optical ↠ the boyz

three

He was yellow.

Even though yellow was his least favourite colour, that's what he was to her.

He was optimistic, he was fun, he was the light that shone in everyone's life around him, and it wasn't any different for her.

He was the one she admired from afar. He was the only one who made her nervous, who made her act out of character - but he didn't know her so well, so he would never know the effect he had on her.

If she had to pin point the most handsome man she had ever known, it would be him. Ju Haknyeon.

Nari never had the confidence to speak to him, so she would wait for the moment he approached her. Like today.

"Hey," he smiled brightly, as expected, making the girls knees buckle as she tried her best to hide it. "Are you ready for another fun shift?"

"Always," she rolls her eyes, still grinning at the boy. "It's been a while since we worked together."

"Have you been keeping tabs?" He jokes, looking up at the girl as he sat down. "I'm kidding."

The girl wanted to joke back, have a little bit of banter and let him see the real her. But she couldn't, because around him - she wasn't herself.

She was clumsy, she was nervous, she was disorientated. And he was yellow.

"Maybe I should keep tabs," she says somewhat awkwardly, making him look up. "I mean, they put me on with creepy Chiwon every second shift. That surely isn't fair."

The boy chuckles, making the girl almost deeply sigh of relief. He had heard her joke, and he laughed, that was a good sign.

"You know, if he says anything else out of line to you, you should report it," he nods to the girl. "Or tell me, and I'll do it for you, if you're uncomfortable."

Nari's heart felt warm, the boy throwing her a genuine smile which only made her heartbeat quicken.

She wondered how someone could look so perfect, yet actually be so perfect.

"Thank you, Hak," she smiles back as the boy returned it. "It means a lot."

"You shouldn't feel uncomfortable in here," he shakes his head, standing up as he looked at the clock for their shift about to start. "Also, Hak?"

The girls face flushed undeniably, realising she had just given him a little nickname which was probably a step too far. But the smile on his face followed by the small giggle reassured her that he didn't think it was too weird.

"Cute."

The shift went by fairly quickly, considering Nari spent half of her time staring at the boy as he walked to the table with orders.

She felt like such a creep, watching him walk and taking in tiny details about him. How his face scrunched up whenever he had to take food he didn't like to customers, how he would often scurry instead of pace-fully walking, and how he was just perfect.

The customers in this place adored the boy more than any other staff member, which Nari wasn't particularly hurt about. She was here to make her money, and to leave.

But to Haknyeon, it seemed to mean something more to him. The look in his eyes when he spoke and socialised with people was different to anything Nari had seen before.

"You really hate this place that much?" He asked, looking at the girl who stood slumped behind the till.

"I don't hate it," she shakes her head. "Just being here isn't exactly ideal. I'd rather be doing other things."

"Wouldn't we all," he chuckles.

"You seem to like this place."

He shrugs, looking around the quiet cafe. "I'm a people person, I guess. It's easy for me."

"Lucky," she grumbles, her eyes following his as she glanced around at the people. "It's not easy for me."

"I think it is," he nods, turning to look at her. "You're confident, you're chatty, and you're good to talk to. I think that works in your favour."

"Doesn't make me a people person though," she points out, making the boy chuckle. "I don't like many people, that won't change."

"Is that why your friend circle is so small?" He asks innocently, making the girls face drop a little. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend y-"

"You didn't," she reassures him with a fake smile. "I guess I'm not so lucky when it comes to friendships."

"Me neither," he says, almost an attempt to comfort her, but it did the opposite.

"I see you in school, you have lots of friends," she somewhat argues back.

"That's your assumption."

"That's my observation," she clarifies, watching as the boy furrowed his eyebrows. "And I don't think my eyes deceive me when I see you surrounded by people every lunch break. If you can observe that my friendship circle is small, then why are you so offended that I observed yours is large? Because that's what it is."

Truthfully, Haknyeon was taken aback, so was Nari. She had spent so long trying not to act out of character, trying to retain her true self when talking to him, that she completely let down her facade.

But for some reason, Haknyeon felt good that the girl had opened up to him a little.

She spoke with such intelligence and she sounded smart although she was speaking about nothing remotely academic, she was just being herself.

"I'm sorry for snapping," she finally says, as the boy just stared at her in somewhat disbelief, but also amusement. "Why are you smiling?"

"I was wondering when I'd meet the real you," he says, making the girls face flush yet again. "And it's great to finally meet you, Nari Lee."

From then on, the rest of the shift flew by. Nari felt no more pressure to act a different way around Haknyeon, and it was a massive relief.

She could release any timidness that she once felt in the boys presence, and she could finally be herself. She had already shown him too much.

"I didn't realise you were so fierce," he chuckles, walking alongside her.

"Don't remind me," she grumbles, zipping up her jacket. "That was very embarrassing, I didn't mean to snap."

"It's okay," he looks over at her. "Shorty with a temper."

Nari looks down at her feet, then back up towards the top of his head. "I think I'm roughly three inches smaller than you, Hak."

"Two inches, and that's pushing it," he argues, laughing with her. "Cute nickname by the way."

"Don't get used to it," she shrugs, as the boy clutches his heart jokingly. "I won't say it again."

"I'll need to come up with one for you," he says, as the girl halts. "Why did you stop?"

"This is my house," she points behind her as he nods, looking around the street. "Thanks for walking with me, you didn't have to."

"I wanted to," he nods reassuringly. "It was good to talk with you. I hope we'll work together soon."

And there she was, back to being a nervous wreck in his presence. Her lip trembled as she attempted to speak, her knees felt weak when she looked at him for a second too long, but she couldn't let him know that.

"Me too," she says casually, earning a soft smile from the boy. "Bye, Hak."

"Bye, shorty."