Kyungsoo took a deep breath. This was not Baekhyun’s fault, and if it was, he could throttle him and punch him later. He took a quick look at his watch, and saw it was 4:30pm. He had to face it now, no one was coming. No amount of car trouble or traveling distance would make someone almost two hours late with no warning or excuse. Kyungsoo had been stood up. His chances were shot before he started.

            Kyungsoo saw a teardrop land in his empty water cup, and that’s how he realized he was crying. He didn’t really care that much, it was just a reminder of how unwanted he was, shoved back into his face. Baekhyun was right, he didn’t have many friends, and he had never had a boyfriend before. He had a girlfriend once but quickly realized that wasn’t his thing. He was lonelier than he would ever admit, especially to someone as happy as Baekhyun. Even if done begrudgingly at first, Kyungsoo had really hoped for this to at least make him a new friend.

            The tears were coming faster now, and he cursed himself for letting himself get so emotional. He hated when he cried, it made him feel weak and vulnerable. His grip tightened on his cup and he crushed it. He wiped his face with his hand, getting rid of the tears, and took a napkin from the table to wipe his nose. Then, the final blow came.

            “A no-show, huh?” The waitress asked, eyes full of sympathy. Kyungsoo didn’t want her pity, and felt disgusted with himself.

            “I came here by myself, and I will leave here the same way.” Kyungsoo said with venom he didn’t really mean. The waitress backed off quickly, realizing her mistake, and she went back to work.

            “Rough day? Me too.” A voice said from behind him. Kyungsoo groaned.

            “Not you too.”

            “Me too? I’ve been here about as long as you have.” The guy said, coming around the table into Kyungsoo’s view. It was the guy he had waved at earlier.  He was really gorgeous, Kyungsoo wondered how he didn’t notice it earlier. He had a messy mop of smooth hair that was a dark brown color. He was tall, not Chanyeol tall, but up there. He moved gracefully as he plopped himself down in the chair across from Kyungsoo.

            “I was waiting for someone to show up too.” The boy said, his eyes watery. Kyungsoo wondered if he had been crying too.

            “My name is Kyungsoo.” Kyungsoo said dumbly. The boy smiled at him.

            “I’m Kai! I was set up by my friend to go on a blind date with someone named Tao today but he never showed up.” Kai shrugged as though shrugging off the bad thoughts.

            “I was here to meet someone. I didn’t know his name. My friend set me up too, but now he won’t pick up. He’s probably ing the daylights out of his boyfriend.” Kyungsoo remembered, getting annoyed again. He looked at his phone and still saw no trace of his usually nosy and noisy friend.

            “Well looks like there was a great turn out.” Kai joked, motioning to the empty restaurant, “all of our dates are here.”

            Kyungsoo laughed, and didn’t miss the way Kai’s eyes sparkled in triumph once Kyungsoo finally smiled.

            “Do you go to school around here?” Kai asked, putting his arms on the table leaning forward with new interest in Kyungsoo.

            “Yeah, I’m a Music major.” Kyungsoo paused, “Alright bring on the ‘you’ll never have a job’ jokes, I’m ready.” Kai laughed.

            “No way, I’m a Dance major so I can’t deal that crap.”

            “Dance? That explains the graceful entrance.” Kyungsoo meant for that to be mostly to himself but he failed miserably. Kai raised an eyebrow.

            “Graceful? We started out with a miscommunication but I suppose there could’ve been bumpier ways to start out.”

            “No no, not that, just the way you sat down.” Kyungsoo started to get flustered, he realized how idiotic he sounded and wished for the ground to swallow him up.

            “You like the way I sat down?” Kai asked with a cute smirk.

            “…Yeah.” Kyungsoo was looking down at his lap. He was never good with small talk, and all the topics he had thought of earlier just flew out of his head.

            “So, Kyungsoo, I’ve got an idea.” Kai’s eyes sparkled and Kyungsoo wondered if anyone else’s eyes have done that and he just hadn’t been paying attention. He wondered if anyone had ever said his name quite as smoothly as Kai had just done.

            “How about instead of sticking around here looking for dates who will never show and getting free pity-coffee from the staff, we go on our own date?” Kai smiled lightly. Kyungsoo’s eyes widened. Had he just been asked out?

            “Are you asking me out?” Kyungsoo asked directly, shocked at the turn of events.

            “Well, yes I am. Are you responding well to me asking you out?” Kai asked, trying to copy the way Kyungsoo spoke. Kyungsoo smiled at Kai’s humor and nodded.

            “Where do you want to go?” Kyungsoo asked. He could suddenly feel blood pumping through his veins and his brain felt a little fuzzy. He hadn’t felt so light in a long time.

            “Let’s go get some early dinner! I know just the place to go.” Kai got up and took Kyungsoo’s crushed cup to throw it away. Kyungsoo followed Kai in a daze. 

Kyungsoo took a deep breath. This was not Baekhyun’s fault, and if it was, he could throttle him and punch him later. He took a quick look at his watch, and saw it was 4:30pm. He had to face it now, no one was coming. No amount of car trouble or traveling distance would make someone almost two hours late with no warning or excuse. Kyungsoo had been stood up. His chances were shot before he started.

            Kyungsoo saw a teardrop land in his empty water cup, and that’s how he realized he was crying. He didn’t really care that much, it was just a reminder of how unwanted he was, shoved back into his face. Baekhyun was right, he didn’t have many friends, and he had never had a boyfriend before. He had a girlfriend once but quickly realized that wasn’t his thing. He was lonelier than he would ever admit, especially to someone as happy as Baekhyun. Even if done begrudgingly at first, Kyungsoo had really hoped for this to at least make him a new friend.

            The tears were coming faster now, and he cursed himself for letting himself get so emotional. He hated when he cried, it made him feel weak and vulnerable. His grip tightened on his cup and he crushed it. He wiped his face with his hand, getting rid of the tears, and took a napkin from the table to wipe his nose. Then, the final blow came.

            “A no-show, huh?” The waitress asked, eyes full of sympathy. Kyungsoo didn’t want her pity, and felt disgusted with himself.

            “I came here by myself, and I will leave here the same way.” Kyungsoo said with venom he didn’t really mean. The waitress backed off quickly, realizing her mistake, and she went back to work.

            “Rough day? Me too.” A voice said from behind him. Kyungsoo groaned.

            “Not you too.”

            “Me too? I’ve been here about as long as you have.” The guy said, coming around the table into Kyungsoo’s view. It was the guy he had waved at earlier.  He was really gorgeous, Kyungsoo wondered how he didn’t notice it earlier. He had a messy mop of smooth hair that was a dark brown color. He was tall, not Chanyeol tall, but up there. He moved gracefully as he plopped himself down in the chair across from Kyungsoo.

            “I was waiting for someone to show up too.” The boy said, his eyes watery. Kyungsoo wondered if he had been crying too.

            “My name is Kyungsoo.” Kyungsoo said dumbly. The boy smiled at him.

            “I’m Kai! I was set up by my friend to go on a blind date with someone named Tao today but he never showed up.” Kai shrugged as though shrugging off the bad thoughts.

            “I was here to meet someone. I didn’t know his name. My friend set me up too, but now he won’t pick up. He’s probably ing the daylights out of his boyfriend.” Kyungsoo remembered, getting annoyed again. He looked at his phone and still saw no trace of his usually nosy and noisy friend.

            “Well looks like there was a great turn out.” Kai joked, motioning to the empty restaurant, “all of our dates are here.”

            Kyungsoo laughed, and didn’t miss the way Kai’s eyes sparkled in triumph once Kyungsoo finally smiled.

            “Do you go to school around here?” Kai asked, putting his arms on the table leaning forward with new interest in Kyungsoo.

            “Yeah, I’m a Music major.” Kyungsoo paused, “Alright bring on the ‘you’ll never have a job’ jokes, I’m ready.” Kai laughed.

            “No way, I’m a Dance major so I can’t deal that crap.”

            “Dance? That explains the graceful entrance.” Kyungsoo meant for that to be mostly to himself but he failed miserably. Kai raised an eyebrow.

            “Graceful? We started out with a miscommunication but I suppose there could’ve been bumpier ways to start out.”

            “No no, not that, just the way you sat down.” Kyungsoo started to get flustered, he realized how idiotic he sounded and wished for the ground to swallow him up.

            “You like the way I sat down?” Kai asked with a cute smirk.

            “…Yeah.” Kyungsoo was looking down at his lap. He was never good with small talk, and all the topics he had thought of earlier just flew out of his head.

            “So, Kyungsoo, I’ve got an idea.” Kai’s eyes sparkled and Kyungsoo wondered if anyone else’s eyes have done that and he just hadn’t been paying attention. He wondered if anyone had ever said his name quite as smoothly as Kai had just done.

            “How about instead of sticking around here looking for dates who will never show and getting free pity-coffee from the staff, we go on our own date?” Kai smiled lightly. Kyungsoo’s eyes widened. Had he just been asked out?

            “Are you asking me out?” Kyungsoo asked directly, shocked at the turn of events.

            “Well, yes I am. Are you responding well to me asking you out?” Kai asked, trying to copy the way Kyungsoo spoke. Kyungsoo smiled at Kai’s humor and nodded.

            “Where do you want to go?” Kyungsoo asked. He could suddenly feel blood pumping through his veins and his brain felt a little fuzzy. He hadn’t felt so light in a long time.

            “Let’s go get some early dinner! I know just the place to go.” Kai got up and took Kyungsoo’s crushed cup to throw it away. Kyungsoo followed Kai in a daze.