A/N: Thanks for reading and leaving comments! Comeback is here!!! This is a breather chapter with Nako focus and then we will dive into another arc. Please enjoy :)

The next few days passed by quickly as Sakura seems to have found a personal project to occupy herself in the living room or gaming room. Whenever Eunbi passed by, she’s either scribbling something or sketching. Eunbi herself has been quite busy too. Apart from handling daily cafe work, she has to interview some people to find the next partner for the rotating exhibition at Flowerz. 

As she was considering the idea and discussing the possibilities with Chaewon, the phone on her desk buzzed with a notification message from Sakura. Chaewon looked away but she saw the name on the screen too.

“Unnie, Nako’s school just called me, saying they couldn’t reach you earlier. It’s about college applications, so try to come back earlier if you can tonight. *heart sticker*.”

Figuring that the situation couldn’t be that serious, Eunbi has her thoughts fixed on the heart emoji-- no matter what it means, that is for her!

“Boss--” Chaewon speaks again to nudge the girl out of her trance, as she is making a silly smile at the screen for a few seconds now.

“Ah Sorry Chaewonnie, it’s just Kkura…” She put down her phone again. “Where were we?”

“We’re almost done. I will look into whether we can make limited edition waffles as something to match the theme.” Chaewon stood up and gave a slight bow, with Eunbi returning one appreciatively. But Chaewon seems hesitant to leave just yet. “One more thing, Eunbi-Unnie…”

“Hm?” 

“Minju seems quite unlike her usual self these past couple of days… is everything alright between her and em… Sakura-ssi?”

“Ah~” Eunbi pauses and thought about how Sakura slowed down the pace of their relationship ever since she rejected the job offer. Having talked to both of them, Eunbi gathered that they had never been going out officially, but Minju had probably developed something for her, something that Sakura couldn’t reciprocate.

“They are… taking a step back it seems. It was wrong of me to set them up right after Minju’s breakup.”  The older girl shakes her head in guilt. 

“No, I think Minju got the comfort she needed.” Chaewon gave a curt smile.

“Chaewon-ya...could you do me a favor? Look out for Minju if you can-- she needs a better unnie than me to be the rock that grounds her, and you are always the best to her.”

“Me?” It’s Chaewon’s turn to shake her head with a sad smile. “I’m just a coworker to her… nothing more.”

“But you noticed that she’s down while everyone else is still unaware! You’ve always been a precious friend to Minju! Moreover, she has the sensitivity which needs the kind of steadiness you have. You’re a good and sweet person, Chaewon-- you just need to have more confidence in yourself!” 

“Thanks, Unnie.” The taciturn girl smiles slightly and retreats back to the kitchen. Eunbi hums as she sits down again and thinks about Chaewon. The girl started off as a part-timer who scared off customers due to her cold attitude and almost got fired until Eunbi, who was still another part-timer at that time, came into work famished and begged for a quick meal, which was not part of the cafe’s offering at that time. Okaasan refused to cook for her, but quietly, Chaewon was kind enough to make a plate of pasta that was so impressive that she forced her mum-boss to try some. The cafe was acquired from an ex-restaurant anyway, so a lot of equipment and a full-sized kitchen was already there. They decided that giving her the room to cook some light meals at selected times of the day may not be a bad idea after all, and now it has sort of flourished in the menu as she became their chef. 

Throughout the times they work and hang out together, Eunbi noticed that Chaewon built a thick wall between herself and others, although she’s quietly observant and very caring towards the people who became close to her. Especially to Minju-- who shares the same kitchen space with Chaewon even though their hours rarely overlap much-- she notices that there is a special affinity between the two, perhaps as fellow cooks? She hopes that the cheerful and kind Minju will help Chaewon break her walls down and loosen up, while the perceptive and trustworthy Chawon can ride with Minju through the storms in her life.

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[At home]

“Nako, your principal told us today that you refused to go to university, am I right?” Eunbi asked calmly while she sat down on one side of the dinner table with Sakura, as Nako sits across them.

“Yes and no.” Nako corrects her sister. “I’m going to cooking school, so I will still have some years of studies planned.”

“Do you like cooking that much? I know running a cafe can’t compare, but the life of a chef won’t be easy. Are you prepared for that?”

“Yes, unnie. I love cooking and that’s what I want to do for the rest of my life.” Nako nods and looks at Eunbi in conviction.

“As long as that’s something you are prepared to work hard for...then…”

However, she’s cut off by Sakura this time.

“Nako, this is crazy. Do you know how hard it is to survive without a degree these days? Stop being naive. You have grades that people can only dream about. You can practically stroll into any university in this country right now, and you’re giving this all up?”

“Kkura-ya...don’t be so harsh… Nako’s a good cook, and you know how much she likes…”

“Unnie!” Sakura interrupts sternly. “Stop spoiling this kid! She’s been so sheltered by you guys it’s made her lose sense of reality. Nako, look at us. I wanted to be a gamer, and your unnie wanted to be a dancer. What did we all do? We still went to university and did a degree properly. Eunbi-Unnie, tell us again, what was your major?”

“I..it’s Accounting.” Eunbi reluctantly answered and looked at Nako apologetically. Nako’s stoic face barely changed by Sakura’s talk.

“See? And that has come in handy in cafe management hasn’t it?”

“But Saku-chan, whenever I think of entrance exams, and spending the next few years attending lectures and doing homework, while I could be studying different cooking techniques, researching the best materials instead...I just can’t do it. We’re not talking about a few years only; we are talking about what I want to do for the rest of my life.”

“No, that’s out of the question. We all have high expectations for you. You must go to university. End of discussion.” Sakura stood up and went back into her room. 

“Eunbi-Unnie…” Nako’s defiant look crumbles into a mushy, teary face after her Saku-chan left. “I won’t lose to Saku-chan, you know. I will make her see how stupid her opinions are.”

“Oh my baby…” Eunbi moves towards her side of the table and takes her into a hug. “Nako-ya, Sakuchan-unnie is just going through a lot herself, and she is just worried about your future. Let unnie take you to get ice-cream now, and I will talk to Kkura about it, okay?”

“Okay…” Nako answers between sobs. “But I won’t back down. And I want two scoops.”

“But what about your diet?” Eunbi laughs. 

“It can start tomorrow. And I won’t settle for anything less than choc