radiant | jung hoseok | ✓

chapter six | anatolia café

Towards the left corner of the space, an impressive bar takes up the area with shelves of alcoholic drinks in crystalline bottles, glittering against the slow pulse of lights. Built into the wall behind the bar counter is a set of faucets labeled with different beer brands. The stools surrounding the counter are taken up by excited and buzzed customers who cheer in unison every time their team makes a basket. Their voices are loud enough to be heard over the party music blasting through the speakers.

Then I see him.

Standing behind the bar counter with a devastating smile is Jung Hoseok within his element. He laughs as one of the customers speaks to him and nods happily, enjoying the conversation. He is wearing a tight-fit black button-down shirt with a black plated nametag on his chest. His sleeves are rolled up to his elbows. His dark brown hair is pushed back revealing his forehead and almost appears black under the pulsing lights.

My gaze lingers on him, wondering if we might speak tonight. I can't help but hope he'll look over and meet my gaze, but he doesn't. He remains focused on his customers, working hard at his station.

Focus Finley, we aren't here to daydream, I firmly remind myself. 

I scan over the dining area in hopes of finding Namjoon but he is nowhere in sight. I quickly move over to the small podium near the doors. I force myself to appear as confident and calm as ever, keeping my chin lifted and my expression stable. My heart is pounding hard in my chest but I won't let it show.

After a few moments of waiting, a familiar face appears and brightens when we lock eyes.

It's Park Jimin.

He is dressed in black like Hoseok with a white apron tied around his narrow waist. He speedwalks to the podium and smiles excitedly, "Welcome to Bangtan!" he greets in an upbeat voice, easily speaking over the noise behind him, "It's great to see you, Finley! Namjoon told us to keep an eye out for you tonight!"

I return his excited smile, his energy is almost contagious. "It's great to see you too!" I hesitate to ask where Namjoon is but Jimin is already one step ahead of me.

Jimin gestures for me to follow him, "We've got a table set up for you! It might be a while before Namjoon is able to come to talk with you. It's a busy night."

I follow him closely and weave around crowded tables. Jimin walks gracefully through the chaos and leads me towards the back of the restaurant where things are a little calmer. He gestures for the table of two, already set with utensils and a laminated menu. He gestures for me to sit down, "Can I get you anything to drink to start?" he asks.

I sit down in the seat and take up the menu to search for the drinks section. "Umm... I might need a second?" I smile apologetically, "Sorry I came at a bad time..."

Jimin chuckles and waves me off in a casual manner. "Oh it's okay! Namjoon wanted you to see what the restaurant is like during the busy hours." He gives me a conspiratorial wink, "It's part of the experience. Think of it as an interactive tour."

I nod in understanding. "Okay, sounds good." I look down at the menu and start turning the pages, surprised by the number of options available. Everything looks amazing...

"I'll be back in a minute," Jimin says and with that, he walks back into the chaos with easy confidence.

I relax my tense shoulders and sit back in the chair. I take a measured breath, reminding myself not to feel nervous, and look over the menu to find a good drink. I decide to order their non-alcoholic Cherry Sprite drink out of curiosity. I begin looking through the menu of food items and am in awe of the various recipes and options.