We have ourselves a little chugging contest. I lose, but Yoshino applauds my effort. Then, three young-looking salarymen surround Yoshino and ask her … eh, I don’t know, I can’t hear them over the music, which has increased in volume with the most recent upsurge of customers. She points to me as she leans toward them to be heard. They exchange worried glances and squirm.

“They’re from some company with an office nearby,” Yoshino yells. “I didn’t catch the rest … or their names. They want to know if we have boyfriends.”

“If we have boyfriends, or if you have a boyfriend?”

“Um, well …” Yoshino blushes. “Sorry. I don’t really want to talk to them. Pretend you don’t see them.”

“Why don’t you just tell them to piss off?”

She wrinkles her nose, shy. “Mmm, it’s okay.” I shrug and let Yoshino rant a little more about work. Her three new admirers still hover behind her, tapping her on the shoulder and asking her more personal questions. “Ugh! Can they not take a hint?!”

“Let’s find out.” I ease Yoshino to one side so I can lean toward them. “PISS OFF.”

The three young men reel away, jostling each other for a few seconds, asking what I could possibly mean and who among the three of them has the guts to find out. They decide it’s not worth it to gain closure and head to the bar, leaving us alone.

“Sugee na! Cybelle, you are one brave chick.”

“Not really. I didn’t think that would work!”

Someone jabs me in the shoulder. “It looks like you’ve met a few of our co-workers!” a female voice shouts English against my neck. “Now you know how we feel.”

Two young women about our age take the empty seats beside us. “We know those guys. Don’t worry, they hit on all the cute girls. I’m Ailsie and this is Lacie.” They look wasted out of their minds.

“Hi! I’m Yoshino and this is Cybelle, my partner in crime.”

“What?! You guys are partners? Like …” the first girl, Ailsie, makes some kind of gesture with her hand that’s hard to see in the dim light. I’m pretty sure it’s an offensive one.

“We work together,” Yoshino answers.

“Oh. That was like, weird for a second! I was about to say, whoa, Japanese lesbians, really?! Not that I have a problem with that sort of thing! It’s just, you know, weird. I mean, this culture is so repressed … and to meet a Japanese lesbian who dates outside of her race, that’s got to be like, what?! Not that there’s anything wrong with that! Anyway, what are you, English teachers?”

We nod. I wish I had more edamame.