There he sits in front of me, right across the table in the seat opposite mine. He ordered all the food so when it comes, we will just split it. It’s not long before the lady who runs the restaurant brings us our silverware and two bowls of rice. I can see the excitement on Taemin’s face when she says, “I’ll be right back with the stew.”

 The window right next to our table is open to let a bit of air movement through the slightly muggy dining room. I watch as his bleached hair gets softly blown across his makeup-free face. He looks down at the bowl of rice sitting in front of him with no clue that I’m sitting here staring at him.

Suddenly, he flicks his hair out of his face with a quick movement of his hand. He then looks up at me, but averts his gaze almost immediately as he catches eye contact. I follow his stare out at the rest of the restaurant. The only other customers are an older couple that seem to be regulars at this establishment. Taemin opens his mouth as if he’s about to say something, but stops as soon as he sees our server carrying the stew out of the kitchen and toward our table.

She sets down the large, hot dish in the middle of our table, saying, “It must be a good day for couples to come eat,” someone else comes behind her to bring a small tray of side dishes for our table. “Here, enjoy you two.”

              “Thank you, we’ll eat well,” Taemin says shyly to the older woman. She returns to the front of the restaurant, ready to welcome new customers as they come. “Eat.”

              I nod and reach for my spoon.

              “Eh, I mean, ‘eat up, darling’” he jokes,