It was quite the long day for Chorong, but for now her school day has come to an end. Packing away the essentials, she receives a text from Eunji saying that she’s here. She dismisses her class and reminds them of their homework before taking off.

“Remember to highlight the stuff you don’t understand!” Chorong shouted at the students before they left. She immediately got a response from the door shutting behind them.

“Well then. Time to get the heck out of here!” Chorong cheered. It took her a couple moments to go around back of the school to get picked up by Eunji. She got into Eunji’s car and they departed. Chorong unloaded all her belongings to the back of the car and then finally loosened up.

“Finally. I’m exhausted!” Chorong covering up her yawn.

          “Long day?”

“Yeah. Today was just more annoying than usual.”

          “I still don’t get why you wanted to be an elementary school teacher.”

“I love children of course, it’s just the other stuff I don’t like. Like dealing with other staff, or dealing with parents. But that comes with the job, y’know?”

          “I mean… I GUESS.” Eunji shrugged.

“Wait. Where are we going? We missed the free-way exit just now…”

          “You’ll see. We’re almost there!”

A couple minutes later Eunji parked in front of a restaurant. Chorong got out to see where Eunji has taken here.

“Kiki’s Steakhouse” Chorong squinting to make out the name of the restaurant.

“A Steakhouse??? Why are we here?” Chorong asked.

          “We’re going to get dinner here of course! Don’t worry, it’s on me. I’m just really craving steak right now, ugh. I can smell it already.” Eunji couldn’t help but drool a little.

Chorong does what she does best and investigates outside through the window.

“Woah! This place has to be like… AT LEAST two-dollar signs on yelp. Are you sure about this Eunji?” Chorong asked.

          “You worry too much, come on! Let’s go inside, I got reservations for us.”

As they both entered the restaurant, one of the staff from the restaurant saw Eunji first and immediately rushed over.

“Sorry to keep you waiting miss, your table is ready for you and your. Uh. Companion.” The waiter showing them the way to their table.

“Companion?! The heck he just call me?” Chorong snarled back. Eunji trying to calm her down and grabbed her hand and proceeded to sit down.

“Menus?” The waiter asked.

          “No thank you, please arrange the usual for my date and I.”

“Very well, ma’am.”

“Ma’am? The usual?? DATE???” Chorong more confused than anyone in the room right now. Eunji looking to her side, laughing uncontrollably.

“Do you like come here often…? Or do you like know the owner? Or are you some kind of queen of some country I don’t know about? Wait. I would know that if you were, that kiss would’ve told me.” Chorong pondered.

          “I mean maybe that kiss wasn’t enough to find out everything heh”

“Eunji!”

          “Okay! Okay! Calm down. Jeez, can’t take a joke can you?”

“…”

          “I come here quite often and perhaps I know the owner, so food is usually free. So, we’re good.”

“Uh. I have a lot of questions, but I think I’m going to pass on them for now. I’m just going to try to enjoy dinner.”

As they wait for their food, a couple people came into the restaurant, waiting to be seated. Chorong looks over at the people waiting at the front and realized that they’re all staff members at the school she works for.

“Oh my god!” Chorong covered .

          “What?”

“They’re uhhhhh….. They’re here, what the hell?”

          “Who?”

“THE PEOPLE THAT WORK AT THE SCHOOL.”

          “Oh? Wanna say hi?”

“No!”

          “Then I don’t know what you want me to say zzzz”

“Oh. My. God. They even brought HIM here…”

          “The guy that tried to ask you out to dinner today?”

Chorong looked away in embarrassment. Eunji took a gander at Chorong’s colleagues. Quickly analyzing them and then turning back to Chorong.

“Oh hey, he’s not that bad looking. Kinda looks like a but hey, I don’t judge if you’re into that.”

“ABSOLUTELY NOT!”

“Why not?”

“No.”

          “I guess I’m more your type huh” Eunji continues to flirt with Chorong. Chorong can’t help but turn red due to the awkward situation she’s been placed in. The waiter then brings out their food and then heads over to the front to tell the customers that the restaurant is fully booked. Chorong’s colleagues leave the restaurant completely annoyed.

“Did they just get shoo’d away?

          “Oh. Yeah. Forgot that happens. I think whenever the owner is here, and I make reservations, they just deny everyone else. Don’t ask me why, because I don’t know either.”

“Uh. Okay. I guess it works out, phew.” Chorong signed in relief. Now she continues to enjoy the meal in front of her. waters after every bite. Each time she cuts a piece and tries to bite it in a different way to see if that’ll change the experience once more.

“Wait I totally forgot to ask… How was work for you?”

          “Oh, you know. Working my off as a public defender, taking on multiple cases. Not getting a detective position. Same old. And uh, I think Jieun told me some guy has a crush on me from the office.”

“A CRUSH? WHO?”

          “Honestly, I don’t even know. Apparently, he started to like me after the elevator incident that you saved my life from? The weird thing is, I have no idea what he looks like. I’m pretty convinced that I never met him before. Heard the name before, but never really met the guy.”

“Sounds sketchy. Stay away from him!”
          “Is it cause you want me all to yourself?” Eunji continues to tease Chorong.

“Yes.”

Eunji dropped her fork and looked over to Chorong. She was having trouble understanding what Chorong just responded with. Her heart continues to pound at an alarming rate as she would have never suspect that Chorong would accept all her teasing and advances.

      “O—Oh. That makes sense! Haha!”

“…”

          “Well looks like we finished our meal! Let’s get going. It’s getting pretty late.” Eunji said.

The both of them greeted the staff before they have left. They got into the car and drove off.

          “Sorry about that awkward response there towards the end…” Eunji said aloud. She looked over as she didn’t get a comment back from Chorong. Chorong was knocked out asleep. Eunji just smiled and continued to drive. A bad habit of Eunji’s when she drives is that she uses one hand on the steering wheel and the other near the gear shifts. The next thing she knew, Chorong reached over to Eunji’s hand and grabbed it.

Eunji paused for a moment.

Her heart startled to pound once more. She looked over at Chorong again, and she stayed in her same position asleep. Eunji couldn’t think of anything better than to enjoy the warmth of Chorong’s hand as they drive back home.