Ice Cream Bar, Book 1: Keep Lucky (🔥🔞 Spicy Version)

Chapter 18 - Lucky (Saturday night continued)

I continue to run towards the back of the bar in search of ChaMin. He'll be so relieved to hear that Cake is taking care of the threesome situation. He no longer has to bear the weight of that concern alone. We can get back to focusing on the task at hand: surviving this crazy night!

I am clumsily dodging people left and right. Ice Cream Bar is the most crowded I've ever seen it and I know that that's a really good thing. It's just making a lot more work. There's no way we're sneaking out early tonight. I imagine that we'll just finish cleaning in time to reopen tomorrow at 4:00 PM.

As I weave in and out of the crowds, I start to make a mental list of things Min and I should try to get on top of so we're not here all night after close. Let's see; we should probably check with the bar first and make sure they don't need anymore supplies, then do a lap of clean up and check the bathrooms, and then-

THUD! My body unexpectedly slams into someone else so hard that I stagger backwards. Before I can even see who I ran into I immediately start to apologize. I feel hands on my shoulders and hear a joyous shriek.

"Lucky! Oh my God! What are you doing here?! Oh my God, you guys, it's Lucky!" I focus my eyes and realize I have bumped into someone that I know. Well, someone that I used to know, back at my old job during my old life.

Her name is YoungMi and she is just as beautiful as I remember her. She had always been cheerful and outgoing. At night, you could hear her crying in her bed just like the rest of us but she tried to maintain a pleasant facade in order to survive during the day. She had always been a caring friend. And yet...

I don't know how to feel. My first reaction is to cower and hide. I feel shame. I don't want anyone to see us talking. I don't want anyone to ask us how we know each other. I don't want to have to lie to anyone but I certainly cannot tell the truth. But she's smiling so immensely at me. She appears to be genuinely happy to see me. And she's not alone.

Soon there is a chorus of excited screeches. "Lucky! I can't believe it! It's so great to see you! Who are you here with? Let's have a drink together! Let's dance together like we used to! Do you remember any of our old routines?" My head is spinning as I am surrounded by five bubbly young ladies, all shouting at me at once. I can't tell exactly who is saying what.

Besides YoungMi there is YeoNa, AhnJong, BoRa, and SooJin. I don't know what to say. I can't believe they are all actually here in front of me, together. It's surreal because each of them has been a side character in a number of my nightmares over the years. At the same time, I would most certainly not be alive if it weren't for them. We took care of each other as best we could. I am feeling so many emotions at once. Then all at once I feel their arms wrap around me.

I know I should feel happy to see them. For all of the trauma we shared, they were an important part of my life for a long time. They remind me of my painful past but they are also a part of my survival story. Still, I wiggle out of the hug nervously.

"I'm actually working right now," I admit. They stare back at me in surprise. I know what they are wondering so I quickly add. "This is just a normal bar, not...not that kind of bar."

"Oh!" They breathe a sigh of relief together.

"What are you all doing here?"

"We're out for BoRa's birthday!" YoungMi answers brightly. "Come have a drink with us!" Everyone cheers in agreement.

"You all still keep in touch? Wait, are you all still living together?" I feel a strange burn of jealousy in the pit of my stomach. If DanBi were still alive, would we be living together? Would we all have stayed close? Who else were they still in touch with? Am I the only weirdo who wanted to run away and forget everything?