cousin or lover?

We walk into the bar, met immediately by the enthusiastic oohhhhhhh's and smiles of the bartenders waiting to seat customers. I remember hearing the noise escaping their lips and seeing the smug smiles plastered on their faces a long time go-- usually accompanied by song that went something like, "...sitting in a tree; K-I-S-S-ING." They think we're a couple.

They sit us down and we order our drinks.

An old friend works here, she tells me, pointing him out behind the bar. He comes over to chat as soon as he sees her. He's baby-faced with wildly-sculpted hair like the rest of the male staff at Bar Flair in Daehangno.

Seats open up while they're chatting, and he moves us over to the bar.

Not long after, a fantastic show begins. Each male bartender takes a turn behind the bar, spinning and juggling bottles of alcohol. One soaks a tower of glasses in tequila and lights it on fire. Techno music blasts from the speakers, interrupted every few seconds by the booming voice of the bartender MCing the show.

"Oh Baby," he moans, and the performer stops and sensually licks whatever glass or bottle is nearby.

"Dance!" he commands after someone who must be the new guy drops his bottle three times.

"Sexy kiss," he calls out when my cousin's friend takes his turn behind the bar. He dances over towards us, reaches for her hand, and plants a kiss on it. "Ohhhhhhhhh, and with her boyfriend sitting right next to her!!!!" the MC yells.

After the juggling, ass-shaking, and fire, the show ends with a final product of three or four Sex on the Beach's, elaborately mixed over the course of the show. The first goes to three pretty ladies right in front, the MC announces. One or two are awarded for who knows what reason. And, for the last, a call is put out for a couple. "Couple?" he shouts into the microphone over and over again, shifting his eyes around the bar and pointing at every man and woman there together. He reaches us, thinking he's finally found one, but my cousin's ready: "chin chug dong seng!"(No! He's my younger relative!)

At last, a couple is found and brought behind the bar. What do they have to do for their drink? Kiss. They're nervous and shy--looks they could be underage, actually--but the boy finally plants a quick kiss on his girlfriend's lips. The bartenders groan, "Not long enough," they shout as the MC, armed with a spotlight, walks over to shine it behind them. They kiss again, this time a bit longer, and are rewarded with their drink--which the boy immediately downs--and a case of condoms.

We leave the bar not much longer after the show ends, heading back to our homes--her's just a few stops past mine on the same subway line. Without the silence required in the theater or the conversation-killing music blasting at the bar, we have our best conversation of the night in those last moments of the day

It was a good night.