「 the steps for baking love 」

"I broke up with her." the male said after chugging down his 9th glass of shot.

"Oh Sehun, you must be ing kidding me!"

Jinae stood up from the chair and slammed the table.

Hearing the noise, Junmyeon came out from the kitchen.

Hands resting on his waist, he looked at his furious sister and then his eyes went to her best friend sitting across her, busily chugging down his next shot.

Junmyeon sighed and shook his head.

"Jinae, it's 1 am and I left the shop open just for you guys to have peace of mind after a tiring day at work. Not for you to have an argument which might soon turn into a war." he his teeth and hissed at his sister.

"Jun, stop him. He is drinking too much. I swear, I'm too weak to carry this giant back."

"I'm not giant!~" Sehun slurred and dropped his head on the table. Gradually, he started to snore out loud.

Jinae rolled her eyes and balled her fists. Stomping her feet like a 5 y/o annoyed kid, she looked at her elder brother with a frown and pouty lips.

"He's doing it again!" she pointed at the drunk male sleeping at one of the tables of her brother's restaurant.

Junmyeon looked at his sister and smiled to himself. Adorable.

"You guys haven't even changed a bit. Still acting like 5-year-olds. You both are turning 26 this year. Act like one. You guys cannot always be this cute - arguing, fighting, and all stuff. Get married already!"

After his mini-lecture, Junmyeon headed to the drunk Sehun and tapped on his shoulder.

Sehun didn't budge a bit. Junmyeon lost his chill and slapped his shoulder.

The drunk male flinched and raised his head.

"Yah, Kim Jinae! How dare that Minhee breaks up with me! Does she think she's Miranda Kerr or what?! She's so clumsy." he shuddered, remembering how she once used his handkerchief to wipe her snot and gave it back to him.

Sehun's cheeks were as red as a tomato. After all the 6 breakups this year, this was the most he had ever drunk after a breakup. Did he love this Minhee girl so much that he couldn't digest the fact that she broke up with him? Tsk., poor creature.

"Ahh, I can't handle this anymore. He ing needs help." Jinae grabbed her handbag from the chair.

"Refrain cussing," Junmyeon warned.

"Oops, my bad." She waved him before reaching the main door to exit her brother's restaurant.

"I know you're worried about your best friend who's drunk to his death. But don't worry my sweet sista! Your big bro will take care of him!" Junmyeon shouted from the back.

Jinae stopped in her tracks and pulled back her hand from reaching the door handle.

She smiled to herself. Of course, Junmyeon would take care of his girlfriend's brother.

Jinae looked over her shoulder and gave her brother a thumbs up in the air, which earned a wide grin from the male, but it soon turned to a frown when her thumbs up transitioned to a thumbs down.

", I know why you're doing this. It's to earn brownie points from Jinah!"

Junmyeon grinned sheepishly as if she read through his mind.

The next day, Jinae and Sehun were busy with their usual office works, but Sehun was busier than Jinae.

He was busy tailing around his friend like a puppy, apologizing every time he gets a chance.

At one point, Jinae lost her cool and dragged him to their office building's rooftop during lunch break. It is where many employees spend their time during break time. So, of course, when Jinae pulled his ID rope and dragged him to the rooftop, some of them laughed at Sehun, and some pictured them as an adorable lovely couple when in fact, they're just a couple who are best friends.

"It hurts!" Sehun rubbed the back of his neck.

"Serves you, loser." she exhaled sharply and walked towards the concrete water tank and leaned against the cold wall.

Sehun joined his friend, and now they had another battle of "let's see who is going to lean against this cold wall for a long time!"

Jinae ignored Sehun, who was busy shooting her "why donchu talk to me" stares, and sipped on her chocolate milkshake.

Oh, Jesus freaking Sehun!

Jinae's brain froze when the cold drink spread inside . Damn. How dumb could she be to drink a cold milkshake in this cold season?

She looked at her friend through her lashes and jumped back, surprised when his face was so close to her.

"Oh, ing scary!" the milkshake fell from her hand when she pushed Sehun back. The male was indeed scary up close. His too handsome visuals were scary.

Sehun clutched his stomach in one hand while the other busy pointing at his friend and laughing as if the world's going to end tomorrow.

Jinae wanted to fight back, give him punches so he doesn't come to work for a week. But- the weather blew differently.

The cold breeze kissed her skin through her blouse. She started to shiver but held it once she locked eyes with the guy throwing a mischievous look at her.

"You lost," he said.

"Shut the up. Don't make me start about how you lost 6 times this yea-"

Jinae was abruptly cut off when Sehun wrapped her with his jacket.

She wasn't blushing like those teenage girls but was amused.

The mischievous look earlier was an act to test if she was acting. But once Sehun confirmed that his friend was indeed feeling cold, he lent her his jacket cause the last thing he wanted was to see Jinae being sick.

"Now, I am indebted to you." Jinae sighed and hugged the jacket close to her body. Sehun chuckled.

"You never were! I'm the one who is-"

"Shut up, Hun. I know you did it on purpose!" Jinae scrunched her nose. Of course. She knows. Sehun didn't want her to drink something cold during this season, and he was cruel enough to smash her favorite drink on the ground.

Shoot, Sehun got caught red-handed. He couldn't help but laugh.

"Umm, guys?"

A familiar voice to Jinae and a not-so-familiar voice to Sehun interrupted their moment.

"Oh, yes, Jisoo?"

Jinae wondered why her colleague is here. They still had ten more minutes left for the break time to end.

"Is this watch yours? I found it on my way."

She lifted the watch from her palm and walked to Sehun, nonchalantly ignoring Jinae and waved it softly in front of his face.

The male stepped back a little due to the sudden closure and seized the watch from her hand.

"T-thank you. How did you know that it was m-mine?" he scratched the back of his head.

"Oh, it was near Jinae's cabin, and mine is next to hers. Then I saw the initials engraved on the strap. There's only one who has OSH as their initial in our office."

Sehun grinned sheepishly and replied, "Thank you once again."

What the is wrong with him? Jinae grimaced at Sehun's sudden cringe-worthy actions.

He is acting like a shy loverboy!

"You're welcome!" Jisoo gave a smile showing her beautifully arranged pearly teeth. Sehun would be lying if he said his heart didn't skip a beat when her eyes formed those crescent moons.

"Sehun, stop staring at her." Jinae slapped the male's cheeks, but his eyes were glued to the figure disappearing into the stairs.

"Her S-line figure is something to drool for," he stated, obviously, with his lips parted in awe.

Jinae shook her head. He's at it again.

"So you're telling me that you're prepared for your 7th breakup of this year. Mmm, interesting."

"Jinae~" he whined. Jinae looked at him, disgusted.

"Help me pleaseeee!!" he didn't care about how some of their co-workers were giving those weird looks at him.

"Ugh!!" Jinae pulled her hair mentally.

"You should have dropped your brain instead of your expensive Cartier!"

Sehun took steps as fast as he can and followed his friend.

"Jinae, I swear I won't mess up this time. Help me, please."

He just broke up with his girlfriend last night, and now here he is asking his best friend to set him up with her co-worker.

Jinae wanted to cut that stupid tongue of his or pull out her eardrums cause this man right next to her was really annoying.

"!"

It was 3 in the afternoon, and their working time ends in an hour. Jinae collected the paperwork she finished and headed to the photocopy room. To her surprise, her bothersome friend was standing near the door with a smirk plastered on his face as if he was awaiting her arrival.

She ignored him and walked to the printer. After setting up the printer, she started to take photocopies of the paperwork one by one. Sehun, who was observing her for the past few minutes, realized she was mad at him for a reason unknown to him. Jinae rarely ever ignores his annoying .

Sehun folded his arms and frowned. He tapped his foot on the ground while thinking about how to get his best friend's attention back. Sehun stopped tapping his foot as soon as an amazing idea sprung to his mind.

"Oh, Jongin!"

Jinae quickly dropped everything she was doing and fixed her hair and outfit. She cleared and looked up only to meet with Sehun's face that held back a laugh.

"Idiot!"

She pushed him back and puffed her cheeks in anger.

"Why did you fool me?!"

"Finally. You talked to me!" Sehun ruffled her hair. Jinae cursed under her breath and dodged his hand.

"Get lost. I have to finish this soon, or I might have to work overtime." she shooed him away.

"Overtime? Ugh, Jongin is cruel. Let me help you then."

Sehun took more than half of the bundle and started to arrange the papers ignoring her stares.

But her stares might bury a hole in his head if he let her continue staring at him. Sehun stopped arranging the papers and looked at her.

"Why are you giving me that look? He may be my friend, but that doesn't mean he can misuse his position as Editor-in-Chief."

Jinae didn't speak anything and continued giving him a judging look.

"What now?!" he placed the papers on a side and casually slammed the desk.

"You did this, right?"

"W-What did I do?"

"You forget that you're the Co-Editor-in-Chief." she brings her hand near and fake coughs.

"You, being the you are-"

Jinae folded her arms against her chest and walked towards Sehun. He took a step back for every step she advanced.

Sehun's back pressed against the wall, arrested in between her arms.

"-misused your authority and blamed Jongin so that you can overwork your own best friend and get her to talk to you cause she finds you annoying and ignored your for the past 3 hours." Jinae scoffed and pulled back, leaving the man wide-eyed.

Sehun finally let out the air he was holding in.

"You're scary!" he complained.

Jinae smirked and collected her paperwork.

"If you think I'll help you after today, then forget it." she clicked her tongue and made her way to the door.

"Wait."

Jinae paused her hand on the door handle.

"So you're telling me that you decided to help me, but I ruined it?" he pointed at himself innocently.

"Bingo!" she snapped her fingers.

Sehun's face drained its color. He realized that his enemy is none other than himself.

"Hey, Jin-ah, please~" he acted cutely and pulled her hand back so that she doesn't open the door and leave.

"Sehun, I'm warning you." Jinae clenched her jaw and shut her eyes. Sehun remembers how she always does it whenever she's serious.

"No~ please help me date Kim Jisoo."

"You're acting immature. Just freaking leave me alone!" she elbowed him. Sehun clutched his stomach as the strike was hard for real.

Jinae blew the strand of hair blocking her right eye's vision and smirked at Sehun before opening the door.

Little did she knew, her eyes were still on her best friend who was suffering from her attack that she forgot the figure standing in front of the door and clashed against their chest.

Her paperwork, which Sehun just arranged, fell on the ground.

Jinae moved to pick the papers from the ground.

The male hissed, "Be careful, woman."

The voice was cold yet familiar.

Jinae looked up at the male. The male had the same surprised look like hers.

"Mr. K-Kim?" she yelped.

"Jinae?! I'm so sorry, I didn't know it was you."

Mr. Kim pulled up his pant a little before crouching down to help her collect the papers from the ground.

Jinae's heartbeat was palpitating. She never imagined being this close with her senior officer, Kim Jongin.

Sehun became aware and put an end to his act when he heard Jongin's voice.

His eyes darted in Jinae's direction. She was kneeling with one leg on the floor and picking up the fallen papers. Jongin was giving her a hand.

Out of all these days, she ended up wearing a pencil skirt today. She always wears a pant but today turned out to be otherwise.

The position was so wrong.

"Jinae, move. Let me help you." Sehun tapped on her shoulder.

Giving him one last look, Jinae got up and wiped her sweaty hands on Sehun's white LV shirt.

"Then, I'll be leaving." she bowed to Jongin.

"Wait for me in the parking lot. I'll be there in 10." Sehun said from the back. Jinae hummed and twisted the doorknob, ready to leave the room.

"Let's meet tomorrow, Kim Jinae!" Jongin said, smiling widely. Jinae responded to him by giving him a small smile and a bow before exiting the room.

"Jongin,"

"Yes, Hun?"

"Why the hell did you just call her by her full name?" he raised an eyebrow at Jongin.

"Can't I?"

"Nope. Only I should."

Jongin tsk-ed and laughed.

"You act like her brother."

"Maybe. But she does have an elder brother, Jongin."

Jongin shook his head and gave his friend a look. Silly boy.

"Dude, you're really possessive over your friend."

Was he?

"I don't think so."

Sehun just shrugged.

"I can't believe you didn't talk to me for two days! Two freaking days!" Sehun said through his teeth while passing the food from Jongin to Jinae.

If there were someone whom she wanted to choke so badly at the moment, then her first choice would be Oh ing Sehun. After that incident in the photocopy room, Jinae didn't talk to Sehun properly and avoided him as much as possible.

But he wouldn't stop annoying her. Two days ago, he waited outside her apartment door till 3 AM, and he didn't stop at that. He drunk-called Junmyeon and begged him to make Jinae talk to him. He was completely crazed for the past two days as his best friend decided to ignore his existence.

And now, here they are sitting next to each other in their staff dinner. Initially, Jongin was the one who sat next to Jinae, but Sehun had to shove his way in between them.

Jinae wanted to roll her eyes and hiss loudly at him for being such an .

"You don't eat capsicum, give me your bowl. Take mine. I've already picked them up for you."

Sehun beamed as if he won a brownie point and replaced her bowl with his. Little did he knew, he didn't win any brownie points but a pinch on his thigh.

Usually, Sehun either pinch back or whine fakely as if her pinch was hard, but now he just smiled widely. She pinched- which means she still sees him as her best friend cause Jinae doesn't go around pinching anyone she sees but Sehun and her brother, Junmyeon.

Two hours later, everyone walked out of the restaurant after dinner. Jongin and Jinae were standing next to a tree, waiting for the taxi. Jongin kept Jinae occupied by making her laugh with his lame jokes. He also told her he rarely ever uses a taxi to commute, but today he had no choice as he gave his car for service. Jinae nodded understandingly and smiled.

Sehun was standing in front of the restaurant. His eyes never left Jinae, but also he noticed how Jisoo flipped her hair back whilst passing Sehun and joined her colleagues who were on their way to the karaoke. Jinae decently ignored when her colleagues offered her to join them t