2 9.  L o n g   t i m e   n o   s e e

"Good evening Sir and Ma'am. We heartily welcome you to Chicken noodle soup restaurant. It's the seventh branch we've successfully managed to open in Seoul." Said the thin boy with a tad bit of juddered in his tone. Holding the restaurant's menu card in his wabbly hands, he forwarded one to Jimin first, coming to me after him.

He brought water in two glasses and went away.

"I like the interiors. It's falling against the platitudes that we see all around." I said matter of factly, biting the lower lip in anticipation of not loading any extra protein on my already puffed up body as my eyes traveled on each item present in the menu card.

"Hmm but I see you've not been to the restaurants in a while, aren't I right?" He wiggled his brows. His movements and talks were very smooth as if he had practiced this before or maybe cause he was an expert and knew the right tactics of making this evening more memorable and a fun thing.

He was purposely setting his hair in a quiff after every two minutes. I could see how happy, complacent he was and I guessed it right when he confessed something that brought about a dryness in my throat.

He held my hand softly in his hand. "Dasom, I was waiting for this moment since my childhood. Okay, not exactly childhood but yes I wanted to be more closer to you by the time we were in high school." The electricity in his eyes struck with the soft light that my eyes were generating at the present moment.

Flabbergastation hit through my spine and finally was displayed on my as red as a tomato face and a deeper voice. "When did this happen?" I said, without looking at him.

"You do know everything and knew everything back then too." He said, chuckling and by giving me a foot attack under the small-sized ebony color rounded table.

"Jimin! I didn't call you here to fight with me. I should have come here by myself that would have been cost friendlier too, my mistake." I slapped my forehead. Jimin pursed his lips, trying to keep a cool head.

"So you think I'll abdicate you cause you will become bankrupt after offering me this meal. Seriously you think I eat like a horse, possibly resulting in your departure in a broken state, the hell!" He opened his mouth dramatically in a big zero, disbelieving my statement.

"It is pretty much shown as your eyes are still wandering to the lengths of the menu card." I taunted him, sticking out a tongue. Giving out an instant reaction. He got up a little from his seat and raised his hand to slap me but his movement was halted when he saw the waiter approaching us.

"May I take your order ?" He asked. Jimin was still deciding what to eat and what to leave. Meanwhile, I uttered. "One plate of crispy chicken nuggets and a chilled can of Mirinda please. Jimin... are you giving the order in this life or have some future plans for it?," I dug my pointed heel in his shoe.

"Ahh, Dasom what are you doing?" He frowned before passing a pleasant smile to the waiter who stood still for ages, supposedly. "One plate full of green veggies please." He was smiling externally and internally as well, choosing a completely different vegan platter for himself.

"Sir I'm afraid to say that salad can be a part of our main course. It's not a separate dish." Despondency coated the words of the waiter. I burst into laughter, my eyes were dripping water occasionally.

"Please get him Suga's Special lamb skewers. He simply loves them to eat." I said, giving away the menu cards to the waiter, still laughing in a conniption.

On turning around the waiter accidentally bumped into a gargantuan lady who flattened on the floor with a loud screech. The empty water glasses fissured on the hard floor causing chaos in the ambiance. The reluctant manager came running to help her for the mere sake of saving the reputation of the restaurant.

Everyone gathered near our table to help the woman stand up, haphazardly. I too helped her along with Jimin who grabbed her by one arm from his side and the other man who apparently appeared beside me and asked in a husky voice. "Is she alright?"

"All good by God's grace," I replied carelessly without sparing a glance at the faceless man who was wearing a Goorin Bros. trucker cap.

"That's good to hear from you." He almost whispered to himself.

My ears perked up to the male's voice that was so close to my ear that it got me perspiring even in the month of winters. My eyes averted on the small glossy card that laid low, picking it up I spun around just to see the man walking out of the restaurant.

Remembering the idiom 'curiosity killed the cat' my belly was set on fire. His body movements and most importantly his voice got me intrigued and I just couldn't help the resistance and fall deeper and deeper into the nebulous pit.

I yelled, sprinting to catch him. "Excuse me, Sir! You left your card---"

My heart skipped a beat and began palpitating in another second, repeating the process. My body started functioning abnormally, on seeing him after dead two years, how can he breathe while I can't.

A tear rolled down my cheek, with nonstop staring I opened my mouth with a strong intention to give him a lifetime harangue but I just couldn't assimilate my thoughts my words for him. Thinking about the unchanged feelings that haunted me every single day and night.

He freaked me out like crazy. I slept at Nari's place for a few days after he made my life pass through those unforgettable torturous days. It was my emotional outrage that I was advised by her to stay away from home for some time.

The villain, the wrongdoer stood before me, cursing my lovable side for touching him, cursing my bad side for slapping him, I just couldn't take aim as to what to do?

"Ah, I see...." I chuckled bitterly, sarcasm flavored the nodding of my head.

His lashes were soaked in water, and eyes slightly turned red with the continuous focus that he had put in.

He was stopped in his tracks outside the buzzing place and I was frozen at the doorstep, clutching the frame of the glass door.

"Dasom!" Jimin called out my name from afar, I responded quickly. "Coming." And I wiped the tear before abruptly leaving a stunned V behind.

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Word count - 1156

Captain's note - howzzat!!!
I wanted to write more 😒
But then thought of keeping it for the right time 😏

Now she's gone. 😆