𝗢𝗹𝗱 𝗙𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀

Soju novice.

To my dear lovelies, here's a post-Valentine's treat.

#

Company.

I need acompany. Even a stranger will do.

I know it sounds a little stupid but all I need is a freaking company, right at this very moment.

I've been sitting here at this table for the last fifty minutes with three empty bottles of soju and a glimmering hope that somehow my date for the night would show up in this ancient, cramped Korean restaurant.

After my last tragic relationship, my best friend Rebecca took liberty to set me up on a date, to which I voluntarily agreed without giving any second thought.

Apparently, the guy she set me up with is her colleague and somehow she got this weird feeling that he and I will make a great couple since we both love animes. And I'm not going to deny that my love for animes has crossed boundaries only recently, but this is not the only thing someone should say while playing the Cupid and trying to set me up with another person with same interest. It's not like I'm gonna talk to him about animes until the day we marry each other.

But never mind, I prepared myself with other topics to discuss minus the basic formalities and anime talks. But the problem is my date is nowhere to be seen. I tried calling this person, but he did not pick up. I tried calling Rebecca, but it went directly to her voicemail.

Frustrated, I ordered yet another bottle of soju. The waiter gave me a pity smile as he placed the bottle in front of me. Like bitch, I did not ask you to give me your stupid pity smile - reserve it for someone else. But he gave that sickening pity smile anyway. I did not respond neither did I return his smile, I just kept on following his movements with a glare as he placed the drink before me and then he took his leave.

9:56 pm.

And the clock is still ticking. The restaurant is buzzing with boisterous people, everyone is either in groups or with their respective company except for me. Only me. Sipping bottles after bottles of soju and internally denying the fact that I just got stood up. My brain would constantly say that perhaps, its high time I head home instead of looking at the door whenever someone would enter, but my mind - my romantic and hopeless mind will always reason with, "What if he shows up late?", "What if he comes after I leave?", "Perhaps he forgot about the date earlier and is now on the way? And maybe his phone is dead because he forgot to charge it?" There's a possibility for all of this to happen, right? And the glimmering hope of it was still making me stick to my seat and order bottle after bottle of soju.

"Hi, do you mind if I sit here?" An extremely husky voice spoke as I was about to reach for the bottle. "There aren't any vacant spots left."

I looked up from my bottle to stare at the tall stranger who was smiling down at me. Is that pity smile I see again? I narrowed my eyes as I scrutinized his form - tall and lean with soft blush hair, wearing a printed shirt and black pants, his left arm was covered in tattoos and he flaunted a gold Rolex on his wrist. His eyes were big and sparkly with slight wrinkles forming around the corner of his eyes, his nose sharp just like his jawline and his lips glossy with tint.

"Are you talking to me?" My voice came out a little slurry than I actually intended. Am I drunk already? Or is that how my voice actually sounds like when I drink? But then again I don't even know how my voice sounds when I drink. I haven't drank in so long. I'm almost alcohol deprived. But this soju right here is my true saviour.

He arched an curious eyebrow. "Yeah."

"But why are you talking to me?"

"Because I want to sit and there are not any vacant spots around."