This Is Why I Love The Color Red

Bar Guy

[Listen to PERFECT STRANGERS by Jonas Blue]

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I stared at the soju bottle I had bought along with the chips. What am I even doing? I feel empty. Something inside me is missing. I sat down on the bench and scrolled through my newsfeed. I had just returned from our family trip to Tagaytay, and guess what? The night I got back, I ended up at a random guy's place.

"Are you sure you don't want to come over? We can drink together like last time," his message notification lit up. I turned it off. I wasn't in the mood for that.

Suddenly, Chie's profile popped up on my screen. I messaged her and she replied instantly. Before I knew it, I found myself inside her apartment while she was on a video call with her so-called casual boyfriend.

"Wanna pre-game?" I asked.

"Where have you been though?"

"At the convenience store. I wanted to grab a drink."

"With whom?"

"By myself."

Chie took a bath while I did my touch-up. I styled my black off-shoulder top with cross-styled straps and left my shades on my head. Boots completed the look. I stared at myself in the mirror. I had accidentally dyed my hair brown—I thought the dye was purple but realized it mid-process. We booked a Grab, and 30 minutes later, we found ourselves at club Zzyzx in Malate, Manila.

"Table for two," Chie told the waiter. I glanced around. The place was filled with foreigners and people over 25.

I ordered chicken wings and started with a margarita. It was funny eating in a club, but the food wasn't bad. I filmed myself vibing to the music. The first two hours were chill. After 1 am, we found ourselves dancing with different girls from different tables—they all looked pretty.

"You look amazing!" I smiled at Chie's compliment and returned the favor. We took shots, and Chie had me dancing like crazy, twerking at our table.

"My cousin and I are planning to go to Boracay... wanna come?"

"EL, let's book that plane ticket!" Chie was already on an airline's website, about to book tickets for April.

Chie and I are childhood friends. She used to have strict guardians who wouldn't let her out, but now we're indecisive partners, travel besties. We plan trips whenever we want and invite each other along.

Later, I saw Chie talking to the table next to us, full of Taiwanese guys—not my type. Chie was on her side quest again. I was left drinking alone at the standing table.

"By the way, this is my friend, EL!" Chie gestured to me as the Taiwanese guy handed me a shot. I smiled, hoping it wasn't spiked. I'd read online that guys in clubs sometimes do that.

I downed it. Well, I'm still alive. The next few minutes were spent alone at our table while Chie worked her way for our free drinks. Suddenly, I turned my head to the left.

"What a man of God..." I muttered, admiring his perfect physique. He was alone? He seemed to be enjoying himself, listening to the DJ play tracks.

I kept drinking, one shot at a time until I felt kind of dizzy. This was the only way I knew how to muster the confidence to talk to a guy in a bar. But it didn't happen; I was stuck in my place, trying to dance but always ending up checking what he was doing.

"Hey, don't you want to mingle with those guys?" Chie asked, looking worried, holding another guy's hand this time, from the table to our right.

"I like him," I pointed with my lips.