Page 84 of Septembers

then see you sat

See you Saturday, Theo.

Literal Definition of Insanity

“Cheot Sarang, how’s your butt? It feels toasty, right?” Dae’s mom stood grinning at him from the open door of their new car after insisting he try the seat warmers. Her dark bob bounced as she nodded in encouragement.

“It’s like sitting on the beach on a warm day without all the gross sand.”

“Appa didn’t want seat warmers.” She gave Dae’s dad a smug smirk as he continued taking boxes out of the trunk. He looked the same as always, though Theo did notice a few more white hairs.

“I don’t like hot butts,” he said, setting a box onto the sidewalk. Theo kept his mouth shut tight, since the only plausible response wouldn’t have been appropriate to say to Dae’s parents.

Dae had sold or given away most of what he had in Korea, so most of his boxes were filled with notebooks, clothes, and kitchen gadgets. When Theo reached the apartment carrying one of them (all sweaty and gross, stupid fourth-floor walk-up) Dae and Min were in the kitchen whisper-yelling at each other.

“You have to make a decision,” Min said. “You can’t keep doing the same thing over and over. That’s the literal definition of insanity.”

“No it’s not, I don’t expect a different result.”

She made a noise like she was choking. “That’s so much worse! Korea was supposed to cure this.”

“It wasn’t working. What was I supposed to do, stay there forever?”

“Find middle ground! There are more options than in the fire or no fire at all. You could be by the fire. Roast some marshmallows.”

“I’m fine this way.”

“You’re not. Listen to me: This is it. Either you say something, or you let it go and move on.”

“From what?” They both jumped as Theo turned the corner, red exploding on their cheeks and creeping up their necks. Synchronized blushing: a wonder to behold. Min’s hair had grown past her shoulders, and she still had the same wire-rimmed glasses that she continually insisted she actually needed, even though, when Theo put them on, he didn’t notice any difference.

“My job,” Dae said quickly. “Min doesn’t think I should start right away.”

She scowled at him but didn’t say anything.

“I’m with her,” Theo said. “Ease into it. There’s no need to dive right back in.”

“Exactly.” Min glared. “Diving right back in is a bad idea.”

“Thank you both for your concern, but believe it or not, I’m an adult who can make my own decisions.” He stared at her pointedly. “If it goes badly, it’s my own fault.”

She sighed and flipped her hair, seeming to decide this argument was no longer worth her energy. “Theo, you’re a big-time music agent now, right?”

“The biggest.” Junior agent, but that was just semantics. He had seven people on his roster, including Jordan (under Hannah Fucking Gardiner), Caleb (as a recording guitarist), Avery (who was disturbingly amazing at almost every instrument she tried), two goosebump-inducing singer-songwriters, and a harmonizing sister-duo who sang about crushing the patriarchy.

Life was good.

“So,” Min said, her eyes boring into him, “when are you going to sign our cousin?”

“Ah right, the genius.” Min had been hounding him about their guitar-piano-violin-bass-playing, song-writing, perfect-pitched cousin for months. And Theo was keeping an eye on him, but he wasn’t about to sign someone known for disappearing for days at a time. “I’ll sign him when he gets his rag-tag little rock band out of his mom’s garage and onto an actual stage.”

Dae’s parents waddled inside holding boxes, and chit-chat was momentarily replaced by the clang-thump-ding sounds of moving day as they put dishes away, rearranged fridge allotment, and found space for appliances, since, unsurprisingly, Dae owned grow-up things like blenders and milk foamers.

Theo paused to put on his Moving Day Playlist and watched as all four Moons started bobbing their heads. “Min, are you living on campus this year?”

He thought she might pull a neck muscle scoffing. “Hell no. I got an apartment with some friends in The Annex, so expect regular unannounced visits.”

“As long as you bring snacks,” Theo said, “you’re welcome any time.”