Loveboat in 서울

𝟙𝟘

I can't wear this.

Thursday night, I look at my reflection in the mirror Sohee bought for a dollar and taped to our door. Sohee, generous to a fault, gave me a makeover fit for a queen. Hair tied up in high pony and accessories shined against my makeup. My angelic and shimmering eyeshadow and pouty pink lips, by my prudish Arizona standards, could get me arrested.

But it's my outfit that scares me most. The ribbon that ties the back side of the black, see-through-lace dress that gives the imagination to think. I'd fallen in love at the market, and was all set to break the dress-modestly rule, but I can't go out in something so ... revealing—

"We better head down. It's almost eleven." Sohee puckers her lips at her reflection and applies a second coat of lipstick. Her gold lamé dress glitters. "Kang and Seonho are meeting us by the kitchen." There's been a quadrangle of flirting in Korean all week, from Kang to me and Sohee to him to Seonho—par for course all over Loveboat. The gossip chain is buzzing loops about who's after whom, and tonight, I can't help feeling, will set more in motion.

"Give me a minute." From my drawer, I pull my soft black cardigan on, covering the see-through mesh on my shoulders. My phone on my dresser chimes.

Sihyeon: Eomma and Appa driving me nuts summer reading schools 2 months away wish you were here did you find a dance studio

The missing punctuation marks tells me she's dictating her text and having her laptop read to her, which she does to help with her dyslexia.

Me: Hang in there. If you read them now, they can't be on your case anymore. I found a studio but too expensive, still looking
Sihyeon: theyll find something else
Me: Ugh, I know. Hang in there. Love you!

"Ready??" Sohee grabs the doorknob, then frowns at me. "We're going clubbing. You're going to be too hot in that."

I set my phone down beside two notes from Jihyo to call my parents, which I've ignored. My legs flash in the mirror under the black skirt, an unseemly amount of skin. I pull my skirt down farther.

"I don't get hot," I lie.

"Are you sure—"

A knock sounds. Sohee pulls on the stubborn door. "Oh for heaven's sake," she fumes, then yanks with both hands and the door flies open. Wonder Boy, hair rumpled carelessly, steps through in a fitted canary-yellow button-up over black pants.

Sohee throws up her hands. "Yellow. Joohyuk, I give up."

He smiles, a sallow picture of innocence. She was right—yellow is so not Wonder Boy's color. If the game tonight is dress to impress, he's not playing.

Which, if he were any other guy, would be sort of impressive.

"I'm just here to chaperone, remember. Besides, you look nice enough for the both of us." He catches my eye.

"Suzy." His eyes widen. I'm suddenly conscious of my magnified eyes and lips, the way my black dress hugs my torso and the skirt shows off my legs. His brows knit together over his forehead in a scowl. "Your ribbon's undone."

"Oh." I reach behind for the knot Sohee tied earlier.

"Here." Wonder Boy comes around to my back, his voice impatient. The loose knot was re-tied again, tighter, once, twice, extra-secure. Like I'm a child and he's my dad. Utter humiliation.

And he doesn't even notice. Next thing I know, he's peering out the doorway.

"Coast is clear. Come on."

ʕु-̫͡-ʔुྉ*ᴸᵒᵛᵉᵇᵒᵃᵗ✲ﾟⁱⁿ*。⋆ 서울。⋆ *