The Diamond Mask

The biting winter cold outside had completely frozen the streets, but inside the Chicken & Smile restaurant, the atmosphere was a suffocating wall of heat and chaos. The diner was packed to capacity with customers seeking refuge and a hot meal, leaving the wait staff in a perpetual state of frantic motion as they rushed back and forth to keep up with the orders. Standing before a booth near the back of the dining room, Su-Bin adjusted the collar of her crisp white polo and smoothed down her tight black jeans. Her vibrant pink hair caught the harsh fluorescent lighting as she tapped her pen impatiently against her notepad, looking down at a trio of young men. "Hi guys, welcome to Chicken & Smile. What can I get started for you today?" Su-Bin asked, flashing her flawlessly rehearsed, blindingly charming customer-service smile. The three boys didn't bother looking at the menu. Instead, they exchanged greasy grins, their eyes scanning her up and down with blatant, unbothered l**t. "Three bowls of spicy chicken soup," the guy in the middle said, a wide smirk plastered across his face. "And whatever soft drink you've got to help push it down, sweetheart." "Got it. Coming right up," Su-Bin replied smoothly, maintaining her professional composure. She turned on her heel to head back to the kitchen, but before she could take a single step, a heavy hand came down, aggressively s******g her backside. "Whoa, guys, it's seriously soft," the groper bragged loudly to his friends. The booth instantly erupted into mocking laughter. Su-Bin froze in her tracks. Her knuckles turned white as her fingers curled into a tight, brutal fist. The customer-service smile remained perfectly fixed on her face, but her eyes narrowed into pure ice as she slowly spun back around to face them. "Did you just touch me?" she asked, her voice dangerously sweet, like honey dripping over a blade. "Oh, yeah, baby, I did," the guy giggled, leaning back against the vinyl booth with arrogant confidence. "Why? Want me to do it again?" "No, that won't be necessary." Before the words could even fully register, Su-Bin’s fist exploded forward. With terrifying, precise force, her knuckles connected squarely with his left eye. The sheer impact launched him clean out of his seat, sending him crashing heavily onto the hard linoleum floor. "Ahhhh! My eye! My f*****g eye!" he shrieked, rolling in agony as he clutched his face. The entire diner fell dead silent. Whispers broke out instantly among the surrounding tables as the groper's two friends roared up from their seats, shocked and furious. "How dare you hit our friend, you b***h!" the skinny, dark-haired one yelled, lunging across the table to strike her. But Su-Bin was already moving. Lightning-fast, she pivoted and delivered a sharp, merciless kick directly between his legs. Thwack. The skinny guy dropped straight to his knees, his face turning an instant, ghostly shade of white as his hands frantically clutched his crotch. He collapsed onto his side, groaning in pure, unadulterated agony. Su-Bin slowly turned her icy gaze to the third guy, who was now trembling like a leaf against the back of the booth. "You want a taste of my medicine, too?" she asked, taking a slow step forward. The guy flinched violently, shaking his head so fast his neck practically popped. "N-No! Negative!" Su-Bin’s terrifying expression vanished in a flash, replaced instantly by her sweet goddess smile. "Good boy." "SU-BIN!" A voice roared across the dining room. Su-Bin winced internally, turning to see Mrs. Nana, the restaurant manager, marching toward them with a face flushed crimson with fury. "Nana, look, I can explain—" "How dare you assault my customers!" Mrs. Nana screamed, her chest heaving with rage. "He disrespected me! He grabbed my a*s!" Su-Bin pouted, crossing her arms defensively. Mrs. Nana let out a harsh hiss, entirely ignoring the defense. "Go to my office and wait for me there right now!" Su-Bin rolled her eyes but nodded, turning to walk away. Behind her, Mrs. Nana frantically dropped to her knees to apologize to the pathetic scene on the floor. "I am so incredibly sorry about that, boys..." "Fire that crazy b***h!" the guy on the floor wheezed, tears streaming down his face as he curled into a ball. "Oh god, my balls... it hurts so bad..." Meanwhile, Su-Bin slipped through the swinging double doors into the relative quiet of the kitchen. The moment she entered, her best friend, Bora, rushed over to her with wide, frantic eyes. "Goddammit, Su-Bin, what were you thinking out there?!" Bora yelled, though her lips were twitching into a desperate attempt to hide a grin. Su-Bin leaned back against the stainless-steel prep table, folding her arms. "Don't give me that look, Bora. Those bastards deserved it. Besides, where is Ji-Ho? Is he late?" Bora let out a loud, incredulous scoff. "Are you seriously asking that? Do you honestly expect him to show up to work today after what you did to him?" Su-Bin giggled, a mischievous, cat-like glint returning to her eyes. Ji-Ho was their fellow waiter, and an absolute nightmare of an asshole. He had spent weeks trying to force himself into Su-Bin's good graces, and when she harshly rejected his advances, his infatuation turned malicious. Just yesterday, Ji-Ho had intentionally dumped a lethal amount of spice into a customer's order that Su-Bin was delivering. The poor customer had nearly choked to death, and a furious Mrs. Nana had deducted the structural damages straight from Su-Bin’s daily pay. Naturally, Su-Bin required proper revenge. While Ji-Ho was taking a nap in the breakroom, she had snuck in, shaved a massive strip right down the center of his hair, and painted his exposed, bald scalp a bright, neon yellow. "I'm sure he looks fantastic with his new style," Su-Bin giggled. "You're a absolute menace," Bora chuckled, shaking her head in amusement. Just then, the kitchen doors swung open, and Ari walked in. She immediately locked eyes with Su-Bin and shot her a venomous glare. "Hi, Ari," Su-Bin waved cheerfully, which only served to make Ari’s jaw tighten in frustration. Ari let out a loud, dramatic hiss. "I seriously wonder why Mrs. Nana keeps a total psycho like you on the payroll. You're a walking liability." Su-Bin shrugged nonchalantly, plucking a fresh apple from a fruit basket next to her and taking a loud, crisp bite. "Maybe because this psycho actually brings in tips. Oh, wait... are you just throwing a tantrum because of what I did to your precious Ji-Ho? Aw, sorry baby girl. Too bad your crush is a backstabbing snake." Ari’s fists clenched so hard her manicured nails dug deep into her palms. Ever since they had started working together, Ari had been desperately infatuated with Ji-Ho. But Ji-Ho hadn't given Ari the time of day—he had only ever had eyes for Su-Bin. When Su-Bin rejected him, Ari’s jealousy quickly mutated into pure, unadulterated hatred. "I honestly wonder what Ji-Ho ever saw in you anyway," Ari spat, her eyes judgmentally scanning Su-Bin from head to toe. Before Su-Bin could even formulate a retort, Bora stepped in, laughing mockingly. "Oh, please, Ari. Look at her. Unlike you—who has a flat a*s and absolutely no signs of a chest—Su-Bin is fully loaded. From her gorgeous heart-shaped face to her killer legs and curves. You can't even compare yourself to her." Su-Bin smirked, stylishly flipping her pink hair over her shoulder with practiced ease. "I wasn't talking to you, Bora! Stay out of this!" Ari hollered, her face flushing a deep, embarrassed red. "Why should I stay out of it when you’re barking at my best friend?" Bora retorted, crossing her arms defensively. "I knew you were dumb, Ari, but do you always have to make it this obvious? Too bad Ji-Ho still won't notice you, even if you wear the skimpiest skirts in the city." Bora’s eyes suddenly dropped to Ari’s waistline, narrowing slightly. "Wait, Su-Bin, did you notice she’s wearing artificial butt pads today?" Su-Bin burst out laughing, the sound echoing loudly through the kitchen and completely shattering whatever remaining pride Ari had left. "Hahaha! Don't worry, girl," Su-Bin teased mercilessly. "At the rate she's going, she'll be putting on fake boobs by next week!" Ari’s eyes welled with furious, humiliated tears. Unable to take the mockery for another second, she spun around on her heel and stormed out of the kitchen, letting the doors slam behind her. "Hey, come back! We were just getting to the best part, Ari!" Su-Bin yelled down the hallway, her voice dripping with amusement. Bora laughed so hard she had to hold onto the counter for physical support. "Man, serves her right," she panted, holding up her hand. "Absolutely," Su-Bin grinned, meeting her with a sharp, resounding high-five.