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Kyungsoo is glad his distraction method worked because you look thoroughly engrossed in the menu and all traces of sullenness is now void from your face.


He likes it like that.

And then you break into a smile with an excited "There's chocolate ice cream waffles!".


And he decides he likes it even more now.




You scan through the items, silently gasping at the exorbitant prices. Well, the chicken fillet looks cheap enough. After going through the menu one last time, you confirm that it's indeed the cheapest item on the list.


"I'll have the chicken fillet." You announce.

"Anything else?"

"Nope."

You set the menu down.



"Aren't you getting this beef shank in red wine?" Kyungsoo's quizzically lifts a brow.

"Not... Today."

You mentally calculate the amount you've got to return the deejay and fathoms you'll have to go for a lighter lunch the next two days.


"I'll have the beef shank then... Plus a chocolate ice cream waffle, that's all?"

"No!" You exclaim, shaking your head. "I was just saying they have chocolate ice cream waffles, I didn't say I want to eat them." That will be another extra two days of very light lunch, you think.



Kyungsoo sees the anxiety in your eyes and nonchalantly replies, "Who says it's for you? I'm ordering it for me. You can have a bit if you ask nicely though."


Your eyebrows knit into a frown.

Of course it's for himself, why should you be thinking otherwise?



Kyungsoo picks up the hotel phone and rings the kitchen, rattling off the orders.


"It'll be here in 15 minutes, they say." He places down the receiver whilst watching you stride over to the TV screen.



After a few flicks of the remote, you settle on a documentary regarding some music mogul.

Both of you allow the history of Gil Friesen occupy the silence until a bell resounds at the door.


The delicious smell of food wafts into your nose even before you see the tray wheeled in and you begin drooling with expectation.


When the server leaves, you lift the silver lid eagerly but is slightly disappointed at the pint-sized portion.



"For the price, this doesn't amount to much." You lament out loud and the deejay chuckles softly.

"If you are still hungry, you can always order more." He assures but you wave your hands adamantly.


"Of course not!" Digging into your bag for your wallet, you fish out three green bills somewhat reluctantly and hands it to the male. "Here, my share."

Kyungsoo is bewildered though he already guessed the reason you didn't order the beef and waffles, which is why he ordered the beef. For your sake.


Pushing your hands aside, he formulates a lie.


"Baekhyun has some vouchers for this place. So the food is free, we don't have to pay for anything."


At his claim, the edge of your mouth lifts a little.

"R-Really?"

You are still holding out the bills and Kyungsoo helps you shove them back into your wallet.

"Yeah. So are we going to eat or are we just gonna stand around?"



You break into a full fledged smile.
 

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The chicken fillet tastes good enough and even better with the knowledge that you don't have to pay for it. Because it's free.


Kyungsoo slices off a portion of his beef shank for you, on pretext that "it's not very juicy", which, of course, is a lie. Having attended some of the most coveted culinary festivals, he knows the beef is definitely premium meat. You accept the food without second thoughts and in turn, gives him some of your fillet.

The dinner goes on comfortably with the TV as background sound. Kyungsoo eyes you every now and then, heart soaring a little each time he spots that contented look on your face.

He takes a tad longer than he usually does to finish his meal. It's of no surprise then, that you are done first and starts gaping longingly at the sweet dessert.


"You can eat it first, it's already starting to melt."

Kyungsoo encourages and you beam widely.

"Better not regret what you just said, because by the time you are finished with your beef, you'll be left up the remnants of the syrup."



The male sniggers.

"Go ahead then, I can always order another one."


You roll your eyes and digs into the ice-cream.

"How much is the voucher anyway?"


Kyungsoo swallows.

"Enough to have another meal."


He's not very good with lies actually, so to take you off the matter, he proceeds to change the subject.


"So... How did you and Chen got together?"


The fork in your hand stills and your eyes flit up to glance at the deejay.

There doesn't seem to be any malice behind that question nor gaze.


It's weird but... You think you can trust him.




"I used to work at ES Entertainment as artiste manager and he's under my tutelage." You begin, tone measured. "It started small. Just... carrying things for me, giving me a glass of water when I needed one and... You know, little things like that. Then he started sending me ambiguous text messages, telling me he misses me and he wants to see me... I don't really know how relationships are supposed to go since I've never really thought about it, much less been in one. He's the first to actually express any interest so... When he asked, we just got together like that."


Kyungsoo is not sure whether it's a wise decision to ask about your relationship just then, because suddenly, he feels an odd displacement in his chest.


"How long were you together?"

"Almost ten months. 300 days, to be exact. We broke it off when I found him with a female colleague in his house. On the day of our first anniversary."


The bitterness is still there in your throat when you recall the incident.

And when Kyungsoo sees the emotion passing your face, he's tempted to reach over and pull you into a hug.



He settles for a brief nod instead.


"How about you?"

You take the opportunity to ask, remembering the photos you've seen back at the house. Although it's mostly out of work reasons, you don't deny that you're not entirely indifferent either.



"Me? What about me?" He gives a short sniffle.

"I heard that you've got a girlfriend from before."




"Yeah I did."

"So?"

"So... That's a very long time ago. We dated for five months, she found another guy and dumped me. End of story."


He eyes you before putting another sliced carrot into his mouth.


"Oh."

"Well, seems like we were in the same shoes then." He chuckles.


"Is that supposed to be a consolation? Because I don't feel relieved at all." You pout and munch down forcibly on the waffle.

This only serves to goad his laughter.

You think he's got a nice laugh.


"At least we got good food." He smiles and waves his fork. "And you're wrong, I'm already done and the waffle is still here."


He makes to pierce the waffle but you shoo him off with your knife and grabs the plate.


"Ah-ha! Not before you cen get your hands on them." You stick out your tongue and hops onto the bed away from him, all the while stuffing your face with the dessert.

Kyungsoo grins at the sight. It's his first time seeing you behaving so childishly like that. Normally he'll just let people have their way, but today, he feels like playing along.


"So we're going to do this the hard way then."

Settling down his fork, he shoots up gamely from his seat and in an instant, he's by your side, wrestling the plate from your hands.



"Give it here!"

"No!"

There's a chaotic moment of scuffling with tangling hands and feet, neither willing to back down in the contention.

It's by sheer advantage in strength that Kyungsoo finally manages to grip the plate with a Ha!


But then you start tickling him and he chortles amidst grunts of "Hey! Not fair!", while you blatantly ignores him and swipes the last piece off the plate to chock it down.

Just when you are savoring the sweetness of triumph, Kyungsoo notices a morsel still largely hanging off from your mouth and without thinking, he moves in to bite on the waffle.



The sudden act makes both of you freeze.


In that split second, the two of you are staring eye to eye and Kyungsoo realizes you are too close and your lips, even closer.

You stop chewing as his warm breath flutters upon your face and is that your heart hammering?


As quickly as it happened, it ended when Kyungsoo jerks away, swallowing the food and mumbling, "Sorry."


The male getting all coy is absolutely disarming and you feel yourself blushing furiously. As Kyungsoo witnesses you turning a deep shade of pink, he snickers and concludes that besides a smile, this color looks the best on you.


"W-Why are you laughing?" You croak, throat dry and dying from embarrassment.

"Nothing. We should just order another one if you like the waffles so much."


Somehow that suggestion makes you flush deeper.


The documentary in the background is rolling the end credits and you desperately change the subject.




"Let's watch TV instead."
 

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