TOP’S STORY

Late Night

The human brain is the most outstanding thing. It functions 24 hours for 365 days. It functions right from the time you were born. But gradually STOPS when you FALL IN LOVE.

*Flashback*

“Err…. What actually is my punishment?” I asked nervously.

“You… little brother are going to bake a cake for Tiffany. A tiramisu cake to be exact. Bake it yourself, not with my help or any other workers at this café. Complete with the topping and decoration. And you are going to make the cake until Tiffany here is satisfied with the result. Arasso?” She gave me a smirk and I was left dumfounded.

How in the world would I bake a cake for her? How in the world am I going to decorate and do a topping of the cake for her? For my freaking 22 years old life in this world, I’ve NEVER, let me repeat NEVER bake a cake on my own before! If that alone I’ve never done in my whole entire life, how the effing will I decorate the freaking tiramisu cake for her?!

Why can’t the punishment be any simpler than baking a tiramisu cake?!

The things that I would do for you miss eye smile. I let out a sigh. It was like 4 am in the morning and I was still in the kitchen trying to figure my way to bake this troublesome cake. Why can’t this cake be as easy as learning ABC, as effortless as counting 123 or at least be as uncomplicated as preparing instant noodle?

And that shikshin noona of mine didn’t even bother to help me. Great! If Ji Yong and Young Bae know about this, I’ll never see the daylight once again for eternity. They’ll make me the laughing stock of the day, week, month, year and forever! Choi Seung Hyun is baking a cake for miss eye smile?! All hell is going to break lose soon. Arghhhh! I can’t imagine them knowing this, let alone have my shikshin noona broadcast about this to those two. That will be the end of me.

I looked at the recipe and tried to make sense of it. *this is not my recipe. I got it from the internet*

Sponge cake recipe

4 eggs, separated

2 tablespoons cold water

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup boiling water

1 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

! What the hell is cream of tartar?! I only freaking know about tartar sauce! Okay, let see what else we need to bake this tiramisu for the lady with the red hair.

Soaking Solution:

1/2 cup Tiramisu flavored Torani Syrup

Torani syrup? Can I just use maple syrup instead?! Right now I just wanna facepalm myself. This is going to be hard Choi Seung Hyun. =.=’

Tiramisu filling:

2 cups heavy cream

3 egg yolks

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoons vanilla

1 lb. mascarpone cheese

Mascarpone cheese? Right now my head can only think about "Al" Capone, an American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate. So, maybe mozzarella cheese is the best choice to use. Yah! Choi Seung Hyun, mozzarella cheese is for making pizza, not tiramisu you ! Argghhh! Can I just bang my head on the wall as in now?

Topping

3/4 cup grated semi-sweet chocolate

ladyfingers

fresh berries, if desired

Semi-sweet chocolate? And here I thought that all chocolate is sweet. And ladyfingers? What in the world is that? Shikshin noona, where the hell are you when your handsome brother is suffering slowly, losing sleep because of the girl with the eye smile? Help me!!!

“Boooo!” Someone’s voice suddenly startled me.

“!” I turned around and there she was ,my shikshin noona, Choi Soo Young. I let out a sigh of relief. Thank you world!

“Noona! Don’t you dare scare me like that! What if I have a weak heart? This handsome brother of yours might as well be in heaven soon enough okay.”

Choi Soo Young didn’t bother to reply. She took a sit at the chair near the counter and flashed a wide grin to her younger brother.

“What are you doing?

“Isn’t it obvious enough for you noona?” I jerked my eyebrow. I knew that she is a shikshin but never thought that she’s dense too.

“When I asked you a question, don’t answer it with a question.” She looked annoy. Choi Soo Young and her bossy attitude. No wonder all her workers at the café were so afraid of her.

“What else do you think I’m doing? I’m trying to bake this ing tiramisu for that girl!”

I felt a smack on my head. “Yah, watch your language mister. And that girl has a name. It’s Tiffany!”

“Ouch! Stop smacking my head will you?! My head is going to have concussion if you keep doing that.”

“Ara..ara.. sorry. Ehhhh.. never know that you have a soft spot for Fany. Who would have thought you would stay up, lose your precious sleep time just so that you can bake a cake for her.” She drew a wide grin on her face.

“You must really like her, don’t you Seung Hyun? Love is in the air, spring has finally comes.” She giggled.

I heard her words that kinda like teasing me to the core. My heart started to beat faster, my face were flushing red. Does it really that obvious about me liking Tiffany, the girl with the eye smile?

“Noona, cockroach!”

Automatically Choi Soo Young jumped on the chairs. Her eyes lingered from right to the left to find that disgusting creature. “Where? Where? Where is it? Make it go away! Palli!”

I giggled out laugh. That’s for making fun of me before noona! Kekekeke… “Noona, with your loud voice, even the ferocious scavenger will fly away.”

She gave me a glare. “You were teasing me right?” She pulled my ear with her hand.

“Ouch! Let go would you!”

“Bad little brother! And here I thought I am going to nice and teach you how to make that tiramisu. Just forget it then. I’m going to sleep now.”  

My face lighted with a smile. “Noona, don’t go. Help me!!!” I begged her with my aegyo.

“Because I love this kitchen so much and I really don’t want to see it explodes when you finish with the cake, I’ll help you.”

“Yah, I’m not that bad in cooking till you wanna say I’m going to make the kitchen explodes!” I pouted.

“Awwwww…my cute brother is pouting. Honestly brother, you may be a genius when it comes to business management and laws, but frankly speaking cooking is not your virtue.” She patted my cheek softly.

“Hehhhhh…wait and see noona. Even this genius can be a master in cooking.” I laughed while ruffling her hair.

“Yah, not the hair! Now, let’s go to work.”

JI YONG’S STORY

Less than three

Love is when you don’t know why you seem to be attracted to that person. People that are meant together always find each other in the end.

Please, let her be at the rooftop today. I’ve been missing her like crazy for these past few days. I missed her ‘ajumma’ laugh, I missed her picking a fight with me, I missed her angelic smile and above all, I wanna confirm if she is really my Taeng.

I sighed and with my fingers crossed, I made my way up to the rooftop. My eyes wandered around and I finally caught the sight of her.

She was sitting peacefully on the railing, with her gaze fixed to the translucent blue, azure sky pressed down on the city, dotted with cloud.

“Hi.”

She turned around and saw my figure. A smile flashed on her face and gosh did I felt like her smile sweetened the very air in my lungs. Her smile... it was so welcoming, it opened the door to my heart. I knew the moment I saw her smile, that it would tempt me to do more than smile back.

I had the urge to KISS her alluring lips. Yikes! Snap out of it Kwon Ji Yong! You don’t even know her name yet. Don’t do something that you will regret later. Take a chill pill Ji! Control your hormones!

“Hey, dude.” She ushered me to sit next to her on the railing.