Waiting to Fall Asleep (Pt. 4)

She grabbed the utensils, starting to dig in while he smiled. He went to the fridge, getting them sodas before settling down next to her. He watched for a bit as she ate before beginning to eat himself. The room was quiet, allowing them to enjoy their food and Tae to enjoy his time with Jennie. He gave some of his food to her, encouraging her to eat more while he chewed a little longer on his food. She finished her tray of food, sitting back on the couch and holding her stomach. 

"I love your mom's cooking." She exclaimed, leaning her head back to rest more.

"I know, you always say that." He laughed, hitting her leg with his own. "Just wait until I get my chef promotion next month." 

"Promotion?" Her head raised up, looking at him. He smiled bashfully and nodded.

"I have to learn each operation of the restaurant and kitchen is next. Afterward is manager, but it might be a while." He smiled, putting his spoon of soup in his mouth. "Chef taught me already, but mom doesn't know." He nudged with his elbow. She took her hand and scrambled his hair quickly.

"Look at you growing up!" She laid back, watching him scoff and fix his messed-up hair. 

"Yeah, well, I've been grown up for a few years now." He looked at her crossly, and she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I guess so." She exhaled, the food making her belly stretch a bit. She moved forward to grab the soda, opening hers and Tae's. "Are you excited to take over the restaurant?" She asked, and he nodded.

"I've been waiting forever." He picked at his remaining food before putting his utensils down. "I think what I will miss most is leaving and bringing you food or helping my mom." His face sunk in itself, and he continued to pick at the food.

"Don't worry, I'll come by." Jennie rubbed his shoulder, and he looked at her with surprised eyes, trying to see if she meant it.

"Really?" He was hopeful, taking a deep breath as she smiled at him. Time paused as his heart blew up like a balloon, filled with the picture in front of him.

"Yes. As long as I get a discount." She rubbed his shoulder once more before standing up. "I'm going to go check on Auntie." She stood up, grabbing her tray and soda as she walked towards the door. She turned around once more, looking at him, and their eyes met. "Don't forget to eat your vegetables!" She saw his lips grow into a smile and opened the door to leave. The moment her back was to him, the smile she had seen fell. He sat there, staring at his plate before letting his head fall in defeat. The door closing felt like a shot to the heart, and he sighed deeply as his hands ran through his hair.

Jennie went back out to the dining area, seeing that there were only a few more minutes before the restaurant opened back up. She saw the chef and auntie in the back of the kitchen working on specials while she looked into the empty dining areas. She didn't know much about the group that was supposed to go in, but she trusted Auntie to let her know what she needed to do. She walked to the counter to lay down her tray before moving to the front desk. She stood at the register and waited silently. Jennie had tried keeping a brave face, using every drop of strength she had remaining not to crumble. She reached for her phone, noticing that she had left it in the break room with Tae, thinking about whether to go back. Jennie jumped at the hand, landing on her shoulder, only to turn around and see Auntie. 

"Ah, Auntie. Sorry." She tried to hide her fright with a smile, making Auntie laugh. 

"I'm sorry. I was just coming to tell you that the group was canceled, so if you want to help out until 5, I would appreciate it." Jennie looked at the clock, just 2 hours, she could handle that. She turned to Auntie and nodded. 

"Of course, I love helping you. Would you like me to do anything before we open?" She asked nicely. Auntie shook her head, looking around.

"Not unless you know where Tae went." She continued looking around.

"Oh, he is in the break room. I can go get him." Jennie volunteered and got a thankful smile as she walked around the counter.

Jennie began approaching the break room before she was met by Tae. He held an empty tray and Jennie's phone. She had not looked at the emotions that fell on his face, being surprised that he was bringing her phone.

"Hey, thanks. Your mom was looking for you. Did you enjoy your food?" She took the phone and tray from his hand, and he nodded, walking away from her to retreat to the dish cart. He began using the water from the bin to clean the tables, his gaze never looking up. She sighed, taking the tray to stack on top of hers before going back to the counter. She looked at her phone, seeing she now had two messages. One from Minji, the other from him. She decided to read Minji's first, opening it.

'Hey, I was going to go by my house and then see you.'

'I'll text you when I am free.' That was the only response she could think of, not really wanting company after this. She was already tired. She looked at the next message. Her breathing slowed as she read the words.

'I'm on my way to you.' Jennie looked around, trying to make sure she read the message right. This was a joke, right? She went to the door, looking out. As she stared out the door, Tae stared at her, watching her nervous and almost eager movements. His head turned to see his mom. His mom was locking eyes with him before he looked down at the table. It was time to open the doors once again. Jennie unlocked the door and turned the sign to open. She walked back to the counter, checking the message before completely locking it as customers began coming through the door. 

It had picked up quickly for their dinner call, and it served as a great distraction for Jennie. She was able to put on her fake smile and trudged through her exhaustion as person after person entered. As she finished helping bust another table, she would hear the bell of the door ring before she turned to check. There he stood, smiling at her and Minji next to his side.