Blind Sided
@rkchoutzuyu
Jaemin is a serial flirt. It’s always been a part of his way for getting things to go his way. Most people like to be showered with attention and Jaemin tends to use that to his advantage. While his flirting isn’t necessarily the conventional Prince Charming style, his doting compliments and teasing at least make people crack a smile, which leads to them opening up to him. In high school, this helped him get some of the nerds help him with his homework by going on a study “date.” However, as soon as the other person tries to take the carefree flirting a step further, Jaemin immediately becomes cold. He doesn’t understand himself well enough to really understand what he wants in a relationship.
That doesn’t stop him from going on a date or two though! When his friend suggested that he go on a blind date with a girl named Tzuyu, Jaemin accepted quickly. Dates are an excuse for food and conversation, two of his favorite things. However, it’s been awhile since he’s been on a date and when he thinks about the dates he’s been on, they never were explicitly called that. As the date got closer, his hands started to sweat from nerves and he would overthink about all of the different scenarios that could play out. He knew that nothing serious was going to happen but he still couldn’t help but shiver when he thought more about being at a dinner on a blind date. It seems like a formal venue compared to his library or coffee shop dates.
As he stands outside the restaurant that he was to meet the mysterious Tzuyu, he fumbles for his phone. He scrolls to the text from the mutual friend, reanalyzing the instructions. Positive that he’s at the right place, he shoots a text to the number his friend provided him. Not sure what to write, he simply types “Hey, it’s Jaemin. I’m here,” and shoves his phone into his pocket. He looks around, when he hears a phone buzz close by. His head snaps to the spot; a girl is checking her phone. After taking a long deep breath in and out, Jaemin puts on a fake confident smile and approaches her. “Hey, I’m Jaemin. Are you Tzuyu?”
It had been months! Almost 3 months to be exact and while she got texts here and there from Sakura, it was not a long lasting conversation and she hadn’t seen the girl. They hadn’t met since her birthday in June. Tzuyu had told herself since putting her idol dreams on hold that she was going to try out college and dating and other normal things. Sakura didn’t seem like a possibility for her since she became a trainee-she wasn’t even sure her best friend felt that way about her, anyway. That’s why she took a chance with a blind date when her college friends asked to set her up. What was there to lose? Maybe she’d meet someone amazing that she could date for a while-she had no idea what it was like to date anyone. This was a good thing, she told herself.
When the big day came, she was so nervous. She was wearing things that were unusual for her. Tzuyu’s style being very pastel and girly. Her red halter top and skinny jeans were much more mature. Her makeup was very neutral except for the soft coral lip color. Tzuyu used her phone’s camera as a mirror for the tenth time. She was standing by the door of the restaurant much too early. Every time someone passed she looked up to check if it was her blind date. How would she even know if it was him if she’d never met him before. Her friends had given him her phone number but her phone remained unringing.
Finally, when their meeting time was about two minutes away, her phone buzzes in her hand. Who said a watched phone never rings? It’s Jaemin and he says he’s there. Before she has the chance to look around for him. Tzuyu smiles at him and nods. “I’m Tzuyu, nice to meet you.” she speaks back normally, like she would anyone else. She is, however, hyper aware of the hammering in her chest. As they head inside, Tzuyu takes in his looks. Jaemin was handsome and they were about the same height but she wasn’t bothered by it (though she was very glad she’d worn heels). The thought that he might be put off by her height made her blush a bit.
It was as the hostess led them to a table that Tzuyu realized she had no idea how the experience was supposed to go. After all, she’d only seen dates in movies and dramas and there was usually some kind of spark where the main character felt incredibly into her date. Jaemin was very handsome, no doubt, so maybe the feeling would come later. “ I’ve never done this before. You’ll have to lead the way.” she admits as they take their seats. Men liked taking the lead, anyway, right?
