Back to back update. Read the previous chapter first.

Since the day Yunho introduced her to Heechul, showed her the first prospective place of their cafe, Yoochun showed their first patented recipe and introduced her to Minyoung, Jaejoong has never not wanted to go to work at the Dessert Room. Dreading that place now is the first time she’s feeling this way.

The past few days have been unpleasant to say the least though she doesn't show it. Minho visited every day, flirted/ talked to her, she didn't believe any of it, and she would be very busy with work and aloof to brush of his advances.

Jaejoong's gaze settles on the passing view of the streets getting beaten by a sudden downpour of unseasonal rain. People scrambling through the rain or standing under whatever shelter they can find is oddly comforting. But the unsettling feelings return when Yunho turns into the familiar street.

He's back to driving her up to the front of the Dessert Room. After Changmin told him about what happened with Minho, Yunho took steps to make sure Jaejoong is never alone with Minho.

Yunho can't risk being seen by Minho and provoke him to do something like use Jaejoong to get back at him. But on the first day Changmin served as Jaejoong's bodyguard, Minho displayed unbridled hostility for some reason. So Changmin stays away before Minho gets triggered.

Heechul is unable to leave the kitchen most of the time despite how concerned she is. So Hyekyo and Jihoon now regularly drop by at the Dessert Room. Jihoon has been great at attracting a whole mob of female customers and keeping the place busy enough for Jaejoong to avoid Minho.

But the rush of customers only last so long. That's when either Geunseuk, Seunghyun, or Yihan stroll in and set up office at the coffee bar. They would regale Jaejoong with nonsensical tales from work, urban legends, business opportunities, and the usual flirting (which Yunho permitted up to two minutes max and no touching or Hyekyo will totally tattle on them and a live critter will be released in their homes per transgression). The Millionaire club's express job is to also make sure Minyoung and Changwook never find out that Minho has been meeting Jaejoong.

Though everyone's doing so much, Minho would get a few minutes in. He’s certainly persistent and resourceful.

His conversations are deceptively casual - about where she went to school, about him playing basketball, what is a raspberry coulis, and the likes. If it was someone else, these things would definitely get her engaged in a conversation. And Jaejoong would get carried away for a minute before someone would get her attention for a minute.

 She thought with everything she's gone through, she'd be a lot more hardened to such people. Her own vulnerability is frightening. She's starting drifting to random thoughts at random times to cope.

"I need to get a bathing suit..." Jaejoong mutters against the window, drawing a smiley on the glass that fogged up a little by her breath.

"Why would you wear that in the rain..." Yunho chuckles.

"Not for now!" Jaejoong faces the front with a huff. "When I start swimming at the club... Geunseuk said they have a strict dress code..."

"First of all, Geunseuk is going to find the freakiest lizard in his house today. Secondly, you can start swimming in the pool in our house."

"Unless you have flooded the bathroom, our house doesn't have a pool..."

"Correction: Our new house." Jaejoong frowns before she gasps in realization. "You didn't!"

"I ninety percent did..." Yunho smirks smugly, "Was going to surprise you once it was finalized this weekend. But you know now so... get ready to move."

Jaejoong is both amazed and amused. This is so Yunho. In fact, she was predicting he'd do something like this when Yunho mentioned that the house Changwook owns next door to his has a pool. And Yunho even checked out the house with Changwook on the downlow.

He had been dropping hints about how enticing it is like the proximity to Changmin and the ChangMin couple, no difference in the time to commute to work, convenient to bother Changmin, the attorney next door, the availability of parking spots at Changmin's apartment building when they will barge into his house.

"You are talking about the house next door to Changwook and Minyoung right?"

"The same one. Changwook was so eager, he sold it for the same price he bought it for years ago. That's a lot less than market value for that price. It needs a little fixing but it won’t take long. And we don’t have to take most of the things from the apartment anyway. But don't tell Changmin yet. I want to see the sheer joy on that evil brat's face." By sheer joy Yunho means shock, woe, and cinematic despair which he shall enjoy with popcorn.

"I'll still have to shop for a bathing suit..."

"It's an indoor pool! You can swim in your birthday suit." Yunho punctuates with a suggestive wink and grin.

"I'm getting a one piece," Jaejoong gestures at the length of her body. "A wet suit with the hood and everything. Covered from head to toe, hot issue~ whoo~!" Jaejoong sings that last part in tune, dodging Yunho's hand that tries to pinch her cheeks in punishment.

Yunho drives into the mall parking lot so Jaejoong doesn't have to run across the street in the rain. Plus, Jaejoong texted Heechul earlier and one of the servers is waiting for them with two hot coffees and some cake to-go for Yunho and Changmin.

Jaejoong grabs the coffee and cake from the young woman and totters back to the car. "It's still hot. So don't drink while you're driving. And there's a spare umbrella in the last drawer of my desk in case you need it." Jaejoong prattles on instructions while tucking the coffee in the cup holders.

"Put the cake in the back and get that bag in there." Jaejoong frowns at the sudden request but wordlessly does as he says. After dropping the cake box on the backseat, she takes the blue tote bag under the seat.

Almost expecting something embarrassing again, Jaejoong is confused when she opens the bag and finds about half a dozen slip-on shoes with tacky prints dumped in it without a care. She peeks inside the window inquisitively waiting for an explanation.

"I found them at a bargain sale on my way home yesterday." But that's still not enough of an explanation for Jaejoong and he continues. "They are your size, really cheap and not your taste. So it's fine if you lose any of them, say... on someone's face."

The suggestion is not lost on Jaejoong and she gives that cute smile exclusive to when Yunho does something so sweet. She might not really send a flying shoe onto someone's face but she likes that he's making sure she won't be missing a shoe in case it happens.

Wanting a reward, Yunho leans over the seat towards the window, letting Jaejoong meet him halfway for a kiss. When they part, she's blushing a little because there are some spectators but she couldn't resist it either. She waits till he drives away, waving at the car before heaving the bag full of shoes higher and heading to the Dessert Room.

The first thing Heechul sees when she enters the locker room is Jaejoong hopping on one foot while wearing a dirty yellow shoe with weird pink leaves printed on it.

"Ew! Why the are you wearing that?" Heechul gave Jaejoong a onceover and cringes at absurdity of those shoes under the knee-length pleated pants and bright red tee.

"So I don't lose my favourite shoes..." Jaejoong punctuates by tucking her sparkly sneakers and the bag of shoes in the corner of the tiny office.

"Did Changmin tell you we are booked for a few events next week?" Heechul taps on an open diary on the cluttered desk. Jaejoong looks at the two dates marked in it and frowns at the lack of information.

"I know about that 21st birthday party... I already planned what staff will work the party. What's this one on Sunday?"

"Some private party... they want a three-tier version of the choc-pop. One of the guys at the office booked it and they still have to give us a headcount, place, menu... it almost feels like Changmin ordered the cake for himself."

Jaejoong laughs at the absurd, expensive and very real possibility. "I'll coordinate on this okay? Yunho's father will be in the office by now to check the accounts. He can confirm it for us."

That appeases the irritable Heechul for Jaejoong to push her back to work. While Heechul is once again nagging a chef about the slow-paced service, Jaejoong picks up the tray with the ordered banoffee tart from the waitress and makes a beeline for the familiar face sitting at a table.

"Hi! Not the usual coffee today?"

Seunghyun looks up from the catalogue he's perusing to shake his head and pull the tart to himself. "Later, with a client. I came earlier coz I don't get to eat at meetings." Seunghyun returns his attention back to the catalogue.

Jaejoong notes he's forgotten about his tart. Counting the few times Seunghyun carried his work to the Dessert Room, this is the fifth time Jaejoong is seeing for herself what Seunghyun's job entails. And it's a more intensive field than she imagined.

Jaejoong wonders if it's okay for him or the others to be away from their respective offices so often. "I'm sorry... it must be so inconvenient for everyone lurking away from their offices like this..." Jaejoong slumps over the table, upset that she doesn't have her favourite cocoa mint mocha to soothe her because it's Miyeon’s day off today.

"Are you kidding? I'd take this place over a boring office any day. Sure, Yihan has to stay on top of the editors, producers, directors and what not. But nothing he can't do with a phone. And Geunseuk doesn't do . He just has to show up at places and be the relatively decent-looking entertainment agency owner. He might as well bring that publicity here. Besides, I invested in the Dessert Room so I can get clients addicted to your sweets. So, it's not like I'm skipping work." Seunghyun takes a big bite of his tart and sighs blissfully. "I can say that cliche 'anything for friends' . But this," He takes another bite of the tart and speaks with his mouth full. "This is my ulterior motive."

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