This chapter did not turn out how I liked it to be D: But I still hope you guys enjoy?

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The sign above the window was peeling somewhat; gold lettering was generously curled on a midnight blue background. 

The faint saccharine scent of vanilla and strawberries wafted under my nose, teasing me with promises of decadent desserts, palatable pastries and heavenly cakes that stood at nearly a meter, veiled with pale pink nets and decorated with red sugar roses.

What captured Eunjung’s attention the most, however, was the lithe figure of the male baker working rigorously away. His slender fingers delicately plotted and plucked, kneaded and pounded and combined with a dash of sweat, he produced a masterpiece that flaunted its grandeur, beckoning people inside. At work, his face was powdered with flour, his hands sticky with dough and a cheeky grin tugging at his lips. 

Eunjung had watched videos of her daddy and her other uncles and she was intrigued at how different he looked when he was not on stage, singing.

Once the three of us stepped inside, we were greeted by the most enthusiastic baker with a smile as warm as his loaves.

He wiped his eyes on the towel before heading towards us.

Then he stepped towards JongIn and stretched his arms to receive Eunjung. “Hey, you’re finally here!”

Eunjung giggled and squirmed in Minseok’s grasp. “Uncle Mickeyyyy!”

“Yeap, I’m the great Uncle Mickey!” He laughed. “Is the bakery hard to find?”

JongIn shook his head. “It’s very accessible. Your bakery is pretty neat, hyung!”

JongIn wrapped one arm around my waist. I could feel the ripple of muscle in his arm as it tightened around me. His nose was pressed to my hair and he inhaled deeply.

I lowered my gaze and hoped that I was not blushing. Sneakily, I pulled his ear.

“Please do not show your affections for me in public,” I hissed and smiled sweetly at him.

“Hey!” He yelped indignantly. “I just wanted to remind you how much I love you.”

I rolled my eyes slightly. “Not here.”

The sound of Minseok clearing his throat his throat made us turn our attention back to him.

“Ah …” I quietly exclaimed.

I tried to pull him arm away from my waist but he tightened his grip.

I sighed inwardly.

“Daddy!” Eunjung made a disapproving look.

Minseok grinned and looked at her in his arms. “Hmm, is someone jealous?”

I smiled. “She’s a daddy girl for a reason.”

JongIn stared wide eyed at the rows and rows of bread on display. “You made all these?”

Each one was lovingly hand made in the Romanian style; heavy, dense, hearty and nutritious.

“Yixing helped me with some of them. Not bad right? What do you think Eunjung?” Minseok turned his head to look at her.

“That,” She pointed to the white bloomers and iced belgian buns that dominated the display. My favourite were the eccles cakes; sugared puff pastry with sweet currants packed inside.

Minseok tore a small piece of the pastry and fed it to Eunjung.

Placed in the mouth, the silky-smooth texture that comes forth brings nothing but pure bliss. The plausible taste of true love, the perfect mix of bitter and sweet with a tinge of mint is pure luxury. Made with cakes and pastries, it adds an extra slice of heaven to every bite. She nodded vigorously hoping that he would feed her the whole thing.

He kissed her cheek and made exaggerated chomping movements in his mouth that set Eunjung off in a set of laughter.

I smiled fondly at the bond between Eunjung and the boy. It just made me happy to see that JongIn’s family melded in well with mine.

“Take a seat and I will bring some food in. It’s on the house!”

He was being too generous and sweet.

Eunjung was the only girl among all the other EXO members’ children.

Thus it was no wonder she was being showered with lots of love by her other cousins and uncles and even baby Oh Hyunwoo!

JongIn received Eunjung from his hyung and he rocked her back and forth causing her grin to grow even wider.

As I took a seat at the corner of the bakery opposite JongIn and Eunjung, I took a moment to properly observe the interior of the place.

The feel of the place was modern yet had some rustic charm at the same time. The cafe tables were chic and almost everything was white or mid-grey.

The coffee was rich and full-bodied, the pastries and baked goods were a feast for the eyes as well as the palate. Behind the server I could see fancy cakes being iced, workers moving in harmony.

“Mummy!” I heard Eunjung’s voice holler, interrupting my thoughts.

“Chocochocochocochocochoco Eunjung want!” She leaned forward as Minseok placed two steaming mugs on the table.

“Yah yah. You’ll knock the mugs down!” JongIn picked Eunjung by her arms in an attempt to stop her from rushing towards the drinks.

The hot chocolate was more like melted belgian truffle than the stuff my mother served when I was younger.

The hot chocolate was as rich as it was dark. It flowed as slowly as cream as Eunjung watched her mummy swirl the mug. 

Eunjung smacked her lips together as the dark, rich liquid coated her tongue thickly before flowing down .

“That!” Eunjung pointed.

The top was swirled with white milk foam and spotted with cocoa powder. “Isn’t it pretty? Uncle Mickey made it!”

It smelled like Charlie's Chocolate factory and I was torn between wanting to savour it and inhale it.

“I knew hyung liked making coffee. But I didn’t know he is this good!” JongIn commented as he smiled at me.

I tapped my finger against my chin. “For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in his case, too late to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want.”

I took a sip of the hot chocolate. “You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing.”

He made small noises of agreement to what I said.

For some moments I just wrapped my hands around the ceramic mug, letting the warmth flow through my fingers, banishing the wintry chill. Despite choosing to make it last it was gone too soon.

The latte was of a milk chocolate colour and at first Eunjung found it bitter. It sat prettily in a white china cup, a leaf pattern in delicate milky foam among the pale brown. She wrapped small her fingers around it, enjoying the heat that spread through her hands.

Her father sipped at his like it was a great luxury, his face was the same as when he took a nip of his single malt, relaxed, savouring both the drink and the moment. She took another sip as her daddy brought it to , still bitter, but only babies asked for hot chocolate or syrup.

She took a bigger sip and this time allowed the warm liquid sit on her tongue for a longer period. There was a flavour there, once accustomed to the bitterness it steped forth shyly. It was this undertone that was so apparent in the aroma - you can't smell bitterness and so in the warm air of the bakery it was just as heady as the smell of baking bread.

The bread with the soup was a focaccia, flat and covered with garlic, olive oil and generous quantities of rosemary. Her uncle had stuffed it with goat cheese and since the flour was wholewheat it could really be a meal in it's own right.

Her eyes glittered at the sight in front of her.

“Want some?” JongIn asked the girl on his lap.

Crumbling and soft it just sat there. She couldn't help herself.

Consumed with curiosity I just had to take a bite. Itching with desire, my teeth broke in. Soft and sweet it was almost like heaven on earth, until the spice came and a soft tingling aftertaste made the inside of my mouth momentarily flare. I could feel my eyes light with pleasure before taking another bite.

I knew before I left my chair I would be back here tomorrow for another.

Some things were too good to have just once.