Sorry!

He took Seo-yun's hand and dragged him along for what felt like a really long time. Until they found themselves far from the crazy maniac The mysterious waiter turned his head to see if the man was following, when he saw that both of them had been far enough to freely talk he let Seo-yun’s wrist go. Seo-yun was still dazed but he took his hand back. He felt the warmth of his wrist evaporate the second the waiter let go. Now it felt empty.

“I am so sorry, I had to drag you all the way here.Are you ok?” He took Seo-yun’s wrist and inspected it thoroughly. Seo-yun snapped out of it and took a look at his own wrist; the one the mysterious waiter held to drag him. It was a bit red and swollen because of the pulling and gripping, it even had the marks of the fingers and palm engraved to his skin in red. When the waiter noticed, he gasped. 

“Oh no, I'm sorry, I'll take care of it, don't worry. I am so sorry this happened, we'll take better precautions against this man in the future.”

Seeing him look so worried, made Seo-yun laugh a bit.

“It's ok, don't worry, things happen" As Seo-yun was about to take his wrist back from the waiter's hands he felt another pull from the waiter's side. Not like the one he had experienced 5 minutes ago. This time, it was soft.

“no, it is not ok. It can hurt or infect you somehow if you don't clean it. Let me go to the backroom to find a first aid kit and clean the wound.” the waiter coaxed.

Seo-yun smiled while thinking:

(I don't even think you can get it infected)

“It's fine, really.”  Seo-yun said.

“I'm just doing my job, but, I couldn't do it properly in the end. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gripped you so hard back there”

The mysterious masked waiter looked down as he thought of his mistakes. Seo-yun couldn't help but sigh.

“If I let you clean the ‘wound’ on my wrist, would that make you feel any better?”

Without hesitation, he changed expressions as quickly as lightning.

“yes,”

And so, Seo-yun let the masked employee drag him for the second time into the back rooms.

The moment they entered the backroom, it looked like a storage room. The thick layers of dust could be seen as far as the eye could see. The waiter dug into his pockets, which were a lot.Trying to find his keys.

“Wait up, i need to find my keys” the poor guy laughed nervously and dug deeper and deeper into the pockets. Out of nowhere Seo-yun heard him ask;

“I forgot to ask, if you don't mind, of course. Can I please ask your name, sir?”

“Seo-yun”

“oh” said the waiter. He sounded completely uninterested.

Seo-yun was speechless. More than speechless, completely dumbstruck. But even so, he did not show it, nor did he have the intention.

“What do you mean ‘oh’?” asked Seo-yun.

Still digging into his clothes the waiter looked up.

“I just thought I had met you before that's why.”

This guy was unbelievable.

“I told you mine, are you gonna tell me yours. Mr.waiter?" The tone was sarcastic and it was quite obvious. But, this waiter was quite oblivious, which reminded him a bit of Haneul earlier that day with the ‘minny’ situation.

“Hyeon-Ju”

Seo-yun did not think he would actually say his name so he was taken aback for more than a moment.

Hyeon-Ju looked around to see if anyone was watching. When he was sure that no one was there except the both of them he placed his finger on his lips covered by his dark mask and said while looking like he was grinning at him;

“shh, don't tell anyone ok?”

The moment he said so was fast but to Seo-yun it felt eternal. That's when something long forgotten stirred up.

While in a daze for the second time today, Hyeon-Ju continued his mission; find the keys he should be wearing on his person. At the same time a voice came close, it was a colleague of Hyeon-Ju’s, Mi Cha. The same waiter that had instructed Seo-yun and his group to their table when they first came into the restaurant.

“What are you doing here?” She asked.

Startled, Hyeon-Ju turned around and saw his colleague. He already had a guilty conscience about what he did to a customer and he didn't want anyone else knowing.

“Oh- just in time Mi Cha. Can you lend me your storage room key please?”

Mi Cha gazed at what he was doing and found Seo-yun standing like a total dumbass, daydreaming about what Hyeon-Ju said to him earlier. Mi Cha ignored Seo-yun and opened the door of the storage room for them.

“voilà, next time don't forget your keys. You were lucky that i passed by''

“yes, yes, i will not forget them next time”

He opened the door with a heavy ‘clank’ and led the way in. The waiter coughed a few times and came back with a first aid kit that looked 50 years old with an amount of dust that Seo-yun had never seen before in his entire life. Hyeon-Ju didn't realize that Mi Cha was still standing in front of the storage room waiting for him to explain.

“so, aren't you gonna introduce us or explain why you're taking a customer to see our dirty laundry?” She asked, confused.

Sensing he could get fired at any second for lying he spit it out. “But don't get mad at me, ok?”

Mi Cha only stared and didn't promise anything. Still, Hyeon-Ju continued explaining. 

“long story short, i hurt him”

Hyeon-Ju looked like he was waiting to get slapped, or fired at the same time. Eyes closed for comfort, or to simply not see it coming.

Nothing happened.

“and?” she asked.

“and, well, i wanted to apologize and i wanted to get the first aid kit to feel better about my mistake but turns out that did not have my keys with me.”

( Damn, he's honest.) Seo-yun thought.

It was quite hilarious to see. Sneakily Seo-yun started chuckling a bit. Hyeon-Ju turned around just to see him laughing behind his back. He glared at him while Mi Cha turned her head.

Seo-yun pressed his hand against his mouth but that clearly didn't stop his voice from sliding off like a snake between the creases of his fingers. Mi Cha was standing still in silence, watching the two of them like if she was watching a movie.

Then, she reminded Hyeon-Ju;

“ok, i have seen enough for today, i'll go but be careful.” she paused for a brief second, “you know what will happen if one of the higher ups finds out about this incident.”

Hyeon-Ju sighed and confirmed,

“Yes, I know. Thank you Mi Cha.”

Mi Cha smiled at him and patted his shoulder shortly, then, she walked away nonchalantly as if nothing had ever happened.

Hyeon-Ju turned to see what Seo-yun was doing and caught him gazing at Mi Cha, dazed but serious. Hyeon-Ju changed the subject.

“Lets go, i have to put ice over that so the red marks disappear”

“sure, i'll follow,”

In the ‘staff only’ room, Hyeon-Ju told him to wait shortly. That he needed to get something quickly and said to act fool if other staff members asked an explanation for his presence over here. To use him as an excuse. 

When Hyeon-Ju came out of the ‘staff only’ room he had an ice pack in one hand and the first aid kit of the storage room in the other. Hyeon-Ju said;

“Come, follow me, I know a place.”

Seo-yun acknowledged him and nodded.  

They followed the empty halls of the restaurant and finished on the stairs where the backdoor was located.

“here,” said Hyeon-Ju, “give me your hand”

Without hesitation he gave his hand to the waiter.

Seo-yun could feel his skin. Hyeon-Ju’s soft hands feeling his. When was the last time that someone had ever stroked, or even just touched his hand like this? He remembered, it has been two years.

The moment he rarked that thought his expression grew solemn. Had he not gotten over that death?

No.

Hyeon-Ju grabbed the cool ice pack and after verifying his customer’s wrist. He applied it gently like he was caressing a new born baby. Focused. He wanted to not make any more mistakes and fix the last. 

After a few minutes Seo-yun’s phone began to ring as it broke the silence created by the given atmosphere.

Seo-yun got up and excused himself. Hyeon-Ju nodded and started gathering the used material and prepared the unnecessary bandage. Seo-yun picked up the call. It was Tae-hyun.

“yes?”

“hyung, where are you?”

“i got into a fight”

“what?! Are you ok?”

“yes, im fine, i'll get back right now”

“okay, well be waiting for you”

“yeah, it won't take long”

Seo-yun hung up and looked at Hyeon-Ju who was focused on arranging the ‘workplace’ for them.

Seo-yun sat down with him on the stairs and continued;

“you can continue, Hyeon-Ju..”

His name felt unfamiliar to say, almost like a foreign language. So much that he paused for a second after uttering that name of his.

Hyeon-Ju showed what it looked like a smile, yet he couldn't tell; Since his face was hidden by his black mask. His face was still a mystery to him.

“All done!” the waiter said, proudly admiring his masterpiece. 

“So? Is it too tight?” he asked.

Seo-yun took a look at his bandaged wrist and replied simply.

“it's ok.”

Hyeon-Ju stood and stretched his arms like he had been sitting for a long time, which he did not. Doing the same, Seo-yun stood up besides Hyeon-Ju.

“Let's go, your friends must be waiting for you”

As they walked through the empty halls the restaurant had to offer, Hyeon-Ju was leading the way. Seo-yun, not too far behind, stared at Hyeon-Ju's back the whole time. More precisely, the back of his brown honey hair, and not to forget, the honorable mask who kept him hidden. Until now, Seo-yun thought that it might be rude to ask the meaning of someone's accessory after meeting only once, so he kept his thoughts to himself but he couldn't help but sink deeper in that same question;

What kind of face is hidden behind that mask? Seo-yun still followed. He wanted to find out. Seo-yun was determined to at least.

“Hyeo-” As he began talking Hyeon-Ju interrupted accidentally.

“we’re here,”

The moment he noticed he had interrupted him, he asked if something was amiss.

“no.” Seo-yun claimed.

He asked too late, they had arrived at their final destination. 

“Well, enjoy the rest of your stay sir.” Hyeon-Ju added, “I hope to see you again.” He claimed before turning the other way and disappearing from Seo-yun’s view into the long halls of the place.

Seo-yun slid the door open to reveal a room full of chaos. Tae-hyun was the first to notice his hyung's return. He stood up.

“hyung!”

The room was a complete mess;

Sunghee was upside down drinking alcohol on his chair. Soo-won and Haneul, fighting because of something. And Tae-hyun, in a corner, as always.

He wasn't surprised in the least to be honest. Tae-hyun looked like God himself had come to his prayer.

“Thank god you came back quickly hyung, or else i wouldn't know what to do with them”

“...” Seo-yun commented.

They looked at each other blankly. 

 I mean- how the hell would he know what to do? What is he? A nanny?

Stopping the fighting was an easy task, now, carrying a total drunkard was another thing. That's when they understood that they would need a ‘no alcohol’ rule next time they went out with Sughee.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***