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“For how long should I wait today?” she asked, sultry. Her fingers tracing the rim of the beer glass that she ordered, the bar’s specialty, brew in house (that’s what her bartender claim)
“My shift will end in 30 minutes, princess.” A grin form at the bartender’s lips, earning a gummy smile from her.
“Okay! I’ll be waiting there, Dahyun” She pointed at a secluded place, only one meter away.
Earning a nod, she leave Dahyun to continue her work. Although she love watching Dahyun cleaning the glasses, or shaking the Martini shaker, or carefully choose the right drink for her customer but tonight she feel like watching from afar, admiring the bartender that caught her attention since the first day she was here.
It wasn’t her intention at first to come to this bar. She was dragged by her friends who insisted that she should having some fun while she’s young. She hate to admit that she’s hardworking. Her parents taught her since she was a kid that she will be the only one who will take over Myoi’s Legacy. Yes. She has a brother but her brother already protesting since he was younger so, she had to do it.
So, she studied hard. It was already her last semester at the college and she pretty much ace in every subject and even joined a theater club to make her results more clean. She has close friends that always encouraged her and she’s grateful for that. She never really had a dream, or hobbies (playing games aren’t hobbies, they’re passion) or even any interest on both guy and girl. Her aim was to graduate and take over the company.
It was the last day of her final exam where she was drag by Jihyo and Nayeon to this bar. It wasn’t pack and there’s not many people come as it’s located quite far from the college. It’s always calm, and even on her first time here, she didn’t felt annoyed. Especially when the pale bartender caught her attention.
“What can I get for the three of you, ladies?” Her voice is so soft, and sounded so confident with entertaining the customer.
“Any suggestion for us?” Nayeon asked, as her eyes roaming around.
“Well, we have the best beer in town, if you’re into beer of course.” The bartender suggested to them.
“Beer sounds good. Is it bitter? My friend here, she’s first timer.” Jihyo’s turn to asked. The bartender smile, shaking her head.
“Don’t worry, it isn’t bitter at all. Especially if a beautiful girl like her drinking it.” A wink was shot to her direction, and she couldn’t deny, that was so cheesy but she liked it.
Jihyo teased her endlessly when the day after when she said she wanted to go to the bar again, giving excuse that she’s in love with the beer. She’s usually more like champagne or wine kind of girl as that’s usually she drink with her parents when they had dinner together.
“In love with the beer or in love with the bartender?” Jihyo’s smirk was still clear in her mind since that day. She immediately shake her head.
“The beer, okay? I barely know the bartender, how can I possibly in love with her?” of course she will deny it. Besides, in love was a bit too soon for her. Oh, if only she knew.
They went to the bar once again that night. But, it was a different bartender that served them. It’s a lie to say that she’s not disappointed. She can’t hide it at all, as that night she didn’t order the beer. Of course, Jihyo brought it up.
“I thought you said that you wanted to get the beer? I never know that coke is actually a beer?” Mina can tell Jihyo was teasing her but she’s too upset to care. Her eyes looking around, hoping to at least see a glance of the pale bartender. She didn’t even get her name!
“Excuse me, miss.” A tap on her shoulder made her startled. She turn around, to see the bartender that served them that night.
“I’m sorry but Dahyun asked me to pass this to you if you come here tonight. It wasn’t usually how she’s trying to ask a girl out, but she had an emergency so she had to go back to her hometown for this whole week.” The bartender explain, and hand her a piece of paper.
“Dahyun?” she asked.
“Oh, the bartender that served you and your friends yesterday.” Smiling, showing the dimple, the bartender answered before leaving her to continue her work. She took a glance at Jihyo who’s talking to the bartender, and she look at the paper she’s holding.
I really hope we can be friends. Didn’t manage to ask for your name yesterday, or your number. But here’s mine XXXXXXXXXXXX. I hope you will text me. I really want to get to know you better.
-Dahyun-
Of course she didn’t text Dahyun immediately. She waited for a week to go back to the bar. She’s tempted to start a conversation but she wanted to wait. She wanted Dahyun to ask for it herself. Often she found herself staring at the number that she saved, her thumb only one press away from sending a text but she retreat. She wanted to wait.
So, she came back after a week. That night, she only wear a simple tee and jeans while Dahyun wearing the uniform she wear for work. A white shirt covered by black vest, her sleeves folded until her elbow, tied her hair in high ponytail but one thing was missing. The teasing smile that she wore on the first day Mina went to the bar.
“May I get a glass of beer?” Lean closer to the counter, she said.
“One glass up!” Dahyun pour the beer before place the glass in front of Mina. She retreat to attend other customers and Mina can’t help but feel a bit disappointed.
She waited, an hour later when the clock shows that it’s almost 2 AM and there’s no one else around. Dahyun cleaning all the glasses before carefully placed in at the rack, wiped the table clean and even arranged the chairs.
“I’m sorry, miss but we’re closing,”
“I know.”
“I need you to leave so that I close the door,” Dahyun said, still with gentleness in her voice. Mina can’t help but feeling nervous. What if Dahyun actually playing prank on her the other day?
“Can we talk?” She asked.
“About what?”
“This.” Mina showed the paper that she received a week ago.
“Oh, so Chaeyoung did gave it to you. You can pretend that I never gave it to you.” Dahyun said, nonchalantly.
“But, I don’t want to pretend that you never gave me this.”
Dahyun raised her right eyebrow, making Mina fidgeting.
“So?”
“I mean, I want to get to know you better too. But I’m afraid if this is a prank or something so, I wanted to confirm it with you?” sounded a bit unsure but that’s all she could think at the moment. And Dahyun smiled.
“I see.” Dahyun smirked and Mina swear she really wanted to wipe that smirk off. Dahyun offered her hand, and it made her startled.
“Hi, I’m Dahyun.”
Taking Dahyun’s hand, she smiled, “Mina.”
The next day, they had lunch together at a small restaurant near to the college. It wasn’t fancy but she found herself talked a lot than usual. There’s always topic that Dahyun brought up that she thought it’s quite interesting.
But, none of them really touched the personal matters. Mina only knew Dahyun’s name, and where she came from. And also how old Dahyun was.
The second date, Dahyun pick Mina at the college and they went to museums. Dahyun said, she always wanted to go to the museums but she never had anyone that wanted to go there with her. Mina almost refused but she’s glad she didn’t because that day, she seen another side of Dahyun especially when Dahyun look so curious about everything.
There’s something about Dahyun that really made Mina curious. She’s more than just a bartender. She always seems like she’s hiding something.
It was on their seventh date where Mina knew about a part of Dahyun. Dahyun was a part time student at one college located 2 hours away from their current city. Dahyun worked at the bar to help her pay her college fee and for her to continue living. That explained why she didn’t came to work for a week on the second day she went to the bar. Dahyun had to sit for her final exam for the whole week.
And that’s when she knew that Dahyun was actually came from a wealthy family but her parents died and her greedy uncle took all the money and assets that was supposed to be hers. And since that, she had always admire Dahyun.
They’re officially together after a year since their first meet. They were at Dahyun’s small but comfortable apartment. It was 10 in the morning. She’s at the kitchen making some toast for both of them. When suddenly she felt Dahyun hugging her from behind.
“You know, you’re so perfect, Minari,” A simple compliment that made her blush.
“Really?”
“Yes. You’re smart, you’re kind, soft and you know how to cook, you can sing and you can dance too. I don’t know what the things you cannot do?” Dahyun kissed her shoulder, it was so gentle.
“You’re exaggerating, Dahyun.” She giggle although all of the compliments made her heart flutters.
“Oh, there’s actually something.” She could feel Dahyun pull away from her, and it made her turn around to look at Dahyun.
“Really? What is it?”
“You’re not my girlfriend. If you’re my girlfriend, it will be perfect,” There’s a playful tone in Dahyun’s voice but Mina knew better as she feel the same, she really wanted them to be girlfriends.
“You never asked me to be your girlfriend,” she bite her lower lips, whispering those words
.
Dahyun took her hand, kissed her knuckles softly.
“The toasts are burning, princess.”
It wasn’t like those cliché will you be my girlfriend thingy but both of them knew that they’re officially together since that day. Both of them admit that their feelings are mutual, they made love at the kitchen (of course after she successfully made toast for their breakfast), and Dahyun didn’t let her hand go, not even for a seconds.
“What about Dahyun that made you wanted to be with her?” Nayeon asked one day, they’re hanging out during that weekend as the three of them including Jihyo already busy with works. Mina started working at her dad’s company. She’s now one of the executive in the human resource department. Nayeon started her modelling career and Jihyo chose to open her own pet shop.
“I don’t know. There’s something about her that always caught my attention since the first day both of you dragged me to the bar.” She explained.
“Is it because of her look?” Jihyo asked. She shook her head.
“No. I mean, you know she’s working at the bar as a bartender, right? So, usually when she got home late at night, she really smelled like cigarette and cheap perfumes. But, she smelled like home.”
That’s how Mina can explain if anyone asked her about Dahyun. She was never comfortable with the smell of cigarettes or even stand with the smell of cheap perfume as she grown up in a wealthy family, always got pampered with everything that she wanted.
But, with Dahyun, she finally can feel like she’s at home. Dahyun smell like home.
“Princess? Back to earth, hello,”
“Huh?”
A chuckled.
“Let’s go home. Minari.”
She smiled before hugging her bartender, inhaling the scent. Being here with Dahyun, in her embrace, she’s really at her home