New World | SOOKAI

Chapter 15

Soobin and I took a taxi to a nearby shopping and restaurant area within the suburb. I looked around down the street we were standing in, the light cool Autumn air making me feel wide awake and somewhat hungrier. Soobin asked me where I wanted to go while looking around ourselves, his eyes darting into every dark corner and alleyway.

"Mm.. I don't really mind. Just anywhere. How about that pizza bar across the road?"

Soobin glanced over at it thoughtfully and eventually looked disapproving. He smiled back at me.

"Oh, we can do better than that place, Kai. I want you to eat well."

I grinned at him "What's wrong with pizza?"

"Oh, nothing.. I imagine. I've never had it before, but you need a more filling type of sustenance."

He'd clearly never heard of a deep dish, stuffed crust, double pepperoni and cheese before. Let's not forget the pineapple. I was practically begging for one at that stage with how I felt my stomach shrivelling up further minute by minute.

Soobin looked straight ahead over my shoulder and smiled, gently turning me on the spot and I followed him.

"This will be perfect, I feel."

We walked about 30 yards down the street until Soobin stopped outside of a restaurant. I glanced inside the glass door and suddenly felt incredibly underdressed for the place in my jeans and hoodie that I had just thrown on. I had only ever walked past that place, always thinking I would never have enough money to even breathe the same air as the people who dined there. It was high class and from what I had heard from people, you needed to book at least 6 months in advance to even step through the door.

But Soobin stepped in front of me, pushing the door open and held it for me as I walked through semi-self conscious of the fact that I looked like I didn't belong. Even the kitchen staff were probably better dressed than I was.

Soobin walked up to a man standing behind a large, free standing counter with a thick and heavy appointment book on top of it, each and every line filled with people's names and the date and times of day.

"Good evening, gentlemen" the man with his immaculately styled back hair spoke to us. He offered Soobin a respectful nod of his head and didn't let his eyes linger on me for any longer than a millisecond.

"Do you have a reservation tonight?" he asked Soobin as he quickly glanced back at me as he waited for Soobin to reply.

"Unfortunately, no.." Soobin said as he reached down into his coat pocket and pulled out a roll of crisp cash that looked like what I could earn in the space of 2 whole months at work, before taxes. He placed it almost sneakily beside the appointment book.

The man looked down at the money and returned his gaze to Soobin.

"You do realize there's a..." he looked at me again intently "dress code for this establishment."

Soobin reached into his pocket again and withdrew even more money to sway the man.

He gave a quick look at the money without so much as a slight change of expression and stepped out from behind the counter.

"A table towards the back, if you please" Soobin asked as graciously as ever.

"But of course. Please follow me, gentlemen."

Jesus, Soobin, this was not necessary. Just let me go back and order a pizza to go.

Soobin smiled at me and bowed, his hand gesturing to the man that led us, wanting me to go first. I hesitantly followed him through the large glass doors that he held open for us. The entire place was full, but the conversations were quiet, private. Every table had bottles of champagne upon them worth more than an entire month's worth of my rent money. The carpet was deep red and the people who sat upon the chairs at each table looked as if they belonged there. I felt like a weed in a royal castle garden.