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I pick up Nayeon's call on the third ring.
"Hey—"
"Taehee," she breathes, voice crackling through the receiver. I hear a toilet flushing in the background. "I need you now. Like, yesterday now. It's an emergency."
"It better be," I growl, flicking my controller, steering Peach past King Boo with ease. Jeongguk curses. "I'm so close to creaming Jeongguk's ass for the hundredth time and — motherfucker!"
The blue shell came out of nowhere. It sends my bike spinning out of control. The ravenette laughs — a juxtaposition to the whining I'd been putting up with after a mere hour of studying Biology today after school.
"Okay, Teahee, we get it," Nayeon snaps. "You're ass at Mario Kart. Worst the world's ever seen. Not the point."
"Sounds to me like you're trying to make it a point." I pinch my phone between my shoulder and my ear. "What's up?"
"This is a real life, no jokes, totally super serious emergency. Like, I quiet possibly may die. I'm talking code red, code blue, code son of a motherfucking bitch. All of the codes. All of them."
"No clue what code red or blue means," I quip, "but code 'son of a motherfucking bitch' sounds relatively major on my scale of Problems That Nayeon Encounters On Blind Dates."
Jeongguk spares me a glance. I promptly shoot a green shell backwards, laughing as King Boo starts spinning as well.
"You think this is funny?" Nayeon's voice hitches an octave higher. "She's so much worse than bird guy. Taehee, she started doing magic. Magic. Like she deadass tried to make a rat appear out of fuck knows where but it turned out to be dead. I have no clue how long the poor guy has been in this girl's pocket, but the rat is dead, she is crying and I am going to die."
"Where are you?"
"I'm hiding in the bathroom. We're at the theatre in the mall and just finished watching Ratatouille, which, the fuck? Who the fuck cries during Ratatouille?"
"Probably someone who just lost their pet rat."
I slide past the finish line and give Jeongguk a silent middle finger as I claim the win. He starts whispering about how I'm going to eat my words. I push his face away with the palm of my hand.
"Anyways, she wants to go to dinner at the bistro near the end of the mall and I can't do it. Please, I'm begging you. Help me out. Stage one of your dumbass interventions — I don't fucking care anymore. Just come and jail-break my ass out of here so I can high-tail it out of this terrible, terrible date from hell."
I heave a sigh, pressing the home button on the remote and pausing the victory lap Peach had been taking across the screen. "Stay strong, solider. I'll be there in thirty."
"What was that all about?" Jeongguk asks after I hang up the phone.
I stand from the couch in his room, stretching my arms. The Biology notes we had been studying twenty minutes earlier are left dejected on his coffee table. We had made progress last night and even more today. I saw he'd been absent from the cafeteria, and when I met him in his room after school it was clear he'd been studying during lunch.
"I have to to bail Nayeon out from yet another terrible blind date."
"Are you going to pick her up?"
"Something like that. Are you cool if I take the car?"
"Yeah, sure." He scratches the nape of his neck. "Just be back by seven. We need to do the rounds and pick up the twins from their grandma's and Iseul from his playdate."
"Roger that," I call, making my way towards the door.
"Do you need backup or anything? Football practice was cancelled so I have nothing to do."
I whirl around, pointing an accusing finger at him. "You have studying to do."
"Geez, mom, I'll study tonight." He stands, stalking towards me. "Come on. Let me help."
"No. Absolutely not."
"I'll put the boys to bed by myself for three nights."
I pause at his offer.
Out of all of the rescue missions I've pulled, never once have I had an accomplice. Nayeon says my acting is great and that I'm a natural at pretending to be foreign diplomats or runaway brides, but having someone else to play the part alongside me would be fun. It would even help round out my portfolio at being the best goddamn friend in the history of friends.
A plan slowly starts brewing in my head.
"Fine. Offer accepted." I cross my arms, examining him from head to toe. "How do you feel about being a mafia boss?"
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"This is so stupid."
"Shut up and put on your sunglasses."
Jeongguk snorts as I exit the Lexus. The full getup of leather I done causes me to start sweating the moment the stifling air greets me. I push up my own obnoxiously large sunglasses, squinting despite the relief they provide me from the sun. The bluetooth in-ear I'd stolen from Iseul's room starts to slip out of my ear because of how hot it is.
I watch as he exits the driver's side and steps out into the parking lot of the mall. It turns out Mrs. Jeon had a phase when she was younger and her closet was stacked with leather. The tight jacket hugs his shoulders and accentuates his tiny waist. His hair is slicked back with gel, much like my own, and the black sunglasses he dons hides his expression, betrayed only by the quirk of his lips.
He looks hot.
"You look like your number should be written on the bathroom wall at a biker bar," he says, giving me an appreciative once-over.
My mouth sours. "Shut your face, oh great mafia lord. It's go time. You remember the plan?"
"Yes." He sobers immediately, pretending to listen to something someone said in the disconnected in-ear he also dons. "I was just reminded of it from the crew as well. In your words exactly: there is no plan."
People stare as we make our way through the mall. We pass the theatre and I nearly snort at the Ratatouille poster displayed out front. Jeongguk stays dutifully beside me as we make our way through the shoppers and towards the restaurant where my best friend is currently facing her undoing.
The small, dark bistro is sandwiched between an electronics store and a bookstore. A sense of giddiness and anticipation douses me as we step up to the hostess stand. The host has his back to us but turns as Jeongguk clears his throat.
He seems oddly familiar. His hair is a startling blue, and the smattering of freckles accentuates his cheeky grin. He seems a little taken aback by our outfits, but it doesn't seem to phase him in a professional sense.
"Welcome to The Bistro. Are we looking for a table of two this evening?"
"We're actually meeting someone here," I say, glancing over his shoulder at the crowded, boisterous tables. "Her date may have been grieving a loss. Did you happen to seat a pink haired girl earlier?"
The host frowns, leaning forward. He cocks his head, blue fringe dusting his brow. "Taehee? Is that you?"
My muscles lock up. "Um, no?"
The boy in front of me smiles, gesturing to himself. "It's me, Felix. From magic camp."
The blood drains from my face.
A couple of summers ago my mom had to go away on business. She'd thought she'd sent me to a wilderness adventure camp, but it turned out to be one filled with geeks who really liked magic. She must have read the brochure wrong.
Felix had been my one friend and sole companion during my three week stay. His hair had been brown at the time and he had been just as much of a looker. I genuinely thought that he would have been the one to take my first kiss, down by the lake and under the stars. He was sweet and funny and nice. What else could I have asked for.
I shake my head at the memory. "It's been a while."
"It has, hasn't it?" Felix offers a plastic smile. "You stopped replying to my texts."
I wince. We'd texted quite a lot after I'd left camp, but online it wasn't the same. He had started to be quite pushy, getting mad at me when I hadn't answered a text within an hour. Eventually it had fizzled out and I hadn't thought much of him since.
"I'm really sorry about that. I was pretty busy with school, and I'm not a big texter."
My phone buzzes and I immediately whip it out.
CHOI NAYEON
where are you
CHOI NAYEON
she's not crying anymore so half of the crisis is averted
CHOI NAYEON
but she just made the menu disappear and i am HUNGRY
I glance up, noticing Felix's brown eyes are fixed on the device in my hand. I quickly shove it back in my pocket. "Do you mind if we have a look around and try to find her?"
The mention of 'we' seems to shock Felix. It seems like he just registered Jeongguk's presence at my side. He gives him a quizzical look.
"Oh, yeah, sure."
I thank him before pushing forward. Before I can make too far into the lively dining joint Jeongguk is slowing me, bursting at the seams with barely contained laughter.
"You went to magic camp?" His hand is warm against my wrist as he struggles to choke down his humour. "I'm going to need the names and phone numbers of everyone who went to camp with you so I can get photo evidence of you pulling a rabbit out of a hat."
"Shut up." My cheeks flare a brilliant hue of red. "And for your information, I pulled a hat out of a rabbit."
"Wha— how?"
"Magic."
A flash of pink hair catches my eye and I make a beeline in that direction, dragging Jeongguk behind me.
They're sat near a window at a two person table. The girl say across from Nayeon is really quite pretty. Despite her blood shot-eyes she chats animatedly, using her hands a lot and going on about something that Nayeon is obviously pretending to listen to.
I steel my nerves as I storm towards the couple. I am Kim Taehee, a mafia boss who is bringing my coworker, Jeon Jeongguk, another mafia boss, to extract our lieutenant for an important mission or some shit. I have no clue how the concept of the mafia works but online books should be the best ressource to trust. I'm also pretty sure there can be more than one mafia boss. That totally makes sense.
"Choi Nayeon!" I call out, projecting my voice.
Jeongguk freezes at my side while several heads swivel towards us, including my pink haired best friend and her date. Nayeon's eyes take in my outfit before they widen further as she spots the boy beside me.
I brace my hands against the table, leaning close to Nayeon's face. "You want to tell me what's going on here?"
Jeongguk seems to have shaken off the initial shock of my outburst. He steps forward, drawing himself to his full height and glowering down at the girl. "We've been trying to track your location for days now. Days. You went completely off the grid. Where the hell have you been?"
Nayeon's eyes shift between Jeongguk's and mine with barely restrained shock and humour. "I'm having dinner?"
I square my shoulders, playing the part. "You think you have time for dinner when you're needed for a top secret mission for mafia things and such?"
The girl sat across Nayeon sags into her chair. Her mouth flops open in awe. "Who are you?"
"Get your ass up," I spit out, trying my hardest not to break character. "The helicopter leaves in five."
"Right, the helicopter." Nayeon turns to the girl before her, easing effortless into the role that had been thrust upon her. "I'm so sorry Momo—"
"It's Mina."
"—but I really have to go. The world needs me."
"Text me?"
"Service in the helicopter is pretty spotty," I say.
Before Momo/Mina can reply I grab Nayeon's wrist and yank her from her seat. The three of us ignore the lingering eyes barely make it out of the mall before we start stumbling with laughter.
"What are you even supposed to be?" Nayeon asks, clutching her stomach. "Killer performance, by the way, but are you supposed to be people from the Matrix?"
"We're mafia bosses, obviously," I say, exhaling a laugh as we make our way to the bright red car. "Were the outfits not enough of a giveaway?"
"They're great. Truly some of your best work." Nayeon turns to Jeongguk. "I never expected you to be the kind of guy to—"
"Taehee!"
I stop the the sound of the deep voice calling my name. I spin on my heel. Felix jogs towards me, a dazzling smile alighting his face.
"I'm glad I caught you. You left pretty fast."
I shrug. "Well, you know, there's things to do in the mafia."
He laughs, though his eyes are fixed on Jeongguk. While Nayeon had stepped back, the ravenette is still glued to my side, glaring down at the blue-haired boy.
Felix shifts his weight. "Hey man, do you mind if I talk to Taehee for a sec?"
Jeongguk turns his head towards me, seeming to seek my approval. Something hard pierces his gaze, and it makes my stomach twist.
"Go ahead and start the car. I'll only be a couple of minutes."
He opens his mouth as if to say something before stopping himself. "See you in a couple of minutes."
Jeongguk stalks off towards Nayeon, leaving Felix and I standing in the middle of the parking lot.
The boy in front of me smiles. "Hey, so, I just wanted to say that it was really nice to see you today. Maybe we could catch up over dinner or something?"
It's an effort to keep my mouth from dropping wide open. "Like a date?"
Felix laughs at my expression. "Yes, like a date. I'll text you, yeah?"
I nod my head, still feeling somewhat dazed as I watch him walk back into the cool confines of the mall. My heart thuds heavily in my chest as I take in the realization that I was just asked on a date while looking like a member of the mafia.
I turn around to start heading to the car, only to notice that our party of three had grown by one.
Gi has her arms wrapped around Jeongguk's bicep, who looks rather stiff in her hold. She laughs at something Nayeon says, glances up to see her boyfriends expression before mirroring hers to his in polite disinterest.
"Tell me you have a date," Nayeon says as she spots me walking towards the trio.
I shrug. "I have a date."
Nayeon shrieks and begins clapping her hands.
Gi notices your attire before taking in Jeongguk's. She pastes on a smile, shifting the shopping bags perched in her elbow. "I just finished shopping and saw my boyfriend and just had to say hi. But Taeyeon, that's amazing. He's super cute too. Obviously not as cute as my Jeonggukie, but who can blame a girl for looking, am I right?"
I offer her a smile, ignoring the blatant butchering of my name. I note how the muscle in Jeongguk's jaw jumps
"Wait, I just had a brilliant idea." Gi flicks a finger between herself, Jeongguk and me. "We should totally go on a double date! My boyfriend mentioned you're friends which automatically means we're friends too, because I love everything that he loves. And you can bring Felix!"
I nearly trip over my own two feet. "What?"
Jeongguk blanches. "I'm sure Taehee has things to do—"
"I have many things to do," I supply frantically.
"— and I have to study for the Biology test this Friday."
"Babe, come on." Gi stamps her foot, looking impatient. "This will be fun!"
Nayeon grins. "I can watch the boys for you while you're out. Free of charge."
I nearly scream, shooting my best friend a pleading glance. Why on earth would she say that?
"It's settled then," Gi says happily, kissing a frozen Jeongguk on the cheek. "We'll see you tomorrow night for dinner!"
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[heavily unedited]
The Bistro here i am back with my super creative names for things. also FELIX BLUE HAIR SUPREMACY
second half of my bday gift to yall bcs i am 21 today woohoo!
also pt. 2 kinda filler but necessary hope u enjoyed <3
hugs and kisses,
sunny ☼