My Boyfriend (나의 남자 친구) | ✓

o4. when he makes me understand

dedicated to @Lidialoredana67

because your simple comment motivated me to post this today, not on the designated story update on saturday :)

-🌸-

After the harsh midterm week, we were given the chance to breathe through the school festival. I didn't have anything to do but everyone seems so busy these days.

This led me to agree substituting for my senior and friend, Jisoo unnie, to take her shift at the cafe her club set up since she had to do a project. If she didn't pass it on time, she'd drop the subject, which made me agree instantly.

Except for Junhoe's objection over my decision to take her place, I was pretty enthusiastic about it. I love talking to people and making them happy. Unnie's classmates were really friendly to me too. Bobby oppa, one of Junhoe's friends, was one of them so I didn't have to worry about anything.

Except for the uniform.

It was a cute pink maid dress with frills and the length only ended in the middle of my thighs. If that wasn't even the worse, I had to wear high stockings with a pink bow ribbon on top. When I nicely asked if they had something bigger, something preferably longer, they said they didn't have one anymore and Jisoo unnie's uniform was the only one available. We had a difference in height so maybe it was because of that.

Bobby oppa tried cheering me up by saying that he'll be working behind the cash register so "if anyone ever lays a hand on you, they'll get it for sure."

Quickly forgetting about the short skirt, I became cheerful talking to different strangers as I serve their meal. The cafe was geared towards a friendly environment, so we were all advised to be as friendly as possible. It also had an adorable theme in a Japan-esque kind of way, even evident on the pink banners and playful music heard over the stereo. I'm guessing that whoever thought of this watches way too much anime.

After filling a mug with black coffee, I noticed customers were beginning to pile inside. It was already past twelve in the afternoon when I read my wristwatch. Lunch hour.

"Table seven requests you, Chaeyoung-ah," Jaewon sunbaenim informed as he stood beside me in front of the brewing machines.

Based on the scowl on his face, he was miffed about something. Concerned, I asked, "Sunbaenim, what's wrong?"

"This cafe's really starting to annoy me. You know why we're chosen as waiters?" He settled the empty tray he held on top of the counter, beside the mug of black coffee I just brewed. "Because we sell. Capitalism at its finest..."

"What do you mean?"

"Look around. Boys come here thinking with their other head just to see the waitresses in their skirts and hope to peek a bit of something under there." I cringed at that. "—And then there are girls with their goo goo gaga eyes who'll not order unless the waiter's a boy. It's one hell of a shit show. I can feel them checking my ass out, Chaeyoung." As if remembering something from memory, he shivered. "It's fucking creepy."

I giggled. "This cafe looks alright to me though."

"Seriously? Didn't you notice those stupid boys checking you out?"