— for @nariisms. set in dec. 2022, after the release of wishful.
for as long as skyler had lived in seoul by now, he had feels like he had grown much more accustomed to the customs—at least, more than the awkward kid he was some years ago, attempting to get used to referring to people by the correct specific honorifics. he remembers the mild embarrassment he had as a trainee whenever he heard trainers saying he came off as 'rude' or 'too blunt', due to speaking to them too casually by accident.
that said, he still was trying to figure out how to handle the likes that came along with being a kpop idol; the constant filming, trying to make a good impression on those who were already fans and those who were curious enough to look into wonder, as well as trying to be there for the rest of the group. not to mention, making sure to be kind and respectful to the other idols who came before him.
this is how he ends up opening every door for the older woman accompanying him, pulling out her chair for her once they reached their table, as well as handing her a menu first before even taking a glance at his own.
… maybe he was overdoing it, but he couldn't help but worry about coming off rudely. yeona was kind enough to treat him and the other wonder boys to meals as congratulations whenever their promotions did well, so he believes that he should do his best to show how much he appreciated her care. the absolute last thing he wanted was to seem ungrateful.
"thank you again for inviting me out to eat, yeona—" skyler hesitates for a second, nearly bites the pink of his own tongue debating on what to say. noona feels too informal, would -ssi or -nim be right though…? he knows some seniors are fine with being spoken to in a relaxed way, while others aren't. even now, he was still trying to navigate those honorifics.
it's better to just play it safe, he decides. "… sunbae!" he finally speaks up with a sheepish smile on his lips, hoping she didn't notice him so obviously trying to find the right words.
"but, um," he brushes back a few strands of loose hair from his forehead, glancing off into the space nearby. he honestly can't believe how shy he is to say this. "you don't have to pay for me this time, if that's alright? you always pay for all of us, so i would like to be able to do the same for you this time around."