It was Friday again.
Jin sighed and wiped down the counter. While everyone else was out enjoying their Fridays, going on dates and watching movies, Jin was one of those poor people who had to spend their Fridays watching everyone else enjoy themselves.
Each Friday seemed to come and go with the enthusiasm of an eager puppy, but Jin didn't even like puppies. He was a cat person.
Pausing in his work, he gazed out the window, watching people bustle past, some pausing to look in at the full tables and expensive traditional decorations. Would he ever be one of them, relaxing after a hard work week and taking his partner on a date?
With a sigh, he got back to work. Work was a necessary sacrifice, and really, it wasn't all that bad. He and his friends, Yoongi and Jimin, shared a three-bedroom apartment. They had all agreed to take a third of the rent each, but while Jimin was a phenomenal dancer and Yoongi's rap career had picked up, Jin was a nobody. And that was why he was working on Friday. Because he needed the money.
Of course, he knew his problem would be solved if he told his roommates about his money problem, but if he was anything, then he was self-reliant and prideful. So that was why they thought he was going out to the movies with his high school friends.
He wasn't, though. He was working at a small Chinese restaurant. He'd chosen it because he knew that neither Yoongi nor Jimin liked Chinese food and wouldn't be caught dead stepping foot inside. He also chose it because he loved food - any food - and especially loved cooking and serving food to people who really appreciated it.
Maybe he could start a cooking show.
No, who was he kidding? He might say he was 'worldwide handsome' often, but on the inside, he didn't believe that. Who would want to watch him on a cooking show anyway? No one liked him that much, and even if they did, they usually stopped when they found out he was gay.
With another sigh, he flung the washcloth into the sink. Helping out at the restaurant was something he greatly enjoyed, but there were other things he liked to do as well. Right now, he would rather be at home playing Maple story and eating chips than working the loud, Friday evening rush hour.
In a rare moment of idleness, he reflected on his wishes in life - friends, money and peace - and laughed at himself. Only two friends, barely getting by and constantly on the move, he was not anywhere near what he wanted to be.
"Ah, Seokjin-ah," the kind old lady that ran the restaurant croaked. She was the only person apart from Yoongi and Jimin that took him for who he was. She filled a glass with water and took a sip before continuing. "Someone bought out all the seats in the restaurant. Can you make sure to indicate we're closed and empty the restaurant by six?"
"Of course, wonjangnim." He bowed his head respectfully and picked up a writing pad and pen from the counter.
She laughed cheerily before breaking out into coughs. With a few sips of water, her coughing calmed down and she gave Jin a scolding look. "How many times have I told you to call me Eun Du-ssi?"
Jin blushed slightly and looked away. "Oh yes. Sorry, Eun-Du-ssi..."
Shaking her head again, she shooed him away. "You get on with what needs to happen. The quicker we can take all their orders, the quicker this place will empty."
With a little mock salute, he went to the furthest table - going to the furthest table would mean getting the longest orders over first and would limit the possibility of him tripping over and making a mess. It was something that used to happen when he first started working there, but as the years went on, he had gained expertise in cooking and serving with style.
As the hours ticked on and it slowly went from half-past three to half-past five, the number of people in the restaurant decreased until there were none left at precisely fourteen minutes to six. With an exhausted sigh, he washed yet another bowl, putting more uneaten rice and other foods into containers.
'How do people waste so much food?' The concept was rather foreign to him, as he had been brought in a household where wasting food was the greatest crime. Then, later on, before he moved in with Yoongi and Jimin, he had lived in an apartment by himself and getting food every day was often a struggle.
The bell above the door chimed delicately at exactly six o'clock, and Jimin looked up to see who had been the one to spend so much money making sure no one else was there.
His heart stopped when he saw who it was. 'Kim Namjoon...?'
He panicked. Kim Namjoon was a popular kid at his school, East Gawcheon High School. He was rich, handsome, talented, popular...
And he was Jin's crush.
Perhaps 'crush' wasn't the right word, though. Jin had watched from a distance, his feelings growing for the last two years. He'd tried to ignore them, squash them, kill them, get rid of them, but it didn't matter how much he distracted himself or how depressed and insecure it made him feel.
He still liked Kim Namjoon a lot.
Of course, he didn't allow Kim Namjoon to permeate his entire life. Another reason he had chosen to work at the Chinese restaurant was that he knew Kim Namjoon didn't like Chinese food. He'd heard the boy mention it himself during an English class where the teacher was sick and the school had somehow forgotten to get a replacement teacher.
Of course, Namjoon had joked around with his friends and then they had somehow ended up making him teach the class because he was already fluent.
Yes, his school was a joke, but...
Kim Namjoon would be a really good English teacher.
He shook the thoughts away and frowned. He knew Namjoon didn't like Chinese and in fact detested it, saying that it made him want to puke, but then why was he here in a Chinese restaurant? Didn't this girl know he hated Chinese? Why would she make him eat something that was so disgusting to him it made him feel sick?
Nonetheless, Eun-Du had retired for the day, as she rarely had enough energy to work past about five in her old age, and Jin was the only employee.
"Good evening. Are you ready to order?" he said respectfully. The girl turned without blinking and ordered the most expensive food and drink on the menu. Both had alcohol in them.
"I'm sorry, are you of age? Both of these have alcohol in it," he answered. The girl scowled and put eighty thousand won in his hand. He stared at it with shock.
"Just take it and give me what I ordered," she sneered at him. Jin, still in shock, regained his composure. His prideful and self-reliant nature screamed at him not to accept it. He could be arrested if he was found to accept the bribe anyway, and it would bad for Eun-Du's business.
"No, thank you." He shook his head and put the won back onto the table. "Please call me back when you have chosen what you wish to eat. We do have some Japanese options as well."
They didn't, but Namjoon looked so relieved that he knew it was worth it. He turned away to stand in the open kitchen, and as soon as he took his first step, the girl hissed across the table. "Wasn't he rude? I can't believe I was so generous to such an ungrateful person!"
Jin glanced back to see Namjoon put his hand on hers. "He's just doing his job. Don't worry about anyone except me."
She sighed. "I know. I'll let it go and tell the manager about him later."
Grimacing, Jin fiddled around with a cup. Eun-Du wouldn't punish him for upsetting a customer who tried to bribe him, but it would be bad for business if the girl went around complaining. Jin glanced at Namjoon, who was staring at the girl wistfully. She turned to meet his eyes and pulled her hand from his.
"I'm going to order. Are you paying?" She flicked her hair back and closed her menu, tossing it onto another table. It slid off and onto one of the chairs, but she didn't bother picking it up.
Blinking suddenly, Namjoon nodded. "Of course. I'll pay."
"Good. Waiter!" She glared. "Come here!"
Jin took a deep breath, steeled himself and approached. "What would you like to order, gogaeknim?"
Like before, the girl named the most expensive things on the menu - this time non-alcoholic - while Namjoon asked what Japanese things they had. Jin wrote down the girl's orders, offered a few dishes to Namjoon and then puttered off to the kitchen, ignoring the unpleasantness of the girl at the table.
Just as Jin sat down on the stool in the corner of the kitchen, Eun-Du came back down and glanced at the couple. "They look so sweet," she murmured. "I remember when I had my first date with my husband... He's gone now, of course."
Nodding softly, Jimin filled a glass of water and offered it to her. She took it and sipped. "You can say that. I doubt their date is so... romantic."
"Is there something wrong with them?"
Before either could say anything, the girl suddenly stood up, flinging Namjoon's hand away. "Why are you like this!?" she hissed. "First, you took that girl's side, and you know I hate her! And now, this random waiter, too!? We're over! We were already over, anyway!"
Jin and Eun-Du politely pretended to talk to each other, but he could see that the girl's behaviour distressed Eun-Du.
"Ae-in-ah, what are you saying?" Namjoon asked, his fists clenched in his pockets and his posture slouched. Jin thought it made a stunning picture, but in such a sad way. He wanted to comfort the older, but now was not the time. He was a stranger to Namjoon anyway.
"I've been dating Lai Kuan-lin all this time!" she snapped. "I was hoping you would change and actually date me! All this time and you've never slept with me once!"
Turning his head away, Namjoon took a deep breath. The next words came out so softly Jin almost didn't hear him. "You said you would wait for me. Was our love never enough?"
"Everyone has needs," she answered, her voice equally low but infinitely more poisonous. "And I couldn't wait any longer."
For a long moment, Namjoon didn't answer. With a final huff, the girl picked up her handbag and stormed out. The door banged shut behind her, making Jin wince.
"What did they say? Did you hear?" Eun-Du asked, her sweet, crinkled eyes squinting with concern.
"Yes. They broke up," Jin muttered, pursing his lips.
"Perhaps you should make him something for comfort." The suggestion made Jin's heart stop. He could, but the chances of it working were about equal to the chances that it would backfire. Looking between Namjoon, his boss and the empty shop, he sighed and made his decision.
-
Namjoon sat back in his chair, wondering where he went wrong. He always took Ae-in out to movies and dinners. He showered her with attention every time he saw her and always told her how strongly he felt about her. When they started dating, Ae-in was as accommodating and attentive as he was, but after he had told her that he didn't want to sleep with her and hadn't slept with anyone before, she had begun distancing herself.
Honestly, a part of him knew it was coming, but he had been hoping she was as sweet as she had at first seemed. Looking at the plate of uneaten food in front of him, he grimaced. If he weren't rich he might be in quite the dilemma.
His gaze unfocused as he replayed all the moments he and Ae-in had had together. They went past like a film, slowly turning grey, tinted with the knowledge that in many of them, she had been sleeping with someone else.
"...ir. Sir?" The voice interrupted his recollections and he surfaced from his memories, metaphorically gasping for air. For a few moments, he couldn't respond; only stare at the waiter, suddenly breathless for a different reason. The waiter was stunning in the evening light and surrounded by the shining red and gold tassels, fabrics and trinkets that decorated the beautiful Chinese restaurant. He looked elegant and delicate, like he belonged there as the greatest decoration of all.
"Yes?" he muttered, staring in shock at the boy.
"I brought your drink." Namjoon didn't know who the waiter was, but his voice was cute and reminded him of bells. The waiter smiled almost shyly at him - Gods was it breathtaking - and glided away. He had to look down just to assure himself that the waiter was actually walking and not floating.
As distracted as he was, it was when he looked down at his drink that he truly felt shocked. There was a cute cat picture swirled into the froth of the hot chocolate and it was done with such expertise that Namjoon wondered who exactly this waiter was. How did he know that Namjoon liked cute things? Or did he just guess?
Shaking his head and letting out a long sigh, he took a sip of the warmth he had in his grasp. His eyes widened. The hot chocolate was glorious - chocolate, with a sweet and fuzzy hint of raspberry and cream.
He turned to find the waiter, but the kitchen was empty. The rest of the room seemed to be empty, too.
"Young man, are you ready to leave yet?" An old and kind voice emerged from the silence. He jumped and turned about. An old lady stood behind him in a delicate dress, her silvery hair tied into a bun. She still had beauty in her features, making Namjoon wonder what sort of shop he had stepped into? What shop had people that were so obviously eternally gorgeous?
He bowed his head respectfully to the older lady. "Yes, I am."
"Come along then," the lady croaked, leading him to the till.
Even as he left that night, he still wondered who that boy was. The sting of loss was painfully sharp, and it seemed to make the beautiful boy just that bit more inviting. Perhaps it was his heart aching with the desperate desire to be loved, or the shock from his break up, but while images of Ae-in made him cry, thoughts of the serene boy calmed him.
And so, he dreamed - about Ae-in, and about the serene boy who knew just what to do to make him feel better.