Eight - Be careful what you wish for
My First Love, My Arch Enemy
#Son Dongwoon#
"Ah, welcome, Dongwoon," Hyunmi greets me cheerfully. Two girls walk pass me; they just finished their cakes. "Anything?"
I scan the whole room, looking for the only person I want to see since two days ago. I was busy with practice yesterday and I couldn't even meet her at night because my mother came to watch my practice.
"If you're looking for Eora, she is busy at the kitchen," Hyunmi cleans the table properly. "Looks like she is up to the challenge."
"Challenge?" I raise my eyebrow. "You mean the baking contest?"
"Ah, you know about it?" Hyunmi stops cleaning and looks at me. "Kyuhyun came here yesterday and explained the detail about the contest. She has been keeping herself busy since the morning."
Without even bothering to continue the conversation, I walk to the kitchen and find Eora is indeed busy. She is wearing her favorite white apron while the table are full with ingredients and baking tools.
"Perhaps chocolate...," she murmurs to herself, still hasn't noticed my presence. "Or maybe coffee? Aigoo..."
"Chocolate," I blurt out to let her know that I'm in the same kitchen with her. She turns around to look at me with wide eyes, stepping farther from me.
"What are you doing?" I ask her, approaching her but she keeps stepping backwards. I look at the recipe book which is opened on the table. "Trying a new recipe?"
She purses her lips, giving me a deadly glare. Looks like she is still mad at me. I know I'm supposed to apologize to her but I can't. I don't know why but the word of 'sorry' seems really hard to say.
"It has nothing to do with you," she retorts coldly, walking away to open the refrigerator. "I'm busy so I need you to leave me alone."
Eora is indeed a nice girl but once she loses her patience, she is really annoying.
"Do you really want me to leave?" I ask the question. I clench my fists in silence, waiting for her answer. "Is it wrong if I love you?"
#Su Eora#
I tap my fingers on the table nervously. I return my gaze to the letter I received from Kyuhyun yesterday. He handed it to Hyunmi because I was busy at the kitchen yesterday.
He was serious about the competition.
"Let's bring up a competition.
Dream Kingdom VS Sweetest Queen
This Sunday.
Start on 10 AM.
Prepare a cake of your choice.
We will prepare the cake in front of public.
They will be the judges and they will decide who the winner is.
Prize?
The loser will do whatever the winner wants."
It's a pretty simple term. I just need to choose a cake, bake it in front of everyone, and let them to decide which one is better: me or Kyuhyun's.
The problem here is I don't know what kind of cake I must choose to be featured on the baking contest. If Kyuhyun has a courage to challenge me, I'm sure he has his secret weapon already.
What kind of cake that can make me win from Kyuhyun?
"Perhaps chocolate...," I murmur out loud to no one. "Or maybe coffee? Aigoo..."
"Chocolate."
The sudden reply makes me flinch a little due to the surprise. I turn around and see Dongwoon is walking to my stand. "What are you doing? Trying a new recipe?"
I quickly step away from him, still feeling mad at him because of the conversation we had two days ago. I couldn't believe his arrogance got into him that bad.
I know I don't have any experiences in love but that doesn't make Dongwoon to have rights to mock me. He is not even my boyfriend yet he acts really bold by kissing me without any permission.
Dongwoon is my junior and I respect him as a talented pianist. He is a really good friend for me. He is the most loyal customer I have, giving me spirit to keep going on since the start.
Unfortunately I don't think of him the way he feels for me.
"It has nothing to do with you," I avoid his gaze and open the refrigerator to take out the chocolate bar. "I'm busy so I need you to leave me alone."
"Do you really want me to leave?" he suddenly asks. "Is it wrong if I love you?"
His question makes me feel guilty. I straighten my body and glance at him. For the first time since I knew him, I see visible sadness in his eyes.
"I'm not someone who has the right to decide who you can love or not, Dongwoon...," I clear my throat awkwardly, "...but at least respect me if you really care for me."
"Dongwoon, I'm thankful for your feeling but I-" I was going to apologize because I can't return his feeling but he doesn't let me to finish my words.
"Do you like someone else?" he suddenly cuts with suspicious expression.
"What?" I frown. "No. Of course no. What I'm trying to say here is-"
"Then I will never give up," he states firmly with confidence. "As long as I still have a chance, I will try to win your heart. Don't give me you're-older-than-me excuse anymore. It won't work."
This boy is really stubborn.
"Fine, just be careful of what you wish for," I murmur and return to my work.
My heart will never change. I will never fall in love with someone who is younger than me.
#Cho Kyuhyun#
I flip another page of the recipe book but I still haven't gotten the inspiration to make the cake which I will make on Sunday.
Despite the fact that I've sent a challenge letter to Eora yesterday, I still haven't think of the cake yet.
The idea just crossed my mind yesterday. I'm confident with my skill as a patissiere and I have the best quality for the ingredients.
The only thing I don't have right now is the motivation to make a wonderful cake.
Even though I was the one who brought up the challenge, I actually didn't think much about the request I will give to Eora if I win; I'm sure I will win from her.
I just want to show Dongwoon that I can do something better than him. I want to show Eora that I can do better than her.
I wonder if Eora has found the cake she will use to challenge me.
My eyes roam the kitchen from corner to corner, trying to find something that can inspire me but nothing catches my interest. I decide to return to my office room, locking myself alone.
Hoping that anything can inspire me, I take out Eora's diary from my drawer and open random page. I stop when I see the date on top of the current page I'm looking at.
"14 February
They said it's Valentine's Day.
People said we should give chocolate to people we love.
I wanted to give chocolate to Kyuhyun today but Omma didn't allow me to use the kitchen.
I went to a bakery and used my saving to buy a cake.
It looked really beautiful with strawberry on top of it.
Kyuhyun said thank you to me when I gave it to him!
He liked it!
I promise I will make that cake as my wedding cake!"
That day was the last Valentine's Day I celebrated in Seoul. I went to New York on the next two weeks after Valentine's Day.
"The cake with strawberries...," I tried to remember the moment she handed over the cake to me. "Is that a..."
Ah, I finally remember what cake it was.
My lips form into a curve as I continue to flip the pages randomly. I know what I will make on Sunday now; I'm sure Eora can't beat me with that cake.
I abruptly stop when I reach the third last page of the diary.
"21 February
I wish I can open a cafe one day.
No, I promise I will open a cafe one day!
Kyuhyun will be my first customer!"
"Childish dream...," I murmur sarcastically. I close the diary and put it back inside the drawer.
Eora, I'm going to win the challenge.
____________________
Author's Note:
"Be careful what you wish for" is a phrase which means "The desired outcome may not be as desirable once it has been attained."
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