Gift for Zutrazelle

Gift from ???

Title of the gift: Gingerbread

Pairing: Youngjae x Jungae (OC)

Wordcount: 6673

Rating: Not M or anything like that,I'll just say the genre I guess. fluff and romance,a tiny bit of violence (there's one scene)

Warnings: the one violent scene I guess,and her mother's dead in the story.


Note to my giftee: I hope you have a nice Christmas time and have as much fun reading my story as I had when I wrote it down :3 And I hope it's to your liking :)

Gingerbread

 

Finally december,Jungae thought and looked up into the night sky. The snowflakes kept falling down and the cold wind made them look like they were dancing to some melody only they were able to hear. She felt the tiny cold snowflakes melting on her face and smiled dreamingly. How she loved the cold month of the year,the christmas time and the lovely scent of freshly baked cookies.

But this year’s Christmas would be a whole lot different than the ones she knew and that scared her,she didn't know what laid ahead of her and her family.

She blew her breath out and saw a small cloud of fog hovered in front of her,and seconds later it disappeared as if it never existed before.

The trees and pines standing on the sides of the way were covered with a thick layer of snow,the branches almost breaking under the weight,barely touching the ground. She continued to walk on her way back home,the snow under her feet crunched with every step,the typical sound she missed through the whole summer and now that she heard it,she felt as if she was finally back home.

The streetlamps light made the snowflakes sparkle like small crystals,a wave of melancholy rolled through her body as she watched them fall down from the sky. As her house came in sight,she fastened up her space,not wanting to worry her father.

She sighed at the thought of her father and both of her sisters. It wasn't long since her mother died,leaving her dad with three daughters to raise. Ok,her oldest sister,Jinhee,was already 22 but she still lived with her family,feeling more secure with all of them living under the same roof. Her little sister,Sera,was only 15 and the little sprout of the family. And then her,Jungae,the second oldest with 18 years.

Jungae rummaged through her bag and grabbed her personal key to unlock the front door. The door opened soundlessly and she rushed inside to not let in the winter cold from outside. "I'm back!" she yelled,slipped out of her shoes and then right into her comfy indoor slippers.

"Lee Jungae! I was already worried,didn't you said you'd be back home at 10 pm? It's already 10.30!" her father rushed over to her and hugged her tight. Jungae wrapped her arms around him soundlessly,feeling truly sorry that she caused so much worry to him. "I'm sorry Dad,but nothing happened alright? Jinyoung drove me 'til the end of the road and I walked the rest."

Jinhee appeared behind them and shot her a grin,"Yo,we ordered chinese and Dad,if you don't let go of her,the food will turn cold. Let her come in and we'll drink a beer together if you want. By the way,were did you put the lighter? I can't find it anywhere ..." she mumbled and looked through the bags of her coat,which hung at the wardrobe.

Her father released her and sighed,"How are you? What did you and Jinyoung do together,did you two had fun together?"

"We just watched some movies and sat on the couch together,nothing much." she explained and hung her own coat at the wardrobe to the others. "Ohh,together huh?" Jinhee teased and poked her in the sides,but Jungae just slapped her hand and walked away. It was the typical Jinhee-teasing,nothing much.

"Hush,hush,and into the kitchen. Get the beer out of the fridge and you can take the lighter from the capboard,the blue one you know?" her Dad pushed Jinhee gently into the kitchen.

Everyone took their seats and Jungae looked through the boxes,searching for the vegeterian noodles,she always had when they ordered Chinese. "Here," Sera placed the right box in front of her and Jungae shot her a thankful smile,"Dad almost forgot to order them again,so I reminded him. No need to say thanks." she winked at her and dug in her own spicy fried noodles.

"I can't think about everything,ok?" he threw his hands in the air and let out a frustrated grunt. The girls chuckled,"Dad,Jungae's not eating any animals since three years."

It was like this,her Dad was a lovely middle aged man who easily forgot things,even more after his wife died. No one thought badly about him,it's alright. It was a hard time for everyone,even more now,the Christmas time. It’s always automatically family time,but now,they were only four,one’s missing. Through the time shortly after Jungae’s mother passed away,all of her fathers and mothers friends gathered together and helped the family to endure the shock and pain they had to go through. Her father was grateful,didn’t know how to handle the situation by himself. They helped them to organize the funeral and spend the lonely evenings with them,watched over them so that they ate enough and had always a free shoulder to cry and lean on. Her father always praised them and said to his daughters,that they were true friends,that they should look out for people like them.

 

"Dad,can you lend me some money? I want to go and buy some new clothes,I need a new sweater and some underwear." Jungae wiped clean and took a sip from her soda. He only sighed and nodded,"Can you get me a new pair of wool socks too?" She shot him a toothy grin,"Of course! Any color preferences?"

"You chose one for me. I'll trust you in that. I'll give you some money later on,after dinner alright?" She nodded and placed her hand over his to squeeze it lightly,"Thanks and I'll get you the flashiest socks in the mall!! Who wants a dessert?" Everyone's eyes lit up and she stood up to get the chocolate-vanilla creme out of the fridge,selfmade of course.

"Everyone gets one," she placed them on the table with four spoons and took the empty cans and bags with her to throw them into the trash can.

"Woah!" Sera said amazed,"Did you made them by yourself?!" she took another spoon full and eat it delicuously. A tingly feeling spread out in her chest,"Yeah,this morning."

"They're tasty,like everything you made. I bet Mom would've said the same." her father smiled proudly,a glint of sadness in his eyes. "Yeah,I bet she'd be." Jinhee agreed,"What do you think,is she doing well?"

"Yeah,that's what I strongly believe in,honey. She's a fighter,if they don't treat her well up there,she'll kick their asses until they do."

-

"Seven sixty please" the cashier said and put the socks in a small paper bag,snow falkes printed on it. Jungae handed him the right amount of money and he put the paper bill to the socks inside of the bag. She took the bag from him and smiled at him,wishing him a nice evening,which he replied with a warm smile.

She sighed and left the shop,glad that she could erase the socks on her list. Everything that’s left is the sweater she wanted to buy. The mall was crowded,people in thick winter coats and wet shoes pushed each other to walk forwards. The typical Christmas-Season stress,she thought. But it was no use,she wanted to buy a new sweater,so she had to get through that mass of people,if she wanted to or not.

She stepped forward into a small free place and fastened her space to hinder that she’d be pushed by the people behind her. Her eyes wandered around,looking for a nice shop in which she could possibly find her sweater.

The air was heavy and used,she missed the fresh and clear winter sky.

Suddenly someone bumped against her shoulder,Jungae stumbled forward and almost fell if it weren’t for the body in front of her. She yelped surprised and grabbed whatever got in her fingers and hoped that she wouldn’t collide with the ground too soon.

“What the..!” an annoyed voice called out.

Jungae’s luck was that she grabbed an arm out of the blue and nothing that could be easily ripped off or down,but that arm belonged to someone and that someone wasn’t that happy to have a girl hanging on his arm,obviously. Because now,he turned around,looking for that someone that clung on his arm and as he saw that girl,and that girl’s fingers gripping on his expensive coat something inside of him burst. Not only that his previous girlfriend left him for another guy,no,now that girl too thought that he was someone who could be played with!

“Who the hell do you think you are,get your filthy hands off me! Do you even know how much this coat costs?! I bet even more than you!” he spat at her and wiped her hands off. He looked at her with so much disgust on his face,it wouldn’t be much surprising if he’d puke right there and then.

Jungae’s mouth opened in shock,never would’ve she thought that someone could be in such a bad mood to even think those words. She stumbled back,bowed and mumbled a few excuses. The tears built up and run over her face without her knowing. Maybe because of the shock that numbed her body and mind,who knows.

“Wow,and now you’re starting to cry?! What reason do you have? But I guess you’re all like that,all women think that if they’re starting to cry and mumble a few excuses,you’ll be forgiven because you look so weak and pitiful –But I’m different,you can’t fool me with your act woman!!” he yelled furious at her. The people around her stopped in their tracks to watch the scene. A small circle of them was built up in minutes.

Jungae felt the amount of eyes that laid on her and the man,she was scared and just wanted to leave this place. She felt terrible,what wrong did she do to deserve this?! Not only did she lost her one and only mother,no,now that man was yelling at her for no special reason. Jungae didn’t understand the world anymore.

She bowed again,deeper this time,”I’m t-truly so-sorry. I didn’t mean to anger y-you. It’s just that-“

“Ohh,you didn’t mean to anger me?!” he cut her off,”I bet you were going to say that it wasn’t your fault to stumble against me and grab my arm that harsh either,am I right or am I right?” his face turned red,the vein on his forehead grew thick and his eyes looked like they’d pop out of his head any minute. He knew that people watched the scene,it made him feel stronger to have that amount of people watching him. He felt powerful,as if it was the right thing to yell at the girl in front of him.

Jungae gulped,she knew men like him,her father always warned her to be cautious to not meet them,they were easily angered and their ego would be pushed from a crowd of people. They think that they are higher placed because they have money.

“You’re just like her! That look on your face,those disgustingly teary eyes! Stop looking at me like that!” he screamed and stepped closer to her. “I can’t stand it! I can’t stand the thought that she left me for that loser!” another step closer,he was already so close that she could feel and smell his breath against her face. He grabbed her by her shoulders and shook her back and forth,still screaming the same sentence over and over again.

Her sight started to became blurry and she couldn’t think a clear thought,that’s when she started to scream,a high pitched scream out of pure panic. The tears were streaming down her face and her only one word left her lips over and over again,”Mom!”

Suddenly,the shaking and the strong grip of those hands on her shoulders disappeared. Three young men stepped in front of her,their backs facing her,protecting her with their broad bodys.

“What do you think you’re doing mister!? I didn’t see the whole scene from the beginning but I can clearly say that you don’t have any right to use any kind of violence against a young girl,even more because you’re obviously stronger than her!” a deep,strong voice called out. “And what I can’t understand either is how all of you people didn’t stop him in his doings!!” he said to the crowd of people surrounding them. And as if on cue everyone looked to the ground ashamed,a few of them were walking away too,feeling guilty by his words.

“Hah!” the accused one laughed aloud,”You didn’t even saw what she did and you’re protecting her like that! She almost ripped my precious coat and …” he stopped midsentence,now that he thought about it,why did he even touched her and shook her like that in the first place? “She-“ he tried again.

“Yes?” this time the one in the middle spoke,already knowing where this will get to. And as the man couldn’t think of anything else,he flushed in embarrassment. He knew he was the one who did wrong,and now he didn’t had the chance to simply apologize either.

“I think you two should come with us to the security,lucky that I’m one of them.”,the one in the middle spoke again and showed his security mark.

-

“But if you want to go to the police with this matter you can,you know that right?” Mr Kim,the chef of the security,said. But Jungae declined again,”I’m really thankful Mr Kim but I just want to leave and go home. I don’t think that I ever want to remember what happened today.”,she sighed tired and opened the door to his office. “I understand. I’m glad that I could help you in this matter,” he bowed his head and she thanked him again. Jungae closed the door with a small thud behind her,glad that this day and even more this whole matter was over,she just wanted to go home and take a long hot shower,and forget everything.

She searched for cellphone and dialed the number of Jinyoung,maybe he could come and drive her home?

“Hello?” his voice appeared. “Jinyoung? It’s me,can you come to the mall and drive me back home?” Jungae answered,her voice trembling and tears almost spilling over again. Jinyoungs ears perked up at the sound of his friends voice,he slipped in her outdoor shoes and grabbed his coat and the keys,”I’m on my way. 20 minutes.”

“Thank y-you.”,she breathed out. “No need to thank me,really. Go in a café or something like that. Don’t wait outside in the cold!” he scolded Jungae and the latter one smiled at the scolding words of her friend. “Okay,see you soon..”,she ended the call and went on her way to the next best café she’d see on her way.

-

“Hello,what can I get you?” a petite waitress asked her,a small notebook in her hands to write down the order. “One big hot chocolate please,with a lot of whipped cream.” Jungae answered monotone.

The waitress wrote it down and smiled,”Anything else?” but Jungae declined the offer,”No thanks.” She nodded and left in a fast space.

The café she chose,was a small and cozy one. The interior was chosen wisely,only dark colored tables and chairs were used,giving off a warm and welcoming vibe. Small candles were lit up on each table and the air was filled with a lovely gingerbread scent. The walls were painted in a warm dark green,in the background played a slow Christmas jingle.

A few people were scattered around,a few were talking in a low voice with each other,and some were reading,just enjoying the drinks and food by them self.

“Your hot chocolate with extra whipped cream,” the cup was placed in front of her,and a small plate with a heartshaped gingerbread too. Jungae looked confused at the waitress,”I didn’t order the gingerbread though.” But she just shrugged,”I know but a guy said to me that you looked like you’d like some. I just did what I was told to do.”,and with that she left.

Jungae looked at the gingerbread,still not knowing what she should think of it. “Why not? It’s free afterall.” she sighed and took a bite. The sweet taste of honey and the herbs spread in ,her lips curled up in a satisfied smile.

He watched her with a sad glim in his eyes,knowing what she had to go through a few moments ago. He saw everything from his shop,but couldn’t do anything because of the people waiting to pay for their presents or whatever they wanted to buy. If he didn’t need that money he would’ve rushed to her and let that bastard pay for what he did to her. He just needed to recall that scene in his mind and anger rushed through his veins.

He didn’t know why but she’s someone special,he believed it right at the moment when he saw her walking into the shop he was working in. Maybe it’s destiny that they meet again?

But he didn’t had the guts to walk over to her table and ask her for her number,not after what happened. Maybe she’s still under shock? He decided to buy her a heart shaped gingerbread,hoping that she liked them. He was glad that he decided to do so,now that he saw the small smile on her face.

-

“I can’t understand why you don’t want to go to the police! You have the right to do so,you know that?!” JInyoung said,still not understanding why his friend would react like she did. If he’d be in her place,he’d walk straight to the police and take legal actions against that guy. Or punch him in his face like he deserved it.

Jungae sighed,”Can’t you be quiet for a minute or so? I just want to go back home and forget everything. And please,don’t mention anything of this in front of my Dad,alright?” she massaged her temples stressed out. Her body and mind screamed for a hot bath and sleep.

“But-“

“No. That’s my problem and I don’t want you to interfere. It might sound harsh but I mean it Jinyoung. I just want to forget all of this,please.” she whispered defeated. Jinyoung bit her lip,forcing herself to stay quiet. He felt that if he’d try to argue with her,he’d only run against a tall,thick wall. So he only nodded,”Alright,but you’ll call me! I’ll come over tomorrow and we’ll spend some time together,I don’t want to leave you with your thoughts alone. It’s as if you’re a vacuum and you all the bad luck in. I can’t endure to see you in pain. I’ll be your shield if you don’t have the strength to hold up your own.”

Jungae looked at Jinyoung,warmth spread through her veins,”Thank you,I mean it. I don’t know where I’d be now if it wasn’t for you.” If she didn’t love him like a brother,she could easily imagine to have an serious relationship with him,he’s just perfect and she knew him since middle school.

“Same goes for me.” JInyoung glanced at Jungae and took her hand to squeeze it lightly. He stopped the car in front of her house and sighed,”Promise me that you won’t fight this alone.”

“I promise,and thanks for the drive.”

“No need to say thanks,just call me if you need anything.” Jungae nodded and opened the door to step out of the car but before she walked away,she turned around and waved goodbye.

Her mind’s full of thoughts and worries,she didn’t know why and how she lived through the day. Everything started fine but in the end she’d fall asleep with a scarred mind and body. How unfair could life be? That’s what rushed through her head and heart. She started to believe that maybe,just maybe,she’ll never be happy again.

-

“How can you forget to buy your own sweater?”

“I just did okay? It’s not like you don’t forget anything at all! Don’t play miss perfect Jinhee.” Jungae grumbled and wiped the table clean. The two sisters cleaned the kitchen together after dinner,they shared the house duties with each other,everyone had their own part to do and today’s the day that Jungae and Jinhee have to clean the kitchen together.

“Ohh,no need to be that feisty. Don’t forget that I’m your older sister,pay me a little respect!” Jinhee shot at her sister but the later one rolled her eyes,”Tch,what respect? Respect needs to be earned!”

“Yah!” Jinhee yelled and threw her towel at Jungae,which hit her head with a loud smack. “Hey! That hurt!” she cried out and held her head where she hit her. “Deserves you right and now hand me my towel.” Jinhee held her hand out,waiting for the asked towel. “As if! Get it yourself,you threw it at me and now you can bend down and take it from the ground.”

Jinhee wanted to throw something else at her but at that moment her Dad walked into the kitchen,a knowing expression on his face. “What’s with that noise? Can’t you finish this already and get into the living room? Sera and I are already waiting for you two. I bought ice cream and crackers,don’t tell me you forgot our movie?!” The two looked at their Dad and then at each other. “We’re done in 5 minutes!” they said in unison and hurried up,the small fight already forgotten.

Their father grinned knowingly,aware of the fight he and the youngest of his daughters listened to earlier.

-

The days flew by fast and Jungae didn’t left her house since the incident in the mall. Not even her Dad neither Jinyoubg could change that. Her Dad and sisters thought it’s because of her mother but Jinyoung knew the reason and wasn’t that happy about his friends behavior,so he decided to visit his friend and take her with him to the mall to buy that stupid sweater she wanted to buy originally.

When he walked into Jungaes room,darkness greeted him. He sighed and looked at the person that laid in bed beneath the blankets and pillows. He grabbed the blanket and pulled it off her,only to throw it down to the ground. “Get your lazy out of your bed! We’ll drive to that mall and get you that sweater. Now.”

“Ewww,it’s cold … give it back!” Jungae wrapped her arms around her chest to keep herself warm. But Jinyoung ignored her plead ,walked to the windows and pulled the curtains back. The light from the outside lit the whole room up and showed the true disaster. The room was a true mess. Cups,plates and any kind of dishes were everywhere ,the same goes for the laundry.

“Holy sh…. Jungae?! Get out of the bed,I don’t want to continue to watch this!”

“What are you talking about? It’s not like your room’s always clean and tidy. What’s with all that commotion now that I’m slacking off,huh? You’re all the same.” Jungae grumbled and sat herself up in the bed. She looked like she needed a shower,maybe even a hot bath. Her hair was a mess and her eye bags were no joke either. “Did you even sleep the last days?” JInyoung crossed his arms in front of his chest. Jungae shook her head,”Not really,and if I’m able to sleep,I have nightmares. So I’ve decided not to sleep at all.”

Jinyoung sighed,”Another reason to go out. Wash up and put on some decent clothes,we’ll go out. I’ll wait downstairs,ok? But wait,that’s not a question,” he broke off. “That’s an order. I’ll wait downstairs and you’ll get ready in time,understand?” he didn’t wait for an answer and walked out of the room to wait downstairs for his friend,just like he said.

Jungae ruffled through her puffy hair and sighed defeated. “It’s settled,huh? I have to go to that mall again,if I want to or not.”

-

He couldn’t believe his own eyes! It’s that girl again,that one he saw on that day. How much time passed since then,days or weeks? He wasn’t so sure,time’s nothing important to him anymore…

-

“What do you think of this one? It’s big and warm and from the men collection so it’s comfortable.” Jinyoung held a dark green hoodie in his hands to show it Jungae,the latter one pulled a face and continued to search for something more decent. “A simple no would’ve been enough. What if you hurt his feelings?”

“Naww,that poor hoodie! I bet a lucky guy’s going to buy him sooner or later …” Jungae acted and locked her eyes on another one,a dark red one this time. She looked through the sizes and grabbed one of hers. “I like this one.” She showed it to her friend,”What do you think?” Jinyoung shrugged,”If you like it why not? It’s not like I have to wear it or anything.”

Jungae sighed,”But I asked for your opinion. Do you like it or not?”

“Yeah,it’s good and the color looks pretty on you too.”

“Do you need help with anything?” a guy approached both of them,obviously a worker from the shop they were in. He’s wearing a t-shirt with the shops label printed on.

Jungae crunched her brows,that guy’s familiar to her. She just didn’t know where she saw him before… “Do I know you from somewhere?” she asked him.

“I guess you can say it like that. You bought those socks the last time and I was the cashier that time.” He grinned,a slight blush spread on his cheeks. Jinyoung grinned knowingly.

“You remember me?!” Jungae asked in awe. “Wow,I wouldn’t have thought that someone would still remember my face after all this time.” She laughed and looked at him closely. He was cute with those red cheeks of his,she thought.

“The color looks pretty on you,I have the same one.” He said again,”Oh,by the way,my name’s Youngjae,Choi Youngjae.” he shot her a grin which she could only reply. “I’m Bang Jungae and that’s my friend Park Jinyoung.” She pointed at Jinyoung.

“And I’ll leave you at this point. I totally forgot that I have to buy a Christmas present for my Dad. I’ll call you later on,alright? Bye,it’s nice to meet you Youngjae and take good care of my Jungae ok?” and with that,Jinyoung left the shop in a hurry before Jungae could protest in any way,leaving her behind with a guy she just met.

“Ehhh- Sorry for my friend…” she scratched her neck in embarrassment,”He isn’t normally like that,I promise.”

“Doyouwanttodrinkacofffewithme?” Youngjae blabbered out,he talked so fast that Jungae could barely understand him.

“Sorry but I don’t like coffee,I’m more the hot chocolate-type,you know?” she grinned bashfully. “Oh,ehm,do you want to drink a hot chocolate with me then? I know a good café only a few minutes away from here and my shift’s almost over in-“ he glanced at his watch,”10 minutes. If you want to of course. I don’t want to force you to anything.”

“Alright. I’ve never done anything like this before and I’m not really in the mood for anything else either,why not. I’ll wait for you,but first,”she held up the hoodie,”I have to pay for this.”

“Oh,then … It’s a date?” he asked again,just to make sure that he didn’t misunderstood anything.

“If you want to call it like that.” She shrugged and grinned. “Then it’s a date.” He stated and grinned sweetly at her,his face flushed red.

-

“I can’t believe you,your sister really did that?” Youngjae burst out in laughter. “She did. My father has photo proof at home! I wouldn’t believe it either but I saw the picture. She looks hilarious with all that cream on her face and mouth. Who would’ve thought that a small child would eat cream? I mean for real…”

Youngjae sighed,”I wish I could tell you funny stories about my siblings too,but I don’t have any. At least I don’t know them personally,they’re all grown up and moved away from home,so even if I wanted to I can’t.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Jungae said,her eyes showing a glim of sadness and understanding. She took a sip of her chocolate. Youngjae shrugged it off,”No need. It’s not like my mother died or anything like that.”

As Jungae heard him talking,she coughed,the chocolate suddenly tasted too sweet to be tasty and the air grew thick.

Youngjae watched her alarmed and handed her a handkerchief of him. “Sorry,did I say something wrong?”

Jungae shook her head,still coughing because of that stupid chocolate. “I did say something wrong,didn’t I? You wouldn’t react that way if it weren’t for a special reason.” He sighed and ruffled through his hair. “Typical. If I meet a special person I mess it up!” he mumbled and hit his head.

“Don’t. You couldn’t know it! Don’t harm yourself,it’s just that,” Jungae gulped,”My mother died not long ago and it startled me a bit to hear you talking like that.”

“I knew it! I’m so sorry,really. If I can do anything to make you feel any better than please say it!” he grabbed her hands and looked at her with a pained expression. Jungae sighed,”Listen,you don’t need to feel bad. You couldn’t possibly know it!” she reassured him.

“But-“

“Really Youngjae,I guess I can already say that you’re a nice and warm person,so I believe that you don’t have any bad intentions.” She took his hand in hers and it to calm him down,it’s obviously that he felt really bad for his words. Jungae could read his face like an open book. “So please,let’s not talk about bad things anymore and we’ll enjoy our time together. Who knows,maybe this is our first date of many?”

“That would be great. I too think that you have a really warm and gently persona Jungae,and I’d love to meet you more often from now on. I know some great restaurants and cafes in this area,I could show you a few of them. One serves really great and homemade cakes. I bet you’d love it!” he said dreamingly and already excited when he thought about their future together.

Jungae nodded,”That sounds awesome,I do love sweets. I often make them myself for my family and friends,if you want to,I could make you some too.”

“Really?” his eyes shined and Jungae nodded,”Of course! It sounds like you have some experience and I’d like to hear your opinion to my own sweets.”

“Would you mind to show me how you make them? I’ve never seen how they’re actually made,I only eat the finished product.” He scratched his neck and smiled cutely at her. “But wouldn’t it be better if we make them together,you’d learn much more if you’d actually help me.”

“Ehm,okay? When do you have time and oh,wait,we should exchange our numbers. That’d be much easier.” He searched for his cellphone and waited that she’d do the same. “Sure,mine’s ********,call me and I have yours.”

After they exchanged their numbers they decided to meet at the weekend,Jungae sent him her address and they spent a few more hours together talking about their hobbies,friends and lives. Jungae never thought that she’d meet another boy like Jinyoung,one she was able to talk with freely and feel safe. Maybe he was the piece that was missing? The one that could erase the loneliness out of her heart.

After some time,Youngjae had to leave and return home. They bid their goodbyes with a warm hug and Jungae left with an easy heart. She couldn’t wait for the weekend,she couldn’t wait to meet him again.

-

“Tell me,is he as nice as I believe he is?” Jinyoung asked her on their way back home. He waited for her of course. Jungae blushed at the thought of Youngjae,”He’s great. He loves to eat sweets and we have another date this weekend,we want to bake together at home.”

Jinyoung’s ears perked up,”Really? Don’t you think it’s too fast to meet at home? You don’t know him that well yet,what if he’s one of those guys,you know?”

“No,I’m sure he’s not one of those. To be honest,he reminds me of you.”

“Me?” Jinyoung asked surprised,not sure what he should feel about that fact.

“Yeah,” she grinned,”I feel just as safe and warm when I’m with him. He knows about Mom too,unwillingly but he knows about it.”

“How comes?” he raised one brow suspicious. “We talked about family stories and stuff and he just kinda guessed it somehow. I bet you two would get along well. It’s just a feeling.”

“A feeling huh?” he mumbled and concentrated on driving again. Jungae just watched the trees and cars rushing by,she didn’t even heard what he said.

-

The doorbell rang and Jungae rushed towards it,too late. She heard the voice of her father talking loudly and another familiar masculine voice talking. She bit her lip unsure. Sure,she talked about her family about Youngjae and said that she’d open the door and everyone agreed,so why did her father opened the door now?!

“Look who’s there Jungae!” her father said and appeared in front of her,behind him a shyly grinning Youngjae. She greeted him with a forced smile and glanced than at her father,”Dad,didn’t we talk about this matter before?” she said through gritted teeth.

“What do you mean honey?” he acted dumb,”I already asked Youngjae to drink a tea together with me,you don’t have anything against that,right?”

Jungaes eyes burst open,”What? You agreed?” she said towards Youngjae,he only nodded and shrugged. What else was he supposed to say? Jungae sighed in defeat,”Sure,but don’t forget your promise Dad.”

“Don’t worry,I’ll leave later on.” he shrugged and walked ahead to the kitchen. Jungae rushed to Youngjae,”Sorry,I didn’t thought that he’d like to talk to you. I’ll hold it short,promise.”

Youngjae brushed it off,”Don’t worry,I’m good with elders,leave it to me.” he winked at her and followed her Dad.

-

Jungaes Dad pulled her to the side,”I approve.”

“What do you mean you approve?” Jungae asked confused,she didn’t even know what he was talking about so suddenly. Not even minutes ago,the three of them were talking in the kitchen,but it’s more like a question and answer game to be honest.

Her father walked away without telling anything else,leaving a very confused Jungae behind. She turned around and looked at Youngjae,shrugged and sighed,”So,what do you want to bake?”

Youngjae looked up from his teacup and grinned,”Gingerbread. I want to make a gingerbread house with you together.” Jungae crunched her brows together,”Okay,that’s a very precise and special wish you’ve got there.” She chuckled,”But it’s nothing we can’t do. Do you have anything special in mind,the design and or sweets that you want to decorate it with?”

Youngjae nodded,”I’ve seen one in a prospect once and it looked amazing!” he said passionate,”Wait,I think I can draw it again. Can you hand me paper and a pencil?”

“Sure,wait a moment,” she searched through the drawer,grabbed the asked things and handed it to him. He begun to draw a house that instant,Jungae looked over his shoulder and watched him in awe. “And done,it looks kind of like this I guess,do you think we can rebuilt it like this? Is it possible?”

“Possible if you help me,yes.” She took the paper with the scrabble and took a closer look. “We should have enough sweets too. Do you want to do it like I’d do it regulary?”

“We’ll do it your way and season it with my charme,then it’ll turn out perfect!” he said proudly and grinned. “If you say so mister…” she mumbled and grabbed the flour and honey,the different seasonings and sugar. “What song do you like?” he asked her,”It’s no fun without music.”

“I like all genres in some way,you choose something. We kinda like the same music anyways,so you can’t do anything wrong,remember?”

“Okay then,”he rummarged through his bag and took his cellphone to turn on some music,”What about this one?” he asked and a slow beat could be heard,then a deep voice singing a warm melody. Jungae listened in joy,”Yeah,that sounds really good.”

The slow beat combined with the deep masculine voice of the man filled the air and none of them talked,they listened to the voice telling from an unrequired love.

“Can you help me with the dough? It needs to be mixed per hand and I thought that you could do it because you’re the man and you’re strong?” she threw the hint and smirked at him. He got the hint and got up from his chair,”Sure,no roblem.”

“Just mix all of it together into a smooth dough,then we can roll it out and cut the right forms we need for the house.”

He nodded and started to knead everything together,he looked really into it and didn’t even noticed that Jungae watched him carefully the whole time. She looked at his facial features,how his brows were crunched together and his lips formed into a thin line. He didn’t want to make any mistakes so he gave his all to form the dough smooth,like Jungae explained him to do so.

After a few minutes the dough was smooth and sticky,just like it needed to be to form even and pretty gingerbread cookies. The herbs were mixed well with the dark honey,the kitchen’s already dipped into a lovely gingerbread scent.

“And now?” he asked her. She looked at his hands,”You’ll clean your hands well and I’ll roll out the dough. If you want to,you can cut out some paper-walls and roof of the house. We need them later on.”

Jungae rolled the dough into a thick plate and Youngjae placed the paper forms on top of it. “Like this?” he asked. “You don’t always need to ask,we’re doing it together. You should make your own decisions and if it’s too wrong,I’ll say so. Don’t worry.” She nudged him playfully and grinned. He looked at her smiling face and warmth spread through him,he was amazed that such a small and fragile looking girl could have such a bright and warm personality. Even more after those awful things happened to her and her family,he knew that others would’ve been already broken …

He never thought that he’d meet a girl like her,he didn’t know how he deserved her.

-

“It’s done.” Junage whispered amazed at the sight of the finished gingerbread house in front of her. They spend hours together to finish it and now it looked like a small sweet paradise,it had similarities to the house from the fairytale Hansel and Gretel. She smiled and looked at Youngjae,who looked just as happy as her. “I’ve never thought that we could do it to be honest.” He laughed,”I guess I was wrong.” He blushed and locked his eyes with hers. Only now that he looked closer,he was able to see those small green specks in her orbs,they sparkled in the light.

She blinked,her eyes wandered from his brown eyes down to his lips,which had the color of fresh peaches. She gulped. The air around them grew thick and tense,he bend down to adjust to her seize. His cheeks flushed in a pretty red,just like hers. The thought of her lips against hers made his stomach jump in excitement. He never thought that it’d happen today,sure,he hoped for it but he didn’t intend to push her. He was glad that it’d happen in such a relaxed and warm atmosphere.

Jungae closed his eyes,her heartbeat increased as she waited for his lips to touch hers. She felt his body heat,how he moved closer,inch by inch and the seconds turned into minutes.

It was only a light,butterfly-like touch but it meant it lot. His lips felt like she imagined them to be. Soft and warm,he laid his arms around her and pulled her against his body. His scent mixed with hers and she felt like she came home after a long and exhausting walk outside in the cold. Everything inside of her moved in excitement.

When he moved back,breaking their kiss,he panted lightly,his cheeks still tinted red. His eyes locked with hers,sharing an intense moment together. “That was ….” He breathed out,”Beautiful. Thank you.”

Her lips curled up,”For?”

“For the kiss.” He blushed. “And that I could spend this amazing time today together with you. I believe that it won’t be so easy to get rid of me,now that I know how much fun it’s to bake together with you.”

”Just because of the pastries?” she acted hurt. He shook his head,”No,because I think I like you.”