The next morning, Sunhwa trudged down the stairs and was greeted by the smell of pancakes.

Rubbing her eyes, she opened them wide and said tentatively, “Umma?”

Her mother turned around from where she was happily cooking at the stove and said, “Sunhwa yah! You’re up.” She set a plate of steaming pancakes in front of her bewildered daughter.

“Don’t you have work today?” Sunhwa asked confusedly.

Mrs. Park laughed and ruffled her hair. “I have the day off today, so I decided to make you and Jung Hee some American-style breakfast.”

Sunhwa was not one to question a gift of food, so she nodded and dug in eagerly.

Jung Hee stumbled down the stairs, half-awake. He yawned and sat automatically at the table, picking up some chopsticks and stuffing a pancake into his mouth. “This is really good,” he mumbled sleepily.

Their mother beamed and sat at the table across from Sunhwa. “So, how’s work?” she asked conversationally.

The pancakes suddenly tasted like ash in Sunhwa’s mouth. She had totally forgotten about work last night, and was sure her manager would not be happy about that. Stupid Lotte World. Now she would have to tread carefully around her mother and go to Paradise and beg for her job back.

She said carefully, “It’s good. I think I’m learning a lot.”
 

“Good,” her mother said, pleased. “Is the boss treating you well?”

“Mmhmm,” came the reply. “I think he thinks favorably of me.”

Mrs. Park nodded and moved on to interrogate Jung Hee about school. Sunhwa sighed internally of relief and forced down the guilty knot blooming in her stomach.

-

“I see.” Sunhwa was currently in the manager of Paradise’s office. He was sitting in his desk and writing something on a piece of paper. She had explained to him about her audition and the reason she didn’t come the day before, and was now silently waiting his decision.

“You do know,” he started, “that according to Paradise’s rules, you could be fired for skipping work yesterday.”

Sunhwa gulped. She was fully aware of the consequences. Sure, Paradise was only a restaurant, but it was a freaking five-star restaurant with starters costing up to one million won. They had standards.

“Neh,” she said softly.

There was a long silence, and then the manager sighed. “Stand up.”

She gratefully stood up from her bowed position and met his eyes steadily.

The manager shuffled some papers and wrote something else down. Sunhwa waited silently.

Finally, he looked up and said, “I know that with your acceptance into SM and your rehearsals, you’re busy, but you made a commitment to this restaurant when you started the job. We can’t have people skipping all the time.”

She nodded, too fearful to say anything else.

He paused for a second, and continued, “You’re one of the hardest workers I’ve seen in a long time and at least you don’t giggle like the other waitresses do.” The manager’s mouth quirked up into a slight smirk. “And SHINee is quite fond of coming to see you, and that’s good business for us, so…I will let you stay.”

“Kamsahamida,” Sunhwa said, hiding her broad smile with a deep bow. She didn’t see the small, rare, smile that graced the manager’s face either.

“However,” he added sternly, “you must come at least four days a week. I know you have rehearsal almost every day, so you must come afterwards. There must be some schedule. Do you understand?”

She nodded vigorously, and he waved a hand at her. “Now go. Don’t bother me anymore.”

“Neh!” Sunhwa chirped, fleeing the room.

After the door closed, he shook his head. “Aish, silly girl,” he muttered to himself. Then he went back to his papers.

-

“Yah!”

Sunhwa had just finished giving the extremely large bill to a table of socialites, and the customers by the door were getting impatient. It was a rather busy day and she hadn’t even had time for lunch yet.

She turned hurriedly to the people and bowed. “Mianheyo,” she said sincerely. “My apologies, today has been very busy.”

Sunhwa turned and started to lead the customers to a table.

“Sunhwa yah, you don’t even recognize us?” A familiar voice stopped her.

“Jonghyun?” she said, eyes getting wider by the second. “SHINee?”

“Don’t look so shocked to see us,” Onew grinned, sitting himself at the table.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

Taemin pouted. “We wanted to see you.”

“In other words, we dropped by to have a quick lunch before practice,” Minho explained, opening the menu.

“This is a restaurant, you know,” Key sniffed disdainfully, whipping open his napkin and placing it delicately on his lap. Sunhwa resisted the urge to wring his pretty white neck.

“So what can I get for you today?” she said, deliberately not looking at Key.

“Chicken!” Onew said immediately.

“That was a given,” Sunhwa said as she wrote it down on the notepad. “Others?”

“Hmm…” Jonghyun scanned the menu carefully. Then, he closed it and slammed it onto the table. “One of everything, please,” he said cheerfully.

“Yah!” Minho scolded, grabbing the menu and slapping his hyung’s arm with it. “This is supposed to be a light lunch. Otherwise you’ll feel queasy during practice. And that would cost a fortune.”

“How about five salads for starters?” Taemin said, looking hopefully at her with his bambi eyes. Sunhwa smiled at him in return. She definitely wasn’t the flirty type, but no one could resist him; he gave off such an innocent and cute aura that she just wanted to pinch his cheeks.

“Good boy,” Key told the maknae, patting him on the head. He then turned and glared at Sunhwa. “Don’t forget the right dressing. Italian. I expect it to be in perfect condition.”

She nodded sarcastically and started to gather up the menus. “Anything else?”

The rest of SHINee shook their heads. As she headed to the kitchen to report their orders, she heard Key call after her, “Another waitress, maybe?”

Cue eye roll.

(I'm too lazy to think of a better title...oops. :P Ignore it.)

In honor of SHINee's impending comeback, I have decided to update again. WHOO! *throws confetti* Haha seriously though, if I may say so myself, I'm a fabulous author. *flips hair* xD

A couple of people have commented asking about the reason why Key seems to hate Sunhwa, and I assure you, I think I know what I'm doing. ;) All shall be revealed in due time.

MORE GIF SPAM (BUT NOT AS MANY BECAUSE I USED THEM ALL UP LAST TIME)!

- tigress