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Finally// beautiful stranger- Halsey

"Yes, Mom, I am taking care of myself", I spoke into the phone. Mom was on the other line, checking up on me, yet again.

"Don't lie to me, Byul. I know you've been busy. Very, very busy. You barely have any time to take care of yourself", she snapped back. I looked at Chae, my roommate, pleading for help. She simply smirked at me. Bitch.

"God knows what you do in that city, all alone, except for working all day and all night."

"But Chae is here too, she makes lunch some-"

"Don't fool me, young lady. I know very well what Chae does and what she doesn't. Hell, I'd be surprised if she can manage to boil an egg without burning the kitchen down!"

I bit my lip, knowing very well how true that was. Chae and I had been best friends since our college days, and fate had kept us together when we both found jobs in the same city.

I looked over at her and saw her trying to hold back her laughter. "How shameless can you be?" I mouthed to her. She shrugged and broke into a giggle. I swear, if she hadn't been my best friend, I'd have found another apartment and spared myself from having two people to take care of.

"Are you going to answer or not, Byul?" my mom spoke from the other line. I realized, I'd been silent for two whole minutes.

"Don't worry, Mom. It's not like I'm being starved to death. We're both earning enough money to fill our stomachs and pay our rent", I reasoned with her.

"AND BUY EXPENSIVE CLOTHES TOO!" Chae shouted from beside me. I smacked her head which earned a dramatic 'ouch' from her.

"What was that?", Mom asked.

"Uh...nothing, Mom. Hey, don't worry about me, okay? I'm doing fine here. And if I have any problems, you know I'll call you."

"Alright", she mumbled hesitantly. I smiled victoriously. I knew I'd beat her again. "Promise me you'll go out sometime soon. You know, relax a bit. I know you've been working yourself up."

She was right, though, I couldn't deny that.

"Yeah, I'll think about it," I told her. "No, promise me" she replied. I exhaled loudly and said, "okay, I promise. Alright, Mom, I'm getting late for work. I'll speak to you later, alright?"

"Alright, sweetie. Take care of yourself, okay? Bye."

"Yeah, I will. Bye!" I cut the call.

"She's right, you know", Chae started. I turned to face her as she continues, "you have been working a lot lately. You should take a break. Maybe go out this evening."

I thought about it. They were both right. I don't remember the last time I'd gone out for a drink.

"Eh, Byul, let's both go out tonight! Girls' night out! What do you say?"

I just looked at her, biting my lips.

"Oh, come on Byul! Please! Please, please, please!" she kept pleading with her puppy eyes. I giggled softly; how could I ever say no to those eyes.

"Oh, alright", I finally gave in, and no sooner had those words left my mouth, than I was engulfed in a tight hug.

"YES!" she squeaked.

"I gotta scram now, I'm getting late for work", I told her, looking at my watch.

I finished the remnants of my breakfast and put the dish in the sink.

"Eat your breakfast, alright? I'll see you later in the evening." I spoke loudly as I left the dining room, walking towards the door.

"Okay! SEE YOU IN THE EVENING, COME HOME EARLY!" I heard her yell back.

I smiled as I picked the keys and got out of the apartment.

_____________________________

6:11 p.m.

I was pretty surprised when our department head dismissed us early. She had some other appointment, apparently, so she didn't want to keep us waiting.

As I walked out of the office with my car keys in my hand, I headed towards the parking lot while trying to call Chae. I'll let her know I'm leaving right now, so she'd be ready by the time I reach home.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Chae, I just got off from work and I'm on my w-"

"Oh, dear God, I'm so, so sorry Byul. I won't be able to come with you today, they called me in for a late night shift at the hospital, because Dr. Oh had to take a leave. And I have to leave right now!" Chae said. She sounded like she was in a hurry.

I sat inside the car as I spoke, "Oh, that's okay. We'll go tomorrow evening. Don't worry abou-"

"No, no! That's not what I meant. I want you to go tonight, I made you promise. And I'm sorry I had to back out, but I want you to have fun tonight, okay? I don't want to ruin your night out. Now, don't try to reject anything, I chose an outfit for you and placed it on your bed. You'll really like it. You will go, do you understand? And make sure you end up in someone else's bedroom tonight!" she said all of this in one go. I was smiling widely as I looked ahead of me.

Then I said, "alright, alright, I'll go. And no, I'm coming back home tonight- stop smirking, I can feel it- because I've got work. I'll see you tomorrow morning. Be safe, okay? And call, me if you-"

"No, bitch, I won't call you. You're not supposed to worry about me, you dumbass. You go enjoy tonight. And for the record, next time we go out together, I'll make sure we both end up in different bedrooms, if you know what I mean."

I chuckled, shaking my head. She'll never change, I thought, as I smiled to myself.

"Okay, I'm leaving now," she continued. "I'll see you tomorrow! Get drunk, babe! Go wild tonight! I love you!" she said the last bit a little too loudly which made me put the phone a little away from my ear.

"'Kay. Love you too!" I said and cut the call, then put the phone on the deck and started the car.

I kept smiling on my way home. It just felt so weird. I don't know, maybe I'd meet someone nice tonight. I hadn't dated anyone since the end of college. I was too busy with my job that I love -which, I won't deny, is very tiring as well.

It took me twenty minutes to reach home. I parked the car, and headed upstairs. As I entered our apartment I was greeted with silence.

I went to my bedroom, and as Chae said, there was a pretty, black outfit layed out on the bed.

I smiled to myself. That was one sexy outfit she chose for me. As I walked closer, I noticed, there was sticky note stuck at the top of the counterpane. I pulled it off and read it.

"You better fucking wear this, bitch. It cost me a lung. Nah, just kidding!

You'll look so great in this, I wish I could see you in it. Send me a picture, though. Slay, you queen! And for the record, I'm ready to bet you're gonna find a great guy tonight.

P.S.- you can borrow my black heels that you always have your stinky eyes on.

Love you,

Chae.❤️"

Thanks, Chae, I thought to myself. I turned to the bed to look at the outfit.

It was a black plaid cami top with a skirt- a set.

"Damn, Chae, that is one nice outfit!" I said, to no one in particular.

I looked at the time. 6:45. I should get a shower now, I'd get ready by 7:30-ish.

I stood under the shower as the cold water hit my skin. Sometimes, cold showers after a long day is all you need. And I barely get days like this. That's what makes this bath much more relaxing. When else am I going to get a day like this?

I wipe myself and come back to my bedroom. The cold air from the air conditioner came in contact with my skin, leaving me shivering.

It took me half an hour to get ready, which, in my defense, is quite less. If Chae were here, it'd have taken us two hours. Best friends things.

I wore the outfit that she'd asked me to, with a pair of pearl earrings and a silver bracelet. And yes, I did wear the heels, that Chae, ever so kindly, let me borrow. I'd have taken it without her permission, anyways. I scoffed as I thought.



(I created the look, y'all like it? 😛)

Looking at the mirror, I smirked to myself. 'Damn, even I don't think you're coming back home tonight!' I said to myself in the mirror, as I winked and smiled at my reflection. I grabbed my phone from the bed and sent a quick photo to Chae.

Byul: Looks like you're missing out on a lot tonight ;)

Chae: Ah damn! You slay, bitch!! 🔥🔥

You're definitely gettin' some tonight, fight me!

Byul: 🖕🏻 Watch me pretending I didn't see that text :)

Chae: 😘

I smiled at the phone, then clicked it off and put it in my purse.

As I left the room, I grabbed my keys and made a mental checklist.

Credit card: Check.

Cash: Check

Phone: Check.

Keys: Check.

Sanity: Check. Check.

I got out of our apartment and headed for my car. I sat inside and played my favourite playlist- which goes with my current mood. I felt like listening to Lauv today. Heck, I feel like listening to Lauv everyday. I turned the music player on as I started the car. I was humming to myself and singing along with Lauv throughout the entire ride.

It took me 15 minutes to reach the bar. It wasn't far from our place. Chae and I'd been there a couple of times.

I walked into the bar and was greeted with a pleasant buzz around the place. It wasn't jammed, but there was a decent crowd. Pretty toned down for a Friday night. Well, I guess it's just my luck.

I walk further into the bar and find a seat across the bar counter. I called for a bartender and waited for him to take another customer's order.

While I was waiting, I took my phone out of my purse and went straight to Instagram. I scrolled through my feed, but I wasn't entirely paying attention to my phone.

I felt a gaze directed towards me. I saw someone looking at me from my peripheral vision. I turned to see who it was and saw a young man staring. He must be in his twenties.

Wow, he's hot.

He had  jet black hair, swiped to the side, very pretty light brown eyes, and his lips- oh God, his lips! They were plump and had a light, pink tint on them. He had a petite figure, but very sexy, nevertheless. He was wearing a baby pink shirt, tucked inside black skinny jeans, and had a dainty silver chain around his neck. And, to top it off, his piercings added to the sexiness. Oh, my God, he's so damn hot! My mind kept repeating that in my head, until I snapped back into reality as I realized that I was actually checking him out. And I'm sure he'd caught on to that, as I looked at him and he simply smiled back devilishly.  And before I could allow my mind to work, I was walking towards him. I took a seat beside him. He was still gazing at me. So, I decided to join the game. I looked at him as I held his gaze. We continued this little game of ours for a minute- felt like an hour- when the bartender came to us and asked for our order.

I opened my mouth to give mine but the hot stranger beat me to it.

"Serve us your best soju, please." he said to the man across the counter, smiling at him. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"It's on me", he said and winked at me.

"So, who won?", I asked him, referring to our "game" we previously played.

He said, "me, obviously", and chuckled. "How so? You broke the gaze first, remember?", I asked him with a smile, now interested in talking to him, forgetting he's a stranger.

"Well, technically, you looked too tired to keep up with it, and I was too determined to give up. So, I win.", he said as he looked up at the bartender, who had now returned with our drink. I watched him serve two shots of soju into the tiny glasses, the smile never leaving my face. And I observed, it didn't leave his face either.

He passed me a glass and took one himself. 'Bottoms up!', he said, before tipping the alcohol down his lips. I followed.

"So, why is it that you were staring at me?", I asked him, finally wanting to know the reason. I had an eyebrow raised, as I waited for an answer curiously.

"Oh, well, you were too distracting to not pay attention to", he replied with a subtle smirk tugging at his lips. Wow, he knows how to play, I thought.

"Did you come here alone tonight?", he asked, downing another shot. So did I, before replying.

"My roommate was supposed to accompany me, but she had to leave because she had an emergency at her work."

He nodded.

"What brought you here tonight?", he asked, now proceeding to drink his third shot. 

"I've been working a lot lately; really needed a break", I replied, playing with the empty glass in my hand. "That's why Chae and Mom suggested I take one, go out somewhere. How about you?"

He was staring down at his now empty glass, before saying, "Me too. Loads of it."

...

We spent another thirty minutes talking- a part of it felt like flirting, which he was rather good at. I was on the verge of taking my seventh shot- we were both, surprisingly, still sober- when he said, 'we should call it a night, don't you think?'

I looked up at him and smiled before downing my seventh shot. I put the glass down and licked my lips. 'Okay', I replied with a nod.

"Well, I had a great night! I hope you did too', he spoke as he finished paying the bartender. 

Before replying, I opened my purse and took out a $20 bill and placing it on the counter, underneath an empty glass. I looked at him and he had his eyebrows raised, with a questioning smile. "I always split the bill, but since you paid him already, I tipped him", I replied, smiling. 

He nodded. "And yes, I did have a wonderful night as well, thanks to you", I spoke again. Getting off the seat, I remembered I hadn't asked his name yet. So, I turned towards him and said, "hey, I didn't ge-", but I was interrupted by the sound of a phone ringing. His phone. He took his phone out of his pocket and looked at the screen. His expression soon turned into a serious one, when he read the caller ID.

"I'm really sorry, I have to take this. Excuse me", he said in a hurried tone, before swiftly walking towards the exit. I watched him leave, still standing in the same spot. I wonder if I should wait for him here, or go out as well. What if he's expecting me to go meet him outside? 

These thoughts clouded my mind, but before I could interpret anything, my eyes fell on the floor and found a pair of keys lying on it. He must've dropped them. Shit, I should go out and give it to him, or he'd be looking for them. I bent down, and picked them up, before making my way towards the exit as well. As I stepped out of the bar, I saw that the streets were empty. Not a single soul. I turned around to look inside the shop, and noticed that there were only five or six people inside. It must be late, I thought. Remembering what I'd actually come out for, I looked towards my left and right, and saw no sign of him. He must have turned around the alley. 

As I started making my way towards the alley on my left, I heard some voices. They weren't loud, but they were muffled. And it was a hurried tone. Curious to know the source of the voices, I increased the speed in my steps. As I turned towards the alley, I saw the back of a figure. I could make out the shirt's color from the streetlamp in the corner. Baby pink. It's him. The bar-guy. But I could only see his back. I was about to walk towards him when my gaze went further into the alley, and from the very little light omitted from the lamp, I could make out three other figures. Was it their voices? i thought. I looked again and saw them walking towards him, the bar-guy. I noticed the bar-guy shift in his spot, as he reached his hand behind his back and retrieved something. I couldn't figure what.

As I lifted a foot to take a step forward, I suddenly heard a loud, deafening sound. I flinched closed my eyes on reflex. That sound. 

I widened my eyes as I recognized that sound. It wasn't a very pleasant sound. 

It was the sound...of a gunshot.

And before I could interpret anything else, I widened my eyes more, as I felt a pair of cold hands cover my mouth roughly and another pair of hands trying to put a cloth around it. The cloth smelled weird. I tried to scream as I was struggling to get out of the grip, but it was too strong. My blood ran cold when I realized what was going on.

And before I knew it, I was out like a light.

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I am absolutely unaware of what I'm trying here, but I like my wreck-less spontaneity. So I gave it a shot...for the second time.

This story was discovered on Wattpad by an Author Liaison and she gave me a bigger platform to showcase my "talents", so here I am, with an iota of hope, that this story would make a bigger difference.

I'm so grateful to you for being here and giving this story a chance. I promise I won't disappoint you!

P.S.- I'll post the next three parts too, and the. I'd update simultaneously on both platforms.

I hope you enjoyed this! I'll see you soon.

Love, Sam. 🦄