Trembling fingers, wobbly elbows, and swerving legs is how one would describe the lanky noodle that Sehun is today during training.

Right now, Sehun and Jumyeon are positioned across the floor from the private dining room (PDR) at table 60. Sehun’s goal is to make it over to table 30 inside the PDR where Luhan, Jongdae, and Sooyoung are waiting for him.

Junmyeon clutches a serviette tightly in his fist, knuckles whitening as each minute ticks by.

"Remember to breathe, Sehun, you're doing fine! It's okay if you drop them, there's nothing on them and it's okay if they break." Junmyeon says.

Sehun takes in a deep breath as he begins walking towards the private dining room. He’s almost made it to the entrance when he feels the plates trembling on his left forearm and wrist. Sehun stares down at the plates willing them to stay put with his mind. He’s distracted as his body carries him forwards.

“Wait, don’t go that way- Sehun!” Sooyoung shouted at a half dazed Sehun who had miscalculated the space in between his own body and the sliding doors of the private dining room.

His right hip knicks the door frame throwing him off balance causing his left arm to jerk forwards thus sending the plate on his forearm flying forwards.

Jongdae was fast on his feet and dove to grab the white ceramic plate before it broke into pieces on the ground.

“Safe!” Luhan yelled as he mimicked the gesture an umpire would make at a baseball game.

Sehun groans both relieved and embarrassed. Junmyeon gives him a sympathetic smile before asking him to try again.

The head server is more worried about Sehun's progress at the moment. His training days were ending soon, and this was the last big concept he had yet to master. Junmyeon had gone over the basic fundamentals of plate stacking with him and though Sehun was great at using the giant server tray to serve, that skill didn't match their restaurants concept. Each server was expected to be able to hold at least three plates of food. Chef Soo made a conscious effort of making sure the plates were all either square, rectangular, or circular in shape so that everything stacked together. Sehun was having particular trouble with how he was to balance two plates on his left hand.

"Alright Hun, you can do this, remember that the first plate rests on the forearm and the second plate is on the left hand held in place by the thumb and pinky." Sehun thought to himself as he grits his teeth.

His left hand was shaking, still not used to the weight upon them. Sehun sighed and removed the plate on his forearm and allowed his left hand to hold the other plate in a relaxed manner.

"Hyung, they're so heavy. I feel like I'm going to drop them if I take a step." Sehun whined.

Junmyeon smiled sympathetically at the trainee. He too remembered the struggles of grasping the art of plate stacking.

"You'll get it, Sehun, it just takes time and practice. For the meantime, we'll just have you serve two plates at a time and not three." Junmyeon says.

Sehun nodded and scowled at the ceramic plates now resting on the table.

Jongdae and Sooyoung gave him a clap on the shoulder as they exited the room to finish the rest of their pre-dinner shift duties. As soon as they were gone, Sehun continued to stare at the plates, wishing they were made of styrofoam instead of ceramic.

"Stupid plates making me look weak. I'm not weak. I'm a man." Mocked a voice from behind.

Sehun snapped around and mouths Sunbae please.

Luhan laughs at his response before sauntering over and throws an arm around Sehun, “Junmyeon-ah, is this rascal getting any better? I’ll beat him at soccer for you on Saturday! Teach him a lesson, ey?”

Sehun slumps his shoulders and shakes off Luhan’s arm, while Junmyeon yells back,“Hyung, what did I say about keeping our private lives and professional lives separate?”

Luhan rolls his eyes, “Oh please, everyone here hangs out. This is our personal life. I swear I see all your dumb faces more often than I see my own.”

“Sehun’s getting there. Stop teasing him, it’ll just rile him up.” Jumyeon says as he enters the PDR.

Sehun pouts and turns towards his two older coworkers, “What’d I do this time Luhan hyung, what happened to our bro moment from soccer last weekend?”

Luhan puffs his chest out and proudly states, “We are bros! But not at work, here I’m sure to make sure we get great reviews from the guests and regulars. So please, don’t drop anything on anyone. Not that I don’t believe in you, Sehun, just take some more time yeah? Focus a bit harder, pretend you’re serving Sooyoung, wouldn’t want to look like a fool now would’ya?”

Luhan finishes his weird lecture with a wink before pulling Junmyeon away towards the bar where Minseok and Yixing are laughing at something probably stupid.

Sehun sighs and replaces the three plates in position.

“I better get back at it and prove them wrong.” Sehun thinks to himself.

Two days later…

“Sehun-ah! Take these out to table 72 with Sooyoung!” Yeonhee screams over the chatter in the kitchen.

The staff was lining up to serve a party of eighteen and Yeonhee was desperate for free hands. Sehun dropped the breadbasket he was prepping and stood behind Sooyoung awaiting instructions.

He noticed that Sooyoung had wrapped her left wrist with a sports bandage and looked at the five plates in queue, they were all loaded with steak dinners, he glanced at her profile and saw the perspiration gathering around her temple. “She must be in pain” he thought and as Yeonhee placed the last garnish on the third plate and turned to wipe them for the final touch, he quickly brushed infront of Sooyoung and took the three plates intended for Sooyoung.

Sooyoung stepped back in confusion and looked up at Sehun’s back. He turned to look at her and said, “I got it, it’s fine.”

“Sehun, are you sure about three plates?” Yeonhee asked.

Sehun nodded and smiled, “I got this! Table 72 seats thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen!”

Yeonhee gave him a smile of encouragement and waved him off in a hurry before throwing a wink over at Sooyoung and teases, “Aw, Sehun-ah to the rescue.”

Sooyoung turned beet red before dashing out of the kitchen with the last two entrees in hand.

Sehun sighed happily as his timeclock beeped, signaling the end of his shift.

He was about to turn around when two bodies slammed into him with woops and loud laughter filling the room. Luhan and Jongdae hung around Sehun’s neck as he staggered towards the table in the middle of the room to gain support. The two older boys were laughing and congratulating him on being able to “serve like a big boy now” and how “we expect great things from you!” as the door to the break room opened revealing a shivering Jongin towing in a tired looking Yixing and a happy Junmyeon. Jongin spotted the trapped Sehun and charged forwards to jump on him too. A devilish grin spread across his face, “Oooh our heroic Hunnie saving our injured Sooyoung tonight. Look at you all chivalrous and such.”

Sehun scowled and tried to wriggle himself out of the grasp of the three boys but no luck. Yixing smiled sleepily at the chaos in front of him and whispered to Junmyeon, “Looks like he’s having no trouble fitting in. He’s been improving greatly! Great job, Junmyeon. I know training new hires is tough, but really, Sehun’s coming into his own.”

Junmyeon smiles back and laughs a little at the boys pestering Sehun about Sooyoung and at Luhan and Jongdae mocking Sehun’s trembling hands from previously in the week.

“Yeah, I’m excited to see him grow, but I’m more excited to have my own section back. It’s going to be a tight month ahead what with slow season and all starting up.”

Yixing winces and nods in agreement, “Yeah I feel you. Thank God Minseok’s taking the time to go on vacation soon. Bless that man, he knows rent is tight for me next month too.”

“Vacation? Where’s he off to?” Junmyeon asks, interest peaked and albeit slightly jealous, he’d love to have some time off too.

“I think he’s going back home to see family? And probably to spend some time with his girl too. It’s been so long since we’ve seen Jieun.” Yixing responds.

“Jien? Sooyoung’s sister?” Junmyeon asks, “The food runner?”

Yixing smiles and lets out a “Oops, shhh, Sooyoung doesn’t know yet.”

Junmyeon flashes a gummy smile, “Well, at least Sehun has less imaginary competition now.”

Yixing guffaws, “Ahh, young Sehun and Sooyoung. What a time to be alive and to think we’ll be able to witness all this tomfoolery. Do you think he knows that Sooyoung’s just intimidated by Minseok instead of her crushing on him?”

Junmyeon scoffs, “Yeah right, he’s as thick as they come. He still thinks I don’t like him.”

Yixing laughs, “Eh, well, that’s just because your face is stuck on fear mode every time Sehun has a scheduled shift.”

“What! I’m not afraid of the guy, he’s just new and uh, accident prone.” Junmyeon whines.

Sehun catches Yixing and Junmyeon huddling by the door, “Junmyeon hyung! Help me!”

Yixing smirks and looks at Junmyeon’s face soften as he hears Sehun calling him hyung.

Welp looks like we lost this bet Minseok Yixing thinks to himself as Junmyeon scurries over to untangle Sehun from the web of limbs.

Author's note:

A bonus chapter will be up before Chapter 4 hits! It'll just be little scenarios that Sehun encounters. Thank you for reading! 

-Mia