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Soobin, in his job as head waiter at one of the classiest restaurants in Seoul, had seen a lot of dates-gone-wrong. So many, in fact, that he once briefly considered recording what he witnessed and creating a mock-up television sitcom. Some of them were truly that funny. Some were a bit sad, a lot of them were pathetic, and every single one of them just made it harder for Soobin to ever want to go out on a date himself. Of course, there were the rare cases where the date went well, and those were always heart-warming and oddly inspiring. Those he actually did write down notes on, just in case he needed them one day in the future. If someone ever caught his eye long enough for him to gather up the courage to ask them out.
The most important thing, he realised, was to be attentive. To be a good listener and make sure all of your attention is on the other person. Eye contact went hand-in-hand, as he had seen way too many people staring at their phone or at the space behind their date or just anywhere else except right in their eyes. Being attentive and making eye contact, two things that sounded so easy to Soobin, he didn’t understand why so many people just couldn’t do it. Beyond those, Soobin learned that humour was a great icebreaker, casually dropped compliments just made everything sweeter, and light physical contact (such as touching the other’s hand across the table) all made for a successful date.
He had yet to apply any of these in a real-life practice, but he was glad he would be properly prepared when the day ever came. Until then, he would continue running the floor of his restaurant, making sure each guest was taken care of and happy, and that his wait staff was being efficient and polite. He was good at his job, friendly and charming enough to get nice tips each night, and catering to some of the elite of Seoul kept his job interesting and entertaining.
It was a slow night. Tuesday nights were always their slowest nights, which gave Soobin time to write up the next weeks’ schedule and allocate the tips to each of his servers. The restaurant was quiet, the light tinkling of the piano and the soft chatter of conversation filling the air and created an almost serene aura. The skyline of Seoul glittered through the wall of windows, and the candlelight on each table casted the entire room in a gentle golden glow. Soobin finished writing the schedule, before leaving his office to go check on his staff. It was nearly eight pm, which is when they were to be the busiest, though still not that busy. The weekends were the busiest, quickly followed by Wednesday, and then Monday. Mondays were for all of the businessmen and women, dressed in fancy suits and carrying briefcases. Soobin always worked on Mondays because he always got the biggest tips those days.
He checked his bowtie and made sure his cuff links were facing out before he entered into the public space. Of their eighteen tables, seven were occupied, all in varying states of completion. Soobin saw his newest hire, a vibrant young man named Hueningkai, pouring a glass of wine and making his guests laugh pleasantly. Soobin smiled, he knew that he would do well after his enthusiastic interview. He weaved his way through the tables, smiling at his guests, checking on a few tables, and then arriving at the host stand. His veteran host, an intelligent and highly organised young man named Taehyun, stood at his podium, going over the list of reservations for the night and the rest of the week.
He smiled as Soobin approached and moved to the side to let him see the list. “No cancellations, and we still have that dinner party tomorrow that should bring in a lot of wealthy new guests,” he informed, voice muted. Soobin hummed, glancing over the list but trusting Taehyun enough to not feel the need to look too closely. “You reserved the table by the window for the Kims on Friday, right? Seokjin-ssi has called twice to double-check,” he inquired. Taehyun smiled, nodding and pressing a few buttons to show the reservation was secured. “I think they’re going to get engaged,” he gossiped, covering a smile with his hand. Soobin’s eyes widened, before smiling too. “I’ll make sure we have a cake prepared for them, then,” he said, before patting Taehyun’s shoulder and making his way to the bar.
Beomgyu, the bartender and Soobin’s best friend, was cleaning glasses behind the counter. When Soobin arrived, Beomgyu put down the glass he was cleaning and leaned against the counter, sliding a piece of paper towards Soobin. “Did the inventory last night, we need more Absolut and soju,” he said. Soobin nodded, looking over the list before folding it and tucking it into his apron pocket. “Thank you, ‘Gyu,” he admonished. “Are we still on for tonight? I promised Taehyun you’d be there,” He wiggled his brows, before Beomgyu rolled his eyes and looked away, going back to cleaning glasses. “You know, Soobin-hyung, I don’t appreciate you trying to set me up through a game of dungeons and dragons,” he said, though he was clearly teasing.
Soobin chuckled, knocking his knuckles against the counter a few times. “You appreciate me plenty,” he teased back, before spinning on his heel and walking away. He had about ten minutes before the next reservation arrived, and it was one of his tables. He didn’t usually wait on a singular table, but because it was slow he decided to pick up a few. All of his head waiter tasks had been completed, and he would still be able to keep an eye on his staff while taking care of a table.
He made sure said table was clean, the white linen tablecloth perfectly crisp. He had set incredibly high standards for himself, which was why his boss let him virtually run the place, and he wasn’t about to slack off now. He centred the wine glasses around the candle, and then went to go grab his many pens and his trusty order pad. When he walked back out, he saw Taehyun guiding his guests to their table, making light conversation and smiling gently. Soobin waited by the bar, watching the two people follow Taehyun. He hadn’t seen them before, and he couldn’t help but find himself drawn to the one with bright blonde hair. He was tall, with a slender body and thin waist, dressed in black slacks and a tucked in sweater. A belt cinched his waist, and his collarbones were on full display as the sweater dipped low. He looked classy but comfortable.
Soobin couldn’t see the finer details of his face from where he was, but he could tell the young man was attractive. He had sharp eyes, plump lips, and high cheekbones, even from a distance. He seemed a little out of his element, looking around himself as if in wonder. First-timers usually reacted in a similar way. The person he was with, a man taller than him and seemingly a few years older, was dressed in a fancy suit and had way too much product in his hair. Soobin had worked the job long enough to notice a first date when he saw one. He pushed down his attractiveness towards the blonde and waited a few more moments after they sat before approaching.
He put on his most charming smile, and came to a stop right in front of the table, looking at both of the guests as he introduced himself. “Hello,” he said, bowing a little. “My name is Soobin, welcome to Ryunique, I will be taking care of you tonight,”. He looked at the brunette first, who gave him a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, and then at the blonde. And he had seen some very pretty people in his life (working at the most popular high-end restaurant in Seoul did have its perks after all) but he had never been quite as affected by any of them until now. Because this boy was ethereal. He had to be from another planet, there was no way someone was that pretty. Up close, Soobin had underestimated how pretty he really was. His skin was glowing and soft-looking, clear of any blemishes. His lips looked like they had been dipped in red wine, and his eyes were like melted chocolate.
His hair fell over his forehead in waves, with a bit of his dark roots showing. His facial structure itself was a work of art, and Soobin felt butterflies erupt in his stomach. His heart picked up, but thankfully he had developed excellent self-control over the years. He didn’t stare for long, looking away and asking what they would like to drink. If the other boy held his own stare for a bit longer, Soobin pretended not to notice. The boy was on a date, after all, and Soobin was a professional. The older man didn’t even look at the boy as he ordered a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. Soobin smiled, complimenting the choice, before promising to return soon with the wine and two glasses of water.
When he went to the bar to get the wine, Beomgyu gave him a knowing smirk. Soobin rolled his eyes, shaking his head once. “Don’t,” he warned. Of course, Beomgyu paid no mind to his tone and chuckled, pushing the uncorked bottle of wine towards him. “He really is very pretty, hyung, maybe the date will suck and you can ask him out,” he whispered. Soobin glared at him, keeping quiet as he grabbed the wine and waters and went back to his table. The last thing Soobin would do was wish for the date to turn out badly. It would be rude of him, and unfortunate for his guests. No matter how pretty the blonde was or how much he wished he was the one sitting opposite of him, he would never sabotage a date.
He smiled again as he poured them their first glasses of wine, before settling the bottle in the iced holder, folding the napkin around the edge. He crossed his hands in front of him, doing his best to look at both guests as he asked him if they would like to order any appetisers. He just happened to be looking at the blonde when he finished his question, who looked back up at him, and wait was that blush? Soobin blinked a few times, clearly seeing the light pink dusting on the boy’s cheeks, and he looked away as the other man ordered an appetiser, once again without asking the blonde what he would like. Soobin smiled and nodded, before departing to send the order to the kitchen.
After he did, he lingered by the order station, watching his table. He wasn’t spying, per se, just observing and making sure his guests didn’t need him. As he did though, he couldn’t help but notice the tell-tale signs of a date-going-wrong. It was all in the body language, considering Soobin couldn’t actually hear what they were saying. But the other man was talking, using big gestures and looking out the window instead of at his date. Said date was nodding along politely, but slouched over, and Soobin could see him fiddling with his fingers under the table. He attempted to speak a few times, but quickly gave up as he realised he wouldn’t be able to. He sighed a few times, and it made Soobin sad to watch. That boy deserved attention, and eye contact, flirting and possible hand-holding.
Right as the kitchen sent the caviar-topped gimbap through the window, Soobin noticed the blonde subtly looking around him. He didn’t seem to be looking around, he seemed to be looking for something. And as Soobin picked up the plate and made his way over, the boy’s eyes landed on him, and Soobin flashed a smile like a good waiter. He was surprised to detect a slight flicker of relief on the blonde’s face, before he returned the smile. And wow, he had an absolutely gorgeous smile. It lit up his face and brightened his eyes and suddenly Soobin decided he would do everything he could to make the boy smile for the duration of his meal. If his own date wouldn’t do it, Soobin would take it upon himself.
He placed the appetiser in the centre of the table, before turning and smiling directly at the boy. “You enjoy, I’ll be back in a few minutes to take your entrée order,” he said. He smiled at the other man briefly before leaving, but relished in how the boy had genuinely smiled back at him. He walked away, going around and checking his staff, making sure everyone was doing alright and not have any troubles. His long legs carried him back to the kitchens, where the head chef was shouting orders at someone, and the smell of Korean cuisine filled his nose. He swept passed the expo line, going to the little refreshment station to get a drink of water. After hydrating himself, he fixed his hair and went back to the floor.
It had grown a bit busier, the chatter a bit louder, and he made sure to have Taehyun adjust the lighting. The city outside was coming to life as it grew darker, the sparkling lights illuminated through the glass. Soobin looked over at his table, saw that the appetiser was nearly gone, and grabbed the water pitcher before returning. “Did you enjoy the gimbap, sirs?” he asked politely. The blonde opened his mouth to answer, but his date cut him off, picking up the menu and already starting to rattle off his order. Soobin’s eyes widened for a split second, before he sat down the waters and pulled out his order pad. He scribbled down what the man said, trying to keep his face smooth and expressionless, despite how rude the man was being.
He complimented the choice, before turning to face the blonde, smiling gently. “And for you?” he asked. This time, he couldn’t deny it. The boy was blushing. It made Soobin’s stomach flip, and he had to do his best to remain professional. The boy looked down at the menu, and Soobin was surprised that his date actually let him speak. And when he spoke, Soobin discovered he had a pretty voice. It was a higher pitch than his own, a bit raspy, and sweet. Soobin wrote down his order, complimenting his choice as well (genuinely this time). He took both of the menus, and if his fingers brushed the boy’s by accident, nobody had to know.
He went to go send the order in and had to force himself not to look over his shoulder as he walked away. He caught Beomgyu smirking again, and narrowed his eyes, tossing the menus his way. He caught them, before chuckling and going to put them away. Soobin sent the order in, leaning against the podium for a second. He stretched his legs, his feet starting to hurt, before he went to go check on Taehyun. After reassuring himself that the front of house was being handled properly, he did a quick round of the other tables. As soon as he finished, he went to go check on his own table, before his eyes widened as he realised the blonde was alone.
He seemed a bit distraught, messing with the hem of the tablecloth with one hand and anxiously sipping his water with the other. Soobin furrowed his brow, before quietly approaching. He didn’t want to scare the boy, so he tried to make his presence known. The boy still flinched when he said hello, but then he just looked embarrassed, not meeting Soobin’s eyes. “Is everything okay? Did your date have to step out?” he asked, not wanting to be too nosy but really being unable to help himself. He didn’t like how uncomfortable the boy looked all of a sudden. Said boy cleared his throat, before shaking his head, moving his hands into his lap and sighing. “He had to leave, important business meeting or something,” he answered, voice quiet.
Soobin blinked a few times, a rush of anger coursing through him as he processed the fact that the boy’s date had just up and abandoned him for virtually no reason. As he stood there, thinking of what to say, the boy pushed his chair back, folding his napkin up. “I’m sorry for wasting your time, but I really can’t afford this place on my own, so I’m just going to go, I’m really sorry,” he rushed, still not looking at Soobin. Soobin’s eyes widened, and he was already shaking his head as he reached out and placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. He had never initiated physical contact before on a guest, but he felt it was appropriate.
“Hey, no, you should stay,” he said, smiling a bit. The boy looked up at him, a bit surprised and a lot confused. Soobin dropped his hand and picked up the empty appetiser plate as well as the abandoned wine glass and water the boy’s date had left. “The food is on the house, and it’s…it’s really good, so you should stay,” he said, stuttering a bit. Looked like his nerves were finally showing. He waited for an answer, hoping the boy would agree. He hesitated, before slowly nodding, pulling his chair back in. Soobin smiled wider, carefully balancing the dishes in his hands. “Excellent! I’m going to go drop these off and then I’ll be right back,” he promised.
He didn’t wait to see the boy’s reaction, dashing off to go deposit the dishes to the dishwashers and grab the meals. He situated them both on a tray, alerted the head chef that he would be gone for half an hour, and then made a quick stop by the bar. Beomgyu came over to him, still smirking, but Soobin didn’t have it in him to tell him to stop. “You’re in charge, if you see anything on the floor that needs my attention, let me know,” he instructed. Beomgyu nodded, but before he could ask why, Soobin walked off, going straight to his table. The boy’s eyes widened as he saw the food, and they nearly popped out of his sockets as Soobin sat down across from him.
“Um, what are you doing?” the boy asked. Soobin felt his own cheeks heat up for the first time since he saw the blonde, and he just smiled through it. “I feel like it would be rude to let you eat on your own, so I hope it’s okay if I join you?” he answered. As nervous as it made him, he made sure to follow the tips he had so carefully recorded over time. Namely, eye contact. As intimidating at it was, he kept his gaze steadied on the boy, admiring him. Said boy blushed, before smiling a little, nodding and scooting forward some more. “Only if you’re sure you can,” he replied. Soobin flashed his teeth as he giggled, unfolding his silverware. “Being head waiter has its perks,” he said simply.
The boy smiled some more, before taking a small bite of his food. His eyes widened as he tasted it, and he snapped his head up to look at Soobin. “Oh, this is really good wow,” he said. Soobin laughed, taking a bite of his own. He wasn’t all that hungry, but he could still eat. “So, can I ask your name?” he ventured, still maintaining that eye contact. The boy swallowed, before nodding, wiping the corner of his mouth with his napkin. Soobin tried really hard not to look at his exposed collarbones as he lowered his arms. “My name is Yeonjun,” he introduced. Soobin smiled, holding out his hand. “Hi, Yeonjun-ssi, I’m Soobin, nice to meet you,” he re-introduced himself.
The boy—Yeonjun—chuckled, but shook Soobin’s hand. His skin was soft, and his hand was almost completely covered by Soobin’s. The handshake lingered for a minute, before Yeonjun pulled away, hastily taking another bite of his meal. Soobin almost cooed, he was so adorable. He had to bite back a compliment, and instead asked Yeonjun about himself. The two had light but interesting conversation as they ate, and Soobin was glad that he wasn’t needed elsewhere. He had the best employees, truly. He learned that Yeonjun was a year older than him, enrolled in university as a dance major, and lived less than a block away from Soobin.
The revelation surprised both of them, and they laughed over it, wondering if they’d ever crossed paths before. “No, I would’ve definitely remembered you,” Soobin said. It was accidental flirting, and his ears turned pink as he realised, but he also knew that compliments were part of giving a good date. And so he watched as Yeonjun blushed too, sputtering a bit and looking down. When he lifted his head, he shyly looked across at Soobin. “I would’ve remembered you too,” he replied. Soobin practically beamed. When they finished their meals, Soobin reached across the table, touching the back of Yeonjun’s hand. “I hope your evening wasn’t too terrible,” he said.
The boy smiled, surprising Soobin and turning his hand over to clasp Soobin’s palm with his fingers. “Thank you for saving it,” he expressed, smiling brightly. Soobin chuckled, squeezing Yeonjun’s hand, before standing up and gathering their plates. Yeonjun stood up, and Soobin liked how they were pretty close in height. He was a few centimetres taller, but he expected as much. The two stared at each other for a moment, before Soobin grinned and bowed a bit. “Maybe I’ll see you around, Yeonjun-ssi,” he said. He wasn’t sure what was going to happen after tonight, if he’d ever see the boy again, and if he weren’t so nervous he may have attempted to exchange numbers. But he had already gone way out of his comfort zone, and didn’t think his heart could handle any more of it.
However, Yeonjun suddenly dug in his pocket and pulled out his phone, pressing the screen a few times, before holding it out. “If you ever wanna hang out sometime,” he said, cheeks red. Soobin blushed too, before nodding, smiling as he put his number in and sent himself a text. He returned the phone, before a thought struck him. “Hey, do you have a ride home?” he asked. Yeonjun hesitated, as if realising the same thing, before smiling. “I can order an Uber, it’s okay,” he reassured.
Soobin bit his lip, wishing he could just give the boy a ride home but knowing he couldn’t. He was still at work, after all. And so he just nodded, before reaching out and grabbing his hand. “Text me when you’re home?” he asked, hoping it didn’t sound weird. Yeonjun looked at him with a strange expression, one that Soobin had never seen directed at him before. He then nodded, tucking his phone into his pocket. “I will,” he responded. Soobin smiled, and Yeonjun smiled back, and then he was turning, and walking out of the restaurant. Soobin stood where he was until he could no longer see the boy, and then he rushed to clean off his table and get back to work.
When he got the text from Yeonjun about twenty minutes later, Beomgyu caught him smiling at his phone, and demanded to see what he was looking at. Soobin promptly pushed him away and ignored him for the rest of the evening.
The next morning, Soobin was off, and he spent the day being lazy. He thought a lot about Yeonjun, and they texted on and off throughout the morning. He really wanted to arrange a time to see him again, but he didn’t want to be too forward. He wasn’t good at this, he had never actually gotten this far with someone before. However, he was saved from his crisis when Yeonjun suddenly asked if he was home. He typed back a quick yes, and when Yeonjun said he had something to give Soobin as thanks for last night, Soobin sent his address without hesitation.
Since they lived so close together, it was only around ten minutes before he heard a knock on his door. He quickly checked his reflection to make sure his hair wasn’t messy, and then opened the door. Yeonjun looked different in daylight, just as beautiful but softer. He was dressed in track pants and a loose sweater, and he didn’t have anything in his hands. Soobin smiled, and took a step back. “Yeonjun-ssi, good morning, come in,” he greeted. Yeonjun smiled, though it looked a bit forced, and awkwardly stepped inside. He was fidgety, and Soobin furrowed his brow, wondering if something was wrong.
“Are you hungry? I can make us some lunch,” Soobin said, just to make things less awkward. Yeonjun didn’t reply, just lifted his head and looked at Soobin as if he were something to be desired. Soobin blushed under the intense gaze, his eyes flickering over Yeonjun’s features, stomach swirling again.
And then, before he knew it, two hands were cupping his face and pair of extremely soft lips were pressing against his. He barely had time to react, eyes popping before the slid closed, and his body took over. He kissed back, meeting Yeonjun halfway and resting his hands on his tiny waist. The boy tasted like vanilla and cinnamon, and he was an extremely good kisser. Soobin’s heart was beating so loudly it was embarrassing, but he let himself drown in the feeling of being kissed. After a few seconds, Yeonjun pulled back, but didn’t step away. His cheeks were flushed and his pupils were blown. His lips were red and swollen and he looked absolutely breathtaking. “That’s what I wanted to give you,” he panted.
Soobin blushed, still holding onto Yeonjun’s waist. He blinked a few times, before nodding. “I really liked that,” he admitted. Yeonjun let out a breathy chuckle, before finally dropping his hands and taking a step back. Soobin stood there, catching his breath and trying to slow his heart, and Yeonjun bit his lip. “I can help you make lunch?” he offered, looking adorably flustered now. Soobin giggled, before nodding, standing up straight and smoothing out his shirt. “Lunch, yeah, okay,” he said, before guiding the boy into his kitchen.