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“Beer is revolting.”
“No, you’re just a wuss. Beer is refreshing, Unnie. Imagine after a long hot day in the sun or after work when it’s time to destress, and the cold beer just goes down your throat like a smooth path down.”
Joohyun grimaces at the oddly, specific description by her best friend and she clamps her hands over her ears. “I don’t know how you single-handedly managed to make beer sound even more disgusting than it already is, Sooyoung. This is not making me want to try beer, it’s making me stay way.”
Sooyoung leans over the table and knuckles the older woman’s head, doing it one more time when Joohyun opens her mouth to curse at her. She, unlike her tasteless best friend, is an avid lover of alcohol in general. If someone were to buy her a crate of different types of wine, Sooyoung will drop on one knee to get married immediately. Typically, women are expected to be domesticated and allow their husbands to leave the house to socialize or whatever lame excuse they give. Sooyoung plans to continue doing the opposite of that.
Needless to say, Joohyun is on board with the idea.
After all, she is a lesbian.
“Look, just because you tasted beer and threw up last time, it doesn’t mean that’s going to happen again.” Sooyoung stops herself and takes another mouthful of the cool liquid; she’s about to lose it. “All I’m saying is… come with me for the beer-tasting event. It’s going to be just you and me, so no one’s pressuring you to do anything you don’t like.”
“Aren’t you right now?”
“UNNIE!”
Back in her apartment and extremely far away from her alcoholic of a best friend, Joohyun kicks off her shoes and throws herself onto the sofa – home sweet home. She might not drink much, but the one time she got so drunk that she purchased this expensive, leather sofa and it’s truly a blessing in disguise. One thing about the parties Sooyoung throw is that the influx of alcohol is truly astonishing; it could be a small get together for five to six of their friends and Sooyoung would still order enough for at least ten normal people.
That was also not Joohyun’s first time drinking… so, there really isn’t any other excuse she can make for that unnecessary sofa. Just as she’s ready to open the dating application on her phone, a familiar but unwelcome voice echoes through the apartment.
“Joohyun?”
“What the fuck!”
So much for coming home to peace and quiet, Joohyun squeezes her eyes shut.
“I… I missed you so I came here…”
It’s been a good two years since her ex-girlfriend broke up with her, neither woman making the slightest effort to reach out to the other ever since. It’s a little harsh to say they ended on bad terms because it was a build up of different situations that drove them apart. However, Joohyun found out that within a mere two months, she had the audacity to start dating some businesswoman from a rival company – it’s almost as if the break-up was inevitable in the first place. Whatever happened after, Joohyun bared no interest or gave a single damn.
Joohyun buries her face into her hands; she was already tired from work and then her dinner with Sooyoung. This meeting isn’t going to end well if this woman doesn’t get the hell out of apartment right now.
“Just because I didn’t change my passcode, doesn’t mean you get to waltz in here as if nothing happened between us, Chorong.”
“Calm down, silly. I didn’t come here to do anything out of the ordinary. I came to drop off something for you but the door wasn’t locked and I really needed to pee so…”
The speed at which Joohyun’s cheeks burned a bright pink is notable, and Chorong has to bite her lip to keep herself from laughing. She has a habit of jumping to conclusions all the time; clearly, that part hasn’t changed very much. Their relationship was filled with both happiness and sadness because of that; Joohyun knows that very well.
Chorong approaches the woman, sitting on the armrest albeit cautiously. She rests a hand on Joohyun’s sagged shoulder. “I… I just wanted to drop off my wedding invitation. We might not be in each other’s lives the same way but I don’t want to lose a friend like you.”
Truthfully, Joohyun held a grudge against Chorong ever since she broke up with her and then dating someone else so quickly. She remained bitter for the whole of two years, barely lifting a finger to get out of the slump she put herself in. Although Sooyoung successfully persuaded her to come to parties a few times, Joohyun steered clear of the women there. She kept to herself and stuck to her favourite flavour of soju, ignoring the common mixture of soju and beer shots. Eventually, Sooyoung downloaded the dating application for her and told her to ‘get her head out of her ass and start dating’.
“Oh… are you getting married to the businesswoman?”
“Yeah,” Chorong blushes slightly, breaking the eye contact they held. “Eunji’s a wonderful lady. You two would have gotten along, I think.”
Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, Joohyun stands and faces her ex-girlfriend with a much brighter disposition than before. She swallows the lump in her throat and lifts Chorong’s chin gently.
“I’ll be there at the wedding, I promise. You deserve the world, and I know she’ll bring you happiness.”
It doesn't take more than two minutes of silence before the two women are bawling in each other's arms. Leaving behind scars are a problem, especially when it carries for too long; this is a good example of that. Joohyun could have let go and Chorong could have reached out earlier, maybe their friendship would have been rekindled quicker. With this one embrace, old wounds begin to close and scars begin to fade.
Hopefully, these scars never resurface with the aid of passing time.
Before Chorong takes her next step out of the front door, she turns behind to spare another glance at Joohyun.
“You deserve happiness too, Joohyun, and you will get it once you start opening your heart to new horizons. People would be stupid to pass up that opportunity.”
Joohyun sees her ex-girlfriend out the door, bidding farewell for now till the wedding preparations begin. She can’t explain the lifted weight off her chest, but God, she’s thankful. All this time, it always felt as if her heart was being held down by an enormous boulder that couldn't be lifted even if she tried. It’s the main reason why she refused to see new people; it wouldn't be fair to start dating if she’s not ready to move forward.
Yet with the conversation and necessary closure tonight, Joohyun has an idea - one that won’t disappoint Sooyoung at all.
“Hey, I’ll go to the beer-tasting event with you.”
“Really?” Sooyoung all but shrieks into the receiver, bolting to attention with that one simple line.
“Yeah. I think it’s time to try new things.”
***
God knows where this damned tasting event is, because the next thing Joohyun knew, she was on a train ride that seemed to go on for eternity.
“Geez, Sooyoung. You said in town but you didn’t say in another city altogether.” Joohyun grumbles, holding the top of her jacket against her freezing body.
Sooyoung gives her a wry smile, brushing off the complaint. As long as Joohyun is willing to come along, she can pretend the complaints are music to her ears – the fact that she’s here with her is an achievement in itself. She usually hitches a ride with one of her friends whenever they head over to the bar, but a train ride will help Joohyun calm her nerves. Plus, she's more interested in why the sudden change of heart; Joohyun is usually headstrong and firm about each and every decision.
It’s very intriguing.
“So….”
“Chorong came to see me, and she dropped off her wedding invitation.”
“Oh, that’s cute.” Sooyoung gushes. She saw the break-up coming miles away but she'd never say that to Joohyun. “I’m guessing you got your closure and that’s why you changed your mind.”
Joohyun nods silently, looking up at her best friend with a particular smile – one that has been hidden away ever since the break-up. She finally got back to her senses and that’s all that matters, even if it took two years to do so.
“Anyway, you’re going to be thanking me because beer is not only great…. but the bartender is fucking hot.”
Even though Joohyun tries her darn hardest to conceal her inner excitement, her eyes tell Sooyoung everything unwittingly; Sooyoung knows her type very well. The blind dates that she had Joohyun go on several times in the past is solid proof of that; they all possessed similar traits. Yet out of the blue, Sooyoung doesn’t say it’s just any other normal woman, it’s the bartender for crying out loud. Bartenders have a charm to them – or maybe because most of them are usually men – so female bartenders, and by Sooyoung’s standards?
Of course, Joohyun is exhilarated.
Seeing as her best friend is finally excited about getting to venture into new waters, Sooyoung takes out her phone sneakily.
text message to: blonde dwarf
I’m bringing a friend tonight
can you whip up something fresh?
she’s not a really big fan of beer
Although it is a beer-tasting event, Sooyoung means it when she said no one will pressure Joohyun to do anything she doesn’t want to. It’s completely understandable since she prefers the sweeter kinds of alcohol.
text message from: blonde dwarf
is she the one you were telling me about?
mind if I pull out all the stops tonight? 😊
The smoothness of that sentence makes Sooyoung cringe, but the goofy smiley emoji at the end of her question is just… so her. She’s been to this particular bar a couple of times and the bartender never fails to show off her clumsy side. It’s quite ridiculous if you put careful thought into it; bartenders need to be meticulous and skilful with their drink-mixing and that’s where she never fails. The area she simply can’t seem to grasp is none other than the romance but her actions are clumsy but genuine, which Sooyoung thinks will attract Joohyun.
Stealing another glance at her now snoozing best friend, Sooyoung chortles whilst she types a reply and a little bit of advice.
text message to: blonde dwarf
just be yourself
sparks may fly for all you know
*
“Seungwan, can I get one pint of Pilsner?”
“Asahi dry for me, please!”
The blonde-haired bartender chuckles at the two women sitting in front of her; these two have been here since this afternoon, trying to spend more and entice her to give her phone number to them. She probably can’t make it any clearer with the number of times she smiles politely and rejects them, but well…
It is still business, after all.
For some reason, Seungwan felt as if today was going to be a good day the moment she got out of bed this morning. Besides the beer-tasting event which is a hit every year, her gut just told her today was definitely going to be special. When her loyal customer, Park Sooyoung, texted her about bringing a friend – she knew it immediately. The first time Sooyoung visited the bar, she tried hitting on Seungwan and when they knew it would never work out… Sooyoung offered to introduce someone else to her.
Her best friend, Bae Joohyun.
A lesbian and a beer hater… which is interesting because Seungwan is more a beer person than anything else.
“Son Seungwan!”
That loud, obnoxious voice can be recognized from miles away.
“Hi, Sooyoung!”
Not taking her eyes off the glass in her hand, Seungwan continues to watch the beer flow directly from the tap. She can be a gentlewoman after she’s done pouring two more pints for both Sooyoung and her friend. The fact that she knows Sooyoung’s favourite types at the back of her head is a bit concerning for the latter’s liver but it is what it is.
“Hey, shorty! Look up, I’ve got someone to introduce to you.”
“Sooyoung!” Joohyun elbows her best friend in the ribs, horrified at the lack of manners she’s showing. “Don’t be rude!”
At the sound of the modulated and silvery voice, Seungwan inadvertently takes her eyes off the prize and looks up. Her jaw goes slack unconsciously, cheeks reddening beyond recognition when she notices how pretty she is. The ultimate breaking point, however, comes when the ethereal woman finally looks straight at her; oh God, Seungwan feels her knees begin to buckle. With the rapid pace of her heartbeat, Seungwan’s finger slips and the glass is falling in mid-air and onto the floor, the glass shattering into tiny shards.
“Seungwan!”
Joohyun’s eyes widen in shock and she immediately climbs onto a chair, leaning over to check on the bartender. “Oh my God, are you okay? Are you hurt?”
“I… I’m fine. I’m so sorry, this is embarrassing.”
Sooyoung watches the whole scene play out with crossed arms, amusement written all over her face. She just knew one way or another, Seungwan would definitely find a way to embarrass herself in front of a pretty woman. The unexpected part of this is Joohyun having such a big reaction. On a normal day? Joohyun wouldn’t bat an eyelid even if someone fell down right in front of her feet.
“I’ll clean up the mess later. Don’t mind it.” Seungwan groans, almost collapsing at the debacle. She meant to impress Sooyoung’s pretty friend and maybe score a date or something, not reveal how much of a useless lesbian she is. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”
“Joohyun… I’m Sooyoung’s best friend.”
Seungwan leans over the counter with a newfound mischief, a twinkle in her eye when she notices Joohyun’s throat bob – guess she isn’t the only one feeling the tension between them. Anyway, the beer is already all over the floor and her socks are drenched as it is…
Why pass up the chance to do something more productive?
“Beautiful name for a beautiful woman.”
Typically, Joohyun would roll her eyes to hell and back if someone ever had the guts to say that to her face but oddly enough, her stomach starts to churn and her heart even skips a beat. Soon enough though, Seungwan is called and she begins to grab a couple of bottles from the bar. She clasps her fingers together and tilts her head slightly, watching the bartender get to work. The nimbleness and muscle memory begins to show within minutes; Seungwan doesn’t even hesitate when she pours three shots of liquor into the mixing cup.
There’s nothing more attractive than someone who’s passionate about their job.
Sooyoung appears out of nowhere, one arm thrown around Joohyun. “So… what do you think? She’s pretty cute, huh?” She already knows what the answer is but she’s not letting this go till a clear answer is given.
“Very cute, actually.” Joohyun mumbles.
Even as she says that, her eyes aren’t even on Sooyoung. She can barely stop staring at Seungwan; the woman literally threw a bottle behind her back and caught it with the other hand, tipping it so a small amount of liquid is dripped into the mixing cup. After a few minutes of shaking, Seungwan then tosses a couple of ice cubes into a hi-ball glass and pours the mixture in.
“Do you want her number?”
Joohyun finally tears her eyes away, the question piquing her interest. “Hm?”
“If you have a pint with me, I’ll give you her number right away.” Sooyoung smirks. She knows it’s a good (and honestly, kind of one-sided) deal, especially when Joohyun is already so taken with the latter.
“You’re fucking mean.”
The conversation might seem private but Seungwan overhears it, and she chuckles to herself. It’s very flattering that someone as beautiful as Joohyun is actually considering a pint of beer because of her. As the only female bartender in this place and easily in this town, Seungwan gets many invitations and offers – whether indecent or not. She also doesn’t shy away from questions about her sexuality and interests, which is also a charming point. One thing she’s extremely firm about here is that she doesn’t allow free drinks on her watch; no one is allowed to buy a lady a drink unless she mixes it herself.
It might look bad and unreasonable, but safety comes first.
Seungwan grabs a much smaller glass, taking out a bottle from the fridge underneath – it’s part of her own private stash and she normally doesn’t take it out for anyone but some people deserve good things.
“Joohyun, try some of this.” Seungwan pushes the drink forward gently, making sure to let the woman know she can back out anytime possible.
“What’s that?”
Sooyoung narrows her eyes at the glass contents, she knows almost the entire beer menu here but this one isn’t on the list. “Is that new, Seungwan? I don’t think you gave me a sample of that.” Sooyoung says again, looking through the multiple pints in front of her.
Joohyun doesn’t mind the conversation going on, her eyes solely fixated on the glass in front of her. Part of her wants to try the beer since Seungwan is the one who is offering – and more likely because Sooyoung offered her the bartender’s phone number too – but another part of her is still repulsive. It can be so bitter, so gassy and it makes one bloat beyond belief… why would anyone like beer?
Seungwan spots the hesitation straightaway and an idea comes to mind; it can only be fair to offer something else. “Okay, how about we do this together? I will take a spirit that I hate, put some ice in it and then try it too. I know you dislike beer but it’s also a beer event after all… I can only offer you an exchange like that.”
“Deal!”
The answer didn’t even come from Joohyun’s mouth but Seungwan is relieved to see Joohyun sporting a warm, tender smile. It clearly isn’t a rejection but it also isn’t an agreement. Seungwan herself is all too familiar with doing things against her will, especially when there is peer pressure. It doesn’t take a genius to notice that the pair of improbable best friends are the opposite of each other as well; Sooyoung is more of a party animal while Joohyun is a homebody through and through. It’s no wonder even their choice of alcohol is opposite too.
Seungwan boldly reaches out and pats Joohyun on the hand, eyes conveying her concern. “Joohyun, are you sure? It might be a beer event but if you don’t want it, I will gladly mix something else for you.”
If Joohyun wasn’t sure about taking the smallest sip possible at first, Seungwan’s concern takes the cake.
“Cheers.”
Joohyun watches both their glasses clink together, bringing the glass closer to her own lips. She notices the grimace in Seungwan’s features when she forces the drink down her throat – she’s even taking it on the rocks instead of adding a mixer into it. The bartender is quite the adorable charmer, it seems; she didn’t have to put herself into the equation but she kept to her word anyway.
Well, here goes.
In comparison to the last time Joohyun had beer, this one Seungwan poured just for her was fairly gentle and sweet – a stark contrast to the first and only experience. Not only is the bitterness toned down by leaps and bounds, it also glides down her throat so easily that Joohyun thinks she can finally understand why her best friend chooses beer over every single type of alcohol possible. Today’s weather might not be hot enough to enjoy the refreshing, cold beer but Joohyun does feel her mood begin to lighten significantly.
The weirdest thing is… Joohyun can’t seem to get enough of it.
“Are you sure this is beer, Seungwan?”
“I poured it myself so yes…” Seungwan nods and finishes the rest of her drink, her frown automatically appearing at the taste of it. She hands a glass of water to Joohyun too, rather tickled by the strange question. “Does it not taste like beer?”
“Beer is always bitter, isn’t it?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say always but there are many different types. Some of those are on the sweeter side, some on the bitter side, some on the dry and some on the smooth. It really depends on your preference or what you order. What you have in front of you right now is Newcastle Brown ale, I recently came back from another city and they were teaching us how to brew it so here we are. I hope it’s sweet enough for you though.”
Sooyoung wonders if she made the right decision introducing them to each other because why is Joohyun getting the beer that she didn’t? So much for spending money here. “That’s called biased, shorty! I’m your regular here but you haven’t given that to me ever!”
Seungwan flips her off without hesitation, earning a huff as Sooyoung marches off to the other side of the bar where a male bartender stands. She’s close enough to the latter to make jokes like this; they don’t get offended by anything.
“S-Seungwan… thank you.”
“That’s alright, Joohyun.” Seungwan nods gently, reaching out to squeeze the woman’s hand. “I’ve heard about your dislike for beer so I knew something sweeter would be better.”
“Not just about that. I mean for being such a gentlewoman, for giving me beer from your own stash and brew… you didn’t have to. Hey, you didn’t even have to take a glass of a spirit you don’t like. We barely even know each other.”
Joohyun’s eyes don’t meet Seungwan’s once during her monologue, extremely embarrassed at how cared for she feels. It shouldn’t feel this way, not when this is literally their first meeting… even if it makes her heart pound crazily. Seungwan, on the other hand, can’t help but place a tender hand underneath Joohyun’s chin to lift her face. Someone who looks as beautiful as Joohyun and possesses such beautiful eyes deserves to keep their chins up no matter who they’re speaking to.
Seungwan walks around the bar, but her eyes don’t leave Joohyun once. She takes the seat Sooyoung was sitting on a while ago and turns to face the woman. “Look, it’s no big deal. If you really want to repay me though… you can start by coming with Sooyoung more often.”
The next time they meet, Joohyun is in her suit. Sooyoung didn’t even let her best friend go home to change into comfortable wear before dragging her back here, much to Seungwan’s amusement – this time, Joohyun goes for Belgian wheat beer.
Thereafter, Seungwan is working both bars alone. She’s exhausted to the bone when the bell rings, signalling someone is in. “We’re closed!” She says, until a pair of familiar looking hands is atop the bar and a megawatt smile on none other than Joohyun is in front of her. This time, Joohyun goes for German wheat beer.
Within three months, the women finally exchange contact numbers (Sooyoung refused to give Joohyun her number because technically, it’s a sweet kind and Seungwan’s own brew) and addresses, deciding that it’s ridiculous for Joohyun to keep travelling back and forth just to see Seungwan at work. It was a mega big step for Seungwan, finding an apartment in the heart of the city just to be closer to Joohyun, but she accomplishes that too. Despite having opportunities on a much larger scale here, Seungwan chooses to go back to the bar every two days. There’s nowhere like home and she takes that very personally – she started her career there, and she will also end that one there.
Anyhow… fast forward to almost a year later…
Seungwan rocks back and forth on her heels, waiting in the cold for the businesswoman to come out from her office building. She actually arrived almost an hour ago but there’s no harm in waiting. After all, it’s a pleasure to wait for someone your heart yearns for.
“Seungwan-ah!”
“Hey, princess…” Seungwan catches the older woman in her arms, giving her one of the warmest hugs Joohyun has ever had in her life. “Missed me?”
Joohyun mumbles an incoherent answer, tucking her face into the crook of Seungwan’s neck. She had a really shitty day at work but the mere presence of her favourite bartender changes her perspective within minutes. “Come on, let’s go back to the bar.”
When Seungwan revs up her bike, Joohyun’s breath gets taken away at how hot the woman looks. She wants to ravish her without hesitation but things like that can wait, for now. Of course, silly Seungwan can’t help but be a gentlewoman because whilst Joohyun is busy thinking of ways to keep Seungwan all to herself, the latter is putting on her helmet for her and fastening the straps so gently. Sometimes, Joohyun wonders if the woman has two personalities – hot, charming and extremely smooth or clumsy, innocent and lovely.
Removing her coat, Joohyun sits on a bar stool and rests her arms on the wooden counter. “Babe, I know what I want this time.”
“Yeah?” Seungwan rolls up her sleeves and waits for her answer. “What is it? I’ll have the same as you.”
“Newcastle Brown Ale.”
Seungwan stops short in her movement, beginning to hear her own rapid heartbeat in her ear drums. Her world just seemed to slow to a stop, her eyes zeroing in on Joohyun across the counter. Her chest tightens and her eyes well up with tears when she notices Joohyun’s own tears rolling down her cheek.
“I know this is only our first meeting but I want to court you, and I will. But when you think or feel I’ve touched your heart and would give me the chance to be in an official relationship with you, would you order the same ale I poured for you?”
Joohyun tilts her head in confusion, “oh… why that one?”
Seungwan has both hands behind her back and fidgets on the spot, cheeks boasting a baby pink that most people would want. “Because you’re the only one I’ve ever poured it for and um… I’ve known for a long time that I want to get to know you and tonight has been a pleasure. So… it might be too quick for you, but I’ll be waiting for that day no matter what.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah?” Joohyun breathes out shakily, biting onto her lower lip. She takes the glass with shaky hands and gulps at least half of it down; liquid courage works wonders for many, maybe it will for her too.
It takes a fragment of a minute where Seungwan’s eyes dart down to her luscious lips for a split second, and Joohyun is immediately sold. She leans forward this time, eyes scanning Seungwan’s face for hesitation. Her hand comes up to cradle Seungwan’s sharp jaw, thumb rubbing the rosy cheek lovingly.
The moment Seungwan tasted the remnants of her brewed ale on Joohyun’s lips, she lets her instincts take over. God knows how she manages to climb over the counter so that she’s now in between Joohyun’s legs without breaking the kiss, but she does it successfully. Their lips don’t stop melding with each other’s, hands starting to travel comfortably. Seungwan keeps her hand on Joohyun’s lower back, making sure she won’t be at risk of falling off – it really speaks volumes of how gentle she is with Joohyun.
“Thank you for waiting,” Joohyun whispers breathlessly, forehead pressed against Seungwan’s with her hands still cupping her cheeks. “I love you…”
Hell, beer is still not her favourite but this bartender?
Yeah, she’s her favourite now.