escape call | minsung

i

the air was chilly as minho stepped out of the house that evening. the snow had already started to flake down from the sky and a biting wind swept by, causing the man to pull his overcoat tighter around himself.

it was already hard enough that he was going out in this weather, trudging towards the city center in the middle of winter surrounded by the honking of cars and off-key carols, his ears glowing red from cold.

but he had finally caught up with the reality of where exactly he was going.

a date.

simply amazing.

minho heaved out a sigh and he stuffed his hands into his pockets, stepping into every puddle of snowy sludge he could in the hopes that he would slip on one of them and get a concussion so he didn't have to meet whoever was waiting for him.

fine, call him a jerk. but this wasn't his choice!

since he graduated from university, his parents were dead-set on getting him married and settled down. that included setting him up on blind dates so he would eventually find 'the one'.

"for the sake of your future comfort"  they had said, but minho knew they just wanted grandchildren as soon as possible. all he wanted to so was settle into his new job and make some money so he could live his life how he liked.

he sighed for the nth time that night and stopped at a traffic signal, waiting for it to turn green so he could cross to the other side.

there was nobody with him on the sidewalk, so he made no effort to press the push-button on the traffic light. the longer he could stall, the better.

besides, it's not as if he would be late. his parents made him leave an hour early so, even with all the obstacles he tried to put in his own way, there was little to no chance he would be even a second late.

when the red hand turned into a green walking man, minho crossed the road and walked into the busier street that was lined with shops, buskers, and restaurants.

he sucked in a sharp breath as he saw a familiar restaurant come into view, and he steeled himself, opening the door and greeting the waiter at the front.

"good evening, sir. how may i help you?" the waiter asked politely, bowing slightly.

minho scuffed his feet on the snow rug, removing the sludge he had previously been stepping in. "uhh..." he started, fiddling with the buttons of his coat. "i have a reservation under the name 'lee minho' for 7:30?"

no matter how many dates he had gone on, and how many he had dumped, starting the process all over again was always nerve-wracking. 

the waiter just smiled and moved over to the monitor behind the counter. "sure thing, mr. lee. let me just check the system..." he hummed under his breath as he clicked his mouse several times, and minho took the time to look around the venue.

it was a high-ceilinged room, bathed in the glow of two massive hanging chandeliers giving it a ballroom-esque feel. soft classic played from an unknown source and the chatter of customers and clinking of cutlery chimed through putting minho at ease.

this is was a lot better of an atmosphere outside. not loud or cold.

"alright, i see your name here!" the waiter suddenly said, causing minho to jump. "ah, sorry." he smiled nervously before continuing. "your partner has already arrived and is waiting for you at your table. please follow me."

minho stiffened as he heard that his date was already waiting for him. so much for some time to mentally prepare himself. now he was going in unarmed and defenseless.

unconsciously, he checked his watch. 7:25 PM.

so he wasn't late, she was just early.

their table was no. 14 and located near the back of the large room, leaned against the large wall and underneath a wide window. the curtains were open despite the darkness outside, and he could see the specks of snow as they descended.

at the table, he could make out a figure already sitting down, staring at her phone as she idly tapped her heeled foot on the marble floor, waiting.

minho thanked the waiter as he excused himself, taking a seat in front of the woman.

"hello, i'm lee minho. you must be kim sooah?"