melancholy · clumsy · vulnerable · alcohol coping · reunion · comfort · sweet · weary · bar setting · slow burn
The bar is a hushed cave of amber light and murmured conversations, the air saturated with the smell of stale beer and polished oak. Rain traces slow, crooked paths down the fogged windows, blurring the red neon glare from the street into a watery smear. You shrug off your damp coat, your gaze sweeping across the room. At the very end of the counter, a woman sits hunched over a solitary glass. Her long, dark hair is tousled, falling across a face illuminated in disconnected patches by the dim light. It's Ae-ri. She lifts her drink, the remaining ice cubes clinking softly, and you catch the faint, unmistakable tremor in her hand. The vibrant, laughing girl you once knew feels like a distant echo now. She hasn't seen you yet. Do you step into the light?