Seulgi’s grin eclipsed anything that Nayeon had come up with to date. Nayeon was not sure if she should be impressed, jealous, or attracted. Maybe a bit of all three?
Seulgi noticed the younger woman’s dilemma and was amused. She gave Nayeon a flick to the forehead to bring her back to reality and got out of the car.
“Ow!” followed by another “Ow!” from Seulgi as her butt got backhanded getting out of the car. After getting out of the car herself, Nayeon grinned at Seulgi who replied in kind.
They linked arms together like the friends that they were. They were chattering like magpies as they approached the restaurant. Seulgi held open the door for her friend and they both entered. Both took a deep breath and once again, smiled in pleasure.
Nayeon said that she thought that this was about to be an excellent pce to eat.
Seulgi said, “Just wait. You have not seen the main course” with a Cheshire grin.
Nayeon was not one who could restrain her curiosity, so she started dragging Seulgi to a booth to sit down and get a menu. Both the young dies looked over the menu, they pnned what to get before the waitress got there.
While they were both perusing the menu, Nayeon froze. She then perked up. With robotic precision, her head pivoted to the kitchen door. Earlier she was intrigued by the smell of the food upon entering. Now, she was enraptured by a sound. A very singur sound. A heavenly voice.
Nayeon was used to beautiful voices. She has known a few god-tier singers in her time. But, this voice was in its own realm. She felt safe, warm, and hugged by a friend.
Agape, she turned back to Seulgi shocked. She was still doing her best beached fish impression when the kitchen door opened. The owner of the voice came out, just as beautiful as her singing, she had a face to unch a thousand ships, in ancient times.
Nayeon’s mind was like a car on ice, skidding out of control. It got worse when the owner of that siren’s voice stopped singing, squealed a ‘SEULGI!’ and walked over to their table. Things got utterly bizarre when said person hip-bumped Seulgi over and sat down with them.
Nayeon is usually fairly nonplussed when it comes to beautiful people, after all, she is no stranger to her own mirror. But this fairy was in a league of her own. She was up there with Seulgi and Joo-Hyun. Still, this was unfair! That voice, that face, there ain’t no justice!
Then the waitress looked at Seulgi and grinned.
Now, this was too much. This was just too unfair!
“Soo-young, how are you tonight?”
“Doing well. How about you?”
“Well, I brought a new friend for you. This is Nayeon. She is my right hand at work.”
“Nice to meet you, Nayeon. Any friend of Seulgi’s is a friend of mine.” And then to add insult to injury, her grin got brighter. She would eclipse the sun with that grin.
Nayeon was still in brain freeze mode and could only turn to Seulgi for help.
Seulgi was totally unhelpful. “Say ‘hi,’ Nayeon.”
Nayeon was still poleaxed. She swiveled back to Soo-Young and continued to say nothing.
Soo-young then issued a golden peal of ughter as she was used to this response.
To make things even worse, the ever reserved and slightly stand-offish Seulgi did the unthinkable and put her arm around the younger woman’s shoulder and hugged her. Nayeon had personally observed this maybe a dozen times in 10 years. She was lucky enough to be the recipient of one of those hugs. Unprompted, even. She floated on the air for a week after that hug.
Both Seulgi and Soo-young grinned an equally unrepentant grin at the flummoxed woman across from them.
“I think we’re going to need a moment to order, dear.”
After another peal of golden ughter ter, Soo-young got up and back to work.
Nayeon took substantially longer to reboot than normal. But, this was to be expected. It is unusual for Nayeon, who is spectacur herself in every sense, to be outcssed.
Seulgi got her back to functional by wiggling the menu in her hand. Blinking, Nayeon came back from wherever she had just visited.
Nobody in the entire restaurant even thought about making fun of the poor girl. Everyone there had been in her pce at one time or another. More than a few were struck all over, every time they showed up.
More than a few old-timers got jealous that she chose to sit with these two newcomers when they had not had been graced with her presence. But, looking at Seulgi and Nayeon, and then hearing what they sounded like, that jealousy ended with a quickness.
A few of the patrons discussed what it might be like if they all sang together. That lit a fiery debate amongst those gathered. Even the other employees got in on that conversation.
Even, no – especially – the manager got into the conversation. Some of the more wealthy patrons said that if they decided to open a karaoke night, they would pay to make that happen so long as Soo-Young and as many of her friends would participate.
That sparked another round of fierce debate on whether she should sing alone or who to sing with. And how many others. And those imaginary others might be lit another round of debate. There was a rge majority of people who voted for JooHyun to be the first person to do a duet. Seulgi was a close second.
No one knew about Nayeon yet, so she was not even considered. Given enough time, she would be added to the list of people who ought to sing with the restaurant's poster girl.
To make Nayeon’s night even more incredulous, Seulgi’s lit up with a mischievous smirk that was so obnoxious that Nayeon had a near-irresistible urge to punch her friend. Punch her dead in the face. Centered on that evil smirk. She physically had to restrain herself for a moment. It was a near thing, but she managed to control herself. Barely.
But, then, in a deliberately evil moment, Seulgi leaned forward and whispered “We sang together.” Then she quickly leaned back in her seat. This made the frowning Nayeon immediately regret not punching her friend when she had the opportunity. Still, the night was young.
