[CONTENTID1]  d a d [/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]

  The impeccably clean glass door to KOHAKU opened and Hwasa carefully peeked in with her heavy eyeliner rimmed eyes, scanning the room for the reserved table. Relieved to see Jennie already sitting there, tapping on her phone, she made a beeline through buzzing patrons and restaurant staff and sat down in the empty seat. 

  "Oh, hey!" Jennie placed her phone on the table. "You're here!"

  "Sorry I'm late;" Hwasa plopped down into her velvet cushioned seat. "I got lost. This place is so hard to find! I was walking around the same block for like a good 10 minutes before realizing I was standing right in front of the restaurant!"

  "Yeah, it's crazy that the entrance is completely covered by a mini forest." Jennie agreed. "I almost couldn't find the restaurant either." 

  KOHAKU was a fancy, high class restaurant located in the heart of the city, its entrance hidden behind a small bamboo forrest. Priding themselves in fusion cuisine, high quality ingredients and delicate plating, it had made its way in becoming of the top restaurants in Seoul and there were often waiting lists for months. 

  "Phew," Hwasa whistled as she looked around the decor. "Isn't this place like, super expensive? You don't have to treat me to this, you know. A simple food court meal would suffice." She pointed at the gold plated tree right in the middle of the dining hall and exclaimed, her voice a little too loud for surrounding tables to hear. "Is that real gold?"

  "I found a good deal on Groupon, don't worry about it. Plus, I wanted to thank you for helping me settle in school, and most importantly, for taking care of Jessie when I had to go babysit."

  "Girl you know it's okay right? I have front row seats to your reality show. That alone is the best payment. Hands down."

  Jennie laughed. "Anyway, what would you like? Feel free to order whatever. I read online that their Hokkaido Black Garlic Ramen is amazing."

  "The Hokkaido what-?" Hwasa looked down on the menu and gasped. "That's $30 for a bowl of noodles? Noodles!" She flipped through the pages of the menu. "But if you're treating..." Her voice trailed off and she gave a mischievous smirk.

  "Don't worry about it! Just get whatever you want to eat! Get some sashimi or something!" Jennie insisted, trying to mask her panic.

  "He, he, he." Hwasa giggled ominously and Jennie internally gulped. Clenching her phone, she prayed that the Groupon she had found would help her cover the cost of the meal and that Hwasa would go easy on her.

  "Would you like to order now, ma'am?" An apron-clad waitress approached their table, smiling.

  "Oh yes, I would like..." Hwasa put on a posh accent as she flipped through the menu, "well, you have quite the menu here! What do you recommend?"

  "Our Hokkaido Black Garlic Ramen is quite nice." The waitress smiled. "It's perfectly garlicky with a hint of smokey-ness."

  "Perfect!" Hwasa nodded, "I'll have that please." Looking at Jennie, she asked in a hushed whisper, "Can we get drinks, too?" 

  Jennie gave a weak nod and a pained smile. 

  "Okay, then I'll have a Lychee Crush Mocktail please."

  "And what would you like?" 

  "Uh... Can I just get the Wagyu Bento, please?" Jennie sighed as she closed her menu. 

  "Drinks?" Hwasa wriggled her thick, worm-like eyebrows.

  "...and I'll have the same drink, too, thank you."

  "Oh, and we'll have the Omakase Sushi Course for two, please." Hwasa closed the gold-lined menu and handed it to the waitress.

  Jennie's heart dropped. Omakase was the most expensive thing on the menu. She gulped.

  "Thank you." The waitress smiled and retrieved the menus from them. Jennie let out an exasperated sigh. 

  "Weow." Hwasa shook her head, "This place is the real deal. Thanks again for the shout."

  "It's okay." Jennie gave a weak smile. I will eat nothing but white bread for the next month. 

  The girls chatted about their classes, made fun of the school system, teachers, and of course the popular kids, and shared some silly videos they found online. Their food arrived slowly, and they choked down their meal through fits of giggles. The restaurant had dim lights that made their dining experience enjoyable, and they basked in the fuzzy and warm feeling as the food slid into their stomachs.

  Hearing a familiar voice, a tall man stopped in his tracks outside the bathroom. Quickl