The diner you worked at was a fairly calm place. It was a part-time good job, most of the time, and though you found its name a little rich-A taste of Heaven-It was for the most part tolerable if not enjoyable way to make money while you went to school.

Usually.

Today was unfortunately not a usual day. Miss Janice Miller had decided to come terrorize visit today and you had drawn the short straw. In the brief time it took to take her order, she had already driven you to the point of plotting murder.

As you stormed into the kitchen Rosa, a fellow waitress gave you a sympathetic look.

"Oh, I bet I could win her over." Kai, a new waiter, said with such an air of confidence that in your mood, made you want to smack him.

You gave him a look. "Wow, Really?"

"Yeah, with my rugged good looks? Putty in my hands" Rosa snorted and you laughed. Kai was good looking, with his dirty blonde hair, infectious laugh, and almost golden eyes, but he was also new and hadn't had the full Janice Miller experience.

He flashed you both a wounded look, which made you laugh all the harder. Eventually, Kai gave in and laughed with you. Rosa shook her head.

Privately you thought, as you carried out an order, that if anyone here had a chance of charming Janice Miller, it would be Kai. He had blown into town just two weeks before and had already almost seamlessly integrated into the rhythm of the place. Sometimes it felt like he had always been there, with his bright smile and laugh.

"So, how's school going," Rosa asked, puncturing your train of thought "You still going into journalism, now or has that changed too?"

You scowled at her. "No, it hasn't changed"

"So, I should give that major a couple more weeks then?" You ignored this.

"As a matter of fact, it's going quite well and…." Oh no.

"and what?" Rosa glanced over to find a look of horror on your face and sighed. "Not again y/n"

Shitshitshit. You were scheduled till close and there was no way in hell you'd finish your assignment on time unless you pulled an all-nighter and you really didn't want to do that since you had classes at 9 am. You looked pleadingly at Rosa, but she shook her head.

"I can't cover for you every time you forget an assignment, I'd end up working half your shifts" Frantically you searched for options- any options and your eyes landed on Kai, who was getting ready to leave. He held up his hands and opened his mouth to speak, but you cut him off

"Pretty please" you begged, "It'll only be this one time-" Rosa snorted, but you ignored her "-and I can't miss another assignment in this class, and my professor is super strict" you gave him a pleading look and Kai wavered.

"Don't do it" Rosa warned "She can sense weakness"

"I can-" What could you do? You couldn't pay him back, every penny was going towards school, and you couldn't take one of his shifts, as you were already working as much as you could. "…I'll be your best friend...?" You finished half-heartedly, already condoning yourself to a sleepless night.

But Kai lit up "Deal," he said and grinned in such a way that you almost backed out. But you weren't about to look a gift horse in the mouth and you hurried home.

You had almost forgotten about your spur of the moment promise when around one in the afternoon you got a phone call from an unknown number.

"Hello?"

"So, I was thinking, since we are best friends and all now, we should definitely hang out sometime soon, like maybe today?"

"…Kai?"

"The one and only! This is y/n, right?"

You blinked in surprise. "Um, yes…How did you get my number?"

"Rosa gave it to me last night. Said I 'ought to have it now that the two of you are besties' Anyway, is tonight good? I just discovered the best ice cream place, it's to die for. You can bring all your school pals, the more the merrier-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down there buddy," You said, cutting him off. "I-I have work tonight, I really can't-"

"Aw, that's not a problem, I'll get Martin to cover for you"

You snorted. "Riiight. I've worked here for two years, and never once have I or anyone else, convinced him to cover a shift."

"Hmph. He hasn't met me yet. I have a guaranteed, foolproof trick for this sort of thing"

"What, your 'rugged good looks'?"

Kai laughed. "Well, I was going for my smile and irresistible charm, but that works too. Why you think I'm his type?"

You choked. "No!" You could hear Kai cackling at the other end, and you couldn't help joining in. "Jeez"

"I take offense at that. You're being a very bad best friend" His words contrasted with his amused tone and occasional bursts of laughter. "But in all seriousness, is tonight good? You don't have anymore nearly late assignments from doomsday professors, do you?"

"No, I'm free, if you really can get him to cover…" You supposed you did owe it to him. "You said something about an ice cream shop?"

"Mhm. Grab a pen and I'll give you the address" You scribbled it down. "Is 7 good?"

"Yeah..." You hesitated "Hey Kai…this is just as friends, right? I'm not really-I don't-I'm really busy with school right now" You finished lamely

"Best Friends," Kai said insistently. "But yeah, like I said bring anyone else you want. Bring your friends, your classmates, the whole school if you want." You laughed and felt yourself relax. "See you at 7?"

"Yeah, see you," You said and hung up, wondering what you had gotten yourself into.