PB4G: Kat's Khaotic Birthday, Pt. 2

Kitty Kat's Khaotic Birthday Week, Pt. 2
---
July 7, 2032
Morning in Daechi.
On the second floor of the Kit household was the room of its youngest daughter. Within it were numerous plush toys and a collection of game boxes. On the walls were assorted posters of media she favored, such as 'Metal Gear Solid' or 'Fire Emblem Awakening'. And of course, there was a poster of the Golden Wei's front man in his youth, autographed to his number one fan.
Still garbed in her dress from last night, Kat was sound asleep in her bed. The door creaked open. She opened one eye to see who it was. Carrie was peeking in. "Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."
Kat stretched, as Carrie came inside, closing the door behind her. She sat down on the bed. "How are you?"
Kat looked away. "That was a disaster."
Carrie put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't say that."
"My sister showed up drunk, and I punched her. What else would you call that?"
"It was a lovely evening before all that."
Kat covered her face with her pillow. "Uggh..."
"Do you think one bad incident means that the whole week can't be salvaged? Look at me, kitten."
She removed the pillow.
"What is scaring you so much? Are you afraid that if this week goes poorly enough, that we won't want to come back? That we'll uniformly decide that we don't want to be around you?"
Kat looked more like she was about to cry. "Every hour of every day, I'm scared of that. I'm scared that I'll wake up, and every wonderful thing that's happened to me will be completely undone, or it'll all turn out to be a dream. I've lost so many friends because I did something that made them want to stay away. So many times, it was my fault."
"But this wasn't your fault. You couldn't have predicted that your sister would do something like that."
"You clearly don't know my sister very well, then. That was par for the course for her. You should've heard all the awful things she said to Prof's face. And then I go and tear her a new one. I didn't want this to turn into the drama hour. I wouldn't blame anyone if they started booking their return flights already."
"Nobody is doing that, I promise you. I talked with all of them last night and just now. They're all worried about you. We all think you're needlessly stressing yourself out. Whatever issues your sister has going on, that's for her. We're here to spend time with you. Just focus on what you can control. And I'm sure that your sister is probably waking up right now with a splitting headache, trying to figure out how she's going to make it up to you."
Carrie massaged her some more. "Don't look so sad. We've all decided to go to that underground mall you mentioned in a few hours. It wouldn't be as fun without you. Let's get you out of bed. There's some people here to see you."
"Okay...just let me take a quick shower, first."
A short while later, Kat followed Carrie into the kitchen, while quickly drying her hair. "Alright, what's on the breakfast menu--ah."
Holding her morning coffee and sitting on the living room couch was Joon. "Good morning, So-yin."
Sitting next to her was Rin. "Good morning, Kat. How are you feeling?"
"Hey, Prof...I'm alright. What are you doing here?" Kat asked.
"Professor Kubo came over to apologize for last night's...incident. I was just telling her not to be ridiculous. Lin's actions were inexcusable and completely unprovoked. Alcohol or no, there was absolutely no need for any of that." Joon replied.
"I can't help but feel guilty. I knew she didn't think very highly of me, but I had no idea her resentment was that deep-seated. It's never been my intention to get between you two." Rin dictated.
"I know that. Lin's just being dumb." Kat replied.
"I see all the potential in the world in you. When I started on my teaching journey, I wanted to help my students to not only embrace their own uniqueness, but others', too. I promised my best friend on her deathbed that I would help as many as I could. And I truly believe in my heart that you're someone who I was put in this position to help succeed." Rin's eyes watered up at the mention of Miko. "I couldn't be prouder of the progress you've made. And it makes me so happy that I've helped you accept parts of yourself. But...I can't completely deny that I've come to see you as one would a little sister. And I can understand, to an extent, why your sister would see me as a threat. I'm not here to drive a wedge between the two of you. But if that's what I've done, then I need to accept responsibility."
Heartbroken, Kat curled up on the floor. "It's all gone downhill so quick. I was so scared of this happening. This isn't your fault, Prof, please don't think that it is! I can't believe this, man..." She started to cry.
Joon got up, and knelt down next to her. "So-yin. Please don't cry. This isn't how it was supposed to go. Listen to me. Your sister will be the first to admit that she wasn't a good influence on you. She can't control who you choose to bond with. She can control how she reacts to it. Nobody in this room should have any feelings of guilt about what happened last night. I'm sorry that it did happen. Nobody wanted this week to go perfectly more than me. I don't want you to be scared to invite your friends here. I know I can appear...cold, and demanding. But I do want what's best for you. Come on, pick yourself up."
Kat stood up, leaning on her mother as she wiped her tears.
"Don't worry about Lin. I'll be giving her my own thoughts later. You focus on having fun with your friends. They'll be coming by here later. I don't want them to see you broken up."
"*sniff* Yes, ma'am...thanks." Kat replied.
The doorbell rang. "That must be our breakfast. Will you be staying, Professor?" Joon asked.
"I should be on my way. Rose and I are taking Shizuka out for a day of fun. I wanted to make sure everything was alright here." Rin got up, and patted Kat's shoulder. "I'll catch up with you later, okay? We'll have lunch together before the week's finished. Shizuka wouldn't be happy if we didn't. Keep your chin up."
"Thanks, Prof...tell the princess I said hi." Kat hugged her. 
"I will. Have a good day, Carrie. Make sure she has one, too."
"We'll try our best. Have a lovely day, Professor." Carrie bid. Rin gave a wave, and departed.
Joon came back in with a large bag. "Hope you don't mind having some Fae-ling's for breakfast. As you may have noticed, we're short one microwave."
"Nah, I love their bagels." Kat grabbed one from the bag. "Hang on...why's there no microwave?"
"It appears your friends' cousin was completely serious about fixing it. She showed up about an hour ago. She's in the backyard right now."
"Seriously?"
Kat went outside. Sure enough, Cindy was using the gazebo as a makeshift workshop, with the microwave already taken apart and spread out across both tables. "Good morning! Hope you don't mind me making myself at home for a little bit."
"Um, no, you're good. I see you're kinda busy." Kat replied.
"Just fixing up the oven. I found what the problem was. See this, right here?" Cindy pointed to a cylindrical device. "This is the magnetron. It's what converts electricity into radiation. One of the inner parts was busted, so I made a quick trip to the hardware store and got a replacement. All I've gotta do now is put it back together, and it'll be good as new. No shelling out on extra repairmen or a new microwave."
"Wow. Thanks. Dad's been complaining about that thing for weeks. You make it sound like such an easy fix."
"It's not my first repair job on a kitchen appliance. My dad's broken a few of these over the years."
"Definitely not as handy in the kitchen as our Max, huh?"
Cindy giggled. "You can say that again." She continued her work. "So...how are you doing? You looked pretty upset last night."
Kat sighed. "Getting there."
"Has it always been like that with you and your sister?"
"Not always. I mean, she's always been a royal pain in the you-know-what, but it's only recently that I've realized that. I used to parrot off of her when I was a kid. That got me in so much trouble. It wasn't until I went abroad for school that I started understanding how bad her behavior was."
"So is it because you're doing better that makes her upset?"
"I don't think so. Right before I started uni, she sent me a vid telling me how proud she was of me. She even admitted that she wasn't the best influence on me growing up. I think what's really grinding her gears is who I'm taking my cues from."
"Your Professor, you mean."
"Yeah. The way it is now, she's more like a big sister. And Lin's always prided herself on being my big sis. Maybe she doesn't like that she has to share. Or maybe she thinks I've replaced her with Prof."
"And how do you feel about that? Have you?"
"I love Lin. That's never gonna change. And I'm happy that she's trying to get her act together. But last night...I can't remember the last time I saw her that angry. Or when *I* was that angry. Y'know, I always got so mad at people in school that talked bad about her. Now here I am, decking her in the face." Kat put a hand to her forehead. "I wanted this week to go on without a hitch so bad. I knew it wouldn't. I just didn't think it'd go that far south that quickly. And now Prof's blaming herself for it. And I just *know* my mom's gonna make Lin regret it. It's all just such a mess. It's enough to make me wanna cry."
"I'm sorry. I know what it's like to have a...complicated relationship with your sister. I looked up to Emily growing up. She was so smart and cool. But she thought our dad moved on from her mom too quick, and thought he was trying to replace her and her mom with us. It's only been in the last year that we've been getting along so much better. I'm sure your sister feels really bad about what happened. But maybe getting all those feelings out there is what you two needed."
"That's one way of looking at it. I just need a day to forget about."
"That's why we're taking you to the mall today. Having everyone together is gonna be so fun."
"You gonna go in those sweaty overalls?"
"I brought a change of clothes. I'll be done with this in about an hour. After that, you wanna hang out for a bit? I'd love to see your collection."
"Hmm. A bit of geek time does sound good right now. Sure, sounds like a plan."
"Yay! Today's gonna be awesome. Let your mom know I'm almost done. I'll see you in a bit."
"You need a glass of water? It's a bit of a scorcher today."
"Sure, that'd be great. Thanks so much."
Kat went back in the house. "Hey, Mom, Cindy's almost done with the--"
Joon was on the phone. Her stance was tense. "--I don't know how you heard about it, unless my neighbors are even nosier than I thought. It's under control, and, quite frankly, none of your business."
"Mom...?"
Joon's hand twitched. "I am an adult woman, with adult children. I don't need your criticisms every time one of them makes a mistake. Lin-mae and So-yin are *my* responsibility. You don't get to parent them through me."
"(Oh, no. Is that Grandma?)" Kat thought.
"How So-yin chooses to respond to her sister's wrongdoings is up to her. And for the last time, her romantic life is none of your concern. Nor is it 'just a phase'. It's the 21st century. I don't care if it embarrasses you." Her mother's hand shook. "Because unlike you, I'm not okay with my children resenting me. Aha. And they *do* respect me. I may be firm. But I am no tyrant. I'm hanging up. Goodbye."
She hung up, and downed more of her coffee. She realized that Kat was in the room. "So-yin. I didn't see you there."
"I called for you, but I guess you didn't hear me."
"What was it you needed?"
"I was just gonna get Cindy a glass of water. She says she's almost done out there."
"Ah, yes, good. Now we won't have to buy another one. You definitely don't have a shortage of talented friends, So-yin."
"They're the best bunch ever. Hey, so...was that Grandma you were just talking to?"
Joon took another sip. "What gave it away, my cold rebuttals? She found out about the incident somehow, and she decided to take the opportunity to critique my parenting skills for the hundredth time."
"I'm sorry, Mom."
"I hope that if and when you or your sister have children, that I won't be so overtly critical of your every move. If you think I'm strict, you have no idea what that word means. At least I don't insist on chaperoning every time you and Caroline go on a date."
"Oh jeez, that'd really get awkward."
"Yes, it would. Which is why I will never be so overbearing. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some appointments to keep. Enjoy the COEX experience. I'm sure your friends will all find things to do there."
"Oh, I'm sure."
"Promise me you'll be right there having fun. Don't let last night overshadow the rest of the week. I will deal with your sister. You focus on your friends."
"I will. Thanks, Mom. I'll make sure everything's tidy before I leave."
"I would expect nothing less. Have a good day, kitten."
"You too, Mom."
Joon gathered her necessities, and left.
Carrie walked in. "Was that your mother talking just now? She sounded rather tense."
"Yeah, just more family stuff. Nothing to worry about." Kat replied.
"If you say so. Are you doing anything now?"
"Just getting Cindy a drink. After that...we're basically free for a few more hours."
"In that case, I have one suggestion on how to pass the time--and make sure any bad feelings stay away."
"You mean...cuddles?"
"I'll be in your room." Carrie pecked her on the cheek. "Don't keep me waiting."
Blushing, Kat attended to the water. "'Sorry I can't stop and chat more, Cindy, but my queen awaits...'"
---
A couple hours passed, and the rest of the group waited outside the gates.
"--and they have a large tank where you can watch turtles and sharks swimming all around, along with a tall tank that's filled with piranhas..." Sakuya was looking through a pamphlet for the COEX Aquarium.
"Oh, they even let you pet some of the animals! I wonder if that includes the furry variety?" Tabby looked with her.
"I may have to lodge a formal complaint if not. I have the right to boop any sea puppy nose I find."
"She's certainly in a spirited mood this morning." Kenneth observed.
"Hey, if she's happy, then it's job done. I think we all prefer this Saku over...the other one." Sahir replied.
"Well if they don't let her pet a seal, we might be seeing the other one." Ibuki chimed in.
Natalia pictured it in her mind: a dreadfully menacing Sakuya, holding her sword. "(How dare you not let me boop the snoot. You will regret crossing me for all eternity.)"
The thought was cut away like slashes. "Bah! So scary!" Natalia exclaimed.
Kibō, meanwhile, peered through the gate, waiting. "....."
Inside the house, Kat was on the couch, with the Jadefang twins standing over her. Carrie and Cindy were to the side.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Barbara asked.
Kat nodded. "I will be. How can I not be with you guys in my corner? Last night is ancient history. I'm good."
"Uh-huh." Max responded, unconvinced.
"Why don't you believe me?"
"Because we know you. And we can tell when you're putting on the carefree act."
"Ever since we got here, you've been worrying that something's gonna go wrong. And now that something has...well, the look in your eyes says it all." Barbara agreed.
"She's scared that we're going to leave and never come back." Carrie spoke up.
"Is that true? Why would you think that?"
Kat covered her face with her hands. "Because it's happened before."
Max dropped to one knee. "So-yin. And yes, I'm using your actual name. Look at my face."
Kat glanced up.
"This scar right here? It's a permanent reminder of the worst mistake of my entire life. I gave this group every reason to turn their back on me. And you convinced them not to. You did. And if I can still sit here and tell you that I trust you more than anyone, after everything, then that should tell you that no one is gonna walk away from you."
Barbara knelt down. "Whoever it was that turned their back on you, wasn't really your friend. We're all here because we want to be. No one likes seeing you like this. So don't be afraid that we'll book a quick flight home." She grabbed Kat's hand. "Come on. Everyone's waiting for you out there."
Kat bore a half-hearted smile. "I'm sorry for raining on my own parade."
"Don't worry about it. We're here to hold the umbrella." Max replied. The twins coaxed her up, and they started to leave.
"She really is lucky to have you all to pick her up." Cindy said to Carrie.
"It's what families are for, Cynthia." she replied.
Everyone went outside, uniting with the rest of the group. "We found ourselves a cat, everybody." Max joked.
Kat gave a wave. "Hey, guys. Look, I...I know you're all worried about me. Last night...made every fear I had about this week into a reality. I'm gonna try to put it in the rear-view. I don't wanna be the party-pooper at my own party. I just..."
She felt someone grab her hand. She looked and saw that it was Carrie, smiling. "They know, kitten."
Kat looked to the others. All of them had reassuring looks on their faces, and nodded. 
"...thanks, guys. C'mon, I'll lead the way. We've got mall stuff to do."
---
Samseong, at the entrance to the COEX mall.
"Escalators. The mobile cousin of my worst enemy." Kenneth glared.
"Come on, Kenny. Everyone's gonna be wondering where we're at." Natalia urged. "Look, I'll even go first. I'll catch you if you fall."
"Urk...very well."
Downstairs, the group reunited. There were shops and other assorted attractions as far as the eye could see. "Alright, if everyone wants to see everything they want to, think it's best if we split down the middle. Maggie obviously wants to go see her fishy friends." Kat began.
"With their fine fur and flippers and boopable noses..." Sakuya went on.
"Nobody's gonna think she's talking about piranhas..." Sahir uttered. "Obviously a guy's gotta accompany his best girl. Even when her mind's gonna be on sea puppies the whole time."
"Count me in. Somebody's gotta stop her from climbing in the tank with them." Ibuki said.
"You make it sound like I have no self-control." Sakuya puffed a cheek.
"Not when it comes to seals, you don't. I'll go with, too." Max replied.
"You wanna go, too, Tabs? I know you're an animal girl." Kat asked.
"You sure that's okay?" Tabby responded.
"Go ahead! You don't gotta be tied to me the whole time. Go have fun. Pet a hagfish for me."
"Oh jeez, that's right! This is where the slimy things come from, isn't it?" Sahir asked.
"Hey, y'all liked how they tasted last time I cooked them for you. I'm not hearing any complaints."
"...I ain't touching one." Ibuki uttered.
"What exactly is a hagfish? I don't think I've ever heard of them." Tabby asked.
"You're going to learn very soon." Sakuya replied. "Cindy-chan, would you like to come along? I noticed your eyes lighting up a bit when we started talking about fish."
"Ahehe, well, when you've got a cousin that talks to them, you're gonna learn a thing or twenty. Sure, I'd love to." Cindy glanced at Max and Ibuki. "Oh, u-um...not to say that I'm trying to follow you guys around or anything..."
"Ha! Don't worry about it. Not like you're gonna avoid us completely." Ibuki replied.
"Yeah, and it's not like you're gonna be attached to us for the whole trip." Max added. "You...aren't, right?"
"I can hang out with other people! I just...wanna see some fishies." Cindy twiddled her thumbs.
"Well, if that's all settled, we've just gotta find--uh, where's Saku?" Sahir asked.
"Pick up the pace! I have noses to poke!" Sakuya was already some distance away.
"We're gonna have to pry her off of the glass." Ibuki said.
Tabby turned back to Kat, nervously.
"Go. Enjoy yourself." Kat encouraged.
"I really don't want to get banned..." Tabby replied, and the rest of the aquarium group followed after Sakuya.
"Alright, guess it's this happy group saddled with me. You all should feel so lucky."
"Oh, we doooo~. We're gonna keep a smile on that face, right, ladies?" Natalia asked.
"No frowns allowed today~." Barbara agreed.
"Not if our lovely band can help it." Carrie chimed in.
"Oh, this is going to be an adventure, isn't it, old chap?" Kenneth asked.
"That's the most British I've ever heard you sound." Kibō replied.
---
Inside of the COEX Aquarium, Max had locked eyes with a menacing creature of the deep: a mid-sized catfish in a tank. The fish took two little gulps, then turned and swam away.
"You know, they can get SO much bigger than that in Europe." Tabby observed. "I've heard rumors of them getting big enough to swallow someone whole."
"That...really isn't a pleasant thought. Imagining something bigger than me on the other end of my rod makes me exhausted."
"Oh, do you like to fish?"
"Occasionally, yeah. I like the tranquility. I've been meaning to ask Kat if she knows any good fishing spots around here. I know there's that big river that flows through town."
"If you find a spot, uh...would you mind if I tagged along?"
"You fish, too?"
"I picked up the hobby when I was living in the Bahamas. I'm really not that great, and half the time I just end up in the water after the fish pulls *me* in, which...really defeats the purpose..." Tabby turned redder the more she spoke. "(Way to sell yourself, Tabitha! He probably thinks you're a clumsy buffoon!)" she thought.
"Well if I do find a spot, I'll keep you in mind."
"Huh? Really?"
"Sure. I can always use some company. Might want to invest in weighted boots, though..."
"Y-yeah, probably..."
In another section of the aquarium dedicated to fish from the Amazon, Sahir looked up at a tall tank filled with red-bellied piranhas. "Boy, am I glad we don't have these chompers back home...the crocs are more than enough."
"Creepy, right? All of them bunched together like that." Cindy walked up. 
"I'd steer clear of any river with these guys swimming around in it. Course, me and rivers don't have the best history." Sahir looked at another tank. "Oh, jeez! They get bigger!"
His eyes caught a group of fish resembling the piranhas, but much larger, and with no visible fangs.
"Oh, I know these ones. They're called 'pacu'. They're basically the piranha's bigger, vegetarian cousins. Candy told me all about them." Cindy replied.
"Hold up, isn't your cuz a sea girl? Where would she hear about porker piranhas? Unless they live in the ocean where you're from, which, remind me never to swim there if that's true."
"No, it's not that. Her tribe actually has a few offshoots that live off rivers instead of the sea, and they do cultural exchanges every so often. One guy recently offered her a pet pacu as part of a marriage proposal. She refused both of them."
"Oh, well that's understandable, I mean, a normal piranha would be a *way* more romantic gesture."
"You laugh, but I just know you're gonna propose to Saku with a seal."
Sahir opened his mouth to object, but stopped once he thought about it. "...I actually don't have an argument."
Max approached them, with Tabby close behind. "Hey, have you seen either of our girlfriends around here?"
Sahir glanced briefly at Cindy. Max jabbed him in the side. "Yowch!"
"Cindy, have *you* seen Saku or Ibuki?"
"Mm-mm. They went way ahead of us." Cindy replied.
"I fear for any seal they come across..." Tabby uttered.
"*pant**pant*" Ibuki emerged from the next room, exhausted. "Oh, Mama, chasing that girl in sandals is a baaaaad idea! That is a maid on a mission!"
"Ibuki? She actually managed to lose you?" Max questioned.
"Is she possessed?!" Tabby uttered.
"By the spirit of the sea doggie." Sahir replied.
The group went through several sections, until they reached the Marine Mammal Village. There, Sakuya had her face pressed up against the glass. Next to the exhibit was a sign giving information on its inhabitants: a pair of large, brown sea lions, identified as Steller sea lions, both of whom were lounging by the water. Sakuya's expression was one of contentment.
"And there she is, in her own little world." Ibuki sighed.
"Like a little kid. It's just a complete 180 from how she usually is." Max said.
"I've been really curious...why does she get like this around seals?" Cindy asked.
"I've been wondering the same thing. Just the mention of them has her undergo a complete personality change. I personally adore cats, but I don't lose all self-control at the sight of one." Tabby added.
"Well, it's gotta do with her past. Saku didn't have the best time growing up. She was basically born and raised to be the tool of some very, very bad people. And for a long time, those people kept her apart from her mom. The only reminder she had of her was a seal plushie, complete with a handwritten note of love. So, I guess whenever Saku sees a seal, it reminds her of her mom." Sahir explained.
"Saku never got to be a happy little girl. Really, she had her whole childhood stolen from her. Weird as it might look to anyone else, if she gets to have that happiness for a brief moment, then I don't see anything wrong with it." Ibuki added.
Sahir walked up to Sakuya. "So tempting, isn't it? Those noses, begging to be booped."
"You must think I'm mad, acting this way. Any time I see them, I forget my manners." Sakuya replied.
"I totally get it. No one's gonna complain about the almost-birthday girl being giddy about her favorite things. Buuuut I think other people wanna get a look in there, too, so..."
"Ah, yes. Don't want to be inconsiderate." Sakuya waved to the sea lions. "Farewell, my furry friends. I hope you receive many head pats in my absence."
The group ventured on, into the undersea tunnel. Outside of the acrylic tube, a vast assortment of creatures, including sharks and turtles, swam about. Tabby and Cindy looked on in wonderment.
"It's like they're all just hovering in the air...it's such a wondrous sight." Tabby said, as a green turtle swam past.
"This is what Candy gets to see all the time. It's so beautiful..." Cindy added.
"Even with the scary fish." Ibuki chimed in.
"Candy always says that even the scariest-seeming sea creatures are beautiful in their own way. Even if they seem dangerous on the outside, there's a reason why they are how they are. Every living animal has a reason for being."
Sakuya glanced at a shark, swimming above. "Something frightening...can also be beautiful. Your cousin sounds very wise, Cindy-chan. She will make for a fine monarch one day."
A short while later, the group were outside. Cindy and Tabby were looking over the former's phone. They scrolled through the photos, one of which showed them giving peace signs, while a penguin stood behind glass in between them. "Everybody loves a photobomber." Tabby giggled.
Ibuki glanced over as they changed pictures. "Oh, Maxie, this one needs to be framed."
The picture was of Max standing against the glass, looking stunned as a penguin had its beak open towards him, appearing to be yelling.
"This is prime meme material." Cindy snickered.
"He's telling me exactly why a movie I like is bad, actually." Max went along with it.
Sakuya stood nearby, patiently. "Hey, sorry for the wait. Had to test it out for fluffiness." Sahir's voice sounded.
She turned, and saw him holding a medium-sized, white seal plush, with the aquarium's logo stitched onto its chest. Her eyes lit up as she grabbed it, tightly hugging it. "So fluffyyyyy..."
"I know, it's kinda cheating when you're birthday's still a few days off, but I figured you oughta get to boop one adorable nose today..." 
As Sahir scratched his head, Sakuya poked him on the nose, to his surprise.
"Mission accomplished." She smiled pleasantly. "Thank you, Sahir-kun."
"Heh. Don't mention it, Saku."
---
In another part of the mall, Barbara's ears perked up, as a song came on over the intercom. "Hm. Surprised it took this long to hear that song."
"I may not have heard it before now, but I've certainly seen signs and merchandise. Of course, if any one place in the world would advertise it..." Kenneth added.
"You...don't look all that happy to be hearing it, Kitty Kat." Natalia pointed out.
Kat sighed and put her fingers to her nose. "Okay...rant time. You wanna know my thoughts on this thing? I think it's the most annoying thing ever! And I ain't even talking about the song itself, just how much I have to hear about it. I say I'm from Korea, or Seoul or Daechi, then everything's fine. As *soon* as I say the word 'Gangnam', the first thing I always hear is one of..."
Kat jumped up and down with her hands together, as if she was riding a horse. "'OP, OP OP OP~!' Or--" She put her hands on her hips and shook her legs. "'HEEEEEEEY, SEXY LADY~!' And it wouldn't bother me so much if it wasn't what everyone associated this place with! There's so much more to this town than that one song and dance, but it's always the first thing anyone mentions."
"I can imagine how that'd get annoying." Kibō said.
Carrie chuckled. "You're fortunate nobody was filming that, kitten."
"It's forever committed to memory." Kenneth joked.
"Hardy-har. C'mon, we're almost at the music shop. The perfect place to escape the 20-year old viral hit." Kat directed.
The group continued their walk. Carrie spotted something. "Oh, dear. I spy degeneracy."
A young man wearing a puffy jacket and a tilted cap was hovering around shoppers walking by. "Hey, hey, hey, you guys like K-pop? I hear it's back around here! You ever hear it?" He held his phone up at the passersby, many of whom ignored him.
"Sheesh, that's embarrassing." Kibō said.
"Hey, I study K-pop in college, you guys like K-pop?"
"Get a life, loser." a girl responded.
"Cool, thanks guys!"
"I'll never quite understand the urge to film yourself inconveniencing other people." Kenneth commented.
"Anything for those clicks. No response is a bad one." Natalia replied.
"I know all the bands, you wanna hear me name them all?" the youth continued.
"Just another idiot tourist that thinks we're props for his 'content'." Kat said. "Come on, let's keep moving. Don't wanna catch his brand of stupid."
As the group moved away, the youth with the phone caught sight of them. "Huh? Hold on..." His eyes zeroed in on Kat. "Hey, that's...oh, baby, somebody's getting on the trending page..."
They stopped by a music store. Kat took out her phone. "Sorry, Mom's texting me about dinner. You guys can go in, I'll catch up."
"Alrighty. Hey, maybe we'll find a shirt with your dad's face on it." Barbara said.
"If ya do, get it for Kenny."
"I'll wear it with pride." Kenneth joked.
Everyone else went inside, as Kat stood by the door and started texting.
"Hey, hey! You with the phone!" a voice called out.
"(Oh, God, please tell me he's not talking to me.)" Kat thought.
The youth got up to her, holding his phone up. "Hey, you're Golden Wei's daughter, aren't you? I saw you on a documentary. That was you, wasn't it?"
"(Ignore him and he'll go away, So-yin.)"
"That was totally you, I know my K-pop stuff. Did you know Golden Wei's been on nearly every 'Worst K-pop voices' list since the band started? What's it like living with a guy most people call the worst singer ever?"
Kat didn't take her eyes off of her phone, and she started walking away. "'This weirdo's pestering me about Dad. Saying all these dumb things.'" she texted.
"'Idiot. Walk away and ignore him.'" her mother answered.
"'I'm trying. He's following me.'"
"How do you sleep at night with that car horn blaring in your ears? I bet his snoring sounds horrible, too." the youth continued on.
Kat stuck her middle finger up in his direction.
"Is it hereditary? Seems like the kinda thing to be hereditary. Hey, is it true your sister has a criminal--"
"Get the fuck out of my face." Kat shoved his phone away.
"Hey, hey, I'm just asking basic questions."
"The fuck's your problem? I said get that thing out of my face!"
"Why are you getting mad? I'm just curious."
"What's going on here?" Kibō arrived. "Hey, buddy, back off." He got between Kat and the young man.
"What for? We were having a nice conversation."
"Turn that phone off."
"How come? You gonna do something to me? I have a right to ask questions."
"She doesn't want to talk to you. Get lost."
The others soon arrived. "What's going on?" Carrie questioned.
"I can't. I literally can't." Kat buried her head in her hands.
"Shut that camera off, vulture." Carrie swatted at the man's phone.
"Why's everyone getting so worked up over some questions?" he asked.
"I'm getting security." Barbara walked off.
The man kept trying to film around Kibō, who refused to move. "I'm just asking what it's like to live with a total failure. People are curious about that." 
"You should ask your mom, then. I'm sure it'd be enlightening." Kibō retorted.
"What are you being so aggressive for?"
"GET LOST, ASSHOLE!" Kat yelled out.
"I'm giving you one last warning. Shut the phone off, or I'm breaking it." Kibō threatened.
"I'm not being aggressive. You'd be committing a crime." the youth said.
"I'm fairly certain that what you're doing constitutes harassment in any country." Kenneth replied.
"The people deserve to know this information. I still have so many questions--" The man moved closer. As Kibō started to move...
...Carrie stepped in and punched the man square in the face, knocking him down and seeing the phone flung from his hands.
"You were warned, vermin."
Barbara soon returned with a security guard behind her. "Alright, I brought--oh."
"Just for the record, this moron moved first." Kibō said.
After the group explained what had happened, coupled with other people who he had pestered earlier, the guard led the youth away.
"Jeez, what an idiot." Natalia said.
"Suppose we needed the gentle reminder that you are not one to be trifled with, Caroline." Kenneth added.
"Some people need to learn the hard way. Harassing someone over meaningless online interactions...it's beyond frustrating." Carrie replied.
"Scumbags like him have tried that with my parents. My mom laid one out that got too close. It's like no one knows what boundaries are." Kibō said.
"At least he's gone. You doing alright, Kit--" Barbara looked behind her. "Huh? Kat?"
Kat was nowhere to be found.
"Hey, where'd she go?" Natalia asked.
"I didn't see her walk away. And she didn't say anything." Kenneth added.
"Let me try calling..." Carrie took out her phone.
"I don't have a good feeling. She was already on-edge today." Kibō uttered.
A few minutes passed. Soon, the aquarium group arrived. "Hey look, there's the rest of the fam!" Ibuki said.
"Hm? I don't see Kat-chan with them." Sakuya noticed.
"Hey, guys! Our leading lady taking a break?" Sahir called out.
The two groups reunited. "What's going on? Is Kat not with you guys?" Max asked.
"There was...an incident." Kenneth answered.
"This idiot was being annoying and badgering her, and now that he's gone, we can't find her." Natalia added.
"He was saying all these bad things about her dad. I think it really upset her." Kibō spoke.
"Oh, noooo...and she was already in panic mode..." Tabby uttered.
"Have you tried calling? Maybe she just went to the bathroom." Cindy suggested.
"I did, and she didn't answer. She would have said something if she was going somewhere. Now I'm getting worried..." Carrie replied.
"Maybe she just headed home. Or somewhere else she feels safe." Max said.
"Hey, you guys were with the girl with the pink streaks, right? The one that weirdo was bothering." A young lady walked over.
"Yeah, we are. Did you see where she went? We don't know where she is." Barbara asked.
"I saw her heading to the entrance. She looked super upset."
"Aw, jeez...well, it's a start. Time to go hunting." Ibuki said.
"Oh, Kitten..." Carrie uttered somberly.
---
The western side of Daechi. 
Inside of a fourth-floor apartment, Lin was slumped back on her couch. The apartment was in a bit of disarray, with covers and some clothes scattered about. 
Lin herself wore nothing save for a black sports bra and gym shorts--the look of someone who had no intention of moving on her day off.
She picked up her phone, sitting on the adjacent table. There was a lengthy message typed in, the intended recipient being labeled 'lil sis 🐈‍⬛️'. She'd started writing it several hours ago, but couldn't muster the ability to send it. She looked exhausted, clearly suffering from a headache. She sat up, glaring at her phone.
"...I can at least get some laundry done." She moved to get up.
Then, a loud series of knocks on her door. "Back for Round Two, Mom...great, wonder what she left out..."
She opened the door, and Kat came storming in. "I need to talk to you."
"Wha--So?! What are you--"
"I know this looks insane after last night, but I needed to go somewhere other than home, cuz I can't talk to Mom right now, and I've never felt so embarrassed in my life, and I feel like I'm gonna explode, and I..." Kat began letting loose a river of tears. "I just need to talk to you cuz it's all going so bad..."
Lin grabbed her. "So, So, calm down! Breathe! Just...sit down, okay? I'm gonna...get some actual pants."
Kat sat down, trying to wipe her eyes. Lin ducked into her bedroom, emerging with a green shirt with a cartoonish snake design on it, that exposed her midriff, along with black pants. "Alright." She sat down next to Kat. "What happened?"
"*sniff* You're not freaking out? Even after last night?"
"Last night was..." Lin shook her head. "I looked like an ass. No sugarcoating it. I've been stressing out about Hyun, and I'd been keeping all that stuff buried, and...I shouldn't have done that."
"Did Mom already let you hear it?"
"Ohhhh, did she. She gave me the 'I'm not mad, I'm disappointed' look. But she just said 'You need to grow up. You're an adult with a job and responsibilities. It's time you act like it.' And...for once I didn't tune her out. The reason I said those things is...I blew it as your sister."
"C'mon..."
"I love being your sister, So. I still remember you following me around everywhere. Even with all my other screw-ups, I could at least say that I didn't mess you up. But that's not really anything to be proud of. The reason that didn't happen is cuz of the Professor and your pals. Seeing you being all chummy with her...it just reminded me of how we used to be. And how badly I've fumbled it. If I can't be your big sis, then what else do I have?"
"You're still my big sis. *sniff* I don't hate you. But Mom's right. It's one thing to say you're sorry. But you need to show us that you mean it. And giving Prof the side eye and saying all those hateful things ain't doing it. I owe Prof a lot. I even let her know that last night. But you're still my big sis, Lin. I mean, look at me! Even after last night, I came running here cuz I needed someone to bawl to. I wanna be close with you, but I wanna be close to other people, and you've gotta respect that."
"I wanna say I can. But no one's gonna believe it til they see it." Lin wiped a tear from Kat's face. "C'mon, you're gonna get dehydrated. Let me get a glass."
She brought her sister some water, which she took a sip of. "You calmed down some?"
"*sniff* Mmhmm."
"Okay. Tell Big Sis Lin what happened."
"Okay...I went with my friends to the COEX. It was going okay for a while, but then this weirdo showed up. He was bothering people, asking them all these dumb K-pop questions while he recorded it."
"Oh, great. One of *those* losers."
"We walked away, but he must've seen me. I guess he recognized me from that documentary Pops did last year. He caught me while everyone was in a store, and I was texting Mom. Then he starts asking all these questions about what it's like living with the worst singer ever, and all these other awful things."
"Shithead. Did you knock him out?"
"I tried to walk away and ignore him, but he wouldn't back off. Then Keeb showed up and got in his face, and then Care hit him when he tried coming at me. I ran off after security took him away. I just...I can't take this anymore. Not even two days in, and it's all going sideways. It's all going how it usually does."
"It's not your fault, So. Last night was all on me. And you didn't do anything to set that loser off. It's nothing that you did wrong."
"My friends are never gonna want to come back. They probably think it's just a giant pool of craziness and drama." Kat continued to cry, but now it was more subdued. "I thought the documentary would make people stop ragging on Pops. Everyone knows now. It's not his fault."
"There's always gonna be idiots, sis. You just had the bad luck of walking past one. I've barely heard anyone say bad things about Pops lately. This guy was probably just some dumbass tourist looking to rile you up for clicks. Don't let it get to you."
Lin put an arm around Kat. "Oh, kitten...I'm sorry it's not going to plan. I know I've got a big part in that. Just sit tight and decompress. Sorry it's a bit of a mess in here. Mom already lectured me on that, too. I'm gonna fix it up, totally."
"Yeah, I'll believe that when I see it..."
"There's a laugh. We're making progress."
Kat's phone rang. "It's probably my friends. There's another mess up, not telling them where I'm at."
"Let me." Lin answered it. "Yo. Oh hey, Frenchie. Yeah, it's me. So's here at my apartment. She told me everything already. Yeah, it's all good. We talked it out. Everything's alright. She just needs some time to calm down. Don't worry, I'm not up to anything. Here, let her tell you."
She gave Kat the phone back. "Hey, Care. I'm sorry for running off. I just needed to be anywhere else. Is everyone mad? Okay...sorry to cut the day short. Yeah, everything's cool with Lin. I promise. No more blowups. You guys can keep having fun, I just need a bit of time. I'll see you at home? Okay. I love you. Bye." She hung up.
"Everything good?"
"Yeah. They're gonna hang out at the mall a bit longer. Everything's good there."
"Sweet. Now, I've got a bit of a favor to ask."
"Oh yeah? What?"
"I wasn't kidding about wanting to clean the place up. Wanna give me an extra hand?"
"You want me to clean your apartment for you."
"I said extra hand! I can't ask Mom cuz she'll turn into a drill sergeant. Plus it'll be good to have some sissy time."
"I'm ragging on you. Of course I'll help out. Someone's gotta put stuff in the right place."
"Nice. And then when that's over and finished, wanna go get our feetsies done?"
"Been a while since we've done it together. Yeah, sounds like a plan."
"See, that's more like it. And hey. I promise, first opportunity I get, I'll apologize to the Professor. You can quote me on that."
"I know you're gonna. Just please, take whatever advice she gives you to heart. It's helped me so much. Don't take it like you do a right hook."
"Hey, if I was sober, I could've dodged that."
"Uh-huh, sure."
The two started tidying up and bantering. For at least a little while, the sea of chaos swarming in Kat's head had subsided.
---
Sundown, in Daechi.
Joon glanced at her watch. 
"Don't set those alarms off yet, Joon. I don't think Lin kidnapped her or anything." Wei assured.
"Are you positive on that?" Joon responded.
Carrie, meanwhile, sat patiently on the couch.
The front door opened, and Kat entered. "Sorry I'm late."
"Oh, thank goodness." Carrie got up and hugged her. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm good. Totally."
"Are you *sure*?"
"Yeah. Really. I spent some time with Lin."
"Where is your sister?" Joon asked.
Lin slowly poked her head in. "...hey."
"In here, Lin-mae. All of you."
Hesitantly, she did so. She gulped, as her mother glared at her.
"Last night, your sister was on the verge of cutting you out entirely. I'd love to know what magic you weaved to reverse that sentiment."
"Joon--" Wei spoke up. Joon raised a hand to shush him.
"Mom, it's fine, we talked it out." Kat spoke up.
"All this time, and you're still taking your sister at her word?" Joon retorted. "And you. How many times have we been over this? You telling us to our faces that you're going to improve, only to come back with the same excuses, the same mistakes, the same habitual lying."
"What do you want me to say, Mom?" Lin replied, rolling her eyes.
"I don't want you to say anything. I want you to be an adult. I want you to set the right example for your sister. 'Actions speak louder than words' might be cliché, but it's the truth. Especially when you've made it difficult to believe anything that comes out of your mouth."
"Here we go, taking every chance to tell me what an embarrassment I am. Y'know, for as much as you complain about Grandma policing you, you sure do love doing it to me."
"It is nothing at all like that."
"It is! So literally just said that we were cool, why do you have to keep digging in? Am I just never gonna be good enough for you? Sheesh, you really are just like Grandma!"
"Now you listen--"
"Will you please stop?!" Carrie suddenly interjected. "Don't you think you've distressed her enough already?"
She gestured at Kat, her hands again covering her face.
"She's been nothing but stressed out for the past two days, and you two bickering isn't helping at all. Is this really how it is all the time?"
"Joon...I think we can save the lecture for another day." Wei spoke up.
"My intent wasn't to--" Joon began.
"So is five seconds away from a complete breakdown, do you really wanna give her that final push?"
"....." Joon took a drink. "...I don't want you girls to see me as some..." Her hand shook. "...tyrannical control freak who sees the flaws in everything you do. Lin-mae...I only want you to be responsible. That is all I ask."
"I can do that much." Lin replied.
"And So-yin...nobody in this room wants to be the reason why you can't bring your friends here. I think we all need to take a moment to reflect on how we got to this point. If you want to turn in early, I won't stop you."
"Okay..." Kat uttered. She hugged her sister, who comforted her.
"I'm sorry, kitten. Tomorrow'll be better." Lin assured.
"Yeah, maybe." 
Kat was stopped by her father. "Hey. I'm sorry about today. It's all my fault."
"No it's not."
"You girls shouldn't be bothered because of my career. I hoped the doc would've cleared out the morons, but..."
"You did nothing wrong, Pops. Putting yourself out there was brave. It always was. I wouldn't want anyone else as my dad."
"You're flattering me, kitten. Get some rest. I'm gonna make sure that clown doesn't come within ten kilometers of you again. And hey, what's your favorite lyric of mine?"
"Heh. 'Your smile is like the shining moon.'"
"Just like I'd expect from my number one fan. So keep that glowing smile of yours up. Tomorrow's another day."
"Thanks, Pops. I'll see you tomorrow."
Kat went upstairs.
"Caroline. My deepest apologies for the mess you walked into. Thank you for keeping So-yin's best interests in mind." Joon said.
"It's no trouble. I'm going to see how she's doing." Carrie bowed, and followed Kat upstairs.
"I'm, uh..." Lin uttered, unsure of what to do.
"Get yourself home, Lin. I think we could all use a reset right now." Wei urged.
"Right. I'll show myself out. Don't drink that bottle all at once, Mom." Lin headed for the door, and left.
"....." Joon was quiet.
"What a day. And it's only Wednesday." Wei uttered.
"...I really have become my mother, haven't I?" Joon drank.
"I'll only say that the moment you have their phones bugged. Just give them some breathing room. Give your sister a call in the morning. Get some lunch and vent about your mom. That usually works."
"I'm scared of losing them, Wei. I don't want them to fear me. I only want them to be--"
"Be successful and productive members of society. They're getting there." Wei kissed his wife on the head. "You're an excellent mother. Don't drive yourself crazy. Call Mini tomorrow. She'll get you settled down."
"How are you suddenly the voice of reason?"
"Guess we're just in Crazy World. I'm gonna go hit the shower. Don't take too many sips of that thing." Wei exited.
Thinking better of it, Joon closed the bottle. 
"Cursed generational trauma."