Honey, There Is No Right Way

Chapter 1 - Familiar Faces

The sound of your brisk footsteps thudding on the ground blended into the noise of the bustling rush hour traffic around you, as you hurriedly made your way around the corner of Amsterdam and 95th. By the time you arrived at the quaint little Peruvian restaurant, it was already half past 6 and you were very, very late. You wiped the sweat that had begun pooling on your brow, and tucked into the entryway, anxiously scanning the restaurant for a no doubt ticked off face - surely, no one would be thrilled that their date was a full half hour late.

Spotting a tall, dark brunette man with wirey glasses and an ill-fitted black suit, you quickly made your way over to his table, noting the furrowed brow he was sporting, and the movement of his fingers repetitively tapping on the table in hardly masked annoyance.

You walked up to him sheepishly and mustered out a half assed apology, already mentally checked out of the whole ordeal - to which he simply hummed and pointedly gestured for you to take a seat. You tried not to let your frustration show - the man looked unkempt at best, and although you were late to the blind date, the least he could do was have some manners. 

You looked across at the man you were supposed to share dinner with, making a mental note to tell your friend Niki to next time try to at least set you up with someone who didn't look like they had a stick up their ass. Sighing, you accepted the no doubt boring night ahead of you, and began attempting to converse with the curt man.

The night stretched out, and by the time 8 o'clock rolled around, you were about ready to just say "fuck it all" and get up and leave the rude hermit sitting across from you. The two of you were nothing alike - a fact made painfully more apparent with each passing minute. After the bill was paid for, the sweet relief you craved was at last yours - parting ways at the entrance of the restaurant and praying to any higher power you two don't ever meet again, you vowed to never let Niki set you up blindly again.

~Your POV~

Turning onto Broadway, I scrunched my brow, and huffed out a sigh as I breathed in the cool night air, trying my hardest to forget that absolute shit show of a date. The sun was just setting, painting a splash of warm colours across the sky, not quite fitting the solemn mood I was in. At this point, it seemed like I'd die an old spinster, with no promising prospects in my love life (and no hope of that changing any time soon). I thought back to all the childhood crushes I had, wondering partly in a joking way if I mind as well just try and hit one of them up. After all, it wasn't like I had any other chances to get a boyfriend. Or maybe I could get my annoying brother, Ian, to try and set me up with one of his friends. Although the only non shitty friend of his I'd even consider going out with didn't even live here anymore. 

Feeling a rush of exhaustion wash over me, I rounded the corner, and walked up to the steps of my brownstone apartment that I shared with Ian. As I made my way up, I started hyping myself up for the nice little self care night I was going to set up so I could rid myself of all the self-doubt and depressing thoughts that had started to settle in since I left the restaurant.

I opened the door to my apartment, and noticed an extra pair of slightly worn shoes at the entrance. After hearing a general commotion from the living room, I figured Ian had his shitty friends over to hang out.

"Whatever" I thought to myself, "I'll just go to my room and start putting on my pajamas and a face mask".

But as fate would have it, my plans were entirely ruined for the night. As I made my way over to my room, I glanced in the living room, stopping dead in my tracks when my eyes locked with the beautiful brown eyes of a familiar face - one I hadn't seen in a very long time, but have dreamed of endlessly since.

"Joj.." I stuttered out. My eyes had to be playing tricks, there was absolutely no way this complete enigma of a human being was-

"Y/N..." Joji repeated, still making eye contact with me as an incredulous look splashed across his face.