Sleepless In September

4 - Eunchae Has Legs

Casey's Diner is a place that feeds tired people. Nobody comes here because they want a burger done right, or because the ambience is nice. People eat here because it's on the way home and it's cheap. Hanni and Yunjin have been listening to the staff arguing in the kitchen and they'd really love to know the tea, but they can't understand Spanish. The diner was almost empty except for a few workers in hazard vests, from factories and shipping docks, having dinner for breakfast before their graveyard shifts.

Hanni ate her fries in silence. She hasn't dug into her burger yet. She's still rewatching the videos she took of Minji at the show, much like a soldier opening a locket during trench warfare. This night needs to not end. Hanni can't go home this soon. If she sleeps in her own bed tonight she'll probably wake up crying and grabbing at the air for Minji. Then she'll go right back to bed and hope things will be different in the morning.

Hanni asks, "Yunjin, why'd you even let Danielle drive us here if all we were gonna do after the show was eat dinner? It's barely quarter past ten, can't we hit the club or something before we go home? 'Cause otherwise this whole thing is just a waste."

Yunjin shakes her head no. "Listen, Danielle can't be out that late and I can't either. I gotta take Eunchae to school in the morning, so I'm just gonna tell her to come pick us up."

Listening to Yunjin's phone call with Danielle made Hanni so irritated. She felt like Yunjin was a traitor, a quitter. How hard is it to say, fuck it, let's go clubbing and then just fucking go? Eunchae has legs, she can walk to school herself or take a taxi!

Hanni grabs Yunjin's phone and puts it to her own ear, "Danielle, can you forget about coming to get us and I'll pay you likeeee, fifty dollars to take Eunchae to school for Yunjin tomorrow? Pleaaaase? I just wanna go clubbing in Vinewood, I'm literally so fucking upset. Like, getting vodka drunk on the dance floor could fix me. Please, bro. Pleaaaase? I Need Your Love by Calvin Harris is blowing up right now and you know I fucking love that song, pleaseee. Like, they'll probably be playing it at all the clubs. Please bro. Please?"

Hanni's offer was refused. Now Danielle's en route and she isn't happy. She keeps her eyes glued to her phone, if she focuses on Subway Surfers rather than the thought of bashing her head into the tile floor until she passes out, then she might just beat her high score.

A vehicle—a truck, or maybe it's a van, with the high beams on, pulls up to the parking spot in front of the window where Hanni and Yunjin are sitting and instantly Hanni's night is tenfold worse. At first, they thought it was Danielle, and in that case they would've excused it because they know she's a sweetheart and would've never done that to anyone on purpose. But whoever's behind the wheel of this vehicle? Needs to be locked in a jail cell and hit with a steel pipe for three consecutive hours.

"Bro, what the hell? Is this guy trying to make us fucking blind?" Hanni, short, infuriated, stands up and squints to see who's driving. She can't see shit.

Yunjin was being lazy and holding in her pee for the past few minutes, because using a public restroom anywhere in this city is worse than being in the military, but now she'd rather get up and go than lose her eyesight. So, she leaves Hanni at the table and finds the restroom.

The engine finally shuts off and the driver walks past the window, head straight, so Hanni leans closer to the glass and flips them off. That fucker. The second person walking behind catches Hanni in the corner of their eye, turns to face her and laughs so hard that you could hear it from inside the restaurant. Oh God, was that a woman? Embarrassed, Hanni immediately turns away before she can see their face. All she can think about is how she should've jumped in front of that semi truck when she had the chance ten minutes ago. Now, the bell on the door is jingling and she's probably gonna have to talk to these people. Fuck.