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You called in sick.

For the rest of the day, Sera tends to you attentively.


You can't help but think the deejay is partly responsible for her frequent visits though. After mingling with her for the past two weeks, you know she's not the type to keep checking up on people.


The thought of the male being caring warms you, but then again, you know better than to let it get to you. Look at what it did the last time you accepted someone's shower of concern.

You ended up with a broken heart.



The day is spent sleeping away.

 

❖❖❖

Feeling much better the next morning, you return to work.


However, you choose to knock off earlier at the stipulated timing of 6 pm, as the medicine is making you slightly groggy.


Upon reaching home, you crash on the couch for a short nap and when you stir again, it's already eight. After a shower and quick dinner prepared by Sera prior, you feel more refreshed.

Aching for something to do, you decide to bake again, pulling out the ingredients you've memorized so well from the cabinets and fridge.



Not wanting to screw up this time, you jog upstairs to retrieve the notepad you've jotted tips in the other day at the bakery. Upon flipping it open, the two slips of paper with the recipe recorded on falls out. The older one is already a bit worn from your frequent use and so you pick the recent one Kyungsoo has written out for you to stick on the fridge.


However, whilst refreshing the details again, you notice something different about the newly written recipe. Aside from the slightly more careless handwriting, there's an ingredient in there which was not present in the other slip of paper.



To confirm, you grab the other note and compares it side by side.

Sugar?


Despite feeling a bit skeptical, you bring out the sugar anyway and starts baking according to the new recipe.



It could be the crash course at the bakery the other day, but you definitely feel the difference in the dough when kneading it out.



After a grueling four hours wait, the dough rises up so gloriously you clap and run to get your handphone in order to take a picture.

By the time the oven goes ping! and the aroma of fresh bread fills the air, it's already 12:50 a.m.



You pull the tray out of the hot oven carefully. It looks promising and after glazing the loaves with some water for sheen, you step back and admire your work.



The resemblance is there, but there's the last test.

The taste.



Nervously, you pluck off a piece and places it tentatively in your mouth.

You work up the courage to chew slowly and...



 

It. Is. Perfect.



It tastes exactly like the Provence baguette and to ensure you are not dreaming, you nibble on another piece and...

Yes! Exactly the same!


"Ye-mmpf-s!!"

You let out a muffled cheer (because there's still food in your mouth) and then starts jumping up and down for joy. When you finally swallow the last morsel, you hoot in merriment, not caring if you're going to wake the neighbors because you got it right!

You are still dashing around the house ala home run style when the door clicks open and Kyungsoo shuffles in, shrugging off his black pea coat.

 

"I got it! I got it!" Before he can fathom what it's all about, you dash forward and shoves a piece of bread in front of his face.


"Try it!"

Unable to refuse your insisting enthusiasm, he gingerly accepts the bread and chews.



"What?" The deejay grumbles. "Why are you feeding me this?"

"What do you think it is?"

"Isn't this our Provence baguette?"


You cry out in elation.

"It is? It is, right?! Ahhhh!!!!" Scuttling to pluck the recipe off the fridge, you flit back to the deejay with the note as he watches in confusion.



"This...This..." You jab at the paper. "It's there! Sugar! That's the missing ingredient!"



Realization dawns upon the deejay.

Oh.

He was feeling so flustered that day he actually wrote down the correct recipe.




"I did it! I did it!" You squeal and start skipping around in circles. "I succeeded in making the Provence baguette!"

Kyungsoo knows he should be feeling bothered, but with reasons unbeknown to himself, he feels the edge of his mouth pulling into a smile instead.


"I told you so! I, Choi Ga-eun never fails in what she's determined to do!"

After declaring your triumph, you twirl around, ready to revel in his crestfallen or annoyed expression. However, you are met with the sight of a heart-shaped smile and eyes crinkling into cute crescent moons.



This... Isn't the reaction you're expecting.


Is he pulling one on you?

But his smile is so genuine, you momentarily forgot about claiming victory and... Grins back.



The two of you stay like that for approximately two seconds before you suddenly remember the discrepancy in the recipe.


"Wait. Why did you... The first time round, you didn't write the correct one..."



The smile drops from his face.

"I... Probably made a mistake." He lied.




The air is silent for a while before Kyungsoo remarks casually, "Aren't you supposed to be in bed by now? You are still recovering."


With that, he steps briskly into his room.

It's not until he hears you clearing up and padding up the stairs again that he departs for a shower.



As the hot water cascades down, Kyungsoo wonders why he's not getting upset that his plan to throw you off the test is foiled. In fact, he's actually... Happy.

He's happy when he sees you smiling like that without a care in the world knowing he had helped make it happen, albeit unintentionally.

 

Something must be seriously wrong with me.


He blames it on fatigue.

❖❖❖
 

You receive a phone call from Madam Park in the morning.



"It's a Saturday, Ga-eun ah, are you busy with anything?"

"Not in particular..." You don't think you want to tell her how you spend almost all your Saturdays eyeing scoops on the internet. Maybe you should feign continued sickness, but you've actually recovered almost completely.



"Come with me to the children's shelter today? I'm cooking lunch for them but I miss seeing you..."

The affection in her tone is evident and you warm up to it.


"Sure. What time do you want me to go?"

"11 a.m.?"

"Right, can you give me the address?"

"Oh, that won't be necessary. I'll get Kyungie to drive you."


"K-- ? Wait, I..."

"I'll see you later then, Ga-eun!"



And she hangs up.

Great.

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a/n: haha, is this what u expected? hehe~~ and anywayz, i'll be reverting bck to updating once a week due to my schedule, so the next update shld be about fri~ do stick with me! ^^