Maybe it’s true (I’m caught up on you) - 10/?
masterpost
omg i'm sooooo sorry for disappearing ;A; i expected updates to be less back to back, compared to the first few, but not for so many months to pass before i got around to type again ＿ﾉ乙(､ﾝ､)_
things should finally get in motion in the next chapter! (when it will be up,it's a mystery)
What started as a meh day for Baekri, the queasiness from a night of drinking almost convincing her to sleep in, takes a turn for the better when she reads her emails and discovers she got a better mark on her film review than she hoped for. With renovated spirits and a double coating of BB cream to cover her eyebags, she braves the commute to work (listening to Girls’ Generation’s “You Think” on loop always pumps her up--any resemblance to real events and/or people is purely coincidental); in addition, the Mastiff has been in a strangely good mood since her arrival, and no assholes have stepped in the restaurant so far.
It’s with a broad smile that she leaves the kitchen and heads back to her section, more specifically to a table recently occupied by a lone guy who’s sitting with his back towards her.
Even Baekri’s untrained eyes can see his clothes are fitted and designer. The closer to him she gets, the more convinced she is that he looks kinda out of place here: this restaurant may be a bit above average, but they neither have crystals, silverware and fine china, nor serve champagne and the minuscule but overpriced dishes he surely is used to.
Pushing the mild bitterness her broke college student self is feeling to the side, Baekri fetches a menu and fishes from her black apron a notepad, turning it to a new page to write down the orders. She finally stops by the table and greets the new client with a bow and a smile.
“Welcome to Emilia’s! I’m Baekri, your waitress…”
The girl trails off when a familiar face looks up from his phone--she gotta give it to him, his surprised reaction can almost pass for genuine. Needless to say, her smile slips off as she stares at who is sitting in front of her, menu frozen in mid air, opposed to the legitimately glowing expression the young man is sporting.
“Baekri! Fancy meeting you here.”
Chanyeol, the stupid yet attractive guy that partially spoiled her once-in-a-lifetime experience with Girls’ Generation as well as her night out with her friends, all in less than twelve hours, seems determined to stay in Baekri’s life.
(Stay? He has yet to officially get in her life.)
“See? I didn’t need a butterfly net to catch your name, after all,” he winks, cheekily referring to the brunette’s witty comeback when they separated without a proper introduction after their first encounter. How can he still remember their conversation, what the hell. Such a creep.
...As if Baekri didn’t mull over their exchange all of yesterday and didn’t imagine different outcomes, girl, please.
“What are you doing here?!” she hisses, careful not to get caught by the head server or the other patrons talking like that to a client. “Are you stalking me? Once is an accident, twice is suspicious, thrice is restraining order worthy,” she threatens, impatient to smack Chanyeol upside the head with the menu.
“Well, considering it’s midday, I’m almost positive I’m out for a bite,” Chanyeol replies affably, not once breaking eye contact as he rests his chin on a propped arm, playful smile contrasting Baekri’s strained, professional one.
The waitress takes a deep, calming breath and asks through gritted teeth, “Would you like to order?”
Chanyeol, determined to keep the girl around for as long as possible, rather than reading the menu he asks for a detailed list of Baekri’s suggestions, not settling for the couple of quick and deadpan descriptions she gives as her body is mostly turned to the kitchen, wishing for a quick escape.
A phone going off is Baekri’s saving grace, as it distracts Chanyeol long enough (a split second to check if it really was him who received a message, but hey, she takes what she can get) to allow her to retrieve the unopened menu and throw a, “Spaghetti con vongole and fritto misto, correct?” behind her back, not waiting for his reply and hurrying to the kitchen. She almost jumps a meter in the air when Chanyeol’s fingers manage to touch her wrist delicately before she can escape, followed by a request for whatever white wine they have.
Chanyeol’s smile morphs in a chuckle when he hears Baekri hiss, “I’ll bring you a Pinot laced with cyanide, I swear to God,” as she stalks away. He finally taps his phone back to life to see it was Kyungsoo who texted him.
FROM: SOOPERIOR
Can’t you let the poor girl work in peace?
His first reaction is to look around for his best friend’s familiar face, but coming up short Chanyeol writes back.
how did u kno im w baekri? r u @ the restaurant 2?
(Yes, the 23-years-old heir to one of South Korea’s main shipping companies occasionally still texts like a middle schooler.)
FROM: SOOPERIOR
Jongin, and nope.
Your strategy is going to work against you.
Let her breathe, I bet she’s already freaked out by the many coincidences of your run-ins.
Chanyeol doesn’t reply, but he knows Kyungsoo is once again right--how can he give good relationship advice when he himself is still waltzing around a certain dark haired traditional dancer younger than him by a year, it still boggles Chanyeol’s mind.
(That’s called common sense, actually.)
He’s still mulling over the messages he received, so his reaction to Baekri’s arrival with his primo piatto is much more subdued than either of them expected. Warily, the waitress pours some wine and wishes buon appetito before leaving, both guarded and relieved of such sudden change of behavior in the usually (as far as she can tell) hyper guy.
These confused feelings don’t abandon Baekri for the rest of her turn, when Chanyeol had long left with a polite nod of his head and a ‘grazie’, without further comments that push all of the girl’s buttons, nor a word about the substantial tip hidden beneath the napkin. She’s perplexed to the point she’s tempted to ask one of her friends for Chanyeol’s number (Baekri stubbornly refused to save it the previous night, when their groups exchanged contacts), but she’s also pretty sure she’ll see him again soon, so she doesn’t worry. Much.
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