Blooming | Ateez Hongjoong

16 • Time - out

"You need sugar."

A foreign voice causes Hyemi to look up. Before her is a girl also in the same apron as hers.

"I mean your brownie." With a fork in her hand, the stranger casually points at a flat brownie sitting still on the counter.

Every baking lesson, students will try their products with the person next to them in order to evaluate each other objectively before the teacher's feedback. It can be considered as learning from experience progress.

Picking up another fork, Hyemi swiftly takes a bite of her own brownie, only for her tongue to meet a totally bitter taste and a lack of moisture texture.

"Sorry! I forgot sugar..."

Being slacked off is apparently non-existent in Hyemi's trait, especially when it comes to baking - her favorite thing. She feels terrible for the one who happens to be her partner today.

"Don't mind it!" The other girl cracks a smile as she shrugs, "Everything happens for a reason."

There is a reason actually.

It's been four days. Those four days felt like dark nights.

"At the end of the day you still never let me in! Never tell me your problem!"

"What am I to you? An outsider?"

"I don't think you know me either."

"So what you expect me to do? Enlighten me then."

She lets out a quiet sigh along with a frown across her face. His words that are hardwried to no end keep replaying over the edge of her ears. They are as bitter as this sugar free brownie of hers which every fiber of her conscience finds incapable to take.

Yes, the pair did have disagreements here and there throughout years knowing each other. But within a day or two, they would automatically make up nonetheless.

However, this whole situation is obviously far from any other times. Despite knowing too well it was merely a pitfall of an impulsive moment, the fact that they never talk after what happened just proves otherwise.

"By the way, you look familiar." The new girl narrows her eyes and leans closer to Hyemi's face.

Being caught off guard, the latter gains focus back before tilting her head in confusion, entirely sure this Japanese girl looks far from familiar.

"You may mistake me with someone, I guess?" Hyemi confirms with caution since she doesn't want to sound rude at all.

"Ah! You're Hongjoong's friend!!"

Hyemi's eyes widen, making her brows raise follow suit as Hongjoong's name is mentioned - The name she has honestly missed to call these days.

"I'm his regular client and friend," the girl makes a meaningful expression as she continues, "so I happen to hear quite a lot about you. Hyemi right?"

"It's me." Hyemi nods, not really paying attention to the 'hear quite a lot about you' part.

Instead, she is so impressed with how fluent the other girl's Korean is.

"Your Korean is so good as a Japanese― "

"Everyone! Now I'm going to taste of your brownies and give reviews for today lesson."

The teacher announces as she comes in, interrupting the chattings of not only the two girls but other students in class.

*°• ✧ *•°๑

Class finally dismisses. The new girl asks Hyemi to join her stroll around the mall located next to the building of their baking class whilst waiting for her fiancé to pick her up.

This mall is where Hongjoong accompanied her to shop baking stuffs last time. Not gonna lie, she did have a whale of a time that day. (Chapter 7)

Considering the girl is Hongjoong's friend, Hyemi doesn't have the heart to turn her down. Plus, her little sister vibe is madly adorable so apparently it takes no time for Hyemi to say yes.

That's how the two girls end up settling at the exact rooftop café after a shopping session. It's time for some girl talks with companion of hot chocolate for the Japanese and iced americano for Hyemi.

"Hyemi, why you know I'm Japanese?"

"Your accent," Hyemi explains, looking at the other whose curious eyes never leave Hyemi's face. "There was a colleague of mine; she was also Japanese so I know."

"Was? Did she quit?"

"It's because I'm not working there anymore."

The girl hums, taking a sip of her hot drink. "Oh."

"By the way, I'm Lee Emi." her introduction sounds like a cheer. "And thank you for your compliment about my Korean. Actually, my future husband was my motive to learn it." She winks playfully.

The sparks in Emi's eyes when she talks about her future husband truly amazes Hyemi at some point which her lips can't help but curl up into a fond smile.

"So bad my brownie was undercooked." Emi pouts, "I wanted to surprise him though."

"He likes brownie?" Hyemi hands over a tissue as a little speck of choco is spotted on the other's nose bridge. She beckons Emi to wipe the dark brown stain using her pointy finger.

"Yes," Taking the tissue, Emi confirms immediately, "A LOT!"

Hyemi chuckles at the girl sitting across from her, reminiscing about the time when love once filled her eyes like that.

Giseok was also a brownie addict back then.

"So, how are you and Hongjoong?"

The question is blatantly out of the blue which takes Hyemi by surprise. Momentarily, her attention averts from her own cold drink in hand and lands on Emi, who still wears an exciting grin while waiting for a response.

Hyemi sets her bitter beverage down. Just as her palms rest on her knees, out of habit, the nail of her index finger craves to leave scratching movements on the fabric of her jeans that is beneath the table.

"We have been good but... Lately it's another story."

The fact she doesn't know Emi that well to open up about her personal life is evident. To be frank, she just assumes the weight of her chest needs to be lifted off as soon as possible.

Still maintaining her own little quirk with her fingernail, Hyemi presses her lips into a thin line. Every ounce of her is musing over how to deliver exactly the tangled ball of thread in her mind.

"I'm considering moving out of his house."

**********

I'M BACK!!!

The lack of updates for this story is INSANE (to me). I just fell into a major dissatisfaction with my own writings. 🧐

Stay tuned for the next chapter 🤟