Page 46 of Flip the Script


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“Sure!”

She points at a group of kids around our age. Instead of stopping by different stalls like we were, they’re making a beeline for one specific destination.

“They look like they know what’s good,” Minjee says. “Let’s see where they’re headed.”

We follow the group as they walk between the busy stalls. As we do, I hear bits and pieces of their conversation above the general din of the crowd.

“Ugh... it’s so cold. I hate winter.”

“Did you watch the latest episode ofFated Destiny?”

“Let’s get some hot fish cake soup and tteokbokki.”

Minjee and I exchange looks. It’s probably not a good idea to follow this group if some of them have watched our show.

I’m about to suggest to Minjee that we should just pick a place ourselves when the group reaches a food vendor surrounded by a huge crowd of people. There are several other street food stalls around it, but the sitting area for this one is full of men in business suits drinking soju while feasting on spicy red tteokbokki and students holding juicy sticks of fish cakes while talking about random stuff. Its line is super long, too—a surefire sign that the place is really good.

As if that wasn’t convincing enough, I hear people calling this place a “matjip,” a place known to have yummy food.

“Okay, wehave toeat here,” I say, heading to the end of the line.

“Definitely,” replies Minjee with a firm nod.

I smile. It’s nice to know she’s on the same page as me.

While we wait our turn to order, Minjee and I talk about anything and everything, from our favorite Korean dramas to our favorite street foods. We whisper so the people in front ofus can’t hear us and recognize our voices.

“No way, your favorite drama of all time isGoblin, too?” Minjee asks. “Weren’t you living in the US back then?”

“Yeah, but plenty of people from the US watch Korean dramas. That’s the entire reason why I got into acting in the first place!”

“Wow, I guess the power of Hallyu is real after all.”

“Trust me, if it weren’t for the Korean Wave, I’d still be back in Florida.”

When we’re at the front of the line, I clear my throat and order in a voice that’s higher than my normal one. “One cup of tteokbokki and one stick of fish cake, please!”

Minjee gives me an amused grin. When it’s her turn to order, she orders in a lower voice than normal. “I’ll have the same. Thank you!”

I can barely suppress my urge to giggle.

“We should give each other fake names, too, while we’re at it,” Minjee says after we’ve gotten our food.

“Easy,” I reply. “You can be Hanjee and I can be Mina. Our names remixed together.”

Minjee laughs. “It’s amazing how fast you came up with that.”

I blush and pretend to be immensely preoccupied with my food to avoid meeting Minjee’s eyes.

We don’t talk much after that since the tteokbokki and fish cake from the shop turn out to be well worth the wait. I’ve had both countless times before, but the tteokbokki’s sauce is justthe right amount of spicy, while the rice cake has the perfect chewy texture. The fish cake’s soup burns my throat on the way down, but it’s salty and delicious, warming me up from head to toe. Together, the food practically melts in my mouth. It feels like coming home to a warm house on a cold winter day.

“Mmm, this is so good!” Minjee exclaims. Her glasses are all fogged up from the steam of the food, making her look somehow silly and adorable at the same time.

“Seriously! This is the best tteokbokki and fish cake I’ve had in my entire life!”

Neither of us says anything else until our bowls are empty. And it’s only when I finish that I think to look around us. We’re mostly surrounded by other kids around our age, although there are some older people in the shop as well.

“So, where to next,Mina?” Minjee asks.

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