Chapter One

I'll Become a Patissiere!

It was snowing at night outside the walls of SM Academy. Everyone was asleep. Not a single room had their lights on. Except for one, of course. Choi Sooyoung was busy making crepes in the school kitchen at the middle of the night when she should be sleeping. She had just finished making the last crepe and placing it on a pile with the others. She set a frying pan on a damp cloth and hot steam came out. She sighed in exhaustion. Making crepes was really tiring for a beginner like her. But Sooyoung told herself that she must smile. As when making sweets, you have to have a joyful feeling. They're beloved sweets afterall. You have to make them while wishing for those who eat them to be happy.

Taking her own advice, Sooyoung put on her biggest smile and carefully layered each of the crepes with cream and strawberries. She cut a slice out and was delighted with the looks of it. Sooyoung was even happier when she tasted her creation. It was ten times better than the one she did earlier that day in class. Smiling, Sooyoung gave herself a pat on the back for her accomplishment. 

Yesterday...

"Unnie?! Are you done yet?!" Choi Jinri, also known as Sulli, shouted to her sister, from the living room.

"I'm almost done!" Sooyoung shouted back to her younger sister. She panicked as she looked at her hair in the mirror. "Oh, gosh! My ponytail isn't done well..." She took off the band that was holding her ponytail and tied it back again.

"Choi Sooyoung! If you don't come down this instant, we're leaving you behind!" Mrs. Choi shouted to her daughter from downstairs.

"I'm coming now!" Sooyoung shouted back. She grabbed her bag and ran straight for the door, leaving behind her wallet.

"Choi Sooyoung!" Sooyoung rushed out the door but her bag got caught by the handle. "Get a hold of yourself!"

"Oh no, Umma's getting upset!" Sooyoung exclaimed to herself as she tried to free herself from the handle. She did. But unfortunately for her, her clumsiness took over and she fell down the stairs. She shrieked in pain and fear. The girl finally landed on the floor of the living room.

Mrs. Choi watched her daughter with her eyebrows arched. "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine." Sooyoung replied, face smushed on the floor.

Sulli went over and shook her sister. "What are you doing? Jeez..."

The clumsy girl got up and apologized. "Sorry, sorry." That was one of Sooyoung's ever famous catchphrase. 

"She fell again?" Mr. Choi chuckled, driving the family in a car through a tunnel.  

"That's the third time this month. There should be a limit to falling down!" Mrs. Choi complained.

"I'm impressed on how she doesn't get hurt at all." Mr. Choi joked.

"You're not suppose to compliment her on that." Mrs. Choi replied grumpily. She glanced at the rear-view mirror. Sulli was playing with Sooyoung's hair. 

"You were so worried on what to wear, yet you still choose to wear your uniform at the end?" 

"I thought it'd be bad if I stood out more than you." Sooyoung replied cheerfully, pointing to Sulli's simple dress and a sweater.  

Mrs. Choi shook her head in annoyance. "Really now... Just how did you end up looking?"

"Well..." Sooyoung mumbled as she scratched her forehead. She was about to respond when the car drove out of the tunnel. Sooyoung stared at the her reflection on the window. I'm Choi Sooyoung. I'm a 2nd year middle school student without any redeeming features. My report card's all line of threes. I'm not good at any type of sports. And compared to that, my younger sister, Sulli, is good at the piano... Sooyoung glanced at Sulli who was playing a paino piece on her keyboard. And she'll compete in a competition today. To think we began taking lessons at the same time... I kinda feel like a failure. Sooyoung watched in envy as Sulli effortlessly played the beautiful paino piece. She sighed in sadness and looked away. To think we're both sisters... But why are we so different? 

The audience appluaded as the act on stage finished his piano piece. "It's almost Sulli's turn, huh?" Sooyoung whispered to her parents.

"But will she be alright?" Mrs. Choi was worried for her younger daughter. "It's the first time she's performed in such a huge hall!"

"Don't worry!" Mr. Choi gave his wife an assuring smile. "Her teacher gave her a certificate, right?"

Mrs. Choi realized that her husband was right. "Eh? Yeah..." But still, she was very concerned.

The hostess continued with the competition. "And now to continue, entry #18, Choi Jinri. Performing a Beethoven composition, Piano Sonata - Moonlight." 

The audience once again appluaded as Sulli worked her legs to walk on stage. They were as stiff board and she ended up walking like a robot. What's with her weird way of walking? Sooyoung wondered. Don't tell me she's nervous? Sulli managed to get to the centre of the stage. She made a polite bow. But as she was doing it, her music scores fell out from her folder.

"Sulli!" Mrs. Choi gasped.

Sulli managed to gather all of her scores and settled them on the piano music rack. Sulli had her fingers on the keys but she didn't play. Her fingers were shaking badly. W-What should I do?!  My fingers... My fingers won't move! Sulli lowered her head as she was about to cry. The audience gasped.

What's wrong? Mr. Choi thought.

Do your best, Sulli! Mrs. Choi bit her lower lip.

Just as Sulli was about to give up, she heard a familiar voice shouting. "I've waited for this!" She turned her head and realized it was her sister shouting. "The genius pianist of the competition!" Sooyoung fearlessly continued. "Go ahead -- play and win already!" The audience laughed in responce. Sooyoung happy smiled and waved.

"Thanks, thanks!" Mrs. Choi urged her daughter to sit down and stop the embarassment. 

"Oh, Unnie..." Sulli mumbled.

"Jinri?" The hostess called. "Can you begin now?"

Sulli looked at her fingers curling. "I can move them now!" she mumbled. "Yes!" she told the hostess happily. Sulli in a deep breath and played the piece that she had been practising for weeks. As she started playing, a beautiful sound flooded the auditorium. This sound was the sound of icicles and little sleigh bells mixed into one impacting combination. The audience closed their eyes to enjoy the whimsical sound of Sulli playing the piano.

That's it, Sulli! Just like you always do! Do your best! Sooyoung silently cheered for her younger sister. 

"Keep up that smile!" A reporter said as he flashed his camera at the winning contestent of the competition.

"Jinri, please face here too!" Another reporter said. Sulli obediently faced the other reporter, holding her first place trophy. "Please raise your trophy a little higher! We'd like the father to pose for us too!"

"Erm..." Mr. Choi tried getting away but to no avial.  The reporter pushed him right next to Mrs. Choi.

Sooyoung watched her parents and Sulli getting their picture taken from the stairs. She smiles in joy at her younger sister's accomplishment but slowly, that beautiful smile turned into a frown. Her eyes welled up as she had a moment of flashback.

12 year old Sooyoung sat on a rock near the river with her head burried at her knees. "Sooyoung." A tender voice called. "Tears don't look good on you. Have Halmoni's special magic sweets." Grandma Choi held a plate of Sooyoung's favourite sweet in the universe: A strawberry tart. Sooyoung looked up to see the sweet. "You'll smile after just one bite." Grandma Choi assured her grandaughter.

Sooyoung cut a slice out and placed it in . Her eyes opened wide and her frown turned into her beautiful smile. "It's delicious!" 

Grandma Choi smiled as well. "The magic worked, right?" Sooyoung nodded happily and took more bites from the delicious strawberry tart. 

Halmoni... Sooyoung suddenly realized that she was walking on a pedastrian crossing. But she was scared at all. She was surprised. Sooyoung took another sniff at the air. "Why does everyone passing by smell so sweet?" She gasped as a sign caught her eye. "Sweets Festival!" she ran though the people crossing and into a building. Come to think of it... Ever since I first tasted the sweets made by my grandmother who died two years ago, I must have been drawn by them already. Sooyoung rode on an escalator. She squealed at the sight on the second floor. She didn't hesitate and ran inside. Sooyoung was greeted with all kinds of delicious looking sweets. Cakes, chocolates, tarts, muffins, fruit cups, all that good stuff.

Sooyoung took a tray and grabbed the sweets which she was drawn to. The girl squeezed through the crowd. "P-Please let me pass..." She got through the crowd and saw tables. She smiled in delight. "All right! Time to eat them!" Just as she was about to go, someone called her.

"Miss!" 

Sooyoung whipped her head around. "Me?" 

"Please let us total them up first." the cashier said.

"Ah, I'm sorry." Sooyoung placed the tray at the counter. She rumaged through her bag. "Wallet, wallet..." She felt no wallet. She checked again, just to be sure. "I forgot my wallet!" she exclaimed. The cashier gave her a weird look. She took the tray. "I'm sorry... I'll go return them." she sighed in defeat. She walked away from the counter sadly.

Just then, she heard a familiar voice. "Umma! I knew she'd be here!" Sooyoung saw Sulli running up to her. The tray Sooyoung was holding caught Sulli's attention. "Those look delicious!" she marveled. "Can you eat this much?" Sulli asked as their parents came up to them. Sulli noticed Sooyoung's expression. "Huh? Why do you look so sad when you have sweets?" 

That triggered Sooyoung. "Umma! I forgot my wallet, so I can't eat them!" She broke down. 

"Oh, you're really..." Mrs. Choi sighed.

"You're really such a klutz!" Sulli stated.

"It's okay, I'll pay for it." Mr. Choi tried to cheer his daughter up. 

In an instant, Sooyoung became cheerful again. "All right! Then, I'll get some more!" Mr. Choi's jaw dropped to the floor as Sooyoung went around picking every single sweet. 

"Here, please!" Sooyoung placed two trays on the counter.

"T-this much?!" Mr. Choi was appalled. Even the cashiers were surprised.

"But they all look delicious!" Sooyoung said innocently.

"Act like you don't know them." Mrs. Choi whispered to Sulli at the queue. Sulli nodded.

When everything was totalled up, Mr. Choi nearly fainted. He relunctantly took out a bunch of cash from his wallet.

"It tasts like the French Revolution!" Sooyoung exclaimed happily. The girl was almost close to tears because the sweets were just too delicious. But Sooyoung was drawing attention to herself and Mr. Choi as the people around her weird beginning to give her weird looks.

"Umma, Unnie is..."

"Its tastes like Champs Elysees Street!"

Mrs. Choi shushed Sulli. "Act like you don't know them!" She ushered Sulli away from the table her husband and older child were sitting at.

Mr. Choi could only smile at his daughter's happiness and drink his coffee. 

"This sweet-smelling chocolate cake it from Lefranc, huh? This bavarois is from La Seine! Amazing! They're all cakes from famous pastry shops!" Sooyoung took one bite from one of the cakes. "Delicious!"

"Unnie..." Sooyoung looked up to see Sulli taking a seat in front of her. "Thanks for earlier." Sulli blushed. 

"What for?" 

"I heard from Appa... You suddenly shouted out in the auditorium..." Sooyoung could see her father winking at her. "To help relieve me of my nervousness, right?" 

Sulli usually speaks ill about me... 

"Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome!" Sooyoung said cheerfully as she took a bite out of her chocolate cake. She was suddenly surprised. "This flavour is..." 

"What's wrong, Unnie?"

"Excuse me for a bit." Sooyoung took the chocolate cake and she wandered into the crowd again. Where did I get this cake from again? 

"Is there something wrong with my cake?" Sooyoung was startled by a voice. She turned around and saw a tall and handsome pattisier. Sooyoung instantly blushed. "Is there a problem with it?" 

Sooyoung shook her head furiously. "I-It's not that!" She went closer to him. "This cake tasts a lot like the ones my Halmoni used to make." she explained. The man gasped. Sooyoung saw his name tag. Choi Siwon... SM Acdemy Lecturer... "I-I'm sorry! I was mistaken!" She bowed. "It must be rude to say the taste is similiar..." 

"Is your Halmoni a patissiere?" 

"Yes! She used to have a homemade cake store in a small town in the country."

"Used to? So now...?"

Sooyoung lowered her head. "She died two years ago..."

"I'm sorry... I reminded you of such a sad thing..." 

"Not at all! But my Halapoji is running it now!"

"Forgive me for asking this, but... Did your late Halmoni study in Paris when she was young?" 

"Paris? Come to think of it..."

"It was delicious! Hey, Halmoni... How come you can make such delicious cakes?" 

"Well... When I was young... I entered a school on how to make cakes in a city called Paris in France." 

"There's a school that teaches you how to make cakes?"

"Yes. It's called SM Academy." Sooyoung's glimmered as Grandma Choi mentioned the school.

"I'm pretty sure she said something like SM Academy in Paris..." 

"Would your Halmoni's name be Madame Sunghee, by any chance?"

"How come you know that?!"

"I knew it... I heard your Halmoni was incredibly skilled; she baked wonderful cakes that shocked my teachers." Sooyoung's eyes widened and her smile, bigger. Halmoni was that amazing! "Actually, SM Academy's founder, Lee Sooman is my great-uncle. Which is why the flavour of my cake tastes like that of your Halmoni who studied in the same school. To figure out all this in one bite -- your sense of taste is amazing!" Siwon praised. Sooyoung was surprised. Amazing? Me? It's the first time I've been praised... "Young lady, what's your name?"

"Choi Sooyoung."

"I'll let your esteemed tongue be the first to taste my new cake." 

Sooyoung's eyes glimmered as she watched Siwon make his cake. Like singing a song... Like a flowing current... As if in love... How happy he looks making cakes... "How cute!" Sooyoung gushed as Siwon finished his creation. 

"Please dig in, Sooyoung."

"Thanks for the food!" Sooyoung took a bite. "It's delicious! What's this...? From the soft and sweet milk mousse overflows a vivid strawberry sauce which melts on my tongue. The two flavours come out together... Leaving a bittersweet sadness before disappearing altogether. Almost like a... That's right... Like a first love. The image of it spreads out in my mind! To think there was such a cake!"

Siwon's eyes were almost bulging out. "How surprising... The name of the cake is 'First Love.' I made it with the image of a girl's first love. To think you'd recognize my image to this extend... Sooyoung, you have a wonderfully sensitive sense of taste!"

I got praised again? Though I've always been told I've got no redeeming features and I just have a talent for eating cakes. 

"Sooyoung." The girl looked up. "Won't you come to SM Academy? It's a school Lee Sooman founded to train patissier and patissiere."

"Patissiere?!"

"Halmoni... I want to be a patissier like you!"

Grandma Choi chuckled. "Sooyoung, patissier are boys. The girls are called patissiere."

"Then I'll be a patissiere!"

"I'm sure you'll become one, since you like cakes so much! Don't forget that dream, okay?"

That's right... My dream was to become a patissiere!

"Please do come. You have talent." 

Talent? I-Is that really true? But... I want to try making a cake like this! And become like Halmoni!

Sooyoung thought about it for a while. The girl finally made up her mind. "I'll enroll in SM Academy!"

That night...

"What?! You want to transfer schools?!" Mr. Choi exclaimed, close to fainting. His newspaper fell out of his hands.

"What a wonderful school!" Mrs. Choi said while reading the SM Academy brochure.

"It's like a castle!" Sulli remarked.

"SM Academy has a main school in Paris!"

"You're going to Paris?!" Mr. Choi exclaimed once more. "I'm definately against this!"

"Don't shout! I won't be studying in Paris, but a branch boarding school in Korea."

"Boarding school? Is it pretty far?"

"From our place... It'll probably take two hours by car." Mrs. Choi said.

"That much?!" Mr. Choi stood up. "I'm definately against this!" Mr. Choi was set on his descision. "Sooyoung, think twice about this! It's obviously impossible for you to live in a dorm!"

"We won't know unless I try!" Sooyoung was set on her descision as well.

"You fell three times a month down the stairs." Mr. Choi argued. "It's really impossible for a clumsy scatterbrain like you!"

"That might be true, but... Siwon Oppa said I had talent!" 

"You got all puffed up just because of a little praise!"

"But..." Mrs. Choi begun. "Umma's genes might be awakening in Sooyoung." 

"That can't be, right?" Mr. Choi asked hopefully. Sooyoung glared furiously at her father.

"Come to think of it, didn't Umma say something about studying aboard in SM Academy before?"

"That's right! Siwon Oppa also said he knew about Halmoni!"

"Oh my!" Mrs. Choi gasped.

"Halmoni's popular?!" Sulli exclaimed.

The three girls starting getting excited. Mr. Choi was the only one who was totally against all of this. "Hey! Don't get all carried away!" He sat back down on his arm chair. "At any rate, I'm against this!" Mr. Choi was firm. "I'll never let you transfer!"

"I want to be a patissiere!" Sooyoung shouted.

Her family was surprised. "Sooyoung..." Mrs. Choi mumbled. 

"I want to smile from my homemade cakes just like Halmoni did! I want to make Halmoni's strawberry tarts... Which she used to make for me back when I was little and used to cry a lot. Appa, please!" Sooyoung was close to tears. "Let me transfer to SM Academy!"

Mr. Choi had his arms crossed, his eyes closed and brows furrowed.

"Sooyoung, go ahead." Sooyoung, Sulli and Mr. Choi were surprised by Mrs. Choi."

"Yeobo!"

"Your little daughter is about to go on the path she desires! It's a parent's duty to root for her, right?"

"But...!"

Mrs. Choi placed an arm over her older daughter's shoulder. "I alwayd felt apologetic to you. I've always been focused on Sulli and made you feel lonely."

"That's not true."

Mrs. Choi shook her head. "I know all about it."

"I'm leaving the house to you, then, Sooyoung." 

"Yeah, have a safe trip..."

"We're late!" Mrs. Choi checked her rear-view mirror and saw 12 year old Sooyoung waving to her, slowly putting her hand down and walking sadly into the house. 

"You've always kept it in, right?" This time, Sooyoung couldn't hold it in and let her tears flow as she rested her head on her mother's shoulder. "I always felt sorry in my heart." She took a tissue and wiped away Sooyoung's tears. "And now, you've finally found your dream. I'm glad!"

"Umma... Thank you!" 

Mrs. Choi turned to her husband. "There's a proverb that says 'Let your precious child go on a journey,' right?"

"Even so... If we let her transfer, we won't be able to see her, right?"

Mrs. Choi sent a glare to her husband.

"Umma, what's wrong?" Sulli asked.

Mrs. Choi digged out something in the storeroom. "Yeobo." Mr. Choi looked up to see a golf club being pointed straight at him. "I found this under your bed when I was cleaning your room this morning!" 

"Err... Well, that's... um..."

"You keep buying gold clubs despite being so bad at golf... Yet you still intend to refuse?!" Mrs. Choi was mad with fury. 

"I get it! I'll allow Sooyoung to transfer!" Mr. Choi whimpered.

"All right!" Sooyoung threw her hands up in the air.

"That's great, Unnie!" Sulli high-fived her sister.

"Umma, thank you!" Mrs. Choi gave her daughter a wink.

Siwon-Oppa, I'll transfer to SM Academy.

"Sooyoung, I'm looking forward to seeing you at the Academy."

Halmoni... I'll become a patissiere!

After typing her journal entry on her laptop, Sooyoung shut it down and placed it aside. Tomorrow, will be the start of her whole new life...

Hi, everybody! That concludes chapter one. I hope you enjoyed it! Looking at the votes now, Leader Kris is in the lead with 10 votes. *claps* Lulu is second with 9 votes. *claps once again* And Bummie is last with only 2 votes. *claps too* Now, I'll just like to say that the poll is just for me to know which Sweets Prince you want Sooyoung to end up with. But of course, the final decision will still be up to me. kekekeke I see that I've gained 15 subscribers already! Thank you so much, guys! It really means a lot! :D 

P/S: Halmoni is Korean for Grandma. Halapoji is Korean for Grandpa. :) There's a little SooWon in here and no SooKey, SooHan and SooKris. I apologize for that. :/