THE PLEASURES OF LIFE ; jjk [sporadic updates]

2 : Desperate Time Calls For Something

Shock raced through the stranger as he zeroed his gaze on the fifty thousand won bill shoved to his face. He was beyond confused with all the events that had unfolded ever since he crossed paths with this woman in the elevator.

It didn't help that she was already reeking of what she was asking for.

"Gguk, what the heck? Why is your avatar dead?!" A voice blared through the headset but it was rather muffled in volume.

"What?" He croaked, shuffling uncomfortably in his bare feet that were clasping on the door counter for dear life. The shoes cluttered at the doorstep were a thing of nothing at the moment.

"Shit, cover for him!"

Seowoo beamed at him, as if her smile was an indication that she didn't find anything wrong with her out-of-the-world request towards a stranger.

A laugh sputtered out of his mouth, momentarily muting the voices that were overlapping in his headset. "I have been craving Kloud since the crack of dawn. Mind helping a friend in need?" Seowoo stepped forward. However the man hadn't budged..

"We are friends now?" he remarked. There was amusement in his voice for Seowoo's choice of words. Her smile faded for a split second, "We will be if you agree to trade the Kloud with my fifty thousand won," She thought she was bargaining however she was doing anything but bargain.

"Look are you asking to trade a fifty thousand won with five hundred won worth of beer?" The man chuckled, leaning on his door frame as the conversation appeared to become more and more interesting.

"Who are you conversing with Jeongguk? It's a bloodbath here!" The same voice said through the headset as a series of muffled gunshots resonated. Seowoo ignored it because there was something more important than interrogating what she assumed to be an on-going gameplay.

"If the offer price irks you, I can throw in a signed Downtown album," Jeongguk grew more and more piqued by what she was willing to give for a can of beer.

"Downtown? Isn't that the latest-?" Seowoo blatantly interrupted him mid-sentence with a response she was very proud to show off for the first time.

"Don't worry. He is a close personal friend of mine," she whispered, making a sad attempt to wink. That earned a good laugh from Jeongguk.

"Come in. I will take the album but not the fifty thousand won. You can keep it and buy yourself a crate of Kloud if you must," he said with a chuckle as he invited her in. Seowoo muttered a low 'thank you' and walked into the apartment after him.

She was extremely thankful to discover that he didn't see her partly intoxicated self as a threat because she didn't know what she'd do if he ignored her unusual request. Plus if he did see her as a threat that meant she'd have to walk to the next CVS at almost 5 in the morning. Seowoo shuddered at the thought.

Flashes of Gold and a freezing cold contact later, Seowoo was awake with a can of Kloud beer in her hand, not that it was helping her case in any way whatsoever. With a contented smile, she thanked the man and asked for his name.

"Now, is that a way of bagging a guy? Asking for their name through uncanny offers?" he teased as Seowoo perked up in surprise. The coincidence was shocking.

"Thank you again. I'll make sure to deliver the album tomorrow...." Her voice tapered lower at the end of her sentence. With an exasperated look she sighed, "This is the part where people usually say their name, or do I call you Kloud-nine?"

Amusement split the small furrows of his brows. He was truly enthralled with the way she was speaking.

"Why Kloud-nine?" he asked, following her out the door like a homeowner bidding goodbye to a visitor. However, with the sun currently rising from behind the mountains and the new face standing in his doorway, one could never consider this a normal occurrence.