Unexpected meeting

Arriving at the famous restaurant spotted by Haneul the waiter took note of their group number and indicated a room where they sat down. The restaurant was quite delightful. Its decorations were not too fancy nor too eye-catching. They weren't awful either nor the restaurant seemed poor and shabby. It was just a casual little restaurant with private rooms, with just enough decorations and wonderful privacy. The moment the waiter excused herself they could finally breathe again. Haneul and Sunghee were the first ones to take off their masks as if they had toxic gas on them. They were swiftly followed by Tae-hyun and the others.

“I hate those masks, they smell terrible,” exhaled Sunghee out of breath.

Soo-won didn't like taking the lead but he had no choice this time.

“Ok, what will we order?”

“I know! fried shrimp. Oh-and I'll pay, since I asked you to come. My treat this time,” said Haneul.

After ordering the meals came in. A young man who was around 20 years old served the group with what looked like a gentle smile, they couldn't actually see because he had a black mask on his face. He casually put the food on the table and left. 

“Why does he have a mask on?” asked Tae-hyun, “I didn't see anyone else wearing one when I looked at the waiters present.

“At least now we know we aren't the only shabby looking people with black masks,” said Haneul.

“We don't know, maybe he’s just sick,” added Seo-yun nonchalantly while picking up fried shrimp with his chopsticks.

“oh- but duidn't yo nowtice when he put the food on our table and said somethin' he didnt sound sick at all?” remarked Haneul while eating.

“Don't talk when you're eating we can't understand anything” said Soo-won judgingly.

“shh!” Shushed Haneul, “M not downe tolkin' Showon!” Interrupted Haneul as he butchered Soo-won's name.

“what M saying is that, maybe he’s hoidin' the fact that he’s oogly.”

“Mind your manners.”snapped Soo-won back at him, frowning. “And what did you just call me?”

Seeing this was going south, Tae-hyun intervined their yapping.

“Okay, Okay let's all calm down and stop saying random things about people we don't even know”

He continued,

“But, I gotta say, it is quite likely for someone to wear a mask because they don't like how they look. They are maybe just being shy, that's all.”

Seo-yun, who was quiet all this time finally spoke up.

“Okay, everyone i'll go to the toilet quickly, you guys start without me.”

“sure, hyung” Acknowledged Tae-hyun while seeing him leave.

 Sunghee nodded. Haneul was busy fighting with Soo-won that they didn't even notice his absence.

Getting back from the bathroom, he turned at the end of the hall and forgot the way to the room they rented. Suddenly he saw a silhouette pass besides him in a rush. Seo-yun grabbed the silhouette's shoulder abruptly and asked,

“Excuse me, are you a waiter?” 

The moment the person turned around he saw it was a middle aged man to be around 50 years old. Most importantly he looked pissed off by the sudden pull of his shoulder. 

“What do ‘ya want, kid?” The deep frown of that man’s face could be seen meters away and surely, Seo-yun noticed. 

“Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to startle you sir. I thought you were a waiter.”

“Tch.-do you think I look like a poor disgusting person who would work in this rat hole?!”

Seo-yun flinched and started to get annoyed by his behavior.

“Let go of me already you bastard, you’ll get my clothes dirty" Said the man as he slapped away Seo-yun's hand.

Seo-yun hadn't noticed he had been holding him so he flinched at the slap. He didn't know what was more disgusting, talking to him or grabbing his shirt.

“What you lookin’ at you prick?! Get lost” Scram the man.

Seo-yun had enough, his patiente with people like him was limited.

“Sir, can I ask you if you have manners?”

“what?”

“Looks like you don't know how to act like a mature adult. I wasn't one more than 5 years ago but i still have more manners than you. What are you? Six?”

Wearing a mocking expression Seo-yun approached the man slowly. Step by step. The old geezer's face turned colors in seconds. Blue, white and red. The man, furious, shamelessly snapped back at Seo-yun.

“what did you say you damned mutt!?”

Kinda intimidated, out of exasperation; he threw a punch.

Seo-yun did not expect him to throw a punch, but some people, like him, are worse than dogs. They don't play fair, ever. In a fraction of a second, Seo-yun, startled, closed his eyes. Expecting the punch to land on his face. Mostly, because now they could throw hands and he could at least say that the man was who started the whole thing and his career wouldn't be a total disaster in the end. So he stood still awaiting the punch; who did not come. A sudden breeze came, as quick as thunder and stopped the fist mid-air.

It was the mysterious waiter who had delivered their food earlier that evening. He has seized the man's wrist as it was turning purple and red. Seo-yun couldn't see the waiters expression because his back was facing him plus the mask. But he was sure that he was not happy about it. A decent person wouldn't.

Unexpectedly, a calm voice slipped from his mouth beneath the mask.

“mister you can't punch people in this restaurant. I can assure you that if you are hungry for something else we can get it for you. If you try to harm another customer i will call the police for them to deal with you.”

No hesitation. Seo-yun could tell. He was not scared, his hands were as steady as rocks against the ocean waves. He did not budge. By the man's expression Seo-yun could easily notice how terrified that old bastard was. He was as white as a sheet. Or as some may even say, as white as a ghost. The mysterious waiter released the man and said non-chalantly,

“now, if you excuse us”

He took Seo-yun by the wrist and walked away as if nothing had happened earlier. Walking as if he had not a care in the world. Seo-yun wasn't reacting until now. Subconsciously, he let the boy drag him away as he turned to look back at the man. Who was standing still, he had not moved, not even a little since the waiter intervened. Seo-yun was speechless, never in his entire life had he seen this type of scenario. Normally it would always just be in movies. Right now he felt like a princess dragged away by his knight in shining armor.

Thinking about that, he could not shake the feeling of embarrassment in the back of his head. Most importantly his curiosity; who the hell is this guy??

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