PB4G: Kat's Khaotic Birthday, Pt. 3

Kitty Kat's Khaotic Birthday Week, Pt. 3
---
July 8, 2032
Early morning in Daechi.
In her family's living room, Kat rested her head on the arm of the couch. Carrie sat next to her, crossing her legs and looking at her.
Kat looked over. "...what is it?"
"I just think you're beautiful."
"And you're the most gorgeous creature I've ever laid eyes on. Still not gonna make me budge."
"Why not?"
"Because bad things happen when I go out."
"The first bad thing happened here. Kitten, I assure you, desperate clout-chasers won't harass you every time you walk outside this door. We want to experience your home with you. There's still plenty of time to salvage the week."
"Care...I just don't know. I wanna have fun with everyone, but everything's conspiring against me. I don't know if it's gonna get better."
"It will, my darling. If the universe is trying to make you miserable, then we'll all fight against it. We're here to make your week wonderful. And there's still time to do it."
"I don't have the will to go out today, Care. Not after that. I just wanna stay in."
"Then we'll stay in together. Okay?"
"Okay."
"Just you, and me...and ten of our closest friends."
"Wait...huh?"
"Everyone, you can come in!" Carrie called out.
The front door opened, and the rest of the group filed in. "Morning, sunshine." Sahir greeted.
"Aw, no. Don't tell me you guys really wanna stay in with me. Come on, don't waste your vacation..." Kat said.
"Last I checked, we were here for your birthday." Max pointed out.
"And since when is spending time with a friend a waste?" Natalia asked.
"I know these last couple days stunk, but that just means we have to try a little harder to make it better." Barbara said.
"I can't have my co-pilot for this week in this much despair. It just won't do." Sakuya added.
"...are you guys for real?" Kat asked. "It's been two days of drama and BS, and you still wanna be around? I don't think it's a good idea anymore. As hard as it might be to believe, I do love this city. But sometimes I feel like it doesn't love me back. Now I'm starting to feel like there's no way for us to all have fun here."
"I'm pretty sure the city isn't trying to ruin your time here." Cindy reassured.
"It's been a mix of bad luck and your own head. Don't sweat it so much." Sahir added.
"And I'm pretty sure that if we could follow you through Hell, there's not a lot here that's gonna scare us off." Kibō added.
"You...just mean a situation that was *like* Hell, right?" Cindy asked.
"Oh, dear, she doesn't know." Kenneth commented.
"Wait until you hear this one." Tabby said.
"It's a *real* doozy." Ibuki smirked.
"Um...okay." Cindy uttered.
Kat raised her head. "You guys...really wanna stay. I...I love you guys, so much. That's why...it's my worst fear that you'll leave me."
"We'll never leave you, Kat. I promise." Natalia hugged her. "I had people pretend to be my friend, too. Your real friends are here, and they love you. Let us pick you back up."
Kat tried containing her emotions. "I'm sorry you all have to keep seeing me crying."
"Don't apologize. Bare your soul as you see fit." Carrie gently caressed her face. "It's agonizing to see you in so much pain. If you don't want to go out, then we'll just make the best of our time here."
Kat nodded. "I'll try to be a good host." She stood up. "Guess I'm overdue to give you the grand tour. Sorry it's gotta be in my jammies."
"Real talk, Kitty Kat? I couldn't imagine you doing it in anything else." Max joked. Everyone else snickered.
"Funny as always, Sparky. Your girl whispers that in my ear every night."
"Daaaamn!" Sahir sneered.
Max looked at Ibuki. She gave a teasing look back, raising her shoulders. "Girl's got a nice purr."
"That is *so* not funny." Max griped.
"Anywhozie. There's actually something I wanted to show you guys. You're probably gonna laugh at first, but it'll help explain a lot." Kat looked at Kenneth. "Might change your perspective a bit, too."
"How very curious." he replied.
Kat led the group down the hall. She opened a door on the left-hand side, and turned on the lights. "Bathe in the majesty. It's the Totally Not Official Golden Wei Museum."
The room itself was small, and covered wall-to-wall in musical memorabilia, most of which bore her father's visage somewhere. Shelves of records, clothing items, down to innocuous items like souvenir cups.
"Hoooo, wow. Now this...this is something." Sahir uttered.
"How much merchandise can one guy have? Just how big was your dad?" Barbara asked.
"About a size 33, but he's slimmed down a bit. Oh, you mean music." Kat replied.
"Oh...oh, this...this was worth it." Kenneth stared into a glass case housing a shimmering, golden jumpsuit with the collar popped up. Unseen save for a photo on the side, 'Wei' was written in stylized font on the back. "Sir Elton John could *never*. Your father actually showed himself in public like this?"
"Oh, this one's a gem. He wore this for his 10th anniversary performance at an awards show out in LA. My mom was there and she says it was a *spectacle*. See those sneakers on the bottom?" Kat pointed out. "Those light up. Like, not just the bottoms, but the whole thing."
"He really took the whole 'golden' shtick seriously, huh?" Ibuki asked.
Tabby, meanwhile, picked up a CD. "Oh...this is interesting. Your dad looks much younger here." The cover showed Wei as a teenager, in black-and-white, showing only his face as he tilted his shades down.
"Hm. It only says 'Golden Wei'. No 'The'." Kibō noticed.
"Did your father perform before ever forming his group?" Sakuya asked.
"It's a long story. How about we take a listen?" Kat took the CD.
"Goodbye, eardrums." Kenneth mumbled.
Kat put the disk into a player, and turned it on. Once the song started, what emerged was not the unpleasant rhythm that the group were expecting.
"Hunh. This doesn't sound half bad. It's pretty good, even." Ibuki said.
"I thought my ears were about to take a beating. How old was your old man when he started?" Max asked.
Kat paused the song. "He was 15 when he first started performing."
"That young? And all by himself?" Carrie questioned.
"My dad started off as a teen idol. He entered a local singing competition hosted by a talent agency. They liked him so much that they signed him on." Kat took out a photo album, opening up to pictures of her father when he was younger, performing on stage. "This was way before I was born, so I can't say for sure how big he was, but my mom says that he was easily Top 5 in terms of popularity. She tells me that so many girls at her school had crushes on him. Had him taped to their lockers and binders. Even my Aunt Mini had a copy of his first album. Don't tell her I said that."
"And what about your mom? She doesn't strike me as a K-pop stan." Cindy asked.
"Oh, she couldn't stand it. She was as straight a whip back then as she is now. She met him in person when her college roomies dragged her to a concert. By then, he'd formed the band. She actually told him to his face that his music sucked."
"Starting to sound like it's a miracle you were ever born." Sahir responded.
"You'd think so. But he laughed it off and agreed with her, then asked her for a drink."
"And as serious as she was and is, she said yes. How'd that happen?" Max asked.
"The way she tells it, she saw something in him that appealed to her. That sense of fun and excitement that she never really experienced cuz her own home life was so structured. And he loved her honesty. You'd think they'd have crashed and burned by now with how different they are. But honestly, they've never been happier. Especially with my dad going out and working again."
Kenneth looked ponderous. "Something...isn't adding up."
"What'd that be?"
"I realize that people's voices change over time, but rarely so drastically. How did we go from him sounding pleasant as a teenager, to...whatever you would call what he is now."
"I'd wager I'd better answer that myself."
The group turned to the door, and Wei was standing there. "Heya, kiddos. Sorry, I forgot my wallet, and I saw that the door was open. I would've spoken up sooner, but it does my heart good to hear my daughter saying nice things about me."
"What do you mean? I'm always saying nice things about you." Kat replied.
"Sir, with...all due respect, the difference in your voice then and now can't possibly be owed to time. What happened that changed it?" Kenneth asked.
"Ah, well, I'd figured So had told you all already. Heck, there was that documentary I did that cleared everything up. It's not really my deep, dark secret anymore." Wei took the photo album. "From when I was 15 to about 18, I was on top of the world. Ask any woman So's mom's age who their celebrity crush in high school was, most of them would've said--"
"Keanu Reeves?" Kat joked. Her father rubbed her on the head.
"Not a bad guess, but no. It was yours truly. Oh, was I living a dream. No school, millions of fans screaming for me and buying merchandise with my mug on it, what else could I have asked for? I was the industry's brightest star, and not just because of those shoes. Well...there's the thing about stars. Eventually, they burn out."
"What happened, Mr. Kit?" Barbara asked.
"See this pic, right here?" Wei pointed to a picture of him on stage. He appeared to be scratching at his neck. "Looks like someone just caught me doing something totally innocuous, right? Maybe a bug landed on me or something. But this was when I started to feel something different. This would actually turn out to be my last solo performance. I noticed that my voice was getting a bit scratchy. And that I was losing a lot of weight. My agent thought I might've blown out my voice, and that the weight loss was cuz of anxiety. So I checked in with a doctor, they took an x-ray, and, well..."
Wei lifted up his head to reveal a thin scar on his the left side of his neck.
"Oh...oh, no." Cindy uttered.
"They found a mass the size of a golf ball lodged against my vocal cords. I was as terrified as I'd ever been. Never mind my singing career, was I even gonna *live*? By the mercy of the universe, it turned out to be benign, but they still told me that with where it was, after they'd removed it, my voice was never gonna be the same. Imagine telling that to a kid whose entire life revolved around singing! And I'd dropped out of school, so what else could I do?"
"And nobody knew about this? Why keep it a secret?" Kibō asked.
"The agency already put so much into me. I was their meal ticket. Losing me at my peak would've been a disaster. So once I'd gotten out of the hospital, I did what I was gonna have to do eventually, anyway. I signed up for my military service, and they used that as my cover for why I wasn't singing. Nobody would question it, I mean, even BTS had to stop for their service. Unless you're an athlete that won an international competition, if you're an adult man, you *have* to serve for a year and a half. I hoped that time would allow my voice to come back."
"But that's not exactly how it turned out." Kat spoke.
"No, it wasn't. Once I'd gotten out of the military, oh boy. My singing voice was, well, you've heard it. Like someone stepped on a cat's tail. Vocal therapy, extra practices, nothing was fixing it. The agency had already hyped up my comeback, so if I walked out there with that gravelly screech, it was gonna be all over with. But I couldn't quit. It was all I knew. And they weren't gonna let me just walk away."
"And that's where your band comes in." Sakuya said.
"Yep. I met four guys in the military that *could* sing, and they all agreed to join up with me. Between them and a bit of autotune, they thought my voice would've been masked. No one would ever notice. Except they did. Oh, did they *ever* notice. I've been called a lot of things over the years. 'Worst K-pop singer ever', 'Biggest bust in music history', 'The Legendary Shrieking Violet'. I've got a whole list. You're not gonna survive in this business without thick skin, so I learned to let it roll off my back."
"Why didn't you say anything? Tell people the true reason why your voice changed?" Kenneth questioned.
"I'd imagine it's thanks to the magical contract known as 'the NDA'." Barbara surmised.
"Spoken like a real industry girl. Soon as the band started, they had me signing papers that stopped me from mentioning it to anyone. Long as I was making them the big bucks, it didn't matter how many Top 10 Worst lists I was making." Wei affirmed.
"And it didn't wear on you at all?" Tabby asked.
"I won't lie and say that losing my voice didn't hurt. But the stage and the crowds were all I knew. Oodles of cash didn't hurt in keeping me quiet, either. The music and merch deals put my girls through school and put a roof over our heads. And it's only from touring that I got to meet their mom in the first place. I look back on it as having more good times than bad."
"So what convinced you to finally come clean?" Max asked.
"Well, about a year ago, the NDA expired. Joon convinced me that it would help clear my conscience and help get the critics off my back for good if I told my whole story. So I contacted a channel that chronicles the history of K-pop, and I told all. I owed it not just to myself, but my girls." Wei put an arm around Kat's shoulder. "This one especially took so much heat from other kids once they found out I was her dad. I felt so guilty that I could've stopped it by telling the truth, but then I would've gotten my butt sued off. So I kept my trap shut, as much as I hated to."
"I was so embarrassed to tell people. I didn't know until last year that he ever had surgery. You look at his old pics, and he's always hiding his neck with jewelry or a collar or something else. I couldn't be more happy to say who my daddy is. Most people are cool about it now, but then you've got the mouthbreathers like yesterday." Kat stated.
"Homeboy's lucky I wasn't there, he'd be paste right now." Ibuki said.
"Seconded." Max concurred.
"I would have left no trace." Sakuya added.
"Honestly, Care saved him by knocking him out first. I was about to channel my mom in the worst way." Kibō said.
"You needn't have dirtied your hands. That disgusting worm wasn't worth the trouble. I was taught only to use my fists to protect that which I love. And there is nothing that I love in this world more." Carrie stated.
"Caaaaaare." Kat madly blushed.
"Hahaaaa! Now how do I get your mother to talk to me like that, kitten?" Wei joked. "Alright, that's enough of this old man's ramblings. I'm gonna get back to hearing auditions for the lounge. Have a good rest of the day, sweetheart."
Kat hugged her father. "You too, Pops." Wei departed.
"I...believe I owe you an apology." Kenneth said.
"Hm? 'Bout what?" Kat asked.
"All this time, I'd believed your father to be a clown, drinking the hype in his own head. How very wrong I was. I won't make anymore jokes if it makes you uncomfortable."
"Pfffft, oh please, Kenny. Have I ever complained about you joking about my dad? We do it all the time! As long as it's in good fun. I only have a problem if you're doing it to be mean."
"Well, in that case, I'm going to make the suggestion that you wear that glowing thing in there." He pointed at the golden jumpsuit.
"No way. Gold makes my hips look fat."
"(Well, at least she's joking again. More than the last couple days, anyway. Progress.)" Max thought.
---
Meanwhile, at the bamboo café, Lin sat at the counter, getting a morning coffee before going in for work. "--and then we just shot the breeze at my place for a few hours after that. The night before, I thought she'd never wanna speak to me again."
"Siblings, girl. One day they get on your last nerve, the next, you're besties. Helps when So has as big a heart as she does." Eun replied from behind the counter.
"Wish she could spare some of that for me. Might help convince my mom that I can do better. Being the black sheep's no fun at all. I just don't know how I'm gonna move on from that rep."
"Apologizing to the lady you yelled at might help. Especially if So adores her as much as you make it sound." Eun looked over Lin's shoulder. "Hey, uh, I think someone's got their eye on you."
Lin glanced behind her.
A set of golden yellow eyes pierced through her, their owner sipping on a cup of tea. That glare was enough to send a shiver through Lin's body. She nervously turned back around. "I'll...see ya later." She grabbed her coffee and headed out the door.
"Weird. Wonder what that was--" Eun looked back to the table. Its golden-eyed occupant had disappeared. "Hey, wait a sec, when the hell did she get up?"
Exiting at a brisk pace, Lin walked over to the bus stop and sat down. "Phew. That chick gives me the creeps. Why does she always have to--"
"--appear out of thin air?" Rose was sitting next to her, drinking the same tea.
"Yeah, you get it."
It took a moment for the realization to sink in. 
"YIKES! Can't you at least give me a warning?!"
"Apologies. I seem to have misplaced my manners, quite like how you misplaced your dignity the other night."
"Ah, er, uh...so I guess you know--"
"Of *course* I know. Rin told me everything--well, paraphrased everything. Considering that some of the language you used was too foul for her to utter."
"Look, I'm--"
"Spare me the excuses. Rin is far too kind to confront you directly, but I don't share those reservations. How dare you use her as a scapegoat for your own shortcomings. Would you want your sister to emulate any of what you displayed that night?"
"No, no, of course I wouldn't! You've got every right to be pissed at me. I got drunk and stupid. Getting punched was the least of what So could've done. I wanna apologize, I really do."
"Oh, you will. In front of your sister and everyone else. You have been given chance after chance to prove that you're a changed woman. I want to see sincerity."
"Okay, okay! Jeez, and I thought shrinks were all about helping..."
"I help those that want to be helped and show a willingness to change. Whether either is true in your case remains to be seen. But perhaps you showering my spouse with an unwarranted barrage of profanity makes me a bit biased."
The shining hue of Rose's eyes was all the more apparent against the shade caused by her hat's wide brim. "All I will say is this, Ms. Kit. Tread carefully. Even one as kind as my beloved has limits to her patience. And whatever that limit is, mine is *much* lower." She took one last drink from her cup. "Have a productive day."
The bus pulled up, the doors opening. When Lin looked back to where Rose had been sitting, she was already gone. With that bit of fear planted into her mind, she got onto the bus.
---
Sinsa, the northwestern-most section of Gangnam, home to many a specialty store. Here was where the tattoo parlor where Lin worked was located. Just a couple blocks down, there was a shop specializing in foods, spices, medicines and other products imported from India.
Joon stood in front of it. "Suppose I should do this before she says anything." She untied her hair, letting it fall past her shoulders. She opened the door, to the sound of chimes.
"Anyone home?" she asked.
A friendly-looking middle-aged man, with black hair and a beard poked his head out from one of the aisles. "Ha ha, I thought I recognized that no-nonsense tone!"
"Hello, Vikram--"
The man wrapped her in a bear hug. "How's my favorite sister-in-law doing this fine morning?"
"By all accounts, currently being squeezed to death..."
Vikram put her down. She brushed herself off. "Is my sister here?"
"She'll be here in a little while, she's getting some necessities. So, to what do I owe this very sudden visit? Oh oh, wait, don't tell me..." He feigned using some kind of telepathy. "...Mommy's giving you grief."
"How could you tell?"
"The only times you ever come here by yourself are when you *really* need to talk to Mini, and that's almost always because Mommy said something that gave you the shakes."
"Well, you aren't wrong. But it's more than that."
"Ooooh, let me guess again..." He simulated the telepathy once more. "...Lin's giving you problems."
"Are my issues really that predictable?"
"There's never a time when she *isn't* giving you problems. And now, for a bonus guess..." He rubbed his forehead and started mumbling.
"Yes, So-yin is *also* having issues."
"Ah, beat me to it!"
"Your psychic abilities could use some work."
The door chime sounded again. "Okay, dear, I hope you like Brisk, because that's all they had..." In walked Joon's younger sister, Min-li, aka Mini. She was a bit shorter than her sister, and dressed far less formally, wearing a colorful orange and purple sun dress. Her hair was long, and bleached blonde, and she wore purple gemstone earrings, the same shade as her nails.
"Hey, dearest, look who stopped in for a visit!" Vikram pointed at Joon.
"Hello, Mini." she sheepishly waved.
"Joonie! Oh, goodness, what a surprise." Mini put down her groceries and hugged her sister. "Ah...what's the drama today?"
"Does there need to be drama for me to visit?"
Mini gave her a knowing look.
"...am I really that transparent?"
"Joonie, we'd love for you to come and visit more often, but we both know it only happens when something goes on that makes your hands twitch."
"I said the exact same thing!" Vikram exclaimed.
"It wasn't exact. It was very similar, but not exact." Joon corrected.
"She always has to be right!"
"I'm a teacher. It's literally my job." Joon adjusted her glasses. "So, no kids today?"
"Vijay's working on a photography project down by the river. Parvati's feeling a bit under the weather, so she's resting at home. They're going to be disappointed about missing seeing their favorite aunt, so I guess they'll have to wait for So-yin's party. Speaking of, I'm assuming that your current dilemma has to do with that?" Mini asked.
"Yes. Her friends all flew in to spend the week with her, and she's been consumed by paranoia and nerves. I've never seen her so wound up."
"I wonder where she gets it from!" Vikram called out from the aisles.
"Well, her paranoia has sadly gotten some fuel. I also invited her high school professor. The night after they all arrived, we were having dinner at the house. Then Lin-mae arrived. She was the deadly combination of inebriated and agitated."
"Oh, dear. What was she upset about? I know she's been a bit down with that Hyun boy away." Mini asked.
"There was that. And there's also the fact that she resents the professor for how close she and So-yin have become. It's more of a sisterly relationship now. So-yin has gone as far as crediting Professor Kubo with putting her life on the right track. Lin-mae, I suppose, holds a grudge, and two nights ago, it exploded. She rained profanity down on Professor Kubo, and then, in response...So-yin hit her."
"Hit...hit her. Wow. I've heard those girls squabble before, but it never got to the point of violence."
"I'm honestly amazed it took this long. Now, it might surprise you to learn that they've already made up."
"It's not *that* surprising. The kitten was always following Lin around like a gosling trails a goose. She'd never stay angry for long." Vikram commented.
"Well, that bit of drama somehow got back to Mother."
"Ooooh, here comes the spice!"
"Vikram, please." Mini responded. "What did she have to critique you on *this* time?"
"A variety of things. How I have zero control over my house, how I failed to discipline Lin-mae enough. Oh, and just as an added bonus, she brought up her belief that So-yin's relationship is 'just a phase'." Joon related.
"Oh, BROTHER!" Vikram griped.
"I'd challenge her to spend any amount of time around So-yin and Caroline. The way they look at and talk to each other...that is deep, emotional love. That is not 'a phase'. I knew she was attracted to girls even before she realized it. To trivialize it as some sort of experimental relationship...it's infuriating."
"That's Mother's M.O. A worldview more narrow than a pipe." Mini said.
"I retorted her 'critiques' and hung up. Then the day only got worse for So-yin. She took her friends to the COEX. There, some...utter buffoon was harassing people with his K-pop opinions. He recognized So-yin from Wei's documentary, and proceeded to ask these demeaning and insulting questions. Her friends pushed him away, but the damage was done. She ran off and melted down at Lin's apartment. Everything she'd feared was coming true. And I couldn't do anything to make it better."
"I'm sorry, Joonie. So has always been sensitive about things going wrong. If things aren't going perfectly, then it's a disaster. She gets it from someone I know." 
"I hate seeing her so depressed and paranoid. She's afraid that if things go poorly enough, her friends will never come back. I'm afraid that if things go poorly, *she'll* never come back. I sent her to school in Japan because the environment here had become so toxic for her. She'll be looking for any excuse to stay away. My girls are both away from home, and I'm afraid that me failing to make it a safe space for them will convince them to keep it that way."
"Is that you talking, or Mommy?" Vikram commented.
"Vikram." Mini sternly uttered.
"Someone needs to say it! Are you really afraid they'll leave because you don't want them to, or because you're still trying not to disappoint your mom? Take it from me: it's impossible! She'll always find some reason to criticize you, because nothing at all is ever good enough!"
"Honestly, Joonie...I agree. You don't need to win Mother's approval, because there's no way to do it without alienating your kids." 
"I'm not trying to win her approval. Honestly...I'm afraid that I'm becoming like her." Joon replied. "Lin has made it very clear that she finds me overbearing and critical of her life. As much as I resent what Mother put us through, I find myself doing the same kinds of things to Lin, and I'm afraid that she'll see me in the same light."
"The fact that you're aware of it already proves you aren't like her. The fact that you want them to be happy proves it. The fact that you're choosing So's happiness and letting her live how she wants proves it." 
"And really, Lin's always been a troublemaker. Setting some ground rules is the least you should be doing." Vikram chimed in.
"Mother's shadow hangs over you because you let it. I chose to live how I wanted, and that infuriated her. I still remember the look on her face when I told her I intended to marry an Indian man."
"I was never anything but polite to that woman, and she still looked at me like I was some kind of deviant monster coming to steal her honor. All because I'm not Korean. Nothing I could ever do would change her mind about me, so I stopped worrying about it." 
"And you need to do the same, Joonie. She criticizes you about Wei's career, Lin's troubles, So's relationships. What did you say her reaction was to So finishing 3rd in a class full of prodigies?"
"'Why wasn't she 1st?'" Joon replied.
"And that's all you need to know. Are you proud of So?"
"Immensely."
"Are you satisfied that Lin is trying to get her life together, despite the road bumps?"
"Yes."
"Is your relationship with Wei still good?"
"As strong as it's ever been."
"Then congratulations, you've solved the life puzzle!" Vikram exclaimed.
"I know it's just your personality to be a perfectionist, but try not to worry so much. That seeps down to the girls. The more you loom over Lin, the more she'll push back. And the more you micromanage everything, the more So will do the same. Think happy thoughts. I'm financially secure, with a loving husband and two wonderful children. You can say the same, Joonie. It's enough for me. Why not for you?" Mini dictated.
"Ha...you know, usually it's the older sibling that's supposed to hand out the critical life lessons. I am more than satisfied with my life. I only wish to keep it that way, and I fear what might happen if I can't. Maybe So-yin has inherited more from me than I thought." Joon replied.
"And what's wrong with that?" her sister smirked.
"Here you are, fresh off the plane..." Vikram appeared with a small jar filled with a green powder. "Some of the best Chai you could ever find, made especially to calm one's nerves. We just need to get you nice and chill, and the girls will follow."
"It's been a while since I had some. Let me get my card..." Joon reached for her purse.
"We're not taking your money, Joonie. It's a gift. Spare a cup for the girls, see if that helps calm them down." Mini replied.
"I appreciate it. Thank you. I'll see you next Tuesday..."
"Leaving so soon? I get it, you have to sprint back to school before it starts up in a month." Vikram joked.
"I don't want to be an inconvenience."
"So what are you doing, just staying at home all day?" Mini asked.
"No. So-yin is there with her friends. Understandably, she doesn't feel like going out. And I--"
"'Don't want to be an inconvenience.' Come on, Joonie. I'd never consider my big sister an inconvenience." Mini grabbed Joon by the arm. "You're staying right here with me. No objections."
"'No objections', eh? Now who's sounding like Mother?" Joon let out a giggle.
"She laughed! An occurrence more rare than the eclipse!" Vikram exclaimed.
"Alright, now come this way. We just got some new supplements in that I wanted to show you..." Mini tugged her along.
"The last one you gave me turned my hair red for two weeks, I'm not so sure about this..." Joon uttered.
"Oh, the sisterly bond. It's enough to bring a tear to my eye." Vikram mused as he stocked the shelves.
---
Back at the Kit home, most of the group was seated in the backyard gazebo, save for Cindy, Tabby, Max, and Kat herself.
"Such a lovely day. The perfect atmosphere for tea and friends." Carrie spoke.
"Totally! Not a cloud in the sky, no rain in the forecast, just sitting around and enjoying the view." Natalia agreed.
"Way easier to do that when you're surrounded by so much natural beauty." Sahir chimed in.
"I'm sure the Keebster appreciates you calling him pretty." Ibuki joked.
"That is NOT what I was going for!"
"So you're calling him ugly? How very demeaning." Kenneth smirked.
"NOT what I was going for, either! Ignore them, Keeb!"
"This is great for my self-esteem." Kibō responded.
"I think you're pretty, big guy." Barbara rubbed his shoulder.
"I don't know if that's a compliment."
"Your appetizers for the occasion." Sakuya appeared with a plate of dinner rolls.
"Thank you, love. How very maid-like." Carrie giggled.
"You joke, but this does carry with it a healthy dose of nostalgia. I do miss those days."
"I do, too. Back when we could all hang out whenever we wanted." Barbara said.
"The sacrifices of adulthood. Even when we graduate, meetings like this will prove fleeting." Kenneth added.
"Man, just think. The next time we all celebrate a birthday, it's gonna be the big 2-0! Talk about ancient." Sahir sighed.
"Who you calling ancient?!" Ibuki demanded.
"Crap, that's REALLY not what I meant!"
"Oh, we know. And besides, at least a few of us are yet to reach the plateau of 19. Right, Sakuya?" Carrie asked.
"Indeed." Sakuya affirmed.
"So what's the plan gonna be, almost-birthday girl? Dinner, a movie, what's your fancy?" Natalia asked.
"I truly haven't decided. I've looked at several different options, but I haven't settled on the right one. Not to mention, I am a bit sad that my mother won't be here for it."
"Oh, that's right. She must've used up all her vacation time on that mountain trip you guys took. Sucks." Ibuki said.
"I don't want to sound like I'm complaining. Having everyone here is more than enough. I can always call Mother first thing in the morning."
"Whatever you wish to do, I'll be more than happy to finance it. Money is no issue." Carrie said.
"Your generosity is appreciated, Carrie-chan, but please don't put yourself out for me. I'd be satisfied with a simple dinner."
"You know how she plays, Saku. She's already planning a big, fancy get-together in her head." Sahir said.
"Carrie-chan, I implore you, don't overspend on me--" Sakuya protested, as Carrie giggled.
"Heh. Rest of the crew's missing out on the fun." Ibuki joked.
"Wonder what they're getting up to in there?" Kibō pondered.
Inside of Kat's private quarters...
"Why isn't the cane doing anything?!" Tabby griped as she held a controller, sitting on the floor in front of Kat's bed. Kat herself sat next to her, with Max and Cindy sitting on the bed.
"It takes someone truly sadistic to program your only weapon to do nothing." Max said.
"I get why Jekyll wouldn't actually wanna hurt anyone...so why's everyone in town mad at him?" Cindy pondered.
"Why's this kid hitting me with a slingshot? Why's this Victorian lady charging at me? AND WHY DOES THIS ONE BLOKE HAVE BOMBS?!" Tabby complained.
"Like, shouldn't all this anger be reserved for Hyde?"
"Nothing about this thing makes any sense. And it was made by Toho? As in, Godzilla Toho?" Max questioned.
"Oh lovely, now I'm Hyde! Time to shoot more brains with legs!" Tabby griped.
"Since when could Hyde shoot energy blasts? They took some...real liberties with the source material." Cindy spoke.
All the while, Kat was smirking.
"Alright, Kitty Kat. Do you have *any* games in your collection that a normal person would consider good?" Max asked.
On-screen, a bolt of lightning struck the character of Mr. Hyde, resulting in a game over, and Tabby being booted back to the title screen. As the main theme played out, Tabby hopelessly dropped the controller, and slumped to the floor. "What a horrible concoction."
"Okay, who's up next? Say, Cind, what's your favorite game series?" Kat asked.
"Um, that'd have to be...Mega Man." Cindy replied.
"Perfect. I've got just the game." Kat got up, and searched her shelf.
"Is it one of the main ones? X? Legends? Battle Network?"
Kat handed her an Xbox 360 game case. "Even better."
Cindy puffed her cheeks at the sight of it. Max shook his head. The case was titled 'Mighty No. 9'.
Kat snickered. "Hey, don't look so bummed. It's better than nothing."
"Is it, though?" Max retorted.
Kat switched out the console, and put in the game disk. The game turned on, and Cindy took the controller.
Her expression soon grew dull. "Y'know what's really nice about most games that we don't appreciate? When you lower an enemy's health enough...it disappears. But here we have the lovely innovation of having the dash into enemies in order to actually beat them. So...ingenious."
"I don't think I've ever seen you this grouchy." Max said.
She sighed. "Sorry. I love the Mega Man games. And when I heard there was a game a lot like Mega Man, with the same director and everything, I thought it'd be neat. Then I actually played it. And then I read about all the Kickstarter stuff. And *then* I shut the game off and booted up Mega Man 11."
"Is it true that they tried getting another game funded before this one was even released?" Tabby asked.
"Yep. That one was a Mega Man Legends wannabe. It was dead before even getting off the ground. Also, there was supposed to be a 3DS version. That never got released. Not that anyone was gonna complain. Just playing this game makes me wanna fall asleep."
"Does it make you wanna cry like an anime fan on prom night?" Kat joked.
"Bleeeh, I can't play anymore of this." Cindy put the controller down.
"Don't you have any games that are, you know...good?" Tabby asked.
"I do." Kat replied.
"So why are we just playing the bad ones?" Cindy questioned.
"Because she likes making fun of bad media. Games, movies, if it sucks, she likes it." Max answered.
"You know me so well, Sparky." Kat said.
"Yeah, because you made me play Superman 64 that one time."
"Oh, GOD! You're a sadist, Kitty Kat!" Tabby exclaimed.
"Isn't that the game where you just fly through rings?" Cindy asked.
"It's so much worse than that. But that's just what she loves doing. I get laughing at something that's bad, but you've gotta wash the taste out with something good, too." Max answered.
"And we're gonna, don't worry. I just think that you've gotta experience the bad to appreciate the good." Kat looked down. "Like...having friends who leave you. Makes you enjoy the ones that stick around. Or having all your plans go bad, so it's better when things go smooth. ....."
Max let out an understanding sigh, patting her on the back. "Alright, I guess it's my turn now. Hit me with the most infuriating thing you've got."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. You already made me scrape the bottom of the barrel once. I'm ready for anything."
"Famous last words. I've got just the thing." Kat looked through her shelf. "Here we go. You wanted infuriating, you've got it."
Max took the cartridge from her. "'Silver Surfer'? Hunh...didn't know he had a game. And you're saying it's bad?"
"Oh...oh, he doesn't know, does he?" Cindy realized.
Kat switched out the console again, and Max inserted the cartridge into the NES. "Oh here, take the Turbo controller. You're gonna need it." Kat handed him the controller.
"You're really making this sound like something out of this world." Max said.
"It's...an experience. You'll find out real quick."
"Welp, no time like the present. Okay, stage select. Is that the Lizard? Oh no, it's 'Reptyl', whoever that is. Alright, so it's one of those old school fly-and-shoot type deals. Doesn't seem too bad so far. I thought you said this thing was--"
The Surfer grazed against the wall, and fell off of his board.
"The hell...? What just killed me?"
The screen changed to an image of the Surfer bent over on his hands and knees, apparently crying.
"Um, okay...let's try that again."
Soon after restarting, the Surfer grazed the ground, producing the same result.
"Again? Wait, so...I can't touch anything or else he goes flying off like an idiot?"
Kat produced a wry smirk.
"You are so cruel for this." Cindy whispered to her.
"I'm doing it out of love." Kat replied.
Max pressed on. "Alright, so now I'm shooting a rubber duck...what does this have to do with Silver Surfer, again?"
A single bullet hit the character, and again he flew off his board. 
"Okay, so I can't touch anything, and I can't get hit one time or I'm dead. Now it all makes sense."
Eventually he reached the second part of the level, which had an overhead view. "Sheesh, there's just stuff flying everywhere...how am I supposed to know what I can or can't fly over? It all looks the same--"
The Surfer flew off again.
"What the hell just killed me?! I didn't see anything! Ugh. That water is really disorienting. Oh, that is just *so* nice, bullets that blend into the background."
As the Game Overs started to pile up, his irritation grew.
"Why is it so easy for him to die? He's got cosmic powers! Hell, he can turn intangible! Why'd they make him such a wimp? Imagine if we fought Kerberos again, and she just went down in one hit. It'd make no sense. And how come he flies off just by gently grazing the floor? He's going slower than molasses! Screw it, I'm choosing another stage."
As each level played out, Max's frustration grew.
"They give you no space at all to maneuver. Why can't this idiot turn his board--DAMMIT!"
"What are these, jack-o-lanterns? Hopping out of lava? Yeah, okay. Frogs, ghosts in bedsheets, and now pumpkins? Did the people behind this even read the comics?"
"And I swear to God, if I have to look at that image of him bawling on his board one more time, I'm gonna lose it. I'm gonna be seeing that in my dreams."
"At least the music is pretty good...?" Tabby spoke.
Max's hands began to shake. "Y'know what's really annoying? You go through the same sections so many times, seeing that same sad image of Silver Surfer crying like a wuss, you start to predict what's coming. Then some new BS comes up and kills you, and you have to go all the way back, and you're so frustrated that you start losing focus, then the old crap kills you and you get *really* annoyed--"
"Damn!"
"Shit!"
"FUCK!"
Max collapsed to the floor.
Outside, the group continued with their chatting. Ibuki got an alert on her phone, a text from Kat. She opened it.
It was a picture of Max, kneeling on the ground in an identical pose as the game's defeat screen. "'I think I made your boyfriend upset'" was the message. Ibuki snickered.
---
Later in the afternoon, everyone began to depart.
"You have fun today, Sparky?" Kat nudged Max.
"I'm never picking up a controller again." he bluntly replied.
"Least now I know what I'm getting you for Christmas: a nice, shiny surfboard." Sahir joked.
"The better to smack you on the head with."
"So, you guys got any plans for tomorrow?" Kat asked.
"Everyone's got their own little sightseeing tours in mind. You can come along on one if you want." Barbara replied.
"I'll think about it. I'm still formulating what I wanna do. And, guys? Thanks for a drama-free day. I'm still a bit nervy about going out again, but...not as much as I was before."
"Fun days with friends can help that, Kitty Kat." Natalia hugged her. "We'll catch up tomorrow, okay? Positive thoughts."
"Thanks, Hoodsie. You guys have fun, wherever you head to. Ya girl's gonna be alright."
Once they'd said goodbye for the day, Carrie closed the door, sitting on the couch next to Kat. "What's the look for?" the latter asked.
"See? Today went perfectly fine. This dread you've been feeling is all in your head."
"Yeah, well, it's one thing to stay indoors all day. Now it's about going out in public."
"Positive thoughts, my love."
A message came in on Kat's phone. The sender was labeled as 'Prof 🍎 🦗'. "'Good afternoon, Kat. Are you free for lunch tomorrow? I think we could both use a pick-me-up. Shizuka's been begging.'"
"'Sure, sounds great. Give me the time and place'" Kat responded.
"'Great! I'll start looking for a spot. Hope you've been having a better time. Talk in a bit.'"
"Plans for tomorrow?" Carrie asked.
"Yep. Prof wants to do lunch. I don't wanna leave you here by your lonesome, though..." Kat replied.
"Don't worry about it. Natty wants to do some shopping. I'll be occupied."
"Okay. I hope Prof isn't feeling guilty about the dinner. Lin already said she was gonna apologize, and so help me, I'm gonna hold her to it."
The front door opened, and Joon stepped in. "Good afternoon, ladies. I hope it was a fulfilling day."
"Hey, Mom. It totally was. We had the whole gang over for the day. Don't worry, we cleaned up." Kat replied.
"You look like you had quite the day yourself, Ms. Joon." Carrie pointed out.
"Heh, which part tells you that? My hair being undone, or these jars of tea powder?" Joon asked.
"Uncle Vik being generous, as usual, I'm guessing." Kat surmised.
"Supposedly, it'll help you relax. Your aunt vouches for the effect, so I'll take them at their word. Whether it's intended more for me or you is up for debate."
"I don't think I've met your aunt and uncle, kitten." Carrie said.
"Yeah, Aunt Mini and Uncle Vik run an Indian specialty store close to Lin's parlor. It's not as random as it sounds. Uncle Vik is from Mumbai. They get some really nice products in. I'll take you over to meet 'em when we've got a moment." Kat explained.
After putting down her belongings, Joon did something that surprised her daughter: she wrapped her in a hug.
"Um...Mom? Are you feeling alright?" Kat asked.
"What a hard ship I must be running where this is unusual. Just...let your mother act like something other than a disciplinarian for once." Joon replied, releasing her grip. "I'll be in the shower. You can start heating up dinner."
"O-Okay, sure."
Joon started walking away.
"Hey, Mom?"
"Yes?"
"You should keep your hair like that. It's really pretty."
"Hm. Maybe I will." Joon smirked, and continued walking.
"What on Earth was that all about?" Carrie questioned.
"I dunno. But...I liked it." Kat replied. "Let's get dinner going. How about brewing up some of that tea?"
"Music to my ears. Time to see if your aunt's recommendation is on the money..."
As the girls cheerily got to work, Joon peeked from around the corner. "Hm. Maybe you didn't do such a bad job after all, Joonie."