Chapter Three

The Prince of the Rose Sweets

It was early in the morning and Key was lying on boat which was drifting away in the school lake. The boy was staring at the his small rose bottle, lost in thoughts. 

After having just arrived at SM Academy, I was instantly thrown into the elite Group A. 

"Don't take this lightly! If you're not willing to do this, then go back home!"

Though I nearly lost my confidence... Lu Han, the boy who was responsible for it, helped me gain it back. And I've resolved to do my best and aim to be a patissiere!

"Good morning!" Students of SM Academy greeted each other politely. 

SM Academy is a school for training patissiers and patissieres. So I figured all I had to do was make my beloved sweets every day. I was so naive to think that! 

"So, answer this problem, Lu Han, and..."

Lu Han heard his name being called and stood up obideintly to go to the chalk board. "Yes sir."

He got picked! Sooyoung smirked.

"And... Sooyoung." 

Sooyoung was stunned but she obliged. "Yes!" Sooyoung stared at the question. Her fingers holding the chalk but not writing anything. I'm bad at math! She sneaked a peek to the person beside her and was surprised to see that Lu Han was already done. Lu Han saw her staring at him with opened and blinked her away. Lu Han! 

"What's wrong, Sooyoung?"

"It's nothing!" She gave a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry... I don't know the answer..."

The whole class burst out into laughter.

I can barely understand English... There's no way I'll understand French!

"Tres bien, Kris!" The professer praised. "Now Ms. Transfer Student, Sooyoung, please read this." 

Sooyoung looked up from her textbook. "Y-Yes!" Sooyoung stared at the chalk board for the second time this day in confusion. "B-Bonjour... Comment allez-vous? On voit... la tour..." Suddenly, the girl's eyes windened in happiness as she thought she knew the answer. "Eiffel?" The whole class once again burst out into laughter. The poor professer face-palmed himself.

"So I'll put this in, right?" Sooyoung took two beakers of chemicals she didn't know and poured them together.

"That's not...!" Yuri tried to stop her but it was too late. Suddenly, smoke came out of the beaker Sooyoung was holding and floded the whole classroom. Everyone was coughing and spluttering.

"Open the window!" 

"I'm sorry!"

Kris, Key and the professer and amused looks on their faces. Lu Han, on the other hand, was annoyed. "My... To think it'd end up like this..." Key chuckled.

"It's quite exciting, actually!" Kris smiled.

"How so?!" Lu Han grumbled annoyingly. "Hey, Sooyoung! What're you doing?!"

"Sorry..."

"I'm really no good..." Sooyoung mumbled as she and Yuri walked down the hallway. 

"Don't worry about it so much. These days happen." Yuri tried to cheer her friend up.

"You think so...?"

"That right, that's right! That aside..." Yuri trailed on as she walked forward. But Sooyoung stopped beside the art room. She saw a drawing stand. It immediately made her think of her father, who loved art. Appa! "Hey, are you listening, Sooyoung? What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry. What was that again?"

"As I was saying..." Sooyoung glanced back at the art room. "For our nest flower arrangement class... Our teacher will be Key's Umma!"

That snapped Sooyoung out of her thoughts. "Really?"

"What do you think of when you amke sweets?" The teacher, who is also Key's mother, asked the class. 

Well, I... "That it'll be nice if the one who makes them enjoys it..." Sooyoung blurted out. "And if the people who eat them become happy from it!" The girl realized that everybody was staring at her and lowered her head. Key smiled at her cuteness.

"Indeed, so. It's the same thing with flowers. If you enjoy making flowers, they'll sparkle energetically... And make the people who gaze at them happy." I see! "So without being fixated on being good or bad at it... Let's enjoy arranging flowers."

"Yes!" The whole class said in unison.

Sooyoung had a pretty flower in her hand and a scissors in the other. I just randomly picked out a flower I liked... But how should I arrange it? If I cut it here... She snipped one part of the pretty flower and gasped. "I ruined it..." She placed the flower she thought was ruined in the centre of her bowl vase. "Aww... This won't do. What should I do?"

The teacher knelt down in front of Yuri. "That's quite like you. Relaxed and free. And with that, there's a balance."

Yuri touched the back of her head, flattered. "Thank you!"

The teacher walked over to Sooyoung's table. "Oh my..." 

Sooyoung instantly stoppped smiling. "Um... Is it that strange?"

The teacher shook her head. "No! It's very interesting."

"Really?!"

"Could the image of this flower be..."

"It's a cake! I like making cakes, so I thought it'd be nice if I decorated it it like a cake!"

"I can really tell you enjoyed making it." The teacher smiled brightly. "It's a very nice piece of work."

"Is that so?" Sooyoung smiled as well. It was the first time the teacher praised her.

Why does is have to be Choi Sooyoung...? The student next to her thought annoyingly.

"And then... So that's why... Today's dinner is pot-au-feu, right?" Yuri asked as she and Sooyoung walked back to their dorm.

"Pot-au-feu, huh?" Someone opened the dorm doors. Umma? But it was just a girl. 

"Unnie!" Sooyoung turned around. Sulli? But it was just a student girl running. "You forgot this!"

"Sorry, sorry!"

Sooyoung shook her head furiously. What was wrong with her? Why did she keep having these weird hallucinations?

Yuri arched her eyebrow. Her friend was certainly weird. "What's wrong?"

"N-No! It's nothing..." Sooyoung mumbled pathetically.

"Anyway, today's really been exhausting. We got a lot of homework on French..."

French homework? 

"French... French... Where's that refrence book?" Sooyoung mumbled as she searched through the shelves of the school library. She turned her head and saw Key sitting on a bench outside. "Huh?" She walked closer to the window. "It's Key... I wonder what he's doing?" Suddenly, she felt hands covering her eyes. The frightened girl almost let out a peircing scream in the library.

"Found you, Sooyoung!"

"Kris!"

"You're being so reserved, Sooyoung... I'm also bad at French. Let's do our homwork together!" he winked.

"Really?! You're heavan-sent!" Sooyoung hugged Kris. The boy was surprised and happy that she was clinging onto him.

Outside of the library, Key was sitting on a bench, just like Sooyoung saw. He was staring at his rose bottle on his hand, carassing it gently like it meant something to him.

"What's up with all these feminine and masculine nouns?!" Sooyoung groaned. She and Kris were staying up late in the library, studying. 

Kris referred to her book. "That's... Just like this... A feminine noun is..." Kris understands it... Kris noticed that Sooyoung was starring at her. "What is it? You don't understand?" 

"You said you were bad at French... But it was a lie to help me out, right?" 

Kris scratched his head awkwardly and laughed nervously. "Never mind that, okay? Here, solve this next question!" Sooyoung nodded happily. Thank you, Kris.

Yuri yawned tiredly in bed. She turned to her friend who wasn't sleeping. "You're still gonna study even after you finished your homework?"

"I thought I'd prepare in advance for the sweets we're making in class tomorrow." Sooyoung replied, books scattered all over her bed. "I'm behind everyone else, afterall." Sooyoung pulled the curtain that was diving their space. 

"I see... But don't overdo it, okay?"

"Yeah!" Yuri went ahead and off her lights. She snuggled into her bed, already falling asleep.

It was already past 12 and Sooyoung still had her lights on. "I'll study hard so I won't drag everyone down tomorrow!" She mumbled to herself. She had to do her best.

It was an hour past 12 and Sooyoung still hadn't go to sleep. She rubbed her eyes tiredly. "Tomorrow, for sure..." Her eyes were slowly closing. "Tomorrow... for sure...." Sooyoung couldn't take it. She had to close her eyes. The girl fell on her bed and begin snoring away. 

"Why'd I fall asleep?! So stupid of me!" Sooyoung complained as she and Yuri begin walking to their class.

"You can't help it! You're tired from experiencing things you aren't used to since coming here."

Sooyoung sighed dejectedly.

"So now we'll make choux a la creme today. The ingredients and instructions are written on the paper distributed."

So it's choux a la creme today. Thank goodness it's rather easy.

Sooyoung shouldn't be what she was now: Relieved. Because sometimes, things that may look easy aren't as easy as they seem. But the stubborn Sooyoung chose to thing that it'll be okay as long as she does her best.

"Read it thoroughly and take note of the points to consider..."

"Sooyoung, switch on the oven." Key instructed.

"Already? But there's nothing inside yet..."

"It's baked at a high temperature... So you need time to pre-heat the oven." 

Sooyoung nodded and did as she was told.

"Sooyoung, warm the butter to room temperature." Kris instructed next.

"Okay!" 

As Sooyoung was about to stir the butters with her spoon, Kris came over to her side. "Don't. Don't do anything. Let it be awhile until it melts on its own."

"I see..."

"Don't pull us down." Lu Han muttered.

"I know!"

"Sooyoung, it's boiling." Kris said. Sooyoung quickly placed the pot of butter on a wet cloth.

"You... Right after I said it..." Lu Han grumbled. "Were you even listening to what Noona said?"

"I-I was!"

Sooyoung carefully squeezed the mixture in her piping bag to small balls and placed them in the oven. After a while, the balls begin to puff up. "It looks like it baked deliciously!"

As she was about to open the oven, the Sweets Princes shouted in unison. "Don't!"

But it was too late... For the oven has been opened and the puffs deflated. "The choux!"

"Are you an idot?" Lu Han scolded. "It's basic cooking not to open the oven until the choux finished baking, right?!"

"Oh my... Spoiling the choux of the Princes..." One of the female students spoke.

"You don't have to talk like that, right?!" Yuri defended her friend.

"I'm sorry... The choux you've made..." She bowed to the three boys.

"It's okay. We still have time." Kris placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Let's remake it." Key smiled assuringly.

"Come on. Let's do this." Lu Han mumbled.

You guys... "I'll get the ingredients, okay?"

"Just the cake flour will do." Lu Han said. "We have enough of everything else."

"I kno--!" Sooyoung didn't see where she was running to and tripped over one of the female student's leg. She ended up on the ground with all the ingredients covered on her.

"That hurt!" The student rubbed her leg in fake pain.

"Sooyoung!" Yuri stared at her friend with worry.

The whole class begin to laugh at her. The teacher came over to see what was going on. "What are you doing?" When Sooyoung turned around, the teacher could only sigh in disappointment. "Sooyoung... You again?"

"I'm sorry..."

"Sooyoung is such a bother..." said another female student.

"She's got a lot of nerve to come to SM Academy like that." said another.

"Indeed!" The girl responsible for Sooyoung's embarrasment agreed.

Sooyoung looked at the faces of the princes. Lu Han kept his frown. Key and Kris had their mouths open and sad eyes. She suddenly felt lonely. Felt embarrased. She didn't belong here. She was a clumsy misfit who didn't belong in a room with these people. Coming to this school was a joke. She was a joke. 

"Won't you come to SM Academy?" he had said.

"She's got a lot of nerve to come to SM Academy like that." she had said.

Sooyoung was so confident and transferred after Siwon had told her that, but... The class has spoken. The school has spoken. She doesn't belong here.

"Sooyoung, cheer up." Kris found Sooyoung and sat next to her on the bench. Sooyoung was neither delighted nor surprised by his presence. She wasn't even shock when he placed his hand on top of hers. "It's normal to make mistakes."

"I... May not belong here."

"Sooyoung..."

I wonder how everyone's doing back home... The pot-au-feu Umma cooks... The scent of the painting tools Appa uses... My silly fights with Sulli... They all... Seem so distant. Sooyoung didn't realize it but she was leaning into Kris's embrace as he placed his arm over her shoulder. Just then, she heard someone playing the piano. "This... This is the song Umma loves." she mumbled sadly. Umma... Appa... Sulli... Sooyoung was already letting a few tears fall, they dripped onto Kris's shirt. But he didn't mind. He wanted to comfort Sooyoung in any way possible. "I want to see everyone..." She sniffed. 

Sooyoung finally realized that she and Kris were way too close and she got out of his embrace. Kris was puzzled. Sooyoung wiped her tears away and spoke. "Kris, thank you for the comfort... But I prefer to be alone." 

Kris gave her a warm smile. "Its okay, I understand. I'll see you later, Sooyoung." With that, he walked away, leaving Sooyoung sitting alone on the bench, crying out load when Kris was no longer in sight.

Sooyoung cried for a good 20 minutes and still hadn't stopped. Until she felt like she wasn't alone, that is. "Sooyoung." She looked up to see Key holding out a hankerchief. "Here."

"Key..." Sooyoung quickly dried her tears with her sleeves. She peeked at Key, who was still holding out the hankerchief. No use hiding... She thought and accepted the hankerchief. "Thank you." Key gave her a bright smile.

A few moments later, Key and Sooyoung were at a different location. Sooyoung gushed at the sight. "There's even a lake at this school!"

"This is the best place to go when you feel down." Key took a few steps forward to the lake. He saw his reflection in the waters.

"You have times when you feel down too, Key?" Key smiled at his reflection and fixed his hair. Sooyoung face-palmed herself. Don't tell me Key is... A narcissist? Sooyoung snapped out of her narcissistic Key thoughts when she smelt something. "Huh?" Sooyoung sniffed the air. "There's a really nice smell somewhere... I feel like I know it, but... What was it again...?"

"Come here." Key walked past Sooyoung. 

Sooyoung was greeted by beautiful looking and nice smelling roses. She gushed again at the sight. "So pretty!"

"They're pure-breed roses."

"Pure-breed roses?"

"They're wild roses that haven't been selectively breed. They're not as colorful as regular roses... But they smell incredible, right?"

"Yeah! It's completely different!"

"Essential oils and rose water are processed from pure-bred roses."

"You sure know a lot! As expected from a son of a flower arranger."

Key's smile turned smaller. "No... I learned that from my horticulturist Appa."

"So your  Appa is a horticulturist! Flower arrangement and horticulture... Don't tell me your parents met in...!"

"That's right... In a rose garden in May. The two of them met in a garden where roses bloomed profusely."

"It must be a wonderful memory!"

"Yeah! The scent of roses calms the heart and gives you energy!" Key knelt down amd smelt the roses. "Here, try smelling it too, Sooyoung."

Sooyoung smelt it and begin to feel something weird. She opened her arms in a muscle pose. "I've got a lot of energy now, for some reason!" She turned to Key. "I'll review how to make choux a la creme again!" Sooyoung ran to fufill her quest.

"Wait! I'll help too!" Key ran to catch up with the suddenly hyper girl...that he seemed to developed a liking on.

I've done my best to adapt to a new life after transferring...  That before I knew it, I forgot I wanted to make sweets and make the people who eat them happy. When, in fact, I should enjoy making sweets even more, when something bad happens and when things get tough. 

Sooyoung stared at her choux puffing up in the oven. "Yeah! Just a little longer! Come to think of it... Key, you said you'll help out, though!" She placed her hands on her hips. "Key, didn't you come to help me out?" 

"It's okay."

Sooyoung walked over to his table. "Hey, what are you...?"

Key shouted in shock. "The choux are burning!" 

That definately set Sooyoung off she rushed back to the oven to check on the supposedly burning choux. "... What's with that?! It's not even burning! You liar!" She stomped her foot and pouted childishly.

"Sooyoung, it's about time for the custard cream to finish cooling." Key reminded.

"I see!" A while later, it was the time for the choux to be taken out of the oven. She was delighted at the smell and looks of it. She took them out and started piping the custard cream in between two chouxs and carried the same process until there was no more chouxs left. For the finishing touch, Sooyoung sprinkled sugar on them. "Choux a la creme, finished! I knew I could do it if I tried!"

"Nope." Sooyoung turned around. "It's not finished yet." 

Sooyoung admired every move Key made when he arranged the choux neatly and perfectly on a cake stand. He also added some candy roses and decorations. Sooyoung was also drawned to how serious but handsome he looked while doing it. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Sooyoung." Sooyoung squealed at the finished result. "May your life be as colorful as roses."

"Amazing! It's like I'm in a rose garden! Thank you... Key!" Sooyoung's cheeks were slightly red.

Key smiled. "Then I'll clean up over here." He walked away.

"I'll help too!"

After the two cleaned up, Sooyoung was hungry. Key could tell since the girl was so hungry, he could hear her stomach rumbling. "Go ahead." He gestered to the choux a la creme.

Sooyoung wanted to but... "But it's almost like a waste to eat it..."

"Sooyoung! I heard you were making choux a la creme?" Sooyoung heard the voice of her friend. She turned around and saw Yuri, Kris and Lu Han running towards them.

"You guys...!"

Yuri gushed at Sooyoung and Key's choux a la creme. "That's great, Sooyoung!" Kris praised.

Lu Han butted it. "No. Don't be fooled by its appearance. We can only evaluate it by its taste." Lu Han knew Sooyoung was glaring at him. But he didn't care. "Now, then..." Lu Han reached for the choux.

"We're digging in!" Yuri, Kris and Lu Han said in unison.

"No! I should be first!"

Yuri chuckled. "You took us seriously?" The group burst into joyous laughter.

Halmoni, before I realized it, I have a lot of wonderful friends surrounding me. Yuri, Key... Kris... and Lu Han even though he is an idiot. Keke... At any rate, no matter what happens... I'll do my best at SM Academy.

"Gahh! Math quiz... I forgot it was today!" Sooyoung exclaimed in Math class.

Hihi, guys! First of all, I wanted to say...

When you guys leave me comments, telling me you love a certain chapter, supporting me and subscribing to this story, I feel so happy. Really, I do. Like you guys don't know how happy I am when I see a 'New subscibers!' or a 'New comments!' post. :'D I see that I've gone from 20 subscribers to 23. Thanks to the three awesome people who subscribed. And also a big thanks to those who commented, subscribe and supported! :D

Second of all, I decided on making this chapter more of a SooKey one since, looking at the votes, Key is still last with 6 votes. And Cowboy-Ge is ahead with 20 votes so I added a SooKris moment in there. :) No SooHan, though. Unless you count the glaring and Lulu scolding Soo. lol He's second with 19 votes, by the way. It's kinda funny to see like, at one point, Lulu pulling ahead and another, Kris pulling ahead. And poor Key is always the last... haha. Just lettin' you guys know I voted in my own poll too. But I'm not telling you who I voted for. kekekekekeke 

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!