Blog

It was the smallest restaurant Nani had ever seen.  The place just looked downright creepy.  The small fading sign at the front of the restaurant said something that Nani could only assume said “Kenji’s Palace.”  One of the windows was boarded over, and the open sign was flickering ominously.  Nani almost didn’t want to go inside.  But at this point, following Jinie inside seemed safer than being alone in the dark in the small alley outside.

Once they were inside, however, Nani felt like she was at home.  The little shop may have looked horrifying from the outside, but inside it was cute and homey.

“Oh, Sujin, dear!  I haven’t seen you in so long!” A short little Japanese lady suddenly appeared out of nowhere and attacked Jinie with a hug. “You’ve gotten so big!”

“Aish…Auntie Kenji, I haven’t grown a centimeter since I was twelve!” Jinie exclaimed.

“Oh, nonsense, child.  Who’s your friend?” she asked, motioning to Nani.

“This is Nani.”

“Nani?  That’s a delightful name!  Are you here to meet the two boys over there?” she pointed in the direction of a table that was hidden behind half a wall, where two heads immediately ducked down.

Jinie laughed. “Yes, I think so.”

“Oh!  What can I get you two to drink?”

“I’ll just have water…” Jinie turned to Nani, as if telepathically asking her to answer for herself.

“I’ll have Sprite.”

While Auntie Kenji went to get their drinks, Jinie pulled Nani over to the only occupied table in the restaurant.  The two boys sitting there pulled the hoods of their jackets down.  Tae waved shyly at the two of them.  Jimin was silent, something Nani hadn’t expected to ever see.  He was just staring up at her with wide eyes.

Jinie sat down, pulling Nani into the chair next to her. “I never would’ve thought to meet here.  This was smart, Tae.”

He laughed. “Well, I remembered you saying your aunt owned a little tiny restaurant. I figured it would be a safe place.” He turned to Nani. “I heard you figured us out.”

Nani just stared up at him.  She was sure she was dreaming.  Two of the members of the biggest band in the world were sitting across from her in a tiny little restaurant off an alley.  This sounded like something out of a book.

Tae chuckled a bit at her silence.  Then he elbowed Jimin. “Say hi.  Stop being shy.  You already know Jinie.”

Jimin mumbled a soft hi, but he was saved from saying more when Auntie Kenji came back with their drinks.

“So,” she started as she handed out the drinks. “Why are the four of you congregating in my tiny restaurant at this hour?  I’m sure there were plenty of coffee houses you could’ve gone to.”

“Oh no…I’m sure we would’ve been chased by plenty of paparazzi,” Jinie said dryly as she sipped her water.

“Paparazzi?  Why on earth would paparazzi be chasing you guys?”

“Tae and Jimin are celebrities, auntie.”

Nani nearly snorted into her Sprite at how calmly Jinie had said those words.

“Oh?” The restaurant was silent for a few seconds as Auntie Kenji looked Tae and Jimin up and down. “Are these the Korean boys Keira talks about every time she comes to visit?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, delightful!  She’ll be positively miffed if she finds out I let them leave without asking for an autograph!”

This time, Nani choked on her Sprite.  Who on earth was this woman and why was she so funny?

“What would the four of you like to eat?  It’s pretty late, so I’d recommend something small.  How about pastries?”

They all agreed that sounded good and each ordered their own pastry.  Tae had been adventurous and asked her to surprise him with the flavor.  After that, they attempted some small talk.

“So, Nani, how long have you and Jinie been friends?” Tae asked.

“Um…eight years now, I think.  We met in tenth grade.”

Tae nodded. “That’s a while.”

“Mhm…” Nani felt just plain awkward.  Everyone had barely anything to say, and she was still a bit floored that she was actually sitting here.

They sat in silence for a few more minutes before Auntie Kenji returned with her bright personality and their pastries.  She passed them out before pulling up a chair at the end of the table.

“So, how are you kiddos doing?  You all look a bit worn out.”

“I think we’re all right…just jet lagged,” Jinie offered.

“Ah, well, it is late back home for you, isn’t it?”

“It would be midnight right now.”

“It’s only two pm in Korea then,” Tae commented.

“Oh my!  That early?” Auntie Kenji asked. “How do you get used to the time change?”

Tae shrugged. “We never really have a set schedule.  We travel too much to have a set time to go to sleep and wake up.”

“I see,” Auntie Kenji looked at the clock. “Well, I think it’s about time for me to head home.  And I think you four need some good sleep.”

She was about to head for the kitchen when Tae piped up again. “How much do we owe you for this?”

“It’s free, darling.  It was payment enough to get to see Sujin and meet the three of you tonight.” With those words, she disappeared, and the four of them took it as their cue to leave the tiny restaurant.