Taeyeon glanced at the clock on the wall.
One minute left, she thought to herself as she tucked her hair behind her ear and continued stirring the icing.
The doors of the kitchen swung open and that familiar person she has been getting to know during her time here stepped in.
She looked up from the bowl and flashed a friendly smile his way. He came as expected, exactly at 2:35.
Having Baekhyun's company definitely helped her go through the days she spent in the cafe as a volunteer. He would often visit the kitchen and socialise with everyone. It makes her wonder how a boy can mingle with everyone so easily.
It takes time for her to open up to someone new. It took time for her to open up to Jiyong for months. Although Taeyeon was reserved, Baekhyun still managed to make her talk and let her open up by herself, which surprised herself.
They would chat about their day while Baekhyun helps her out with whatever task she has at hand. Although Baekhyun does most of the talking, Taeyeon felt comfortable to just listen to his rants.
Taeyeon learned that he has infinity jokes to tell. His jokes never fails to make her smile. She definitely appreciated his presence in the kitchen a lot.
"What is your job in the company?"she asked him on her last day there, While she is adding final touches to the cupcakes and he busied himself by mixing the bowl of ingredients. "You seem so free. Your schedule seems very flexible."she continued.
"Well, I am interning here as...the CEO's son's personal assistant. It doesn't require a lot of work because the CEO's son doesn't really do anything. So I'm free most of the time."he lied. A lie wouldn't hurt, he figured. He feared that if he told her his true identity, she will start putting barriers between them again, the barriers he has tried a few days to break down.
"Oh. So you work for that guy?"she asked him, pointing at Kim Junmyeon who is sitting outside the kitchen. "He seems to be waiting for you."she said.
"Nah he isn't. My boss loves the smell of baked goods, so he often comes down here to inhale some of the smell. It puts him in a better mood."Baekhyun said, grimacing a little.
"He's often cranky?"she guessed.
"Yeah. That's why I talk to you to destress."
"But I'm not a great talker. I barely talk in our conversations."she said.
"You are really nice to talk to because you are a great listener."
A smile gradually formed on Taeyeon's lips. It made her feel a lot better when he said it like that.
"Thank you, that means a lot coming from you."she said softly.
"Why does it sound special coming from me?"he chuckled, genuinely amused.
"You are very confident in yourself, always speaking your mind, nothing to hide. You are so friendly, everyone wants to become your friend."she said. "You are like Pied Piper, attracting every living thing to follow behind you."she continued.
"Hahaha, I guess I can be called the Pied Piper from now on, great way to describe my... charm."he smiled. "But honestly, being popular means that you will never know who are your true friends."he continued, frowning a little.
"I guess I will never understand what it means to be popular."Taeyeon said.
"Trust me, you won't like it if you are in my shoes."he sighed. Taeyeon furrowed her eyebrows, it sounded like there is more behind his words, the price of popularity.
