming almost shy. "You were just so nice, even with everything. It was... a pleasant change."
Seungwan's heart softens. "There was nothing wrong with what you did, unnie."
Joohyun's head snaps up, boundless hope glistening in the smile threatening to break out onto her face. "Really?"
Seungwan nods.
And perhaps Joohyun sees the endless understanding in the tender smile Seungwan gives her, because the next thing she knows, Joohyun's velvety lips are pressed gently to her cheek, just shy of touching the corner of Seungwan's own mouth. She smells of whiskey and ice and the cherry syrup Seungwan poured a dash of into the first cocktail simply because she thought the older woman would love it, and her arms loop around Seungwan's shoulders in a warm embrace, her hair brushes against Seungwan's bare skin, and Seungwan is just surrounded by the overwhelming essence of Joohyun.
"If it's not too much trouble..." Joohyun's breath grazes Seungwan's skin as she pulls away, looking adorably flustered. "Would you want to stay over tonight?"
Seungwan blinks, hesitating, as the look the other woman is giving her is almost a little too tempting.
But in the end she gives in and whispers, "Of course."
(The elated smile on Joohyun's face is absolutely worth it.)