Prologue

The Reasons

I

 

TING!

 

“First order complete!!” Dajung yelled for an attention from any of the waiters’ right from the kitchen, as soon as she put down two plates of steak on the counter.

 

She wiped a bead of sweats on her forehead before turned to see the other lists of orders that she had already stick it on the Order’s List boards with thumbtacks. It’s lunch time – and Haven Palate was getting filled up with customers from everywhere around the neighborhood.

 

An hour passed, and the customers gradually dissipated from the restaurant as the lunch time was almost over – and most of them had already headed back to their workplace.

 

Dajung opened up her chef’s hat on her head and put it beside her after she sat on the comfy sofa in the lounge which was specially made for the staffs to have a rest or even waited for their shift turns. And now, her shift was over and she took her own time to rest by closed her eyes closely.

 

“Ehem.” Dajung opened up her eyes just to look at the owner of Haven Palate restaurant; which was her sister too. “How is it? Feeling weak already, Dajung ahh?”

 

“It’s crazy time; and I’m pretty sure you know that, sis. And yup, I’m so freaking tired right now.” Dajung weakly replied while laughed along with her sister.

 

“Hey Dajung ahh....” Dajung shifted her gaze towards her sister with her eyebrows slightly furrowed. “Your childhood dreams – I guess you’re still the way into it, right?”

 

Dajung muted herself. Her dreams. She’d never once forget about it – a dream to have a great taste of all kinds of foods in Korea. And also to make a journal of her own about all the tastes of Korean cuisine.

 

“Yes. I’m still wishing for it to become a reality. But nowadays, I don’t know – I feel like I just had almost given up for it, Hyojung unnie.” Dajung’s face saddens. She didn’t so sure enough that she would have so much courage to make her dreams turned into reality.

 

Hyojung slowly smiled. Her reactions were as if she already knew the time for it will come sooner or later. This would be her chance to wake her sister from her usual normal life; to reach up for her dreams.

 

First step.

 

“Dajung ahh?” Hyojung softly called her only sibling name, which made Dajung averted her eyes to Hyojung’s face. “I want you to do the first step to your dreams.” Hyojung smiled meaningfully. “Go and take the driving lessons. I’d already paid and booked day for the Driver Education Course for you. But you have to pay for the other classes by your own money, okay?”

 

“Okay...” Dajung feebly nodded before her eyes widen and stared to Hyojung in surprise. “Mwo?! Unnie!!! You know right that I’m so coward and panic-stricken in person? How can I-“

 

Hyojung quickly shook her head. “No, Han Dajung. Listen to me. This is the only way to make your dreams become reality; you have to drive. So that, you can go to any places in this South Korea easily. Isn’t that a good idea after all?”

 

Dajung’s jaw almost dropped. Her sister had already made up everything for her without her permission. Everything!

 

“Oh my goodness....I’m so dead.”

 

II

 

It’s afternoon. And to make it worse, it’s hot. Very hot indeed.

 

A petite-sized car was moving slowly – which could be defined as slower than a snail – on the surface of the straight road.

 

Woobin laughed loudly while his hand almost pulled most of the hair on his head. A girl who was in her teen age was looking at him with a curious face. She would be possibly thought of two things in her mind at that moment:

 

1) Am I just the way too good and meets more than his expectation? Or.

 

2) I’m really poor with this thing named car; so he is currently let out his tense.

 

She shook her head vigorously as her mind thought about the second option of the meaning behind those Woobin’s laugh.

 

And soon enough, she knew the answer for it.

 

“Yah!! This is the way too much! I’m so done with you, girl!” Woobin quickly looked to the girl’s face with his stern reaction. “Now, put your right feet on the gas pedal and pressed it!”

 

The girl slowly nodded. Then, her right feet slowly crawled to the gas pedal and she pressed it – as softly as she could.

 

VWOONG

 

“YAH!!!” Once again, Woobin snapped at the shaky girl who was afraid of his sudden anger. “You’re really love that gas pedal that MUCH?? Little by little, gurl. Slow down, can’t you?”

 

“Y-yes, t-teacher...” Slowly the girl tried her best to reply to his order. Then, her gazes still stick on Woobin; which caused him to snap even more to the girl.

 

“What are you waiting for, huh? Start the engine once again – as you’d already take off your left leg form the clutch pedal.” Woobin strictly told the girl about the next step ahead. The girl than slowly did everything like Woobin said when...

 

GROOK

 

The girl stared helplessly to Woobin. Woobin bluntly said to her, “Try once again.”

 

GROOK GROOK GROOK

 

Woobin let out a hard sigh. Then, he quickly went out from the car and walked to the girl’s door. He opened the door, which made she stunned a bit before he inserted and rotated the key to ‘Start’ – and as soon he did that his slight magic touch to the key; the engine went on.

 

But then, he turned the engine off.

 

“Tea...cher?” The girl was dumbfounded by his sudden action. He just shrugged his broad shoulder and looked for his watch.

 

“Time’s up. That’s all for today.” Woobin gave her a piece of paper to be signed before he looked back to the girl’s face. “You know what; I’ve nothing to be said though.” He paused himself for a while before took back the paper after she had finished signed it. “But I really hope that you’ll get another teacher rather than me.”

 

The girl sent him a weird look. Deep in her heart, she really adored Woobin; as he was the most handsome drive instructor of Kim Driving School – actually most of the students did have a secret crush on him. But one fact that staffs and senior students here knew; his temper was too much to be handled.

 

Her ears really burned.

 

“Because I don’t want a slow student like you anymore.” Woobin gave her his last glance before he headed straightly to the office. As soon as he opened the entrance door of the office, there’s someone called for him.

 

“Kim Woobin.” Woobin quickly turned around to meet his brother. The owner of Kim Driving School.

 

“Hyung! What’s up?” Woobin smiled when his brother patted his shoulder softly.

 

“Woobin ahh...I do think that you’d to control your temper though.” Woobin looked up to his brother, waited for the other sentences from his mouth. “There’s a lot of our students rejected you to become their instructors.”

 

Woobin smirked. Then, he gave the paper to his brother’s hand before went to a white sport car that was parked near the office. “I don’t care about that. And oh! Can you please do that for me, hyung? Thanks in advance!”

 

“Yah! Yah! Kim Woobin!!!” Woobin’s brother quickly went to chase him but he’d already drive away from Kim Driving School’s area to a location that was not far from the school for his important appointment.

 

​III

 

Dajung flipped over the pages of a recipe book. After a while looked for the recipes, she decided to take another recipe books which were located near the counter.

                                        

“Ahh...” Dajung slowly sighed as she shifted her gaze towards the wall clock. “I guess they’ll be coming in minutes.”

 

DING DONG

 

“Wait up!” Dajung yelled from her stature and then went to the entrance door in a hurry to open the door. Soon, she was coming into her house with several women in every ages came along behind her.

 

She waited for them.

 

“Songsaengnim! (Teacher!) I’m really excited for our class today~” After each of them had put their own bags and took a seat on the wing chairs, a beautiful middle-aged woman asked Dajung of something that she had thought about it not a long time ago.

 

“What are the recipes for today, songsaengnim?”

 

Dajung caressed her nib awkwardly. “Umm...actually I didn’t get any idea to make the recipe for today though....”

 

Right after she said that, each of her students tried to help her out for today’s class recipes.

 

“How about baked some bagels? We can make bagel-like-burger!”

 

“Hmm....cream puffs maybe?”

 

“Pasta! I really am craving for it though....”

 

Dajung listened to each of their opinions in her head. She was indeed pleased to hear all the suggestions but the foods somehow didn’t make her have a happy mood to cook it.

 

She’s still thinking about her sister’s talk.

 

Dajung unknowingly let out a hard sigh. For seriously, she need something to rise up back her lost happy moods.

 

“Songsaengnim? You’re having a problem, don’t you?” Dajung quickly looked to one of her student.

 

“H-how can you guess that, Mrs. Kim?” Dajung asked Mrs. Kim in awe. She didn’t think that her face looked like someone in problems.

 

“I’m Joonyoung’s mother remember? And usually a mother did have a special ability to see through people’s minds.” Mrs. Kim smiled softly – which was a motherly smile – to Dajung.

 

“Oh... I see.” Dajung smiled feebly towards Mrs. Kim, who had already thought Dajung as he own daughter. And Dajung felt so lucky to meet Mrs. Kim in her life.

 

As she couldn’t get her mother’s love before.

 

“Wait a minute. I think I know what’s better for you – and also for us.” Mrs. Kim slowly said while winked to Dajung. Then, she turned to see every student that was so immersed in their talk. “Attention! Today our songsaengnim had decided the recipe for today! It’ll be cupcakes!”

 

Dajung stunned. And Mrs. Kim gave her an assuring smile. “Don’t worry Dajung songsaengnim. Whatever your problems are, the only way to forget about it is by doing something that you’ll love to. And cupcake sounds just right for that, don’t you think so?”

 

Dajung nodded. “Ne. I understand that.” Quickly she looked to every of her students with her usual happy face. “We’ll do some sort of pastry class today!”

 

All of her students beamed in unison. They were being happy as usual and enlighten up Dajung’s mood automatically.

 

“Alright! Let’s go now to make cupcakes~”

 

IV

 

“From head to toe, all is completely done!”

 

Woobin looked for his image in the plane mirror with a small grin on his face. He was wearing a simple black turtleneck along with jeans. His appearance was just simple – as he usually wore whenever he went outside or even in his workplace.

 

After he had confident about his looks; he went out from his room to the kitchen, just to be greeted by his sister-in-law. “Wow...Woobin ahh. You’re always looking gorgeous in any outfit... Fortunately, I’d married to your brother; or else....”

 

Woobin smiled. “Or else? Noona will be marrying me then?” He furrowed his eyebrows and tried to tease his beloved sister-in-law by give his back hug to her. “Noona will be mine and I won’t have to hear your nagging about how can I married to a girl someday and also I’m getting older and my temper umm....what’s more?”

 

“Yah! Kim Woobin!” In a nick of time, there’s something hit his head. It’s a spatula that his sister-in-law used to bake a cake. “I’m your sister-in-law; remember that in your mind. And yup, I should nag to you about all that.” Then, she freed herself from Woobin’s hug. “Now, I guess you didn’t want to come late to your reunion right?”

 

Woobin glanced to his watch. “Oh my goodness! Noona! I got to go first! Goodbye!” He ran to his car and without any seconds to delay, he quickly started the engine of his car and drove away from the driveway.

 

In minutes later, he finally arrived to the venue of the reunion should be. Euphoria Hotel. Woobin hesitated to go inside the hotel’s lounge at first. He was quite nervous to meet back his classmates.

 

“Long time no see, Kim Woobin! Yah...you’re looking good.” Woobin quickly averted his gaze towards his best friend, Lee Jongsuk, who was walking roght to him.

 

“Yah...Lee Jongsuk.” He approached him and made their own style of fist bump that they’re used to do in high school years before. “You’re not used to say something like that though...”

 

“You got me!” Jongsuk cheerfully laughed and gripped Woobin’s shoulder. “And let’s go in, come on!” Jongsuk straight away took Woobin with him, entered the Euphoria Hotel’s lounge together.

 

And right on the moment Woobin’s feet stepped into the hotel, his eyes fixed to a silhouette of a pretty lady on one of the sofa at the lounge.

 

DUP DUP

 

And both Woobin and Jongsuk were actually approaching her – the lady that captivates Woobin’s heart – and also their other classmates.

 

“Hi everybody.” Jongsuk started to greet each of them with a broad smile. While for Woobin, he just stood rooted to the ground – felt completely speechless.

 

The girl that spell bounded him just now was looking to him with a smile.

 

“Kim Woobin, right?” The girl then stood up and went gracefully to Woobin. “Do you possibly still remember me? I’m Jung Yihyun – the girl with big black spectacles that once was sitting behind you.” Yihyun let out a cackle and Woobin once again captivated by her.

 

DUP DUP

 

“O-of course I remember you, Yihyun sshi.” Woobin mentally cursed himself as he stuttered for his first and foremost sentences to Yihyun.

 

“I thought you will possibly forget about me – like others.” Yihyun again expressed her worry if Woobin would forget all about her.

 

Suddenly, there was another girl patted Yihyun’s shoulder, which made Yihyun moved her gaze towards her friend. “You’d like him before back then in high school, right Yihyun?”

 

Yihyun blushed. And so did Woobin too. He never thought that Yihyun would have a crush on him.

 

“Stop it, Mina. It’s before. And now, I don’t know why; but I really want a guy who can cook for me.” Yihyun smiled demurely and glanced secretly towards Woobin.

 

But he didn’t laugh; he almost chocked upon hearing that.

 

“...I really want a guy who can cook for me.”

 

A guy who could cook. And Woobin was not a guy who could cook.

 

Woobin had just felt like he’s falling in love with a girl named Jung Yihyun and yet, she said he was her past and now she wanted a guy who could cook.

 

Must he learn how to cook in order for him to tackle her heart?

 

V

 

“Driving class. Ugh....” Dajung cupped her face while stared vacantly to the screen of her laptop. She had just searched for information about driving class and yup, she did felt it was real hard.

 

“How can unnie simply booked the course for me.... Ahh~what can I do??” Dajung almost yelled loudly in her room as she was really felt burdened by it. She quickly stood up and suddenly her gaze fell on a book beside her laptop.

 

Her diary when she was small.

 

Dajung slowly went to her diary book and flipped to the first page. She touched every words of it with her fingers.

 

‘Han Dajung, fighting! No matter what happened – you can always do it :)’

 

Dajung sighed hard. Then, she read the date of these inspirational words for her up until now.

 

‘6^th April 1999’

 

“I’m ten years old at that time.” Dajung barely said it out from . “And 10 years old Dajung still don’t know anything about real life.”

 

Then, she gradually closed the book. “Because life isn’t always be like how we wanted it to be.”

 

“But you can change it, Dajung ahh.” Suddenly, there was a voice behind her. Hyojung was there right inside Dajung’s room while stared softly to Dajung. “Our life depends on our choice, remember?”

 

“Unnie....” Dajung slowly approached her sister. Hyojung walked gradually towards Dajung and gave a big hug for her.

 

“I’m really confident on your choices. Because I know that you’ll make it sooner or later, Dajung ahh. But when you seemed as if you’re just want to give up on your dreams, I’d to take an action – so that, you won’t regret it later on.”

 

Dajung felt moved by her sister’s words. She never knew that Hyojung was always watching her and did know more about herself eventhough she didn’t say anything to her sister.

 

“Unnie....gomawoyo. I’ll try my best then.”

 

 

“Kim Woobin...what happened to you? You never feel like this – I mean, have you feel your heart could burst when you see a girl?”

 

Woobin stared carefully to his image in the plane mirror while bit his lower lips. He couldn’t think straightly, all in his mind as soon as he got back from his high school reunion was Yihyun, Yihyun and Yihyun.

 

Jung Yihyun.

 

“Aigoo...” He muttered under his breath. “I’d looked like a stupid person already.”

 

“Woobin ahh! Get down! Your sister-in-law had made a special treat for us tonight!” Without any notice, Woobin’s brother suddenly stormed into his room and called him with a big grin on his face.

 

“Oh? Ah, ne.” Woobin trailed his brother from behind as he walked down the staircase. As he walked near to the kitchen, his nose could smell a nice smell like cakes or pastries.

 

“Cook.” Unknowingly, he already thought of something in his mind. A great idea. Quickly, his foot walked to the kitchen and approached his sister-in-law. “Noona! May I know the cooking class that you’d joined before?”

 

“Yah! Yah! Kim Woobin!” His sister-in-law pushed him away softly as he hampered her way to the dining table. She put a tray of cake carefully onto the table before turned herself to look at Woobin. “By the way, what are you saying just now? I’m kind of not hear you.”

 

“Noona~ I asked you before; I want to know where the cooking class that you joined before is?” Woobin clasped both of his hands and hoped that his sister-in-law would tell him about it.

 

“You. Cooking class? Oh my...am I hearing things or what?” She furrowed her eyebrows while looked to Woobin up and down. “Why you want to know about it for suddenly? You never bother about my class before though...”

 

“Please noona... I really need to attend it because....” Woobin paused himself for a while. Should he say the truth to his sister-in-law?

 

“Because?” She asked Woobin once again as she saw a slight hesitation in Woobin’s voice. She really wanted to know what could be the reason behind Woobin’s sudden decision to enter a cooking class.

 

But, Woobin just stayed silent. So, she finally spoke up. “Well, I guess that you want to talk about it later on. By the way...the teacher is too kind. I’m afraid that you’ll be the one who snapped at her later...”

 

“No! I won’t get angry; I mean, why I’d to? I want to study and that’s it.” Woobin tried to defend himself or exactly his uncontrollably anger habit. His sister-in-law just flashed a smile towards him.

 

“Well, I guess I’ll tell you.” Woobin beamed in joy. “But after I’d asked for her permission first.” But now, his expression fell.

 

He couldn’t wait for it.... Okay, he’s really in love.