"No, No, No! Put this in there!" Kyungsoo said pointing at the last equipment he needed in the kitchen.
After every one left, he went to his office, smelling the fresh wood, "Aah.. This should be a good start."
"Indeed it is." Replied Kim Joon, his best friend sitting carelessly on the opposite chair.
"You know, you should be sitting here!" Kyungsoo stood up and waved with his hand, "Come here, come." Joon stood and went to sit behind the office, "Ah, it feels so weird"
Kyungsoo laughed, "Of course, it feels weird, but you'll get used to it. It's going to work out, no one can do it like you. You're the perfect man in this industry." Kyungsoo said smiling at his friend.
"I wouldn't have made it this far without you, Kyungsoo.." Joon replied smiling softly.
"This definitely isn't working without you, Joon. We complete each other." Kyungsoo said as he stood up, looking at the frames they hang on the wall few days earlier. Most of them are for both of them, younger and fearless, their friendship is the type you take from your childhood along the way till you become all white and old.
"We finally made it, My Friend." Joon said as he stood beside Kyungsoo, resting his elbow on the latter's shoulder.
"Yep." Kyungsoo smiled at him sweetly..
"Did you call that guy from the cafe?" Joon asked.
"What guy?" Kyungsoo frowned not following.
"The guy you trained for a couple months back in Paris" Joon explained sitting.
Kyungsoo sat in front of him, "Didn't, but I will.. I wanted this to be real first." He smiled as he said it.
"Then call him to handle it with you here, you won't be able to watch everything once it's open. Besides, he's the only one that stayed with you for so long and been your personal trainee all that time."
"Yeah, you're right. I'll go where he works tonight. I guess I need to make a stop at my family's first." Kyungsoo said the last words a bit out of place.
"You haven't told them yet, have you?" Joon asked knowingly.
"Uh.." Kyungsoo scratched the back of his head.
"You know it won't work like this." Joon said gently.
"I know" Kyungsoo replied looking down his knees, "But Joon, they're just too hard to be pleased. And you know, since I went to Paris.." Kyungsoo stopped talking and pressed his lips knowing he spilled something wrong.
"Since what, Kyungsoo?.. You're not talking for real, are you?"
Joon asked while the other looked away.
"Kyungsoo, they're still you're family for God sake! Even if they don't get along with you and don't agree on what you want to do in your life." Joon scolded him.
"Joon, they hate everything that I am, they never supported me, never believed in me. I had to go for my scholarship over seas without their permission to do what I really love. Joon, they even never let me enter our kitchen! They know how much I love cooking and making cocktails. How could family be so cruel?" Kyungsoo said feeling a lot hurt. Joon bent down and held Kyungsoo's hands, "It's okay, you know everyone loves and supports you. Even if your parents are still against it and hate it, it's okay now because we've made it this far, we've opened our own restaurant and it looks amazing, people are looking forward to it, you know!"
"Yes, I think it's true." Kyungsoo said, still feeling sad but giving Joon a light smile.Joon got up taking Kyungsoo's hand in his, "Come on, we did it! We- DID- IT!" He shouted and tickled Kyungsoo everywhere and the latter laughed his heart out till he cried from laughter.After a while of playing around, "Come on, let's go." Joon said.
"Where?" Kyungsoo asked.
"To your family's.. It's been a while for me, and I really won't let anything destroy our big day!"
"No, Joon. I think that's something I should do alone. You stay here, and prepare for the opening event."
"But-"
"No, it's okay.. I'll be okay, I won't take too long, I have to pass by my trainee anyway." Kyungsoo said and smiled at his friend.
"You like the idea to be a trainer and have a trainee doing whatever you say and boss him around, don't you?" Joon asked smirking.
"Hehe, I'll take my leave" Kyungsoo said picking up his coat and getting out the office.
"Nice work everyone, thank you so much!" He shouted so every one would hear him as he put on his coat and drove the car away.
Knocking on the big brown door, "Yes" Someone answered from inside. Then the door was opened, "Mr. Kyungsoo" An old woman said smiling as she approached him patting on his shoulder, he embraced her so tight, "I missed you, Nana." He said smiling ever softly.
"If you have trouble with your family, you should know I have nothing to do with it." She twisted his ear gently.
"Ouch! It hurts, Nana" He said.
"Serves you right!" She replied smiling and let his ear go and patting again on his shoulder, "Come on, get in!"
He hesitated for a while, then she took his hand and got inside whispering that it's okay.
"Oh, someone remembered he's not an orphan!" A deep and scary voice to Kyungsoo's ears said making him startle.
"Good afternoon, grandfather!" Kyungsoo bowed politely at the old man who stood up and left the room, leaving the young man still bowing.
"It's okay. He's been nervous for a quite sometime now." His Nana said gently patting on his back. "Your mother is upstairs, I'll tell her you're here." He nodded as he sat down silently.
His grandfather has been always the big heart and great father like, but he was strict, and he hated the idea that Kyungsoo wants to be a chief and actually took actions for it, whenever Kyungsoo went to participate in cooking class or course, he was always getting refusal again and again, till he heard from Joon's father that his grandfather was after all of it.
"Kyungsoo!" His mother's voice came rushing downstairs, she ran towards him and hugged him so tightly, "Kyungsoo, you're here!" She said catching his face in her hands, looking at him, while he couldn't even smile at her, too stiff to take it. "Hello, Mother!"
"Where have you been?" His mother asked as she took his hand and leaded him to sit beside her on the couch."Mother, why haven't you called me even once?" He asked feeling hurt
."Your grandfather.. ummm.. He kind of, forbid me to." She said feeling ashamed.
"He.. what? And you just did as you've been told?" He asked not believing.
"Kyungsoo, you're the first one to go against his wishes. I didn't dare to. I never been able to. He's been my father longer than he's been your grandfather. He's too harsh when it comes to different opinions. I tried to sneak behind his back to get to you but I couldn't." She said holding his hands so tight but hers are shaking.
"It's okay, Mother. Calm down." He said feeling sorry for his mother.
"But- I did manage to talk to Joon's mother, and she's been telling me every detail." She smiled at him, "I know when you got scolded at school for getting drunk making cocktails." He smiled at her and looked down.
"And I know when you went on a trip to the United Kingdom and almost had yourself a girlfriend there but it didn't work." She chuckled
"MAMA!" He turned red.
"I know you graduated at the 7th of June and I've seen your pictures." She said as a tear threat to come out.
"It's okay, mother. I held your photo all day, I felt you were there with me." Kyungsoo said then embraced her so tight.
"He's still here?" His grandfather's voice came from outside.
"Sir, please. Forgive him this time, he's a good kid." Kyungsoo heard his Nana trying to work it out with his grandfather who replied, "He should have said he's leaving at least!" The old man started to get weak, but then, "I'll stay out tonight. Let them know." He said and left quietly.
"He wants you to stay tonight." The old lady said as she approached them.
"I didn't hear that, Nana." Kyungsoo said faking a smile.
"He acted like it, Kyungsoo." His mother said taking his hand and stand up.
"Mom, I have work to do." Kyungsoo said truthfully.
"For your mother?" She asked giving him that look he won't be able to resist in a million years.
"Yes, mother." He smiled and his mother embraced him so close, his Nana looked at them smiling, he reached for her hand and let her join their warm hug.
"I'm staying here tonight. Some went good, some went bad. I talked with my mother and yes,your mother spoke the truth when she said that mom was talking to her daily. But grandfather left as soon as I came, and he indirectly let me stay the night. Anyways, I should go downstairs now for the ladies before they cut me into pieces." Kyungsoo texted Joon and started changing his cloths.
Ding Ding, his phone received a message, "What a long text, Kyu! That's for the greater good. Should I pick the guy up?" Joon texted him. He typed down, "No, I'll pick him tomorrow, you work for the party.. Thank you, Joon" He sent the message and received, "You're welcome, my friend. Enjoy the ladies night!" As a final reply from Joon.
The night went actually great, when he went down he found his favorite two women cooking only for him, chatting and smiling at each other, they sat together having a very warm meal then they asked him to make them something sweet and cocktails which he did while the two ladies sat staring at him lovingly as he did.
The night went so warm and nice though a part of Kyungsoo really missed his grandfather..