Taemin watched him very carefully. He watched the tall man come into the restaurant every Wednesday, watched him order, watched him eat, watched him leave. Mr. Tall, as he was referred to, was something out of a storybook. Handsome, well built, and…

Tall.

“Hyung, you can’t watch him all the time. You have other customers.”

“I do not,” Taemin retorted, gesturing to the almost empty restaurant. “It’s a Wednesday. That table is yours.” He pointed to a table with three girls at the other end of the restaurant.

“Pretend you do,” Kai retorted. “You seriously can’t just watch him.”

“But he’s pretty,” Taemin whined. “Besides, you can’t tell me what to do.”

“One year,” Kai reminded him, holding up his index finger. “One year.” The younger boy went to bring food to the girls’ table. Kai was really good at flirting, apparently. The girls turned red the moment he put their food down. Taemin glanced between him and Mr. Tall. Scrunching his face in concentration, he pondered how he could possibly get the mysterious man to blush.

It was probably impossible.

“Table 2,” The cook announced, passing Taemin the usual sandwich. Taemin brought it to Mr. Tall’s table with careful steps.

“Here you are, sir,” Taemin said, placing the food in front of him. Mr. Tall smiled.

“Thank you,” He said. His voice was terribly deep, and terribly smooth. Taemin nodded and retreated behind the kitchen divider.

“Hyung, why are you on the floor?”

“He’s so much prettier up close,” Taemin quipped.

~

“You’re watching him again. This is the fourth Wednesday you’ve done this.”

“I can’t help it,” Taemin insisted, staring at Mr. Tall. “No one that attractive is ever in this place.”

“What about me?” Kai asked. Taemin snorted. “Aaah, so mean,” Kai complained, going to take another table’s order. Taemin ignored his whining, and focused on Mr. Tall. He was wearing a remarkable flattering shirt today. Taemin had to note his sleek, classy sense of style.

Suddenly, Mr. Tall turned to look at Taemin. Taemin, not eager to be caught staring, ducked behind the kitchen barrier. In the process, he whacked his head on a counter with a loud thud.

“Aaaaah,” Taemin groaned, rubbing his injured skull. Kai returned with a smirk on his lips. “Did he hear that?” Taemin asked anxiously.

“Everyone heard it,” Kai snickered. Taemin curled up on the floor, consumed with embarrassment. “You’re on the floor too often,” Kai pointed out.

“You’re on the stupid too often.” Taemin mumbled, dejected. Kai simply laughed.

~

“I was unreasonable last week,” Taemin stated.

“You can say that again,” Kai told him. Taemin rolled his eyes.

“Alright, alright. But you have to help me,” He said. “I need to know his name.”

“Minho,” Kai said.

“Huh?”

“His name is Minho.”

“How did you find that out?” Taemin asked loudly, horrified.

“He told me. When I asked him, “ Kai answered. Taemin felt like he had been punched in the stomach.

“I’m hopeless!” He cried. “I can’t even get his name on my own!”

“Well, here’s your second try,” Kai told him. “He’s coming in now.”

Taemin peeked over the kitchen barrier, feeling butterflies in his stomach at the sight of Mr. Tall.

“Minho?” Taemin asked.

“Yes. Go,” Kai told him. Taemin rushed to his table.

“Hello, sir,” Taemin greeted brightly. “How are you today?”

“Good, thank you,” Minho answered.

“The usual for you today, sir?” Taemin asked.

“Yes please,” Minho replied. “But you don’t have to call me sir.”

“Hyung?” Taemin offered, feeling a blush sneaking onto his face.

“Minho-hyung,” Minho corrected him.

“Ah, of course,” Taemin laughed, going to get Minho’s usual iced tea.

“You sound like a smitten schoolgirl,” Kai informed him as he passed by.

“Don’t remind me,” Taemin groaned.

~

“Okay, game plan,” Taemin said, arranging various glasses, plates and utensils on the counter. “I’ll go over here, and you cover me. Distract him. And then when he turns back around, BAM! I’ll be right here. ‘Hyuuuung, do you need anything else?’ See, I’ll already have the iced tea. He always orders it.”

“Are you serious?” Kai asked. Taemin dropped the fork he was holding and covered his face with his hands.

“Yes,” He groaned. “What else do I do?”

“Be a normal human being?” Kai suggested.

“No time!” Taemin told him. “He’s here now. Go go go!”

With a roll of his eyes, Kai got up and went into the dining area. Taemin grabbed an iced tea and waited.

“Oh noooo,” Kai said monotonously, “I dropped a chair.” He picked up a chair and knocked it over. Minho, already seated, turned around to watch Kai struggle to pick the chair back up. Taemin jumped into action. By the time Kai had set the chair back on its legs, and Minho was turning back around, Taemin was placing his iced tea on the table.

But instead of saying what he had planned on saying, Taemin froze under Minho’s gaze.

“Aah jagle flagerl neamle jaah,” Taemin mumbled, backing away from the table and hiding behind the barrier.

“You can’t always crumble to the floor when you embarrass yourself,” Kai told him.

“I do what I want,” Taemin mumbled into the linoleum flooring.

~

“My heart hurts,” Taemin complained. “He’s so handsome and nice and wonderful and I’m such a dummy. Aish, what do I do?”

“Why don’t you be yourself instead of these ridiculous schemes?” Kai suggested.

“Because I’m not a cool person! I can’t be myself,” Taemin grumbled.

“I don’t know what to tell you, hyung,” Kai said. Taemin rested his face in his hands.

“I guess I should give up.” He mumbled.

“Well, he’s here,” Kai told him. Taemin frowned.

“I guess I’ll serve him,” He sighed. Taemin went to Minho’s table. “The usual, Minho-hyung?” He asked.

“Yes please,” Minho answered. Taemin still got butterflies at the sound of his voice. He nodded and went to fetch his iced tea. He was still just as pretty as ever. Taemin felt miserable that he was just too much of an idiot to do anything about it.

After pouring the iced tea, Taemin brought it to Minho’s table quietly. He was on his way when a wild floor tile appeared and tripped him. Taemin dropped the glass, sending iced tea everywhere. His hands flew to his head, horrified.

He was such an idiot. Such an idiot. Taemin was close to blubbering up when Kai came rushing in.

“Hyung!” He cried. “Again? You told me you had recovered from your hideous condition!”

Taemin stared at Kai.

”Condition?”

Taemin turned back to see Minho, also staring at the younger boy.

“The debilitating condition you developed while saving those children from that burning hospital!” Kai continued. “Don’t tell me-“ he gasped loudly. “Hyung! You’ve been hiding it so that we wouldn’t be worried! I told you not to be so noble, hyung!” Kai pressed a hand to his eyes, pretending to stifle tears. He then grabbed Taemin by the shoulders and pushed him back behind the kitchen barrier. “You must rest, hyung! Please! Don’t fight me!”

Taemin was in a bit of shock. Kai quickly went to the water pitcher and painted fake tear trails on his face. He grabbed a rag and went to clean up the spill.

When Taemin later returned to Minho’s table to deliver his sandwich, the man was smiling. Taemin could have melted at the sight of it.

“Thank you, noble hero,” He said. Taemin blushed furiously, bowing and escaping to the kitchen.

“I’m so embarrassed,” He sighed.

“Keep your head up, hyung!” Kai assured him. Taemin didn’t know if he should trust Kai anymore.

~

Taemin had volunteered to stay late after work to close up. He was furious with himself, and didn’t want to go home yet. While he was wiping down some tables, he heard laughter from outside. Taemin looked to see a few teenagers behind some shrubs. He went outside.

“Hello?” He called.

“Hyung!” Kai poked his head out.

“Kai, what are you doing?” Taemin asked.

“I’m here with my friends,” Kai answered, indicating the other boys with him.

“In a bush,” Taemin said slowly.

“Why not?” Kai asked.

“We didn’t mean to disturb you!” Kai’s large-eyed friend said. “Go back to work now!”

“Yes, yes, go back to work,” Kai agreed. Taemin stared at them for a while before returning inside.

Taemin was pushing in all of the chairs, trying to ignore the noise outside, when the bell on the door rang.

“We’re closing,” Taemin said, not looking at the person who had entered.

“I’m sorry, I needed to say something.”

Taemin whipped around to find Minho standing just a few feet away from him.

“Have you been trying to impress me or something?” Minho asked.

“Pft, no,” Taemin lied.

“Do you want my number?”

“Yes,” Taemin said immediately. He slapped his hand to his forehead. “Ah, I mean… I don’t… I just…”

“Your name is Taemin, right?” Minho asked, grinning. Taemin felt his resolve being kicked down. He nodded, bottom lip sticking out automatically. Minho smiled and fetched a napkin, writing down his number on it and holding it out. Taemin hesitated before slowly taking the napkin. His heart was going a mile a minute.

“Is this a prank?” He asked.

“No,” Minho laughed. “I think you’re cute.”

“Is this a prank?” Taemin repeated.

“Taemin-ah,” Minho laughed. He crossed the room and placed a kiss on Taemin’s cheek. Taemin nearly caught fire. “Call that number sometime, okay?” Taemin stared at him, bewildered. “Okay?” Taemin managed to nod. Furiously.

Minho smiled and left the restaurant. Taemin was left in shock, face hot and palms sweaty. Very slowly, he locked up the restaurant. Checking to make sure Kai and his friends weren’t watching, He pumped his fists into the air.

“Wooo-hoo!” He cried, jumping around on the sidewalk, practically skipping all the way home.