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forty-eight: chocolate-making and mind control

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[“ Everyone here is a little weird and creepy.”]

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”Making chocolate shouldn’t be this hard,” Juyeon grumbled.

”Shut up and whisk,” was Sumi’s response.

”No, I’m serious! My wrist is aching making this cream, I’m going to end up with carpal tunnel syndrome or something.”

”Don’t be overdramatic.” Sumi snorted. “I mean, maybe a sprain at most.”

”Yeah, that’s so much better. Why can’t we just buy chocolates? I’m not that gung-ho about making homemade ones for Exo, you know. I don’t care that much.” At least, that was what she kept telling herself, so she could try and forget the look of utter shock, embarrassment, and happiness that the boys had on their faces when she asked them what chocolates they wanted.

”Because we aren’t allowed to go out and buy ingredients, that’s why.”

Juyeon dropped the bowl of cream and stretched out her fingers, wincing. The two girls were in the dining hall’s kitchen, a surprisingly spotless place where they and all other girls in the Academia had been given permission to make chocolates in if they wished. When breakfast, lunch, and dinner times were over, the staff were cleared out, and Juyeon found that the cupboards were all filled to the brim with everything needed to make any kind of chocolate, all the way down to different flavours like raspberry and blueberry, and mint.

All that was left was how to make chocolate.

There had been a few disasters (one girl somehow managed to poison a batch, another set her hair on fire, one managed to ruin the school uniform of every girl in a five foot radius), but things were going almost swimmingly otherwise.

There was just something — friendly about all this. It was easy to get caught up in the mood; so poignant it was like Juyeon could sense the rosy aura and pink hearts in the kitchen. Sickening, irritating, and generally just girls making a big deal out of nothing and conforming to the status quo. Yet, girls who never looked at Juyeon twice were now calling her by name, telling her about some funny anecdote in their chocolate-making fiasco, even willingly coming over to share their secrets on what ingredients work best, and what you should not do with an oven.

It was so … nice. The old Juyeon never would have admitted it, would have refused to make chocolates partly because she hated the whole idea of lovesick girls fumbling over chocolates that could very easily be rejected by cruel boys, partly because she had no one to give them to at the time. Yet she could now readily admit that, well, she liked it. She liked having silly little girl-bonding time over something as mundane and idiotic as making chocolates for boys.

”If you think that’s creamy enough for cream, you’re dead wrong,” Sumi remarked, leaning over to look at Juyeon’s bowl. “Keep whisking.”

”Let me do something else,” Juyeon whined. “Come on, please. Anything. I need this hand to write homework.”

Sumi fought back a laugh. “Alright, fine. Wanna try grating the cocoa butter, then?”

”Ugh, I guess.” Juyeon stretched out her fingers one last time and turned to the grater and the block of cocoa butter. “Can we put almonds in some of them?”

”Why?” Sumi was immersing herself in measuring out coconut oil and cocoa powder, and setting up a pot to melt the butter. “I thought we settled on dried blueberries.”

”Well, yeah, but I want some for myself.” Sumi gave her an are-you-serious look, and Juyeon shrugged. “Might as well since we’re making chocolate anyway, right? Don’t chocolate-shame me. What do you want on yours?”

Sumi shook her head, pink hair tied firmly back with a short ponytail and several bobby pins. “Those poor boys,” she muttered to herself, before saying, “Gimme dried cherries.”

”Ooh, good decision.” Juyeon searched through several of the cupboards, digging through bags of flour and pots and pans. “Where the hell did they put the chocolate ingredients?”

”Try, um, the other side of the kitchen, third cupboard to your right, second up above.”

”There’s too many freaking cupboards!”

Juyeon huffed and stood in front of the numerous cupboards, staring a