sporadic butterflies

CHAPTER 1

FRIDAY, 11:45 PM

"Here ya go."

Another shot was pushed towards her, the tiny glass skidding for a bit on the smooth marble surface of the bar and rested to stop an inch away from her hand.

Jisoo clumsily picked it up and downed the contents in one gulp, then savored the heat as it traveled the length of her throat and pooled in her stomach. She couldn't even taste what kind of drink it was, she was long past that point. Even her reflexes were slower, sloppier, and her head just started to spin.

"Should I call you a lift now?" the bartender - Seulgi - asked, polishing glasses behind the bar. "You look drunk."

"Nah, I'm okay," Jisoo waved her off, acting as sober as she could with her vision already doubling.

"If you say so," Seulgi eyed her warily but didn't insist. "Did you just go thru several break ups? You're drinking too much and too fast, even for a Friday night."

"Noooo.." Jisoo slurred and rested her chin on her upturned palm. "Lisa and I were supposed to drink here tonight but she ditched me last minute when her ex suddenly dropped by."

"Hmmmn," Seulgi nodded knowingly. "Still hasn't moved on, huh?"

"That idiot apparently doesn't know what moving on means," Jisoo looked around the place she was in, the establishment was surprisingly tame for the current day and hour.

The bar was high-end, located at the corner of an avenue in the more affluent part of the city. Their regular customers were almost always coming from the upper tax bracket, and though Jisoo was in no way as wealthy as the bar's usual clienteles, she's acquainted with the owner and that relationship brought her some privilege and a huge discount on drinks.

"Not much people, no?"

Seulgi shrugged nonchalantly. "There was this convention slash ball happening in some hotel and all the important people were attending."

"I see," Jisoo got up from the stool when her bladder demanded for attention, asking for a release. "Excuse me, just gonna go to the restroom."

"Careful," Seulgi was hesitant but Jisoo made it across the floor to the restrooms without tripping on her feet.

See? She's still sober. Barely.

On the way back from the restroom, Jisoo went to get some fresh air and clear her head for a bit, and maybe even reply to Lisa's texts if she was feeling up to it. She headed out to the bar's open but dim-lighted balcony and checked her phone, scrolling down the socmed notifications and her friend's stream of endless messages.

Her peripheral vision caught another two patrons just a few meters away from her, she straightened up and dared a passing glance at them.

The guy was leaning a tad bit too close for comfort over the woman who has her back against the wall of the building. The latter's expression was a mix of annoyance and exhaustion. She pursed her lips and folded her arms across her chest defensively.

It looked to Jisoo that the dude was hitting on the lady, not very effectively if she might add. And the one on the receiving end of it was just too polite to rudely turn him down. Or she already turned him down but the guy was just too dense.

It could have been the alcohol in her system, or her inner sense of justice but Jisoo decided to intervene and be a (drunken) knight in shining armor.

Chivalry ain't dead, boo.

"Hi, I'm sorry just read your text, didn't mean to make you wait," Jisoo slipped her phone in her back pocket and swaggered her way to the couple. Both turned to look at her but their expressions couldn't be more different when they saw Jisoo.