stuck with you; knj (ambw)

Chapter 23

"One that I made a special reservation at." He winks.

Iris' eyebrows shoot up. "Okay, I'm impressed." Even though the idea of being out like this in public makes her nervous, it's nice to see how Namjoon put effort into making her feel special.

"You'll be even more impressed when we get there." He wiggles his eyebrows, making her laugh.

They manage to make it to the restaurant without any disruptions. Then they are quickly met by a staff member who leads them inside and around the back, where there is balcony seating.

"This is so nice." She smiles, taking in the candlelit atmosphere. It's very secluded and cozy, but also extremely romantic.

They take a seat on either side of the table, pulling their masks down. Namjoon chuckles when he sees the look of awe on her face. "Are you happy we're here now?"

"Very." She nods excitedly. Iris hasn't had a chance to go somewhere nice since the start of the pandemic. So she's happy to be here, especially with someone as important to her as Namjoon is.

After a few moments, an older Korean woman comes over to their table. Iris assumes that she's the waitress based on her attire.

The woman greets both of them before handing them two menus. Iris swears she can feel the woman staring at her but she brushes it off, offering her a polite smile as she walks away.

That was kind of weird though..

"Jagiya?"

"Hm?" Iris is pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of Namjoon's voice.

"I asked you what you're going to order." He repeats gently.

"Oh! Um.." She looks down at her menu, which she hasn't even opened yet. "..I'm not sure yet." She smiles sheepishly.

Then she opens the menu, beginning to look through it. She feels Namjoon's curious gaze on her but she ignores it, not wanting to worry him over nothing.

It doesn't take long for them to pick some items from the menu as well as something to drink. They drift to other topics of conversation as they wait for the waitress to come back.

"So..are you excited for the big day?" Iris asks, propping her head up on her palm.

"Yeah, of course." He grins, revealing his perfect dimples. "I'm sad we can't have any concerts but at least we can still make music for our fans."

"They'll be glad that you're helping in any way you can." Iris reassures him. "Plus, things are slowly starting to get better. Before you know it, you'll be back on stage."

Namjoon sighs, a wistful look on his face. "I really hope so."

Iris is startled when the waitress comes back, taking their order. Namjoon goes first and when it's her turn, the woman doesn't even glance in her direction. Iris is a little taken aback by her rude behavior, but she holds her tongue. She knows Namjoon's reputation is important to him and she doesn't want to make a scene.

After Iris gives the woman her order, the waitress walks away from the table. But not without mumbling something under her breath.

"So as I was saying-" Iris pauses when she looks up at Namjoon, noticing the look on his face.

He stares after the waitress, eyes wide in disbelief. The man clenches his jaw, his hand on the table curling up into a tight fist.

"What's wrong?" She asks softly, wondering what could've made him so angry.

Namjoon finally turns his attention to Iris. And the look in his eyes is like nothing she's ever seen before. He's not just upset, he's livid.