Cafe Marionette was bustling with students who were busy in their own circle of tables, eyes stuck on thick books, pens scribbling on paper. Some were engaged in their own laptops as they occasionally sipped on their favorite caffeine drink. Shui used to get distracted with all the indistinct chattering, clicking of mouse pointers and the ticktack of keyboards. But working here for two years now had taught Shui how to drown out unwanted noise.

Halfway through wiping glasses, utensils, and plates, his phone buzzed which he swiftly fished from his pocket. He almost shoved it back when he found out the one who messaged him was not the one he was waiting for. But he opened the message and started typing for a reply.

          Maekju-ssi: Beer or soju? (23:47)

          Shui: Did someone dump you again? (23:48)

          Shui: Beer (23:48)

Aish! I told her to think properly! Shui shoved his phone back to his pocket. This girl really needed to get herself together. If her craving for a drinking date really was because of a break-up, that would mean that it's her eighteenth now.

"Who's that?" Beside him, Min Jungshin asked as he handed the customer her change. The lady in a fitted black dress looked confused, wondering if Jungshin was asking her or Shui who just slipped his phone back to his pocket.

"Maek-- Hyeonju! Park Hyeonju," Shui replied quickly, glancing at the lady who nodded to herself before leaving.

"Park Hyeonju?"

"Remember that girl who suddenly came here drunk just before I left? Mocha colored hair... You know the one who barged in here and went shit about how her bra unclasped itself," Shui explained, trying to make Jungshin remember. It wasn't the most pleasant memory but it was damn hilarious.

"Ah!" Jungshin exclaimed which followed with a laugh. "She was crying and screaming... Man, that was a crazy night! A-class entertainment! Will she do that again?"

"I hope not. I had to clasp her bra for her, make her calm down, take her home and make her hang-over soup." 

"You told me she's not your girlfriend. But you clasped her--"

"I didn't have a choice," Shui cut him off.

The scene of him clasping a Hyeonju's bra played in his head, making him uncomfortable. It was on the night of her sixteenth break-up, which she calls tragedy.

Snapping him out of his unfortunate memory recall, Shui's phone buzzed and buzzed again. He took it out of his pocket to check her reply.

          Maekju-ssi: I DID THE DUMPING! (23:52)

          Maekju-ssi: Soju!!!! (23:52)

          Shui: You shouldn't have asked. You're buying. I'm broke. (23:53)

          Maekju-ssi: Meet me there. NOW (23:53)

          Shui: I still have a few more minutes before I'm done here. (23:54)

          Maekju-ssi: Don't you ever stood me up (23:55)

          Shui: When did I ever do that (23:55)

          Maekju-ssi: Everyone did (23:56)

          Shui: Not me. Promise (23:56)

After sending his reply, Shui went to check the messages he had sent to Nabi. He texted her for about six times but he never got any reply. Nabi was supposed to waste her time here the other night while Shui was working but she never came. Worried, Shui typed another message.

          Shui: Are you okay? Want me to come to you? (23:58)

Thinking that sounded wrong, he deleted the last sentence before sending it. He hoped for a reply but the back of his mind said that won't happen. Trying to get his mind out of it, he went to his locker and changed his uniform to the caramel sweater and black jeans he wore for the day. As his shift was done for the night, he waved goodbye to Jungshin before sprinting to a pub two blocks and a stairway away from Cafe Marionette.

"Tonight, let's waste time."

No matter how fast he ran, he still couldn't get Nabi out of his mind. She sounded so desperate when she said that. And all Shui wanted to do was to help. He knew how it felt to ask someone their time out of desperation. When he needed to make time flow faster but he couldn't do it alone, he hopelessly turned to someone, anyone. Thankfully some random stranger passed by, whom he was eternally grateful to. If he was left all alone that night, crumbling away... Shui always wondered what would have happened. The loneliness would have actually killed him or drove him insane.

"Thank you," he whispered as soon as he saw Hyeonju who sat a few tables away, blankly staring at a few bottles of soju in front of her.

It was a mystery to Shui why boys would always break up with Hyeonju when they where the first to ask her out in the first place. It wasn't really Hyeonju.s fault that she falls in love so easily. But it was more a reason to really think carefully about her choices. Shui was not in the place to give lectures, though, since he never was in a romantic relationship with someone. Even if he wanted to, his lack of free time could make any girl complain.

The pub, as usual, reeked of alcohol that his desire for soju surfaced. Drinking was not in his plan for tonight but his throat craved for it. He would have to waste money for taxi afterwards. A group of four men who sat at the table beside Hyeonju started shouting at each other. Knowing Hyeonju, she would start screaming at them telling them to fuck off.

"Ya!" Hyeonju roared which made Shui practically run. "I don't give a shit if you start killing each other but your shouts are driving me insane!"

She stood, small in contrast to the tall buff boys who looked like they're sports majors. This caused her to mutter, "Wow, you're all fucking tall. I like tall people. Who wants to date me?"

As soon as he got to Hyeonju's table, Shui bowed to the four men as an apology in Hyeonju's sake. The three men shrugged it off while the other one who was in a blue university jacket handed Hyeonju a piece of paper, plastering a huge grin on his square face. Hyeonju winked at him which made Shui roll his eyes. Because of Hyeonju, the group of men decided to continue their fight outside. Now, only indistinct babbling and rock band music filled the pub.

"You're late!" Hyeonju sat back on her seat, grabbing a bottle of soju. As Shui sat in front her, he grabbed the bottle Hyeonju was holding and opened it for her before pouring to each of their glasses. Hyeonju took her glass and gobbled it all down. Shui did the same.

They each drank three glasses before Shui asked Hyeonju what happened. Ever since they met two years ago on his birthday, Hyeonju had kept in touch by always asking him out for a drink whenever she's upset and she can't just shrug it off. That's why Shui called her Maekju, they always drank beer or soju every time they see each other. Shui would also do the same. He would ask her out to drink whenever he's feeling miserable again. Tonight, the first to ask was her and that meant that something happened to her like getting dumped again or maybe her parents wanted her to take time off school again. From their exchange of messages a while ago, Shui guessed it had to be a boy problem.

"Am I ugly?" Hyeonju muttered, her elbow pressed on the table, her hand supported her head. Shui just noticed that she dyed her hair black. Her question and her raven hair made his eyebrows cross. Never did Hyeonju ask Shui that question. Most of the time she would rant on about how no one actually noticed her beauty. Also, she never dyed her hair back to her natural color before.

"I'm guessing you really fell for him damn hard this time, harder than all your past lovers combined." Shui poured each of their glasses.

"What's the use if it all ended the same? I even dyed my hair black when he said he hated it when people dye their hair." They both drank another glass. "Shui... I can't even call him an asshole."

Tears welled up in her eyes. Hyeonju bit her lip, trying so hard not to start sobbing. Her not calling her ex-boyfriend an asshole said a lot about how special this someone was to her. Every break-up, she would call Shui out to drink so she could curse and rant about his ex but now, Hyeonju couldn't even do any of that.

"We dated a month longer than Ryeol! I thought he was actually the one! The last one!" Ryeol was the longest guy she ever dated, well now it would be this new guy. Hyeonju broke into tears, gulping a bottle down. Shui used to stop her when she does that. But countless drinking dates with her made him understand that it's her way of easing the pain.

Shui just watched her break down occasionally tapping her shoulders because that's the only way he knew how to show comfort. It was always a mystery why Hyeonju always looked for his comfort whenever things like this happens. She should have some friends who could cheer her up at times like this but she always turned to Shui. Well, he didn't even mind that one bit that's why he never asked.

"I wish you'll fall in love, too! It's unfair I'm the only one crying about heartbreak here." Hyeonju smiled, wiping her tears away through her hands.

"That girl over there is probably crying about heartache, too. You're not alone." Hyeonju poured him another glass which he drank in one mouthful. He was talking about the girl who sat three tables in front of him. Her friend was patting her back while she sobbed, her head faced first on the table.

Hyeonju looked back, "Heol... That's Yukika! Her boyfriend probably broke up with her!"

"How did you know? I didn't even see her face."

"Girls are amazing creatures."

"So amazing you stopped sobbing." Shui cursed at himself when suddenly Hyeonju started crying all over again. He wanted to ask why but that's when Hyeonju started singing along to the music which was now an acoustic ballad.

"Just like letters on the sand where waves meet,

I feel you'll disappear to a far off place,

I always miss you... miss you...

H-he loves this song so much... He always plays... this in the car when he drives me home after... our date." Hyeonju sobbed even harder, especially when the song reached its bridge. She continued to sing along, her voice cracking.

"How can I be so lucky,

To have met you who is a blessing?

If we're together now,

Ah, how great would that be?

I love this part so much. He would smile whenever I sang along. He loves IU so much that it made my heart flutter when he said that I'm his IU. Gosh, I hate this song." Even though she said she hates it, she continued humming until the end. Placing her hands over her chest, her head repeatedly swayed from left to right while her tears slowly dripped from her eyes down through her cheeks.

"I'm really curious about the day when you'll fall in love," Hyeonju whispered, smiling bitterly. Weirdly, Nabi's face suddenly appeared in his thought. "And I'm curious about the day when I'll stop falling in love."

"I hope I'll fall in love. Maybe it would make me feel like a normal person."

"Let's cheer to that and also to my last heartbreak!"

"I sincerely hope this would be your last heartbreak!"

The clang of glass meeting glass as they did a toast was drowned out when the music now played classic rock. Drunk people started singing along to the music. Some started fighting, knocking tables down along. But the noise didn't mind them. The two of them continued to drink without a care in the world. Tonight, he didn't even care about school or work. Heck, he didn't even think about how to get home. All the time he always thought of the future in every single thing he does but now, all he wanted was to live in the moment. He wanted to stop thinking about the future. He wanted to live the life his age usually lived. He wanted, wished, longed to be free.

//

For anyone curious about the song, if you'll ever be, it's IU's Through The Night. I translated it in English for you. The song is on the header. You can play it as you read. 

This chapter is dedicated to my amazing beta reader! You're the best!

Rie