gold & silver ➤ taehyung

One

"Goddamnit, Taehyung. The deadline is in three months and you still haven't started?"

"Hyung," I sighed, pinching the top of my nose bridge to relieve the rush of stress. "I'm just having a really bad writer's block, but I'll get it done. I promise."

Hyung didn't utter a word, but I could almost hear his eyes rolling on the other line. "This better not be one of your empty promises. Your career is at stake."

"I know, I know," I said, gritting my teeth. Whether or not I was going to finish the script in time or not, this conversation needed to end. Hyung had a habit of lecturing me for hours and frankly, I was getting tired of it. "I have to go, hyung. I'll talk to you later."

With a heavy heart, I hung up the phone and took out a cigarette. I placed it between my lips and began to smoke, sitting at the edge of the pier. I was happy to see that I arrived just in time for the sunset. As I smoked, I watched the sun drown softly into the ocean, its golden light reflecting on the water's surface. Damn, all sunsets are so fucking beautiful but this one in particular was the epitome of beauty itself.

I was so distracted by the sunset that I practically finished the cigarette off completely without noticing. Occupied with nothing to do or see, I was beginning to feel dangerously empty. As beautiful as that sunset was, it didn't inspire any script ideas as I hoped it would.

I was usually one of those people who got so lost in their head that even if my eyes were open, they would only be open to another world that my mind created. I didn't need any sunsets or pretty ocean views to stimulate my head.

Frustrated and out of ideas, I decided to spend some time at a bar. I mean, where else would a guy go eight o'clock at night?

I ended up walking a block or two down main street to a small, but well-known bar. Inside, a string of dim lightbulbs were hung on the perimeter and black, modern furniture occupied the space. It was quite busy for such a small place, but I didn't mind the noise. I sat down in front of the main counter and a bartender came to my aid.

The bartender bore a complexion that I couldn't help but study. She had a pair of youthful, brown eyes, honey-tinted skin and lips that were slightly parted. She was no Audrey Hephburn, but she was still beautiful in a way that didn't follow typical standards for women. If I were to describe her to someone, I wouldn't be able to put it into words.

"Beer's good," I told her, to which she smiled and nodded. She handed me an alarmingly tall cup of freshly brewed beer and I chugged it, immediately regretting it afterwards.

"You must have really low tolerance if you're getting sick after a sip of beer," the bartender remarked jokingly.

"You could tell?" I said, my fingers curling at the bitter aftertaste. God, I forgot about my tolerance and how excruciatingly low it was. The last time I drank was last year, when I got a promotion and I had to have someone carry me home after a serving of cocktail.

"It's okay," the bartender said, concentrating on a new drink. "Your secret is safe with me. Just don't throw up on the floor or my boss will kick your ass."

"I think my ass is going to be kicked at this rate," I said, feeling even more sick that before. Thankfully, she took the hint and gave me a glass of water.

"Guys like you usually don't come to bars," she said, managing to hold a conversation while serving. "Did you break up with your girlfriend or something? Maybe lost your job? That's the case with most people who sit in front of the main counter."

"Kind of," I said, chuckling. "I might lose my job, but I don't know yet."

"Oh?" she said, her eyes perking up. "Care to share?"

Without a break, I told her everything. From the day that I got hired as an intern to the day that I was assigned to a write a script to test my skills as a writer. To my surprise, she listened to it all. I could tell by the way she would glance up every once in a while and the way her lips curled up into a quick smile with each turn my stories took.

"So you climbed your way up the hierarchy," she said, chuckling softly. "And now you don't know what to do at the top?"

"I'm just in the middle of a writer's crisis is all," I said quietly, swirling my empty cup in a circle. She let out a small laugh as she worked on a new drink.

Hours passed by and our conversation extended along with time. She told me her name was Yuna and that she came from a small place in Busan. But besides the basics, she was very difficuly to get to know. When I asked her questions, her answers were brief and often vague. I stayed until almost one in the morning, which was when she was done with her shift.

"It's late," I said, checking my watch. "I'll walk you home."

"I only live down the street," she said as untied her hair, allowing her wavy, chocolate brown hair flow down her back. "I'll be okay."

"I just want to talk to you a little longer about my script is all," I assured her.

To be honest, I just wanted to talk to her more. With so many people around me talking about nothing but the deadline, I wanted to be around someone who took my mind away from it. Her voice made me feel at ease. Thankfully, she accepted my invitation and we exited the bar, a night breeze greeting us outside.

"So," I said, looking at nothing in particular. "I'm guessing bartending wasn't your childhood dream?"

"No," she said bluntly, not picking up the sarcasm. Although, I couldn't tell if she was doing it intentionally or not. "I wanted to be a photographer."

"Are you working on any projects then?" I asked.

She shook her head. "I can't afford to. I'm trying to-"

A loud thump echoed from an apartment building nearby, interrupting our conversation. Yuna's eyes widened, her expression turning fearful and her face turning pale. Before I could ask if she was alright, she dashed towards the apartment entrance.

"Is this where you live?" I asked, calling out to her.

"Y-yes," she answered, jamming her keys in the key hole as she rushed to get inside. Her hands began to tremble, making her drop her keys. "Don't worry about me and go home!"

She eventually managed to get inside, but she disappeared so fast that I didn't get a chance to say goodbye.