The Siren's Song

Chapter 56- lost in thoughts...of you

JIN POV:

Since that moment, since my ears have picked up on the blessedly jubilant sweet sound of her giggle, it makes me distracted. It makes me flustered, dazed and often losing focus.

And if there's one thing any of my dongsaengs can attest to is that Kim Seokjin never loses focus in the kitchen.

What on earth is happening?

The sweet audible sound of her happiness, her amusement keeps ringing in my ears, a soft chime of laughter before the air swallows it up, hungrily taking it. And when Joonie returns looking a cute fumbling mess of limbs holding out the towel out as a peace offering, she easily takes it- shaking away his apologies with a good-natured smile.

Instead she turns to the flour that's come to rest on the countertop and her finger traces a message through it for him.

Be my baking buddy?

And the question comes with an adorable side tilt of her head, wide eyes peering at him sweetly, as if she'll be the one to benefit from his assent rather than it being a way to keep his spirits up.

She handles him with a gentleness and ease that makes me wonder just how quickly she must've gotten a good read of all our personalities, answering his dimpled sweet grin with a gesture to have him measure out the dry ingredients.

I see his brows furrow as he measures out the flour for our joint sponge mix, about to tip the heaped measuring cup into the bowl when she captures his wrist.

She takes his wrist to the side to pare off the heaped flour and make it flat, the excess covering her original message.

"Why'd you do that?" he asks.

Her finger traces through the flour once more.

Baking is a science. You have to be exact.

I nod along, very wise advice sous chef- very very good advice I mentally cheer her on.

And as she continues to guide him, his clumsy nature seems to settle to give way to constant pinkening cheeks, rosy circles of colour as he aptly focuses on her impromptu tutoring, carefully sifting the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder. It's with careful balanced hands that she guides him to cream the butter and sugar and add it to the dry mixture, the rest of the ingredients all coming together to form a silky brown batter in no time, lumps disappearing under her watchful guidance.

I stand there open-mouthed, gaping at the way she's managed to tame his clumsy, destructive streak fluidly and seamlessly and above all...silently. Without beratement and without anything but sweet sunny smiles and gentle guiding hands that just move his.

And I can see her fondness whenever he turns to look at her expectantly, silently waiting for her stamp of approval, dimples deepening into the grooves at the curves of his lips, eyes sparkling and squirming happily under her encouraging nods, and the messages she constantly etches into the flour, silently making fists to bolster him on.

And what surprises me most is the way the sponges make into the tins without incident, the batter levelled out.

It's only then I step forward, (Y/N) shooting me a soft smile and amused expression when I don't immediately take the trays as I'd always do, not letting her neat the hot oven.

And this entire time I haven't felt left out for a single moment, there's something so welcoming and soothing and tender about watching the scene unfold in front of my eyes that makes me content. Something so inexplicably settling and calming about seeing the two of them get along, Joonie laughing and animatedly chatting about a book title she must've etched out at one point. And even thrown into their conversation is Joon's carefully enacted sign gestures, I hadn't realised how extensively he'd begun to pick up the language, faltering at times but still managing to get his words across, to decipher some of the responses she gives in return.