Table For One
Professor Oh and ILuhan POV:
"Hello, what can I get for you?" If I don't look at him, he won't recognize me. If he doesn't recognize me, I won't have to look at him.
"Luhan, you work here?" I was so naive. I had to bring my eyes to his. When our eyes met, they almost automatically rolled out of annoyance.
Of all places, why my work?
What, was he going to terrorize me here too?
"I'm here all the time working, I'm surprised I never saw you."
"No, I don't come here often."
"Then why are you here today?" I was being a little bit rude, but I wanted him to order and leave me in peace.
I'd had enough of that .
"I had been on my way home and it began to rain. I didn't want to get soaked."
"Oh."
"But I did anyways.." Good.
"Couldn't you just drive or take the bus?"
"I'm walking because my car broke down a block away."
"Bus?"
"I don't take public transportation."
"Why?"
"Sanitation." This priss.
"Can you tell me how raindrops form in the atmosphere?"
"No, and I don't care." I began doodling in my notepad for taking orders,
Table 2:
Arrogant Teacher. Party of 1.
"That's part of tomorrow's lesson, so start studying." Although his voice hinted he was joking, his face looked like I was boring him.
Well quite frankly Professor Oh, you're boring me.
"So what can I get you...Latte?"
"I don't drink lattes."
"Hot chocolate?"
"I don't drink that either."
"Smoothie?"
"I don't drink puréed fruit."
What did this guy eat?!
"Green tea?"
"Wow, for spending three years as my student, you don't know me at all."
"Not like I want to anyways." I sighed knowing I was being a bit too rude. We weren't even in school and he was still pissing me off.
"Well you're pretty plain. So probably a black coffee guy."
"Ooh, correct." Scoffing, I let out a fake laugh and continued,
"Hah. I'll even make it a hot cup of black coffee to warm your icy, arrogant soul." Giving him a smile, I blinked a few times.
"Ooh, that one hit me hard. But correct again."
"Do you want anything to eat? You know, children's failed tests, the blood of a ? Anything to satisfy your hunger?"
"I don't want your tests or your blood, thank you."
Poison.
That's what I needed.
"I'll be back." I huffed.
"I'll be reading."
Course you would be. I left the table, irritated at his calm and witty attitude.
The smell of black coffee grounds.. It smelled so good! Why did it have to taste so bitter? It genuinely made me sad my favorite smell tasted like fermented cough medicine. I watched Professor Oh from behind the counter sip his coffee and read his book, occasionally looking out the window.
"Waiter!"
"Coming.." I trudged over to the two women, looking to see if Professor Oh was watching me.
He wasn't.
"So, can I have your number?"
"I'm sorry, I can't." I also just didn't want to give it to her. Her pretty smile turned into an ugly pout. I hated when women pouted. What if men pouted? Would we be cute then?
Hell no!
You're not cute lady.
"Why can't you give me your number?"
"I'm sorry, miss, but I already told you, I just do not give it out. Please excuse me-"
"It's not fair!" The women stood up and began stomping towards the entrance.
"Miss, I'm only in high school!"
"Oh and now you're lying to me? What a jerk!"
"No really! And I don't even know you!" I put my hands up in defense as she neared me.
She was crazy!
"I am a high school student, really. You're too old for me, I'm sorry."
"Old?!"
"No! .." I cursed under my breath,
"I meant, our age is too far apart-"
"You are not in high school."
"I am seriously."
"Prove it." She looked at me like she was expecting me to make money fall from the sky,
"Uhhh Uhhh..." My brain was working overtime to get that lady off my back,
"Ummm.. Him!" I pointed at Professor Oh who seemed to have been oblivious to the situation.
"Him?"
"He is my teacher."
"He is not!" This .
"He is! Professor Oh, please tell her I'm in high school." Professor Oh smiled at me and I knew I shouldn't have brought him into the situation.
"I am his teacher."
"Okay, now y-"
"And trust me, he's much too immature for someone of your league. You can do better." Professor Oh smiled the whole way through, he was enjoying my pain.
Typical.
"YOU- hey, miss! You have to p...pay.." I sighed watched the door shut.
"You really are a child." Her friend began stomping away as well,
"I'm in high school!" I called out to her in the rain, but she couldn't hear me.
"What was that about?"
"Not. Now."
"She didn't pay."
"No . Thanks for all the help." Not. I walked passed Professor Oh to go behind the counter and grab a tray to start bussing tables. He'd been there for at least an hour and all he had done was drink his coffee and read his stupid book.
Just leave!
Go get hypothermia in the rain, die, and leave me in peace.
Of course I didn't really want him to die, but I did want him to leave. I felt extremely self conscious with him being the only customer in the shop. Opening the cash register, I took out 7 dollars for the woman's unpaid drinks and placed it inside the cash register.
"Now I'm four hundred and thirty-six dollars short of an apartment." Joy.
I stared out the window and sighed,
Rain please stop..
"Hey, Luhan?"
"Y-yeah?" As I was wheeling the cart of dirty dishes by Professor Oh's table, he called out to me. I could swear he was reading the same page for 20 minutes.
"Sit down for a moment."
"Uhhh.. I have work to do."
"There's no one here but me."
"But-"
"I am your teacher, sit down." He was pissed about something.. Swallowing my saliva that all of a sudden bombarded my mouth, I slid into the booth. Even though I was the same distance apart from him as I was when he was behind a desk, the setting was different and it made me extremely jittery.
"I wanted to talk about who's abusing you."
"Oh, seriously? No. no, not now. Look, I'm used to it, so just-"
"If you're used to it, it happens often."
"I mean, my dad doesn't mean to do it and I'm okay so-"
"Your father abuses you?" I shut my eyes when I realized what I let slip out.
No one was ever supposed to know.
I was supposed to leave for college and forget everything, but I ed up, big time.
"I had been wondering why you would come to school bruised."
He noticed my bruises.
"No really I-"
"And the mysterious scratches, are they from your father?" I didn't like the fact that Professor Oh was getting into my business. He hadn't cared for the past three years, it was too late to start now.
"Please don't ask me questions." I stood up to leave, but his hand gently went out to my sleeve, pulling on it just enough..
It was like slow motion. I watched the bottom come unhooked and the sleeve pull back, revealing my pale, scarred flesh. I didn't know how long I had waited before yanking my arm away, but it was to late. He had seen and I was already in tears.
Now he knew everything.
I didn't want to look at his face.
I didn't want to see the expression he'd be giving off.
Was he disgusted?
Would he laugh?
Would he pick on me now?
I began to stumble backwards, pulling down my sleeve to cover my shame.
"Luhan-"
"Just go.. Just go!" I slowly walked behind the counter and wiped my tears.
'Quit crying' I scolded myself.
He already thought I was a loser, now I was probably a cry baby.
When the bell rang, I assumed it was safe to look up, but it wasn't. From outside the cafe, he was lingering, looking at me in the window for a few seconds before walking away.
Professor Oh wasn't disgusted.
He wasn't freaked out or laughing at me and he hadn't picked on me either.
No.
For the first time in three years, Professor Oh looked sad.
I wiped my tears again and walked over to his table.
He paid for three drinks.
One was his, the the other two were the ladies that didn't pay. It was wrapped in a napkin with some writing on it,
Call me if you need to
Oh Sehun
575-8376
" you. I'm not a baby." I put the money in my wallet, planning on returning it the next day, and crumpled the napkin. But right before I tossed it, something compelled me to keep it..
So I did.
I walked home in the rain, feeling the freezing but somehow refreshing sensation on my skin. Of all the people in the world, why him? Why did he see my cuts and learn about my abuse?
"I'd been wondering why you came to school with bruises."
If he noticed, did everyone notice?
Was I not as secretive I thought?
I felt embarrassed.
Ashamed.
How could I return to school Friday?
I wished things would have gone back to normal, normal as in when I hated Professor Oh for no reason and he was cranky, not kind.
A kind Professor Oh seemed too strange.
I had been in autopilot on the way back home from work, so used so walking home, I didn't have to think about it. When I looked up, my door was in front of my face.
If I opened it, would I be beaten, scolded or put down?
I never knew until I walked inside. Pushing open the door, the smell of alcohol hit me in the face, burning my nostrils. I had a bad feeling about the five soju bottles laying in the entry way, and the man I called my father, awaiting my return.
"Dad... Dad no! Don't! D-"
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