a misty gashed aperture

like a butterfly to a flower

"What do you want, Bam?" Lisa wiped her hand clean with a wet tissue and then walked to her bar cart of alcoholic drinks to pour herself a glass of whiskey, gesturing if her visitor wanted one.

Bam unbuttoned his coat. "Sure, I can use a pregame."

Kunpimook Bhuwakul, known as Bam for short, was Lisa's chosen brother, sharing the same age. They grew up in an orphanage and were adopted at the age of three by a Korean couple who had lived in Thailand for twenty years doing voluntary work. When the two kids turned seven, they were brought to Korea when the couple decided to retire early.

Lisa handed Bam his glass and invited him to the balcony. The city of Seoul blazed in different shades of blue coming off from the buildings mixed with some tinge of orange-yellow lights flashing on the busy highway.

"Can this night be one of your normal nights?"

Lisa chuckled, putting one hand inside the pocket of her beige slacks. "This is one of my normal nights, just that, it's kind of sterile."

"Sis, tonight was Jisoo's first fashion show production. You should be the one supporting her, but I went as a proxy. Again."

"You're the social butterfly in our family while I'm the wallflower. Besides, it's your semester break so you have every right to be celebratory."

After taking a sip of whiskey, Bam shot her sister a debatable look. "Enough of those excuses, really, because Roseanne Park is surely going to be at the afterparty."

The mention of the name made Lisa perk up, but she hurriedly toned it down with her drink. "That's wonderful to know, thanks. I'm glad she's back in her stride."

Bam was observing his sister's reaction. "I get the whole," he paused to make twirls in the air, "longing for your muse spectacle but—"

"No one's longing for a muse," Lisa said in a tranquil manner that had the opposite effect on her brother.

"Right." Eye roll to the right. And back. Bam affixed Lisa with a no-taking-artist-shit stare. "May I remind you that while I was reviewing for my exams, you turned up the TV volume when the news that Roseanne was discharged from the hospital came on?" 

"Mhm." Lisa nodded once.

Bam continued with a finger held up, "Then that one time when I caught you searching the tags about her first public appearance after being hospitalized?"

"I am reminded." Lisa sipped from her glass and felt the burn trickling fast right down to her ego.

"Oh!" Bam raised a finger upon remembering the most recent development. "And yesterday? You were pestering Jisoo to set you up on a date with her?"

Grimacing at the comment, Lisa's tone became defensive, "Not exactly a date—"

"Ha-ha!" Bam faked a laugh. "You can't fool gays, sis."

Lisa chuckled and shook her head in disbelief. "I just wanted to know if she's fine now, and you confirmed that for me so it's cool."

With squinted eyes, Bam teased, "In other words, you're going for a slow burn and that's not exactly how gays do it, sis."

"How, then?"

"If you come to the party with me, then you can ask for her number yourself!"

The conversation with Jisoo rang in Lisa's head.

"Dude, I am not going to set you up on a date with Roseanne! That's not part of my job anymore!" Jisoo snapped at Lisa.