Sleepless In September

7 - Not the Korean Average

After all of Janet's other guests left, Minji and friends turned Yellow Jack Inn into their living room. None of the chairs were pushed in, all of their drinks were scattered on the rickety tables or spilled. The room reeked of cigarette smoke, even before Chaewon and Sakura lit up, the scent must've been seeping through the walls since the 1970s. Janet said nothing when she slipped away from behind the bar to flip the OPEN sign on the door and lock it, just for tonight. Back when her deceased father was the bartender and her only work here was wearing a miniskirt and serving burgers and beer to hillbillies, she learnt that men are never quite taught the concept of seeing and not touching. She could tell none of the girls were America-born from their speech and wondered what the hell they were doing out in the sticks. Janet loved a busy Friday night, but she'd never forgive herself if her usual trailer trash customers made trouble for these darling girls. A lost sale is better than witnessing a crime. Thank God the last few men were too drunk to see anything at all. If Janet catches these girls sober in the morning before they go, she'll advise them to not come back to Sandy Shores without a gun.

Sakura paid Janet at the counter to rent all three rooms upstairs for the night, and she couldn't wait to see the catch of the cheap price. As long as it didn't smell like piss or include bugs, she was fine with it. She woke up around noon yesterday, and she'd been drowning the urge to sleep with energy drinks. Now she's taking shots, since she doesn't have to drive until she gets up later in the morning. Everyone else in the band woke up around 7PM so the show wouldn't have tuckered them out, but Sakura was immune to maintaining a degenerate sleep schedule. The clock on the wall claims it's 2:14AM and she just wants everyone to go upstairs and sleep. Instead, she's helping Chaewon's drunk ass shoot pool. Sakura thought about Hanni as she watched her from the other end of the table, laughing at Minji's clumsy arms guiding her in holding the cue stick. It's heartwarming to see Minji finally making an actual friend in the city. She hopes Kazuha and Winter won't tease her about it, but it's highly unlikely.

All of the laughter and tequila was starting to wear Minji out, but she was having way too much fun to call it a night. She was determined to lead Hanni in defeating Chaewon at their game. The competitive integrity was unclear, and the requirements for a win was nonsense. Yet nobody cared, it was too entertaining watching one another come closer and closer to breaking a finger from a flying 8 ball.

They all hated the old country music on the radio, but not enough to complain to Janet, who was singing along to the best of her ability. The current song was by a woman who must've died in the 90s, about having to spell out the word divorce letter by letter around her 4 year old son to spare him from heartbreak. Hanni feels like the music was something Danielle would enjoy, she laughs out loud at the thought. She wished her friends had come along, they would've had a great time.

"Hey, quit laughing and wrap your index and thumb like this or the stick's gonna fall again," Minji's weighing down on Hanni's shoulder and struggling to rearrange her inexperienced mess of fingers on the cue stick. Minji was definitely annoying and drunk but Hanni liked it that way. She was fucking things up on purpose so Minji could correct her, hold her waist, explain the same things over and over and touch her hands.

"Minji I know, you told me! Just fucking watch. I got this shit. Fucking told you I'm pro," Hanni tightens her grip and bashes the 8 ball across the velvet tabletop.

Chaewon missed the return hit, she moved too fast after she reacted too late, her knuckle painfully grazed the ball and Hanni scored the point. They were playing air hockey on a pool table. Chaewon blames her defeat on Sakura, her guidance was more guesswork than technique and entirely unhelpful.

"HELL YEAH, I'M THE FUCKING GOAT!" Hanni triumphs and dashes into Minji's arms, almost knocking her down. She stopped giving a fuck about four drinks ago and she's painfully restraining herself from grabbing Minji and kissing her all over her drunk red face.