Warning!

Massive chapter ahead.

When I say massive, I mean 14k angsty words kind of massive.

All that being said, go get a drink, get a snack, get comfy and get ready for the ride.  

Gyuri wished she was dead. 

Everything hurt. Her insides twisted as if someone pulled, stretched, and squeezed everything in her body. She kept tossing around, trying to find the best position that hurt the least, but with no luck, she just endured it.

“Gyuri.”

Someone called her. She knew that voice. She found comfort in it, but whenever she tried to reach that voice, all she could feel was pain.

"Gyuri, baby," she heard her mother say, although she must’ve been really far away because her voice sounded so distant. "Wake up, open your eyes."

“What?”

"You're whimpering in your sleep," her mother said, and just then, Gyuri heard the worry in her voice, “Oh, my baby, what does it hurt?"

As if the question were a slap in the face, she opened her eyes to see her parents before her. Her father had a deep frown on his face, and her mother was visibly worried as she pressed a cold hand against her forehead. Gyuri tried to answer, but it was physically impossible when her back contracted, her intestines twisted, and her chest pounded, sending an intense wave of pain that made her curl up again. Not that it would be of any help when she was already writhing in pain.

“You have to call,” her father whispered.

In the few seconds of clarity that came when the pain backed off as if to bounce back with a new wave of torture, Gyuri heard her parents argue. She realized it wasn’t that they were far away from her. They were particularly close, tending to her, but the blinding pain muted everything else around her, even her parents’ panicky, raising voices.

“Take this,” her father urged as he pulled her up to nudge a pill against her lips. “It’s for the pain.”

Gyuri opened her lips and let her father pour water into , but she struggled to swallow. was so dry, she almost choked. She could hear her mother on the phone, arguing with whoever answered.

"I don't know," she gasped. "How am I supposed to know that?"

Pain.

Another wave hit her, slowly creeping from the center of her chest.

Her mother scoffed in disbelief.

"What do you mean after death?" She asked, genuinely offended, "My daughter is still alive."

Pain.

A wave that spread through her body and numbed her limbs.

“You don’t understand!”

More pain.

The buzzing pain was then too loud to hear what else her mother said as her voice shattered. Tears blurred her sight, and not even her mother’s angry screams were loud enough.

"She is in pain!"

And even more pain.

Gyuri shrieked and wished she could be dead. 

She just wanted the pain to be over. She just wished it all to end, and as the pain backed off again, she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and hoped for the curse to do its will. That was all she wanted. She heard her mother wail in despair. There was nothing she could do but feel herself drifting into blackness.

Her hip ached. She couldn’t sleep but wasn’t at all awake either. Whatever medicine her parents gave her knocked her out for the rest of the night, but not enough to ease the pain. She groaned, and when she tried to turn around, her entire body froze in a shock wave that cleared her mind out of slumber. She blinked the pain away, gathering her bearings, and as it subsided, she started to recall everything that happened the night before. She found her mother sleeping next to her, remembered her worried voice, and noticed the dark shades under her eyes. She tried to get up again, but the smallest movement sent a pang of pain across her body. Her whimper woke her mother, and she got up as if she wasn’t sleeping at all.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, leaning closer to brush the hair off her face. “Does it still hurt?”

Gyuri tried to sit down, gritting her teeth to endure the pain, but she barely managed to do it if it wasn’t for her mother, who was there, helping her move, and asking where it hurt. At least now, Gyuri was lucid enough to answer. She twisted her torso, testing the limits, but she winced as soon as she tried.

“My back,” she replied, “Something is wrong with my back.”

“Let me check.” 

Her mother lifted her shirt, and Gyuri felt like a child all over again, but it was a short-lived embarrassment. The gasp that came out of her mother, terrified and broken, told Gyuri enough. Surely, it looked just as bad as it felt.

“What is it?”

Seemingly ignoring her question, Gyuri watched her mother move around and shivered at the expression on her face. She was holding back her tears when she helped her up and led the way toward the full-body mirror. Gyuri couldn’t tell what was worse, the silence between them or the dreadful anticipation of what she would find in the reflection. She froze with a gasp stuck against the enormous knot in . 

She wasn’t entirely surprised because she’d been feeling the curse underneath her skin, slowly poking its way around her chest to creep out of her flesh. However, she wasn’t ready to finally see it. A dark reddish spot along her spine. A bruise, the result of the roots visibly taking over her body. It wasn't just a feeling anymore. Gyuri could finally see it.

“Honey?” Her father called from somewhere else around the house, but neither of them moved.

It was the moment he called her mother by her maiden name that made them react, and as if grateful for the distraction, her mother wiped off her tears to follow the voice to the nearest window. Once again, she let out a terrified gasp that filled Gyuri with dread. Other than her bruised back, she couldn’t think of anything else that could be bad enough to entice such a reaction from her mother. Struggling to move, Gyuri joined her by the window sill, and the sight took her breath away.

Everything was red. Her legs went weak as everywhere she looked was covered in bright red flowers. Bright red, like his favorite color. Flowers fully bloomed on every patch of soil and pot around her house. Suddenly, what happened the night before finally made sense to Gyuri. No wonder her house felt like a deadly trap. It was the deadliest of traps. 

“What is this?” Her father cursed under his breath.

Gyuri couldn’t stop him. He reached for the gardening scissors, and before she could say or do anything, he chopped the flower that was closest to him. Just like it did when she was at Kyungsoo’s cabin, her skin bristled, coming alive, and her strength faltered. Her knees buckled under her weight when he cut the second flower. Her mother gasped when she hit the floor and called her father with so much panic in her voice that he was already running back into the house. Gyuri felt her body relax the instant he stopped cutting flowers, but the horror had already taken over her parents. Her father came into the room, ready to pick her up, as her mother fumbled around in her closet, muttering things about rushing to the hospital.

“Stop,” Gyuri mumbled, starting to feel her head clearer. “Just stop, please.”

“We need to get you to the hospital,” her mother urged, dropping a jacket over her shoulders.

“What for?” She said, untangling herself from her father’s arms, “They'll only put me in a bed and wait for me to die.”

“Kang Gyuri.”

“No, mom. No hospital.”

Gyuri was careful to keep her voice level and steady. The last thing she wanted was to yell at her parents, despite how much she wanted to scream the pain away. She understood that they were as scared as she was, and being mean to them wouldn’t help anyone.

“Fine. What do we do now?” Her mother agreed with gritted teeth.

“We document everything.”

Grateful that she didn’t have to argue any further, Gyuri grabbed her phone, opened the camera app, and handed it to her. Controlling the quiver in her chin, her mother nodded and helped her up.

“I suppose you don’t want me here, right?” her father said, leaving a soft kiss on the top of her head.

He left the room, and they got to the arduous task of taking pictures of her back from every angle possible. 

She slept through the rest of the day. Her mother would wake her up every once in a while, trying to make her eat something, but Gyuri wasn’t even hungry. She had no appetite and even less energy to get angry at her, so she would just close her eyes and pretend to go back to sleep until her mother would leave the room. However, she nudged her awake with an urgency that annoyed the wits out of her.

“What?” Gyuri snapped at whoever was trying to wake her up.

“Stop it.” Her mother whispered, grabbing her hands.

Gyuri was too tired to argue back, but the forceful way in which her mother held her wrists shocked her into full wakefulness. She found herself awake and aware of the pain in her hands. She noticed then that she’d scratched her knuckles, causing them to bleed. 

“Book boy is here.” Her mother whispered.

Gyuri sat up, feeling so hyper-aware of everything around her that the ache in her hands was suddenly forgotten. Against every expectation, Do Kyungsoo himself peered into her room before stepping in with a confident stride. She felt her jaw drop as she watched him, dressed up in a fine suit, stand at the threshold with her parents staring at him just as surprised.

“What are you doing here?” She asked, but her mother shushed her with a lighting reflex.

“He came to see you,” she chirped in, “Isn’t that right, Kyungsoo? That is your name, correct? Kyungsoo. It has such a nice ring to it.”

“That’s correct.” He said, blushing under her mother’s sudden flattery, “I was thinking of taking Gyuri out for dinner.”

Gyuri watched her parents transform. Her mother lit up with an excited smile, her eyes drifting from her daughter to the well-dressed young man. Her father, on the other hand, stood still in his place, looking at no one in particular.

“She’s indisposed for the time being.” Her father said this, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Nonsense,” her mother argued, “she’s a little under the weather, yes, but it’s nothing some fresh air cannot fix.”

Feeling mortified, Gyuri closed her eyes and wished that the earth beneath her feet would open and swallow her whole. She couldn’t believe that her parents decided to act out just then and in the writer’s presence. However, he didn’t seem to care when he called her name.

“Why don’t you wear the things you bought the other day?” He asked.

Designer clothes. That was what she bought the other day, and getting reminded of it made Gyuri realize her current state. She did not only feel like complete garbage; she was sure she looked like trash. She hid her scratched and bleeding hands between her legs and agreed with the writer. Fair enough; it was more out of mortification at seeing her in such a deplorable condition than actually feeling like going out.

“He’ll wait downstairs.” Her father said this as if he knew how mortifying the entire situation was.

Just as suddenly as Kyungsoo showed up in her room, he was gone. Her father followed closely, and Gyuri was almost sure he was shaking his head in disapproval. She had to push the idea aside. There was a more pressing matter at hand. Kyungsoo came to her house and asked her out in her parent’s presence, and the realization set everything in motion. 

“Mom, is this considered a date?” She asked as a rush of emotions made her drag herself out of bed.

“I thought you were dating already.” 

“What?”

Everything stopped. Gyuri sat up, feeling lightheaded. Her mother halted in the middle of the room, genuinely confused. Gyuri never imagined that whatever relationship she had with the writer would lead to this. Her mother sat down on the bed as well, observing Gyuri with curiosity, but she couldn’t tell what she was thinking exactly. 

“All the things he has done for you so far.” Her mother said as the softest of smiles spread across her expression.

“He’s just helping me.” 

“He’s doing everything a lover should do.” She said it now with a hint of playfulness that sent Gyuri over the edge.

“What? No, mom,” Gyuri whined, panicking, “he’s literally just helping me!” 

The same rush of emotions and excitement that was forcing her body out of bed suddenly made her want to go back to bed and hide from everything and everyone. Thankfully, her mother did not make fun of her. Not that Gyuri knew from experience how her mother would react in a situation like that because she had never dated anyone. Other than Baekhyun, this was the very first time a guy ever came to see her.

“I have a list,” Gyuri said, calming herself down, “and he’s helping me with it.”

“We all make lists.”

“It’s a bucket list, mom.” That finally erased the smile from her face.

Her mother did not comment on it. Just as she had been handling everything about her condition, she just kept it to herself, and Gyuri regretted the way she broke the news to her. She was sorry that the curse had so suddenly tarnished the brief glimmer of hope her mother had found in Kyungsoo.

“Do you want to see the list?” She asked, pushing the knot she felt tightening in .

Slowly, as if convincing herself that it was alright, her mother agreed with a smile that wasn’t even close to reaching her eyes. Ever since Kyungsoo decided to take on the task of fulfilling every wish on her list, she carried the piece of paper with her wherever she went. She kept it inside her phone case and gave it to her mother, not knowing what to expect. 

“Did you get drunk on the trip?” She asked with clear surprise after reading through the list.

“Yes.” Gyuri mumbled, unsure of her stand on it, and when she looked at her, she saw nothing but amusement in her expression, “I hated it; why do people do it?”

“You get the taste of it with time.” Her mother chuckled, shaking her head, probably keeping her opinions to herself, “Did Kyungsoo take care of you?”

Gyuri could tell she was genuinely curious, and she could almost bet there was a glint of mischief in her eyes. She was suddenly brought back to different scenarios from that trip. She remembered her annoyance, her reckless drinking, and flashes of him handling her around the cabin. But it was the memory of them back in that stuffy bathroom, with him so close to her, that made everything in her body seem to remember what it felt like. She couldn’t help but blush at the memory and the mortification of her mother's need to ask what happened.

“At least from what I can remember, he did.” She explained, ignoring the burning feeling in her cheeks.

“What a handsome young man he is.” Her mother said it under her breath with an air of amazement that caught Gyuri off guard. “Where is he taking you tonight?”

“I know as much as you do, I guess, to a place where I need to dress up.”

“How exciting!” her mother giggled. “Do you want me to help you get ready?”

Gyuri couldn’t tell why or how it happened, but she wanted to get ready. She wanted her mother to help her, and the sudden burst of excitement made her smile and forget about the discomfort in her body. All she knew was that she wanted to jump off the bed and get ready to join the handsome man who was waiting for her downstairs.

“Who would’ve known?” Her mother wondered out loud as she pulled the zipper up, “The back of the dress covers most of the bruises.”

Gyuri looked over her shoulder to see her reflection, and just like her mother said, she could see only one small bruise peeking from the top of the dress. It could go unnoticed if you weren’t looking that close. There was not much they could do about it, and forcing the thought out of her, Gyuri observed her reflection once again. The dress fit her just as well as it did when she bought it. Her mother nudged some strands of hair that kept going wild, and she was ready to leave. She found her mother's gaze in the mirror, and for a split second, the happiness radiating from her eyes made her eyes burn. They smiled at each other, and without giving themselves the chance to ruin all their hastily done yet hard work gone to waste, they came down the stairs to find Kyungsoo sitting in the living room with her father.

Her mother cursed when she noticed the stern look on her husband’s expression. Gyuri wanted to laugh at the scene. Her father was seated on the couch, as if perched on a throne, looking bigger than he was. She had never seen her father so tense in the presence of someone younger than him, but Kyungso didn’t appear to care. He was looking at the Health Organization pamphlet with the phone numbers that her parents kept at hand in case that happened. 

Announcing their presence in the room with more theatrics than necessary, her mother apologized to the writer for their tardiness. As any other mother would, she went overboard with the compliments, and Gyuri knew she should’ve felt mortified by the sudden attention, but that wasn’t the case. She couldn’t feel embarrassed when Kyungsoo stood up like a spring and the brightest of smiles spread across his face. Gyuri had to convince herself that his expression was nothing out of the ordinary and that he wasn’t staring at her with his jaw slowly dropping in absolute wonder.

Gyuri was smart enough to rush to the front door. She saw it in her father’s wandering eyes, his furrowed expression, and her mother’s embarrassing compliments. There was no point in staying in the house any longer, despite the writer’s constant efforts to be the most agreeable to her parents. He kept smiling and laughing at the jokes, but the rosiness in his cheeks was the sign she needed to bring the two of them out of the house. Without saying anything and as mindlessly as he could, Kyungsoo said his goodbyes and followed Gyuri to his car. She almost laughed at the discreet relief that invaded his entire posture, and sparing him the tease, she went into the car without his help.

The writer climbed into the car quite effortlessly, and instead of turning the engine on, she watched him reach for something behind her seat. Out of nowhere, he produced a bouquet of flowers and gave it to her. Except they weren’t flowers. They were churros—at least a dozen of them. Gyuri had in her hands a bundle of churros wrapped in paper and stared at it, utterly confused.

“I know you said you wanted to get flowers for wish number 9, but it felt too cruel of a joke to me,” Kyungsoo explained.

“Why churros, though?” She said, pulling a churro out of the assortment and biting into it.

“I like churros.” He replied with no expression whatsoever.

Gyuri stared at him, but the more she looked at him, the harder it was to know if he was joking or not. With one simple glance at her curious face, Kyungsoo’s serious expression broke into a one-sided smile that made Gyuri feel her cheeks burning. 

“They’re the best in town.” He said, “I thought you might like them.”

“They’re so good!” She said, closing her eyes to take in the flavor.

Sweetness overwhelmed her. She tasted the sugar. watered at the intensity bursting in , but not only that. An idea formed in her mind, and she looked at the writer next to her, wondering if the fuzzies bubbling in her stomach were only the churros or something else.

“Wait, does that mean you’re my secret admirer?” She asked.

A smug smirk. That was all she got in response, and Gyuri used every bit of restraint she had to deal with whatever was swirling deep in her. She felt the temperature rising in the enclosure of his car as he drove through the city, so she ate. She bit down on another churro, swallowing her fuzzy feelings.

"Your father doesn't seem to like me." Kyungsoo said after a while

Gyuri had to agree, but she didn’t know how to put it into words, so she just grabbed another bite of her churros. The writer limited himself to chuckling as he stole glances at her, expecting some sort of explanation.

"It's not that." She finally said, "I guess he never considered that anyone other than Baekhyun would take me out on a date."

Realizing how that might have sounded out loud, Gyuri started to feel her face blush. She was mortified, and finding a fixed point on a twisted churro that sat in the middle of her bouquet, she apologized.

"Don’t apologize." He said and his voice did not stutter one bit. "This is a date."

With something pleasantly fluttering now in the center of her chest, Gyuri looked at the writer to find him looking at her, smiling just as brightly as she felt the thrill across her skin, and it was unbearable. Gyuri couldn’t even begin to describe the feeling. Excitement, sure, but it was beyond that. There was no hint of embarrassment in her, although she felt like squirming in her seat. She was just so happy that it was a date and that he was so openly smiling at her and saying the kind of things no one else had ever said to her. More than anything, she was thrilled to find him so often looking at her with such admiration.

“Should I ask?” He said, “About how it went yesterday.”

Gyuri knew what he was talking about. A part of her wanted him to ask and for her to rant about everything that happened. Another part, most likely the wisest and most level-headed, stopped her. Somehow, she didn’t want to even think about it. She was just too tired of feeling so powerless and exposed when she knew she could feel everything in her so well in his company.

“No,” Gyuri said, feeling braver than she had in a while, “This is our date after all.”

“Good,” he said, with a smirk that positively made something in her chest swell. “I didn’t want to talk about it.”

They both chuckled in sync and agreed to put the subject to rest, and as if it were nothing, they talked about their next trip with Minseok and Anna. They talked about plans, places to go, and new things to eat as Kyungsoo drove them through one of the richest districts of the city. He finally pulled into the entryway of a massive, glass-looking building that rose so high that Gyuri couldn’t even see the top of it. Valets in impeccable black vests were immediately next to the car and ready to open the doors as soon as Kyungsoo stopped the engine. Feeling slightly out of place, Gyuri simply smiled at the guy welcoming her to the building. She scrambled out of the car, struggling with the soreness in her back, when a strong and steady arm around her waist held her in place. She found Kyungsoo next to her, helping her out of the car.

They walked into the building, and Gyuri could only look around in wonder. She would never consider being in a place like that. She was simply too poor to even set foot in there. However, everything was different now; she wasn’t just wearing the cutest dress and feeling prettier than she ever felt in so long; she was walking by the arm of the most handsome guy in the surroundings. As if he could read her mind, he tucked her closer against his side. She could feel herself blush at the way he held her almost obsessively and at the scandalized looks people around the lobby threw at them and their blatant display of affection.

Arriving at the top floor of the building went by in a blur. Gyuri was suddenly overly aware of every subtle touch, of his every glance, of the confidence with which he managed himself next to her, and of his commanding presence in the room. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined people would step aside to let them through the hallway. They arrived in a room crowded with people waiting, and Gyuri felt mortified to follow Kyungsoo up to the front of the line, where the hostess welcomed him with a smile. Side eyes, offended scoffs, and mumbled curses were thrown around as the writer exchanged pleasantries with the hostess.

“Look at her shoes.” A woman whispered behind her.

As if she were talking to her, Gyuri looked down at her shoes. The lowheel ones she bought with her dress and wondered if there was anything wrong with them. In the blink of an eye, all the wonder and amazement faded away into doubt. Suddenly, she felt out of place, as if these people could see through her expensive façade.

“You look wonderful,” Kyungsoo whispered, leaning closer to her as if he were saying a sweet nothing into her ear.

It wasn't just her who reacted, blushing at the sensation of his breath against her skin. She heard the hushed squeals of the women behind them, and she couldn’t blame them. She felt just as scandalized.

“And the dress? There are only three of those in the country.” Another woman whispered.

“See?” Kyungsoo chuckled, “You might be the best-dressed one here right now.”

Gyuri smiled at him. She appreciated the words, the confidence in his expression, and the stronghold of his arm around her. It all felt genuine and intimate, and she couldn’t find any reason to not believe him. 

The hostess approached them with the utmost respect, and with a trained smile, she asked them to follow, much to the rest of the patrons dismay. In any other scenario, Gyuri would’ve felt guilty for skipping the line, but with the writer by her side and the confidence in his walk, she felt more than adequate for such treatment. She wouldn't let their gossip and envious looks intimidate her resolution to enjoy the night. She pushed the discomfort in her back aside, held onto Kyungsoo for support, and walked next to him with every bit of attitude she could muster.

Her confidence, however, faltered as they went further into the restaurant. She had never been in such an elegant place like that before. The strumming of eclectic music playing in the background welcomed them, and they followed the hostess through a hall with an abnormally tall ceiling, black and gray walls, and a long black table set up in the middle. A rack with warm lights hovered above it, only illuminating the surface of the shared table and its patrons. On the other side, as if it were the source of everything good in life, a long and open kitchen buzzed with activity. Despite the shadows crawling up the stoves and threatening to swallow the dozens of cooks and chefs, they all worked unfazed, and Gyuri halted, admiring the scenery. Not that there was much to admire; there were no decorations to admire, just shadows and light, people eating food, and even more people pouring all of their passion into cooking said food. The scenery was the cooking and the atmosphere that made the place incredibly welcoming despite the lack of light, where people chatted and enjoyed the small pieces of art beautifully set up on asymmetrical plates.

“Is this a Michelin-starred restaurant?” Gyuri wondered under her breath.

“They’re on their way to getting their first star.” Kyungsoo said, stretching his neck to see a bowl a waiter carried.

They both watched the waiter place the bowl in the middle of the table, and it was then that Gyuri noticed that there were no empty seats for them. She panicked a little, wondering if the hostess planned on making the other patrons scoot over to give them some space. The more rational part of her brain laughed at the idea. A high-end restaurant that was working to gain a Michelin star would never do anything of the sort.

“Your table is ready.” The hostess announced.

They followed her, although Gyuri suspected that Kyungsoo would rather stay at that crowded table than get a table somewhere else. Or so she thought, because she had no clue what to expect when they walked through a dimly lit hallway, and the further down they went, the more muted the music turned, to the point where the place buzzed with its silence.

Still with a polite smile on her face, the hostess stopped next to a black door and stepped aside to let them in. Kyungsoo chuckled next to her. She hadn’t realized she was clutching his hand as if something scary might jump at them. Letting his hand go and fighting the embarrassment off her face, Gyuri went into the room and hesitated. Just like in the main hall, a long, sturdy black table rose proudly in the middle of the room, and a chef greeted them with a bow.

“It’s just us,” he explained with a whisper, taking her hand again to take her to her seat. "It takes several months to get a table."

“How?” She said, flinching at how loudly her voice bounced around the room.

Kyungsoo chuckled again, pulling the chair out for her, and for a split second, once the startle was gone, Gyuri spaced out. It made sense that a place like this would have a long waiting list. However, it hadn’t been that long since she met the writer. At least not long enough for him to plan on bringing her to a Michelin-starred restaurant. The numbers did not add up.

"Minseok hyung knows the owner," he whispered, and Gyuri felt his hand gentle on her back, nudging her softly to sit, "Not many refuse something to the editor of the Love Survivor."

"He might be the Love Survivor himself for all they know," Gyuri whispered back, playing along to distract herself from the gesture.

That made Kyungsoo laugh, and Gyuri admired his face. It had been a while since he emoted so openly, and she tried to engrave the expression in her memory. It suited him well, and she liked it. Gyuri liked it so much that she dared to believe that she even treasured it.

Giggling to themselves as if they were partners in crime, they sat down, but the nervousness that she was trying to bury deep within herself was hard to control when the writer sat right next to her. She even thought that he was obnoxiously close, considering just how massive the table was. And Do Kyungsoo, the famous writer, decided to pull his chair closer to hers.

Luckily for her nerves, the chef greeted them once again and, after a polite bow, explained the menu. Gyuri focused every bit of herself on paying attention. She understood half of what he said but found herself pleasantly surprised that they had no need to pick anything up. The menu was set and ready to be cooked right in front of them. She gasped in surprise, delighted by the idea, which not only seemed to please Kyungsoo but the chef as well. 

The chef prepared their food in silence and with the utmost attention, answering their questions whenever they asked anything, but other than that, the man did not interfere and stayed behind an invisible line on the other side of the massive table. It gave them a sense of privacy that Gyuri had never experienced. It was weird for her to act as if the man wasn’t there at all, but as soon as the first minuscule dish was served, Kyungsoo took on the task of distracting her. They talk about everything, even about how much she is enjoying the rainy weather and how much he has come to like it as well.

Time flew by. Dish after dish, they enjoyed marvelous food, talked, laughed, and found themselves giggling, getting closer and closer with every passing minute. When the chef finally announced the end of the main menu and informed them that the desserts were on their way, he bowed and ste