"Mom, I might be a little late today. I have a little bit of cleaning up to do before I close up the shop" I inform her in fear that she'll worry about me.
There is no one at Hive and I have put up the closed sign but I still have to clean up the floor, tables, kitchen, and counter and then finally take the garbage out.
It would take me another hour to get everything done.
After telling me to be careful and not be too late and informing me that she'll keep food for me in the fridge, she hung up.
I play some music on my phone and start with my cleaning.
Random K-pop songs that are ruling the charts play and I sing along the best I can to them as I dance, letting the worries and all the bad things wash away so that I am in a good mood by the time I am in my house.
After the Taehyun incident, I ignored every Royal the best I could and went through the day without having to actively interact with any of them.
I even saw Yeonjun once but turned away and walked in the opposite direction. Not the brightest idea because he was right next to the class I had to go to next. But I managed.
San tried talking to me during lunch because I am assuming Saehi told San what happened. But I was still angry at him and if he wanted to talk to me he had to make a little more effort than lurking around me like a ghoul.
One good thing that happened in the entire day was that at least Woojin's ice heart was melting. He talked an entirety of 5 sentences with me while we were on shift and did not just grunt like he was doing lately.
It was a small win. But a win nonetheless.
After I am done with the main area, I move onto the kitchen counter.
The song changes to a popular boy band's upbeat song and I dance to it as I work. I try to imitate their dance the best I can.
"Run away, run away, run away with me" I sing along to the voices. I probably look silly but this is the best way I can unwind after the long day I had.
I will not have this privacy in my home either. So at least I can make the chores more fun for me this way so that I don't get bored alone and I can let off some steam as well.
I have my back to the gate and I am vibing to the song as I wipe the counter clean. I have an ice cream scooper in my hand like a mike when I do a turn and lose my balance because I am not expecting an audience in front of me.
"Are you okay? Give me your hand" he rushes to my side, behind the counter, and extends an arm.
"What- what are you doing here?" I ask from where I am still planted on my butt.
He just tilts his head to the side and studies me.
He is not in uniform. He is wearing a white T-shirt and black jeans. This would have been a normal high-school get-up if not for the Burberry overcoat he had on and the leather boots.
"You are a great performer. Have you considered going into K-pop?" I swat his hand away and get up on my own.
I don't have to look in a mirror to know I am blushing profusely.
"I didn't know you could turn this shade of pink" he reaches out a gloved hand on my cheeks and I swat it away, turning my face in the other direction.
I am beyond embarrassed right now.
Why do I always end up embarrassing myself in front of him?
"What are you doing here? We're closed" I say and he pouts a little, his dimples making an appearance as he scans the place.
He's here for the first time. At least I think he is. I have never seen him here during any of my shifts.
Taehyun, Beomgyu, and Kai have been here a few times and Yeonjun has been here more times than he should have but I have never seen Soobin here.
"I came to meet you" he smiles at him, his bunny teeth showing and dimples on display. He has the kind of smile that makes you feel like everything is good in the world. It is a comforting smile.
It is not like the smile he plasters on his face in school. There is no better way to put it other than that it looks like a politician's smile.
That fake smile he puts on at the school for anyone and everyone who approaches him is very different from the smile he has on his face right now.
Maybe it is the eyes.
His eyes never smile at school even though his lips are curved in one. Right now, his eyes are crinkled in half moons and the smile stretches his face, smile lines evident.
"Do I look that good?"
"Huh? What?"
"You have been staring at me for a while without uttering a word. I assumed you liked looking at me.
My face flames up yet again with embarrassment and I look away.
"Hey, I was just joking" he nudges me a little and I try my best to put on a normal face as much as I can.
"What are you doing here Soobin? I've never seen you here before. And plus, we're closed" I point to the closed sign I hung up a while ago.
Yeah, I hung up the sign before I played music on my phone and was dancing stupidly and singing along in off-key notes.
Ugh, I feel my face getting red again with just the memory.
"You asked me to come here" He pouts like a little child who was told they cannot play anymore.
"I-uh" I remember telling him to come to Hive on the weekend on the night of the competition. Today was Friday.
"Yeah, I - I didn't think you'd come in so late" Usually it is Yeonjun who graces me with his presence during this time.
I involuntarily look behind Soobin to check whether Yeonjun is anywhere in sight.
What the heck?
Why was I searching for Yeonjun?
I shake my head and focus back on Soobin.
"Ah, yes. I initially planned on calling you tomorrow to check when you'll be free and plan our hang-out date accordingly but I was excited to see you so..." he trails off.
"Date?" I ask in shock. Wait what?
Did I hear him correctly?
"Didn't you ask me out on a date?" he looks at me quizzically and I try not to show the panic attack I am going through internally.
"What? When?" I am too shocked to say anything other than one-word sentences.
When did I ask him out on a date?
"I mean, technically when one party asks another party for coffee or ice cream and they decide to hang out together, it is kind of considered a date"
Is this what he has been thinking all this time?
Is that why Taehyun was so rude to me today?
Oh my god!
I never meant to sound like I was asking him on a date. I felt bad about declining his offer every time so I suggested he get ice cream at the place I work so that I could treat him.
I didn't want to sound like it was an invitation to a date. Hell, I've never been on a date so I don't know what or how you ask someone out on a date.
And why would he ever want to date me?
Who was I? I was nobody.
This had to be a prank right?
I grip the counter for balance otherwise I'll fall on my face.
"Soobin I didn't mean -" I don't even know what to say to him.
I look at him and he is staring at me patiently waiting for my answer.
I can't look at him. I look away and then down. I try to formulate a full sentence in my mind and I come up blank. My entire mind just shut off.
Laughter fills my ears.
At first, I thought maybe my mind was going crazy and my ears were ringing but then when I looked up, Soobin was bent with his hands on his knees and his entire body was shaking.
Laugher.
He is laughing.
I am too shocked to react so I just stand there like a statue.
"What the hell?" I sound louder than I mean to. Or maybe I mean to sound loud.
He is wiping tears from his eyes as he straightens up again. He is still chuckling and his smile is plastered on his face.
"You looked like you were going to pass out. I have never seen you as pale as you did a few minutes ago"
"Soobin, this is not funny" I throw a rag at him and he dodges it perfectly and still looks cool doing it.
"I am sorry. I said it as a harmless joke but the way you reacted to it made me keep going. But I couldn't hold in my laughter anymore" he walks closer to me, his smile still in place, and tilts his head to the side, studying me.
"Although I have to say, Yuri, I am a little offended. I have never had anymore react the way to did to the prospect of going on a date with me" He is smiling but it is more similar to the smiles he poses at school.
"I - I just didn't know you'd think that way and it was just sprung on me. It was confusing and -"
"Have you ever been on a date before?" He asks and leans against the counter, leaning towards me.
"I - um - no. I haven't. That kind of added to the panic of it all" I answer honestly.
I am sure, I am still pink from my neck up. I am beyond embarrassed. I was stupid to think he considered my offer as a date.
Why would he date me?
Of course not.
He knows the entire school and then more. He has a lot of connections, and with connections, he knows a lot of girls. He would much rather go on dates with them. And that too to go places, boujee places. Not some simple ice cream parlor.
I feel dumb to not understand he was joking before.
I could have saved the embarrassment for another day.
"How have you never been on a date before?" he looks genuinely surprised.
"I don't know, I just... It never happened. Nobody ever asked me?" I shrug. I don't really have a definite answer to his question.
What can be a definite answer to his question?
"And why are we talking about this? Let's just drop it. I'll bring you some leftover ice cream we have in the freezer. It is mint chocolate. Hope you like it"
I don't wait for his answer. I turned around and walked into the kitchen to scoop out the ice cream I had kept, just in case Yeonjun came in again, demanding his favorite ice cream.
"Here you go" I gave him the cup and pink spoon.
He tastes the ice cream and hums, still leaning against the counter.
"Well tell you what, when I ask you out on a date, you'll know it. It will be clear to you. And I hope your reaction is better than what I saw tonight" he chuckles.
Wait what?
He stands up straight and turns around, casually walking away.
A/n: things took a very sharp turn. What do you think about this. And which team aare you on - team Soobin or team Yeonjun?