Meet Me At Midnight

1 - First Impressions

"The brightest light shines in the darkness."

--

There was a beautiful bitterness to the night. As the amber hues of the setting sun faded into black, the darkness of the night chilled water into stone, green leaves to frosted white.

Everyone rushed indoors, whether it be straight home to a family after work, meeting a lover for a sweet date or to a bar to thaw both the body and the heart. Some needed to nurse their pain with the burning, bitter warmth.

And that was what someone sorely needed that night.

A young woman, dressed in head to toe black, had burst through the heavy and dark oak door, her stiletto heels clacking lightly against the cool marble floor. Panting lightly as is if she ran a marathon, she weaved her way through the dimly lit room and straight to the bar. At this time of the night, only muted laughter was heard, easily drowned out by the brass tones of light jazz.

And finally at her usual spot, she plopped down on the cushioned barstool, her hands ruffling though her messy hair.

The bar owner, stationed just behind the bar chuckled quietly at the woman's weary state, and after perusing through the large collection of liquor, grabbed a familiar bottle.

"On the rocks or neat?"

"Neat."

"Oh, was it that bad?" Now intrigued, the owner slid the drink across the counter and rested her elbows on the high counter top. Thankfully, only a handful of patrons were left, namely around six:

A couple talking amongst themselves on a love seat, a middle aged business man talking on his phone, two working professionals cackling away about the latest office gossip, and a young man who had come an hour earlier. After asking her for a drink recommendation, he settled with a gin and tonic and had been reading a book ever since, facing away from the crowd on the other end of the room.

So with everyone settled, she had all the time in the world. "Talk to me. What happened?"

And the regular had to sigh at the loaded question, quickly taking a sip of the much needed cure. "If I have to listen to another two straight hours of a guy rambling on about himself, I'm going to give up dating altogether."

Well into her thirties and now at the tender age thirty five, Son Ye Jin was a Cha Jang at Geodaehan Corporation (GDH), a job she loved that thankfully came with a great, stable income.

She had worked hard for her position working hard straight after university and forging a blazing path at a young age despite the constant overtimes, judgmental clients and sacrificing basically all of her social life.

But that didn't mean it was nonexistent. Along the way she had met her nearest and dearest, such as the lady behind the bar. After a date had brought Ye Jin to the establishment three years ago, Hyo Jin had come to her rescue when the man, plastered with too much alcohol, had aggressively come on to his date, the former commanding that the man leave her bar.

The shameful man, unintimidated by the presence of another lady, had tried to lunge for her as well until Ye Jin had not-so surreptitiously kneed him in the groin, ending all further complications. Safely escorted out by security and banned from the bar for the rest of his life, the women celebrated that night, bonded and kept in touch ever since.

But back to the present, it seemed Ye Jin had suffered from the hands of a man once more.

"I knew I shouldn't have listened to you and agreed to this." She rested her chin on her palm and swirled her drink with the other.