Kyungsoo exhaled loudly as he parked his yellow jeep behind Dear Me. Opening the boot of the car, he grunted while taking out the bag of fresh pears and apples he had gotten from the market on his way to work. Entering from the back door that led into locker room he sighed in relief at the warmth inside. Removing his jacket and throwing his bag in the locker, Kyungsoo’s hands lingered on his scarf, suddenly feeling very unwilling to part with it.

Burying his face in it, he felt a smile grow on his face as his nose caught traces of Hayoon’s fresh tea scent mixed with his earthy one. Closing his eyes and inhaling deeply, Kyungsoo could have sworn that he was standing in a green tea field. He could almost feel his fingers grazing the blooming tea leaves, the sun shining brightly above him as he crossed the field towards a petite figure standing in the distance.

Hearing the coffee roaster roar to life in the room next door, Kungsoo snapped back to reality and promptly removed the scarf and stuffed it in his locker, taking out his apron instead. Entering the main area of the coffee shop, Kyungsoo found Minseok whistling to himself as he opened the blinds.

“You’re in later than usual today,” Minseok greeted the male.

“I did most of the prep work last night so I slept in a bit this morning. The pastries will be ready in time for the morning rush though.”

Nodding at the baker, Minseok shifted his attention back to polishing the counter, whistling softly under his breath. Kyungsoo sauntered into the the kitchen, cracking his neck as he got to work, switching on the necessary appliances and making a mental list for the order in which to prepare the baked goods of the day. Checking the timer of the oven as the croissants and danish pastries baked, Kyungsoo proceeded to make a purée with the apples he bought today to accompany the pastries.

As promised, all the morning pastries were ready and on full display in time for the morning rush. While Minseok busied himself with the morning commuters on their way to work, Kyungsoo finally took a breather, leaning against the counter as he tidied up his workspace. His hands stumbled upon a small spoon. Lifting it up, Kyungsoo furrowed his brows in confusion, analysing the faded lipstick stain glaring back at him, as if teasing him. Reaching for his glasses, the poor male squinted his eyes in concentration as he had no idea how this spoon got there and why there would be lipstick stain on it.

Wracking his brain to recall the events of the previous day, his eyes widened as he realised it was the spoon Hayoon had used to taste the triple chocolate mousse with clementine jelly he made her yesterday. When she had left after singing him praises on the dessert and giving him the most tantalising and sweet smile that he had ever witnessed, he had been left in such a daze. This would explain how he had missed that lone lipstick stained spoon.

Rubbing his face with his calloused hands, Kyungsoo found himself wearing a rather foolish grin, one that he just could not contain. Staring at the stack of pears, Kyungsoo felt his hands itching to make a warm and fluffy almond cake with thinly sliced pears tucked inside, allowing the tartness of the pear to slice through the rich almond flavour. The resulting product would be a cake that Kyungsoo would deem as the ultimate comfort food, one that will warm you up from the inside, just like the way Hayoon made him feel.

In a blink of an eye, the baker had fully immersed himself in the new task, and soon enough had in front of him a perfectly round pear almond cake with buttercream icing on top. Truly magnificent if he said so himself.

“Something smells delicious,” Minseok cooed from outside.

Cutting the cake into even slices, Kyungsoo carried it out of the kitchen to join Minseok behind the counter. Minseok promptly reorganised the food display to give space to the newly made cake. Unlike the triple chocolate mousse which was elaborate and sophisticated, the almond cake had a much more rustic and homey appeal, truly showcasing the range of Kyungsoo’s baking skills.

“It’s just the two of us today huh?” Minseok mused. “Like the old times. It’s weird not having a feminine touch in here.”

Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow and gave the male a bewildered stare. Looking around the coffee shop, it was indeed rather quiet. After all it was a weekday and people were currently either at work on in class. It was the most idle time of the day for Dear Me. Assuming that Minseok was simply bored, Kyungsoo decided to stay and entertain him for just a little while.

“It’s Irene day off today?”

“Yeah. How are you not familiar with her schedule yet?” Minseok frowned.

“Sorry if I don’t stalk her like a creep,” Kyungsoo grumbled.

“Right, you’re too busy trying to steal my favourite customer.”

Hearing this, Kyungsoo lifted his foot, threatening to kick the other male who was failing miserably holding in a chuckle.

“It’s true though!” Minseok squealed. “Not only are you tempting Hayoon away from me using deliciously baked good