Chapter 4; Enter the J-line

Mina

- "Have you packed everything?"

- "Yes, I got it all."

-"Are you sure about leaving?"

-"Mom, I'm sure. This is what I have always wanted to do, and I finally get a shot at it. You'll see, I will make the producers love it, and Korea has great actors! Plus, I'm not going alone; Sana will be there with me."

- "You're right. I'm incredibly happy for you. Just remember to stay in touch! You have to keep me posted on what's happening. You have to promise!"

- "You know I will. Good bye mom, it's finally time. I have to get to the airport; I will meet Sana there."

- "Good bye my little penguin." Mina's mother bid farewell to her daughter as she kissed her forehead. "Have a safe travel, and don't forget about the promise!"

Mina then set out to fulfill her dream. She knew that this expedition to Korea would change her life.

- "There you are, I've been looking for you."

- "What do you mean? We agreed to meet here."

- "Well I got a little lost, ok?"

- "Color me surprised." Mina best friend. "Why did you not come with your chauffeur? That would have solved the issue."

- "No way! This is a new beginning for me. I will expand our business to Korea, and I will do it on my own for once!"

- "Yes! That’s the attitude that we need!"

- "Yeah we will conquer Korea!"

- "Okay, maybe don't word it like that Sana-chan."

- "Hehe sorry I got carried out."

- "Come, let's get to our gate, the plane is leaving soon."

“It should be a pretty fast flight. Sana is already asleep. I wanted to talk with her a little to keep my mind busy. Truth is that I am nervous about this. I will only get one shot at it. I have to make the producer fall in love with my concept for the remake. My one saving grace is that from the little that I have spoken with Park Jin-young-san he seems to be a big Tsukigomori fan. He even mentioned to the press that he would be interested in a remake. I heard that he is a brilliant publicist as well, so maybe he did it on purpose to get the story going. This is all I wanted; if they are truly interested in the story and the characters, then it will go well. I have no doubt that is going to be a commercial success. Well that if I get creative freedom to tell the story the way I want. The final piece of the puzzle would be to get her to play Mio..."

- "Mina-san"

- "Good morning, Sana-chan how was your nap."

- "My neck hurts, I forgot mi pillow at home"

- "Why are your pants wet?"

- "Oh, I spilled some water, but look Mina-san that has to be Seoul" Sana said as she leaned over Mina to look out the window.

- "I thought it would look more like Tokyo."

- "I think they look pretty similar, a bit of a letdown."

- "This is it Sana-chan, we have to make it happen now."

- "And I have my meeting first..." Sana said feeling nervous.

- "Don't worry! I'll be right behind you, plus that restaurant chain is really interested in adding sake to their menu, are they not?" Mina said while looking confidently into Sana’s eyes.

- "You are right, I think we got this." Sana breathed. "Also, I’m liking your idea of coming a week in advance more and more. This will help us relax."

- "Well it is a week in advance for you, but it's about two months early for me..."

- "I thought that you had several meetings before that award show."

- "I do, the most important one is shortly after yours in fact. I will meet Park Jin-young-san to make my initial pitch. What he does not know is that I already have a full script for the series. Because of that, I'm not too worried about meeting with him. If everything goes according to the plan, we can start having production meetings following his approval. That would fill my schedule until the big event. The problem is that I'm banking on getting to meet someone who I want to star in the series at the award show. Even with all these assumptions of things going smoothly, I think that might be my biggest gamble."

- "Someone? Do you want to go on the hunt for your protagonist?"

- "No, this will be a big project, so I don't have to worry about the two protagonists. People will definitely audition for those two roles. What I want is to get someone to play Mio."

- "I still don't like Mio. I know you always said that she could be better, but I don't see how Mina-san”

- "That is why this is so important. When the casting starts, the better actors will seek the flashiest roles; they will want to play the characters that were liked, or thought to be good characters on the original series. Like you, most people don't think too much of Mio. However, in my Tsukigomori she is going to be one of the cornerstones of the story, and I expect her character to be the most difficult to play."

Mina noticed how Sana seemed to be thinking hard on what she said.

- "I can wait to see that then!"

- "You could read the script if you want."

- "No way. I love watching your projects when they are done. The script will never do it justice." Sana said nonchalantly, and Mina felt a rush of affection for her friend who had always fully believed in her.

- "I will show you Sana-chan, a much better Tsukigomori than the original."

- "I know you will, Mina-san."  A smiling Sana said. "By the way, who do you have in mind to play Mio?"

- "Please take your belongings and exit the plane carefully. Thank you for flying with us, have a great stay in Korea."

- "Oh, we landed, let's go Mina-san I want to go and change out of these pants."

- "Luckily our hotel should be fairly close to the airport. That ended up being a really fast flight. I was really nervous before hand." Mina said feeling grateful as they exit the airport.

- "Do you want to walk to explore the city a little?"

- "Sure, I'd loved to. Let's head for the hotel first to drop our luggage."

The Japanese duo made their way to the hotel while looking around Seoul. They were hoping for different scenery than the ones they were used to, but they did not see much difference. Instead, the difference came in the people around them. They saw couples everywhere, holding hands, and showing affection for each other. This was a surprise for the both of them since Japanese people tend to be more reserved in that regard, that and public signs of affection are considered to be embarrassing for the most part in Japan. The small culture shock occupied their minds, and they were at the hotel's entrance in no time. They decided to change, drop their things, and go out to find dinner.

- "Where should we eat?"

- "We could go try to find a kimchi place! I've been meaning to try it since you told me about it."

- "Then let's look for one from the Migabon chain!"

- "Already giving them special treatment? You haven't even closed the deal."

- "That's as good as done. Hearing all the prep that you have put in Tsukigomori made me really excited to do a good job as well. I will secure the partnership, I guarantee it."

Mina looked at Sana as she was boasting about closing the deal, and it made her realize how much her childhood friend had grown. She wasn't a clumsy little squirrel anymore, but someone who was reliable when it counted the most.

Sana already knew where the main Migabon restaurant was, but she wanted to visit one of the other, smaller, places to check how consistent their quality and customer service was. The MinatoSake group had always been very particular with the places that they decided to provide sake for. Mina knew this, and was very excited to see Sana in full business mode. Her best friend is a care-free, kind person who likes to joke around and laugh as much as possible; however, when it came to official MinatoSake affairs, she will always completely focus on her job. Mina could relate to that since she was a bit of a workaholic herself, and took anything related to her work extremely seriously.

After they found a Migabon place, she let Sana lead, who in turn requested for the greeter in the entrance to recommend a good table for them, and tried to test the waiters in similar ways. She then proceeded to take a look at the menu, spending a particular amount of time looking at the “drinks” section of it.

Mina was also looking around, and she was a bit intrigued by the restaurant itself.

- “Sana-chan.”

Sana’s eyes looked over the menu at Mina, almost like she was surprised of seeing her.

- “I’m sorry Mina-san, have you been talking to me for a while.” Sana said showing a guilty smile.

- “No, you were not ignoring me this time. I was just wondering; why did you pick this place? Lately the MinatoSake group has only approved a few more restaurants and bars in Japan, and they were quite fancy compared to this one”

- “I guess that is why. This is considered a comfort food place that specializes in Korean dishes. It is very accessible for everyone! It’s popular with tourists and locals. I thought that Migabon would be a great place to start.”

“There it is, business mode is on.” Mina thought as she listened to Sana’s simple, yet sound reasoning.

- “I like it! What do you think so far?”

- “Their appetizers seem really good; many people will want to try sake with one of these. Sake goes especially well with spicy or salty dishes, and they have many options for that; their crowning jewel is, of course, Kimchi. Kimchi can be salty and spicy, and Migabon is really famous for their kimchi. I think none of their drinks will pair up as well as sake with the appetizers at the very least.” Sana looked excited as she detailed her thoughts to Mina, who had always enjoyed listening and learning about other people’s passions. At that moment one of the waiters walk up to their table to take their order.

- “I want to try your kimchi appetizer please” said Mina who had been wanting to try the dish from a traditional Korean place since she knew she will be coming to the country.

- “One for me as well, and I will be drinking Soju.” Said Sana as she closed the menu, and gave it to the waiter.

Mina smiled at Sana’s request for Soju, and after the waiter left to bring them their food she resumed the conversation.

- “Do you want to get a taste of the competition?” She teased.

- “Of course! Soju can also be made with rice, so it can be a bit similar to some sakes. I wonder which one they would serve to accompany kimchi”

The waiter was already on his way back with their entrées. He placed the dishes for them and retired with a smile. Mina noticed how Sana was smirking at her while he retired, and wished them a nice meal.

- “Why do you have that expression Sana-chan?” Mina said while Sana took a small bite of the kimchi and drank a bit of Soju.

- “The waiter just can’t keep his eyes of you! You never notice these things.”

- “Well, I am not interested.” Said Mina preparing to take her first bite, unfazed by Sana’s comment

- “I have actually never known you to be interested in someone in a romantic way”

- “I thought that you were in the middle of your reconnaissance mission, you sure are more relaxed now.”

- “The Soju is not that good.” Sana boasted with a confident expression.

- “Though the kimchi is pretty good.” Mina said laughing.

- “Yeah, I like it a lot!”

- “Should we eat meat next?”

- “Yes! I really want to try their Korean Barbeque.”

Mina and Sana relaxed while they enjoy one of Migabon’s specialties and joked around. Mina noticed how relaxed Sana was after tasting the dishes and getting an idea of the restaurant. She felt happy for her friend, and was completely sure that Sana would secure their first success in Korea.

- “You’re right. This does not measure up to your sake at all.”

- “Right!? I’m feeling better and better about this.”

- “I think I’m getting full, shall we go now?”

- “One more test. I want to see what kind of cup do they use to serve hot drinks.”

- “Oh yeah, Minatozaki-ojisan always talks about that. “Sake should be presented on a tokkuri and served on a ochoko.””

- “Yes, and many Japanese bars and restaurants get custom made sets that are unique to them. It’s not a big deal, but that level of detail is nice to see. So far, they served the Soju on a tall glass, and wine in a boring looking wine glass; which you have not touch Mina-san, even though the waiter said it was on the house. He even gave it to you with a hopeful smile.” Sana finished with a foxy expression.

- “That is way I did not touch it; besides, a part from a bit of sake here and there, I don’t really like drinking.”

- “Well, I wasn’t too hopeful anyways. You’ve never been interested in dating. Could you call him tough? He comes flying whenever you raise your hand.” Sana continued to tease Mina.

- “You sure are enjoying this.” Mina said as she called for the waiter, who appeared at her side almost simultaneously of her raising her hand.

Mina had a green tea and Sana a coffee. They finished their drinks and started walking back to their hotel.

- “Thank you, Mina-san.”

- “What for?”

- “If it wasn’t for you I would have never came to Korea. Actually, if it wasn’t for you there is a ton of stuff that would’ve never done. You always believe in me, even when I don’t myself, and I always find strength when looking at you.”

Mina’s eyes twinkled when she heard Sana compliment her. She felt warm and thankful for having a friend like Sana who had always spoken her mind, and was honest and loving.

- “Sana-chan I am the one who is thankful for you. You are always by my side, and your family helped me, and my mom so much that I don’t think I could ever repay you. Thank you for coming with me, I’m glad I can also be helpful for you.”

Sana jumped and hugged Mina.

- “We think of you as part of our family, so don’t ever say anything about “repaying” again.”

Mina hugged Sana back, and let herself cry. She always new that Sana and her family would react like that if they knew that she felt like she owed them. Hearing that from Sana meant a lot, and Mina felt a big relief.

After that, they continue walking, smiling as they had gotten a big weight of their chests. They knew that they loved each other like if they were blood sisters, but to actually say it and hear it from the other person was something that they hadn’t really done until now. Even Sana who was so care free and happy-go-lucky would have felt embarrassed to say something like that.

- “Maybe it’s because we are in Korea” Mina said “people don’t seem to be so uptight here.”

- “You’re right. I think so too.”

Mina and Sana held hands, and walked back to the hotel to finish and amazing first day in Korea.

T/N

I'm about to be done with school for the year and work should be getting calmer. I hope I can update weakly moving forward. Tell me what you think of the chapters, and thank you for the comments so far!