"Your uniform might get dirty" Kai hurried as he took the egg beater from my hand.

"Ah, silly. I forgot to wear the apron" I agreed as I walked to the side of the cupboard where my neon pink apron hung from a hook. To my surprise, he swiftly took it from my hands.

"You always cook breakfast. Then all I do is wake up and eat. I was always tell you that I want to help, right? Let me" he said as he fuddled with the apron strings.

"Alright, but look at you. You can't even tie the apron strings" I chuckled, but swallowed it back when I realized that after so long in the cafe, I still fuddle with my apron strings too. I walked behind Kai to assist him. Well, to give justice to myself, it's easier to do this when you can actually see what you're doing.

"Thanks" I heard Kai mumble. I looked up to acknowledge it with a you're-welcome but was taken aback by his face merely a few inches from mine.

"Gaaaah!" I jumped back only to have my back hit the counter.

"Haneul, are you ok? What happened?" he gasped.

"Nothing, I just got scared by...your face" I explained and regretted just as soon as I realized how it sounded.

"Ouch. Sorry if I look like a monster" he pouted.

"No no, that's not what I meant" I waved my hands around frantically in an attempt to erase what I said.

"Then how do I look?" he grinned, posing with both hands on his hips.

"You look..."

The night that I first saw Kai in the front yard flashed in my mind. I remember exactly how I thought of that face. The most beautiful man I have ever seen. Wait, Haneul, what?

"You look like a highlighter" I finished, pointing to the neon pink apron he is wearing.

He reverted to a pout and turned his back to continue beating the egg.

"Aigoo, someone's being sensitive" I said, leaping to his side to pinch his cheeks, "I was just kidding. Real men wear pink."

In a split second, he's smiling again, as if he was never upset to begin with. When I first saw him, he was all serious and troubled. The way he is so cheerful right now is not something I expected.

"But it suits you when you smile" I said.

"What?" Kai tilted his head.

Did I say that out loud?

"Nothing!" I replied with a voice that's a tad too high. I blinked and realized that I was still pinching his cheeks. I immediately withdrew my hand and ran off to the living room to hide from the embarrassment. 

--

"Is it too salty? Is it overcooked?" Kai bombarded me with questions all throughout breakfast.

"Like I've been telling you for the past twenty minutes, it's great, Kai. How did you learn to cook like this?"

"Food channels!" he beamed.

I nodded. The truth is...I think the salt is about to come out of my nostrils.

"Thanks for breakfa--" I smiled, but was cut off by knocking on the front door.

I opened it to find a Minseok jumping in place.

"Sorry I've been waiting for more than an hour, but I really need to use the bathroom. Can I?" he said.

"Omo, first door straight ahead" I panicked, swinging the door open even wider to let him in.

"Thanks!" he said, dashing off to the bathroom.

"Why did he have to go all the way here to go to the bathroom? And...did he say he's been waiting for more than an hour? Where, here?" I gasped.

Kai's eyes conspicuously wandered as if to avoid my inquiring gaze.

"Kai...I think I heard you talk to someone while I was in the bathroom. Was that...why didn't you let him in?!"

"He didn't ask" he said in an ashamed yet angry tone.

"But still..."

"Why is he here again anyway? Is he picking you up for school? He doesn't have to! If only I could freely get out of the house without the risk of freaking people out..." he mumbled as he stormed off into the house.