Please note that the bolded dialogue is what is being said in Korean

{Part 3}

“I feel really underdressed,” Inati whispered to Day Day as they and the other four men sat at a bar to a hotel restaurant, looking at his and his groups jeans and t shirts, then looking at the other patrons, all dressed a little more formally.

“I don’t understand why we couldn’t have gone to the restaurant in our hotel,” Youngwon mumbled, sliding onto the bar chair next to Jisu.

“Apparently, this one is better,” Jisu replied matter-of-factly, scanning over the menu and drink list that was sitting on the bar already. Though Jisu couldn’t understand English perfectly, he had improved since getting to know Daniel and Day Day, and had tried to do his best when English was needed in Korea, but being in America provided an all new challenge that Jisu was more intent on dealing with than Youngwon’s complaining.

“Have you been here before?” Day Day asked, leaning over slightly so the others didn’t hear. The two of them, as the fluent English speakers, were supposed to be the ones to guide the others, but it would be difficult to help the other four choose food if they weren’t familiar themselves.

“I came here once,” Daniel answered. “Don’t worry. It looks fancy, but it’s standard American food.” Daniel turned back to his menu to confirm. “Yep. Burgers, seafood, pasta. American.”

Day Day scrunched his face. “The combination sounds weird if you say it like that.”

“Plus you’ve been out of the country for the most part in recent years,” Daniel added, turning the menu over. “At least they have Dr. Pepper.”

Day Day nodded absentmindedly, still watching Daniel. Daniel had seen more subdued than usual in the last twenty four hours. Before they had left Korea and right when they had landed in LA, Daniel had been a ball of energy, ready to be in a place that he would feel completely comfortable with almost everything. Now though, he seemed calmer, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, it just seemed a little strange to Day Day.

“Can I get you guys some drinks?” the bartender asked, making a couple of the guys jump.

Jisu and Youngwon stared at the man who had asked for their drinks, all ability to communicate in any language completely gone.

“I’ll have water,” Day Day and Inati said.

“Dr. Pepper,” said Daniel. He was technically over age, but drinking anything stronger than Pepsi just didn’t sound good to him tonight.

“Water,” Dari managed.

Jisu and Youngwon stared for a moment longer, before they both managed to timidly ask for water.

The bartender turned and went to fill the drinks, and Daniel couldn’t help but feel a little bad that the man was limited to filling non-alcoholic beverages for their party. And apparently, Day Day felt the same, since he ordered a large Guinness when the bartender returned, ignoring the looks from the other five men.

“Now, why did we have to sit at the bar?” Dari asked. “There seem to be a lot of empty tables,” he pointed out looking over the dining area of the restaurant.

“It’s because all those tables are reserved,” Day Day answered simply, taking a sip of Guinness.

“All of them?” Jisu asked incredulously.

“Yeah, it’s sort of something that’s done a lot in America,” Daniel assured him. “Even in chain restaurants like Olive Garden.”

“Oh, don’t tell me you’ve never made a reservation to the Garden,” Day Day told Daniel, chuckling.

“Did I say I didn’t?” Daniel retorted with a grin. “The Olive garden was my go-to place with my parents if we couldn’t decide on anything else.”

“Amen, brother,” Day Day said with a nod, reaching over Inati to high five Daniel. “And the breadsticks…”

“Best ever,” Daniel finished. “And I always really liked their salad dressing too.”

Day Day and Daniel went back and forth for a while, ignoring the others. Jisu and Youngwon sipped on their drinks and were beginning to get headaches from trying to decipher all the English on the menu when Inati intervened and tried to help, although he wasn’t perfect himself.

Dari was people watching. He may not be able to fully understand the conversations, but he watched with intrigue as people went about their business. He even chuckled a little as he watched a waiter flirt with a female patron in full view of her date, who, despite the fact that he was looking at the menu, Dari could tell from the tenseness of the man’s jaw that, if they had been anywhere other than a nice restaurant, the man would have already punched the waiter.

But when the waiter finally left, Dari needed another target to watch.

Thankfully, at the moment the waiter walked away from the table, a different couple walked passed in in the other direction. They were both smiling, and Dari instantly became interested. The woman was beautiful, wearing a simple black dress to match her date’s blazer.

The man pulled out the chair for his date, and, once they were seated, immediately called a waiter over. It was the same waiter that Dari had been watching before, and, much to Dari’s amusement, the waiter again set in to flirting with the woman at the table.

Dari’s chuckled got Daniel’s attention, and he turned and asked, “What are you laughing at?”

“There’s a waiter that’s flirting with all the girls he serves, even when they’re on a date,” Dari answered, not taking his eye off the situation at the restaurant table about ten yards away.

Immediately interested, Daniel turned and asked, “Where?” as he took a sip of his Dr. Pepper.

“There,” Dari nodded towards the table he was watching, as though pointing would scare the prey away.

Considering Daniel was halfway through swallowing his Dr. Pepper, it was a lucky thing he didn’t choke to death right then.

“You alright?” came five other voices as Daniel coughed, his throat trying to keep him from dying in the middle of a crowded restaurant.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Daniel insisted quickly. “Just talk quieter.”

Everyone looked at each other, confused, but Jisu was the first to ask, “Why?”

“Just—”

Before Daniel could get another word out, someone at the entrance to the bar called, “Daniel! Daniel Chae!”

Daniel muttered a sharp curse under his breath before looking up at who he was talking to. 

Thanks for reading/subscribing~!

Again, I thank everyone for their patience. Finals are next week for me, and then hopefully I'll be able to get a few updates in before next semester starts up.

:D