In all honesty, Otabek was expecting his first encounter with Lei to go worse than it did.

At the sound of the familiar voice, he had looked up to make sure the name tag verified the person and it did. Lei did not look like what he expected her to look, although Otabek didn't exactly have an image in mind. He did not, however, imagine Lei to look rather... what was the word? Delicate? Pretty? Yeah. Besides the soft features and the rather long, brownish ponytail, the girl was extremely attractive. (WRITER’S NOTE: omfg imagining how emo, stoic Otabek would describe your physical appearance was so fun lmao)

 

Not that Otabek just spent a rather long period of time staring at her as she brought the plates of pizza down.

Okay, maybe he was staring more than he was supposed to.

"Can I get you anything else?"

Otabek wanted to say something himself because he was still staring at her, thus making their eyes meet and his face blush immediately. Lei was staring right at him, a small smile playing on her lips as she did so. Otabek's heart began to beat faster as he considered that maybe Lei actually knew who he was and he was about to die of shame right then and there. The others were too busy getting their own slices of pizza to notice.

""T-that would be all," he all but mumbled, cursing himself because did he just stutter and he realized his mistake that moment too, because a playful glint appeared in Lei's eyes, matched with a Cheshire-like grin that was definitely teasing him.

"No extras?"

Otabek wished a hole would open up from under him and swallow him whole. He moved his eyes and focused on anything else but the girl before him, certain his face was still some embarrassing shade of red. What is it with everybody teasing him?

"No, thank you," he replied, thankfully without stuttering this time.

When Lei turned to walk away, Otabek found himself staring after her again, still in a slight state of disbelief that he actually met her. Did she not sleep or something? Or did she really have enough energy to work both in the afternoon and during ungodly hours in the night?

"Otabek, why is your face all red?"

Otabek's focus snapped back to his friends, specifically Yuuko, who had spoken.

Realization dawned on Phichit's face in a flash.

"That waitress! Her voice! I've heard it before," Phichit's smile grew wider and wider with each word. "That was her, wasn't it? Am I right? I'm pretty sure I'm right."

Otabek didn't even have time to reply, because Phichit soon got the attention of everybody else in the table. Simultaneously, they turned their heads to the direction Lei went, saw the ponytail, and looked back at Otabek, who buried his face in his hands for the second time that day, already anticipating the comments that will be thrown at him. They all spoke rapidly at the same second, making Otabek's head hurt for a moment.

"You didn't even tell us!" Leo complained.

"We were distracted by the pizza," Guang Hong said sadly.

"I didn't see her face yet," Yuuko whined, about to look back but Phichit quickly stopped the movement.

"We don't want her to know we're checking her out, play it cool."

Viktor began lightly shaking Otabek's shoulder, "we have questions, Otabek, c'mon."

Otabek finally raised his head, careful not to automatically glance at the front counter in case Lei was still there. There was still a feeling of burning sensation in his cheeks, and all his friends were still staring at him expectantly.

"Were there sparks? Did you feel the chemistry?" Yuuko asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

"You're all overreacting," Otabek groaned. "Absolutely nothing of interest happened between me and Lei--"

He stopped abruptly because damn it, that was a mistake to say.

Phichit's mouth gaped in surprise, "you know her name."

"Sh-she had a name tag!"

"Still," Leo smirked. "You checked."

"I still haven't seen her face..." Yuuko muttered.

"We should call for the bill," Phichit offered, before he turned back and raised a hand in the air, signaling for the check.

Otabek threw a plastic spoon at him as he whined, "Phichit, stop."

"She's not there though."

Otabek sighed in relief. Suddenly Viktor, who has been quiet for a while, violently placed his cup of water down, splashing some on the table and getting the attention of the others, just as somebody came up to their table. Viktor stared at the figure, and Otabek realized he wasn't dressed in a uniform so he probably wasn't a waiter of any sort, which meant it was safe for him to look up to. He was wrong. He was surprised to find Yuuri, the delivery guy from last night, grinning.

"Hi, Viktor," he greeted.

Viktor opened his mouth as if about to speak, before quickly closing it again. He opted to wave instead.

Things were beginning to be thoroughly confusing for Otabek as he stared back and forth from the two. He knew Viktor ate at Grand Prix Pizza but he didn't expect him to know people- or rather, have people know him. At least, he realized that the group's focus has shifted away from him, and he was thankful for that.

Never mind. He spoke too soon. Yuuri was staring at him.

"And hello again, customer from last night," he greeted cheerfully. "I've heard all about you."

It took Otabek a few moments to process that Lei talked about him and when he did, it succeeded in making his face flush again. He couldn't stop his eyes from glancing over to the counter, only to find that Lei still wasn't there. He was torn between a mix of relief and disappointed. He wasn't sure which one worried him more, either. He gave an awkward smile back at Yuuri, who chuckled at the response.

"If you're looking for Lei, she left because she was called back by her roommate. Unwillingly, may I add."

"I wasn't--" Otabek started to say, but was cut off by the bill being placed on the table right in front of him.

"Bill's taken care of," Yuuri said, giving a small smirk directed towards Viktor. "Courtesy of Lei and myself."

Guang Hong let out a low whistle, and a soft "wow", followed by surprised looks from everybody in the table except for Viktor, who merely rolled his eyes.

"What's the catch, Yuuri?"

"Go out with me?"

"No," he replied back dryly.

"I tried," Yuuri shrugged, as if it was a normal, everyday happening, and Otabek was beginning to consider that maybe it was. Viktor hardly spoke about much things, and he was roomed with Guang Hong, who didn't gossip about everything either (unlike a certain Thai boy Otabek was stuck with). The other boy's attention was soon fixed on him, his grin still in place. "How about you? Want to go on a date with Lei?"

Otabek found himself at a lost for an answer.

He should be shaking his head, and saying "no" because... well, wasn't that the right thing to do, considering the situation he clearly did not want to be in because everything that happened so far was because of an accident. However the image of Lei, with her cheeky little grin and general playful tone, invaded his thoughts and Otabek just straight up hesitated. To his disappointment, the table's focus was back to him, everybody staring at him with a look of question in their eyes, as if they too were curious about why it took so long for Otabek to reply.

Finally, he opened his mouth to speak.