PB4G: Kat's Khaotic Birthday, Pt. 1

Kitty Kat's Khaotic Birthday Week, Pt. 1
---
July 6, 2032
Seoul, the capital of South Korea. A metropolis situated against the backdrop of the northern Bukhan Mountain, sitting along the river Han. A technological hub that is home to many of the world's largest electronics companies. The birthplace of K-pop. Seoul was many things.
To one Kit So-yin, it was home.
In the southern district of Gangnam, one of the city's more upscale sections, there was a lounge, the sign atop the door reading 'Stay Golden'. Inside was a newly-renovated bar, along with a stage reserved for up-and-coming musical acts. Posters lined the walls of former K-pop acts from years ago, the most prevalent of which was a five-member group called 'The Golden Wei'.
Working behind the bar, checking to make sure everything was in order before it opened later on, was a stocky, dark-haired man in gaudy clothing and dark sunglasses. This was the bar's owner, Kit Wei-yin. He knew much about The Golden Wei. He was, after all, its lead singer. But that was over two decades ago. He was very much out of shape, and with his singing skills being notoriously...questionable, he was now focusing on giving the stars of tomorrow a platform.
"You gonna be on that phone all day, kitten?" he asked.
Kat, in a black tank top with torn sleeves, black shorts and boots, sat at the bar, skimming through her phone. "You gonna be cleaning the same five glasses all day?"
To most people, Wei was an ex-music star. To Kat, he was just Dad.
"Well I've gotta keep things at 100% in case the health inspector comes by, yeah?"
"Didn't you say they came in last week? You know they only come in every once in a while, right?"
"They might pull a surprise! You never know!"
"I think Mama might be wearing off on you, Pops. I've never seen you this organized."
"You're saying that like it's a bad thing."
Approaching the bar was a woman with dark hair and glasses, wearing clothing that would be typical of an office worker, along with heeled shoes. Her hair was tied into a bun. "It only took close to 25 years, but your father is finally seeing things my way. Chaos needs to be taken care of right away. Now if only I could get through to your sister the same way."
"You'd have better luck teaching a mongoose how to fly." Kat replied.
This was Kit Joon-yi. She was a high school teacher, and a strict, no-nonsense one at that. Far from her husband and daughters' laid-back attitudes, she was very much the one responsible for maintaining order, both in the household and in the classroom.
"Do you have your friends' flights tracked?" she asked.
"Yes, ma'am. The Japan crew is gonna land in Incheon in about half an hour. They're gonna bus over to the hotel. I'll meet up with them once they get there. London and LA crews aren't gonna be here until the afternoon."
"Good. I'm almost done with the groceries. They already know the rules for tonight, yes?"
"Yeah. Shoes off inside the house. Dress code isn't formal, but still the kind you'd wear to a job interview. No elbows on the table."
"I would hope that students who have attended and are attending premier institutions would know to mind their manners, but I'm thankful for the reminder." Joon smirked. "You're giving me the 'lighten up, Mom' look again. I only want our guests to be mindful while they're in a new city. I'm not banning fun, you know."
"I'm not saying you are. You don't have to be in teacher mode all the time. I don't want my friends to be scared to come here again."
"Your mom and I only want this week to be perfect, kitten. Your friends won't be afraid of us. Not even that Max boy. Right, Joon?" Wei asked.
"I can be nice. I said my piece to him already." Joon replied.
"*Please*. He's not like that anymore. He's grown up a lot, same as everyone else. Both of us have moved on. Just give him a break. If anyone could use one right now..." Kat stated.
"I'll save the dirty looks for your sister. She's moping about Hyun again. I can sense it already that she's looking for trouble."
"Not around my friends, she won't. If she wants to bring the bad vibes around, I'm giving her an earful."
"Aw, give poor Lin a break. Military service is tough on everyone. I can just picture what your mom's face would've been like if we'd been together then." Wei mused.
"Wouldn't have been as scrunched up from the awful cologne, I can tell you that much." Joon replied.
"I still can't picture you in a military getup." Kat said.
"There's an easy fix for that, I've got a pic right here in my wallet! And dare I say, I looked dashing..."
"'Dashing' is pushing it. 'Presentable' is more like it. Even that was an achievement." Joon needled.
"Can we *please* keep the back-and-forth to a minimum? Everyone's gonna think we're totally disfunctional." Kat demanded.
"I wouldn't say 'totally' disfunctional. It's not like I'm trying to trade your mom in for a younger model. I totally could if I wanted." Wei said with a mischievous grin. Joon glared at him. "Aye, honey, you know I'm kidding."
"Mmhmm. Maybe I should look into a slimmer model." she responded.
"Ugggh. I'm going to the café." Kat hopped off her chair.
"No jaywalking. Don't be like your sister." Joon said.
"Yeah, yeah. I'll be back in a bit." Kat left.
"...she knows we're only kidding, right?" Wei asked.
"She does. Her friends might not. She's being proactive. You could learn a thing or two." Joon replied.
"I was proactive when I asked you out. Soon as you walked in the room, the entire band turned their heads."
"Now I know you're lying."
"Me, lying about my smoking hot wife? Never."
Walking a block away, Kat arrived at a small café, sitting down in a bamboo chair. "Yo, bartender."
A woman with long, black hair with a single blue streak turned to her. "Well, hello, Ms. Kit. When did you get back to town?"
"Hello, Eun. Couple days ago. I'm staying til school starts back up."
"Cool. Parents driving you crazy?"
"Why do you assume that's the only reason I come here?"
"I didn't hear a no."
"Ugh, they're already in rare form. I've got friends flying in today for my birthday week. I'm terrified they're gonna be scared away. Mom's already laying down the law, Pops is being...Pops, and Lin's moping about your brother. Mix that all together and you've got one *horrible* concoction." Kat put her head down. "Why can't they be normal?"
"Because normal's boring, kitty cat. You're stressing yourself out too much. I'm sure it'll be fine. Here, let me get you settled down. The usual?"
"Yes, please." Kat picked her head up and fixed her glasses. "So how's your bro doing?"
"Bored as hell. Blasting K-pop music at the north gets real dull after a while."
"It's not true that they're hitting them with Pops' songs, is it?"
"I can neither confirm, nor deny."
"Ugh, that's so mean!"
"I don't know why you're always so defensive, you rag on his music all the time."
"Yeah, but that's out of love. Everyone else does it to be mean, and I don't dig that."
"I hear ya. It's different when it's family. Here you go."
"Thanks." Kat took a cup of tea.
"So, that French girl you're dating--"
"Carrie."
"Is she flying in?"
"Yep. First time she's seeing my house. She's already met my folks, so I'm not too worried there. I'm more worried about my ex."
"Wait, your *ex*? Faaaam."
"We're cool, we're cool! It's all water under the bridge now. I just don't know if Mom's as okay about it as she says she is. Last time, she actually pulled him aside and made him apologize after he already did. It's been three years, nobody cares anymore and we've both moved on. I really hope Mom doesn't go digging it up again."
"Moms can have long memories like that. Know what I think, kitty cat? I think you've already got it in your head that it's gonna be a disaster. That's the quickest way to making it an *actual* disaster. Relax. If they're really your friends, they won't be put off by your parents being weird."
"Yeah. Yeah, you're right. I'm just being paranoid. It's their first time coming around. I *really* don't want it to be the last." Kat handed over her card. "Keep the change."
"Funny." Eun handed it back.
"Thank you." Kat left her seat. "I'll bring some of the mates around sometime this week."
"'Mates'. You're even sounding British now. Talk to you later."
"See ya."
Kat walked back to the lounge, sipping on her tea. She knocked on the door, early as it was.
It opened. "Hello. You're here early, aren't you?"
"Ha ha, very fu--" 
Kat quickly realized that the one opening the door was not one of her parents. Garbed in a green tank and khaki pants was none other than...
"Prof?!" Kat exclaimed in shock.
"Haha. Surprise!" Rin teased.
Kat looked past her to see another familiar face at the bar. Wearing a summer dress and floppy hat in her signature midnight blue and sipping on a cup of tea was Rose. "Good morning, Ms. Kit."
"Doc, too?! What the--" Kat uttered.
"KITTY KAAAAAT!"
Out ran Shizuka, wearing a blue butterfly-print shirt. She jumped into Kat's arms.
"And you too, Princess? What are you all doing here?" Kat questioned.
"Vacationing, of course." Rin replied. "And visiting. It's your birthday week, after all. Come on in, I'll explain. Your parents went to go run some errands, so we're watching the bar for them in the meantime."
Kat walked in, and sat back down at the bar.
"Our third wedding anniversary is a week from tomorrow. We thought it would be best to have a family vacation around then. And it just so happened, that two of our former students had birthdays around this time." Rose explained.
"It occurred to me that I've yet to say 'happy birthday' to you in person. So I gave your mother a call and brought up the idea of the three of us coming to Seoul at the same time as you all. I thought it'd be a nice surprise." Rin added.
"Aw, Prof, you didn't have to center your vacation around me! I would've been fine with just a phone call--" Kat replied.
"What did I say to you in that letter?"
"Huh? Letter? Oh, the one you gave me for my first day of uni."
"That's right. I said in that letter that I consider you part of the family. And I meant every word. What kind of mentor would I be if I didn't take the opportunity to be there for your special day?"
"It's easy enough to understand, Ms. Kit." Rose began. "It's been quite a while since we've all been together in peacetime. The circumstances all converged together perfectly. And since this one is being sheepish about it, I'll say it plainly."
"Who's being sheepish?" Rin asked.
"Of all the students she's had these past four years, you are the lone one she calls her protégé. She is fully invested in your future. There's nothing the two of us would rather be doing than reconnecting with everyone. It's really nothing more complicated than 'we want to'."
"She tells no lies."
Kat, touched, put her arms around Rin's shoulders. "You guys know how to make a girl feel special. Now I know for sure it's gonna be a good week."
"That's the spirit. So, when does the rest of the class arrive?" Rin asked.
"The Tokyo crew should be landing in about an hour. Everyone else won't be here til the afternoon."
"That gives us a bit more time to chat. Anything you'd like to talk about?"
"How about we start with what's on your feet?" Kat pointed at Rin's white skateboarder's shoes, which bore designs of pink cherry blossoms fluttering around.
"So glad you noticed! One of my graduating seniors does custom shoe designs. He gifted me these on graduation day. Aren't they cute?"
"You got his contact info? Might wanna do some business, myself."
As the two continued chatting, Rose drank from her tea glass, then patted Shizuka on the head. "Best sit tight, little one. Those two may be talking for some time."
"I'm already sleepy..." Shizuka uttered.
---
A couple hours later, Kat was walking through streets lined with high-rise buildings and pricy apartments; Gangnam's expensive cost of living resulted in some referring to it as the 'Beverly Hills of Korea'.
She reached a sizeable hotel building, painted a rustic red color. At the front was a statue of a dragon, shooting water from its mouth into a surrounding fountain. Similar statues could be seen in the surrounding landscape.
She took out her phone, and began texting. "'At the front. You guys here yet'"
From a contact named 'Bookie 🔥': "'In our rooms. Unpacking and we'll be down in a few. Brought a lot of outfits 😜'"
"'Don't get me excited, it's too early 🙀 I'll be in the lobby'"
Putting away her phone, she walked inside. The building's rustic charm was reflected on the inside, with more dragon iconography decorating the interior. She sat down in the lobby, taking her phone out again while she waited.
"Excuse me, mademoiselle, but is this seat taken?"
Looming over her, clad in a white tropical shirt with green palm designs on it and his typical big smirk, was Sahir. "Fancy running into you here, Kitty Kat."
"Kicks, my man." Kat got up, slapped a high-five and gave him a hug. "Feels like it's been longer than a minute. You do something with the dreads?"
"They've got a mind of their own, at this point."
"Careful, those things get too long, they might not let you in the surgeon's room."
"Might need to actually have a medical license before that becomes a problem. That's still a lot of sleepless nights away."
"Considering what kind of batteries you run on, I didn't think you slept at all. Say, where's your 1-B?"
"Asking the desk lady a few questions. I did *not* know she could speak Korean."
"Hunh, yeah, last time she was here she *did* know a few words. Wonder where she picked that up from."
Sakuya, wearing a magenta shirt, skirt and boots, walked over. "And now we have every important spot in the hotel. Ah, Kat-chan, there you are."
"There's my Sakuuuuuu!" Kat hugged her. "How've you been, girlfriend? I haven't seen you since...y'know. You holding up okay?"
"I'm holding up very well. A week in the Alps does wonders for the heart and mind. That and having this one for a roommate."
"I aim to please." Sahir joked.
"Say, Saku. Kicks said you were speaking Korean there. Where'd you learn it from?" Kat asked.
"I learned most of the world's languages when I was younger. I visited Busan once, on...business." Sakuya replied.
"...oh." Kat waved her hands. "Alright, no more scary talk. Good vibes only this week, especially from my co-pilot."
"Your 'co-pilot'?"
"Well, yeah. This might be my home turf, but it's your birthday week, too. Whatever you want, I'm totally open to."
"I wouldn't want to impose on anything you have planned."
"Bold of you to assume she isn't winging it." Sahir teased, leading to an elbow to his side from Kat.
As the three talked, someone else was taking the opportunity to sneak up on Kat from behind. They pinched either side of her waist. "PIIIINCH!"
"NYAAAAA!" Kat jumped.
Snickering behind her was Ibuki, wearing a short-skirted black dress with a collar, black lace sleeves, large gold hoop earrings, and black sandals. "Yep, just as jumpy as a pussycat."
"Why, you...I'd be so much more upset if you weren't sexy!" Kat griped.
"Lucky meeee." Ibuki wrapped her arms around her.
"Well, this is *exactly* how I imagined this going." Max arrived, wearing a blue, short-sleeved collared shirt and jeans, as well as a backwards cap and navy sneakers.
"Careful, Maxie, she's already trying to steal me from you!"
"Her and everyone else with eyeballs. Now please let her go before she starts scratching."
"I'll save the scratches for when no one's around." Kat replied.
"I like where this is going." Ibuki teased, then released her grip.
Kat put her arms up, then gave Max a hug. "Heya, Sparky. How ya feeling?"
"I've been worse. When you've had the year I've had, just getting up in the morning is a win." Max replied.
"Aw, come on, you make it sound like you almost died, like, ten times." Sahir joked.
"I really needed this vacation, is all I'm saying. Even if the trade-off is dirty looks from your mom."
"She said she'd be nice. So if she's not, I won't be, either." Kat reassured. "Say, didn't you guys bring someone else along?"
"Hmmm, hmhmhmmm~."
Humming to herself, Cindy arrived, taking out her earbuds. "Sorry, didn't mean to keep everyone waiting. Probably should've traveled lighter..."
"Um..." Kat looked up and down at her. She had on a blue denim jacket, jeans and slippers, as well as silver hoops in her ears. Then, an image flashed in front of her, of a girl with longer hair, glasses and a lighter voice. "...wait a sec! Are you...Cindy?!"
"Bingo! So glad you remembered me. I know I've changed a tiny bit since the last time we met."
"'Tiny' nothing! You're like a totally different person! Sparky, Bookie, what did you two do?"
"We didn't do anything!" Max retorted.
"Cind here just did some growing up, all on her own. All we did was give her some encouragement. And a fashion tip or three." Ibuki patted Cindy on the shoulder.
"I think you gave me way more than a little encouragement. But you're looking at a Cindy O'Donnell with a new lease on life. And I'm stoked to get to know everyone in a non-punchy environment." Cindy chimed.
"...what in the hell did I miss these last few months?" Kat questioned.
"Months can feel like years, sometimes." Sahir shrugged. "You got a good hangout spot for us, Kitty Kat?"
"I'd take ya to my dad's lounge, but it's probably not a good look from the outside to have a bunch of kids sitting around while it's closed. Yeah I know we're not really kids anymore, but who could tell just from looking? So, how about a mini tour of my hometown, instead?"
"Ooh, sightseeing already! I love it! Let's get moving!" Cindy headed for the exit.
"Slow down there, tiger, we don't even know where we're going!" Ibuki laughed a bit.
"Boundless energy, huh? My kinda girl." Sahir said.
Sakuya pinched his shoulder. "Careful where your eyes wander."
"Not what I meant!"
As they walked away, Max stopped by Kat. "Hey. Thanks for letting her come along."
"Aw, it's nothing. Girl wants to get to know everyone, and who knows when we'll all be together like this again? The more, the merrier." Kat replied. 
"She's been looking forward to hanging around you in particular. I think you two would be fast friends. Just like how it turned out with her sister and Professor Kubo."
"Ah...right. Prof. Hey, so...did you know that her and Doc would be coming, too?"
"Well..."
"You totally did! How come no one told me?"
"She told Ibuki, and said not to say anything. She wanted it to be a surprise. It *was* a good surprise, right?"
"Well, duh. I'm not mad about it. Just not fond of people keeping secrets. You, especially."
"Ouch. Walked right into that one."
"Sorry, low blow. C'mon, let's not keep your girlfriends waiting." Kat walked away.
"Yeah, good idea--hey! What do you mean 'girlfriends'?" Max followed.
The group walked down the streets, everyone taking in the scenery. "Holy jeez, Kitty Kat...this is where you grew up?" Ibuki questioned while taking a picture.
"Like, I knew you came from some money, but I didn't think it was *this* kind of money." Sahir said.
"It's not what you think. I grew up comfortable, yeah, but it wasn't Care levels of wealthy. It's not like I'm bleeding gold or anything." Kat refuted.
"You've been in her house before, Saku. What was it like?" Max asked.
"It was...something that needs to be seen to be believed." Sakuya replied.
"You're making it sound like I'm keeping this horrible secret!" Kat griped. "Honestly...would me being rich change how you guys think of me *that* much?"
"Oh, Kitty Kat, don't be ridiculous. We love ya cuz of a ton of reasons. The size of your wallet ain't one of them. It's not like we're asking you to buy us each a Lamborghini." Ibuki insisted.
"...could you?" Sahir asked.
"HELL TO THE NO!" Kat denied.
Eventually, they arrived at the bamboo café. Kat poked her head inside. "Oi, Eun. Remember when I said I'd be back?"
"Oh hey, long time no see. These the mates you were talking about?" Eun replied.
"Friend of yours, Kat?" Max asked.
"This is Eun-li. Her big bro's dating my sister." Kat replied.
"The Snake Queen, huh? Brave guy, I'm guessing." Sahir mused.
"You guys can grab a table. I'll be right over."
The others went off. 
"Alright, so which one's 'The Ex'?" Eun asked. "Is it the dude who looks like he's headed for a luau or the one who looks like an option in a dating sim?"
"Hey, that's not...oh, God." Kat uttered.
"Backwards cap guy, got it."
Kat went to sit down with the others. After getting their respective drinks, the conversation turned to the week's itinerary. "Alright, so I'd ask about what there is to do around here, but I think the better question would be what *can't* you do around here." Cindy said.
"Seriously, three years in Tokyo and it felt like we barely scratched the surface. You could throw a rock here and land on something fun to do." Sahir added.
"I wouldn't recommend the rock angle, Striker. Knowing what part of town we're in, you'd be paying it off for the rest of your life if you broke something." Ibuki brought up.
"Yeesh, there's a real scary idea."
"Maybe we should start with something obvious. Tokyo's shopping centers have all kinds of attractions besides just stores. I'd imagine it's the same way here." Max suggested.
"Are there any malls around here you would recommend, Kat-chan?" Sakuya asked.
"Matter of fact, there's one pretty close to here. It's the COEX. It's a pretty huge mall, and most of it's underground. They've got a ton of shops, gaming spots, a big bookstore, an aquarium..." Kat related.
That got Sakuya's attention. "Would this aquarium happen to have--"
"Yes, Saku, they have seals. You can gush about them to your heart's content."
"Then we need to go immediately! I have noses to boop!" Sakuya got up.
Ibuki pulled her back down. "Easy there, Saku, they're not going anywhere!"
"But what if there's a flash flood and they all escape?! I can't let this opportunity pass by!"
"Breathe, Saku, breathe! Remember where you're at!" Sahir urged.
"Ah...yes, quite right. I must remember my decorum. It would be...un-maidly of me to lose my composure."
Cindy giggled. "That's the first time I've seen you not be totally serious."
"I am never *not* serious when it comes to booping the nose of a sea puppy."
"This is something you're gonna learn quick, Cind. Saku is totally polite and well-mannered 99% of the time. The 1% is whenever there's a seal involved." Max informed.
"And she's in school for marine science. I can just picture her right now on a boat in the middle of the ocean. Soon as she spots anything with flippers and whiskers, she'll dive in and swim over to give it a hug." Sahir joked.
"Hilarious." Sakuya uttered. "Actually, Cindy-chan, there is something I've meant to ask. There is a girl from your world who can speak to marine life, yes?"
"Oh, yeah! That'd be my cousin Candy. She can talk to anything in the ocean." Cindy replied.
"And that would include--"
"Sakuuuuu." Kat interjected.
"We all know where you're going with this. I would warn you that Candice is an actual princess. Being a seal translator for you might not be the best use of her power or her time." Max said.
"Besides, what if seals are actually all really rude and mean? It'd totally break the image in your head!" Ibuki added.
"I-Impossible! They're too cute and huggable to be cruel!" Sakuya retorted.
"Every big group's bound to have it's jerks. I'm sure seals aren't an exception." Kat replied.
Sakuya looked dejected. "...forget I said anything, Cindy-chan."
"Aww, don't look so glum. I'm sure Candy wouldn't mind. She might be a princess, but not the snobby kind. She's the nicest girl you'd ever meet. I'm sure if you asked, she wouldn't say no." Cindy assured.
Sakuya's eyes lit back up. "Then I would like to formally request an audience at Her Highness' earliest convenience."
"Unbelievable. She's actually gonna ask a princess to talk to a seal for her." Max shook his head.
"Would you believe this girl used to be an assassin?" Ibuki asked.
"Well she's already cuter than the ones I know back home. They just break into my parents' apartment and steal their food whenever they're in town." Cindy replied.
"Y-You think that I'm...cute?" Sakuya brushed her ponytail, blushing.
"I think you've cracked the Saku code, Cindy-O." Kat said.
"(I'm really having a hard time believing that this girl could hurt *anybody*.)" Cindy thought.
"Alright, so laying off Saku for a sec..." Kat began. "It's only responsible to remind everyone of the ground rules for dinner tonight." Kat pulled out her phone, and started reading from a saved document. "'Dress code is one step below formal. No shorts and t-shirts permitted. Shoes must be left at the door inside the house. No elbows on the dinner table. Napkins must be placed on your laps to minimize the harm of any accidental spills.'"
"Is this your house, Kitty Kat, or a 5-star restaurant?" Ibuki questioned.
"'If wearing perfume, it must be placed subtly so that the scent is not overwhelming to everyone else. Profanity and comments of a lewd nature are strongly frowned upon. Basic etiquette is not merely encouraged, it is expected.'"
"This is already making my head spin..." Sahir uttered.
"Are your parents really that strict, Kat?" Cindy asked.
"My dad isn't." Kat plainly replied. "Look, guys, I know this all sounds like a pain, but it's just how my mom's wired. In her own way, she wants this week to go perfectly. She's the mistress of rules and guidelines. And this week'll go a *lot* easier if we go along with them. I'm gonna have to repeat this for everyone else, but *please*, no funny business. I'm looking at you, Bookie. And you too, Kicks."
"Manners maketh man, got it. I can behave myself." Sahir replied.
"I've taken some etiquette lessons from Rumi, and from a certain huntress these last few months. I can be polite when I wanna be." Ibuki assured.
"I would really, *really* appreciate it. I want you guys to come back. I don't want my parents to scare you off. We'll save the craziness for later." Kat's phone rang. "And there's my mom. She's gotta have my phone bugged. I'll be back." She got up. "Hey, Mom. Yeah, I'm with my friends now..."
"That's a bit surprising, isn't it?" Cindy asked.
"You really wouldn't expect *that* girl to have a strict family. Is it that bad, Saku?" Ibuki asked.
"I really didn't think so the last time I was here. Mrs. Kit can be very judging when you first meet. She'll analyze your every move and word and won't be shy about offering corrections. But she eased up as time went on." Sakuya replied.
"I'm getting the sense that Kat's more afraid of her parents putting us off than the other way around." Max said.
"Girl's already stressing herself out. And her dad's supposed to be a big joker, right? So it can't be *that* bad." Sahir surmised.
"You will rarely find a couple that is more polar opposite than Kat-chan's parents. They constantly poke fun at one another. And yet I never sensed any malice behind it. The overall atmosphere felt as laid-back as one would initially expect, once you get past the iron wall of Mrs. Kit's expectations." Sakuya dictated.
Kat walked back over. "Hey, so, we're gonna have to cut this short. I've gotta help my mom finish setting everything up at home. See you guys tonight?"
"Wouldn't wanna be anywhere else." Sahir replied.
"Always the charmer. I'll send you the directions from the hotel. Remember, neat and tidy. We'll all get through this in one piece."
"You're sounding like my dad right before a big fight." Cindy laughed. "Take it easy. I'm sure it's gonna go great. No negative thoughts, okay?"
"Yeah...no negative thoughts. Good vibes only. Just gotta think it into existence. See ya later." Kat exited.
"You ever get the feeling that even after all the crap we've gone through, she's still trying to do everything to keep us around? Like, we'll reject her if things go bad?" Ibuki questioned.
"Chalk it up to bad experiences." Eun spoke up. "Sorry, couldn't help overhearing. You guys know what life was like for her before she left for Japan, right?"
"I know she had to change schools a lot since she was getting bullied." Max replied.
"I was actually in school with her at one point. Those more uppity kids wouldn't leave her alone. They all knew who her dad was. Oh, did they never let her hear the end of it. From what she's told me, it was the same at every other school. And she always blamed herself for getting mad. Keeping whatever friends she made wasn't easy."
"You wouldn't think that talking to her now. I mean, she's basically the ringleader of our little unit." Ibuki said.
"You all are obviously tight with her. You'd have to be to come all this way to see her. Try to get her to take a chill pill. It's no good for her to be constantly worrying about whether or not she'll end up alone." 
"That's what we're here for. Tonight going smooth would go a long way towards getting her to calm down." Sahir said.
"Ah, right, dinner with her fam. That's gonna be a riot. If she gets past that without having a meltdown, you'll be good for the whole week." Eun realized something. "Oh, right, what I was here for. You paying cash or card?"
"Wait...did she leave without paying?!" Ibuki questioned.
"I'm sure it wasn't on purpose, but...it would seem that way." Sakuya replied.
Everyone looked around to each other. Sahir and Max locked eyes. Both quickly put one fist to one hand three times. Sahir showed paper. Max showed scissors. "HA!" he exclaimed.
"Damn!" Sahir grunted. "Ugh, guess it's my treat." He reached for his wallet, begrudgingly.
---
Kat returned to the hotel later that afternoon, this time going up to the fifth floor. She went up to one door, and knocked. 
"Hello, hellooooo~." Barbara opened it. Her wear consisted of a blue blouse, white skirt, feather earrings, and white sandals, a pair of blue bows on either side of her hair.
"Girlfrieeeeeeend!" Kat embraced her, briefly lifting her up as the two giggled. "Oh my God, I missed seeing that face. You're as radiant as ever."
"Aww, you. And you're just as fabulous as ever~."
"Trying to steal my girlfriend again?" Kibō emerged, wearing a gray jacket and jeans, the jacket bearing an illustration of a menacing figure with wild hair, and the words 'Queen of Thunder'.
"I already called dibs." Kat replied. "Hey, ya big lug." She switched to hugging him. She quickly noticed something. "Hang on...is that a tan I'm seeing?"
"Oh. Yeah. I've been working out on the beach lately."
"I've got a bit of one, too." Barbara showed her apparent tan lines. "That Hollywood sunshine's no joke."
"Still nothing compared to that Barbie sunshine." Kat responded.
"Do you ever give anyone else this many compliments?" Kibō questioned.
"Find me someone else with those legs. Watch me rain the praise down on them. Anywho, how've you guys been? I haven't seen you since the big fight."
"Things are going great! Aside from last month's craziness with Maxie, of course. School's going good. Actually, I got some awesome news before we came here. I'm gonna be on the cheer team starting next year!" Barbara answered.
"Oh, that's awesome! You in a cheerleader uniform just...makes sense."
"It's gonna be a lot of work, though. It means traveling all around the country for games and competitions." Kibō said.
"Our school plays against a bunch of teams in the Midwest. So, lots of trips to Ohio and Maryland. Don't know who came up with *that* idea." Barbara added.
"All that travel's gonna mean more nights by your lonesome, Keebie." Kat said.
"I feel better that she'll be with plenty of other people. Long as none of those boys from Jersey or Chicago get any ideas. I'll go looking for them." Kibō asserted.
"My sweet, protective knight~." Barbara hugged his arm.
Kat got a notification. "...oh, boy! London crew's here. I've gotta jet. You guys wanna come with?"
"I would, but we've got a lot of unpacking to do, still. We'll catch up at dinner."
"Okay, no biggie. I'll send the directions and the ground rules. And yes, they're all serious. See ya!" Kat left.
"And there she goes. Is it just me, or did she look a little exhausted?" Kibō asked.
"She's probably been running around all day, getting ready. I hope she's not stressing herself out too much." Barbara replied.
Kat returned to the lobby. "Okay...where are my peeps at?"
Waiting around a table were her friends. Kenneth wore a white collared shirt, with a red vest over it, along with similar-colored pants. Natalia sat expectantly, wearing a yellow jacket, bee-patterned striped shirt, yellow skirt, and yellow Mary Jane shoes, along with a black headband. Next to her was Tabby, garbed in an orange tank top, tan capri shorts, and brown sandals worn over orange socks.
Once Natalia spotted Kat, she excitedly got up and ran to her. "Hi, roomie!" She embraced her tightly.
"Hi, cutie-pie! Ohhh, I love your hugs..." Kat replied.
"Save some for me!" Tabby came over, taking her turn to hug Kat.
"I've got plenty to give, little sis. I'm so happy you guys made it."
"Of course! Wouldn't miss it! Any chance to be around everybody is one I'm gonna take!"
"Remind me to repay this enthusiasm when it's your turn in a few weeks. Oi, Kenny, your legs not working?"
"I'm attempting to regain some strength. I got almost no rest on that flight. Some insipid child decided to stream and narrate parts of the flight. And he sat right behind me." Kenneth replied.
"Ugggh, he was unbearable! I don't know how they didn't throw him overboard!" Natalia added.
"He's going to be narrating my dreams from here on out." Tabby followed.
"Bleh, sorry you guys had to deal with that. I definitely would've chucked his phone out the window." Kat said. "Say...where's the lady?"
The doors opened, and in walked Carrie, pulling her luggage along. She wore a purple and black blouse, along with a matching skirt, and black heeled sandals. Her hair was tied back with a black ribbon. "Oh, sweet air conditioning. And not a streamer to be seen."
She looked up, and saw Kat. She smiled a pleasant smile. "Hello, darling."
Kat walked over to her, the racing in her head pausing just for a moment. "Hello, my one and only."
The two embraced and kissed. Kat remained holding onto her. "Thank you for being here. I've been away from you for too long. I hate pulling you away from Monte Carlo this time of year..."
"Think nothing of it. There's nowhere I'd rather be than with my beloved kitten for a special week." Carrie replied.
Natalia nudged both Tabby and Kenneth. "Okay, we're gonna head up and get unpacked. We'll see you guys at dinner."
"Get some rest, loves. Goodness knows we had none on that flight." Carrie bid.
"I don't think I'll ever be happier to go to bed." Kenneth uttered, as the trio grabbed their belongings and headed up.
Carrie and Kat sat down. "...Kitten?" 
"Yeah?"
"How is it that I just spent nearly an entire flight listening to a child ramble on about the latest meme trends, yet *you* are the one who looks exhausted?"
"...I'm driving myself crazy. I want things to go well *so* badly. I'm scared that you guys might not like it here."
"Darling, we've only just gotten here. It's a bit soon to start sounding the alarm, don't you think?"
"Uggh, I can't help it! I want you guys to have a good time, that's all."
"And we will, my love. We will because we're all together. Don't tire yourself out worrying."
Carrie rubbed Kat's hand reassuringly. "Come on, don't look so worried. Will you be taking me to where I'll be staying?"
"Of course. I might not be an Erik, but I can be a good chauffeur." Kat got up, taking a part of Carrie's luggage.
"Merci, mon chérie~." Carrie took the rest of her luggage, and the two departed.
Across the lobby, Natalia was peering at what was happening.
"You wanted them alone, didn't you?" Kenneth asked.
"Was it that obvious?" Natalia replied. "You can see it in Kitty Kat's eyes. She's worried about something. If anyone can calm her nerves, it's gonna be Care."
"What's she so scared of, anyway?" Tabby questioned.
"Whatever it might be, I'm sure Caroline is already working to assuage her." Kenneth reassured. "We should start getting prepared for tonight. I can only *imagine* what kind of shrine to her father's career must lie within that house. Is this what they call 'morbid curiosity'?"
"You're making it sound like we're going to some creepy dungeon." Natalia uttered.
---
Daechi, on the eastern side of Gangnam. The district's primary residential area, home to many upscale apartments and houses. It was also an educational hub; many of its residents went on to some of the country's premier universities, due in part to the high concentration of private education centers in the area.
Kat brought Carrie up to a black gate. "Here it is. The place where I was built."
"Oh, goodness..."
Behind the gate was an exquisite, two-story townhouse, painted black. The front garden was meticulously maintained. At night, it would be illuminated by a series of lanterns hanging around the yard. Most prominent of all was a marble statue of a large cat, sitting atop a podium. 
"Too much?" Kat asked.
"Not at all. It's a gorgeous house." Carrie replied.
"It's no cliffside mansion overlooking the sea, but it's cozy. Wait til you see the back at night." Kat took out a key card, and inserted it into the slot beside the gate, which unlocked. "Let's go see your abode for the week."
The two walked up to the door, and Kat opened it. "Remember, shoes off by the door."
Inside, there were several ornaments relating to either cats or snakes. The home itself was spotless, with not a speck of dust or stray ornament of clothing to be found. "Mom, Pops, I'm home! I brought company!" Kat called out.
Wei slid in from another room. "Welcome home, dear daughter of mine! And I see there's a princess with you!"
"Hello, Mr. Kit--" Carrie greeted, before Wei lifted her up.
"Don't be so shy, I've got room for a third daughter! Welcome to our humble abode, your ladyship!"
"Um, Pops, you might wanna be careful--" Kat responded.
"Wei, put the girl down." Joon came down the stairs. Her hair was down, reaching her shoulders, and she held a feather duster. "The last thing we need is for you to damage her and get us sued into oblivion."
"Y-Yes, dear, sorry..." Wei put Carrie down.
"And don't think I didn't hear you sliding on the floor. I just went over it with the vacuum. I'd better not see any marks..."
Joon walked over to Carrie. "Hello, Carrie, dear. Sorry about the over-eager welcome."
"Hello, Mrs. Kit. I don't mind it at all. I'm glad to already be so welcomed in your home." Carrie replied.
"Your aunt was so good to us on our visit, it's only right to return the favor for her precious gemstone!" Wei replied.
"How is Ms. Melinda doing? We haven't spoken since the graduation last year." Joon asked.
"Aunt Melly is doing wonderful. She's been looking into branching out her store. I can't say anything concrete, yet, but she's had some early discussions with a couple in Bruges..." Carrie replied.
"Ho boy, there's a fun idea. Yannick and Sophia are two of the fluffiest people I've ever met. Wonder how that's gonna end up going." Wei commented.
"If they're anything like their daughter, Ms. Melly is gonna be getting a lot of hugs." Kat said. "Is the guest room set up, Mom?"
"All cleaned up. To our guest's liking, I'm hoping." Joon replied.
"Gucci. I'm gonna drop your luggage off. You can look around."
"If you insist." Carrie giggled.
"Hey, so...is Lin coming tonight?"
"Ah, about that...she says she has to close up the parlor tonight, and she can't make it." Wei replied.
"That's what she's going with, huh?" Kat sighed. "Does she know Professor Kubo is here?"
"It did come up, yes." Joon confirmed.
"Well, there you go. Whatever, Lin. The less I have to deal with her drama, the better." Kat walked away, noticeably frustrated.
"Sorry about that, Caroline." Joon sighed.
"I know all about her...complicated relationship with her sister." Carrie replied.
"Once upon a time, she'd follow Lin around everywhere. I'd hoped with her sister being on the straight and narrow now, things would only get better. Doesn't look that way." Wei scratched his head.
"It's a simple matter, really. Professor Kubo is the positive role model Lin failed to be for so long. If she really can't stand the thought, she shouldn't have lowered herself to the life of a pickpocket. Still, this week would go much smoother if there wasn't this tension between my daughters." Joon added.
"Perhaps it is best if none of that drama played out on our first night here." Carrie said.
"I don't want to fill your head with negativity already. Why don't you take a look outside? It's going to be a clear weather night, so we'll be eating out there."
"That sounds heavenly. I'll go take in some fresh air. Thank you both for your hospitality." Carrie walked away.
"Gosh, what a sweet girl. I can see why Kitten was counting the minutes until she got here." Wei said.
"Anything to calm that girl's nerves." Joon added.
Walking out into the backyard, Carrie saw more lanterns. At the center was a large gazebo, with similar decoration to the house. A pair of round tables had been set up under it.
She sat in one of the chairs. She got a text, and pulled out her phone. 'Natty 💛' was the saved contact. "'How's the house??'"
"'It's very lovely. I already love the atmosphere. It's going to be even lovelier tonight.'"
"'Can't wait!! How's 🐈‍⬛️'"
"'Still worried about tonight. We'll have to work on making this week an enjoyable one for her. First step is making tonight memorable for the right reasons.'"
"'🤞'"
With that, Carrie switched over to another contact, labeled '🖤Kitten🖤'. "'You have a lovely home. I'm excited to spend this week with you and everyone. It's going to be wonderful. I love you.'"
Moments later, she got a response. "'Love YOU ❤️❤️❤️'"
Among the lanterns and fresh air, Carrie giggled.
---
Later that night, the rest of the group convened in front of the gate. The boys all wore dress shirts of their preferred color; Sahir had his sleeves rolled up, while Max opted for a tie. The girls, meanwhile, wore dresses of varying lengths, each in their favored color, along with heeled shoes.
"Um...are we sure Kitty Kat's not rich?" Sahir asked.
"She's mentioned being financially sound before...but this is closer to a little mansion than a normal house." Tabby commented.
"Those are some pretty lanterns, though...really, the whole house looks beautiful." Barbara added.
"A beautiful home in one of the city's most affluent neighborhoods...just how popular was 'Golden Wei', anyhow?" Max questioned.
"I've long pondered the same thing. If his singing ability is truly subpar at-best, how on Earth could he have gotten popular enough to *still* be this wealthy?" Kenneth concurred.
"Some entertainers just have really good marketing teams. Still, it's weird. Her mom's a teacher, right? Think they could afford a place like this on just her salary, plus his residuals?" Ibuki pondered.
"Her dad's either a marketing genius, or there's more we don't know." Kibō replied.
"Might just be as simple as him being so popular, he'd never have to pay for anything ever again." Cindy surmised.
"I'm sure Mr. Kit would be happy to explain if we just asked. He's much more of an open book than either of his daughters." Sakuya said.
"Nyeh, so many questions and we're just staring at her house! We're making it sound like she's keeping a bunch of secrets..." Natalia said.
"Sounds like some lively discussions are going on already."
The group turned around. Rin, sans glasses and wearing a red dress, was waving at them. Rose wore a blue dress, along with gloves, and held onto Shizuka, in a little purple dress. 
"There're my favorite brainy wives! Aren't you the lookers?" Ibuki chimed.
"I could say the same about all of you. Kat's parents should be very impressed with your choice of dinner-wear." Rin replied.
"Say hello, Shizuka." Rose spoke.
"Hi." the girl waved.
"Hi, little butterfly~! How are you?" Barbara bent down to greet her.
"Hi, Barbie. Are you gonna sing for everyone?"
"Well...if everyone's okay with it, I might~."
"Since when has anyone ever objected to you singing?" Max asked.
"So are you guys actually gonna come in, or stand around like paparazzi?" Kat suddenly appeared behind the gate, wearing a black dress, heeled boots, and stockings, while also going without glasses.
"YIKES! How long have you been standing there?!" Sahir questioned.
"Long enough." Kat opened the gate. "Welcome to Castle Kit. You all cleaned up really nice. Come on in. We're going around to the back."
"Suppose the Golden Wei Shrine shall remain undisturbed for a while longer." Kenneth said.
"Your fascination remains confusing to me." Sakuya replied.
Everyone started filing in. "Hey, just an FYI. You've got really pretty eyes." Cindy commented. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone with pink eyes."
"Aww, thanks! It's been in my family for as long as people have been tracking. I've got some pretty neat ancestor stories, if you feel like listening." Kat replied.
"Ooh, that sounds like fun! I've been wanting a bit of time to chat with you. Maxie makes you sound so cool."
"Does he, now?" Kat shot a teasing glance at Max, who pretended not to notice.
The group walked around the side, and into the backyard, which was lit up by the lanterns. "Hello, everyone. Don't you all look wonderful?" Carrie greeted, wearing a black dress with a single purple line circling her waist.
"Fluffy compliments get you a fluffy hug, heehee." Natalia hugged her.
"Hi, So-yin's large assortment of friends! Welcome to our exquisite palace!" Wei waved from his seat.
"For anyone that's new here, this is the man, the myth, the legend himself, Golden Wei-yin. Or 'my dad', if that's easier." Kat introduced.
"As if anyone could fail to recognize your father." Joon walked out.
"And this is my mom, Joon-yi, if you couldn't tell. As for the newer faces..."
"Hi there, my name's Ibuki. We've met, briefly." Ibuki introduced herself.
"Yes, at the graduation. How is it you met my daughter?" Joon asked.
"Buncha little connections, here and there. Professor Kubo's future sister-in-law is actually my boss. But the main thing is this dork right here." Ibuki patted Max on the shoulder.
"H-Hello, Mrs. Kit. It's...been a while." Max uttered.
"If it weren't for the voice, I might not have recognized you. Mr. Jadefang." Joon said plainly.
"Thank you for allowing me to come here. Considering the complicated history I have with your daughter."
"So-yin insists that it's ancient history. If she can learn to forgive, so can I. Pardon me if I accidentally scowl in your direction."
"Aw, leave the kid be, Joon." Wei interjected. "Gotta say, that's a tired look in your eyes, my boy. I've seen guys my age that don't look as exhausted."
"I've had...a year." Max responded.
"Anyway, moving on. This is Tabby. We share a class at the university." Kat continued.
"Hello~! Thank you for the hospitality. I've been to plenty of wonderful cities, but this is one of the nicest." Tabby greeted.
"Such a charming girl. So-yin says you wish to be a teacher, correct?" Joon asked.
"Yes, ma'am! My dad is a professor at the university, and my mum's a vet. I'd love to teach zoological sciences at some point."
"If there's one thing I can respect, it's having a plan in place. I hope you don't mind me giving you a few pointers later."
"Be prepared for plenty of notes, Ms. Fairweather." Rin advised.
"Oh, dear...and I forgot my notebook at home." Tabby replied.
"And last but not least, this is Cindy. She lives next to Max and Ibuki in Tokyo." Kat introduced.
"Hi!" Cindy waved. "Cindy O'Donnell's the full name, if you want to know."
"'O'Donnell', is it? Wasn't that your last name before changing it?" Joon asked the Jadefang twins.
"Yeah, see, the thing is..." Barbara tried thinking of a reason.
"Cindy's our cousin. She's a brilliant engineer, and wanted to visit Japan to study the technology." Max answered.
"Aww, you really think I'm brilliant, Maxie?" Cindy looked starry-eyed.
"An...engineer, you say? But...so young." Joon questioned.
"She really is a big brain, Ms. Joon. You won't find anyone who knows machines better. She can build or fix anything you can think of." Ibuki replied.
"S-Stop, you're really gonna make me blush..." Cindy looked flustered.
"Hey Joon, ask her if she can look at our microwave!" Wei said.
"Come now, Wei, that would be inappropriate." Joon replied.
"No, it's fine. What's wrong with it?" Cindy asked.
"Well, it's been making an odd noise for the last few weeks. I've asked two different repairmen, but neither could find an issue. I'm starting to consider just getting a new one."
"I can take a look later. I've fixed my parents' microwave a bunch of times. My dad's...not the best with kitchenware." 
"I really couldn't ask a friend of So-yin to do it, but if you are as brilliant as they're saying..."
"She's gonna make those repair guys look like amateurs. Guarantee it." Ibuki insisted.
"Couldn't you check it out, Care?" Sahir asked.
"My specialty is computers. I wouldn't know how to fix a microwave. I've also been told that I'm a danger in the kitchen." Carrie replied.
"Not as dangerous as some people." Kibō said.
"Mean! I'm getting better! I've only been banned from one..." Barbara noticed Rose glancing at her. "...two kitchens."
"Most people aren't banned from any." Rose pointed out.
Everyone took a seat at one of the tables. "Now that we finally have a moment to talk, Professor Kubo, how was this past academic year for you?" Joon asked.
"It was another amazing experience. It's always bittersweet to say goodbye to another graduating class, but they've all been accepted into wonderful colleges, so I know they're in good hands." Rin replied.
"You're leaving out all the gifts they gave you on the way out." Kat chimed in.
"I'm really not doing anything special. Just talking to them like young adults."
"You're telling them to embrace their gifts. That helps out way more than you realize. Honestly..." Kat paused. "You mind if I get a little personal?"
"Thought that's what the whole trip was about." Ibuki replied.
"Well...oh boy, this is gonna sound so mushy. I don't think I would've accepted that I'm bi if it wasn't for you."
"Me? How do you mean?" Rin asked.
"Like, I knew I felt some kinda way about Care, but I was scared to admit it. I know not everyone's as open-minded about this sort of thing. But seeing you so happy with Doc, with a successful career and everything else going for you...it made me realize I didn't have anything to be afraid of. I have this..." Kat tenderly held Carrie's hand. "...beautiful soul on my arms because of you."
"Oh, Kat...that might be the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me. If I could help you find that courage, then this was all worth it for that alone." Rin replied, touched.
"I think sending her abroad was a good idea, don't you?" Wei whispered to his wife.
"It goes without saying." Joon sipped from her drink.
As the dinner continued on, with everyone gleefully catching up, the home's patriarch got an alert on his phone. "...hunh."
"Was that the front gate?" Joon asked.
"Yeah...it just opened. Weird. Only other person with a key is..."
"HEY, I HEARD THERE'S A PARTY GOIN' ON! WHERE'S THE CONFETTI?!" a woman's voice yelled out.
"That was..." Sakuya uttered.
"The Snake Queen. Oh, boooooy..." Sahir uttered.
"So much for her closing late..." Wei uttered, shaking his head.
Joon's hand noticeably twitched.
"HEY, WHERE'S THAT RED-HEADED BITCH AT?! I GOT A COUPLE WORDS FOR YA, 'PROFESSOR'!" Lin yelled, an apparent slur to her words.
"I think I've made her upset." Rin uttered.
"I'm taking care of this." Joon started to get up.
"No, Mom. I'll deal with her." Kat got up.
"Kitten, wait--" Carrie tried to hold her back.
"I've kept my mouth shut with her for too long. You all sit here, and keep being pleasant. I'll go be *un*pleasant." Kat stormed off.
"This...isn't gonna end well." Kibō said.
In the front yard, Lin waved her arms around, a beer bottle in one hand. "HEEEEEY! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME! IS EVERYONE WEARIN' EARPLUGS?"
"You stupid *bitch*." Kat walked out.
"Oh, there you are, kitten! Guess not everybody's...ho, deaf today." Lin staggered.
"I knew you being at work was a bunch of bull. What the hell are you doing?"
"Standing here, drinking."
"Yeah, no shit. Why are you here?"
"Welp...I got super bummed about Hyun, so I went to go drink the sad away. After like...the third...fourth glass? I thought it'd be funner to go spend the night with my kid sis and her dear, annoying little friends."
Lin tried walking to the back, but Kat got in front of her. "Not like that, you aren't."
"Aww, how's come? Is it too embarrassing? Is Mom back there, twitching? On the verge of poppin' a vein? HEY, MOM! MOOOOM! AM I EMBARRASSING YOU, MOOOOM?"
"Stop it! You want me to kick your ass, right here?"
"Oooh, you'd like that, wouldn't you? Big bad sis, doing all these bad things? You hook up with all these goodie two-shoes runts, and now you're fine with being the good little girl Mom always molded us into being. I bet she's so *fucking* pleased with herself now!"
"Ahem."
Rin arrived, arms crossed. "Lin. I believe you have some grievances with me?"
"Ohoho, here's the *fucking* angel herself!" Lin got up to Rin, taking a swig of her beer. "I've been wanting to let rip on you for the last three, God damned years! You know how much it fucking hurts to hear everyone say shit about how you're the reason my sister's in a good spot now? How I was such a bad fucking example that she needed to go somewhere else? Everybody and their mom worships the *fucking* ground you walk on, cuz you're so GOD DAMN BRILLIANT! Well if you're such a goody goody, why do I still have this snake shit going on?! I know why. Cuz I'm just the eternal screw-up! But you know what? I'm the screw-up she's actually related to! She is MY sister! You're NOT stealing her from me, you hear?!"
Kat pulled her away, then punched her in the face, knocking her to the ground. "Kat--" spoke a shocked Rin.
Lin glared up. "You *bitch*."
"Shut the fuck up, already! I am so sick of you and your bullshit! All I wanted was a nice, quiet evening with my friends, and you have to barrel in here with your Alpha Loser energy, screaming like a fucking idiot! Don't you think there's a *reason* why I'm around Rin so much? Why I'm taking so many cues from her? Because she *has her shit together*. Because of her, I have friends. I have a good relationship. I have a *future*. She taught me how to respect myself and other people. You taught me how to pick a lock. Y'know, I actually tricked myself into thinking you'd changed. But it's never gonna happen, is it? I'm *done* with your shit. You are *not* gonna ruin this for me. Get lost, Lin. Or so help me, I'll make you regret it." Kat ranted.
Lin stumbled to her feet. With a frustrated look, she backed away. "Hope you're happy, red." With one last swig, she stumbled away.
"Kat, I'm so--" Rin began to say, as Kat rushed to go to the back.
"Don't, Prof." Kat replied.
"It wasn't my intention to cause a rift between you and her, I'd never want that."
"It's her problem, not yours. Let's just get through this dinner, and I'll find a place to scream about it later."
Storming back, Kat wordlessly got back in her chair. Everyone stared at her. 
"Hey...is everything okay?" Ibuki asked.
With a sigh, Kat put her head down on the table. "....."
Carrie comforted her. Barbara got up and did the same.
"Ugh...was it bad, Professor?" Wei asked.
Rin nodded. "Yeah. It was bad. Lin screamed at me, Kat...hit her and told her off, and she left. Her breath reeked of alcohol." 
"Well that's just perfect." Wei put a hand to his face. "I'm sure she's gonna be regretting it in the morning."
Rose observed Joon's hand shaking, though she herself gave off a veneer of calm. "Mrs. Kit? Are you alright?"
Joon caught herself, grabbing her hand. "I'm fine. I wish I could be surprised. So-yin, do you want to call it a night?"
Kat shook her head, then raised it back up. "Everything's fine. It was going good, and it's gonna keep going good. I'm...gonna go get dessert." Kat rushed up, and went inside the house.
"I'll go make sure she's not alone." Carrie followed her.
"That was hard to watch. I didn't know she and her sister had those kinds of problems." Cindy said.
"I was under the impression that they were on the mend." Tabby added.
"Yeah, I thought they were cool." Sahir agreed.
"Apparently there were still a lot of unresolved issues bubbling underneath." Max replied.
"Families...always so complicated." Kenneth uttered.
"Is Kitty Kat gonna be alright? She looked angry." Shizuka asked.
"She should be okay. Sometimes yelling can be good. Although, this likely won't ease her paranoia about this week..." Rose replied.
"....." Rin sighed, pondering whether her being there had brought all this on.
"...I'll go see if she's doing good." Wei got up. Joon silently took a sip of her drink.
And inside the house, as Kat loomed over the kitchen sink with Carrie embracing her, one fear passed through her mind: that it was going to be a long week.