Strawberry Cakes

one

Jungkook asked her what she thought their relationship was between them.

She answered after some thought, looking at him cautiously, "A... benefactor and a beneficiary?"

Seeing him remain silent, she explained, "Because I sometimes make you baked goods, and... you walk me home." 

He seemed unimpressed. 

-

There was only a lone girl in the home economics room after school.

Her long hair tied in a low ponytail reaching just above her waist flowed as she shifted back and forth the classroom. It revealed a clear plastic mould attached inside her ears, and a wire of similar material extending to behind her ears.

Since it had only been about a week since the school term started, not many people attended after school clubs in exchange to catch up on studying. Though, there wasn't a lot of people in baking club anyways.

Ari heard a beeping sound in her hearing aid, signalling its low battery. Thinking that she had some spare batteries in her bag in her classroom, she planned to change it later. 

She'd used to take them off when she was alone even when she didn't need to, but was scolded by her audiologist for doing so, and tried to leave them on when possible. 

But this gave her the chance to take them off.

For now, she turned it off to save battery and took it off, leaving them somewhere safe on the workbench. 

Although she couldn't hear anything, she'd gotten used to the silence. The silence used to scare her, not that it doesn't anymore. But if she doesn't speak, and don't see anyone either, the fear is nonexistent. It was just as if she was working in silence, that was all. 

She used this time to break away from reality.

She was practicing decorating a small cake, recalling last Christmas when she'd met up with a few acquaintances for a small gathering. 

When Jungkook was walking her home, he asked, "Why didn't you bake a cake today?" Since it was Christmas. 

Of course Ari wanted to bake something too, but. "There's no oven at home." 

Other reasons include, being worried her cake wasn't going to be as good as store-bought ones, and she was best at using strawberries but she hadn't prepared strawberries beforehand. 

Jungkook was quiet for a while, as if in thought. The snow crunched below their feet with every step they took. 

Then he said, "I... have an oven. You can use it next year."

Ari looked up at him, surprised. It was dark, and the light snow made it so she couldn't see his face properly. She saw him avert his eyes, hiding behind his hood of his large jacket. 

She blinked a while as she processed his words. It felt like he was saying for her to bake him a cake next Christmas. And without her knowing, her face became a little hot. She touched her ears in embarrassment.

Her mouth opened, and she saw white smoke escape from her mouth as she uttered, "I've only tried making strawberry shortcake."

His eyes seemed eager as it met hers. "Yeah?" He smiled, "I want to eat your strawberry cake."

There was still a long time until this year's Christmas.

But ever since he'd said that to her, she couldn't stop thinking about baking a strawberry cake. 

The only strawberry shortcake she'd made was quite a few years ago, and it could barely pass as being called pretty. If she remembered correctly, everything else was fine, but it was too sweet. Even as a child she thought so.