What? I'm only 17 days late. LMAO Better late than nevs. Peace out! :)

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!”

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!”

“Oh my goooossshhh!” Minzy flew and hugged the lady on a white oversized shirt and pants.

“Minjiiii!” Dara returned the tight hug, as the two jumped crazily. “I missed you!”

“I missed you too!” Minzy pulled away, and looked at her with a bright smile. “You are back?”

“I’m back!” Dara shouted mightily with her hands thrown up the air. The two laughed heartily. There wasn’t a day that passed that Gong Minzy didn’t ask the manager if her roommate would return or not.

“How irritating.”

Dara quickly turned to her back and saw the scowling face of the great, Kim Heechul. He looked annoyed at her presence. As always. “Chef Heechul! I missed you too!” Dara was about to hug him as well, but was welcomed with a hand pushing her face lightly away.

“I hate you still.” Heechul made a tight smile and rolled his eyes. He took his apron off, and put it on the chair beside him in the pavilion.

Dara just chuckled at that. To be honest, she really missed the crabby chef. She missed the resort. The smell of the ocean. The endless orders and demands of guests. The kitchen. Heck! She even missed being scolded for whatever! Dara was simply glad to be back, and she couldn’t thank Donghae enough for coming and saving her at the right time.

“Dara.”

“Manager!” She beamed with a smile and bowed at Leeteuk who stood beside his boyfriend. He smiled back at her. “I’m really happy that you’re back.”

“Me too, manager.” She said. “I’m sorry for leaving without any proper resignation and goodbye.” She bowed again at them. “I-”

“I understand.” Leeteuk cut her off and smiled. “At least, now that you’re back,” He put a hand over Heechul’s right shoulder. “Heechul here would stop complaining every day and night about your recipe which he couldn’t get. He really needs you.”

Heechul’s eyes widened and jerked the hand on his shoulder. “Whaaaat? Meeee?” He scoffed and gave Dara a scornful glare from head to toe. “Her recipe spelled me-di-o-cre in all caps. A top-notch like would never.” He took his apron again, deciding he was done there.

“Yah Heechul.” Leeteuk called him at disbelief.

“You could and should leave when the wedding is finished.” He told Dara, before sashaying away from them.

Dara was about to tell him that she’s not leaving again, but was cut off by Leeteuk. “He’s bluffing.” He said with a smile. “He’s actually the one who kept on pestering me to tell Donghae to find and contact you. He’s pretty amazed with your baking skills.”

“Deh.” Minzy agreed. “I heard him one time, when he was trying to bake in the kitchen. He said that he would skin you alive for leaving him the burden. Chef even said he’d make your scalp bleed from pulling your hair until you’re back here before the wedding.”

Leeteuk and Minzy laughed, while Dara’s chuckle sounded more like a person battling constipation and asthma at the same time. He’s not serious, right? She glanced at the side. She wondered if Lee Donghae didn’t fetch her from Seoul, would her scalp . . .? Dara’s right hand quickly touched her scalp, and sighed in relief. Yeah. It’s healthy. She smiled widely at them again.

“The day after tomorrow will be the wedding.” Leeteuk said as a matter-of-factly.

“Yes, manager.” Dara quickly nodded. “I will buy the ingredients first thing in the morning.”

“Okay.” Leeteuk looked around, looking for someone. “Where’s Donghae?”

“Oh. Mr. Lee is already resting in his villa,” answered Dara.

“He looked very flushed when he arrived.” Minzy commented, remembering how their boss’ eyes looked so tired, plus he kept on sneezing under the mask.

“Wae?” Leeteuk asked.

“He said,” Paused. “He just needed sleep.” Dara looked down, recalling how Donghae travelled from Jeju to Seoul just to talk to her. He already had his hands full with everything that was going in the hotel, especially the wedding. Guilt was creeping in her.

Leeteuk nodded at them, and bade good night.

“Yah.” Minzy encircled her right arm on Dara’s.

“What?” Dara creased her brows at her. Her friend was giving her that very malicious stare.

“You have a looooooot to spill.”

Dara got that. “Aaaaaah.” She chuckled. “Ara. Ara.”

“Let’s go!” Minzy pulled her in a hurry to their room. Dara grabbed her large neon suitcase, and they ran while laughing.

Dara only had four hours of sleep for she and Minzy spent the night walking through a flashback of her previous mission in the resort. Minzy could just nod to herself, knowing something was fishy with her sudden appearance in the hotel and persistent questioning about the owner. She knew about Lee Seunggi and his hot babes sent to lure the owner, but she just didn’t think Dara was one of them. She threw a pillow on Dara, saying, “His boyfriend will be the one to chop your head! If you got lucky with the chef, Mr. Lee’s boyfriend is something else.”

Dara simply laughed at that. There was nothing to hide now. She swore to Minzy. “I will never try to put my hands on Mr. Lee, okay? Never again. He’s gay. I’m straight. There are lots of hunks in swimming trunks who dig for pretty girls like me, you know.” She smirked at her, and their night ended.

She started the morning, baking for the ELF Café. Oh, how she missed going there too. She sat a few minutes in one of its immaculately white chairs to enjoy the morning breeze, when she was shooed back to the market by Kim Heechul, who wanted her table among all the vacant tables around them. “What are you waiting for?”

“Yes, chef. I’ll buy everything on your list.” Dara took the resort’s blue cap on the table and stood from sitting.

“Chef.” A young lady approached him, holding a strawberry and peach shortcake. “Here’s your order.”

“Thanks.”

“I just noticed that Chef Heechul came back to the café when Dara’s creations were present again.” The lady said with a sweet smile, holding a tray to her chest.

“Eh?” Dara looked at her, then to the chef who was still holding the fork on his right hand. Dara proudly smirked. “The chef must missed my-”

“AM I ASKING FOR ALL YOUR STUPID OPINIONS?! DO YOU WANT TO GET FIRED?!” He roared as he stood, and the two ladies scampered away from him, bumping to each other as they fled for their lives. “Ugly es.” He squinted his eyes, and sat again. He took a bite on his shortcake, and a smile appeared from his lips, enjoying the scent of the ocean that morning.

Suddenly, his phone vibrated. His brows creased as he read the message. “Chicken soup?” He glanced to the side. “Wae?”

Dara was busy washing the plates in the kitchen, when Heechul appeared from her back.

“Where’s Simoun?” He asked her.

Dara cleaned her hands, and wiped them on the back of her shirt. “He’s delivering room service orders, chef.” Dara’s eyes went to the tray on the chef’s hands.

Heechul nodded, and tried to look around for someone who’s not doing a thing. Everyone looked really busy. It was almost lunch time. “Tsk.” He turned back, and saw her still looking at him. “You.”

“Yes, chef?” Dara had to be good to him. She was still thinking about his threat on her scalp.

“I want you to deliver this.” She took the tray from him, and he began walking back to check the meat in the oven.

“Uhm. Where will I deliver this, chef?”

“It’s on the paper.” Heechul said, without looking back.

Dara read the green post-it note beside the hot bowl. D&E Villa.

“. . .” Dara kept on muttering, hurrying her steps without trying to spill the content of the bowl. An hour had passed, and there she was, still trying to find that villa. She knew the most expensive villas in the resort were divided into two. There were those near the beachfront, and those in the mountains. After she confirmed the villa on the paper was not in one of the beachfront, she panted her way up the mountains only to be told that the one she was looking for was in the most secluded part of the resort’s seashore. She had to go further beyond the glamorous villas in the beach. I should have asked before going up that mountain. She was scolding herself.

Her black sneakers kept on sinking from the white sand as she looked for any sight of that damn villa. “What?” She looked back, and noticed that she was miles away from the big cottages she was a while ago. Am I in the right direction? She looked forward again. Is this still Sapphire Beach Resort? Am I not trespassing someone’s property? She looked around, and saw how quiet and tranquil the place is. You could only hear the gust of the wind on the leaves of palm trees, the seagulls flying in the blue sky, and the crashing of waves on the shore. 

“What?” She sighed exhaustedly. She was standing in front of a huge limestone rock that blocked her way. The water was in a high tide that it reached the beautiful rock formation. There were only trees and seclusion on her right. Not even a single hint of a soul. What now? She closed her eyes in irritation, thinking she was fooled by that staff who gave her that stupid direction. “Dead end.” She said out loud. “I wasted my time for nothing. She was stomping her feet on the water as she circled around the rock and went passed it. “There’s no way this is still part of the resort! I don’t see-”

She ate her words and let the water flooded the inside of her shoes and calmed her.

“Wow.” Her feet moved on their own, still holding the tray on her small hands.

Gigantic limestones covered the secret place, making an arch of its own. If the water in the resort was captivating turquoise everywhere, in here, crystal blue and then the enchanting green lured any human being to take a dip. At the center of the gigantic boulder of rocks, there was a huge villa made of bamboo and glass that shone under the sun. She arrived below the short staircase, still hesitating if this was really part of the resort. No one told her about this.

Dara cleared , put down the tray on bamboo floor, and removed her wet shoes and socks. She took the tray again, while carefully approaching the glass sliding door. A simple white hammock was swaying along with the wind, on the side of the veranda. There was fear of ruining the solitude in that place with every sound that she made. She cleared . “Good afternoon! Sapphire Beach Resort, Room Service.”

Her energetic voice faded along with the waves.

“Sapphire Beach Resort, Room Service!”

Again, there was nothing.

Who lives in here? She thought, as she raised a hand and knocked. “Good afternoon! Sapphire Beach Resort, Room Service.”

She waited, still no sound was heard. Dara made a pout, now thinking that maybe it really wasn’t part of the resort. She looked around. There was no one.

That’s the problem. There was no one around. She was getting freaked out