Seulgi never really liked anything sweet--cakes, chocolates, pastries, name it and if it’s sweet she’ll say no in a heartbeat. She thinks that eating sweets will make you too hyper and can even cause diabetes. She tries to avoid eating it as much as she can.

“Unnie, you have to go with me!” Her sister, Yeri, had begged one day.

“You can go by yourself! You’re big enough.”

“But unnniiieeeeeeee, pleeeaassseeeeeeeee. You know how much I don’t like going out alone! What if there are bad people there?!” Seulgi looked at her sister dead-straight in the eyes.

“Yeri. It’s 2 in the afternoon. The sun is shining brightly. We’re near the police station. I don’t think bad people would like to hang out somewhere where they can easily get arrested. Don’t look at me like that-- It won’t work this time--STOP POUTING!!---ugh, fine. Get our coats while I change into something less comfortable.” The bear had grumbled, taking off her pajamas and getting a change of jeans. Seriously, her sister can be so persuasive if she wants to.

“Yay! Thanks, unnie, you’re the best!” The youngest exclaimed, going out of the room to get their coats and returning a minute later to an already dressed bear. She smiled as she helped her unnie put on the coat and had quickly dragged her out of the house.

The place they went to was only a five minute walk from where they live hence why Seulgi can’t understand why her little sister can’t go on her own. She rolled her eyes as Yeri happily entered the shop she oh-so-loves, grabbing a paper bag and looking for her favorite pastry. She returned half a minute later with eyebrows scrunched and mouth forming a pout.

“What is it?” Seulgi asked as Yeri glanced at the empty baskets again.

“I can’t find my favorite bread….” She whispered, looking around again. Seulgi noticed a movement of red from her peripheral vision.

“Maybe it got sold out, why don’t you buy some other things like this--” she stopped, breath short as she saw a girl smiling at them, flaming red hair and wearing an apron.

“But my bread...” Yeri whispered sadly, eyes searching again in hopes that maybe her precious bread will appear.

“Sorry we’re all out of bread. It was a busy day today as you can tell.” The red-haired girl motioned to the empty baskets around the shop, wearing a gorgeous smile and Seulgi swore she saw the sunshine to her grey life.

“How about these, Yer?” Seulgi asked, looking down at the cookies on the counter, trying to avoid the smiling girl in front of them. Yeri pouted.

“But unnie….” She sighed, “Let’s just go back tomorrow.”

“...okay...”

“Sorry again. See you soon~” the red-haired beauty waved back and Seulgi can’t seem to look at the girl because she feels that if she did, she won’t want to go out of that shop ever, so she just smiled at the ground and waved a small goodbye as she and Yeri went out and since then she hasn’t gotten the beautiful smile out of her mind.

The next time she went there, she had dragged her friend, Irene, to go with her, saying something about buying bread for Yeri because her sister’s been such a good girl the past few days and Irene had looked at Seulgi like she had sprouted three heads.

“Seul, you just complained about how Yeri had just pranked you with switching toothpaste with shampoo! I don’t even know how she did that nor do I wanna know and now you tell me she’s the perfect angel? Seriously, what’s up?”

“Yeri apologized that’s why I’ll give her bread as a reward.” Was all the bear said and Irene had stared at her, skeptically, before shrugging and thinking how weird her friend is. They arrived at the bakery shop and was immediately greeted by the red-haired girl wearing a large smile.

“Welcome~ Oh, hello again!” The girl smiled some more and Seulgi looked at the ground shyly and scratched her reddened cheeks as she mumbled a hello back. And it clicked in Irene’s brain and her skeptical face turned into a full on grin. The bear had looked around, spotting her sister’s favorite bread before grabbing some and looking back at Irene who, to her shock, had started a conversation with the red-haired beauty.

“Unnie, do you want anything?” She called out and Irene had looked at her, a sparkle in her eye, before shaking her head and continuing to whisper something to the girl. Seulgi rose on of her eyebrows before shrugging and walking towards the counter to pay.

“Is that all?” The beautiful girl asked and Seulgi nodded, looking down and not wanting to meet eyes because wow just wow, the girl is so breathtaking, the bear thinks she might die due to suffocation. “Here, this is our new product. I hope you’ll like it. I made it myself~” the beauty stated and Seulgi was taken aback at the information as she mumbled a thank you, Irene giggling on the side.

It was late at night when Seulgi remembered the cookie she got from the girl with the beautiful smile. She took it out from the paper bag of bread that she still hasn’t given her sister, inspecting it, her mind flashing back to the words ‘I made it myself’ and the smile that partnered it, she took a small bite of the cookie, and another, and another until she finished it all and something from inside of her wanted more.

She tried really hard to not go to the bakery shop and buy some more of that cookies because really it’s just cookies! She can make it herself if she chose to...or maybe not..there’s some---a lot of-- self doubt in her cooking skills. But here she is, entering the shop after what felt like 2 years of trying to avoid it but in reality it was just three days.

To be honest, the sight of the red-haired girl wasn’t the one that fazed her in this specific hour but the fact that Irene and Yeri are there, seated on one of the tables, looking like they’re whisper-arguing about something as they glanced towards the door leading to the back of the shop.

“They’ve been here since this morning.” A voice suddenly announced from beside her. Her eyes widened in shock as she looked at the ever so wonderful smile the red-haired girl is adorning.

“E-e-xcuse m-me?” She stuttered out, moving a step back, ears and face turning as red as the hair from the girl she adores. The girl giggled, gathering her hair to the side and revealing that deadly jawline.

“Yeri’s your sister, right? And Irene unnie’s your friend?”

“How’d you--”

“Yeri’s a regular. We love her. And Irene unnie’s been coming a lot too.”

“Oh...”

“So, Seulgi, what can I help you with today?”

“How did--”

“Irene unnie and Yeri talks a lot about you.”

“You know you tend to finish--”

“Your sentences. I know.” And she giggled again and Seulgi’s legs felt like jelly. “I’m Wendy by the way.”

“Wen..dy..” The bear tried saying it a few times, grasping the smooth roll of her tongue on the name before smiling back at the red-haired beauty, eyes meeting for a minute before Seulgi had looked away in shyness. Wendy giggled again.

“Unnie! Can you help me with this?” A tall person came out from the back door carrying three layers of trays filled with bread.

“Coming, Joy~” Wendy shot Seulgi another ground-breaking smile. “Be right back~” before walking towards the taller employee and carrying two of the three trays, giving Seulgi a nice view of the girl’s arm muscles and can she just say W O W. She cleared and looked back to her sister and unnie and found them staring at Joy before going in another long whispered conversation. She scrunched her eyebrows, walking towards them.

“Hello~ What are you doing here?” She asked, raising an eyebrow at the two.

“Shut up, unnie, you’re in the way of Irene unnie’s view!” Yeri whispered as she pushed--harshly--the bear to the other side to sit beside Irene who had her eyebrows scrunched.

“But what if--” Irene started but Yeri cut her off.

“Aish, unnie, you know what..” Yeri paused, looking back at the two employees of the shop, “HEY WENDY UNNIE!” Wendy looked back, tray still on her hands, raising her eyebrow in question.

“JOY UNNIE AND YOU AREN’T DATING RIGHT?”

“YERI!” The eldest shouted as Wendy’s eyes widened and Joy looked like she was about to choke.

“No. We’re just friends! Joy’s like my little sister!” Wendy replied and Joy nodded, trying her hardest not to laugh at the stupid question. Yeri grinned, flashing an ‘ok’ sign at the two before looking back at the two appalled people in front of her.

“See, killing two birds with one stone.”

“What is even happening?” Seulgi asked.

“Well, unnie, just so you know, Wendy unnie is free so you can date her if you want and Joy unnie is also free so Irene unnie can ask her out.”

“I will kill your sister, Seul.”

“Go ahead, unnie.”

“Aish,I’m just trying to help! Hmph!” Yeri grumbled, rolling her eyes before standing up and walking away. “See you later, unnies.” Seulgi turned to Irene.

“So...Joy, huh...” And Irene blushed beet red.

“S-shut up!” Before pushing Seulgi out of the chair and exiting the shop with an ‘I see you later’ by Joy. Seulgi shook her head before walking towards the counter and getting the pack of cookies she wanted to taste again.

“Oh~ You like the cookies?” Wendy asked, suddenly  appearing in front of her with a grin on her face. Seulgi’s eyes grew wide as her face flushed red and she nodded her head.

“It’s… It’s delicious.” Wendy grinned some more, flashing such lovely eyes at Seulgi who forgot how to talk and just shoved the money in front of Wendy which the latter just giggled some more.

“I’m happy to hear that from you~”

“Y-yeah” Seulgi stuttered out, getting the cookies and quickly walking out of the shop awkwardly.

It was night time when she took a bite of the cookies she bought earlier that day and she looked at the pastry like it has just offended her.

“Why does it taste even better today?!” She grumbled to herself as she took another bite and another and another until she finished the pack of cookies in her hands. She tried to get one more but was disappointed to find out that there’s none left. She groaned, vouching to get to the bottom of this mysteriously great-tasting cookie.

She went back the next day and was greeted by that wonderful smile that made her feel like the warmness of spring, she looked down in shyness once again but returned the smile nonetheless. She grabbed another pack of the same cookies, paid, before waving a goodbye to Wendy. That night, she asked her mom to taste it and make the same cookies and her mom did. It looked the same, smells the same, it tastes…….not the same. She placed down the cookie after one bite and thanked her mom before going back to her room. She went out early the next day and walked towards the shop.

“Hi, unnie.” Joy greeted as the bear entered the bakery. Seulgi smiled and looked around curiously, looking for a wave of red hair, failing to notice the younger one’s smirk. “Wendy unnie’s at the back baking. You want me to call her?” Seulgi’s eyes widened.

“No! Why would you? No-- I’m just-- I’ll--” she grabbed a pack of cookies, handed the exact amount to a now grinning Joy--possibly because of how she looks like a tomato--and exiting the shop hastily with the younger one running after her.

“Unnie!” She stopped walking and looked back at the taller girl, “Wendy unnie’s going to be disappointed if I told her you came by and she didn't get to see you.”

“What?”

“Stay?” And it’s like her feet had a mind of it’s own as she walked back to the shop, plopping down on one of the tables and  munching the disgustingly sweet cookies. It was a few minutes when the red-haired beauty walked out of the door leading to the back, flour on her face and arms and looking like she just did some hard labour.

“The pastries are going to be done in a few.” She mumbled, looking at Joy who was smirking and motioning with her eyes. Wendy honestly thought Joy’s having a seizure from the way the younger one’s eyes were twitching and blinking, but then the taller one pointed with and Wendy looked and saw Seulgi munching on the cookies, head down.

“Seul!~” she called out, grin already in place, eyes lighting up, cheeks getting warm. Seulgi glanced up, half-eaten cookie in hand and finally their eyes met and it took Wendy’s breath away. “I’ll take my break now.” She whispered to Joy, not breaking the gaze with the bear as she walked towards the latter and sat down in front of her.

There was silence between them, it’s not the awkward kind or the uncomfortable one, but more like the ‘I can’t take my eyes off of you and I’m afraid that if I talk, the magic will be broken’ type. So Wendy opted to smile and it’s like something clicked in Seulgi’s slow brain.

“You know, I really don’t like pastries or anything sweet.” Wendy’s smile dropped a bit but Seulgi continued, eyes still locked with the younger one, “So, I really have no idea why these cookies are so good and addicting...” She paused, cocking her head cutely to the side, “But I think I figured out why.” Wendy stayed quiet and Seulgi smiled, “When I bought these pack earlier and tasted it, it didn’t taste quite the same as the ones before... but then you went out from the back and you smiled at me and suddenly the cookies tasted the way I usually taste it.”

“..what are you trying to say?” Wendy finally voiced out, confusion written all over her face.

“The cookies tastes better because of your smile~” Seulgi confessed and Wendy’s face became as red as her hair as she’s now the one looking down in shyness.

“I-I-” she didn’t know what to say and Seulgi’s smile just got wider.

“If you don’t mind, I hope to see more of your smile everyday.” Wendy looked up, eyes shining bright and face still the same shade as her hair.

“I’d like that.” She answered.

Least to say, the batch of Seulgi’s favorite cookies the next day were shaped like hearts.