Outline of You | Jensoo

Ch08.

"Are you sure it's tonight?" Soojoo throws a smirk from behind the counter.

It makes Jisoo second-guess herself and check her phone's calendar for the third time in two hours.

"Ugh," Jisoo groans into her palms, then drops them lifelessly onto the table, "do you think she forgot? Or worse, could something have happened to her?"

"Relax, I think she's probably just held back at work."

"No, she knocked off on time. I called her secretary."

"Then maybe she had a family emergency to tend to, like her child or husband falling sick."

"Ha ha, very funny," Jisoo looks out the window at the stream of people making their way home or to TGIF parties. "She's..." single, isn't she?

"Late," Soojoo is done cleaning her countertop and cracks her neck joints. She chuckles, "I'm surprised you haven't asked for her number. What ancient era are you living in?"

Jisoo rakes a hand through her hair and sighs up at the sky outside. It is cloudless and starry.

"Anyway," Soojoo snaps her fingers and when she has got Jisoo's attention she points to the clock, "It's a quarter past 9 now and you know what that means."

It means last orders, it means the kitchen crew's clean-up and dismissal, and very soon it will mean the café's closure for the night.

Jisoo nods, rubbing her grumbling stomach once again. As she watches Soojoo busy at the cashier with the tab of the last customers, who happen to be a loving, punctual couple, an idea hits her.

She moves to the counter and waits patiently for the lady boss to send off her last patrons with a smile and a wave before powering on her saddest, most pitiful, pleading puppy eyes.

"Ew, what?" Soojoo halts in her steps with a confused look of mild disgust.

Jisoo blinks twice, quietly and slowly. So sad.

"Stop that!" Soojoo waves the dishcloth in her hand and ducks into the kitchen, pretending to ignore Jisoo, but Jisoo knows her friend can never resist the persuasion of her sad, round, puppy eyes.

This is possibly the most useful life skill she has learnt from years of hanging around Chaeyoung and Lisa.

When Soojoo returns from the kitchen, she sneaks a glance at Jisoo and then hastily closes her eyes as if they have been burnt. "What do you want?"

"Oh nothing much, you know," Jisoo swivels in her seat. "Maybe just a little small tiny itsy bitsy grace period for your beloved friend?"

Soojoo drags the dishcloth from her shoulder and slaps it on the counter, making sure to keep her eyes down and away from danger. "Okay just... turn that thing off and we'll talk," she waves a finger in the general direction of Jisoo's face.

"Okay!"

When Soojoo looks up, she exhales in relief to see Jisoo beaming without those alien eyes. She inhales and scratches her forehead, "So... what? You want to stay here? Till your girlfriend shows up?"

She senses Jisoo is about to put on those horrific eyes again so she hurriedly amends, "Till your friend shows up, I mean! Jeez."

"Yeah, if that's not too much trouble? I promise I'll do the dishes and wipe the table and clean the floor and lock up properly and double-check everything before I leave! And, I'll throw in a treat for you to some fancy restaurant too," Jisoo clasps her hands and requests from the bottom of her heart, and Soojoo can tell from the way Jisoo's voice shakes a little towards the end.