City of Fire and Ink

The Delicate Art of Cutting Tofu

"I didn't realize bookkeeping was such a dangerous profession."

"Well you know, when angry accounts can't agree on the numbers, they get gnarly."

"You sound like my mom."

"Your mom has good expressions."

"Liar! My mom's expressions are over a hundred years old."

"Wine improves with time?"

"This isn't wine, Sojung." Inez's voice sharpened. "Soil and Sky, you could have died!" She was at the kitchen sink, scrubbing the breakfast dishes and she didn't look happy with me.

"But I didn't," I spread my arms out wide, faking a grin I wasn't feeling. "They won't kill me Inez, they need me for the money,"

"But clearly they're not afraid to rough you up! I don't want you to get hurt."

"It's a bit late for that," I gestured to my leg, which I had propped up on the kitchen table. It had been several days since the attack, and it was healing well. Walking was still a pain in the ass though, so I avoided it as much as I could.

Inez wouldn't meet my eyes and I knew she was pissed. I clunked my leg down from the table and moved to get up,"

"What are you doing?! You shouldn't be walking on that!"

I ignored her and went to wrap my arms around her shoulders where she stood at the sink. "I'm sorry for not telling you until now."

I felt Inez soften against me. We stood like that for a few moments, hearing nothing but the bird song and the brush of the wind against the kitchen window. I inhaled the scent of the lavender perfume she wore to mask the dustiness that clung to her from working in museum archives all day. I know she hated the dust smell, but I loved it. 

"Fine, maybe I'll forgive you," She replied. I hid a grin, tucking my face into her shoulder. "But, only if you come over so I can beat you at League of Legends again,"

"Bold of you to assume I haven't been secretly practicing so I can kick your ass," I retreated back to the kitchen table, where I had left a pancake sitting sadly on the plate. Inez surprised me with pancakes this morning, with strawberry maple syrup to boot, even though we both had work. She was gonna make some girl a lucky wife one day. I didn't like to think of Inez having a wife. I liked seeing her glowingly happy, but for some reason, it also made me twitchy.

Inez's eyes sparkled. "That's a lie and we both know it." She was right. Inez almost went pro into gaming before I met her. Even now, she practiced religiously, so she was nearly impossible to beat. That's how we became friends was through gaming.

"Sure. Do you want me to make kimchi jjigae too?" Ines had a weakness for the spicy Korean soup. She could technically get it at any of the number of Korean restaurants in Pardahna, but when I made the recipe that Omma had taught me growing up, she fell in love.

She eyed my leg, concerned for both the wellbeing of my lower extremities and the prospect of soup. "Only if you're feeling up to it,"

I checked the time, "I should probably get going now."  I got up gingerly from the kitchen table and Inez walked me to the door. I hugged her hard. I was slightly taller than her, so I stood on my toes as I threw my arms around her. My hands slipped down her back, landing on her hips. She jumped a little at the contact. I pulled back, but her expression was smiling. "See you later. Prepare to be destroyed,"

"In your dreams Inez,"

"Love you,"

"Love you too," Inez was the first person I had met who said love you to friends as well as family. Her face was the last thing I saw before I left the apartment.