Dragging my heavy feet through the snow, I knocked my head repeatedly with my fist. What a fool I’ve make out of myself... I should have taken a look at the drunken ajjusshi’s face earlier! Why did I stupidly acknowledge that he was TOP and cried like a baby back in the ambulance?

 

Aish!!! WAE? WAE? WAEEEEEEEEEEE?

 

If I could dig a hole on the floor, I would definitely put my whole head in for good.

 

“NOONA!” I looked up at the building. Won Ho was jumping up and down at the roof top, seemingly delighted to see me. “Where have you been the whole night?!” He asked right after receiving me at the doorstep. “I heard some glass shattered on the floor last night and found your room empty. You didn’t even bring your phone! Where exactly did you go in such a hurry?”

 

“TOP…” I mumbled, still guilt-stricken that he was nowhere to be found, “He’s missing.”

 

“Hyung? I- Isn’t he in my room?” Won Ho looked ever so lost as he pointed towards his room. “He’s been sleeping there since the moment you came back last night.”

 

WHATTTTT?

 

“Good morning every barddyyy!” TOP, who’s in one piece perfectly, greeted both of us cheerfully.

 

Yes, smile more… before you lose all the muscle on your face to do so.

 

I cracked my knuckles in preparation for World War Three. “Didn’t you tell me you’ll be waiting outside like a hero last night, TOP Sshi? Or did your amnesia acts up again?”

 

For a brief moment, TOP genuinely looked confused.

 

He then snapped his fingers when he recalled, “Ah… I’ve got to admit, I really regretted being such a hero right after you went up the building. The night was really turning very cold, Bora Sshi!” He hugged himself dramatically and plopped down on the sofa, continuing his story, “So I decided to climb into Won Ho’s room through the window again,” he paused, turning to me in realization, “Did your friend spotted me doing that??? I’ve been really careful already!”

 

Cool down, Bora. Cool down…

 

I shut my eyelids firmly and inhaled a deep breath of air to calm the boiling anger within. Because, I knew… I knew better than anyone would… that, if I punch him in the face now, he would get another bruise and that would also prolong his stay in our place.

 

Over my dead body would I allow that to happen.

 

“Get him an ice pack to nurse his bruise,” I instructed Won Ho, who stared at me before making his way to the refrigerator cautiously. I got myself a glass of cold water and sat at the kitchen counter while watching the two guys exchanging eye messages.

 

‘Are there any chances that there’s poison in the ice pack?’ TOP eyed the ice pack in Won Ho’s hand in horror.

 

‘She’s watching. Just take it, Hyung!’ Won Ho shoved it into TOP’s hands.

 

I tried to hold back my amusement as I shook my head inwardly. Boys will always be boys.

 

“Bora Sshi–” TOP tossed the ice pack back to Won Ho and scurried over to the kitchen counter, almost clashing into me, “Cheese cake! Didn’t you say you want to learn how to bake one?”

 

I clocked my head at him in doubts. “Do you really know how to bake?”

 

He smirked, “Are you afraid to find out how mesmerizing I look when I bake?”

 

Pfttt. Someone needs to get him a mirror.

 

Just when I was about to speak, Won Ho cleared his throat and announced, “Hyung! I’m leaving Noona in your care, alright? I’ve an appointment with my friends. See you guys later in the night! Oh– And remember to save my share of the cheese cake okay?” And with that said, he disappeared out of our sight.

 

“YA! YOU’VE NEVER ASKED ME TO SAVE YOUR SHARE OF CAKE BEFORE!” I hollered at the door, hoping that Won Ho could still be at hearing distance. TOP was stifling his laughter beside me, but stopped almost immediately when he saw me glaring through his skull.

 

//

 

[ Narrative: Third-person View ]

 

“YA! YOU’VE NEVER ASKED ME TO SAVE YOUR SHARE OF CAKE BEFORE!”

 

Won Ho cringed upon hearing the threatening voice behind the closed door. He heaved a sigh of relief and chuckled to himself. As he was getting up from the steps after wearing his sneakers, Won Ho did not notice that someone was carrying a huge box down the stairs. Both parties clashed into one another and groaned in pain from the impact.

 

“Aish…” Rubbing the back of his sore neck, Won Ho cursed and looked up at the culprit, whom turned out to be a young girl around his age.

 

She wanted to return him an accusing glare but her expression soften almost immediately when she recognize the familiar face. “Won Ho yah!” Her toothy smile spread across her face as she jumped right down from the remaining steps and landed right in front of Won Ho, who was totally taken aback. “Don’t you remember me?” She asked, pointing her finger to her own face.

 

“Do I have to remember you?” Won Ho raised an eyebrow in respond.

 

“YA!” She hit his arm playfully, “Bae Suzy! I’m Bae Suzy!”

 

Won Ho’s eyes grew in astonishment, “YOU– YOU’RE BAE SUZY?!”

 

[ End of Narrative ]

 

//

 

“The mascarpone cheese must be more than sour scream…”

 

Armed with my secret recipe book and a pen, I jotted down all the instructions attentively while TOP was whisking away the mixture like a total professional. I watched him adding a spoonful of icing sugar into the mixing bowl and continued whisking it.

 

“Look,” his voice pulled my attention back on his face, “the texture of the mixture should be like this…” He raised the whisk above the bowl, pulling the thick paste out for me to see. After which, he poured the mixture into the cake ring and wiped the sides clean.

 

My jaw was hanging in amaze at how simple he actually managed to make it look like while I took months just to master the whisking techniques. I creased my forehead and leaned towards the kitchen counter to make the gap between us closer. “Ya… Who are you exactly?” For a second, I thought I saw him gulping nervously as I continued, “You must be some pastry chef, aren’t you?”

 

I mean, who else could possess such amazing baking skills, right?

 

TOP finally broke into laughter. “Yeah, now that you mention about it… Maybe I’m a pastry chef in one of those 5 stars hotel. Ya–” He nudged me in the arm and grinned cheekily, “You should be honoured to house a 5 star pastry chef under your roof!”

 

Pfftttt… Someone please remind me not to praise him next time.

 

“With those skills, you can only be a pastry chef in one of the cafés at Hongdae at most!” I scoffed in annoyance and shoved him aside to put the cheese cake into the freezer.

 

“I’ll still take that as a compliment,” he actually winked at me with his bruised eye.

 

After putting the cake in the freezer, I took out another ice pack and threw it over into his hands. “Please nurse your bruises before going around winking at others.” And this time, it was my turn to wink at him.

 

TOP chuckled as he looked at the ice pack in his hand. He then walked over to the living room and threw himself onto the sofa, placing ice pack over his eye carefully.

 

I was busy cleaning up the kitchen counter when I heard he accidentally knocking over something from the coffee table. “What’s it?” I took a glance.

 

“Just the remote controller,” he replied and leaned over to pick it up from underneath the sofa.

 

“Oh…” I gathered all the used utensils and placed them all into the sink behind. ‘Aish…’ The washing detergent was running low already. I pumped out the remaining liquid and scrubbed the sponge onto the utensils.

 

Hmm… Maybe I should give Won Ho a call and get him to buy the washing detergent from the mini mart.

 

“Hey Bora… What’s that thing?”

 

I heard TOP asking from the sofa, but I was too occupied with the washing up. “What’s what?” I threw the question back at him without bothering to take a look behind.

 

Won Ho should be on the way home by now. Shall text him in awhile…

 

“Oh! Looks like… a frying pan?”

 

Both my heart and the spoon in my soapy hand dropped instantly. I swore I could have defeated the world record for being the fastest short distance runner that moment. Before TOP could flip over the frying pan to see the brand name at the bottom, I snatched it and hugged it ever so dearly.

 

“Hey…” He frowned, disapprovingly, “That’s rude of you.”

 

“T- This is my house!”

 

Stay calm, Bora. Stay calm.

 

“Sounds fishy…” TOP eyed the frying pan in my arms suspiciously, “and it’s not even .”

 

“Shut up.”

 

“Oh!” Suddenly, he poked his nose in the air and inhaled deeply, “Is something burning?”

 

MY CAKE!

 

I looked over my shoulder in horror. But wait… The cheese cake did not require baking! It was in the freezer! “You idiot–” That was when I realized it was just a trick of his to get me distracted. It was all too late as TOP had already snatched the frying pan back and held it high above us so I would not be able to reach for it.

 

Okay, I’m at least 165cm and that’s considered quite tall for an Asian girl… BUT this idiot guy in front of me had to be at least 180cm tall! Did his Omma feed him bamboos when he was young?

 

“Let go of it!” I sneered.

 

“Give me a reason why,” he challenged.

 

“I’m only giving you 3 seconds before you regret it.”

 

“Stop threatening me.”

 

“3.”

 

I raised my knee in position.

 

As though getting the big hint, TOP switched bewailed looks between my knee and his crotch. “What are you gonna do to me?!”

 

“2.”

 

“YA!!! You’re too scary for a girl!”

 

“1!”

 

And the last thing I remembered was a frying pan dropping from the ceiling…

 

…Right on my head.