Jae and Taeil ended up inside the restaurant. The atmosphere felt more like a club than a place to eat. The lights were dim and there was a DJ booth, pool tables, and even what appeared to be a bar. The waitresses were dressed in white maid outfits. It was a strange restaurant indeed. Aside from the thumping music and the only thing Jae could sense was Taeil’s hands on her shoulders leading her to the table. It was large and round and just barely accommodated everyone. Her stomach was sick with worry the closer they got.

Is he going to say something? He won’t talk to me at all. What do I do?

“There you two are!” Kyung smiled brightly and pulled Jae to the empty seat next to him. She plopped into the chair and watched as Taeil took the seat directly across from her, in between Zico and Minhyuk. He had a half smile on his face.

“He’s been keeping the seat warm for you.” Jaehyo spoke into Jae’s ear, which earned a hard jab in the ribs from Kyung who blushed. Jae gave Kyung an awkward smile. 

Why was he getting teased so much?

“Oh. That’s nice…” she trailed off. Her gaze kept going back to Taeil, who was staring at her. His hat was nearly covering his eyes and his mouth was set in a line.

“So, everyone is getting a drink except Jihoon and Jae Hyung.” Zico announced, banging his fists on the table. Jae turned to glare at Zico.

“Why can’t I have a drink, huh? I haven’t thrown up on you!” she demanded. Jihoon had a sour face on as he sunk lower in his chair. Everyone was looking at Zico now, their expressions confused. Zico cleared his throat and shrugged.

“He’s my roommate. If he gets sick I’ll have to take care of him.” he said simply, turning his face away, so people wouldn’t stare at him. He was searching for a waitress to wave over.

“I am not going to get sick.” Jae defended herself. Then Taeil spoke up.

“I agree with Zico.” He nodded. Jae bit back a retort and shrugged.

“Fine.”

“Ah, what can I get you tonight, Block B?” a familiar voice spoke. Jae turned her head and her face lit up.

“Mari-ssi! This is where you work?” Mari looked down at Jae and nodded. Her hair was out of the bun. It was long and wavy, nearly down to her waist. She also wasn’t wearing glasses. She looked so cute and demure in her uniform. Jae rubbed the back of her head, suddenly feeling a bit jealous of Mari’s hair.

“Oh, I never got your name last time. Mianhaeyo. And also kamsahamnida!” she bowed slightly and smiled. She looked at Zico and then to Jaehyo. “I hope you enjoyed the cookies.” She blushed a bit. Jae was the only one who picked up on it since the lighting was so dim.

“Yea, no problem…” Kyung shrugged. Jaehyo stood up and put his arm over Mari’s shoulders.

“She knows how to say thank you!” he flashed a smile at her. It was the first time Jae had ever seen another expression on Jaehyo’s face. Mari’s eyes grew wide and she stiffened up. She put her hands on her cheeks.

Oh, so that’s how he looks like when he smiles. Not too bad, she thought to herself.

Yukwon laughed. “Sit down, Hyung, we haven’t even had drinks yet.” He pulled him away from Mari. “You’re making her look sick.” Mari’s eyes looked like they were going to pop out of her head.

“Ah, it’s alright. I’m fine.” She shook her head, her hands still trying to cover up her blushing face. “Did you all want me to bring you the usual?” she took out a pen from her apron and twirled it around with her fingers skillfully. The pad of paper followed.

“Yes, the usual is probably best.” Zico nodded. “We’ll start with that, I suppose.” Jae rolled her eyes. Zico had always been the bossier one when they were younger.

“Everything will be out momentarily. I’ll be back to bring the drinks.” She smiled and began scrawling on the notepad as she walked away expertly dodging other people that were walking. Jaehyo followed her with his eyes and as soon as she was out of sight, he was back to his stoic self. Yukwon piped up.

“So Zico and Kyung are childhood friends?” he asked, pointed at Kyung and Zico. They were sitting next to each other, so Kyung could punch him in the shoulder.

“Yep. We hadn’t seen each other since we were eight years old. My family moved to the states and Zico moved too. It was hard to keep in contact. My family went through some hard times and I ended up going to school abroad. I was away from my family for a long time.” He tilted his head towards Zico. “We recently got in contact and I’m back again.” He was all smiles, but there was something in his eyes that seemed off. Zico gave Jae the ‘I told you so’ look. She tried to ignore it but guilt was eating her up inside. Zico had been right all along. Jae threw her arms around Kyung’s waist.

“That sounds terrible.” She whispered in his ear. And mianhae for ever doubting you. Jihoon joined in the hug.

“Hyung, you’re with us now!” he sniffled. “And we’re all friends!” Kyung chuckled.

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.” He patted the top of Jae’s head with his free hand and squeezed Jihoon’s arm lightly. “Now, I would like to be able to breathe again!” Jihoon retreated.

“Mian, Hyung.” He smiled and went back to his seat between Zico and Minhyuk. Jae, on the other hand, was still clinging to Kyung. The group stared at her for a while; most of them looked creeped out. Then both Minhyuk and Zico stood up and yelled,

“YAH KANG JAE!” Jae released Kyung like she had touched a livewire and laughed awkwardly.

“It was just so sad, I felt bad for you.” She looked down and fiddled with her fingers under the table.

Great. I’m done for. They think I’m crazy.

Kyung just patted her on the shoulder and turned his face away from her, trying to keep his flushed cheeks from being noticed. Zico was glaring at Kyung and Minhyuk looked like he was grinding his teeth as he sank back down in his chair. Jae stood up.

“I’m going to be back soon. I’m going to ask the owner something.” She hurriedly shuffled away. Zico shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest and sat down, slouching. The mood felt heavy.

“Hyungs, there’s nothing wrong with a hug!” Jihoon seemed unaffected. “Isn’t this a celebration of our two new hyungs?” he smiled. Yukwon nodded and slammed his fist on the table.

“We’re supposed to be welcoming our new dorm mates. I don’t know what’s going on with everyone, but we should be happy.” He broke out his flashy smile and slapped Minhyuk on the back. “Whatever it is that’s wrong can wait until we get back to the dorm.”Kyung nodded in agreement.

“I don’t really know what’s going on either, but you shouldn’t yell at Jae. He was just worried I guess…” Kyung trailed off and looked around the restaurant for any sign of Jae. There was none. The restaurant had become more crowded and bustling with activity. It was hard to see anything going on past the moving bodies zooming around. Mari was heading back to the table with the first round of beer. She quickly moved around the perimeter of the table, putting down bottles adeptly.

“Your food will be out shortly.” She said before she sped off again. Minhyuk was the first to grab his drink and chug it down, slamming the empty bottle on the table. He slouched even more. Taeil watched Minhyuk carefully. He didn’t want his roommate to overdo it, especially since they shared a room. Minhyuk took Taeil’s bottle before he could protest. All he could do was pat the red head on the back. Jaehyo took a gulp of his beer and held his bottle. He had propped his elbow on the table and he leaned his head on his hand. Yukwon cautiously sipped on his, his gaze also on Minhyuk. Zico didn’t drink his, but instead pushed it over to Jihoon. He was ecstatic as he grabbed the bottle greedily.

“You can’t take it back, Hyung!” he took a large swig. Zico just shook his head. He had lost the mood for drinking.

“You can’t be anywhere near me, you got it?” he threatened. Kyung laughed and didn’t drink his beer, but played with the bottle, pushing it back and forth between his hands.

“I hope Jae comes back soon…” he sighed, a smile plastered on his face.

Meanwhile…

Jae had escaped to the men’s bathroom. She looked herself in the mirror and gave herself a pep talk.

If you don’t keep it together, they’re going to figure it out. You can’t keep doing whatever you want to! She pointed at herself in the mirror before exiting the bathroom. She spied Mari leaving the Block B table. Being careful to stay hidden, she followed Mari back to the employee area.

“Excuse me!” she knocked on the door as she opened it. “I had a question!” Mari spun around and put her hand over .

“Omo! What are you doing there? If you had a question, you should have just asked me while I was at your table!” she laughed. “What do you need?”

“I just wanted to know the requirements for a job.” She shrugged shyly. “I am going to need a job soon.” Mari walked over to Jae’s side and grabbed her chin, moving it from the left to the right, examining her angles. Jae’s eyes widened and she slapped Mari’s hand away after a few minutes of feeling uncomfortable. Mari giggled, putting her hands to her cheeks.

“We’re only hiring girls at the moment, but if you would come with me, I think I could help you out.” She grabbed Jae’s hand and pulled her into the bathroom, grabbing a spare uniform on her way.

“What is going on?” Jae frowned, resisting the urge to bolt out of the room. “What are you doing?” Mari hung the uniform on the doorknob and instructed,

“You put that on and I’ll bring the Big Boss.” She gave a thumbs-up and closed the door.

Oh, gosh. Mi Unnie did say that it was a waitress job.

She rubbed her temples and began stripping off her clothes. She put on the uniform piece by piece: the white dress with puffy sleeves, practically all tool underneath the soft top fabric, the thin white apron, the knee high white socks, and white heels. The dress had a collar and the neckline was quite high, which made her feel a little better. She didn’t feel so exposed. She grabbed the headband and arranged her hair in the mirror before Mari intruded and yanked her out of the bathroom. Jae stumbled into the presence of the Boss. She straightened and gave a slight bow. The man before her was handsome. His dark eyes were behind glasses and his mouth was set in a straight line as he looked Jae over.

“What is your name?” his voice was calm as his eyes darted from her head to her feet.

“Kang Jae.” She managed to spit out despite her being a nervous wreck. This was the second time within fifteen minutes that she had been inspected. “Mianhaeyo for being so sudden. I was just inquiring about a job.” The Boss smiled and nodded, circling her.

“What is your work experience?”

“I have none. But I am a quick learner and I can do whatever you want me to do.” She started to fiddle with her bracelet charms. “I really need this job.”

“Cho PD nim, he makes a pretty good girl, yea?” Mari crept up beside Jae and grabbed her arm. “And he said he really needs the job!” she looked up at him with her best puppy dog eyes.

“Well, since we need someone, I guess we can give him a week trial period.” He sighed and held out his hand. “Welcome!” Jae threw her hands up and hugged Mari and giggled. Mari joined in the theatrics, grabbing Cho PD’s hand and forcing him to join them in their group hug. Jae broke the hug and backed up a few paces.

“Just leave your school schedule with Mari and I’ll fit you into this week’s schedule.” Cho PD patted Mari and Jae on the head before exiting the room rather quickly.

“Wow that was amazing! How did you do that?” Jae turned to Mari and grabbed her shoulders. “If it weren’t for you, I don’t think I would have gotten the job!” Even in heels, Mari was still taller than her.

“Oh, Cho PD nim is my uncle.” She giggled. “I live with him and work here so I can go to school at the girls’ branch. I also do some part time desk work, but you knew that already.” She put her hands on Jae’s cheeks. “You did well. You even gave yourself s!” she poked one of Jae’s s and giggled. Jae blushed profusely, not because of the touch, but because she had noticed them. Out of all her sisters, she was always had the smallest chest.

“Oh, yea, I did.” She chuckled awkwardly. Suddenly, Mari gasped and pushed Jae towards the bathroom. “Go change and pick up the uniform after you finish your meal. I still have tables to serve!” and she was gone. Jae waved at the door. She couldn’t take the smile off her face. After changing back into her clothes, she went back to the table. There was already food and everyone was eating. All the food looked and smelled amazing. It was mostly of the Chinese variety.

“I took so long, mian!” she was quite cheerful and the boys noticed. She grabbed her chopsticks and began picking different foods and dropping them onto her plate.

“So you feel better? Did you have to use the bathroom?” Yukwon joked as he shoved noodles into his mouth.

“Yah Yukwon Hyung! We’re eating!” Jihoon protested. Everyone else didn’t seem like they were having a problem. They were too busy consuming the food on their plates to notice, except Kyung, Zico, and Minhyuk. Their plates were empty.

“You three! Why haven’t you started eating?” she looked at all of them. Minhyuk seemed to only be interested in drinking because he had three empty bottles in his vicinity. Kyung was watching Jae as she began to nibble on her food. He started to grab his own.

“I was waiting for you.” He dropped rice onto his plate. “Oh, and Minhyuk Hyung took your drink so we ordered you a new one.” He smiled apologetically. Jae eyed Minhyuk out of the corner of her eye. He looked like he was brooding. She had never seen this side of him before. He had always been sweet, caring, and mostly unaffected by anything. It was almost strange to see this much emotion out of him.

“It’s ok. Zico said I couldn’t drink anyway.” She began to glare at Zico, but then noticed his expression. It was like his body was an empty shell and his mind was wandering. “Zico… WOO JIHO.” She snapped her fingers loudly.

“Oh yea, eating, ok.” He nodded, but the vague expression never left his face.

“Seriously, what is wrong with you two! Zico, you’re not allowed to look like that. Only Jaehyo is allowed to look that serious all the time. Minhyuk Hyung, you need to eat. Just having beer isn’t good for your stomach.” Jaehyo grabbed Jae’s arm.

“Do I really look serious all the time?” he put his face up to hers and opened his eyes really wide. Kyung let out a ‘pfft’.

“Well, not right now, Hyung.” Jae said slowly. She swallowed. Taeil spoke up.

“Jaehyo, knock it off. You’re scaring the little princess.” He laughed and Yukwon laughed too. The mood finally felt light again, aside from the two that were still sulking.

“Hey, Taeil Hyung, if he’s the ‘little princess’ can I be the little prince?” Jihoon stood up, waving his beer bottle around. It was still half full.

“I’m guessing this is why Jihoon can never have drinks.” Jae watched the tipsy Jihoon. Kyung stood up and reached for the bottle, but Jihoon, despite being wobbly, was too fast for the dark haired boy. What he wasn’t expecting was Zico to grab the bottle.

“Jihoon, you can’t even handle one bottle. I don’t know what to do with you.” He scoffed.

The rest of the night was filled with laughing, drinking, and lots of yelling. While Jihoon was a boisterous drunk, Minhyuk was an angry, brooding drunk. He never said anything, but the look on his face said it all. He was definitely unhappy about something. No one dared ask about it, though. No one really wanted to be near him either, save for Taeil and Yukwon. After they had paid and were getting ready to leave, Jae stayed behind.

“I’ve got something to grab from Mari-ssi. Everyone should go on ahead. It looks like Jihoon will need the help, anyway.”

“But Jae Hyung, it’s dark out and you don’t really know the way back to the dorm.” Kuyng was concerned. When is this guy not concerned about me?

“It’s fine. I’ll have Zico with me.” she grabbed his arm. “Right?” Zico rolled his eyes and grumbled.

“Yea, I’ll be with him so get back to the dorm.” He pushed Kyung towards the group and then put his hands in his pockets.

“See you later!” Jae waved enthusiastically. “Komawo.” She whispered as she turned around and went back to the employee back room. She looked around the room for the uniform that had been left for her, but it was nowhere to be seen.

“Oi, Block B, what are you doing here?” a familiar voice came from behind her. It was Kikwang, clad in a white dress shirt with a white bowtie and vest.

“Oh, please don’t tell me you work here, too.” She muttered to herself.

“What’s your name again?” the boy smiled. Jae noticed that he was holding her uniform.

“Kang Jae.” She said quietly, inching forward towards him. Different scenarios went through her head as she tried to figure out a way to get the uniform from him. 

Grab and run? No, that might cause damage to the uniform. Kick, grab, run? No, he might try and fight back. He looked pretty fit for the times she saw him without his shirt on. She had run out of situations to think about when Jae eyed Kikwang. He had been silent for a little bit before a light bulb went off in his brain.

“Kang? Do you know Kang Eun Jung?” he asked. Jae didn’t know how to respond exactly. Her brain stopped for a moment as she thought about what to say.

“She’s my little… cousin.” She said carefully. “Wae?”

“I met her on the bus. She was looking for a Kang Jae earlier today.” He nodded. “She came to visit you? That’s nice. She was pretty.” Jae mentally slapped her forehead. She had an idea.

“Well actually, she needs a tutor. She is going to be doing her university exams next year and she needs a tutor.” Jae smiled. 

Jung, you better appreciate this, araso?

“I could use the extra money.” He was clearly contemplating.

“Well, next time I see you, you can give me a decision. I’ll call her and let her know.” Jae smirked. “Oh, and Mari-ssi was looking for that. That’s her uniform. I’ll bring it to her since you’re doing such a huge favor for me.” Kikwang looked at the maid uniform and handed it over.

“Kamsahamnida! You’re so nice, Kang Jae. Well, I’m going back to my Block. I will see you around I guess.” He waved and left the employee room. Hanging on the door knob was a bag with a note:

Jae, this is for you. I also included some hair extensions just so people don’t notice you. I look forward to working with you! – Mari

Jae couldn’t help but feel so happy that she had another girl looking out for her. She hadn’t really had anyone do that for her except for her sisters. She stuffed the dress into the bag and came out of the employee room to find Zico eyeing the bag suspiciously.

“Mian. I didn’t mean to take that long.” She sighed. Zico grabbed the bag from her and slung it over his shoulder.

“Kwaenchanha. You’re fine.” He smiled at her. It was the first time all night. Jae felt a little more at ease. The walk back to the dorm was silent and filled with near accidents, like almost tripping on her feet and running into things. The two made it back in once piece. Of course, Kyung was waiting near the door, just like a loyal puppy.

“You’re back!” he had already changed into his sleeping clothes. In fact, everyone was already changed. Jae grabbed her bag from Zico quickly and shuffled to her room quickly, closing the door behind her. She let out a sigh of relief and leaned her back on the door. She flipped on the light switch and sitting on her bed was Eun Jung.