obp.
Hidden away in a surprisingly clean alleyway along the steep slope of Old Bailey Street, it was in this “secret” hole-in-the-wall that I’ve never been more grateful for my friends.
In an effort to avoid the long lines that obp. generally entailed during the evening hours, we decided to grab an early dinner before continuing on to our other locations for the night - it was a surprise birthday party for a visiting friend. The purposely dim restaurant with dark tiles and rustic cement gave way to a welcoming wall of greenery, paired with warm wooden benches and long wide tables made perfectly to host large groups of boisterous friends.
As the seats started to fill up at our table, I smiled in greeting to all these people I hadn’t been able to catch up with for a while. Even though at the back of my mind, I couldn’t help but continually think about the one person who was missing from their chair. This day was going a lot differently than I had planned.
In hurried updates and subtle nods of acknowledgement, we all seemed to mutually vow that tonight was going to be one of celebration. My prickling eyes grew into laughter as my friends began telling their wildest stories of the past month filled with inside jokes, sarcastic quips, and a chaotic game of charades.
Tucking into our feast of classic Korean dishes spread across the tabletop from fried chicken to grilled pork belly, kimchi pancakes, short ribs, and a little bit of liquid encouragement (our own mix of Milkis with a splash of soju) – I sat in saccharine appreciation for the people gathered around me. First for coming to celebrate one of my friends whom they’ve never met before, and then second, because I knew they would always have my back. Without a word, they were there to pick up the pieces when I couldn’t do so myself. And for that, my heart settled for a brief moment knowing that deep down, I was safe.
