I busied myself when my friends talked about the competition. Yeah, the school held a little competition that every student must joined to increase their final score. It’s an unique idea to pump up the student spirit.

“… Mrs. Shin—the headmaster—is a real genius ! She know how to make us study in a easy way.”

“Yeah, she even invite two hottest member of the most popular group as one of the judges !”

“In this case, the competition would be so much fun !”

I caught some of their conversation. I raised my head, “Who’s the judges ?” I asked, “Well, beside the well-known pattisier in our country, Mrs. Shin invited Super Junior Donghae and Eunhyuk as the judges !” Sora squeaked in happiness. Wait, what ? Super Junior Donghae and Eunhyuk as the judges—what ?! “Are you guys sure ?” I’m afraid they read the wrong information, since the best cooker in Super Junior is Ryeowook oppa, not them, “We’re completely sure. Read it by yourself.” Sulli gave me the brochure, and yes I saw their name among the judges list.

The competition would be held 3 days since our school has 9 class in total with 20 students in every class.

The brochure said, first day is competition between the classmates to choose a representative for every class, then they will do another round to pick 3 out of 9, in the final day, three finalist will made some dessert with a certain theme. Among four judges, one of them will be here since the second day, and the rest will come at the final day.

I had 5 days before the competition. I gave Sulli the brochure, said thank you and left to my flat. I should prepare for everything. And I hope Eunhyuk oppa remember about me.

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I spent my time in my flat to make any kind of food to impress the judges, I tried every kind of food from appetizer to dessert. I sighed as I took off my apron, “I hope with this I could win…” I said to myself.

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It was the final day of the competition. I got the chance to be one among the 3 representatives from every grade. I was preparing myself, said some magic spell to my reflection on the mirror, tried to calm myself down, when Sulli, Sora, and Joongki did some embarrassing cheers for me. I couldn’t help but laugh so hard on their attitude. Then Eunseo eonni and my homeroom teacher cheered me up and said ‘It doesn’t matter if you lose in the end, the important thing is your hard work’, ‘do your best’, and ‘you can do it’. I smiled and said thank you to them.

The competition started. The judges already sat on their place—and I didn’t know when they came since I’m so nervous. I saw the ovens and the ingredients in front of the judges, guess we would cook infront of them. The MC called the three of us to the arena. I took a deep breath, and wished the judges didn’t gave us any hard theme for the competition.

We introduced ourselves, then get into our place. The MC asked the judges about the theme they pick. Eunhyuk oppa grabbed the mic and gave us the theme, the audience gone wild as he talk, “…And today’s dessert theme is, memories. And despite the taste, we also giving some scores on your demonstration, so do your best, fighting !” He said and got round of applause. Memories… Memories… My mind tried to pick some sweet memories that ever happened to my life. I picked the pen and the paper, started to draw everything down before grabbed the ingredients that I need. I prayed, I wished, and I hope this memory would bring me the victory…

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I made it in time, I took a look at my creation, I hope this would help. I glanced at the other’s creation only to gasped. My senior made a cute strawberry shortcake and he decorated it so artistically, while the other one, a sophomore like me, she made some Madelleine and some Strawberry Mille-Feuille. It looked so easy to cook but it’s actually not, especially Madelleine. Then I glanced to mine, and bit my bottom lip in nervousness.

My senior stepped as he was the first contestant to demonstrate his creation. He introduced his name then his creation, he picked ‘wedding’ as a theme. The judges to suppressed the nervous of him.

Then, the other sophomore girl’s turn. When our eyes met, I mouthed ‘fighting !’ to her, she smiled and inhaled. She did the same, introduced her name then started to demonstrated her creation. “…. I picked ‘First Love’ as my theme…” after she said that I felt oh-so-doomed. What should I do ? I obviously can’t change my theme and remake my dessert, right ? What ? Should I just changed my theme and made up a story ? But I’m afraid I screw everything. My nervousness reached it’s maximum, as the MC called my name. I breathed couple times, then stepped infront. I bowed before I introduced myself, “Hello, I’m Han _____. I’m a sophomore. I…” Oh, what so ever, I back to my original plan. I inhaled deeply before told them my theme, “I also pick ‘First Love’ as my theme,” Then silent took surrounded, “May we know why ?” one judge asked me. “The reason ? Oh…” What is this ?! I can’t speak well ! Oh, God… “I… Well…” I saw a judge wrote something on her paper, I definitely screwed up… Hey, calm down, Han… You can do it !  I inhaled once, lifted my face up and smiled to the judges.

“I choose ‘First Love’ as my theme because, I was thinking the sweetness and the curious feeling when we felt it at the first time. Then, I just think that it would be good if we can feel it one more time, so I tried to find how’s the first love taste, and pour it into my creation. So, I made these,” I put my creation on the table that they prepared. I placed a cupcake and a couple of macaroons on a plate and gave it to the judges. I stepped back, “I hope all of you could feel the taste of first love from the cupcake and macaroons.” I smiled and bowed. Some audience clapped as I walked to the other contestant.

I stared at them when they ate my food. I learnt on their expression, tried to catch the meaning.

The three of us tried to lose the nervousness by chit-chatting. All of us stood up when the MC said the judges had taste all of our food. I couldn’t really remember what the judges said about the other, I just remember that the judges complimented my senior creation, felt satisfied with his amazing strawberry shortcake. But then they turned their interest to me and my friend—her name is Nana—who has the same theme but completely different reason, and it’s effect on the food, they said. “Nana-ssi did a great job in Strawberry Mille-Feuille, but you made a little mistake in Madelleine,” Nana seemed frown a bit, but then smiled and nodded, “As for you Han _____-ssi,” I felt my heart beat faster than ever, “Thank you, we really taste your ‘first love’ feeling in your both cupcake and macaroons,” I exhaled the breath that I don’t even know how long I’ve been holding it, “You really good on sharing your feeling through the food you made.” The judge put her mic down, I smiled, muttered thank you and bowed to them. When I about to stepped back, Eunhyuk oppa grabbed the mic and said, “I personally like the decoration that you made on both cupcake and macaroons, especially macaroons…. Cute Rabbit.” He smiled and put the mic down, and watched me with his precious smile still appeared on his face. I tried to calm myself down, I bowed and stepped back. Did he still remember me…?

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The result was out and I was in the 2^nd place. Nah, I’m not sad at all, I was a bit proud of myself, could be one of 3 best student in the school and join this competition. And, Eunhyuk oppa said couple words to me when he shook my hand—all the judges did, not just him, really. So, here I am, glanced on the bread in Tous Les Jours. Yeah, he told me to came, he wants to make sure, I am the Cute Rabbit he was talking about. The shop was a bit crowded, especially when Eunhyuk oppa being the cashier guy. He realized that I was there as he threw a soft smile to me.

I was picking between some bread when a fingertips poke my hand, “Cute Rabbit~” that person said. I turned my head and met his precious smile, he looked cute with his glasses and hat, I bowed and greeted him. “Too bad you didn’t win yesterday,” he said, “I didn’t regret it a bit, infact I was having soo much fun !” I said to him, he gave me another soft smile, I felt my cheek become warmer. “Oh, come with me !” he grabbed my wrist and pulled me to the staff room. I glanced around in confuse. He handed me a box. “What is this ?” I asked, “Open it.”

The moment I open the box, he screamed, “No, no ! Don’t open it !” I blinked twice, “W-well you may open it… But not infront of me !” He said, “So… should I turn around ?” I asked, “Not here too !” I swear I could see a slight of pink color appeared on his cheek, “Then… should I walk home ?” I asked, “No ! I want to hear your opinion !” Okay, this guy is cute, yet make me confuse. I open the box in no time and found, couple of cupcakes and 3 macaroons, “Y-y-yah ! I told you not to open it infront of me !” I smiled on the box I just open, “Did you make this, oppa ?” he nodded in answer, “Go on… Try it….” I picked the cupcake and ate it. He stared at me. I didn’t answer him when he ask ‘how’s the taste’ and ate the macaroon instead. “Can I ask you something ?” I said, closed the box, “Go on.”

“Is this your first cook ?” he gulped loudly, and nodded, “Is it that bad ?” he asked, I gave him a smile, “Despite the decoration, everything is fine ! I like the taste, the berry that you put inside the cupcake, and luckily you didn’t burn anything ! And I was fight over myself, is this really your first cook, because it’s taste good for a beginner.” His smile became wider in every word I said, “Maybe I should went to the school you were in,” he said, “Give it a shot !” I said, “But, nah, I’m afraid you’ll hate me since I’ll be more smarter than you.” I burst out into laugh, “Yeah, we’ll see who’ll win in the next competition !” I glared at him playfully, “I anticipate it.” He said and we both laugh. I never thought I will be this close to him. “Well, I never thought about it too.” He said.

.

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He said. Wait.

DID I JUST SAY IT OUT LOUD ?! Eunhyuk oppa read my expression laughed his off. “Oppa, did I…” “Oh, yes you did~” He said and continued his laugh. I couldn’t help but join him even tough I told him to to stop. He’s surely a kind person.

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