Author’s POV

Seunghyun wanted to visit Dara the next day after work but he didn’t want to pressure Dara and he didn’t want her to feel that he’s pushing her to do something about his confession.

Although he didn’t really like sweets before, eating cakes became his habit since he became Dara’s special taste tester. He sighed when he suddenly received a message.

{~~~*Message convo*~~~}

Dara: pyong pyong! m(~_~)m

Seunghyun: aegyo?

Dara: de! Haha! (^o^) wah congratulations for guessing right!

Seunghyun: I see someone had a great day.

Dara: I passed all my exams so I’m very happy. ^_________^

Seunghyun: oh… congratulations.

Dara: Seunghyun-oppa. Kamsahamnida. Since you tutored me too. >_<

Seunghyun: it’s nothing. It was all your effort.

Dara: kamsahamnida Seunghyun-oppa. V(^_^)V

Seunghyun: de. You’re welcome.

Dara: are you going to the shop today?

Seunghyun: no. I want to but I don’t want you to feel pressured if I go there too much after confessing.

{~~~**~~~}

Dara didn’t reply immediately and Seunghyun felt a bit bad. He sighed and rested his head on his car seat’s head rest.

Seunghyun: I wonder if she’ll actually ask me to go there.

And suddenly his phone beeped.

{~~~*Message convo*~~~}

Dara: you shouldn’t stop going here Seunghyun-oppa. I know you’re nervous but you shouldn’t be. We’re friends even before you confessed and I really appreciate your feelings. I really think I can like you back if you don’t push me to.

{~~~**~~~}

A smile crept out of Seunghyun’s lips as he read the message. He immediately his engine and went to the cake shop.

Dara: Seunghyun-oppa!

Seunghyun: (smiles) yo.

Ji young: oh good thing you changed your mind. My Dara was already feeling sad that you’re avoiding her.

Dara: Omma!

Seunghyun: mianhae… I really was avoiding you. I just didn’t want you to feel pressured because I confessed.

Dara: aniyo Seunghyun-oppa… I won’t feel pressured if you show up like you always do. I already got used to your presence in the shop and as my taste tester. I would feel really bad if you start avoiding me.

Ji young: because she likes you too that’s why.

Dara: Omma!

Seunghyun: (chuckles) ahjumma, you’re always selling both of us out.

Ji young: Aish! Because I’m losing patience because of you both! One day I will definitely have white hair because of the two of you!

Dara and Seunghyun laughed. Then Dara offered Seunghyun a chair in the cake shop, as usual she went in the baking room to get the cakes she made.

Seunghyun: She really has a wide imagination for making different cakes every time I go here.

Ji young: (nods) she doesn’t usually experiment a lot but the past few weeks, she started baking more often and she’s been getting a lot more crazy ideas. I don’t know where she gets her ideas but whenever she goes here after school, she already has a new cake design and recipe in her sketchbook. To tell you the truth I don’t know if she has any friends from the university because she’s never mentioned anything to me. But lately she started enjoying going to school.

Seunghyun: didn’t she enjoy it before?

Ji young: ani. She would always leave the house with a smile on her face but there was always something wrong about it. I didn’t really pay attention before but now her smile seems more in tune with her. I think she finally found friends who she can be with.

Seunghyun: ahjumma… you mentioned that she had a boyfriend before right?

Ji young: mm… but that bastard just played with her. I don’t want to see that bastard’s face again or I will definitely strangle him!

Seunghyun: ahjumma you have that side in you too huh?

Ji young: of course! Once you have a child, you’ll understand me.

Seunghyun: (sighs) a child huh?

Dara came out of the baking room with a tray and a small plate of cake. The cake was square and covered with white icing. There’s a long but thin slice of carrot on top with 3 mint leaves and a small flower fondant.

Seunghyun: wow this looks amazing. Where do you usually get your ideas?

Dara: well to tell you the truth I usually get my ideas after eating. Although I know what ingredients to use, I always get mixed up for the design. I draw a lot after eating and my friend… ah ani… my best friend judges the design.

Seunghyun: ah is that so? You have a really good friend then.

Dara: (nods) mm. He’s really good at providing opinions and he usually gives me reminders as well.

Seunghyun: he?

Dara: (nods) mm…

Seunghyun: you’re best friend’s a guy?

Dara: mm…

Seunghyun felt his chest constrict and he felt like he can’t breathe. By then Ji young interfered with their conversation.

Ji young: Omo! You have a friend and you didn’t even tell me about it!

Dara: ah mianhae Omma… I must’ve forgotten to… wait! I did tell you! When you asked me why I prepare packed lunch to go to school.

Ji young: ah de… but you didn’t mention that your friend was a guy.

Dara: ah… mianhae…

Ji young: Omo… if your friend is a guy then are you two dating then?

Dara: aniyo Omma! We’re just friends. He’s been helping me a lot and he has a girlfriend.

After hearing that Dara’s friend had a girlfriend, Seunghyun was able to breathe again.

Seunghyun: he’s a great person for helping you then.

Dara: (nods) (smiles) he’s a really good person. I really think he’s cool.

Seunghyun: oh really… (Clears his throat) well I’ll taste the cake now.

Dara: please… (Smiles)

He tasted the cake that Dara made again. Even though he knew that Dara’s best friend had a girlfriend, it still hurts him that she thinks her best friend is cool. How he wished Dara thought of him like that as well. But of course he didn’t want her to know about it. He wanted her to look at him that way even without telling her or forcing her.

After taste testing, he said his goodbye and went home.

The moment he went in their house, he was welcomed by Jiyong’s home cooked meal.

Seunghyun: oh! What is this about?

Jiyong: you asked me to go home early to cook for you right? Since I’m such a wonderful dongsaeng I cooked for my awesome hyung!

Seunghyun: (looks at him suspiciously) ok this is really weird. What did you do this time?!

Jiyong: nothing!

Seunghyun: Jiyong!

Jiyong: I swear I didn’t do anything.

Seunghyun still didn’t believe Jiyong and still looked at him suspiciously. His eyes turned to slits at he observed Jiyong’s every move. Jiyong continuously cooked without even glancing at Seunghyun.

Seunghyun: I’m going to take a dip in the bath tub. Just call me when you’re done.

Jiyong: sure thing.

Seunghyun stood up and went towards the bathroom. But before he left the kitchen, he took a final glance at Jiyong. Jiyong was just looking at the food he was cooking with a serious expression on his face. Seunghyun headed to the bathroom and filled the tub with water. He went in and heaved a heavy sigh.

Seunghyun’s POV

As I lied in the tub, I wondered what’s wrong with Jiyong.

Let me tell you something… Jiyong would always cook if there’s something wrong. He doesn’t cook without a reason at all. When we were still young, I taught him how to cook and he wouldn’t even cook even if I asked him to. But after the incident, he started cooking random food at random times of the day. He couldn’t sleep and cooking made him busy. Cooking took his mind off a lot of things. I know since I look out after him.

He doesn’t even touch the kitchen utensils if he’s happy. Just when he’s troubled or there’s something wrong.

So I always ask him what’s wrong if he cooks.

Yesterday, he cooked instant ramyun since I know he’s troubled about my confession. But his expression right now is far different. There must be something going on again. Something different.

After spending some time in the tub, I rinsed myself and took a towel to dry myself. I went to the kitchen and he was still facing the stove while stirring. I put the towel on my hair and went near him.

Seunghyun: isn’t that cooked yet?

Jiyong: hyung, why are people selfish?

Seunghyun: what?

Jiyong: just to get what they want, they would use any method… even if they have to kill others.

I took a step back. I got surprised with his sudden statement. The towel on my hair even fell on my shoulders since I suddenly moved.

Seunghyun: is this about what happened before?

Jiyong: (looks at Seunghyun) (sighs then shakes his head) no… it’s not about that. It’s just… I don’t know how people could be so cruel. Reality .

Seunghyun: (sighs) Jiyong-ah… I can cook continue cooking this. Take a dip in the bath tub and cool your head first.

Jiyong: (sighs then nods) mm…

I stared at him as he went to the bathroom.

I guess he’s having a hard time again. I’m really happy that he’s graduating but sometimes I wonder why something bad always happens whenever he’s graduating.

When he was graduating elementary, our parents left us.

When he was graduating middle school, he got into an accident with his teacher.

When he was graduating high school, the incident happened.

Now that he’s graduating college, is there another bad event coming?

I hope I can help him but everything seems to happen as if fate is playing with him… with us.

I really wish I can help him.

I continued to cook the food he was cooking and someone suddenly held the hem of my shirt at the back. I looked back and saw him with his towel on his head.

Jiyong: hyung, can you dry my hair?

Seunghyun: (sighs) mm…

I turned off the stove and we went to the living room. He sat on the floor in front of the couch. His legs were crossed and his head hanging low. I took the hair dryer in the bathroom and sat behind him on the couch. I removed the towel on his head and started blow drying it.

I remember doing this to him when we were still young. But when he became a teenager, he declared that he was already old enough to do everything on his own. I kind of miss those days. Thinking about it, it feels like he’s my son. I guess I do understand what ahjumma means.

After drying his hair, I fixed the blow dryer and put it back in the bathroom. I went back to the living room and he was already on the couch watching TV. While sitting, his legs were also on the couch and his arms were over his knees while his lips rested on his arms.

I sat beside him and sighed.

Seunghyun: feeling better?

Jiyong: (nods) mm…

Seunghyun: that’s good.

Jiyong: h