Prompt: Hwabyul: Security and Care

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“A muscle shirt?!” Yongsun almost screams at her— only— employee but beloved friend. Byulyi, the literal muscle she hired to be on the afternoon shift of her beloved bakery.

“What? It’s hot!” Byulyi reasons, reasonably. The summer heat doesn’t lie— nor does the newly cemented road help them cool down. Urbanization be damned. Yongsun crosses her arms in silence, shifts her weight on one leg and raises a scrutinizing brow.

“I look fine!” Byulyi reasons, again.

“Fine, just because it’s hot and you're flexing your…” Yongsun nods a bit, eyebrows and eyes pointlessly pointing at the revealed and very obvious arms. “And morning to afternoons are usually when people are most thirsty.”

“Is it because it’s hot?” Byulyi tied her hair in a high bun but still wraps a bandana around her forehead, obviously because sweat can’t drip on the bread— duh.

“Sure that too.” Yongsun steps out of her bakery— this isn’t the only business she runs, after all. “We’ll catch base later, have fun!” The woman’s off, not waiting for any reply. Byulyi goes to the inner depths of the bakery— towards the kitchen.

People will just have to shout if they need some.

Some bread.

Don’t get it twisted— unless you’re thirsty.

-

Hyejin is thirsty. Very thirsty. As in she’s-been-walking-under-the-screaming-sun type of thirsty. Several reasons— one, Wheein wanted her to support their landlord’s bakery to get on her goodside. Two, her beloved roommate, Wheein took it upon herself to deal with the scary landlady-lord. Three, Wheein is not the best at giving directions— nor was Hyejin good at deciphering whatever she drew on the paper.

Google maps exist. They could really just search it but—

Hyejin is thirsty— dehydrated, actually. She’s not thinking— not thinking… straight.

No one would be when she sees such a woman— such arms— a criminal sight for a…

Oh.

She’s—

This is the bakery.

Oh.

Oh no— Hyejin has to approach this woman— a woman wearing a T-shirt that had it’s sleeves ripped off, a little… a lot, making the arm holes reveal more than… more than necessary.

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Byulyi huffs a heavy sigh. She’s glad she didn’t get shifted early morning— ultimately a busier time but man. Morning shifts had a lot of customers to keep you moving and busy. But an afternoon one? Mostly either waiting, dealing with some hot headed bread buyers, a hot sunkissed woman, glistening under the radiant sun walking and looking at her as she tries to clean the counter, the sun being so hot and— wait...

Hot woman—

Sunkissed—

Walking and looking at her—

Moon Byulyi, stop wiping the spotless counter and stop staring at her.

“Can I have— uhmm” The woman, dear heavens— it must be her morning voice, hoarse— no, husky and deep but somehow, delicate? Her eyes wander the displayed pastries, not looking for anything in particular— nor is she looking at Byulyi.

Ouch.

“What do you guys have? That’s good with some hot chocolate?”

Byulyi! SpeAK! SaY word! ANYTHING WILL DO!

“Me.” Byulyi lets out— stopping her useless wiping and meets the woman’s eyes— a bit breathless.

AnyTHInG bUT ThAT!

“What?” The woman’s— she’s touched by the sun, glowing in it’s light as she turns a bit red— eyes turn a bit aghast, taken aback and confused.

Byulyi smiles instead, relishing the present moment— noticing the little reactions of the sun favored woman before her. From the way her fingers fiddle with the crumpled paper to her other hand hiding in her back pocket as she gets a comfortable standing position.

“You look like you could use some water.”

-

Did the bread— bakery— what do you call them— hot woman wearing what might as well be a rag, the sad remnants of a what might have been a T-shirt—

Did shE just call her THIRSTY?!

Hyejin coughs— she wasn’t even given the chance to clap back a remark. Not that she had any, she literally just got read and the baker woman