[CONTENTID1][/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]"I'm doing what makes me happy."[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]

Yeseul supposed she shouldn't be surprised that, between the two of them, Chanyeol got most of the attention. He was infinitely more charming, kind, and recpetive than her. Breakfast on Saturday morning was consumed by Chanyeol's stories about work, some Yeseul had heard before and others she hadn't. 

"I'm not sure I want to be a pastry chef, fun as it is," Chanyeol admitted, piquing the interest of Yeseul's Dad. 

"Then why did you take the job in the first place?" Minseok asked, brow furrowed over the rim of his coffee cup. 

Chanyeol reached for the bowl of fresh fruit. "Because I was flattered that they offered it to me, to be honest. It seemed like a great opportunity. I still have a lot to learn, since I didn't go to culinary school. I used to think I'd be at a disadvantage, but so far it's seemed like if I've got a passion for it, that's what really matters. And the right skillset, obviously." 

Under the table, Yeseul bumped her knee against Chanyeol's. He returned the gesture, but let his leg lean against hers. 

"I supposed in a restaurant the rules aren't so clearly cut," Minseok said in a way that indicated he didn't fancy the idea. 

"Not so much," Chanyeol replied with a chuckle, countering Minseok's serious tone. "The management can be very strict, of course, but in the end it's all about the food." 

"I'm sure you'll go very far," Minyoung said. Chanyeol smiled at her, a slightly surprised look in his eyes. "You seem like a very driven person, Chanyeol. Sure of yourself." 

"Ambition is good," Minseok nodded, looking pointedly at Yeseul. She ignored him with just as much determination. 

"But that's what gets me," Chanyeol said with a grimace. "Like, I love what I'm doing now. The kitchen's where I'm meant to be. But I want to do more. And I don't know if it's in pastry. I'd love to have my own kitchen one day, you know?" 

Yeseul was surprised he was being so candid with them. But perhaps he was trying to be more honest about the things he usually kept to himself, just like her. 

"You're still young," Minyoung said in a upbeat tone. "There's so much time for you to achieve your goals, Chanyeol. And I don't have any doubt that you will." 

He smiled at her gratefully. "Thank you." 

"I wouldn't discount your experience so quickly," Minseok added. "Be grateful for what you have." 

"I think you misunderstoof me before," Chanyeol replied, sitting up a little straighter. "I'm not saying I regret taking the job in the pastry kitchen. It's brilliant. And maybe I'll still be working there a year from now, if nothing better pops up. But it's not a job I want forever." 

Minseok sat back in his seat, apparently satisfied with Chanyeol's answer. Yeseul had never seen him back down so quickly, but Chanyeol was well-spoken for someone his age. And more than that, when he explained himself, you could tell that it was genuine. 

"Well then," Minyoung said, marking the end of one conversation and the beginning of another. "Do you two have any plans for today?" 

There was a pause before Chanyeol nudged Yeseul's knee, urging her to be the one to speak. "Oh, um, we were talking about it last night," Yeseul said. "Youngjae, you wanted to go into Hongdae, right?" 

He nodded, eager to be included. 

"Okay," she grinned at her brother. "So, that's as far as we got. Just going to hang out, maybe do some shopping?" 

"All right then." 

"If you wanted to ..." Yeseul trailed off, looking at her parents apprehensively. "Come with, or whatever. That's cool too." 

"We actually have plans of our own," her Mother replied, smiling over at her husband. "So I was hoping you two would take Youngjae." 

"I can take care of myself," the little boy muttered into his toast. 

"Not yet, kid," Yeseul said. Youngjae stuck his tongue out at her, but grinned a second later. She wrinkled her nose, threatening to toss a blueberry at him. 

"Let's not throw food at the table," Minseok cut in. Yeseul promptly put the blueberry into , sending Youngjae one last sneer. It made him laugh, which she figured was just as good as throwing the blueberry would have been. 

For the next fifteen minutes, they discussed possible activities for the day. Usually they'd visit a science museum, but Youngjae wanted to do something different. The central thought on his mind was Lego, which wasn't to surprising, considering he was a boy below the age of thirteen. 

They still hadn't settled on anything concrete when Yeseul's Mum began clearing the table. Almost immediately, Chanyeol hopped up to help her. Minseok excused himself to make a phone call and Youngjae raced out of the room, presumably to get ready, leaving Yeseul to follow Chanyeol's example and give her Mum a hand. 

"I heard you two were coming in at half seven this morning," Minyoung said. "Did you go out for a run?" 

"Yeah," Yeseul said, then cast a look Chanyeol's way. "No matter how many times he comes along, Chanyeol's still terrible at it." 

"I'm getting better," Chanyeol grumbled, piling all the plates onto his own for easier transport to the kitchen. 

"At tripping over your own feet, sure." 

"Not nice, Seullie." 

"Only for you, baby," she smirked. 

Chanyeol's expression lit up at the endearment. Yeseul didn't use them often. She glared at him for good measure, but the damage had already been done. 

"Another cup of tea?" Yeseul's Mum asked, after they set down the dishes on the counter. 

"Yes, please," Yeseul replied. "Um, Chanyeol?" 

The look he sent her made Yeseul scowl again. Minyoung, on the other hand, grew confused. "It's weird, I know," Chanyeol said with a grin. Yeseul whacked the back of her palm against his chest. "Seullie only likes my tea." 

"I do not," Yeseul muttered. 

"But mine is the best," he countered. Yeseul couldn't disagree with that, so she her heel and started loading the dishwasher. 

While Chanyeol fixed a fresh pot of tea, Minyoung helped Yeseul clear the mess. Out of the corner of her eye, Yeseul could see her Mum glance her way several times, a small smile on her face. If it hadn't been happening ever since they got there, then maybe she wouldn't be so supicious. But Yeseul couldn't comprehend why her Mum was acting this way – constantly giving her odd looks, like there was some joke Yeseul wasn't getting. 

"Okay, what is it?" 

"Excuse me?" 

"Why are you looking at me like that?" 

Chanyeol came over with Yeseul's tea, leaning across her to place it on the counter and pressing a kiss to her temple. When she looked away from him and back to her Mum, Minyoung was smiling again. "I just like seeing you happy, dear," she said. "And I had noticed it when Youngjae and I came to see you, but now seeing you together ... I knew it had to be Chanyeol." 

"Had to be Chanyeol what?" 

A kind, almost sympathetic look came across her mother's face, but it wasn't directed at Yeseul. "I know my daughter is a hard shell to crack, and I can't say I'm surprised that you were the one to do it." 

"I think that's a compliment," Chanyeol replied unsurely. 

"I'm still standing here, mother," Yeseul muttered. 

"Yes, I know, dear," Miyoung tutted. "I just wanted to say that I'm happy you found someone with the determination – or should I say persistence, perhaps, to get through to you." 

"He was rather irritating," Yeseul said, arms folded over her chest. "Wouldn't leave me alone." 

She understood now, all the looks her mother had been giving her. They weren't meant to be secret. IT was some strange sort of pride, in seeing her antisocial, difficult daughter with somebody who she truly cared about, and who cared about her. Maybe in Miyoung's mind, for Yeseul to have a successful life wasn't so much about a career or how much money she made, it was the people around her. Yeseul liked that idea, it seemed more manageable. Maybe she'd been misreading her mother's intentions all along. 

"How else was I meant to get your attention?" Chanyeol asked, though it was mostly rhetorical. 

Yeseul leaned into him, resting her head against his chest. "It's all right," she said. "I appreciate it now. I don't know what I'd be doing if you weren't here." 

She felt his sharp inhale against her cheek, and realise the weight of her words. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, given how serious she and Chanyeol were, but just like with the pet names, she didn't usually throw meaningful statements out of the blue. Yeseul wondered if he'd started putting something in her tea. Or perhaps this was what being a content, honest person was like, saying the vulnerable thoughts in her head without worrying she'd be judged for them. 

Miyoung smiled at the both of them, hand to her cheek. "I should start getting ready. If I don't see you before you go, have a lovely day. And don't give your brother too much sugar." 

"Yes, Mum." 

Yeseul had given Youngjae too much sugar. 

To wear it off, they went to the park. Much to her shock, Youngjae wanted to play football, so Chanyeol offered to buy a cheap one and they kicked it around on the grass for a solif hour before Youngjae's energy wore down. Yeseul actually had endurance, so she was feeling fine after chasing the other two around – they had insisted upon playing boys against girl, but only because both of them thought that Yeseul was stronger and faster, which she wasn't about to argue with. It was ironic that after all that fuss, Chanyeol was still sprawled out on the grass panting and whinging about a sore knee. Youngjae appeared just as tired, but he wasn't nearly as dramatic about it. 

"Honestly, you'd think you'd be better by now," she said, kicking one of Chanyeol's booted feet. He groaned in response, blinking up at her from behind his sunglasses. "You look like you're in good shape, but it's terribly deceiving." 

"Have you been looking at me, Seullie?" Chanyeol managed to quell his laboured breathing and grinned widely. "Think I'm in good shape?" 

She gestured up and down at his lanky frame. "I would, if it weren't all a lie." 

At that, Chanyeol scoffed indignantly. He looked over at Youngjae, who was sitting a few feet away picking at the grass. "Do you hear this, Jae? Your sister's making fun of me." 

Youngjae lifted his head, blinking at Chanyeol in the most innocent way. Yeseul started to grin before he even said anything. "You kind of deserve it," he said, and Chanyeol'd brow furrowed. 

"Betrayal!" he exclaimed. 

"You're terrible at football," Youngjae informed him, folding his arms over his chest. 

"You are," Yeseul agreed, lying on the grass net to Chanyeol and resting her head on his shoulder. "But I think we could probably forgive you for that." 

Youngjae looked doubtful, but they all knew it was just a game. "Could we?" 

"Oh yeah," Yeseul said. She met Chanyeol's gaze and raised an eyebrow. "Because he bought us those ice creams earlier." 

"I think I could forgive him for another ice cream," Youngjae said. 

"You definitely don't need another ice cream," Yeseul cut in, before Chanyeol could say anything. "I'm supposed to make you eat healthy things. Like spinach." 

Youngjae made a disgusted sound that seemed to offend Chanyeol, who would probably be the president of the spinach fan club if it existed. "If I could eat only ice cream for the rest of my life, I would," Youngjae said. "If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?" 

"That's just unfair!" Chanyeol exclaimed, and Yeseul laughed at his indignant expression. 

"I think it'd have to be pizza. As much as I love crisps," Yeseul said, and Chanyeol scoffed, clearly even more offended now. "Wait, do I still get tea?" 

"Of course, Yeseul! Don't be silly." 

Satisfied, she reached for Chanyeol's arm that was trapped under her neck and pulled it to her chest. "Good." 

"Does it have to be a single food item? Like, could it be a dish?" Chanyeol asked. 

"Sure," Youngjae replied. 

It took him at least five minutes to come up with an answer. "Roast chicken with rosemary and garlic potatoes." 

"That's so lame," Yeseul groaned. 

"You picked pizza!" Chanyeol complained. "Everyone picks pizza." 

"Roast chicken? Really, Chanyeol? At least pick something like galbijjim or something." 

Chanyeol shook his head, but his expression told her that he'd actually considered it. "No, Seullie, listen. A lot of other meats aren't really an everyday food. But chicken, chicken is simple." 

"I think chicken and potatoes is a good choice," Youngjae weighed in. 

"Thank you," Chanyeol leaned over Yeseul to give her bro