PRESENT DAY, November 2013

“This is all too much for me to handle. Maybe everyone was right. Maybe it’s a mistake to come back again” Gayoon muttered under her breath as she leaned her back dejectedly on the wall as a roar of laughter erupted from the other side of the room. It was no doubt belonging to the Committee. They’ve already reached an hour ago and Gayoon had managed to talk to a few of them. They were nice and welcoming as always. Some were surprised that Gayoon was back in the game and one of them had told her he admired her determination.

“I can’t wait to see what you’ll bring to the table today” he had said before leaving her alone in the lobby. “I just hope it won’t make me end up in the hospital. If you know what I mean” he added humorously. Gayoon knew he did not mean to offend her but she could not help it when the twisted knots forming in her stomach started giving her an awful cramp as she watched the Committee made their way to the venue.

“Maybe it’s not too late to back out” Daesung’s voice suddenly broke into Gayoon’s thoughts. She did not realize that he was already standing beside her, fiddling with his trusted camcorder. The sleek black Sony Handycam HDR-XR550V had been guarded by him so carefully that Gayoon thought he was treating it more like an item. He was ever so careful with it ever since the horrible accident and she was more than glad to replace it. He deserves it after what he’s been through.

“I can’t back out now. Are you crazy?” Gayoon said in a hushed tone as she pushed herself from the wall and dusted her uniform. The Dessert Shack new uniform had came in two days earlier and G.na had insisted that Gayoon should wear it. Gayoon hadn’t seen the new design but when the package arrived, all she could do was stand back and stare while G.na stood beside her like a proud mother, her hands clasped together and stretched into a wide grin, Gayoon thought her face was going to split into two.

The Dessert Shack employers now no longer will be sporting the same old polo t-shirt that had been the uniform for five years. Thanks to Hyunah’s brilliant idea to boost the business image and after much persuasion, G.na had finally agreed with the new and improved uniform. Gayoon now felt more like a professional pastry chef wearing the double-ed and layered uniform in dark espresso brown color that matches with the shop’s theme. The crisp black pants was ironed and pressed to perfection by Lady Jung herself. Gayoon had wanted to do it herself last night but the woman had beaten her to it.

 “Hey what are you kids doing back here?” Hyo-joo suddenly interrupted, surprisingly mirroring Gayoon’s distressed face and Daesung had to control his laughter seeing how snug and comfortable the uniform looked on Gayoon but not on his own sister. Hyo-joo narrowed her eyes at him as she adjusted her collar. She knows she was not born to be a patisserie chef but today, she’s going to give all her support to Gayoon. No one is going to mess with her sister-in-law this time!

“Don’t tell me you’re getting the jitters?” Hyo-joo asked Gayoon as she smoothed down her pants.

“Well, are you? I saw you biting your nails instead of stuffing your face down with those éclairs” Gayoon pointed out. Daesung raised his eyebrows at his elder sister but the girl ignored him. “Yeah, so, I was hungry. But I wasn’t planning on eating those éclairs” the latter said with a nonchalant expression.

“And eating your nails will make a nice happy meal” Daesung commented dryly.

Hyo-joo wrung her hands and puffed out her cheeks. “Ok fine, you got me. I am a little nervous. Just a little” she emphasized the last sentence with wide eyes. “But only because I am nervous for you. I know I’m just an assistant today but—

“It’s going to be fine” Gayoon interrupted. If she told Hyo-joo that her knees were going to buckle anytime, her palms has not stop sweating and that she needed to drown herself in a few tequila shots to make her body numb, she was sure Hyo-joo was going to give her an earful. The latter had been her support system and had been encouraging her repetitively not to give up. Gayoon had found it so overwhelming when back then, these people were just a couple of strangers that Gayoon had to learn to accept them into her life and they became friends soon after that, and now, they are more than that. They are her family.

“Hey, am I late?” a voice suddenly asked. The voice that send Gayoon’s emotion into a crazy burst of spiraling colors. If it wasn’t for the small peck onto her cheek, Gayoon would have probably zoned out and not noticed that Yunho was speaking to her. She’s been doing that lately; the whole zoning out thing, whenever he’s around.

“You’re just in time to chase away her jitterbugs” Hyo-joo was mumbling as she adjusted her collar again. “I’ll be in the Ladies” she added before walking away.

Gayoon shook her head at Yunho who turned to her with a worried look. “I’m not nervous. I’m perfectly fine!” she insisted in a firm voice. Both Yunho and Daesung glanced at each other and then to Gayoon’s hands. She followed their gaze and saw that she had been cracking her knuckles the whole time she was assuring them that she was fine. Well, that definitely gave the game away.

“I’m going to check on the rest” Daesung suddenly spoke up when he saw the tense look on his brother’s face. Gayoon stared after him, wishing she could follow him instead of standing under Yunho’s furrowed gaze.

“Look, if you’re going to say that I should back out this instant, then I’m sorry, I won’t do it. I’ve come too far to let go of everything and I am going to risk it, whether you like it or not” Gayoon told him as she crossed her arms, her lips pursed into a defiant pout. She narrowed her eyes at Yunho, feeling that rebellious streak coming back on.

Yunho only held her gaze and Gayoon could feel herself faltering under those dark brown orbs. She was sure he was going to give another long lecture but to her surprise, Yunho stepped forward and pressed his lips onto her forehead. Gayoon closed her eyes, inhaling his spicy cologne, her heartbeat going at a rapid pace. This time she needs to hang on to something before her legs buckle. She grabbed onto Yunho’s arms after the unexpected kiss and stared up at him with questioning eyes but he only gave her a soft smile as he smoothed down her hair.

“You go get them tiger” Yunho whispered before gathering her in his arms.