Crossed Lines

Mina

K-Bop Grill was as cozy as ever. The warm lighting and the scent of sizzling meat on the grill wrapped around me like a hug as soon as we walked in. It was the kind of place that felt like home—familiar, comforting, and full of laughter. The hustle of people chatting and clinking glasses was soothing, and for a moment, I forgot about the weight of everything on my shoulders.

As we walked to our usual booth, I felt a lightness settle in. The stress that had been gnawing at me seemed to melt away with every step. Maybe it was because I was surrounded by friends who understood, maybe it was the warmth of the restaurant itself, or maybe it was just knowing that I didn't have to face the world alone.

We slid into the booth, and I instantly felt my shoulders relax. The menu was practically memorized by now, but I liked to pretend I was still deciding—just to savor the moment of anticipation before the food arrived.

Sunhee was working the front tonight, a wide smile on her face when she saw us enter. She was always quick to recognize me, her eyes lighting up as she made her way over to our table.

"Mina! Aigoo!" she greeted, her voice as warm as the restaurant. "It's so good to see you. And with your friends, too!"

I smiled back, feeling a wave of affection for Sunhee. She'd been like a second mom to me ever since I was little. My mother and her had shared so many good memories here, and now, even though my mom was gone, Sunhee had continued to offer me that same comforting presence.

"Hi, aunty," I said, my voice a little softer than usual. "I hope we're not keeping you busy."

She waved off my concern, pulling up a chair to sit with us. "Not at all. I'm always happy to see you!" Her eyes flicked to Charlotte and Hannah, who were already laughing over something, and then back to me. "How's everything? How are you doing?"

I felt my stomach tighten a little at the question. It wasn't that I didn't want to answer—Sunhee had always been a great listener, but I wasn't quite sure how to put my feelings into words yet. Before I could respond, Hannah beat me to it.

"She's been stressed, aunty," Hannah said lightly, but there was an underlying warmth to her tone. "School, work, and... everything. So we're here to help her forget about it for a bit."

Sunhee gives me a warm smile as she reached over to squeeze my hand. "Looks like someone needs some soju."

I laughed as she shuffles away to grab soju bottles from the fridge. 

"Yes!" Hannah does a small celebration dance, "It's time to drink!"

"Good thing it's the weekend." Charlotte mentions. 

Sunhee comes back with two soju bottles and places it on the table with three shot glasses. She  smiles, her eyes crinkling at the corners, "Now, what can I get for you and your friends?"

We went over the usual order—galbi, kimchi, some banchan, and a couple of orders of tteokbokki for good measure. Sunhee nodded, making a note of it on her pad, and then gave us one last smile before heading back to the kitchen.

The moment she left, Charlotte leaned in, eyes glinting mischievously. "You know, now that I'm finally here in person to eat, what's the deal with you and Sunhee?" she teased. "She seems to know you really well."

I smile, remembering all the moments here. "We've known each other forever. She was good friends with my mom."

Hannah's expression softened, her teasing smile turning into one of understanding. "It must be hard, huh? Coming here, seeing her..."

I nodded. "Yeah. Sometimes it feels like I'm walking in my mom's shoes, and other times, it feels like she's not really gone. It's complicated."

Charlotte and Hannah didn't press the issue, both offering me quiet nods of acknowledgment. We didn't need to talk about it more. We understood each other.

"Well..I think we should start some shots!" Hannah uplifts the mood, pouring 3 shots on the table.

Charlotte and I laugh at her antics, typical Hannah. We all take our shot glasses and clink them together. "Cheers!" 

The smooth, clean taste going down my throat but with a very small burn. It taste like watered down vodka but gets you drunker than patron.

As we continued to chat and laugh, the food soon arrived, filling the table with the comforting smells of home

___________________

The savory scent of kimchi and grilled meats filled the air, and for the first time in days, I felt the stress of everything else drift away. The conversation flowed easily between bites, the laughter and teasing making me feel lighter.

Hannah glanced up from her bowl of kimchi jjigae, a playful glint in her eye. "So, no work tomorrow, huh?" she said, her tone teasing. "Since you took that Tuesday shift, that means you're free for the game, right?"

I swallowed a bite of my food and smiled, setting down my chopsticks. "Yeah, I'm free. I'm kind of looking forward to it." 

Charlotte raised an eyebrow, a grin spreading across her face. "Kind of looking forward to it? Cut the bull, we know you're excited to see Eli play."

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't help the small smile that tugged at my lips. "I'm excited," I said, a little too quickly, making them both burst out laughing.

Hannah leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "You're not fooling anyone, Mina. We all know you're going to be front and center, cheering him on."

"I thought we agreed on not sitting in the front." Charlotte grimaced, already imaging those crazy Hartford fans.

"Trust me, no one wants to be in Mina's wrath if they shit on Eli." Hannah smirked at me.

I shot her a playful glare, but I couldn't hold it for long. They knew me too well, and I knew I couldn't hide the fact that I was looking forward to seeing Eli play tomorrow. After all, he'd been working so hard for this game, and seeing him in his element—on the court—was something I never got tired of.

"I am looking forward to the game," I admitted, my voice softening as I thought about it. "But, you know, I just like watching the whole team play together. It's... it's exciting, seeing how much they've all improved."

Hannah smiled, picking up her glass. "Good, because we're definitely going to need you there to cheer for them. I'm not going to lie, it wouldn't feel right without you in the stands."

Charlotte nodded enthusiastically. "Totally. Plus, who else is going to get all emotional when Eli makes that game-winning shot? We need someone there to remind us how dramatic this all feels."

I laughed, shaking my head. "I'm not that dramatic. I just get into it."

Hannah shot me a sly look. "Sure, just don't start crying when he scores that three-pointer. We can't have you turning the whole game into a soap opera."

"Whatever." I said with a grin, rolling my eyes.

We spent the rest of dinner talking about the game and how excited we were for tomorrow. The usual pre-game banter mixed with our usual chatter about classes and life. For once, the stress of the semester seemed to fade into the background, replaced by the kind of easygoing, lighthearted conversation I didn't realize I'd been craving.

As the meal came to an end, I felt a warm sense of comfort settle over me. It was nice to not have to think about everything else for a little while. And as we got up to leave, the thought of the game tomorrow didn't seem so overwhelming anymore.

Maybe tomorrow would be just what I needed.