Chanyeol's black Porsche 911 was already pulling up to Dyo's as the clock struck 6 PM. He wasn't usually so punctual, but it was necessary. They were already late for dinner at the Do household, and he couldn't care less about it. Even though a part of him was worried about his friend's reaction.

When he received the call about the change in schedule, he knew it was yet another scheme by old Mr. Do. That man never submitted to anything without playing one of his hidden cards. And he had as many hidden cards as one could have, more tricks than he himself could recognize.

It was incredibly rude to arrive late to events like these. It would only mark Kyungsoo as an unprofessional, further damaging his career. No one would want to hire a chef who showed a lack of professionalism in his commitments. It could spread throughout the city and tarnish the image of Dyo's.

Park couldn't understand why old Mr. Do seemed to do everything in his power to ruin his son's life.

More than that: it seemed to be his sole purpose in life.

He was already tired. Tired of seeing his best friend being treated like an outsider in his own family. He couldn't understand why old Mr. Do, having Kyungsoo as his only son, treated him as if he didn't exist. Conversations between the two were rare, and it had been a long time since his friend had seen his own mother with his own eyes. He wasn't allowed to get close to the mansion.

It had been a while since the two of them swam in the backyard pool or enjoyed the open grass field. It felt like a memory from another life. Or at least that's what it seemed like.

Whenever Chanyeol visited the Do family, it was always business-related. Mainly because his father still had strong ties with Kwangsoo. They often went out to play golf together and engage in all those activities that corporate people loved to do. Ridiculous. He didn't know how his father could stand it, considering he had also suffered from the estrangement of his only son from the Do family.

Chanyeol wanted it to stop. He wanted to go back to the time when it was easy to hang out with Kyungsoo, return to the mansion and play the video games they both loved in his friend's room. He missed seeing him happy in his kitchen, singing and smiling while cooking. He missed seeing him truly happy.

Sometimes, he missed him so much that he wanted to scream.

But he was forbidden from fighting back. The bald man had reprimanded him countless times for the responses he gave to his father. All the confrontations that he wanted to initiate were drowned within him. All because his friend was kind. Too good for any of them.

In a way, he understood why the shorter one was so adamant about it. Of course, he did.

Chanyeol knew he couldn't fight his battles. They were solely Kyungsoo's to fight.

But he wanted to.

He would summon an entire army and cavalry if he had to fight all his battles for the rest of his life. He would do it. He would do anything for his Maknae, his best friend and brother.

He sighed, getting out of the car and heading towards the restaurant. As soon as he entered, he noticed that it was quite busy, perhaps more than usual. There were many occupied tables, and many couples enjoying their intimate dinners. It almost seemed like Dyo's was hosting Valentine's Day in October, which didn't make much sense.

"May I help you, Mr. Park?" The voice. He knew that deep voice anywhere. Chanyeol turned around to come face to face with him once again.

Minseok looked the same as always: black eyeliner and as many piercings as one could count. The difference was that he now wore one of the restaurant's chef jackets, with a bowtie around his neck. It was like a mix of his two uniforms.

"I... uh, I'm looking for Kyungsoo?" He didn't intend for it to sound like a question, but that's what happened. The other man smiled at him, mischievous. He seemed to find it amusing.

Damn it! This wasn't good.

"Mr. Do is in the pantry, talking to Baekhyun. I think they'll be back in a few minutes. The place is quite crowded tonight." He had to agree with that. The place had never been as full as it was.

"But what's going on? This place is buzzing with people. And couples!" Minseok laughed at his indignation.

"It's indeed a new facet. But I believe the rumors about us having a pastry chef have started spreading. There have been many orders specifically for Baekhyun." Ah, so it was because of the pastry chef? Park smiled.

The boy was truly talented. He still dreamed about the Clafoutis he had tasted the first time he saw him. It was perfect in every sense of the word. Like a piece of heaven. He thought maybe he could ask Baekhyun to prepare another one for him. Or five.

"The boy is talented, so it's no surprise that word spread quickly. Soo must be proud; it's what he wanted from the start." The bartender furrowed his brow in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" His voice had a hint of suspicion. The tall one widened his eyes. Damn it, he had said too much, almost revealing his friend's secret. He didn't know the bartender was so cautious at picking up information.

"Aaah... uh, nothing. I mean, it would be nice to open a café, right?" He nervously laughed. "Anyway... maybe they're done by now?"

The shorter one didn't fully buy his strange explanations but seemed to let it go. He turned towards the hallway, probably checking if he still had some time before returning to the bar or the kitchen, wherever he was. He turned back to him, leaning in to speak a little lower.

As he got closer, Chanyeol felt it. The scent of burnt mint. Ah, he had to control himself, even though he missed it so much. He had quit smoking Marlboros a few years ago, but the scent still had the same effect on him. Damn nicotine!

"I don't know much, but I think Baekhyun is in trouble." He spoke softly. "It would be nice if you asked him not to scold him." Despite feeling nervous around the bartender, this time he found it amusing. He could be quite shameless when he wanted to.

Park raised an eyebrow, questioning him, "Did you forget that I'm your boss too?" The other stopped. He looked at him bewildered and a bit surprised. Maybe he didn't even remember that fact since Chanyeol was rarely at the restaurant.

"I think... I forgot about that." Bingo. He didn't even remember.

Park smiled. "It's okay, Minseok. I was just messing with you." The other smiled back at him.

"Wah, you almost got me. Not that it would be a bad thing." Chanyeol noticed the wink, but he thought it best to ignore it, or he would end up going crazy. He was already feeling suffocated again.

Before he could respond, Baekhyun walked past them with a small smile. He stood next to Minseok, but it was Chanyeol that the redhead was staring at.

"Mr. Park? I think you should talk to Mr. Do. He's in the pantry." Minseok furrowed his brow at him.

"Did something happen, Baekkie?" Baekhyun turned his gaze to the bartender. They seemed to be communicating telepathically, it was eerie.

"No. Nothing," was his response. Kim nodded, but something told Chanyeol that it wouldn't end there. They would talk as soon as he left. And that could only mean one thing: his friend needed him.

Sehun was already heading home after a long day with the energetic little Homo sapiens.

He was exhausted. No, more than that. He felt as if his energy had drained to the point where he had to wait 32 hours for replenishment. He was out of the game, unable to reconnect with the world. If he were a RPG character, at a time like this, he would ask for a life potion.

Because he felt like half of it had been stolen.

He never imagined, in a million years, that children would be as much trouble as a pack of 100 energetic puppies. He would probably need to take vitamins if he was going to handle this job until the end of the semester.

He swore that he could be dead soon.

But now he was finally home. He climbed the stairs to his apartment almost dragging himself to stay upright when he came face to face with an unexpected scene: Irene was there, at the door, sitting as if she had been waiting for him for a long time.

He sighed.

Looking at her hurt. It hurt as if his heart lost the rigidity of its muscles and started failing. It hurt as if it was the first time he saw her. And also the last. The truth was he couldn't know.

He approached, opening the door with the keys, which made her snap out of her thoughts.

The girl looked up with a not-so-good expression. It seemed like she had also been drained of a good amount of energy. He weakly smiled at her, and she stood up immediately, not knowing exactly what to say.

"Come in." Sehun made it easier. It wouldn't do any good to stay in this stalemate. "Come on, let's go inside." She nodded, following him into the apartment.

In a way, it felt a bit different with her there. It hadn't been long since they were on the couch, laughing and sharing stories from their trip. And now they were there again, to give a definitive path to their story together.

He was nervous. Of course, he was nervous. He expected the worst. But he still had hopes that she had reconsidered and reached a conclusion that would be good for both of them. Because he couldn't think of anything else.

"Did you... work today?" Irene asked in a low voice, hesitating. Sehun turned to her and could see that she was as nervous as he was.

He pointed to the living room couch, indicating for them to sit down. The girl sat down a bit apprehensively, as if she expected some kind of attack. Her legs were curled up, along with her small body, at the edge of the couch.

"I'm covering for one of the computer science teachers at Elyxion. They hired Learning Meowdes at a kindergarten, so I'm teaching the kids how to use it." The program had actually been a success with the little ones. And the pun was a success with Junmyeon, who thought Sehun was some kind of genius. Which maybe could be true. Even he didn't know how the term "Learning Modes" could have multiple puns with different words. It was a doubly fun program.

Irene weakly smiled at him. She seemed exhausted, as if she had gone days without sleeping. Maybe she had. He himself knew that he couldn't stop thinking about this situation, trying to come up with an exact answer to the problem.

But maybe the problem didn't have an answer.

"I knew it would be a success, Hunnie. You're a genius." That word again. But why did it sound so different to hear it from her? He felt so good. He always felt so good with her.

He looked at her. Really looked at her. And she looked back at him. And they kept staring at each other. How was it possible that the person he loved the most in the world could be slipping away from him?

Sehun sighed, taking off his glasses and holding them in his hands. It wasn't easy to face the future; he could feel the weight of it now.

"What are we doing?" he asked her, and tears were already streaming from her eyes. "Explain to me, Irene. I don't know how we ended up like this. You avoid me as if I were some kind of government experiment, say that you want to marry me, but when I ask you about it, you ask me to give you some time. You call after almost two days, and now you're here again. What are we doing?" She shook her head.

She didn't know. Or she didn't want to talk. Or simply "no."

He was getting tired. He didn't know what to do to get her to communicate with him again. It had been a long time since she had closed herself off. Sehun didn't know what to do anymore.

"You need to tell me what you want. I don't want to be your obstacle. If you want to marry me, I would be very happy. More than that, I would... I wouldn't even know how to say it." Sehun took a breath. He hadn't realized that some tears had escaped his eyes. But he was always like this: his heart was too big. "Now, if you don't want to..." It was starting to feel tight to speak. "I-understand, you're-not-obligated-to-marry-your-first-boyfriend."

"It's not that!" Her voice was strong, marking her position against it as if it were an atrocity.

"Then what is it? Tell me. What did I do wrong? I swear I'll try to make it up to you, whatever it is." He knew he sounded desperate. But he didn't care. There were so many things at stake at that moment, and he wasn't willing to lose any of them.

"You didn't do anything." Her voice was choked, but she still tried to sound composed. "I just... I just think we should take a break from this marriage thing."

Marriage thing? Was that what it was to her? Was that it?

Sehun looked at her. Looked at her again. He couldn't believe it. Did she even know why he had asked her? Did she care about it? It seemed that all of a sudden he didn't know the woman in front of him.

"You don't want to marry me?" She started crying again. As if the world were ending there, and Sehun was about to be killed. At least he felt exactly that way.

He sighed, pulling her towards him. He must be the biggest idiot in the whole universe. But he wouldn't stop doing it for her. Because no matter how much Irene stomped on his heart, she still took hold of it completely. That's just how it was.

"You have to tell me. Once and for all. What do you want?" She clung to him tighter. She seemed afraid of losing him, in the same intensity that he was feeling at that moment. They were similar even in that.

"But... you still want to be with me, even without marriage?" He furrowed his brow.

"Of course, yes."

"No, Hunnie. What I mean is: would you be with me even without marriage? Without children or family." That made him step back.

He understood that marriage might not have come at a good time, but he thought she wanted to build a family with him. Sooner or later, he would want to have a child. He knew that. It was already a decided matter. And he thought it was the same for her.

Apparently, he didn't know her as well as he thought he did.



 

Kyungsoo was still standing there, in front of the small pile of needle-like grains that had scattered across the floor due to the punches he exchanged with the rice bag.

It was a bit difficult to regain composure. First, because he didn't know what had caused that outburst. And he had no idea why he couldn't control it.

Of course, stress could be one of the major contributors to his recent behavior, but he was starting to fear that one day he might take actions he would regret later.

Like going around hugging his employees.

What a crazy idea that had been?

Now he was a walking mess. He felt so many different emotions in such a short period of time. It seemed like his emotions were oscillating just like the temperature in his oven during baking. It was hell in every possible way.

The pantry door opened, catching his attention. When he turned around, he came face to face with Chanyeol, who had a weak and concerned smile on his face. The other always worried about him, as if it were his greatest torment.

"Soo... are you okay?" he asked, approaching him without even checking his surroundings, pulling the smaller man into a hug. Maybe today was the day of hugs and no one had informed him.

"I'm fine, Chanyeol. Why wouldn't I be?"

"The pastry chef didn't look good when he asked me to come see you."

"What?" He moved away from the taller man, confused.

That caught him by surprise. Baekhyun had said that?

"He seemed worried. What happened between you two?"

"N-nothing. What are you talking about? There was nothing." Chanyeol looked at him suspiciously.

"Why are you so bothered?"

"I'm not bothered! It's all in your huge head."

"Hey! My head is not big." Kyungsoo laughed at the pout the taller man was making at him. One wouldn't think he was capable of such an attitude just by looking at him.

He was wearing one of his expensive outfits again, probably from some famous Western brand. He looked more like he was going to a fashion show than a family dinner. The glasses were probably part of his charm, considering he had perfect vision. But the black suit was definitely the highlight. It fit his broad shoulders perfectly. And the dark blue shirt was light, different. He looked like a model again.

"Why did you dress up like this? Are you going somewhere after?" The other gave a wide smile.

"Definitely. Do you want to come along? We could go together. Like Barney and Ted."

"Who?" Chanyeol rolled his eyes.

"You should take some leisure time apart from that pile of black-and-white movies in your closet."

"They're classics!"

"They're boring." Kyungsoo huffed.

"You're the idiot." The other pulled him into a sideways hug.

"You're the idiot." He imitated, using an exaggeratedly deep voice.

"Seriously, Chanyeol? How old are you to be imitating me like that?"

"2.7 well-lived years."

"Idiot." Chanyeol laughed.

"Come on. We have to go, or we'll be even more late." He was right.

They passed through the pantry door towards the "laundry room," as they called it. Kyungsoo would have to change his clothes right there and do his best to take an incredibly quick shower. Once he was ready, the two of them went their separate ways to Chanyeol's Porsche. It was still the same one he had bought four years ago, which was a miracle. He rarely kept the same car for long.

"It's surprising that it's still here." The other smiled widely.

"This little baby is going to stay for a while." Kyungsoo smiled softly.

But as he glanced around, he realized something he hadn't thought of before: if they took the Porsche, his car would be left there at the restaurant. How would he get back to Dyo's the next morning?

"What am I going to do with my car?" he asked, looking at the Impala parked in the reserved spot. It looked abandoned there, as if it was feeling rejected.

"We'll come back here later. But for now, we have to go."

"Alright." He sighed, getting into the Porsche. Chanyeol was right, they would have to come back here anyway.

As he got into the car, Do started to feel a little nervous. His mind was spinning and spinning about the dinner, and he felt like a condemned man walking towards the guillotine.

Off with his head, and he would be a free man.

Chanyeol analyzed each of his steps, like a mother. Many times, he had felt that the big guy would give him a lecture just by the way he looked at him. It was a bit scary.

"What's wrong, Chan?" The taller man turned his gaze back to the road, but there was still a worried expression on his face.

"What's that on your hands?" The shorter one looked at his hands resting in his lap. There were some red and purple marks, like watercolors blending, on each of his knuckles. He imagined they would stay purple for a while.

"They're probably from the bag I punched."

"Soo... I think you should see a doctor. Your stress is affecting you to a dangerous extent. Can't you see how bad this is? It's bad for your health."

"Look, Chanyeol. I appreciate your concern, but I don't have time for that. I have a whole restaurant to run, plus the planning for the future café. I don't have time to sit around doing nothing, feeling sorry for myself."

"That's not what it's about. If you're sick, you have to see a doctor. Take care of your health. For God's sake, Kyungsoo! You've lost over 10kg since you left home! I don't know if I can trust you to take care of yourself anymore."

"Chanyeol, you're not my mother!"

"No, I'm not your mother. I'm your best friend who is very worried and mad at you for neglecting yourself like this!" He turned his gaze back to the smaller man, angry.

But even Kyungsoo knew that the big guy was right. That didn't mean he had to admit it, though.

"I don't neglect myself. I take care of myself." He didn't even believe the words that came out of his mouth. They were purely false, and his friend noticed.

"Is that so? Can I go to your house and find a perfectly stocked fridge?" That made him step back.

Chanyeol was very capable of going to his apartment and rummaging through his fridge just to prove his point. And his point would be well proven, and he would receive a smack from the older man.

The truth was, no matter how tough Kyungsoo was, he still feared getting scolded by his hyung. It felt as if Chanyeol had an extra authority over him.

"You don't have to keep going to my apartment. Stay in yours, for heaven's sake."

"That's not what I said!" And there was the exaggerated pout again. God, this man.

"You've also lost weight since we lived together. Why are you only talking about me?"

"I lost weight because I don't have a chef living with me anymore. It's normal that I lost a few pounds. You just make good food, and I want to eat it all by myself." With that, Kyungsoo smiled. It was really fun to see him delight in all the dishes he made. He looked like a child discovering everything for the first time.

"Sorry, Chan. I promise I'll cook for you again. It's been a while since I cooked for us at home." The taller man narrowed his eyes.

"I knew it! I knew you weren't taking care of yourself. Do Kyungsoo! You are summoned to return to my apartment." The bald man laughed, amused.

"You only say that because you want my food back."

"Partly, yes. But I'm also worried about what you said. Please, Soo. Take care of yourself. Promise me that?"

"Alright, I'll try." Chanyeol widened his smile as if he had won a battle in one of those games he liked so much. "Stop being so presumptuous! I just said I'll try."

"That's already a great start. One step at a time."

One step at a time.

Yeah, maybe he should take it easier on himself. It wouldn't help to get so stressed about things beyond his control. Perhaps he should stop trying so hard to reach perfection.

If he started dealing with things more calmly, he wouldn't have so much pressure on his shoulders. Maybe he should follow his best friend's advice.

Taking one step at a time.

Baekhyun was completely lost.

He didn't know where north was, south, let alone the difference between east and west. His coordinates were all messed up, and there were still over 4 hours until the restaurant closed. So he would have to serve many customers until then.

But besides not knowing exactly how to handle the new responsibility, he also felt a bit angry.

Why did his boss think it would be a good idea for him to run the restaurant alone? Or to take on his role? Didn't he know that Baekhyun had no experience in that?

Now he felt like the restaurant was in chaos because of him.
He knew that Kyungsoo wasn't in his right mind, and he was somewhat flattered that he had been chosen for the temporary position. However, he still didn't understand how he expected this idea to be successful. Taeyeon would probably do the job much better than him.

"Chef, we need 14 checks for plating. Sooyoung is finishing the garnish." It was Taeyeon again, letting him know what he should be doing.

That woman must be an angel from heaven. She wasn't yelling at him for being lost in the midst of chaos. She helped him, guiding him to where he needed to go. Even if she had to be in two places at once sometimes.

"Yes, I'll be right there."

He made his way to the front of the kitchen, where 14 dishes were resting on the counter. Park Sooyoung was finishing the garnish on the second-to-last dish when he approached.

"Baekhyun... I don't know how we got into this state, but I need you to split yourself again. They just ordered another one of your desserts."

"What? But what should I do?" He couldn't handle everything at once!

"Sooyoung, what was that shorty thinking? It's impossible for me to do the work twice!"

He was angry at the bald man again. It seemed like it never left him.

"Well, what exactly he had in mind, I don't know. I suppose he has more confidence in you? Which, isn't surprising, right? Look at your resume." She looked at him as if he were an idiot. It seemed obvious why he, the newcomer from France, was the only one Chef Dyo would turn to.

But to him, it still seemed crazy. Having experience with pastries from abroad didn't make him a culinary chef. He barely knew what to do to help his colleagues. Even though he had experience in various restaurants, this was different. Completely insane.

Baekhyun realized that Do Kyungsoo was a more extraordinary person than he had known. How was it possible for him to take care of everything for the restaurant and still handle the role of chef without complaining about anything?

He knew why no one there lifted a finger to speak ill or complain too much about him. He was the only one who led the restaurant perfectly, making the gears turn.

Zitao came back into the kitchen with some dirty dishes and took them straight to the laundry room. But not before intervening with Baekhyun:

"Baek, maybe you want to put someone in your place? There are more dessert orders than I can count, and you're the only one who can handle it." He handed him a hastily written note, but Baekhyun could still see that it contained several things. "I can't write half of these dishes, but I think maybe you'll know what they are."

He glanced at the paper and wanted to die. All of them would take a certain amount of time to make. He hoped that this time the pantry would help him.

"Thanks, Zitao. I'll try my best." The waiter winked at him, as a way to comfort him. He was a nice guy. Always spreading smiles throughout the restaurant, one of the reasons why many people requested to be served by him. In a way, Zitao was a hit at Dyo's.

Baekhyun returned to the kitchen again, this time to make a Pavlova. It wasn't an easy dessert to make, but it wasn't impossible either. He just needed to pay attention. Everything he didn't have at the moment.

He started with the egg whites, beating them until they were close to a frothy stage, and then added the lemon. He had learned that the acidity would make the meringue whiter, more flexible, and stable. It would be perfect if it worked out. And he hoped it would.

He gradually added the sugar, and Sooyoung came to him again.

"Chef, can we check everything again? Another batch is coming out." Damn it. He had to beat the meringue, he couldn't stop or it would deflate.

"Okay, okay... let's see... Sooyoung! Beat this meringue for me, and as soon as it starts forming peaks, you can stop. But don't stop beating!"

"Yes, chef!" Wow, this was starting to get confusing. He wasn't used to being treated as a chef. It was even a bit funny.

He went back to the front of the kitchen again. There were several dishes on the table that he didn't even know what they were. Some more expensive, others not so much. But that's how Dyo's was, in the end. A mixture of everything.

As he approached the table, he stared at the dishes in front of him. They seemed normal to him, like every dish always seemed normal to him. Maybe he needed to clean a little here, a little there, but other than that... he didn't really know what he should evaluate.

"Maybe you want to taste them? Check the seasoning?" It was Taeyeon again, saving his life.

"Good thing you're here! Can you take care of things a bit while I finish the desserts? I promise I'll compensate you later, just..."

"It's okay, Baekhyun. I understand. You can finish, I'll manage the rest here." The girl smiled at him as she finished checking the final details.

He knew he could trust her; Taeyeon was extremely dedicated. She could run that restaurant just as well as Kyungsoo. Unlike him, who was on the verge of madness with his one hour of leadership.

He was a terrible leader. Horrendous. He would have to learn a lot from the little Satan if he wanted to open his own business in the future. Maybe he would need to become a little Satan himself. Yuck. That couldn't happen.

Baekhyun returned to his dish, which was already practically finished in Sooyoung's hands. The meringue was perfect, elastic, and as white as snow. He smiled.

"You have a talent for pastries, Park." The girl smiled weakly at him, a bit shy.

"Well, I've worked in the field before, so... it doesn't seem so complicated to me." Baekhyun raised an eyebrow, surprised.

"I didn't imagine."

"That's fine; I hardly ever talk about it." Now it made sense why she had been so firm about his resume earlier; she probably knew what Baekhyun had been through. He imagined that she herself was willing to go through the same situations if she wanted to become a pastry chef.

"Can I call on you whenever I need an extra hand? Sometimes I can't handle all this alone."

"It's my pleasure, chef." The girl saluted him like a soldier.

"You don't have to call me that." He laughed.

"We're colleagues."

"I know. But still, you would make a great chef, Baekhyun."

"Thank you, Sooyoung."

"You can call me Joy; that's what they call me around here."

"Okay. Joy, then." She smiled before going back to her tasks.

He still had a lot to do, but he started to think a little about what she had told him.

He wanted to be a pastry chef; that was more than a fact. It was also a fact that he wouldn't stay at Dyo's for long; this wasn't the type of restaurant he wanted to work in. It was already difficult for him to fit in here, even with all the support he was receiving from the staff and the chef himself!
Baekhyun felt like he was riding a wave of luck that might threaten him with bad luck.

His goal was to stay at the restaurant until he gained enough maturity (and money) to run his own pastry shop. He knew that Dyo's could help him with that, and it was good to reestablish himself in Korea with this experience.

But how long could he endure? Would he be able to step out of his comfort zone when the time came?

He had too many questions and too much to think about.

If he was going to be the chef of his own restaurant, then maybe he should start observing how Kyungsoo handled his role. Even though it was strange to admit, the bald man had become one of his inspirational figures. He was almost like an idol to be followed.

Baekhyun scoffed.

He must be losing his marbles on the restaurant floor. When did Do Kyungsoo grow so much in his estimation?