“For today we are going to be making something that’s more of a hybrid,” Hongjoong stated, writing something on the white board.

 

“Not you using fancy terminology,” San muttered under his breath.

 

The Cookie Club was having another meeting, with Hongjoong and San running it as usual. For some ing reason, Seonghwa offered to buy all of the ingredients for today’s meeting, so San immediately starting grabbing everything he wanted.

 

Hongjoong pointed the marker at San. “Shut the up. These were your idea.”

 

Yuto raised his hand up. “Does it have chocolate?”

 

“YEAH, I LOVE THEM!!” San screamed. “CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BROWNIES!!” 

 

Hongjoong threw the marker at San. “SHUT! UP!”

 

Hanbin turned around his seat to look at Bobby. “, you have more Tupperware with you, right?”

 

“This is going to be so much sugar,” Hoseok muttered under his breath.

 

“ANYWAYS!” Hongjoong grabbed a new marker and continued writing, using his phone to copy down the measurements on the ingredients list. “This is what we are doing.”

 

——

 

“Don’t overmix it,” Wooyoung was telling San.

 

San nodded dramatically, still whirring the mixture with the blender at high speed. “Don’t worry! I won’t!” 

 

Wooyoung sighed. San didn’t talk to him as much as he talked to everyone else in the Cookie Club, but he remembered how last time everyone started clowning San for thinking that Wooyoung was cute. 

 

He watched as San continued blending the mixture. “You should probably stop.” 

 

“Oh, sorry.” San turned off the handheld mixer, popping off the whisks before handing one to Wooyoung. “Want one? Hongjoong says we’re not supposed to eat raw batter, but I figured I’d offer.”

 

Wooyoung wasn’t really a fan of salmonella, but he decided to grab one to make San happy. “Sure,” he said. “Why not. I could always use a sick day from school.”

 

San beamed. “I’ve never gotten sick from eating batter. But I do get called crazy.”

 

Well, no ing . San and his friends almost gave Wooyoung a heart attack every time they entered the cafe. It’s crazy how he hasn’t been banned considering Chanwoo hates noisy people. 

 

“I wonder why…” Wooyoung muttered, grabbing the butter to grease the baking pan for San. 

 

***

 

“You’re going to choke if you keep stuffing those perfect cookies down your throat,” Bobby told Hanbin as they were leaving the Cookie Club.

 

Despite not being down chewing, Hanbin swallowed the remainder of the cookies. “Not the worst thing I’ve put in my throat.”

 

Bobby gave Hanbin a disgusted look. “I don’t need to hear about you ing people.”

 

“What the- ooh, you’re lucky I finished eating that cookie.” 

 

Bobby rolled his eyes, walking a little faster. “They weren’t even actually cookies. It’s a type of brownie. You’ll be fine.”

 

Hanbin sighed, reaching for another cookie (or brownie or whatever) in Bobby’s Tupperware. Bless the freshman for carrying these containers everywhere. “First of all, I was talking about alcohol and cilantro.”

 

“Eww, cilantro is GROSS!” Bobby grimaced, stopping in his tracks as he had squinted his eyes shut. “Bleh. that.”

 

“Exactly. THANK YOU!! You would not believe how many kids here actually like that .” Hanbin took a bit from a new cookie brownie and chewed, not even swallowing before continuing. “Damn, these are fire.”

 

“Did your mother not teach you to close your mouth before eating?” Bobby criticized him. The amount of times he has to correct his siblings on something was astounding, but as the oldest, it made sense. 

 

Hanbin finished chewing and swallowing his cookie before speaking again. “She’s dead.”

 

Instantly, Bobby’s face fell. “Oh, I-“

 

“Don’t.” Hanbin grabbed another cookie brownie hybrid, but didn’t take a bite this time, staring at it instead. “She did teach me manners. I was just a bad child.”

 

Bobby thought of all the times he mentioned his siblings and mother to Hanbin. “I didn’t mean it like that, I-“

 

“It’s fine.” Hanbin took a bite of the new cookie in his hand. , he already lost count of how many he had eaten. “She made the best snickerdoodles though. Do you think they’ll teach us though eventually?”

 

“I think they will,” Bobby said. “Snickerdoodles are one of those common cookies.” 

 

Hanbin stared at the cookie in his hand, sighing. “I hope I’m ready to learn it by then, though. They won’t be as good as hers.”

 

Bobby glanced at Hanbin before reaching out to take the Tupperware from the eldest’s grasp. “Does it matter?” he said. How are you supposed to comfort someone from memories of their dead mother, again? “Look, I… I don’t know much about your mother, but my mother doesn’t cook and bake for it to be perfect. She did it for love. And if you do it as well, I’m sure that’s what’s important.”

 

Hanbin looked at Bobby, the two making eye contact, and when he didn’t say anything at first, Bobby started mentally panicking, wondering if he overstepped a boundary. 

 

“For a freshman, you sure do have some wisdom already.” Hanbin ruffled Bobby’s hair before continuing walking. “Nice.”

 

***

 

The rest of the week went without any incident - well, what was left of it. 

 

“It’s Friday night, are you sure you don’t want to go out drinking?” Seokjin pestered the group for the tenth time that hour.

 

“Jin, I swear to god, say something one more time and I’ll stab you with a toothpick like those cherries they put in those goddamn drinks you want so badly-”

 

“YOONGI!” Hoseok shrieked. “Don’t be so violent!” 

 

Namjoon sighed. “It’s not even seven pm.” 

 

They were all crammed in Yoongi’s room, each one doing something wildly different. Namjoon was reading a book he rented from the library, Hoseok was doing homework, Yoongi was writing lyrics in his notebook, and Seokjin was eating cookies while ing loudly to everyone. 

 

“I KNOW!” Seokjin exclaimed. “You guys look like you’re ready to head to bed.”

 

As if on cue, Hoseok yawned silently, his mouth wide open for a few seconds before he closed it shut. “That’s the goal.”

 

“Can’t you drag someone from your class or something, stop complaining to me,” Yoongi said, slamming his notebook down on his lap. He had been sitting against the headboard on his bed, precisely so that he could hit the sack any second now once he felt like it. “This is my room, you ing jackass-”

 

Namjoon, who had been sitting on the floor, ped his backpack besides him, pulling out two bottles of soju. “If I drink with you will you shut up?”

 

Hoseok’s eyes widened. “Namjoon! You can’t be serious-”

 

“YAY!!” Seokjin leaned forward and took one of the bottles from Namjoon’s hands. “You’re a lifesaver.” 

 

“You guys are drinking at seven pm!” Hoseok yelled at both of them, Seokjin and Namjoon both opening the bottles of soju before taking long sips.

 

Yoongi rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to his notebook. “If either of you pass out you’re sleeping on the floor-”

 

“Oh shut up, mister crybaby.” Seokjin took another sip of the soju before setting the bottle down. “Yoongi, give me some more cookies from this so called Cookie club-”

 

“YOU ATE ALL OF THEM!” Yoongi screamed, digging his airpods out of his hoodie pocket. “I’m ignoring you for the rest of the night-”

 

Hoseok sighed. “Open my bag, Jin,” he said, picking up his pencil again. “I have some in there-”

 

“Hobi.” Yoongi gave Hoseok a look, and Hoseok couldn’t help but get a weird feeling in the pits of his stomach. Gosh, he wished Yoongi could stop looking at him like that. “Don’t give them to him, I have some-”

 

“OH COME ON!” Seokjin screamed. “I’M STARVING!"

 

“GO TO YOUR ING ROOM!” Yoongi yelled back at him. 

 

Namjoon opened his bag again, pulling out two bags of chips. Seokjin was like this every week, so he came prepared. “I got you, Jin.”

 

“THANK YOU!” Seokjin said loudly, looking at Yoongi. “At least someone cares about me.”

 

“Then him and call it a day, geesh,” Yoongi muttered as he scribbled another lyric, only to look at his friends on the floor again when he heard both Seokjin and Namjoon spit out their soju drinks. “ON MY ING CARPET?! SERIOUSLY!?”

 

***

 

Junhoe accidentally brought the wrong papers to the company meeting, having spent the night before looking at different cookie recipes and printing them out. 

 

Good thing he noticed last minute, while he was getting ready in his room. His father had told him he would pick him up in his car, so Junhoe had to leave the house in time. 

 

The car came around, and Junhoe stepped inside the backseat, not even waiting for the chauffeur to get out of the car to open the door for him. 

 

As expected, his father didn’t greet him, on a phone call with somebody, Junhoe didn’t know nor did he care, taking out his phone and scrolling aimlessly. 

 

The meeting was going to be boring, he just knew.

 

They arrived to the company building, and Junhoe followed his father obediently along with other executives, where they were meeting those from another company. All of the men were around Junhoe’s father’s age, from what Junhoe noticed, except for one person.

 

Now that was odd. Someone young, from Junhoe’s age? They were probably a chaebol just like him, who didn’t care about business at all, just doing it for looks and to inherit everything. They were probably a playboy too, and spent their money like ing crazy. Whatever. Not Junhoe’s problem. 

 

 As taught, Junhoe greeted everyone politely, and when it came to the young man, he introduced himself as Park Seonghwa, and that’s when Junhoe realized he was right; this was the son of the other company’s CEO. Huh. Something they shared in common.

 

“Nice to meet you,” he said to Junhoe, a warm smile on his face. Wait, was that smile genuine? Don’t tell him he actually liked working in business. “My name is Park Seonghwa.”

 

Junhoe forced himself to smile as well. “Goo Junhoe.”

 

After greeting each other, they all headed inside, Junhoe seated right next to his father, but all he could think about was Seonghwa. Have they met before? Why did Seonghwa ring a bell? 

 

The meeting eventually started, and while Junhoe was pulling out his analysis sheets, he grabbed his phone and started scrolling through his texts, wondering if someone mentioned the name Seonghwa. Seonghwa, who was actively participating in the meeting, taking notes and engaging with others. 

 

God, Junhoe hated the idea of following his father’s footsteps. He couldn’t believe another chaebol like him actually wanted to do this. 

 

While scrolling on his phone, his finger stopped once he reached the group chat of the Cookie Club. 

 

Junhoe clicked on it, quickly reading the texts. San and Hongjoong always mentioned a Seonghwa. Was it this Seonghwa? 

 

San, that crazy dude, was friends with this guy? And Hongjoong? That was… that was honestly unexpected.

 

Until Junhoe remembered how the last cookie club meeting this Thursday, the friends mentioned how they had a friend who purchased all the ingredients for that meeting. 

 

Junhoe turned off his phone and looked up to Seonghwa again. A chaebol who spent on his friends. Interesting. 

 

***

 

Cookie Club

 

Hongjoong

 

Are there any suggestions on what cookies you guys want to see for the next meeting? 

 

San

 

Why can’t we do my suggestion

 

Hongjoong

 

You know what you did 

 

Junhoe

 

What about sheet cookies 

 

Yuta

 

Honestly I’m fine with anything 

 

I’m going to eat it all anyways 

 

Yoongi 

 

Wait what did San do 

 

Hoseok 

 

What about snickerdoodle?

 

Bobby

 

I vote for sheet cookies 

 

Junhoe 

 

Do you even know what they are 

 

Bobby

 

Okay well you then

 

San 

 

I WANNA MAKE MACAROOOOOOOONS

 

Si Cheng 

 

One o or two?

 

Hanbin

 

Clearly there are many o’s 

 

Si Cheng 

 

Get ed 

 

Hongjoong 

 

Okay who taught him that 

 

Yoongi 

 

Probably Yuta

 

Yuta 

 

you man 

 

Hoseok

 

CAN WE ALL STOP SAYING THE WORD

 

GROW UP ALL OF YOU 

 

Yoongi 

 

What’s wrong with us saying  

 

Hongjoong 

 

Yeah we should stop saying you and go to bell and whatever 

 

Hoseok 

 

Surely there’s better ways to express ourselves?

 

Yoongi

 

How do you know how well I can express myself

 

You don’t know my feelings 

 

Bobby 

 

This is getting a tad bit personal 

 

Yuta

 

My popcorn is ready 

 

Junhoe 

 

Yuta shut up 

 

Hoseok

 

Feelings of what? 

 

Yoongi

 

Nothing I’m going to bed 

 

San

 

Hongjoong this is your fault 

 

Hongjoong 

 

You can’t be ing serious 

 

Junhoe 

 

Wait so what cookies are we making