Obviously someone was lying, but Luke didn't really care about figuring out which story was bullshit. His attention was locked on the two Asian women and the weird dance they were doing with each other.
Something felt off about their interaction. They kept glancing at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking, then their eyes would accidentally meet and they'd both laugh,very short, very awkward, before scrambling to find something else to talk about.
Like right now.
"How long have you been here?" Mina asked suddenly, her smile still in place but her eyes sharp.
Yuki smiled back. "Seven years."
"Wow, that's a long time. So you went to high school here?"
Yuki nodded. "Yes. What about you?"
Mina's smile widened slightly. "I've been here ten years. I was working in other states before, but I quit last year. Opened the café this summer." She leaned forward a little. "You should come by sometime. I'll treat you to our new matcha cake. Since you're Japanese, you probably know a lot about matcha, right? You'd be a good judge."
There was something pointed in the way she said it. Like a challenge disguised as an invitation.
Yuki's smile didn't waver. "Yes, I'm very good at making Japanese food."
The temperature at the table seemed to drop a few degrees.
Luke glanced at Brian, who was obliviously looking at his menu, completely missing the tension crackling between the two women.
**
The waitress came back and handed out menus.
Luke opened his and was immediately overwhelmed. Page after page of Chinese dishes, the names in both English and Chinese characters. The photos were bright and glossy,all of them were in reds, greens, yellows all bleeding together on the laminated pages. The plastic coating reflected the overhead lights, making everything look almost artificial as Brian flipped through, the pages making that sticky sound laminated menus always make.
Luke noticed Yuki had gone very still.
He looked at her. She was staring at the menu like it might bite her. Her hands were trembling slightly, and when he reached over to touch her wrist, her skin was damp with sweat.
"Babe," Luke said softly,"what do you want to eat?"
Yuki swallowed. "Anything is fine."
Her eyes flicked up to Mina across the table:
Mina turned her head slightly toward Brian, and with one smooth motion of her long black manicured nails, she plucked the menu right out of his hands.
"I'll order," Mina said, her voice light and confident. "My family and I travel to northern China all the time,so I know Chinese food very well."
She flipped through the pages with practiced ease, her finger tapping certain dishes like she'd done this a hundred times before. She looked competent and trustworthy, even if Luke realised it was a Cantonese restaurant after a few seconds,and Cantonese people come from southern China.
Luke tried to focus on Yuki, rubbing her fingers, massaging the back of her hand. She felt cold despite the warmth of the restaurant.
Mina raised her hand and waved the waitress over with a casual flick of her wrist.
"We'll have the Kung Pao Chicken,"
Mina said, pointing at the menu.
"The Sweet and Sour Pork.
Beijing Duck.
Mongolian Beef.
And the Honey Walnut Shrimp."
Luke blinked.
Wait.
Every single dish was heavy meat dishes,not a vegetable plate in sight.
Luke opened his mouth, about to ask the waitress if she could recommend a vegetarian dish. But Yuki's hand suddenly gripped his fingers tight, squeezing. A silent message: Don't.
Luke looked at her, confused, but she gave a tiny shake of her head.
"Perfect!" Mina said brightly, handing the menu back to the waitress. Then she reached across the table and grabbed Yuki's forearm—the one resting on the table—and held it there. Her long nails pressed slightly into Yuki's pale skin.
She blinked at Yuki with wide, innocent eyes. "I hope you enjoy the meal, Yuki Takahashi."
The way she said Yuki's full name made Luke's stomach twist.
Yuki's eyelashes were trembling. Her mouth pulled up into a smile, shaky and fragile. "Thank you."
Mina released her arm and sat back, looking satisfied.
Luke studied Mina for a moment. Brian's new girlfriend definitely had a weird energy. That's super strange,like Off-putting in a way he couldn't quite name. But maybe that was part of her appeal. Some people were drawn to that kind of intensity.
Mina started talking again, filling the silence with cheerful chatter. She talked about graduating from one of Korea's best universities, then traveling and working in different countries for years. She'd been scouted by a talent agency once, she said, almost became a K-pop idol.
"...But I was already too old by then, unfortunately." she said with a laugh.
Luke realized something. She still hadn't mentioned her actual age.
Brian must have had the same thought because he turned to her suddenly. "Babe, how old are you again?"
Luke wanted to slam his head on the table. How did Brian not know his own girlfriend's age?What a idiot.
Mina just smiled and draped her arm over Brian's shoulder, leaning in close. Her expression shifted teasing. "How old do you think I am?" she whispered, her lips close to his ear.
Brian grinned like an idiot. "I don't know, like... twenty-five?"
Mina laughed, a soft, musical sound. "If that's what you want to believe, then I'm twenty-five."
**
The food arrived.
Steaming plates of meat covered in glistening sauce. The smell was rich, heavy. Luke watched Yuki's hands start to tremble over the table. Her fingers looked fragile, like ice about to crack.
Mina was already digging in, chopsticks moving quickly as she grabbed a piece of pork and ate it with obvious enjoyment. She chewed loudly with satisfaction, completely at ease.
Yuki's chopsticks hovered over the dishes. The meat was shiny, coated in oil that reflected the restaurant lights. Her hand moved slightly, hovering, but she couldn't seem to bring herself to pick anything up.
...