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“What is this?”
JI-yeong looked up from the cupboard in her mother’s kitchen. She and Sae-byeok were staying at her mother's place for the weekend, while her mother visited family.
Sae-byeok stood by the television, where she had been rifling through the drawers full of old DVDs to find a movie for the pair to watch after dinner. Now she was looking with interest at some kind of object that she had discovered right at the back of the drawer.
“That’s a Nintedo Wii.” Ji-yeong wandered over to take the Wii from Sae-byeok’s hands, holding it up to examine it. “I had no idea Mom still had this. I wonder if it still works.”
“It’s a video player?” Sae-byeok asked.
“What? Oh my God.” Her eyes snapped back to Sae-byeok and she gripped her arm. “This is a gaming console. You’ve never played?”
Sae-byeok shook her head blankly.
“No, no, we can’t have that. That’s it!” Ji-yeong perched the Nintedo Wii on the cabinet of the television and frantically began to pull open the drawers. “We need this – and this, and this-”
Sae-byeok looked on in bewilderment as Ji-yeong began to pass her remotes, nunchuks, cords, a sensor, and even steering wheels.
“Great,” Ji-yeong clapped her hands together in excitement once she had found everything they needed. Sae-byeok’s eyes poked out from above the pile of accessories ladened in her arms. “No movie tonight, okay? We need to give you a gaming education.”
“Okay…” Sae-byeok looked unsure as to what exactly she was agreeing to.
“Don’t worry, you’ll like it,” Ji-yeong reached up to give Sae-byeok an affectionate tap on her nose as she took some of the cords from her arms.
“Is it difficult?” Sae-byeok asked, watching on as Ji-yeong busied herself in setting up the console. She pressed a button on the front of the Wii and gave a squeal of excitement as the television flickered on.
“Oh no, its easy sweetheart, I’ll show you. Now, what should we play?”
She flicked through her old collection of games. Wii Sports, Wii Play…
“Ah ha!” Ji-yeong straightened up and held the game up triumphantly. “Mario Kart!”
Minutes later, the pair sat on the couch, where Ji-yeong explained the basic controls and clicked through to the start screen.
“Okay,” Ji-yeong said. “Which character do you want to be?”
Sae-byeok considered the selection in front of her.
“Which one is the best?”
“They’re all pretty similar,” Ji-yeong replied, shrugging.
“But I want to be the strongest one,” Sae-byeok persisted.
Ji-yeong huffed. “Look, how about you pick Toad? He’s a good one for when you’re just learning. And look how cute he is!”
Sae-byeok did not look impressed, but she allowed Ji-yeong to reach over and select Toad for her. Ji-yeong herself selected Peach, and they moved onto the kart selection page.
“Okay just select that one,” Ji-yeong said, referring to the standard kart. “And then choose automatic.”
“What does automatic do?” Sae-byeok asked.
“It just like-” Ji-yeong waved her hand flippantly. “Turns the corners for you more easily, I guess. Manual gives you more control but you have to skid and whatever.”
“But I want more control,” Sae-byeok said.
“Sae-byeok, you don’t even know how to steer,” Ji-yeong sighed, exasperated.
“Yes I do.” Sae-byeok pointedly demonstrated her steering in the air.
“Okay, but this is your first time. Just choose automatic, okay? You can try manual later, once you’ve practiced.”
Finally, Ji-yeong selected the easiest track and the game loaded.
“What do you get if you win?” Sae-byeok asked.
“Uh, nothing,” Ji-yeong shrugged. “Bragging rights.”
“Lame,” Sae-byeok sighed, and leant forward, her eyes fixed on the screen and the controller clutched tightly in her hands.
The countdown began.
3…
2…
1…
“STOP!” Sae-byeok shouted almost immediately.
Ji-yeong jabbed the pause button.
“What's wrong?”
Sae-byeok was pointing accusingly at the top half of the screen.
“You got a head start.”
“Oh,” Ji-yeong laughed. “I forgot to teach you the boost start. I’ll show you.”
A minute later, they were ready to restart.
“Remember, accelerate when the number 2 is fading.”
“I know, I know,” Sae-byeok grumbled, her brow furrowed in concentration.
3…
2…
1…
Sae-byeok’s cart blew up in a cloud of smoke.
“WHAT THE HELL,” She seethed. “Restart!”
“Oh my God,” Ji-yeong laughed, shaking her head. “We can’t restart every time you make a mistake, you’re meant to be learning.”
“But my car blew up,” Sae-byeok whined.
“You pressed the accelerate button too early.”
“I did not,” Sae-byeok shot back.
Ji-yeong began to wonder whether this had been a bad idea.
“Ok, we’ll start again, but no more restarts if you stuff something up okay?”
“Not a problem, because I won’t stuff up,” Sae-byeok said.
Ji-yeong rolled her eyes and restarted the race.
3…
2…
1…
A clean start. The cars approached the first turn and –
The back of Sae-byeok’s head suddenly blocked Ji-yeong’s view of the screen.
“What-”
Ji-yeong glanced to her right to see Sae-byeok then lean all the way over the arm of the couch as she took the next corner.
“Babe,” Ji-yeong began to laugh, “Turn the remote, not your body.”
“That’s what I’m doing,” Sae-byeok said, leaning back in front of Ji-yeong as they turned left.
“Then why is your hair in my mouth?” Ji-yeong asked, her voice muffled.
“What?” Sae-byeok turned around to see she was practically lying on top of Ji-yeong. “Oh, sorry.”
“No worries,” Ji-yeong laughed.
Sae-byeok turned back to the screen and found her cart stuck in the grass.
“Shit!” She turned to Ji-yeong and fixed her with her best puppy-dog eyes. “Restart?”
“Nice try, cutie,” Ji-yeong grinned. “But no.”
“Ugh.” Sae-byeok slumped back into the couch.
A minute later Sae-byeok crossed the line in last place.
“Good job!” Ji-yeong cheered
“I hate this game,” Sae-byeok grumbled.
“Do you want to stop?”
Sae-byeok shook her head.
“No, let’s go again.”
They played again, and Sae-byeok’s position did not improve. Nor did it on the next race, or the one after that.
“Argh!” Sae-byeok yelled, during the fourth or fifth race. “Why is my mushroom man driving into the wall?”
“You’re holding the remote upside down,” Ji-yeong pointed out.
Eventually, Sae-byeok figured out how items worked, and the use of rockets saw her finish inside the top 10. Another hour later, and she was finishing near the front. And then finally, finally, she passed Ji-yeong in the home straight to win her first race.
“Ah ha!” She cracked a smile for the first time since they started playing. She turned and pressed her lips to Ji-yeong’s ear.
“Take that,” she whispered.
Ji-yeong grinned, turning her face so their noses brushed together.
“You remember I just beat you approximately 100 times in a row?”
“I don’t recall that,” Sae-byeok said, her eyes twinkling.
From then on, Sae-byeok didn’t lose a race, but it was only a little longer until Ji-yeong was yawning.
“Bedtime for me I think,” she said, placing the remote on the couch and stretching her arms.
“What?” Sae-byeok looked aghast. “But we’re still playing!”
“Its nearly midnight,” Ji-yeong yawned again. “But you can keep playing.”
“Maybe just a little longer.” Sae-byeok said.
“My little nerd,” Ji-yeong grinned. “You’re addicted.”
“Shut up,” Sae-byeok rolled her eyes, pulling Ji-yeong into her lap. “It’s your fault for showing me the game.”
“Don’t stay up too late.” Ji-yeong traced her finger along Sae-byeok’s jaw. “We’re going to the beach tomorrow, remember.”
“I won’t,” Sae-byeok agreed. She cupped Ji-yeong’s face and kissed her softly. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight. Love you.”
“I love you too,” Sae-byeok smiled. “Now move so I can see the screen.”
Rolling her eyes, Ji-yeong padded off down the hallway to get ready for bed.
Hours later, Ji-yeong was woken by a commotion from the direction of the living area. Fumbling blindly in the dark, her hand found her phone and she peered blearily at the screen.
4:13am.
The other side of the bed was empty, but a moment later the bedroom door was pushed open and Sae-byeok tiptoed inside. She quietly eased the cupboard open and began to undress.
“I’m awake,” Ji-yeong croaked.
“Oh,” Sae-byeok finished pulling her pyjama shirt over her head and slipped under the covers. “Sorry baby, did I wake you?”
“It’s fine.” Ji-yeong rolled over and snuggled her head into the crook of Sae-byeok’s neck, who pressed a kiss to the top of her hair. “Did you stay up all this time playing Mario Kart?”
“Maybe.”
Ji-yeong snorted.
“I’ve created a monster. You’re going to be so grumpy in the morning when we have to get up early.”
Sae-byeok was quiet.
Ji-yeong closed her eyes once more, the feeling of Sae-byeok’s fingers running gently up and down her side sending her back to sleep.
“Ji-yeong?”
“Hmmm?”
“Does your mom have insurance on the television?”
Ji-yeong sat bolt upright in bed. Sae-byeok looked guiltily up at her.
“Sae-byeok,” Ji-yeong whispered. “What did you do?”
Sae-byeok gulped.
“There was a blue turtle…”