Blooming ᯓ Ateez Hongjoong

06 • Expectation

Another week flies by in the blink of an eye. In the living room, Hongjoong is working on his laptop due to the need of fresh air outside his room and his office for stress release. Everything is coming to a rush as the exhibition date is around the corner.

Putting a frown on his face, he calls out his friend as he's done checking the fridge.

"Hyemi."

"Hm?" The said girl hums softly from the kitchen.

"We've been eating cakes for a week already?"

"Actually it was Monday salty egg croissant, Tuesday brownie, Wednesday blueberry yogurt cheese cake, Thursday passion cheese cake, and today is matcha waffle."

"That's the point."

"Practice makes perfect so be patient please."

"Practice for what?" His head raises up from his laptop as he puts a glass of water on the table after chugging it down.

"To become a baker - my dream job ever since I was a child," she exclaims in such a delightful voice as she carefully puts a vanilla icecream scoop on top of the newly baked waffle.

Hongjoong hums in content. It's more than good to know Hyemi relentlessly stands for herself and pursuits her dream after the departure from her foster family.

"You know, baking for yourself is far different from baking as a baker."

"Definitely. But don't worry, I've enrolled a baking course. After finishing I can get a certificate and work there as one of their asisstants."

"That's good! When is it going to start?"

"Next week. I wanna practice some recipes from videos I have noted while waiting."

Typical Hyemi. She can't help but making herself busy, the boredom of staying at home after quitting her old job is killing her slowly.

"Please bear with me since I only have you on this journey though."

I only have you.

Hongjoong's lips instantly twitches upwards by hearing these words. They inevitably send sparks to his lovesick heart; and the impact is beyond anything he has ever imagined.

"Wait. How about your course fee? Lemme paー "

"I'm not a princess," she states, cutting her friend off. "My savings is enough to manage this."

"You are my princess by the way." Hongjoong winks, his long curly eyelashes blink furiously like some anime characters.

Widening her eyes in fake shock, she then bursts into a fist of laughter. "It's been ages since I last heard this joke of yours though." She shakes her head in defeat.

But she can't lie that her heart just does a major back flip hearing this from him. How strange as it was nonsense to her earlier years ago.

"What's your plan tomorrow?" Hongjoong asks, being unawared of her strangely changed inner feeling.

"Oh I'mma go shopping for egg tart ingredients."

Hyemi feels excited as she just can't wait to pull it off with the new recipe. She still remembers when her first batch ever was done, it turned out as hard as rocks in egg tart shaped. Back in highschool, Hongjoong was honored to be her only food tester and they ended up consuming all those egg tarts together since Hyemi didn't like the idea of wasting food.

A smile creeps onto her face as the unforgetable memory replays in her mind.

The man grabs his chin while thinking of his schedule tomorrow. "Wait for me. I'll be off work early." He grins, "and go with you."

He decides to get home early as a part of him wants to lift the weight of work off his shoulders. A lot of parts, however, he wants to while away his evening with the girl whom his heart yearns for.

"That's great!" Hyemi gladly takes his offer after pushing the giddy feeling behind her head.

Is it likely a date?

The pair halt their own works as the thought oddly pops up in their heads, stealing glance at one another at the same time like a telepathy kind of thing.

How I wish today was tomorrow.

Waves of expectation slide in circles within their hearts when they both think about tomorrow.

***********

A filler chapter before what about to come.

Please prepare ~

If you have followed my story from the beginning till now, THANK YOU FOR GIVING IT A CHANCE.

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