The facade of Dyo's restaurant was friendly and inviting. Cheerful colors with the name in red neon, like a modernized vintage design that seemed to come out of a 60s remake film.

Baekhyun felt good just looking at it, eager to step into the future restaurant he wanted to work at so much.

There was still a sign hanging, saying "Job openings," and a small line of young cooks at the door, waiting for their turn to enter for the interview.

Baekhyun was nervous. He had never done a job interview before, always being hired through referrals or family connections. So he didn't have much experience with the selection process.

Dyo's was a 4.5-star restaurant in the city. It held a certain cultural importance and influence in the urban center (he had been there several times with his roommate, Oh Sehun), but the place was not what you would call fancy, nor did it look like an expensive restaurant. However, believe me: everything there could vary.

From the price of street food to a meal worthy of a queen's dining table. It was all very different and refined. People said that Dyo's was the ideal place for anyone because it didn't discriminate based on class and served any type of dish you could imagine.

The ambiance was so unique that it defied labels of being fancy or casual. It was simply... Dyo's. With its changing lights according to the time of day and the high-quality tableware that would make you afraid of breaking them.

In some way, the contrast of the place made it cozy, beloved, and worth visiting. Those who went to Dyo's always ended up coming back. Also, the waiters were very friendly (and quite attractive in Baekhyun's opinion).

So, there were more than one reason why Baekhyun desired to be part of that unique and exclusive restaurant in the city. However, with another goal in mind: to become a pastry chef.

He had just graduated from culinary school, specializing in pastry (especially French pastry). He had spent some time in France, learning techniques and memorizing more technical terms than one could imagine.

And now he was here, waiting to finally put everything he had learned into practice.

The line seemed huge. Various different candidates, probably with different specialties and better than his. Baekhyun knew that the culinary market was not easy. People fought for a position at an influential restaurant like that.

So, giving his best might not be enough.

The door opened, and the candidates began to enter the restaurant. One by one, they headed to the main kitchen and took their positions.

It was huge. And very beautiful. It was the dream of any self-respecting culinary artist. Various utensils hanging, marble countertops, ovens of all shapes, and pots of different types of metals.

He was happy just to be near all that, he could barely imagine what would be in the pantry.

He was so amazed by what he saw that he didn't notice the Chef, the owner of the restaurant, already present in the kitchen. With arms crossed, a short almost bald man looked sternly at everyone in the room. He had a gaze that could scare anyone. His eyes were quite piercing, and Byun began to reconsider if he should be so excited to work alongside the small chef.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Do Kyungsoo, I'm the Chef at Dyo's." His voice was extremely deep, which surprised the pastry chef. Kyungsoo bowed, and everyone reciprocated. Some later than others.

It seemed that it wasn't just Baekhyun who was nervous.

"Well, first of all, I must inform you that the interview will be practical. I already have your resumes and know about your backgrounds. So, if you're here, it's because you're candidates at the level of this restaurant."

Everyone was completely silent, paying attention to the Chef. Byun didn't dare to say a word. He started to feel a mixture of joy and intimidation with the small man, which wasn't a good thing.

"For this test, I will ask for each of your specialties. Feel free to use whatever ingredients you think are necessary from my pantry. Those who don't make it will have to sign a consent form. We keep our preparation secrets in the restaurant, and I hope you understand that." Kyungsoo said seriously, looking at each of the candidates. Baekhyun thought that if he received a scolding from that small chef, he would probably cry in the bathroom for a whole month. "There are several secret ingredients in the pantry that I use in my most famous dishes, and I hope they remain that way. Secret. That being said, please follow me."

Secrets.

Byun didn't understand what that meant, but he was excited. He wasn't very good at keeping secrets, but he would do it if necessary.

He followed the chef to what he assumed was the pantry, as it looked more like a food room. Everything was properly in place, impeccable organization, and the right refrigeration for preserving all the food.

"Well, this is the pantry. Feel free to use whatever ingredient you think is necessary. I hope to see the best from all of you today. Once you decide what you're going to prepare, let me know, and I'll try to guide you with the utensils and whatever else is necessary. Once everyone has what they need, I'll give you 2 hours to make the best dish in your specialty. I leave you with Sooyoung now." As soon as he finished his monologue, the short man left the room.

Baekhyun was starting to get nervous. Before, when he had exams at college, he would practice at home by cooking for Sehun, his roommate since... well, forever.

Sehun, despite having the stomach of a dragon, had a good critical sense when it came to food. So he always helped his friend improve something here and there when it came to flavors. Especially with savory dishes, which Baekhyun had never been very good at preparing.

He was now thoroughly searching the restaurant's pantry, paying attention to all the details.

Many of the other competitors were scrambling to grab the most expensive ingredients. Nonsense, in his opinion. It was pointless to have expensive ingredients if you didn't know how to combine them. And many of them, it was evident they didn't. They were just grabbing any expensive ingredient just to try it.

Baek shook his head in disapproval and headed towards the fruit section.

He understood that opportunities like this didn't come knocking on his door every day, but it was preferable to put effort into the dish and achieve a balanced flavor than rush with anything. And that's why he decided to make one of his specialties: a beautiful and delicate blueberry clafoutis. It was quick, practical, and delicious whether served hot or cold... just what he needed.

He started gathering the ingredients for the batter and sugar syrup when he realized: there was only one type of sugar available. And it wasn't the one he needed.

Baekhyun started to panic. What if the recipe went wrong? To present a simple dish, he needed to present it perfectly, no mistakes would be tolerated. He knew that the sugar would change the consistency of the batter, it would be different. Should he stick to his original plan? He didn't have much time.

He decided to be creative.

He would find a way to make the recipe work by combining other ingredients that would provide the same texture as the original Clafoutis. Yes, he would succeed.

As soon as everyone left the pantry, he realized that he was the only one still there. Sooyoung looked at him as if she wanted to hurry him up. He grabbed one or two more ingredients before leaving to take his place in the kitchen.

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"Well, has everyone here gathered their ingredients?" Everyone nodded, positively. No one would dare to cause problems with the short, bald man with the deep voice.

The chef seemed capable of killing someone with those big angry eyes and broad hands. He must be a good pastry chef too, Baekhyun thought. Damn it, that short guy could probably make a Mille-Feuille with his eyes closed, he knew he was experienced, and that only made him more nervous.

"Great. Let's proceed then. I will guide each one of you with the materials, and this will be the last thing I do before coming back to taste your dishes. I hope you understand and respect this, and do not ask me anything related to the recipe. I am here only to judge your dishes and guide you in my kitchen."

Baekhyun swallowed hard.

What was this? Some kind of Korean Master Chef? He was getting worried.

"As you can see, there are various pots hanging around, and some are under the counter. If there's any utensil you need to use that someone else already has, I suggest you share the usage time."

Oh no. Baekhyun hadn't thought about the possibility of not being able to handle all the utensils he needed to make the recipe. If someone decided to be mean to him, it would be the end.

What was that short guy thinking, after all? It was clear that someone there would try to sabotage. It was a position in the city's top restaurant, and anything was fair game.

The pastry chef narrowed his eyes.

He didn't like this at all. He felt like he could be cheated at any moment, and he wouldn't be able to complain if it happened.

He positioned himself at the counter where he had placed his things and began to separate the items that would be used: the vanilla bean, flour, eggs, and, of course, the fresh and ripe blueberries. Just right.

Baekhyun smiled.

Maybe the recipe would turn out right in the end.

He picked up the blueberries intending to wash them, but did he really need to? It would waste time. Besides, the sink was crowded with people using it, or rather, fighting over who would occupy the space.

He decided to follow the recipe.

He took the dish he would use to serve his dish and greased it with the unsalted butter available in the pantry. He started to pick the fruits when Dyo himself stopped by his side, arms crossed.

Baekhyun didn't understand why he was there.

"Um... are you making a Clafoutis?" Was he asking him? Why? He had said that he wouldn't talk to anyone about the recipes.

Baekhyun swallowed hard.

It was too simple.

Damn it. He knew that. But it was his specialty, his best dish. The bald man was still waiting for an answer, as he raised an eyebrow at the young cook.

"Uh... yes, Chef."

"And why do you think you can just throw the fruits into the dish without washing them?" he asked, with that intimidating deep voice.

If Baekhyun didn't have experience with shouted orders in his mind (thanks to Chef Gerard, whom he cooked for in France), he would be trembling. Chef Dyo was a very intimidating person, and his eyes only worsened what his voice could do. He had a penetrating and sharp gaze, he must be tough.

"I... um..."

"Go wash them, Mr. Byun. We don't serve food without hygiene in this restaurant." He analyzed Baekhyun's ingredients before the cook left the counter to wash the fruits; lingering a bit longer on the "wrong" sugar that the cook had chosen. Dyo gave a small smile before moving on with the inspection.

Baekhyun was now in line at the sink where he would have to wait for an eternity since there were six people in front of him. He hated that short guy, and they hadn't even started working together. He wasn't surprised when he realized that the chef didn't even look at the other competitors' dishes, leaving the kitchen as if there was nothing to be done there.

That made Baekhyun angry.

Who did he think he was? Just picking on Baekhyun? Trying to ruin his time? Wanting to ruin his dish? What an arrogant guy!

Byun scowled with his small fruits in his hand and didn't realize when the line started moving, and someone cut in front of him.

"Hey! Go back, I was here first."

The wall that had cut in front of him turned around with a sarcastic smile.

"Finders keepers."

"What?"

"Finders keepers. Are you deaf, shorty?" He approached Baekhyun, and the small cook could tell that the supposed wall was quite attractive. Which meant he must be quite arrogant. Baekhyun frowned.

"No! And not legless either." With that, Baekhyun raised his knee and mustered all his strength to step on the cook's foot.

"Ow! My foot! You garden gnome!" The cook now had a deadly look for the small one, and as the taller one bent down to attack Baekhyun, Kyungsoo held his arms, preventing him.

"You! What's your name?"

"Wu Yifan."

"Well, Mr. Wu, I'm going to ask you to leave my restaurant immediately. We don't tolerate fights or violence in this kitchen."

The cook gave a sidelong smile to the small chef, who was still standing between Byun and him, with a deadly gaze.

"You may think you're better than others because of this little restaurant or a handful of signed papers, but let me tell you: you're nothing. And I don't need this." Wu took off his apron, leaving it on the counter as he headed for the exit, but not before turning to speak to everyone.

"Good luck in your journey to hell. You're going to need it to deal with that tyrant over there." And he walked out the door.

Baekhyun sighed, he was so nervous about the situation that he didn't realize he was trembling. Why was everything going so wrong for him? Probably a good ten minutes had passed with that whole scene. He was running out of time.

He felt a sudden movement in his hands, as if they had been snatched away.

And they had.

Dyo was holding his blueberries, washing them carefully.

Baekhyun was shocked, literally speechless.

What was that?

When the chef returned with his fruits, placing them on his arm, he was still in the same position as before, so shocked that he couldn't move.

"Here you go. Now, get back to work. Everyone is ahead of you, so you'll have to be creative to save time. Cooking is also about creativity." With a tap on his shoulder, the chef left, heading to the front of the restaurant with his assistants.

And the cook still couldn't believe what had just happened.

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Time had been tight. A bit rushed, and he had almost burnt his Clafoutis because he didn't know how to handle that hellish oven. If he were to work there, he would personally replace those ovens. He probably envied the working environment, wanting it to resemble hell as much as possible because of how hot they were. 180 degrees was the new 250, in his opinion.

But Byun managed to pull through.

He made the dish and even managed to beautifully garnish it with some leftover blueberries. It was worthy of an Instagram photo, which the boy quickly took before the tasting began.

They were supposed to carry their dishes to the counter and present them to some trusted judges of the chef. And the garden gnome himself would also taste them. He wasn't nervous at all, imagine that.

Everyone was taking their dishes out of the kitchen while Sooyoung waited for them at the door. The girl smiled at Baekhyun as he passed by with his decorated dish, something the others hadn't done. But on the other hand, no one had made a simple dish. And that's why Byun thought he should put in more effort. If, for some reason, the chef found any flaws, he could make up for it a bit with the decoration.

At least, that's what he thought.

There was a line of people at the counter. Five of them, to be exact. Some older, others the same age as Byun, and Dyo himself behind the counter with crossed arms and an assessing look. One by one, the participants left their dishes on the counter in front of the supposed judges and lined up behind them. Baekhyun was the last one.

With a sigh, he carried the dish to the counter, carefully placing it so it wouldn't slip since his hands were shaking a lot. As soon as the dish touched the countertop, he looked at the chef, who seemed curious as he gazed at his dish. Kyungsoo looked at him and raised an eyebrow, as if he didn't expect all the decoration Byun had done. Baekhyun simply swallowed hard and joined the line.

It was kind of obvious that he would decorate the dish, right? He was a pastry chef. Had he gone overboard? Did he make a mistake by doing that? Well, it didn't matter much now because the dish was already made.

"I see that everyone managed to finish on time, and that's good. Some more than others." And with that, he looked at Baekhyun with a playful expression. "Today, I've gathered some of the people I trust the most for judging. I won't be biased in the decision because it wouldn't be fair to judge them based on my personal taste."

The pastry chef was amazed. He highly doubted that other restaurants had such coherence in choosing a new employee. Yes, it wasn't fair to judge someone's food based on personal taste. Sometimes flavors and seasonings just don't click. But Dyo seemed to understand that perfectly.

"In this way, I will be the last one to taste your dishes. And since there are a lot of you, I asked the tasters to create a top 10 list of the dishes they liked the most. Therefore, I will let mathematics decide for you. Any objections?"

Actually, it was a very fair way to decide. Because if someone didn't like a certain type of dish, it could be that others loved it, so it would give a good average of how good his dish was. Baekhyun was increasingly impressed with Do Kyungsoo's ethics. He realized that he might be able to imagine why the restaurant was so famous.

No one had complained either, so the chef simply nodded in agreement.

"Great. Gentlemen, please, help yourselves."

One by one, each of the guests began to taste the dishes in front of them. Few of them showed any expression, but one in particular seemed to be enjoying it a lot. He was tall and had such peculiar ears that looked quite funny sticking out of the cap he was wearing. He was probably the same age as Baekhyun. Every time he tried one of the dishes, he made a face of pure pleasure, as if he were tasting food from the gods.

When he reached Baekhyun's dish, the little cook became nervous. The awkward guy dropped one or two bites he had taken, but on the third try, he even stopped.

"Wow! What is this?" he said out loud, in a surprised tone.

"What's wrong, Chanyeol?" It was Do Kyungsoo who spoke, with some impatience.

"I think you can say that better than me, chef." Byun felt the hint of irony in the taller man's tone at the end of the sentence, and he also noticed that the chef didn't like it at all.

This time, Chanyeol took a bite for Kyungsoo to taste, and the chef remained silent for a while as he savored it. He looked at Baekhyun, who by this point was almost having a heart attack from anxiety. If he had made a mistake, he would kill himself; he wanted that position at the restaurant so badly.

"And?" Chanyeol asked the other, with anticipation. Kyungsoo, who was still staring at the cook, averted his gaze to look at the guy in front of him.

"And what? Go back to your seat," he said impatiently. Chanyeol huffed, muttering something that Baekhyun thought was "damn thick-skinned," before sitting back where he was before.

Once the tasting was over, everyone settled into their seats, waiting for Kyungsoo's turn. The chef didn't make any expressions as he tasted each of the dishes, and he drank some water after each one to cleanse his palate. It was agonizing to watch because he seemed to feel absolutely nothing.

He tasted Baekhyun's dish again, this time looking at him once more. The little pastry chef started getting nervous and wanted to cry right there. He shouldn't have used a different type of sugar. He knew he was screwed. It was the end.

"Very well. As you saw, there was no interruption on my part. I will now ask my guests to organize themselves for the voting. Please, gentlemen."

And so it happened. Each of the judges frantically wrote on paper, some taking longer than others. Within 15 minutes, everything was ready, and the chef was already collecting the papers from each participant.

"Thank you," he said when he finished. "Again, I hope you are aware that I haven't altered any results that will come out of here. That being said, I will inform you by phone or email when the results are ready. Until then, you are dismissed. Thank you for your participation." Kyungsoo bowed before leaving and returning to the kitchen.

Most of the guests were already leaving, and Baekhyun thought he could already see the sky shining and calling him.

He was dead tired and anxious. He wouldn't know what impression he had made on the two guys, but he hoped it was something good. He had no other option. He needed that position like someone on the verge of death needs a transplant.

His savings were running out, and even sharing the room with Sehun, he didn't think they could last much longer without a job. Leaving the rent to his friend was not an option. He never thought there would come a time when his life depended on a pot of sugar because he was certain that was the ingredient that had caused all the difference.