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It’s been almost three months since Michael burned down Fazbear’s Fright, three months since Michael started dating Layla.
A lot has happened since then. Layla ended up moving into Michael’s house with Ennard. Surprisingly, he was not arrested for burning down the entire attraction, although he had the police show up at his door once or twice, much to the fear of Layla. But he managed to talk himself out of it. (And he was really good at it too, so this probably wasn’t the only time he did this.)
While not being accused as the cause of the fire, he was fired for not doing a good job watching it. Not like it mattered for him anyway because, well, there wasn’t an attraction left to begin with. Although that did make him feel a bit sorry when his boss was there to see the wreckage. He was genuinely a nice guy, definitely the nicest boss he’s ever had (Although the bar is in hell if you're a better employer then Freddy’s), and yes, while it was a bit insensitive of him to make an attraction based on real life children’s murders, it was a passion project of his and he felt bad for having to burn it all down. Maybe he’ll get a drink with him as an apology one day.
He was also the one who gave him his termination slip, albeit heavy heartedly. It was like a tradition at this point, that he’s destined to get fired from every job he works at and this was no exception, even if this one wasn’t technically owned by Freddy’s. At this rate, he should win a world record.
“This is like what, the fifth job you’ve gotten fired from?” Layla asked, looking over his shoulder as he held the pink slip in his hands, sipping his coffee. He only shrugged.
“Hey, in my defense at the old locations, they kept saying something about “tampering with animatronics " and "odor ". How was I supposed to tell them it was because I was investigating the missing kids cause they weren’t?”
They both laughed, and as much as Michael didn’t like hoping, he thought maybe things were looking up for him. Maybe.
Ennard also got along with Layla well after she moved in. The thought of having to share the house with a 7ft amalgamation that has 4 personalities in it no less was unconventional, but, honestly what was conventional about their relationship in the first place? And she’s learned to love the chaos that comes with loving Michael. It got along with Layla well, almost too well to the point where Layla joked that it might steal her away from him, along with all 4 of its personalities. From the playful duo of Funtime Freddy and Bon-Bon, the drama king that was Funtime Foxy, and the motherly Ballora, it's clear they all loved her. Especially Baby, as she looked up to Layla as the older sister she never had, and she was glad that his brother had someone so reliable as his girlfriend. (Though she also teased Michael constantly.)
There’s a lot of things she learned about Michael since then.
First off, he’s a total dork.
That may be surprising, because he looks serious on the outside, and she knew him as such back in high school. And he's had experience dating in the past, but now he’s softened up since then to the point where he’s too nervous to make the first move. And now he’s just a total puppy.
Hence the nickname she ended up giving him.
“Gangaji”. She once said in her native tongue. He raised an eyebrow at the name with an intrigued hum.
“That’s..Korean, isn’t it? Can I ask what that means?”
Michael has always been intrigued by her culture ever since he started dating her. She doesn’t use her native tongue often because she herself doesn’t know Korean that well, but on the off chance she does use it he can’t help but be enamoured. The way the language flows off her tongue, especially in her sweet voice, the meaning behind all the words. And as someone who’s only culture was British from his parents' side, (If he could even call it a culture.) he was glad that he could learn about hers.
She only smiled at Michael’s intrigue and said nothing, pretending to turn away in a snooty manner, to which Michael started protesting.
“Aw, come on, love. Why aren’t you telling me?
There was that name again. “Love.”
Maybe it was the British in him and he just attached that to everyone else, but she loved it when he called her that. It never failed to make her weak in the knees. She turns to face him, and she sees him stare down at him with those eyes that she loved so much. He’s really good at making those puppy-dog eyes, those icy blue irises staring into hers all wide and innocent. His lips always jutted out into a perpetual pout.
Just like a puppy.
Either that or a real-life Disney prince. She pretends to think to herself, only to shake her head, if only to draw more of a reaction out of him.
“Hm..nah.”
She then adds,
“Maybe you’ll know it if you actually learn Korean.”
She said that as a joke. She did not mean for him to take it seriously, but of course he did. He had a habit of getting interested in random things. When he tries something, he really does his best at it.
“You know, I’ve been thinking about that recently.”
Now it was her turn to look at him with a raised eyebrow. She lets out a bemused chuckle.
“Wait, actually? I meant it as a joke Mike, you don’t have to-”
Layla teasing nature cracks at that. She did not expect Michael to take it seriously. She’s not used to someone so interested in her culture, but he insisted.
“I mean it, Layla. I think your language is really beautiful, and I wouldn’t mind learning a couple words. Even if it’s just the basics. “Just..don’t expect me to talk like a native speaker or anything.
A sheepish chuckle escapes him as he rubs the back of his head, continuing to speak, but she only looks at him dumbfoundedly.
“But..why Mike? I mean, I don’t speak it that much either. You really don’t have to.”
He turned to look at her as if he was nearly hurt by his words, a look of mock offense (Once again, that stupidly adorable face, the one that makes her continue to call him gangaji.), before saying, with full honesty,
“Well, it's your culture, isn’t it Layla? And I want to know more about it.”
He talks about it as if it’s the most casual, easiest thing in the world, when it actually felt like a huge honor for Layla. No one ever bothered to be interested in her culture the way he has, and the fact that he took the effort to learn made him all the more admirable and attractive in her eyes. And with such earnestness like that, how could she refuse? It just made him look more of a keeper.
“Alright, I can. I’m not the best teacher, but I can teach you the basics if you want.”
She acts nonchalant about it, but she’s actually rather flattered. She never thought someone like him would be so open about learning about her culture.
Layla herself wasn’t able to learn Korean in high school, because the schools she went to didn’t offer Korean in their foreign language classes, although efforts to introduce them have been made as the Korean American population steadily grew in Los Angeles. Because of that, she was able to take some Korean classes from the community colleges she went to, and she kept some of the books they gave her to practice with.
It's become a common affair for them, sitting around the kitchen table late at night reading over the words, surrounded by the calming ambience of the night (That didn’t have him alone in a haunted pizzeria.) It was nothing much, mostly just him sounding out the syllables as Layla guided her. But it flowed naturally coming from his lips, and she liked how it sounded on him. Even if he scuffed the words, even with his British accent slipping through. Perhaps, she liked it even more because of it.
They started off simple. Anneyonghaseyo meaning to greet someone formally. Anneyong, for informal.
That was also a thing about Korea, they held a lot of importance on honoring someone in higher positions. It was something from ancient times and got carried over into relationships with family members and the elderly, to even places like work with relationships such as an employee and manager.
Gamsahamnida, meaning thank you or a sign of gratitude. It’s a simple phrase, but it sounds beautiful. It reminds him of when Layla saved him in Fazbear’s Fright.
Sometimes she didn’t even have to tell him. Sometimes she could just watch him sit beside her on the kitchen table as he looked down at the paper intently, quietly murmuring to himself with the pencil pressed to his chin, eyebrows furrowed.
How can someone be so cute yet so attractive at the same time?
He even learned how to say her Korean name for the first time, Daeun, and the first time he said it, she felt her heart could melt.
It was so simple. Just him murmuring a small “Daeun-ah” in the night when they were all alone and studying together on the kitchen table. Coffee steaming beside them. But it sounded just perfect falling from his lips. Him looking at her with a shy smile, a dimple showing on one cheek.
God, I think I want to marry this man.
She thought to himself. And she hoped that he couldn’t see how pink her face was in the dim light of the room. He looked at her as if she was his whole world. Her name, his favorite thing in the world (And it is).
It was probably just the honeymoon phase talking (It’s not.) and that it was just a passing thought (Nope.) but she felt as if she could marry this man if only so she can hear him call her that every day. Of course she said yes when Michael asked if he could call her that from now on.
Layla hasn’t told him how to say “I love you”, in Korean. She challenged him to find out himself to say it to her. He’ll learn how to say it so that he can say it for the rest of his life.
Michael then asked her what her name meant, and she wasn’t entirely sure. The hanja used in her name can have many different meanings depending on how it’s written, and it’s different for every person who named their child, however the most common meaning was a pure Korean word meaning “a warm and gentle love”, and he couldn’t believe how fitting it was for her. Because that really was how he could describe what she has brought into a life that he once thought was hopeless.
Even Ennard got into their lessons at some point as Elizabeth’s voice from inside Ennard perked up at the thought of learning a new language.
“Mummy once told me I should learn lots of languages when I grow up! Can you teach me Korean too, Layla?”
Lizzy asked innocently, the spirit possessing it contrasting its monstrous appearance. Layla pats the top of the amalgamation’s head as she chirps back.
“Of course I can teach you Korean too, Lizzy. In fact, I’ll teach you a word right now!” She talks in a friendly voice. “In Korea, we usually address older sisters “unnie”. You said that you wanted me to be your older sister, right Elizabeth?”
Ennard nodded energetically, as if mimicking the movements Elizabeth would make if she was standing in front of her right now, looking up at Layla as a little girl.
“Of course I want you to be my older sis Lay! You’re honestly a better sibling to me than Michael was...Does this mean I can call you..unnie?”
Elizabeth asked, stretching out the word as if hesitant on her pronunciation, but it appears she’s already got it. Layla smiles.
“If you so wish. You can call me ‘Layla-unnie.’.”
The eye inside Ennard seemed to widen with childish excitement as it pumped its fists in the air.
“Yay! That sounds so cool!” Ennard says as it impulsively hugs Layla, and she hugs it back before it pulls away.
“Thank you, uh..Layla-unnie-”
Elizabeth says, her voice slightly faltering as it tries to pronounce the word she just learned. Layla chuckles, finding her attempt endearing.
“Thats very good Elizabeth, you’ve already got it.”
Ennard cheered to itself before pulling itself out of the living room. Michael watched from the kitchen, leaning against the wall while drinking his morning coffee that day, and he felt a warmth in his chest.
For once, everything felt right. He had his sister partially back with Ennard. He had someone who loved him and saw him beyond his past mistakes. They really were like a family at this point. Maybe after years of feeling like a failure, of never having his own achievements or something to call his own, he felt like he can have this, just this once. At this rate, he can almost believe he's been forgiven for what he's done. (He’s obviously not but maybe he can fool himself into believing.)
There’s also all the Korean food that he introduced him to, because she saw all the junk food and caffeine he was living off of for the past 10 years and figured she could introduce him to some real food, ever since he tagged along to one of her trips to the Korean market in town. The only one.
“If there’s one thing I miss in LA, it’s the food.” She said to him as he examined the different products with labels he couldn’t name. (He had a thousand years to go to pronounce at least half of these.)
In LA, the Korean-American population was way bigger, and thus, they had more Korean-American-run restaurants, markets and businesses to go to, with Koreatown being the most dense population of all of them. Her mother moved to work in a home appliance store there following the Bite of 83.
“She immigrated in 1965 after the war with her siblings. She’s a bit scary, but she’s also the strongest person I know. She doesn’t take nonsense from anyone, including people like you.”
Layla talked about her mom seeing Michael when he was a high schooler, and that she distinctly remembers seeing him beat up a kid after school while she was trying to pick her daughter up. He winces at that, because someone like her mother saw him at the worst period of his life.
“She said that she never wanted me to get involved with kids like you. Who knew that I would end up dating him years later and hunt down his serial killer dad?”
They both laughed in the middle of the aisle as Layla pushed along the cart, loaded with her favorite side dishes (She said they were called banchan.) and snacks that he couldn’t name but was willing to try. He wasn’t a picky eater after all, and even if he was, he would still be willing to try because it was her culture. (If anything Layla considered herself more of the picky eater compared to Michael. She told Michael about the Korean foods her mom pushed her to eat but couldn’t touch.)
The biggest shock for him was the HUGE sack of rice that she casually hauled into the cart after asking one of the ladies to unload it from the shelf for her.
“This is for the rice cooker Mike.”
She said, which, oh yeah, the rice cooker.
The first time he saw it when Layla moved into his house, he looked at it as if it was something from the far future. (And he should know, for gods sake his dad made killer animatronics.)
Apparently her mom gave it to her to use when she moved back into Utah. It was a very simple but peculiar item, but it was something he had no reason to see if it wasn’t dating Layla. Another part of Layla’s culture that he was learning about through her.
He didn’t eat rice beforehand, although he was familiar with packaged fried rice from grocery stores. And those were more Americanized anyway. This was the rice her family ate with every meal. White, kinda sticky but there was a homely taste about it.
The ladies working at the cash registers were all greeting her in a friendly manner. Likewise she greeted them back with small talk that he couldn’t understand. It was only when the conversation shifted to Michael that he felt a bit of awkwardness.
“어머 다은아!~ 이 남자 누구니? 설마 니 남자친구니? 외국사람으로 비해 너무 잘생겼는데?~”
(“Oh, who's this Daeun-ah? Is he your boyfriend? For an American, he looks so handsome.~”)
The counter workers said, and he could see Layla becoming sheepish at that. Based on her reaction, he could see they were fawning over him and the fact that Layla was in a relationship with him. The hesitancy in her response only furthers his assumptions.
“아..네…그런데 계 지금 우리 무슨말 하는지 모르는데요..:”
(“Um…yes, kind of..But he doesn’t understand what we are saying right now-”)
Layla turns to Michael as she unloads the items onto the conveyer belt, switching back to English.
“It’s nothing Michael, they’re talking about you, but they’re not saying anything bad. They’re just…like this. Okay? They’re actually really fascinated by the fact that I’m dating you.”
She said with a reassuring nudge on his shoulder. Are..all Koreans usually this upfront?, he wonders. Guess this was another part of her world that he had to get used to.
Their dinner that day included all of her favorite side dishes she bought that day. Her favorite beef rib, (Galbissal) which was close to an average american one, but sliced in pieces to make it easier to cook, and more chewy, which he liked. There was the pre-cooked fish jeon (which was fish coated in egg and batter before getting fried, precooked for consumption.) and the rice from the rice cooker. She watched him intently as he ate the food, not even paying attention to her own because seeing him eat so earnestly felt like a meal in it of itself.
“Do you..like it? I guess it helps that my tastes in Korean food are a bit..safe anyways. You don’t have to worry about getting weirded out by anything..”
He looks up from his plate with a shy smile.
“It’s great Layla, don’t worry. And I wouldn’t get weirded out by anything from your culture, love. Even if I didn't like it, I would always be willing to try at least.”
Layla’s had…less than stellar experiences of being a Korean American in a state like Utah, from being a child in school and having kids look at her weird for the lunches her mother used to pack her, to as an adult working at her diner job where she had old men refusing to be served by her because, quote, “They didn’t want a dog eater as their waitress,” (Those bastards.)
Michael would never dream of thinking, let alone saying such a thing. He considers her heritage to be a gift, and it’s his honor that she was so open to introducing it to him. He welcomes it with open arms. She laughs shyly, a different one compared to the snarky chuckles she’s used to giving. And it feels surprisingly vulnerable. Intimate, perhaps. Like she was really flattered by his words (And she was.)
“Besides, it’s better than the beans on toast my dad used to serve me as a kid, although that’s really not a high bar to pass now is it?”
He jabs, and Layla looks at him dumbfounded.
“Wait, did he actually? I thought it was just..a stereotypical thing for British people.”
“He..wasn’t safe from those stereotypes unfortunately.” He says with a chuckle, causing her to laugh, and he doubles down, waving his hands around exaggeratedly. “And I thought that was the worst thing he could do to me. Unfortunately he’s only gotten lower from there.”
He says with an overdramatic tone, yet one that's absolutely dripping with a sarcasm. And she laughs even more. He loves it when he can make her laugh. It comes naturally for someone as witty as him. And likewise, she's rather snarky too so they play off each other well. He likes that he can make her smile. After countless years of feeling like he can only hurt people, it’s nice that he can make someone laugh to the point where they can almost cry. He’s forgotten what that feels like. She comes down from her high, wiping her eye with a stray finger.
“Well, if you like it that much, maybe I should bring you to one of my favorite Korean restaurants around here.”
She brought up, and Michael tilts his head at that.
“Oh yeah, that reminds me, I said I owe you dinner from…uh, saving my life last time. If you want you can take me to dinner there too.”
Oh yeah. The dinner promise. The one he made after…trying to commit suicide in a fire basically.
“There’s really only one around here, but I go there all the time because it’s like a comfort place for me. It reminds me of the ones in LA at least. I’ll take you.”
Michael chuckled. “As our first proper date? Sounds amazing. I’m in.”
They don’t need some fancy restaurant or anything like that for their first date and they know it. If it’s a place where Layla can feel connected to herself, to her culture like a home, then it’s a perfect date for him.
That’s also why she told him that he didn’t have to dress up for anything when they arrived. It’s a very casual place after all. Apparently the owner, named Myung-joo, knew her mother as she used to visit this place all the time when she was little. Layla was surprised to find out this place has been running the same for over 30 years, likewise Myung-joo was surprised when her little Daeun was all grown up and moved back into Utah. She calls her imo. (Which means aunt, but it's common for Koreans to address family friends as such. Kinda like how he calls a family friend of his uncle. A certain other manager of Freddy's who dropped off the face of the Earth following his partner’s crime spree the way Mike did.)
One of the employees (a Korean man that seems perfectly fluent in English, so, probably American born, fresh out of college in age) seats them down at a table, and immediately he realizes how crowded this place is.
Layla mentioned places like these are popular for middle aged men to pop bottles and clink glasses after long days at work, and she was exactly right, there was a table of 4 right across from them doing exactly that. They were drinking an impressive amount of beer, but also a type of clear bottle that Layla said was called “Soju”, which was similar to that of vodka or tequila in the way it was clear and kinda fizzy. They would also pop a bottle here but he had to drive them home so perhaps another time.
There were some Korean parents with their children, but also some non-koreans. Some alone, some accompanied by a Korean friend, exactly like Michael’s situation. He wonders if they’re here because they got introduced to it the way he did. If they’re able to like it enough to come back for it, surely he can as well.
Michael looks around curiously, taking in the surroundings, before looking at their tables. There’s a jug with ice water and some small cups.
“The water jug is there so that you can refill the cups whenever you want.” Layla explains.
“That’s..actually rather convenient.” Michael remarks and she nods, gesturing for Michael to pour the drinks for him.
“Go on Mike. It’s customary to pour the drinks for someone before eating.”
He uncaps the lid on the water jug as he pours it into their cups. It’s such a simple thing, but he found it rather fascinating. It saves a bunch of time in waiting for someone to refill your drinks for you, especially because the cups themselves here are much smaller. Only when the jug is empty, then you can ask for a refill.
A middle aged woman comes rolling by their table with a cart and starts unloading all the side dishes. (A lot of them. That’s also customary for Korean restaurants.) She sees Layla, and her eyes light up in realization. Ah, this must be the “aunt” that she was talking about, because she immediately lights up when she saw Layla.
“다은아! 오랜만이네! 잘지내고 있었어? 하고 남자친구 데리고 왔네! 혹시 사귀는거야?”
(“Daeun-ah! It’s been a while, hasn’t it? How have you been? And it seems like you brought a friend, don’t tell me you two are dating?”)
The woman, Myung-joo greets her so friendly and casually, which, that’s been a running thing he’s realized. In the market, and now in this restaurant, they all greet her as if they’ve known each other for years. He’s observed it in the other Koreans here in this place too. The workers, employees and all act as if they’ve known each other. And it makes sense too. In a minority group like this, especially in a state like Utah, they almost have to stick together if only to find some bit of community.
Layla nods, politely covering her mouth as she was in the middle of biting into a side dish, swallowing it before continuing the small talk with her.
“네, 맞아요. 제가 한국 음식 쫌 소개하고 싶어서..”
(Yes, I was trying to introduce him to Korean food-)
The part of introducing a westerner like Michael to Korean food must’ve intrigued the lady, seeing how she raised an eyebrow curiously at Layla’s response.
“그런데…제가…이런 음식 좋아하겠어?”
(But..would someone like him, like food like this?)
She did mention that the Korean food she bought from the market was some of the more..palatable stuff. Stuff that Koreans and non-Koreans could buy and eat at home fast and conveniently. This stuff was more on the traditional side, thus less palatable, and perhaps more susceptible to the bad comment from someone less open to her culture, which was what the lady was afraid of. Layla understands what it means, and she quickly reassures her, shaking her head.
“괜찮아요, 제 이런거 잘 먹어요. 벌써 쫌 한국음식 먹여줬는데 엄청 좋아해요. 편견이 없데요.”
(Don’t worry, he’s good at eating stuff like this. He’s already tried some stuff like this in the past and he seemed to like it. He doesn’t judge anything at all.”)
The older woman hums, looking down at Michael. It clearly wasn’t meant to be judgemental or anything, and even if it was, he wouldn’t blame her, but he can’t help but feel a bit nervous under her gaze.
“The number 1 rule is to never mess with a Korean ahjumma.”
He remembers her saying. Ajhumma, meaning lady, as in the auntie type. If you disrespect them in front of them or do something to cross them right they will make you pay for it, if how Layla described her mother was anything to go by. And she used to be friends with her when she was living in Utah. Finally, she relaxes her face as she looks back at her notepad.
“알겠어. 뭐 주문할 거야, 다은아?”
(“Alright, what would you like to order, Daeun-ah?”)
She looks at Michael as if expecting an order, but he only gives him a sheepish look.
“You can order whatever you’d like, I don’t know anything here, Lay.”
He says, because one, that was true, he really does not know what's good or bad here, and he trusts Layla’s judgement, two, because it felt simply customary seeing as it was her who brought him here, and three (And most importantly,) because he really did want to look good and open-minded in front of this woman. Cause if Michael looked bad in anyway as her boyfriend in front of this auntie, she was probably gonna fuck his shit up.
After a moment of thinking, Layla points to an item on the menu, labelled Bossam. The lady gives her a nod before heading into the kitchen. That’s when Michael tilts his head curiously, and Layla explains;
“It's pork belly, but like boiled and steamed, so it's really chewy.” Layla gestures wildly to get her point across. “It usually comes with a lot of side dishes and seasonings to eat it with, and its one of my favorites. I come here for it all the time.”
“Right, right.” Michael nods as he looks down at the chopsticks laid on the table, and he realizes that he never used how to use them. Layla’s been eating with them the entire time, as her mouth forms an ‘O’ in realization.
“Oh right”. She said, “Most Korean restaurants only give you chopsticks…’ At home she usually gave him a fork to eat with as she never expected him to learn how to use them. “Uh..I can ask for a fork if you want–”
She said as she was about to stand up to ask for one, only for Michael to surprise her once again.
“No, I can try.”
He raises her head to see her holding the metal chopsticks, and he tries to hold it in a similar way to how she was holding it.
The next 30 minutes involved them going back and forth with Layla teaching him how to hold them and grip the food. She laughed when it fell out of his grasp just as he was about to put it in his mouth, causing him to furrow his eyebrows with just a hint of frustration. Despite that she gently encouraged him, gesturing to herself as she used it with seemingly practiced ease.
“Even we struggled to use these when we were little. I remember my mom bought me these kiddie ones with holes for us to put our fingers through. Every Korean kid practiced with those.”
Michael chuckles. “Maybe you should buy me one of those, cause I think I need it at the moment.”
Layla giggles, the mental image of him practicing with the kiddie chopsticks coming to mind and making her burst out laughing. But after a while, he gets it, and she claps as if he’s won a grand achievement. Just in time too as the food came.
Myung-joo supposedly raises an eyebrow at him insisting on using the chopsticks, but doesn’t say anything, at least, for now. The food, the bossam itself, was great, but that was no surprise. So far all the food she introduced him to was great, but he also didn’t have much high standards in the first place, considering all he ate up until that point was junk food and caffeine. He was just glad he could get some real food into his system. He really needed it. The meat itself was very chewy and tender, unlike the typical western pork chops and such he was used to. He could get used to..all of this really.
Layla eats too, although just seeing him eat was a meal on its own as she quietly watches him from across the table. She plays with her chopsticks at the rice bowl as she murmurs.
“I should take you to LA one day. There’s even more amazing Korean food where I come from.”
She says, as if it was a thought that she didn’t mean to voice out loud, but escaped her anyway. He gives him a half hearted smile at that, wiping off his mouth. “That sounds amazing Layla. Granted, I don’t think my work here is done just yet, I don’t think we'll ever have time.."
Layla’s eyebrows sink slightly. She knew what he was talking about, and she knows that the lingering feeling of Freddy’s and his father’s legacy was still here, even with the burning of Fazbear's Fright. But she reassures him nonetheless. “Don’t worry, we’ll make time if we can. Besides, eomma would be really interested in meeting you."
Michael shakes his head at that. “Oh no, Layla, I don’t think I’ll be ready. I don’t think she’ll be happy to see me dating her daughter if she knew me during my delinquent days.”
Layla rolls her eyes. “Yeah, probably. But don’t worry, I’ll tell her everything about what an amazing boyfriend you are and how much you’ve changed for the better. You won’t even realize how much I’ll be fawning over you because I’ll be talking in Korean the whole time anyway!”
She finishes her sentence as she puts a fist to her chest, all overdramatically before giving him a mischievous wink. And he huffs lightheartedly.
“Well, I’ll work on my Korean until then. So don’t make me meet your mother until I’ve learned enough Korean for her, alright?”
“Deal.”
They finish up the meal as Layla calls for the check, to which the lady places it down on the table. Michael pulls out his wallet to pay for it, just like he promised, while Layla observes the bill carefully.
“Is something wrong?”
“Huh.” She says, holding the receipt in front of her and not looking away. “She gave us a discount for some reason. It’s a bit cheaper compared to the normal price here.”
Layla was curious about this, considering it wasn’t something like happy hour either, so as she raises her hand for the lady to collect the check, she asks her.
“Oh, I gave you a discount just for you Daeun.” Myung-joo said, addressing the two of them in a semi-fluent English, practiced from years of running this business for herself in a country that was not her own.
“Seeing you two enjoy the food together made me so happy, especially your little boyfriend here. I figured I could give you a discount, just for today.”
She says with a cheeky wink, flattery building up in Michael’s cheeks. Turning to Layla herself, the lady adds in Korean,
“어차피 너가 여기 제일 최고에 손님이야, 다은아. 니 엄마가 들으면 엄청 좋아 하겠는데?”
("Besides, you’re my best customer Daeun. I’m sure your mother would be very happy if she heard about this.")
Layla covers her mouth out of politeness, as she bows her head.
“고마워요 이모, 우리 같이 잘 지낼 개요.”
(Thank you auntie. I promise we’ll get along together.”)
Michael’s also caught on to the fact that bowing is a sign of respect in Korean culture, even if it's just a simple tilt of the head, a sign that they ate a good meal. So he repeats the gesture as they leave, a small tip left on the table from Layla despite the cheapened price the owner gave her.
As they walk out the door, the lady stops Michael with a hand on his shoulder, and he looks at her confused.”
“You know I especially gave a discount for you darling.” She says in that slightly accented English again. Her voice sounds tough, but the words are sincere.
“Seeing someone like you come here and eat so well made me so happy. And it’s clear Daeun is happy with you too. She’s not someone who gives her heart to someone easily, which means that she really trusts you. So you better treat her well alright?”
It appears that Michael made a good impression on her “auntie”. Thank goddess. The last part feels a bit like a threat, which makes him a bit nervous, but it just means that he has, and will work extra hard to keep that impression on her.
“I will. I promise.”
He nods, and the lady smiles at that. “You’ve got a handsome voice too. On top of a pretty face. I knew Daeun would have good taste in men." She commented, and Michael wasn't sure if he should be flattered or embarassed by that. "You better not go around breaking that pretty heart of hers alright? Or else I’m gonna call her mother on you.”
That sounded funny out of context, but it sounded legit coming from her. He wasn’t sure if she was joking about that or telling the truth but he wasn't taking any chances.. Not like he was gonna break her heart anyway. He wanted to stay with her forever. (Or at the very least, a long time. What the more cheesier person would call, like a soulmate.)
“Right, right, thank you.”
The lady gives him a pat on the shoulder (A bit rough but perhaps that's the norm for all these Korean aunties.) before sending him off, watching him leave behind the counter.
“The next time you come back there better be a ring on that girl, alright?”
Michael flushes at that, leaving and closing the door behind him before he could hear anything else. They’ve only been dating for about 3 months for god’s sake! (Although the thought itself was tempting..probably just the honeymoon phase talking. If he was about to get introduced to more Korean aunties because of Layla, he was gonna have to get used to all this..overbearingness.
Layla waits outside the restaurant and in the parking lot waiting for Michael, clutching the jacket in the now cold evening of Utah.
“Did Myung-joo imo say something to you?”
Michael shrugs, pretending to play it off like nothing happened. “Nothing, just saying that she was glad I was dating you."
Layla flushes slightly, slightly illuminated by the streetlamp beside them as they walk back to their car. She shakes her head bemusedly, muttering something in Korean that was probably meant for herself, although Michael heard it in the dim silence of the evening.
"그 이모 진짜.."
("That woman, I swear..")
She mutters, shaking her head.
“Oh yeah Layla?” Mike says, and Layla turns to look at her with a hum,. He looks down at her with a cheeky smile, looking at her intently.
“I finally learned what ‘gangaji” means.”
“Oh?"
Layla raises an eyebrow at the mention of her running joke. The thing that started this all. "And what could that possibly mean, Mike?”
“It means..puppy, doesn’t it?”
Layla chuckles. “I’m glad you finally learned.”
“Are you saying that I’m as cute as a puppy, hm? Is that why you were calling me that the whole time?” He asks with a raised eyebrow. Though it’s a very obvious yes, Layla still tries to dodge the question by pretending to think to herself.
“Hm..maybe.” She shrugs, and Michael puts an arm around her shoulder, drawing her closer to his warmth as she lets out a playful laugh.
“Gods, what will I ever do with you, Layla?”
Layla gives a playful tickle on his chest with her finger. “You know you love it.”
A kiss on the top of her hair. “One day I’ll learn how to say I love you in Korean too.”
A huff from Layla as she looks up at him.
“Bet.”
That's 사랑해 in Korean. It won't take long for Michael to learn that phrase eventually. He'll make sure of it.