Cool announcement in the author's note~

Just because Biden won doesn't mean everything is suddenly ok. There is still a global pandemic. Kids are in cages. Climate change exists. Black lives still matter.

I believe we still have the right to be happy, even for a moment, because things can still be better.

Be sure to educate yourself and keep yourselves up to date on the news. Look into the subjects I talked about it above not just for the United States but for your country as well. Do what you can to make things better for not only yourself but for your community.

Comment here if you want to rant about good things.

Comment here if you rant about the miseries in life.

Comment here to educate people about any political and social movements or events in your country you want people to know about.

Please be kind and respectful to yourself and each other.

Recap:

Man, you think I remember? I'll add something later maybe lol. It's like 3am here. Don't @ me.

~

I dropped my binder.

"Oh, thank you," I said as someone picked up my binder and handed it to me.

Dominic smirked. "I thought you weren't the clumsy type," he teased.

I felt my cheeks turn warm at his words and I shot him a glare. "And I stand by it. I'd like to see how you'd handle dealing with this," I said as I motioned to my locker filled with all of my stuff.

It was usually much more organized than this but Jordan took it upon himself to store some of his own textbooks and notebooks since my locker is closer to his classes than his own. It was like my locker was a storage save space in a video game. It didn't help since he already knows my locker combination.

"I was just messing with you," Dominic said with a chuckle. "Here, I'll give you a hand."

Dominic moved so he was right behind me. I froze by his sudden action and became painfully aware of his presence. His hand reached past over my head and began to move the books in my locker around so they no longer threatened to topple out of his storage. When he was done, Dominic stepped back and found that I was holding my breath.

"I could have done that myself," I told him as I closed my locker shut.

There he goes with that same smirk. "I know."

I eyed him suspiciously. "Then why did you do that?"

"Because of them."

We both turned to look at three heads almost stacked together peering over a corner then quickly hiding when they realized we spotted them.

I rolled my eyes. "You're terrible."

"I am," he admitted with a halfhearted shrug. "I'm gloating since it's my turn in the schedule."

Yes, Jordan actually made a schedule for times when Dominic and I can hang out. However, Jordan had set it up so we would only hang out during school so the guys can supervise us. Today is Friday and we'll go somewhere outside of school.

"Jordan created the schedule just to mess with you," I told him. "You didn't have to follow it at all."

Dominic leaned against the locker. "I'm just playing nice for you. And it's still funny when they're glaring at me." He smiled and waved in the direction of the guys.

"He already spotted us."

"It's all your fault, Jordan."

"You're always blaming me."

"Wow, there must be some unknown reason why we're always blaming you."

The three of them left their brilliant hiding spot. However, rather than coming up to us, they walked right past us.

Jordan pointed two fingers at his eyes then pointed them to Dominic. "You better not try anything Dominic- Wait, he doesn't have a last name..."

"Or else it's parking lot afterschool for you," Declan said menacingly to him.

"Oh no, whatever shall I do?" Dominic said dryly as he placed the back of his hand against his forehead.

"We'll see you, Naomi," Declan told me.

"If he gets boring, just give us a call," Jordan reminded me.

Bennett said nothing throughout the entire exchange but gave me a hint of a nod and I returned one back.

"I still can't believe you still think Dominic is Nicotine," I said, shaking my head.

"Oh c'mon," Jordan said in exasperation. "The author made it so obvious. Dominic, Nicotine. It's like they're not even trying to-" He suddenly winced. "Ow, I suddenly got a headache."

"Ignoring Jordan," Bennett began. "We think that we should still be open to the idea."

Declan sighed. "Even with Jordan's screwup-"

"It was chapters ago!" Jordan complained. "Get over it!"

"-we still need to clear out all possible options," Declan finished.

"And let me guess, you want me to find something when we're going to hang out."

"I mean duh," Jordan told me with a shrug. "I was never planning on letting you guys hang out with a schedule. What the- Another headache." He fell backwards onto the couch with a long sigh as he massaged his forehead.

"Funny, usually you're the one giving me headaches," Declan grumbled.

"That only shows you're thinking about me all the time," Jordan replied with a grin.

"Yeah, about how meeting you ruined my life."

"I-" Jordan stopped and frowned, his eyebrows furrowed together. "C'mon... Think of a comeback! Think! It was because of those stupid headaches."

He wasn't able to find a comeback, but nevermind about that.

"So I see Raymond isn't here," I observed. "I thought you guys were conjoined to the hip the moment he remembered you."

Dominic chuckled. "The jock's got practice. Why? You wanted him that badly?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Don't ever say something like that again."

He grinned. "I'm glad you guys have such a healthy relationship."

"School's done for the day," I narrated. "Where are you whisking me away?"

"Well, before any adventure can begin, we need to get some fuel first."

"You're going to refill your car's tank?" I asked dryly.

"No- I mean yes," Dominic admitted. "But I just meant food. The school's lunch today wasn't cutting it."

"It wasn't," I agreed with a laugh. "Well, I've never been one to turn down an offer for food. So where are we going?"

Dominic, with his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket, looked back at me with a smirk. "Let's just say you'll love me for this."

-

I gasped. "I love you for this."

The bustling restaurant with laughter and clinks of glass filled the air. Tables had grills installed into them with meat and vegetables frying on them. Waiters navigated the restaurant with platters of raw meat, raw vegetables and drinks to tables. The people at the table chatted as they cooked the food or took them off the grill and onto their plates.

I was taken to a Korean BBQ restaurant, or KBBQ for short. It's a method of cuisine where you order plates of different meat or vegetable dishes and cook the food on table grills while you talk with the people at your table. You can always do this when there isn't a global pandemic.

"I only saw these online," I said, my mouth almost watering. "I didn't know one of these restaurants actually opened up in the city."

"Two for Dominic," he told the host who nodded and checked the tablet.

"You made a reservation?" I asked him.

Dominic winked at me. "Well, since I finally got some time with you, I figured I would take you someplace nice. I was driving around and saw people lining up for it. I figured you would want to try something like this."

I grinned at him. "You know me so well."

Dominic paused and a small smile appeared on his face. But it was quickly replaced by a smirk as he said casually, "Well of course I do. Never doubt me, Naomi."

We were taken to a two-person table and handed menus by the host. A waiter then came by and gave us glasses of water and small plates of appetizers.

"Have you decided on what you would like? Or would you like some more time?" The waiter asked.

"It's our first time here," Dominic said. "Can you explain how this exactly works?"

The waiter smiled. "Of course. We have specific specials that cost per person. For each special, there is a list of different kinds of meat and other entrees you order. From there, you can order any amount of dishes. It's like a buffett so you will have to pay a fee if you leave anything uneaten."

He took out the small menu placard and pointed at it. "Since this is your first time, I recommend List A with the most popular items. You can start off with some bulgogi and brisket, as well as two bowls of rice. The other lists have more unique entrees like intestine and tongue."

"That would be great," I told him. "Maybe when we feel more adventurous we can try another list." Dominic nodded in agreement.

"Once I bring in your dishes of meat, I can put them on the grill for you," the waiter further explained. "If the grill gets dirty with grease, you can request for a new grill. Also, the sides are refillable. If you need any assistance, press the button at the side of your table and someone will come to your table shortly."

When the waiter left to get our trays, I quickly took out my phone.

"You're being quite rude, Naomi," Dominic said mockingly, shaking his head.

I chuckled. "I'm not, I need to look something up. There's a term for this... Got it!" I pointed at the small appetizer dishes that the waiter placed on the table without us ordering. "This is called banchan which is a collection of side dishes given before the meal. Just imagine, all of these different kinds of dishes for free. There's kimchi, fishcake, and bean sprouts. They all look so good."

Dominic took a sip of his water as if it was an attempt to hide his smile. "I'll be sure to take you to more places if you're going to teach me stuff like this."

"Don't tempt me," I warned him with a smile as I picked up some chopsticks and began eating some side dishes with Dominic following suit.

The waiter came back with two large plates of raw meat which should be bulgogi and brisket. He took out a lighter and lit up the grill before placing the meat on top.

"I was looking at the list of things we can order," I said. "Can we have some corn cheese and steamed egg?"

He nodded. "Of course. If you want any more dishes or need a grill change, please inform us."

"Should I be the chef or should you?" Dominic mused. "Then again, we should break society's gender expectations. I can cook."

"Always the rebel, Dominic," I mocked. "But I'm fine with that. Although, you'll probably mess up and I'll have to clean up after you."

"The faith you have in me," he said, feigning being hurt. "I'll make your food extra burnt for that."

I pouted. "No..." Then I did my best to cover it up. "Well, jokes on you, I like it extra crispy."

"Your glasses will probably fog up from the smoke of the grill anyway," Dominic pointed out. "I must take action and protect you from such a fate."

"My hero," I said dryly.

"I was talking about the food. You'll probably burn it because of your fogged up glasses."

"Their hero," I said dryly.

"I have to say," Dominic began as he grabbed the tongs given to us by the waiter and began stirring the meat around. "It feels refreshing finally being able to talk to you without those three hanging over your shoulder, or my shoulder, take your pick."

I rubbed the back of my neck. "I guess I have to agree. They can be a bit overprotective. Sometimes, I think they see me as a little sister more than anything," I said in embarrassment.

"And what about the other times?"

I hesitated but was saved when a different waiter came by to drop off the two entrees I ordered. One was a black bowl with fluffy steamed egg in it that is topped off with sesame seeds and scallions. The other is a black plate of corn with grated cheese on top. The waiter suddenly took out a small torch and we watched in amazement as they put the flame by the cheese to make it melt on top of the corn.

"Whoa..." Dominic and I said in unison.

The waiter grinned and blew on the torch flame before turning it off for dramatic flair.

"We should eat this fast so we can order another one and see that again," Dominic said.

"Agreed."

Once the food had been quickly cooked up, Dominic and I divided it up and started eating the meat and side dishes.

Dominic stifled back a laugh. "As much as I hate it, no, I didn't have some sort of adventure after moving away. All teen-fiction adventure shows have lied to me."

"The horror," I said, mocking the horror in my voice.

"My family moves around a lot," he explained, "and back when we were in elementary school, that had been the longest I've ever stayed in one place."

"Well, there has to be something interesting that happened," I pressed. "School, a love life, extracurricular activities." You know the usual: sports, volunteering, gang activity.

"A love life?" Dominic asked.

I regretted saying that. "That's what caught your attention?" I asked in disbelief.

"Oh c'mon, can you blame me?" He asked. "There's no need to be jealous, Naomi. I didn't leave behind a string of broken hearts. I'm saving myself for marriage."

I leaned forward, intrigued. "Really?"

He shrugged. "Not answering it will leave me more mysterious."

Letting out a sigh, I leaned back against my chair. "I don't know why I bothered."

"Not knowing how long I was going to stay somewhere made me take the simple life," Dominic told me. "I decided to lone wolf it- no clubs, no sports, no friends, no so-called string of broken hearts."

My eyebrows furrowed together at that. "I can't imagine it was the best experience for a kid."

Dominic gave me a half-hearted shrug. "I doubt any kid can admit they had a great childhood."

"That's pessimistic," I accused.

"No," he corrected. "It's simply because we all have different standards and preferences. I bet a kid with helicopter parents living in a bubble would love to be thrown into a new school, a new city, a new state every couple of months."

"And you'd want to switch lives in exchange?" I asked.

"Who wouldn't? I love helicopters," Dominic said with a grin. We shared a chuckle at that.

"Although I'd admit to being jealous of your seemingly perfect childhood compared to mine that occasionally involves a motel, with a kitchenette if we're lucky, I doubt that's actually the case."

I didn't know if I should be happy or dismayed by his assumption that I didn't have a perfect childhood simply because I didn't.

"Let's look at the menu if there's anything else we can order," Dominic said after snatching the last food off the grill.

-

"You missed a spot."

"Don't forget that bit."

"Is that thing burning?"

"I might have to diagnose you with backseat driving, Ms. Lorraine," Dominic huffed.

"I'm just messing with you."

"No, no, I get it," Dominic assured me. "You're obviously the superior chef." He flipped the tongs in his hand so the handle pointed at me then held it out to me. "You do it."

"I thought we weren't going to fall for society's gender expectations," I accused, crossing my arms refusing to take the tongs.

"Well you can't fight against nature," Dominic explained nonchalantly. "And nature is calling to me."

I laughed. "That was a roundabout way to say you needed to go to the restroom," I said as I took the tongs from him. "But I'll take up the noble task to protect our food."

"My hero," Dominic said, standing up from his seat.

When Dominic left the table, I absentmindedly began turning the meat on the grill. I then began to divide up which ones still needed a few more minutes and put the finished ones on the side. Dominic and I will have to fight to the death on who gets the better parts. Maybe I can hide the burnt ones and he'll realize them only when he starts eating them. I began to laugh evilly to myself.

Our table was set up so I was facing towards the front door. The business was still riding out its popularity as a newly opened restaurant and had people waiting for their table outside. There was a small line going up to the host's table for people to sign in for a table. I was about to put my attention back on the food, maybe even considering to ask for a refill in our side dishes, when I saw someone walk into the restaurant and past the line. I figured it was another reservation and didn't pay any more mind to it until I heard someone say:

"Mr. Seong, I wasn't expecting you here today."

The person who said that wasn't the host, but wasn't any of the waiters either due to the lack of the uniform. If I would have to guess, it may have been the manager or owner of the restaurant.

The man who walked into the restaurant chuckled. "I keep telling you that you don't have to be so formal. I'm only your sole investor in this restaurant. If it weren't for me, this place would have shut down or, more accurately, would have never opened in the first place."

"Anyway, Mr. Seong was my father. Call me by my first name. You should only call me Mr. Seong if you're in trouble." There was a pause. "Are you in trouble?"

"Of course not... Jae."

Oh no.

No no no no no.

Jae Seong, leader of one of the four main gangs of the city, the Blade Syndicates. He had a plan to unite all of the Asian communities, big or small, in the city through any business to bring more power to his gang. So it should be no surprise that a newly opened Korean BBQ restaurant would be under his domain. 

The problem wasn't that we were currently in the same restaurant. The problem is that I'm with someone who we suspect not only to be connected to a rival gang but maybe the leader of it too. I don't think Jae is the type of person to wait for our plans to deal with someone who had messed with his businesses given that the Lost Boys managed to infiltrate one of his hotels to get money and information.

Maybe if I eat fast enough and pay for the check, he won't be able to see us.

"I just wanted to see how the place was doing," Jae said casually. "And I see that it's doing great. Of course, I didn't doubt it. It's Korean food. In my unbiased opinion, our food is amazing."

The manager cleared his throat. "If you want to discuss some things, we can go to my office and-"

Jae waved him off. "Like I said, I wanted to see how the place was doing."

He scanned the room, seeing everyone engrossed with their conversations and food. I seemed to be the only one who cared that there was a gang member in the building, not like anyone would know in the first place. When I saw him look down my row of tables, I averted my eyes back on the grill.

"How are you liking your time here? Do you enjoy the food? Be sure to tell others about this place."

"Oh, I'm just the owner- Yeah, you can just call me that. Yes, we just opened a few weeks ago."

"We might open a side dish buffet in a few months. Boba on the menu? Ha! I like your thinking."

Jae was going around to different tables checking with the tables to see how their experience with a restaurant was.

Looking back up to see where he was proved to be a fatal mistake when we locked eyes. I saw him wear a wicked grin. He was only an estimated