“So I was wearing my tail and my dad was like, ‘Hyunjin take that off right now we are literally at an Olive Garden.’ Like o-kay dad, my freedom of expression doesn’t stop just because we’re at a restaurant.”
Hyejoo takes a long sip of her iced water as Hyunjin passionately goes on about some incident with her father she refers to as an injustice against art. The two were seated at a table at Heart Shakers Pizza Parlor, waiting for Trivia Night to commence.
Usually, the eighth grader would be a little more irritable at the sound of her babysitter’s voice, but hey - she’d rather have Hyunjin here than her insane mother or a million people asking her other one for a picture or an autograph every second.
There was the best pizza in town and fun trivia on the way, so if that meant Hyejoo has to put up with her babysitter for a little while longer, so be it. “Damn, that’s crazy.” Hyejoo says in the most monotone voice she could muster. “Tell me more.”
Hyunjin continues to speak very animatedly. Hyejoo’s attention is stolen by a weird stranger outside the window of the restaurant.
The stranger can’t be older than a teenager, and she’s wearing a maroon beanie, an extremely baggy white Thrasher shirt, and ripped jeans. As the unidentified Korean skateboarder peers through the window, she stares right at their table like she’s just seen a ghost. Hyejoo narrows her eyes at the older girl in return.
“He was dangling by his feet from the ceiling Olivia! And I was like ‘Damn Michael Cera why are you at an Olive Garden?!’”
“Wait, Hyunjin-” Hyejoo interrupts her babysitter. “Do you know that girl?”
Hyunjin turns to look at the girl in the window, whose eyes go wide and she scrambles to poorly hide behind a lightpost.
“Oh Jesus Christ.” Hyunjin grumbles, her bright mood abandoning her in the blink of an eye.
The other girl peers from behind the pole to see Hyunjin still looking at her, then rushes to hide again as if her entire body isn’t still visible. Hyunjin stares back with a locked jaw.
After a few more seconds, the girl outside finally gives up and walks inside. She can’t do it without nearing Hyunjin and Hyejoo though, as their table is directly adjacent to the door. Awkwardly, the girl adjusts her beanie and walks up to them, all while Hyunjin is practically scowling at her.
“Hyunjin…” she says, in the deepest voice Hyejoo has ever heard from a teen girl. “Hey… Been a while…” She scratches the back of her neck.
“What are you doing here, Heejin,” Hyunjin snaps, leaving Hyejoo to raise her eyebrows in surprise at this new Hyunjin she’s never seen before. (She’s definitely enjoying it!)
“I work here. I’m about to clock in for my shift.” Heejin says, bowing her head a little as if trying to hide from Hyunjin’s gaze.
“Wowww, a working girl! Ryujin must really love that.” Hyunjin says bitterly, leaving Hyejoo with so many questions.
“Hyunjin, I’ve been trying to talk to you but you haven’t answered any of my texts-”
Suddenly, Hyunjin’s phone pings, cutting off Heejin who tries to explain herself.
