It was almost 3 p.m., and Baekhyun still hadn't shown up, leaving Minseok a little worried. Kyungsoo never took so long to do his shopping, always knowing where to go without questioning; so it was a little strange that they were taking so long.

The restaurant was already bustling, and with two members of the staff missing, one of them being the chef himself, everything seemed on the verge of chaos. Taeyeon was doing her best to handle the high volume of orders and was already shouting orders for anyone who cared to listen.

The girl passed by the bar where Minseok was, giving him a look that could make Superman and Cyclops jealous, as her laser beams were weak compared to the intensity of her anger.

"Can you tell Kyungsoo that if he doesn't show up in 5 minutes, I'm going to make hair grow on that bald head from a place he won't like!" she exclaimed before walking off to the bathroom.

Minseok found it amusing, although he thought the girl was absolutely right.

It was not like Kyungsoo to be irresponsible with time or let them down. Despite the chef being tough, he was a wonderful leader, and he managed his team with utmost precision. So it was strange that neither of them had arrived yet.

The bartender decided to let it go for now since he still had many customers to attend to, and he was the only bartender in the entire restaurant.

Exhausting? Yes. But it was his job, so he had to do it right.

He was on his third drink when a pickup truck parked outside. Kim frowned. Were there deliveries scheduled for today? They hadn't informed him about it.

He wiped his hands on the towel he always carried on his shoulders and discarded it on the counter as he made his way to the door. But before he could reach it, a tall guy entered the establishment.

Ah, he knew that guy.

Minseok smiled as wide as he could. This was going to be fun.

"Park Chanyeol," he said, crossing his arms at chest level, knowing that it would accentuate his biceps.

The giant, who was smiling like an idiot, immediately tensed up upon seeing Minseok there alone, with his usual alpha male pose.

The thing was, the guy was terrified of him, and that was definitely one of the bartender's greatest pleasures in life. He loved teasing the big guy to the point where he would run in all directions, trying to avoid the small guy at all costs. They were like Tom & Jerry, in a less violent version.

"You... what are you... what are you doing here?" The nervousness in his voice was evident, which only made the bartender laugh softly. He was well aware of the effect he had on people and used it to his advantage when he wanted to. And this was one of those moments.

"I work here, Mr. Park." He approached the entrance pillar, leaning against it. Every movement carefully calculated to catch the taller man's attention.

Chanyeol couldn't hide his reactions. It was obvious that he was attracted to the bartender, even though he denied it. And Minseok was not the type to give up easily, enjoying the seductive games they played, even if they were one-sided.

"Hmm." Park swallowed hard, loosening his bow tie. "Wh-where is Kyungsoo? I- I need to talk... uh, to him."

"Mr. Do is not here; he will probably take a while to come back." His voice was soft, trying to provoke some reaction from the tall-eared guy. And it worked because he was blushing all over, even his ears. Minseok laughed, finding it quite adorable.

The truth was, Chanyeol perfectly fit the bad boy stereotype, being cool and driving expensive cars, but the bartender knew that deep down he wasn't really like that.

Years had passed since they first met, and from the very beginning, Minseok had found him attractive with his broad shoulders and prominent ears. He was a very good-looking guy, and the bartender acknowledged that. But what he liked most was his personality, which changed completely when he was around him.

You didn't even have to know him to see that it was true.

Just the way he interacted with his chef was evidence enough of his loving and goofy personality.

"I can come back another time, then. I-I'll come back when he arrives," he turned around, but not before Minseok grabbed his wrist, pulling his hand. It was cold. The bartender smiled again.

"Stay, Mr. Park. He won't be long." Chanyeol turned back to the shorter guy, swallowing hard, completely nervous. He didn't know what to do.

The small guy pulled him towards the bar, holding his hand, and sat the big guy on a high stool as if guiding a lost child in a supermarket. The brunette finished serving the drinks he had to deliver and turned to the towering man in front of him, who was absentmindedly playing with his phone. It was funny how he tried to appear casual around Minseok when all he did was force nonchalance.

"Chanyeol..." he said softly, startling the poor man. That made him smile again, finding it both funny and adorable. So much time had passed, and he still felt so jumpy when he was near Minseok. It was both amusing and lovely. "Would you like something to drink?" he asked, this time without forcing any charm. Pushing it further would only push Park out of the game; he had to be careful.

"N-no. I'm fine. Good. Great."

"Can I prepare a milder drink for you, or a juice? It's up to you, Mr. Park." He used the title to , but only subtly. Any more risk would remove Park from the game; he had to be cautious.

"Alright. A juice would be good."

"What flavor?"

"Uh, I don't know, banana?" Minseok chuckled softly.

"Are you trying to tell me something, Mr. Park?"

"W-what? I-I don't understand." He knew he didn't, but it was still funny.

"Forget it. I'll make you a banana juice."

"Can you put that sweet stuff in it?" The tall guy asked innocently.

It had to be a joke. Kim smiled coyly.

"Condensed milk?"

"Yes," he said with a big smile, like a child.

"With pleasure."

Minseok turned around and began gathering the ingredients for the juice. He took the milk, the frozen banana, and the condensed milk. He put them all in the blender, and it ended up looking almost like a milkshake when he finished it with a few ice cubes.

He served the glass to the man in front of him, who was sitting hunched over, looking quite adorable. A huge contrast between his size and previous posture.

"Where did Kyungsoo go?"

"He and Baekhyun went to buy more supplies for the restaurant."

"And they haven't arrived yet?" The big guy widened his eyes, surprised. Well, that was what everyone was wondering.

"Not yet." He looked at the clock, which was showing 3:15 p.m. If they took a little longer, they would have to close for the evening shift, which was much busier

than usual. "But what's with the pickup truck? I thought you were into fancy cars."

"I brought some beers, as Soo asked me to."

"You can leave them here; I can sign for them."

The man looked a bit uncomfortable.

"In fact, I need to talk to him too."

"I understand." In truth, he didn't understand, assuming they were private matters. So he had nothing to do with it. "Do you want something to eat? Have you eaten today?"

"I... uh... no, not yet."

"I can make something for you. What would you like?"

"I don't want to trouble you." Minseok stared at him. Was he serious?

He raised one eyebrow at the taller man.

"Chanyeol... this is literally my job." The taller guy seemed to realize what he had said and started nervously laughing.

"Right, yeah. I forgot about that." The other guy smiled, finding it amusing.

"I'll ask someone to prepare something for you; I'll be right back."

Minseok headed towards the kitchen area, trying to find someone who could spare some time for the big guy. They knew he was more than a VIP customer at the restaurant; he was a partner himself. He had to be treated as such.

But Kim couldn't see him that way.

With all that cute personality, he found it hard not to , especially when he kept running away from him like that.

Chanyeol was sweating more than he had in his entire life. Not even with all the models in the world did he feel as attracted as he did to Kim Minseok.

It had to be some kind of karma.

He had recommended the bartender to the restaurant without even knowing him, so it was kind of his fault.

The shorter guy was Luhan's best friend and roommate, Luhan being his friend and former bandmate (a past he didn't want to remember anymore). Kim needed a job as a bartender when they met. Luhan had asked if he knew of any places that were hiring, and at the time, Dyo's hadn't yet set up a bar area, so he thought it would be perfect for the guy.

But he didn't imagine that he would be so beautiful and charming, let alone have such a libertine personality.

When he first saw him, it was about three days after Minseok was hired. The guy was at the bar, as usual. He still had the piercing on the left side of his lip, which stretched when he smiled. And that was the first image Park saw.

He had thanked him for the opportunity and asked how he could repay him. But Chanyeol froze, not knowing what to do. He was amazed by his beauty, so amazed that he started stumbling over his words, saying that he needed to talk to Kyungsoo, and he fled from the guy.

Chanyeol didn't understand.

He had never felt attracted to a guy before, not even to his biggest idol, Vin Diesel. So he didn't know why the bartender had such a strong effect on him.

He suspected it was because of his completely free and unattached soul, somewhat similar to his own, although Chanyeol had more responsibilities than he wanted.

He had bumped into the guy several times at nightclubs, always running away when he saw him. Minseok carried a sign that glowed danger in every possible language, and Park was fluent in all of them.

He sighed, not knowing what to do. Maybe he was heteroual with a penchant for Kim Minseok. That was the only plausible explanation.

He was a bit distracted with the glass in his hand when the restaurant door opened, revealing a Do Kyungsoo... wearing sunglasses? And smiling? Wow, what was this?

Soon after, Chanyeol began to understand, as Baekhyun appeared right behind him with a smirk on his face.

Ah, what was happening there?

The bald guy spotted Chanyeol sitting there and instantly stopped smiling, taking off his sunglasses and widening his eyes as if he had been caught in the act. And he indeed had been, the rascal. The taller one opened a huge smile that could make the Cheshire Cat jealous.

"Hello, Kyungja." Kyungsoo glared at him.

"I've told you not to call me that!" Baekhyun raised his eyebrows in concern and stepped back a bit, not knowing what to do. The shorter guy always exploded at the big-eared one when it came to nicknames, but Chanyeol found him too cute not to provoke him.

"Where were you? I've been waiting for you for ages."

"Buying supplies."

"For four hours?" Kyungsoo became uncomfortable, hugging his neck as he always did when he was nervous. Or pretending to be casual. Chanyeol frowned, suspicious.

"Yeah, uh, we stopped for lunch."

"Alright! I need to pay you, Mr. Do. How much do I owe you?" Baekhyun asked, already rummaging through his wallet.

"No need, Baekhyun. It's fine." Kyungsoo placed his hand on top of his, making him close the wallet.

The tall guy widened his eyes.

What the hell?

"Please, I insist!"

Chanyeol stood up from the stool, getting closer to the two of them, and looking at his friend, who seemed to want to kill Baekhyun with his eyes. Ah! He understood it all now.

"You two went on a date and left everyone here waiting all this time?" Chanyeol couldn't believe it. His best friend was seeing someone and hadn't told him anything! That was a lack of consideration.

They both looked at him as if he had said the most absurd thing of the century.

"We weren't on a date." They said simultaneously, making Chanyeol smile.

"Look, you're even speaking at the same time." Kyungsoo looked at his friend, giving him a deadly look. In a sudden move, he raised his arm and pulled him by the ear, dragging him into the pantry.

"Aaaah! Ouch, Kyungsoo!" He screamed the whole way, until the shorter one angrily let go of him upon arriving at the place.

"Can you stop being such an idiot?" The bald guy was angry, to the point of wanting to kill the other right there. Park had never seen him so embarrassed in the 20 years they had known each other. He was a little surprised by that.

"What's going on?" He brought his hand to his ear, rubbing it. It was hot and sore, but he let that slide. He needed to make his friend spill the beans. "Since when do you go on dates without telling me? I can't believe it, Kyungja."

Kyungsoo looked up at the sky, as if asking for patience. He sighed, looking at his friend while crossing his arms.

"It wasn't a date. I just... thought it would be appropriate to treat him to a meal since it was late."

Park furrowed his eyebrows.

"And you needed to pay for him?" Now it was the tall one who crossed his arms, like a father watching his son blatantly lying.

Do became uncomfortable again, and also a bit... wait a minute! Was he blushing?

"He... he forgot his wallet, so there wasn't much else we could do."

"A lot of things could have been done, like, for example, you could have let him pay you back." Chanyeol smiled, teasing him. "Why don't you want him to pay you back, Kyungsoo?"

"Well, there's no need. And I don't know why we're still talking about this. Aren't you here for some reason? What do you want?"

"Don't try to change the subject!" The other grumbled.

"Whatever, Chanyeol. If you have something to say, say it already. I need to get back to the kitchen."

Damn, Do Kyungsoo had won this battle. He really needed to talk to him, so he tried to compose himself. He knew the subject would catch him off guard, and he needed to be delicate.

"Your father called me today."

Chanyeol spoke softly.

Kyungsoo changed his posture immediately, widening his eyes. And there it was. Chanyeol hated that look with all his might. Whenever they touched on the topic of family, his friend became defensive. As if he were fighting to protect himself from all the disappointments again.

"What did he want?" he asked in the same tone, looking down at his feet.

"He wanted to make a proposal. That we take care of the preparations for Mrs. Do's cousin's wedding." Kyungsoo smiled awkwardly, shifting his gaze back to his friend. He was sad. Profoundly sad. And it was killing Chanyeol, as if a knife were being plunged into his chest.

"You mean he made a proposal to you, and you dragged me into this."

Chanyeol swallowed hard. He had hit the nail on the head.

"I did what I had to do, Kyungsoo. I wouldn't do a favor for your father in a million years if it weren't to make him realize the mistake he made."

Kyungsoo looked at him, a mix of love and anger, if that were possible.

"I don't want anything to do with him, Chanyeol. Nothing. I don't care who's getting married, I don't care if it's good for the restaurant. He kicked me out of there, so now he has to deal with it."

"I know you're angry, and you have every right to be. But he's your father, Soo. And your mother still suffers because of it, you know that. It's been almost 10 years since she's seen you, except for the photos I show her." With that, his friend started crying. He had always been closer to his mother; it was a point he never touched upon.

They still spoke to each other occasionally on the phone, but it was very rare, and it almost always ended in tears. Since being expelled from the mansion, Kyungsoo had lost all contact with his family. Only Chanyeol had taken him in, and he always showed his gratitude for that. But if the big guy had done everything he could, it was only because he loved his friend immensely, like his own brother (sometimes like a son).

Park sighed and approached his friend, hugging him. He couldn't bear to see the little guy so sad; his heart was already too soft, but when it came to Do Kyungsoo, it turned into liquid.

Kyungsoo felt his friend's embrace enveloping him, and he was trying very hard not to release all the weight he felt. Besides his family problems, he had been very stressed lately. As if he could explode at any moment. He thought that maybe he would have to take a vacation at some point during the week.

Do sighed, pulling away from Chanyeol, who still looked at him with concern.

"It's just that... if there's an argument, I... I just don't know how I'll handle him alone." He spoke softly, as if he were sharing a secret he didn't want to let slip.

"What are you saying? I'll be there with you." Do felt like he could break down again.

Chanyeol didn't know how much that meant to him, or how much the big-eared giant had helped him in recent times. He even felt like a burden to his friend, even though he knew his heart was huge. And for that same reason, he didn't think it was fair for his best friend to deal with his family when he himself didn't know how to handle it.

"You don't have to, Chan. I have to learn to deal with this. I can't let my father dictate my life anymore. That ended a long time ago."

"Yes, it ended. And yes, you have to learn to deal with it, Soo. But it doesn't have to be today or tomorrow. One step at a time, huh?"

"Alright," he said, feeling a little better.

"You know I'll be by your side, even if you push me down the stairs, right? You can't get rid of me that easily." Chanyeol pulled the shorter one into his bear hug again, and Kyungsoo immediately felt better. He didn't know what kind of medicine his hugs had, but it was like being under a blanket on a freezing night. Or as if, suddenly, all the danger in the world was annihilated. He felt safe with him, as he should feel near his father. But that never happened.

"And besides, I love your mom's pudding. It's the best in the world."

Kyungsoo was laughing now.

"Do you think she'll make a pudding?" he asked hopefully.

"As many as you want, I'm sure of it. She'll probably freak out when she sees you."

"Maybe."

"Are you kidding? Of course she will." The shorter one smiled, punching Chanyeol before stepping back.

"You idiot. I have to go, or I'll be a dead chef."

"Don't stress out, alright? We still have some time until the day. So relax. Call me if you need to talk." Kyungsoo nodded. He had the best friend in the world.

"Okay. Thanks, Channie. Thank you for being you." Chanyeol flashed his characteristic smile, ruffling the shorter one's nonexistent hair.

"I know you love me, Kyungja."

Do snorted and went on his way to the pantry door. He turned back, and his friend was still in the same spot.

"Hey! Let's go! Get out of my pantry! Do you think just because you're a partner you can stay here?"

"You don't have to go that far either." The tall one replied reluctantly. The shorter one was tough as nails when he wanted to be, and he didn't hold back on directing his anger at anyone.

They were already heading to the kitchen when Minseok intervened, causing Chanyeol to freeze again.

"Mr. Park, I've been looking for you everywhere! Your lunch is ready."

"You haven't eaten yet?" Kyungsoo asked him reproachfully. "Go ahead, idiot. You'll end up fainting somewhere."

"No need to go that far." He repeated, now a little more meek and scared, as if he were about to run away.

"Minseok, take Chanyeol to a table. And make sure he actually eats."

"Yes, Chef."

"I-I don't need to, I-I'll take it to go." Minseok smiled broadly.

"Are you in a hurry, Mr. Park?"

"Y-yes."

"Then I'll pack it for takeout. Follow me, please."

Chanyeol looked at his friend as if he were pleading for something with all his might, but Kyungsoo didn't seem to notice, as he simply said, "You can go."

The big guy felt betrayed as he followed the bartender to the entrance. They both disappeared together, and Kyungsoo couldn't help but notice Minseok's sarcastic smile. He furrowed his brow.

There was something there.

The chef continued on his way to the kitchen and was greeted by a highly composed Taeyeon, asking them to help with the orders.

Do put on his characteristic chef's jacket and started helping them with the more difficult dishes.

Since it was still lunchtime, there weren't many fancy dishes. Many of them were traditional Korean, so he didn't have to double-check them too much.

"Chef, another order just came in." Kyungsoo sighed. Maybe he would have to handle this one alone.

"What is it?"

"This time they asked if we still serve desserts, and they requested a Merveilleux."

The bald guy widened his eyes. That wasn't easy to make. He would have to call Baekhyun for the job.

"See if Chef Byun is already dressed and call him here. We'll need his skills."

Sooyoung widened her eyes, surprised.

"Chef Byun?"

Do froze. He had called Baekhyun "chef" in front of an employee. Damn, what was he thinking?

"I mean, Mr. Byun, Sooyoung, just call him." His voice was firm so there would be no room for contradiction. If he made another slip-up like that, his intentions with Baekhyun would become clear. And many employees might revolt if they found out that the newcomer was being groomed to be the next chef of their future restaurant.

Byun was a little nervous. Maybe "a little" would be a huge understatement because he didn't know what to think anymore.

He had spent some time with Kyungsoo, and it had been fun and lighthearted, as if they were on a vacation trip. All that lightness had led to both of them extending their lunch break, with a delay of over an hour.

He knew he couldn't get too familiar with the boss; it was extremely dangerous. People would think he was getting special treatment at the restaurant because of their relationship, which wasn't true.

During the short time he spent with Kyungsoo, he could tell that he was a fair and responsible man who probably carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. It was both admirable and sad.

He wished he could help him with all of it.

God, where had that come from?

He had gone from being the person who wanted his boss to go to hell to the person who would help him in any situation.

It must be because of that Entremet.

Byun blushed.

That Entremet...

He had gotten so close to the bald guy while sharing the dish that it had been hard to stay sane. He didn't know how the chef took it so well. He thought maybe Kyungsoo didn't see it the same way since it was customary in Korean culture to share food, so it probably wasn't a big deal.

But Baekhyun was a bit molded by the West and had gotten used to seeing couples do that kind of thing in France, not people who had no relationship whatsoever, especially not with their boss.

He ran his hands through his hair, trying to compose himself.

But his mind quickly went back to Park's comments earlier. Were they really looking like a couple? He agreed that the boss should have accepted payment for lunch, but Kyungsoo had vehemently refused. He didn't know what to do. He would end up going crazy trying to understand him.

"Knock, knock." He didn't need to turn around to know who it was. The husky voice was already familiar, as was the scent of mint.

"Minseok." Byun smiled wryly, turning to the other approaching him.

"Hello, Carrot. How are we? Surviving after meeting the Devil?" The bartender was teasing him, with the same sarcastic smile. He still looked stunning, though.

"Yes, I guess in the end, I got the princess' cake." He was referring to the dialogue they had when they first met. Kim seemed to remember because his smile widened at the pastry chef.

"I'm glad to hear that. But I came here with a kind of annoying proposition and one that might be interesting. Which one do you want to know first?"

"The interesting one, of course."

"Right choice." Minseok smiled, approaching. "You know I asked you to help me in the kitchen, right?"

"Yes, of course. I'll help you."

"I appreciate your willingness, Baek. But I haven't finished the proposition yet." He didn't know where the bartender was going with this, but his smile didn't look good. "You know we can't practice here in the restaurant; it would conflict with working hours. So I thought, why couldn't we do it on the weekends?" He was excited, as if he had found the solution to all his problems. "What do you think?"

Weekends? Spending weekends together? Every weekend?

That wouldn't be easy. But he had promised to help him, and if he had more control over the situation, maybe everything would work out. Right?

"Uh, and... how would we do that? I mean, where?"

"At your place or mine." The brunette shrugged. "I don't care about the place, as long as you're there, I'll be happy." He smiled, this time genuine and without malice.

"Okay. Well, maybe it's better... uh, at my place. If you want, we can start on Saturday. I'll send you the address by message."

"I don't think we've exchanged numbers yet, Baek."

"Oh, right-" Before he could finish his sentence, Minseok reached into his back pocket, taking out his phone. Since he didn't have a password, he simply opened the contacts tab and entered his number, saving it as "Hot Guy from the Bar." Baekhyun laughed.

"You have quite a view of yourself."

"Oh, baby, that's just reality." He winked at him, putting the phone back where it was. Byun noticed that he lingered a bit with his hand on his backside. He didn't know what to think about it. On one hand, he loved Minseok's flirting, but on the other hand, he suspected it was just that: flirting. And nothing more. He didn't know if the other would invest in something more with him; he had a very free-spirited soul and wouldn't easily commit to someone.

"But I still have to tell you about the bad proposition."

The redhead had almost forgotten.

"Right. What is it?"

"Your dear chef is summoning you to the kitchen. It seems you'll finally be able to put your skills into practice."

Baekhyun was surprised. Was the time finally here?

Baekhyun was in full swing, beating egg whites and everything else, which made Kyungsoo smile. The boy was having the time of his life in his kitchen.

He had made the meringue batter all by himself, even though the chef had told him they had ready-made batter in the pantry. But he should have known that his pastry chef would be just as dedicated as he was. Kyungsoo smiled as he watched Baekhyun pipe circles onto the baking sheet, followed by small dollops of sweet meringue.

He was so focused on what he was doing that he didn't notice Do watching him throughout the whole process.

"Hey, chef, need some help here?" It was Sooyoung calling for him, snapping him out of his daze.

"Yes." He approached the employee's dish, noticing that the broth was a little too thin. "Use less water and a bit more meat. Check if the salt is right."

"Alright, chef." The girl followed his instructions, and the bald man turned his gaze back to Baekhyun, who was taking care of the grated chocolate that would go around the dish. Perfect chocolate flakes came out of the small grater, leaving Kyungsoo in awe. It was very easy to break them if you didn't apply the right amount of force. But the young man knew exactly what to do.

He had the cream ready and was filling the piping bag when Do decided to check on him.

"Everything okay?" He said in a slightly low voice, not wanting to distract him. It didn't help much because Baekhyun jumped just the same, squeezing the bag and causing a little bit of cream to come out. This made Kyungsoo laugh.

"Relax, Baekhyun. I'm not a ghost."

"S-sir. I'm sorry. I was just distracted."

"You were focused." He corrected him. He looked back at the cream and noticed that there were some chocolate flakes mixed in.

"Flakes?"

"Customer's request," he replied defensively.

He was probably expecting Kyungsoo to reprimand him. The chef pursed his lips. Maybe he deserved it.

"Can I taste it?" He asked. He needed to check if it was good. And of course, he wanted to taste Baekhyun's cream.

"Y-yes."

He took the hand that Baekhyun was using to hold the bag and squeezed it on top of his finger. Kyungsoo looked at him while he on his finger, gauging his reaction. He thought the employee would be nervous to have the chef evaluating him, and he was right. The boy widened his eyes, swallowing hard. He was terrified.

"Listen, Baekhyun." He had to put an end to this, or their dynamic wouldn't work. "I don't want you to be afraid of me." The boy was dumbfounded.

"W-what?"

"You don't need to be afraid of me. I'm here to help and guide you. I don't want you to think that I'll reprimand you all the time. I'm trying to improve on that."

"W-why are you telling me this?" He raised an eyebrow. Wasn't it obvious?

"Why are you stuttering?"

He looked at Kyungsoo in a way that the chef had never seen before, but he couldn't decipher it or come up with any response—the stove was beeping, indicating that the plaques were ready and baked.

"Excuse me." The redhead whispered before going to take them out of the oven.

The chef didn't understand what was happening, so he left Baekhyun with the dish and rushed to the aid of the other cooks who were already getting quite nervous due to his negligence. He made a mental note to stop getting so distracted by the pastry chef.

The oven was as hot as hell, but it definitely wasn't worse than the heat Baekhyun was feeling.

What was that idea from his chef? his finger while looking at him like that? Baekhyun couldn't handle another day like this. He would die of arousal if he didn't do something.

He took the baked meringues out of the oven, realizing that some were still slightly undercooked, but he would use the baked ones to assemble the dish. He was running out of time.

He placed the tray on the table and started assembling each one on a plate worthy of presentation. He garnished them as usual and carried them to the countertop, ready to be served.

The Chinese waiter passed by him, taking the plate with a smile.

"It looks beautiful, cutie. Congratulations."

"Thank you." He smiled. At least someone liked it. He turned to see the chef looking at him with a slight smile before returning to his tasks.

Did that mean something? Was he proud of him? He hoped so. He had given it his all.

He resumed looking for something to do when the waiter returned, this time smiling even more.

"The lady wanted to send her compliments to the chef. She said she was transported to your wonderful France. She's thrilled at the table." Baekhyun was surprised. He didn't expect that much praise. It was a relatively simple dessert, and if you knew how to handle the meringues, it was hard to go wrong.

"Oh. I'm glad she liked it so much." The waiter smiled and motioned for Baekhyun to come closer.

Baekhyun was a little confused but obeyed.

"Listen, she recommended a famous pastry shop to you, if you're interested. I know you don't have as much freedom in the kitchen here, so I accepted the recommendation." He whispered, handing him a piece of paper with a phone number written on it and a name at the bottom. "This is the head pastry chef there. She asked you to call if you're interested."

The pastry chef raised his eyebrows at the new information. He knew that Dyo's had a diverse clientele, but he never imagined that he could receive job offers within the restaurant. He looked at the kitchen, searching for Kyungsoo, and he was already marching determinedly toward him.

"Thank you, Zitao. Please convey my thanks to her and let her know that I will keep the offer in mind."

"Sure." Tao winked and went back to the dining area.

"Is everything okay?" Kyungsoo asked, observing the paper in Baekhyun's hand, which he quickly tucked into his pocket.

"Yeah, just a compliment, you know how it is." The chef was suspicious, but nodded in agreement.

"I need your help with the others. There are still several dishes to be served."

"Yes, chef," he said as he followed Kyungsoo to the main kitchen.

On the way, Baekhyun was thinking. He was thinking about many things that he would probably have to choose from in the future. But more than that, he wondered if his future would be relevant in a restaurant that didn't focus on pastries.