Read Desire in Any Language for Free Online

shakes her head. 
    “You’d think you hadn’t been out clubbing for a month or something,” she teases.
    “I am,” I announce thickly, “hot.”
    Ah-ee nods. 
    “Very hot,” I add.  For some reason, that seems important. 
    “Come on,” she says again, pushing me onto the platform when the subway arrives at our stop.  “I’m not letting you stay at the bar without me next time.  How much did you have?”
    “One glass of barley tea,” I inform her with great dignity.  “And I do not need the elevator.”
    She’s already brought me to the elevator carrel, however, and we whoosh up to ground level.  Exit only to ignore the glares of passersby who watch two young, able-bodied girls using the handicapped transportation.
    “Ah-ee-ssi,” I say being careful to keep the syllables from smooshing together, “I love you.”
    “No more barley tea for you,” she says as we rush to the front door of our dormitory just before midnight.  The security guard lets us in, and Ah-ee’s sigh of relief is even louder than mine. 
    “Sleep well!” she calls to me as I head into our room while she goes toward the bathroom.  “Good night!”
    I fall onto my cot fully clothed, grinning into the darkness. 
     
    The next morning, the headache is nothing compared to my panic when I realize that it’s Wednesday.  Where did the past week go?  During class I surreptitiously scratch out an attempt of the latest translation in one notebook while pretending to take notes in another.  It’s awkward to manage the two notebooks plus my textbook, but I put on a slightly aggrieved expression.  Lee Sonsengnim has barely said ten words to me since the birthday-dream incident, and today I plan to make full use of his discomfort.
    “Mira!” Ah-ee whispers to me as Lee Sonsengnim enters our classroom.  “What did you get for number five?”
    “Number five?  Oh, no!” I moan.  I stare at my school notebook, turned open to yesterday’s page with the scribble “Questions 1-10 for tomorrow” at the bottom.  How did Ah-ee get hers done?  She went out just the same as I did!
    “Good morning!” Pedro raps out, and we follow his lead.  “Good morning!” we chorus.  Lee Sonsengnim taps his desk.
    “Please put your homework here.  Open your books to lesson thirteen…”
    I moan until Kumiko, sitting on my left, asks me what is wrong.  “Hangover,” I mumble, and her sparkly eyes widen.  I am not positive if she knows the meaning of a hangover.  I shuffle to the desk and place my homework-less notebook on the top. 
    “Mira-ssi, please begin reading lesson thirteen.”  Lee Sonsengnim’s perfectly polished black leather shoes click smartly against the floor.  Click, click.  Click, click. 
    I clear my dry throat and begin.  “Yot is a traditional taffy made from rice.  Many years ago, yot sellers would clang their big scissors together.  Children ran to the sound of the scissors.  These days, yot can be flavored with pumpkin or green tea in addition to the traditional rice flavor.”
    “Eat yot!” hisses Juan.  The class erupts in shocked giggles.  Lee Sonsengnim’s leather soles pause in their clicking.
    “Juan-ssi.”
    “Yes, Sonsengnim.”  Juan gives the title a slight nasal twang, emphasizing the “seng” rather than the usual accented “Son”.  More giggles.
    “What did you say?”
    “I said that yot is delicious.  Sonsengnim.”
    Another rash of titters.  Even Ah-ee’s shoulders are wobbling.  I shoot her a questioning look, but she shakes her head. 
    “Juan-ssi.”
    The laughter stops. 
    “I said that I wished we could all eat some yot, Sonsengnim.  Because I am hungry.  The cafeteria only served fish soup for breakfast, and it wasn’t good.”
    Lee Sonsengnim stares at Juan until Juan’s face reddens.
    “I said perhaps it might please you to partake of the yot nourishment, Great Sonsengnim,” he amends. 
    “So you told me to eat yot?”  Lee Sonsengnim’s voice is