he almost feels bad for lying, especially when it's not as fun as he thought it would be. sure, he technically didn't say anything false but he wasn't really expecting the girl to chatter away about her own travels and experiences in a new country. alex realizes that he should probably tell her the truth; he'll only look like more of an ass if he lets the lie go on longer. he does, however, stop to grin and bask in the compliment as she calls him handsome. he knows, objectively, he's a good looking guy. not that he's trying to take advantage of that, but, well, it helps.
"either's fine for me," he decides to explain properly in his answer about english or korean. "actually, i was being misleading on purpose. i did just come from canada and i grew up there but i've actually lived here in korea for a few years now. my parents were from here, so," he shrugs, "when i moved here for school and a job i had plenty of extended family around. i mean, i wasn't totally fluent in korean when i first got here, but at least i didn't accidentally say penis. i said it on purpose." alex laughs, though he belatedly wonders how the stranger will take his humor. he's so used to joking around with guys, making dick jokes and the like, that he almost forgets that girls aren't always as in on that genre of joke. maybe nayoung... well, nayoung doesn't really count as a girl in alex's opinion.
it certainly sounds like his new friend is a woman of many talents, perhaps being exploited by her willingness to work with animals and her obvious passion for the creatures here. "you should ask for a raise," he points out, "people pay big bucks for a good trainer and you seem to know what you're talking about. it's highway robbery if your boss is just paying you to be a barista when you're doing so much more for his business with the work you do with the dogs." not that alex is the one complaining; he gets to enjoy the company of mochi and the other pets regardless. he just can't help but call out an unfair situation even when it's really none of his business.
alex fusses with the puppy's ears, making little sound effects as he rubs them this way and that, cooing as the pup leans heavily into his knuckles as he scratches at the base. cute. it's certainly affectionate for a shiba, likely well socialized by the sheer nature of growing up in the cafe with so many people coming and going. "he's adorable," alex remarks aloud again. it's tempting to bring the pup home with him. there's just one little catch...
"shibas shed a lot too though, don't they? my boyfriend would kill me if i brought home a dog that would get everything dirty and furry all the time."
alex knows the state of the culture in south korea. he's been immersed in it long enough that he knows that two men or two women in a relationship aren't nearly as accepted as they are back home in canada. he's normally somewhat tight-lipped about his relationship, if only for his own safety. even with trusted friends, it's not the kind of information he wants broadcasted. plus, there's the complication of sarang and ren's careers; they're too publicly known for alex to go around saying dumb things about them. there's something about this girl though, something that makes alex feel like he can trust her to be normal (in his definition of the word) about the information he just shared with her. maybe it's a sense of kinship from both being foreigners in a sense, maybe it's just the brightness of her personality. regardless, his decision has already been made.
"oh, yeah, i was going to grab something but i got... distracted. mochi here isn't very good at keeping me on-task," he jokes, fussing with the pup affectionately once more. "do you have any specials today?"
"i'm alex, by the way." it's a little late into the conversation for introductions but still better now than never. alex can see himself walking out of this place without ever knowing the woman's name if he's not deliberate about learning it.
snowghoul
pixelskylines
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