18 | POTION D’ AMOUR

Baekhyun

“Look who decided to show up?” I tell Miyoung when she approaches my bar with Kyungsoo.

It really has been a while for us. That one quick bit when we saw her sneaking away with Kyungsoo—while Soobin and I were doing the same—technically doesn’t count. She settles on one of the high chairs of the bar while Kyungsoo remains standing behind her.

“Yeah, I know, right? Anyway, just letting everyone know that we’re back together.” Kyungsoo speaks up, a bit of shyness in his tone.

Seriously, dude? I look at him with narrowed eyes. “Am I supposed to act surprised here now? Do I get a raise if I act genuinely surprised? I’m pretty good in acting, I’m a natural.” I throw as much sarcasm as I could at the pair. Well, technically, acting is literally in my blood.

Maybe that’s why I’m so good at acting like I am not mad about Soobin.

“Shut up. Geez, you haven’t changed at all.” Miyoung hisses while flipping her hair at me. “Anyway, remember that guy eating at the VIP table? Chanyeol. I used to work for him in that art gallery.” She leans closer to the bar counter across me and wiggles her eyebrows.

I look at the guy’s direction as if I haven’t done that for the fiftieth time since I got here and saw him touching Soobin on the face—well, he was touching her glasses but it’s pretty much her face too if you’d ask me. The discomfort I felt, on behalf of her, still lingers in my body and it makes it easy for me to feel somewhat pissed again.  

“I actually don’t remember. Soobin just mentioned that he’s your friend.” I act as if I don’t know much, let alone care that much.

Miyoung and Kyungsoo share a laugh which only makes my head hurt from irritation even more. “Dude, we were checking him out from the office the first time we saw him, remember? You even called him like—what was it—the Prince of Korea or something. Anyway, he’s very into Soobin for some reason, and he wants to ask her out.” Kyungsoo tries to remind me before informing me about the news.

Yeah yeah yeah, whatever I called him, I don’t care.

It doesn’t apply to him now.

“Oh, yeah! I remember that.” Miyoung laughs along with her boyfriend. “Kyungsoo even got a bit jealous over him but now, I think we know who’s going to be jealous instead.” She gives me that look that triggers every nerve in my brain.

“Oh right—when was that day that we met him—” I scratch my head as I pretend to be in deep thought. “Was that the same day you two broke up? What was the reason again? Because Chef here got very sad that her daddy wants his own daughter back?” I ask.

Miyoung and Kyungsoo both lost their smiles. That’s right. Now, they’re going to stop bothering me if I mention something controversial. But it was very quick for me to feel the strong guilt rush through me as soon as I repeat my own words in my head. Fine, that might be way too mean.

, my bad.

I don’t even really know the full extent of the story for me to be giving comments. Oh my god, Byun Baekhyun, just shut the up next time.

I cautiously look at Miyoung who is now looking down. “I’m—I’m sorry.” I swallow hard.
“And I’m sorry for your loss.” I look away, squeezing my eyes shut, realizing that I have said something so mean like that even before I could give my condolences.

I am such an .

“I’m gonna go to the ladies’ room. Excuse me.” Miyoung gets off the chair and rushes to the hall that leads to the washrooms.

Kyungsoo looks at me and taps the counter. “You watch your mouth, Baekhyun. I’m still your boss. I feel like sometimes, I’m way too nice to you that you forget to respect me.” He lectures, looking genuinely appalled. Rightfully so. I look away and I feel my hand squeezing the lemon way too tightly, I might crush it. I probably don’t even need the juicer anymore.

“I don’t know what’s really going on between you and Soobin but I know there’s something there. I see things. You two are my employees and I’m not dumb. Now, I’m sorry if my girlfriend is trying to set Soobin up with someone but technically—” Kyungsoo scoffs as he looks away. “—that’s none of your business anyway, right? Or is it?” He asks.

“There’s nothing going on, Chef,” I tell him, my gaze still lowered to my feet.

In a perfect world, I stayed within my lane as her teacher and I’d be happy that there’s someone who seems right enough for her and my efforts of teaching her would be of use.

But it’s the complete opposite of a perfect world to me.

“So that kiss was just nothing?” Kyungsoo asks me.

Why is he bringing that up? That was even before things got worse for me. That was before I even realized that I haven’t fully … gotten over her yet.

I try to smile as I face my boss who is now leaning on the bar counter closely to keep the conversation between us. “Chef, you know what I was trying to do there, right? Her ex was bugging her and I was just try—”

“I’m talking about the one in the basement.” Kyungsoo cuts me off.

He … saw that? “I told you. I see things.” He adds. I find myself looking around. “Did you set up secret cameras around, aside from the ones that are exposed here? You know that’s shady, right?” I ask him. I was not expecting that he was holding his handy-dandy kitchen towel that quickly flew right across my head, whipping me aware—like always.

My boss sighs. “I saw it. I was about to help you find the juicer after my video call meeting and then I saw that. So, I just left. I didn’t want to make Soobin uncomfortable.” He explains to me.

That’s true. Soobin would have freaked out if she knew Kyungsoo saw that.

I just look away again. It’s easier to lie. “That was nothing. You know—she’s a bit naïve about things so I was just trying to show her some tricks. It was purely platonic. You know how the staff around here always approach me for advice. It’s the same.” It was a half-lie, technically. I was teaching her. That’s true. But … it was definitely not nothing to me. Although, I’m the only one who knows that obviously.

“Platonic.” Kyungsoo scoffs under his breath.

I just nod. That’s all I could do at this point.

“You know the saying, practice what you preach?” He asks me. Wow, this guy has the audacity to ask me that when he can’t even say knight in shining armour proper. I fight the urge to laugh at him. He’s using the saying completely wrong. “The context for that saying is totally different from me teaching her something, Chef. You say that to someone when they’re—”

“Don’t fight the , Baekhyun.” Kyungsoo interrupts me before walking away. Just like that.

And I feel my smile quickly morphing into a hard frown.

He totally used that saying properly and it’s biting me back in the . Holy . I did tell him that way back when he was still trying to avoid Miyoung even though he had feelings for her. , I totally preached that.

But my situation is different.

I can’t practice it no matter how much I want to.

I force myself to quickly recover from that statement and focus on my prep. My gaze travels to the dude’s table again. He seems well-educated. His attire looks expensive.

He’d be good for Soobin. He’s someone I personally think Soobin would deserve more. It hurts to even think about it but I can’t even lie to myself even if I wanted to. She said she wasn’t interested and for a moment, I was relieved. But for what? It’s not like I can have her. It’s not like she’s not interested in him because of me.

Okay,