The Trouble

by Daria Defore

Danny grinned full-force. "I mean, I brought my homework. These are song lyrics, though."

  "Oh!" Jiyoon folded his hands in his lap, like the tabletop had become very hot. "Sorry, I didn't realize that was what you were working on."

  "They're not contagious."

  "They also don't have a due date. How is chapter four going?"

  It was Danny's turn to shrink. "Well…" The look Jiyoon was giving him could have frozen water. He was a great teacher. "I'm getting there? But look—" He dug into his backpack and finally pulled out a crumpled flyer for the open mic he and Sam were doing. "I've got this thing coming up next week, and I want to have some new material by then."

  "Just you?" Jiyoon's look softened.

  "I mean, my friends are coming to watch, but onstage it's just me. Me and my guitar." Danny grinned. "It's super casual, but it's a good way to test out the new stuff. Plus, it's a different audience than usual."

  "I didn't know." Jiyoon rested his elbow on the table, his thumb pressing into his lower lip. That was a distraction. "Does Devin go to those shows?"

  Danny tapped the table with his pen. "I don't think so. I never really noticed him at the regular shows, though. I just saw you."

  Jiyoon stared back at him, a blush creeping right up his neck. Whoops.

  "I'm aromantic, you know." Danny looked down at the table. "I don't fall in love with people. I was gonna tell you before, but… I didn't. I dunno if it matters, but I don't have a hidden agenda. The other night was really fun. Not just the sex parts. I liked talking to you. So if we could do that more, that'd be cool."

  A little nervous, he met Jiyoon's eyes. He wasn't sure if he was going to have to go into a big lecture. Or maybe Jiyoon would jump straight to "Oh my God, who hurt you?"

  Yeah, that had happened.

  Jiyoon looked more serious than before. "Thank you," he said. "That's good to know."

  And just like that, it was done. Danny grinned. "Cool."

  "So you did just want to sleep with me."

  "No, I was—" The protest died on Danny's lips when he noticed Jiyoon was giving him a teasing smile. He threw the pen at him. "Oh, come on. You're a cool guy. I know I was a total assbag to you before, but you're funny and I like you. I'm still sad you wasted a drink on me."

  "Next time, I'll let you buy—" Jiyoon stopped short, wearing the face of a man who just realized he had been flirting with exactly the person he'd sworn not to. "Well."

  "You could have another CD," Danny offered. "That's worth at least a drink, probably more."

  Jiyoon's expression turned relieved. "Don't you think you're overestimating yourself?"

  "A rock star can't be too confident."

  "Oh, is that what you are?" Jiyoon grinned at him.

  Danny clutched his heart in mock-pain. "Ouch! You know, that attitude isn't cute on you."

  "Good thing I'm not cute."

  "Fair enough." They smiled at each other across the table. If Danny weren't crazy, there was still a faint blush on Jiyoon's cheeks. It was, unfortunately, adorable.

  Jiyoon's hand came down on the table, startling him. "Could I take that flyer?"

  Danny gave it to him, wondering what parallel universe he had stumbled into where Jiyoon Lee would actually want to listen to his music.

  "I might not make it," Jiyoon was telling him. "But." He shrugged delicately and stood. "In any case, I'll see you in class."

  Chapter Seven

  The bar holding the open mic was actually decently crowded. Danny, Sam, and Lei managed to snag the last booth, and then Sam spent the next half hour tuning the guitar and drinking cheap wine.

  "You sure you don't want me to go up there with you?"

  "I'm fine, Danny." Sam clutched the neck of the guitar in a stranglehold. "Are you worried I'm going to be better than you?"

  "I've heard you play, so…"

  Sam scoffed and downed another gulp of her drink. "I'm sorry you have to follow me, then."

  "Break a leg."

  Sam smirked at him and took the stage. The last performer had been a girl with a sweet voice and a concertina, so the audience was well-warmed up. Sam had been plucking away stubbornly at the guitar for weeks, with Danny's help. She'd said she wanted to branch out, but Danny knew it was because guitarists were more marketable if The Trouble happened to crash and burn. Sam was a pragmatist.

  "D'you think she's scared?" Lei asked.

  "Oh, she's terrified."

  Sam introduced herself and launched into her first song, one she had written herself and which the rest of the band had been rehearsing for a while. It hadn't quite come together as a group song yet, but with just Sam, it was perfect. Sam had a better voice than Danny, everyone agreed; it was full and husky, instantly compelling.

  Her parents had used to make her sing in front of their whole church, something that had soured Sam on solo performances ever since. But with material like this, songs she had written, she was more comfortable. Onstage, with her sleek black bangs falling in her eyes and the lights casting shadows under her cheekbones, she looked every inch the rock star Danny claimed to be.

  There was a tap on Danny's shoulder, and he twisted around. Jiyoon stood behind him, straight-backed and clutching the strap of his messenger bag.

  "Am I late?"

  "No, come on in."

  Lei's eyes bulged when he saw Jiyoon, but he scooted down. "Hey, Jiyoon. I didn't know you were coming."

  "Oh, I wasn't sure I could make it till the last minute. I'm not taking someone's spot, am I?"

  "Nah, we're having a gays' night out."

  "Danny, you jackass." Lei pointed at Sam.

  "Okay, 'queers' night out' kinda ruins the pun, so—"

  "Bi erasure."

  "Anyway, it's just the three of us tonight. And, uh, you." Danny turned back to Jiyoon. "Did you get a drink?"

  "No—oh, hold on." Jiyoon scooted out again and reappeared a minute later with a glass of wine, and then they had to rearrange themselves again. It was a tight fit even with the three of them, and it was going to get even tighter when Sam came back. As it was, Danny had to ignore how nice it felt to have Jiyoon's thigh pressing warmly against his own.

  "When are you up?" Jiyoon leaned in to ask.

  "Right after Sam. Which like, is a great place to be for a guitarist and a shitty place to be for a singer. But look, here's what I'm thinking—" He pulled out his set list and leaned in to whisper-explain the process behind his song selection. After a minute of that, Lei rolled his eyes and pulled out his phone. His fingers flew over the keys, firing off a few tweets about the show that pinged Danny's phone in record time.

  During the break between songs, Sam cleared her throat pointedly and looked in their direction. "This one goes out to my band. I wish they were watching me tonight."

  "Shit," said Lei, throwing his phone down on the table. Danny leaned away from Jiyoon way too fast to be smooth.

  "I guess I'll see it in a few minutes," Jiyoon said into his wine glass.

  When the set ended, they all stood up and applauded, along with the rest of the bar. Sam sauntered off stage, glistening and looking impossibly cool, like she always did. She brushed her hair out of her eyes and smiled at Danny. "You're up."

  Danny took the guitar and a seat on the tiny stage. He had to adjust the mic down to his height—damn Sam and her extra inches—and then wait for the polite applause to die down.

  "Hey, everyone. I'm Danny Kim. I hope you dig this."

  His pre-show nerves melted away as he settled into the music. Tonight he was finishing out with one that he knew would never make it into a The Trouble EP. It was half in Korean and half in English, and in it he talked about all the times he had been asked where he was from and what he was even though, irony of ironies, he'd had to ask Sam for help with the Korean lyrics.

  Danny's parents were both fluent, but he hadn't studied Korean past Sunday school when he was ten. The song made him angry, and it was more than a little embarrassing to sing in such an intimat
e setting, with all the emotion that came with it.

  Not to mention there were about two people in the crowd who understood all the words, and both of them were at his table.

  He played five songs, but the set passed in the blink of an eye, and then he was standing and waving to the audience. Their applause followed him back to his seat, where his friends were still clapping loyally. Jiyoon stood up as he approached.

  "Did you like it?" Danny stood in front of him, feeling oddly like this was one of those moments where you hugged someone. Jiyoon didn't seem to know what to do with his arms either, so Danny raised a hand, and they high-fived.

  "It was great. I'm going to get another drink." Jiyoon zipped off towards the bar, and Danny passed the guitar to Sam and sat down.

  "Jiyoon's gonna eat you alive," Lei said.

  "What?"

  "You heard me. He wants the D. Danny."

  For once, Sam spoke up in his defense. "Lei, I told you if you ever made that joke again, I would snap your guitar strings."

  Jiyoon returned with a second glass of wine. He looked a little more composed—certainly not on the verge of devouring anyone.

  "I'm a little embarrassed," he said as he slid into the booth at Danny's side. "Some of those were your band's songs, weren't they?"

  "A few of them, yeah. It's different when it's just me, right?"

  "The band gives them a more unique sound. Not just man-whining-with-guitar," Sam added. Danny suspected she might be jealous because her set wasn't getting as many compliments.

  Jiyoon was shaking his head. "They both have their merits," said his mouth, while his arm draped across the back of the booth and into Danny's space said something else entirely. Lei was rolling his eyes. "What are they about?"

  "I can't tell you that!" Danny laughed.

  "Why not?"

  "It sounds stupid when I explain… You have to decide what they're about yourself."

  "'Waiting' is about how long Sam takes to shower," said Lei. Sam tried to look unaffected while Lei and Jiyoon busted out laughing.

  "That was the inspiration, but it turned into something else!" Danny insisted. Jiyoon was repeating lines of the song and laughing at each one while Lei banged on the table. "Wait, you remembered the lyrics?"

  Jiyoon gave him a flat look. "How many of your shows do you think I've been to?"

  "Like a thousand, but the lyrics are good, right?"

  "They stick in the head with enough repetition." Jiyoon shot him a guilty look, then added, "But I did enjoy it." He immediately took a drink, like he needed to occupy his mouth with something besides compliments.

  They left the bar not terribly late. Everyone had an early class, and Victor kept sending piteous texts about how lonely he was.

  "Can I walk you home?" Danny asked Jiyoon as they all clustered outside the bar saying their goodbyes.

  "I suppose," Jiyoon said.

  "Oh, will we see you tomorrow, then, Danny?" Sam asked.

  "No!" Danny and Jiyoon said. Well, snapped.

  "I'll be back tonight," Danny added. "It's not far from here, right?"

  "Not far at all," Jiyoon said. His composure had returned. "Let's go."

  They walked in silence for a little while, angling away from the Ave and towards the dark, quiet side streets.

  "Do you live with them?" Jiyoon asked.

  "Oh, yeah. We all share a one-bedroom."

  "That must be hard."

  "Hard, sure. Smelly, definitely."

  Jiyoon laughed. "Then I guess they know…"

  "Oh. Oh, yeah. Sorry." Danny rubbed the back of his neck. "That was before I realized it was illegal."

  "It's not illegal—never mind. It's all right. We're all adults here."

  "That's pretty generous of you, but thanks." Danny stuffed his hands in his pockets. "And, uh, seriously. Thanks for coming. It was really cool of you."

  "I'm glad I came. It was nice to see you play without all the baggage."

  "Did you just insult my band?"

  "No—oh God, no! I meant my baggage." Jiyoon looked around like he hoped there might be a bridge he could jump off.

  "It's not a bad name. Danny Kim and the Baggage."

  "Perhaps that could be your solo album instead. I would rather your band not hate me."

  "They don't. They like to tease, though. I don't think I can get them to stop doing that."

  Jiyoon huffed out a quiet laugh. "Well I've been a laugh riot lately, so good."

  "Hey…" Danny started to put a hand on his lower back, but instead let it hover in the air before dropping it. "So how's it been?"

  "What's that?"

  "The, uh, life. Breakup. Life."

  Jiyoon made a face. "The breakup life is fine. It's clipping along."

  "Yeah… Sorry."

  "No need to be," Jiyoon said. His voice was forcedly light. Danny could practically see his walls going up. "You didn't like him anyway, did you?"

  "Doesn't matter what I think." Jiyoon gave him a sidelong glance, and Danny hunched his shoulders. "I know. I know I talked shit about him. And I'm sorry. I still didn't want you to be sad."

  "Well, I'm fine."

  Danny stopped walking and Jiyoon turned to face him. "You know, you don't have to talk to me about it or anything. But you also don't have to fake it."

  There was a flicker of motion in Jiyoon's face, and then his shoulders sank. "Let's go."

  Danny followed a step behind him and craned his head to hear when Jiyoon spoke.

  "I am sad."

  "Okay."

  "Devin can be overbearing. And pedantic. And a little pretentious. You know all this already." Jiyoon pursed his lips. "But I worked. So. Hard." He labored at the words, closing his fist for emphasis. "I tried to make it worth my time. And it wasn't. I lost."

  "I'm sorry…" Danny stuffed his hands back in his pockets, ignoring the stiff hunch of Jiyoon's shoulders. "But you didn't lose. You're just… playing a new game?" he tried, and after a moment, Jiyoon laughed softly and shook his head.

  "Either way, starting over isn't exactly fun. I don't think I had ever actually listened to your lyrics until tonight," he said abruptly. Danny guessed the heartfelt chat was over. "I didn't mean to be rude, earlier. They are good."

  "Thanks. You don't have to make anything up to me, though. I forgive you for not digging the band."

  "I'm being serious. That last song—I know I couldn't be brave enough to sing something so personal. But it was good. People responded to it."

  "I don't think it's anything to do with being brave. It's just… I dunno, it's worth the price of admission, right? I get to play my music, but I've got to be real onstage." He chanced a glance at Jiyoon, who looked like he was considering the words.

  "I don't quite understand that, but… listen, about the concert you asked me about…"

  "Yeah?"

  "I realize it's too late for Demi Lovato, but I think Ellie Goulding is performing at Key Arena in a couple weeks. Tickets aren't sold out. Did you want to go?"

  *~*~*

  And that was how they ended up in a packed concert hall with a bunch of girls that weren't quite in their age range, most of them accompanied by grim-faced parents. Jiyoon had bought some cheap tickets on the upper level and had started off by apologizing that they were so far away.

  "Uh, do you really wanna be down there with all the teenagers who don't know how to use deodorant?"

  "I suppose not." Jiyoon had started off bashful, sitting with his hands clasped in his lap and barely nodding along with the music. But now they were both on their feet (as was the rest of the crowd) and dancing.

  When the concert ended they were slowly funneled out the closest exit in a sweaty, claustrophobic crush of concertgoers. Danny found himself nose-to-back with the shoulder blades of a middle-aged dad and shot Jiyoon a look of exasperation. Jiyoon pointed to the wall of people and gave him a sardonic smile.

  "Perhaps you have a point about not being in the pit."

  The crisp fa
ll air was a welcome relief after the pressing heat of Key Arena. Danny let himself admire how good Jiyoon looked with his face flushed and smiling. Then he filed it away as "off limits" and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

  "I’m starving," Jiyoon said. "Do you need to get back right away?"

  Danny checked the time on his phone. "Yeah, I had so many other plans for ten p.m. on a school night."

  "On second thought, you're right. You should be home and getting a good night's sleep."

  "No, no!" Danny laughed. "I take it back. Let's eat."

  After standing for so long, Danny was in the mood for something that would make him feel permanently greasy. Fortunately, Dick's Drive-In was just a block away. It was the go-to Seattle location for the cheapest hamburgers, and it was poetic injustice that there wasn't a location in the U District.

  "I'll cover it," Danny offered, over Jiyoon's protests. "Dude, it’s gonna be like five bucks. Let me get it."

  "Fine."

  "Gotta get that 4.0 somehow." Danny gave him a salacious wink, which had Jiyoon throwing his hands up and walking away. "Wait!" Danny called after him. "Do you want a milkshake?"

  Jiyoon paused and looked over his shoulder. "Chocolate, please."

  Danny found him again at a booth by the window, looking onto Queen Anne Avenue. It was one of those strange, new parts of Seattle that was simultaneously sparse, and built-up with new apartment buildings. Cars crawled up the street in post-concert traffic.

  Jiyoon thanked him and primly unwrapped his $2.00 burger. "I love this place," he muttered, before taking an enormous bite. Danny grinned.

  "So what's your major?"

  "Business accounting, of course." Jiyoon set down the burger in favor of poking at his milkshake with a straw. "I'm in senior year, and I'm doing some accelerated grad classes as well, so I should come out of this with a Master's."

  "And you're TA-ing at the same time? Why the hell would you do that?"

  "It saves time. Plus I'll have a major edge up on everyone else my age when it comes to job hunting."

  "Yeah, but at what cost?"

  "A secure, high-paying job to pay off all my loans?" Jiyoon raised an eyebrow at him. "What about you? What's your plan?"

  "I told you my plan the other night."