boogiedown Unending Energy

[maladgogo]

This time of year, the city was a hub for tourists, holiday-goers, and winter sports. Bustling, rich and vibrant, and settling into the hubbub was easy once you found the right rhythm. Constant traffic through the Petaling District meant steady business for every restaurant, including the newly-opened ones.

Now, there was one restaurant settled back from the street in a clean, but mostly nondescript building that simply read in standard Malay, "Incorrect". In smaller print below it, the name was written again in Korean, Japanese, and English. It was, according to reviews, a joke by the restaurateur himself; the menu was very carefully constructed, and very carefully worded, to make everything sound like humorous puns and stream-of-consciousness errors that translated into each language in the descriptions of the dishes. For instance, one could order a plate of sashimi that would simply be called 'Shhhhh'. The inside of the restaurant was one of the most mellow atmospheres one could find, while still being tidy and upscale-enough to constitute a quiet date. From the bar to the kitchen, everything was impeccable, and the owner himself? Right in the middle of it all.

The owner was a bit of a talking point in his own right; tall, attractive American with long hair tied up neatly behind his head and hidden under a pastry chef's hat, with nearly sparkling blue eyes standing out against dark skin, bare hands proudly displaying scars and burns, evidence that he personally had worked very hard to get here. He was polite, courteous, professional, and had the most genuine smile that most could recall ever seeing. The restaurant reviews were stellar so far, and every compliment to the chef was utterly justified.

The winter sports season would draw in the crowd looking for fast, hot meals, or breaks from the crowds and the chaos, and Guy would be here for all of it. No matter how he might want to go see these things for himself, he had a job to do, and he was proud of it. Besides, serving athletes always did have its perks.

"Welcome to Salah, follow me right this way to your seat!"

Comments

[maladgogo]

Guy laughed, bright and warm and maybe a little louder than people are generally accustomed to it being in here. He moved to lean his hip against the back of the booth situated on the opposite side of the table situation Minami was settled into.

"So, Kenjiro Minami. Whatchoo prefer to go by? Could just keep callin' you 'lil' brother' but if you comin' around more often while you here, best to have somethin' to be callin' you." It'd be easier than trying to decide between calling him by his given or surname or any combination of honorifics.

[boogiedown]

"Oh! Uh -"

Okay. Okay, interesting sort-of stranger asking for something that personal. Minami was pretty sure this counted as flirting.

"'I like 'Little Brother' - But 'Minami' is good too. If you want?"

Guy might or might not grasp the significance of just a first name. Minami stuffed another bite of ice cream into his mouth, before he could change his mind. It felt like his heart was doing triples.

[maladgogo]

Guy had grown up with one of his best friends being from Japan, her family teaching him just so that he wouldn't inadvertently offend others that were there. He knew the significance of first names, and of honorifics. So he tapped his cheek thoughtfully before bending down with a grin. "Minami-kun?"

[boogiedown]

All of his friends used that one. Minami heard it every day. But it sounded different now. As if there were all sorts of new things in his name.

"Yeah!! And... You said just 'Guy' was okay?"

Minami felt his face take on the same shade as his hair. He gulped down more ice cream, trying to bring the temperature back down. Geeze, that's forward. Dropping the honorific for someone he'd just met, Except Guy's wasn't Japanese, and (kinda) already said to call him that. So...