Chapter Text
A few days had passed since Hongjoong started going to his husband's bakery. He got to know more and closer with the employees there, Minchan, Gyehyun, Yeonho, Yena and Yuri. There were also Jongho the baker, and Yeosang the patissier.
Lot of times, Hongjoong would help the employees there like arranging trays, cleaning the counter, even welcoming guests at the entrance. It'd be better to keep himself busy while Seonghwa was doing his work in his office room. He sometimes would also stay in the kitchen, helping with some ingredients or simple work if Jongho or Yeosang needed some. Or he sometimes just watched the two doing magic with their hands, turning those grains of flour into beautiful and delicious breads and cakes.
He wonders if learning how to make bread and cake would make Seonghwa happy.
"You've been watching us making bread here for days, sir. Why don't you try making some?"
Jongho's question got Hongjoong's attention. The older man, who had just done washing some utensils, then turned to him leaning his hips on the sink.
"First; I told you so many times to not call me 'sir'. 'Hyung' is fine. Second; I can?"
"Sorry, hyung . And yeah, why do you think you can't?" The young bakerman asked again.
"I don't know. Don't you need degrees or something to be a baker?" Hongjoong asked innocently.
Jongho burst out laughing. He tried to stop but his lungs won't, earning a glare from the annoyed Hongjoong.
"Ignore him, hyung ," Yeosang's voice emerged, stealing Hongjoong's attention from the laughing man. "And to answer your question, no. You don't really need a specific academic title to bake bread or to cook. As long as you love doing it, you don't need a title. My mom's a lawyer and she is an expert in cooking because she loves doing it."
Hongjoong smiled as he saw the proud face on the younger's face.
"You're right. My mom, too, by the way."
They giggled together. That's when they heard Jongho had stopped laughing. The youngest man then joined the conversation.
"But yeah. We still need degrees to find jobs," Jongho said while Yeosang nodded in agreement. "Unless you're doing it for fun–or a specific husband–then it doesn't matter."
A specific husband.
Hongjoong blushed.
"So? You want to learn how to bake cakes?" Yeosang asked again.
Hongjoong gave it a thought. Staring at the flour and utensils on the large table in the middle of the kitchen.
"Hmm… Maybe later? I don't really get along with the kitchen. I almost burnt the house a few days ago, to be honest," he said, recalling the incident a few days ago when Seonghwa got home in panic.
The two younger males frowned.
"Really? So what's your interest, hyung ?"
"Clothes."
"Ohh, you're doing fashion? That's cool!"
Hongjoong gave a tiny smile. "I wish I could. I was just an employee in a clothing store before getting married. I didn't go to college after high school. My mom is a single parent and she can't afford it. So I decided to just help mom support our lives by making money. I do hope I can get into a college someday. No matter how old I am when that happens."
Yeosang and Jongho stared at the older man. The story was kinda sad, so they didn't want to react too much.
"That's such a big dream, hyung . I'm sure you'll make it," Yeosang said, encouraging the older with a wide smile. Hongjoong mirrored the action, thanking the patissier for the encouragement.
"Why don't you ask Mr. Park to pay for your tuition? He loves to see someone doing what they really want to. And he is your husband. I'm sure he'll be glad to see you doing something that makes you happy," Jongho suggested.
Hongjoong pressed his lips together, thinking about what Jongho just said. He did actually have thought about that before. But he really didn't want to bother his husband.
"I haven't actually talked about this matter with him. But I'll give it a thought. Thanks for the suggestion, Jongho."
They smiled at each other, right before San entered the kitchen.
"Yeosang, Jongho. It's your turn for break time," he announced to Yeosang and Jongho who then nodded and began to settle their work down so they could leave for lunch. The shop manager then turned to Hongjoong. " Hyung , Seonghwa hyung is waiting for you in front of the bakery."
"Why?"
"He wants to take you out for lunch. Or should I say, a date?" San smiled at him with wiggling eyebrows, teasing the older whose face was red.
"Stop talking nonsense!"
Hongjoong then walked out of the kitchen and towards the entrance of the shop. He could see his husband standing on the sidewalk, still in his casual blazer matched with the trousers. "Damn, he looks so good," Hongjoong thought.
" Hyung ," Hongjoong called. The taller man let his attention go off his cellphone, smiling back at his small husband. "San said you're taking me out for lunch?"
"Yup. There’s a restaurant nearby, my favorite one actually. I want to take you there. Is it okay?"
Hongjoong nodded enthusiastically, widening the smile already planted on his face. Seonghwa reached out his hand to Hongjoong, asking his husband to hold it. The younger was shy at first, but then he held Seonghwa's hand and they smiled at each other.
"Uhm, can you guys be lovey-dovey somewhere else and not in front of the shop? Your employees are single," San's voice was heard again from the door.
"Why don't you go find a boyfriend yourself instead of keep nagging?" Seonghwa teased. San snorted in annoyance. "You're not having lunch?"
"I get the second shift for today with Minchan hyung , Gyehyun, and Yuri," he answered. They divided the break time in two groups, so they don't have to close during lunch time.
"Okay, then. Take care of the shop while we're going on a date."
" Hyung !" Hongjoong protested in shyness.
Seonghwa smiled at him, then pulled Hongjoong away from the shop. San just shook his head seeing how his boss was so in love.
"Oh, welcome!" San greeted two women who got into the shop. He was about to follow and help them around the shop, but his eyes caught something, or someone walked out of the small alley on the side of the bakery. The person seemed to be following Seonghwa and Hongjoong from afar. The person was looking forward so San couldn't see the face of that person.
But he knew exactly who it was.
"Gyehyun!" San called the closest coworker he could find at the moment.
"Yes?"
"Please take care of the women over there. I have something to do for a minute."
"What? But it's not our turn, yet!"
"I know. I just need a few minutes. Okay?"
Gyehyun sighed in defeat. San was his superior anyway. He couldn't go against him.
"Fine, I'll do it."
"Thank you, Gye!"
-----
Wooyoung was standing on the sidewalk, in front of a restaurant he saw the couple just entered. He watched as they went to sit at a table at the back of the room, but glass windows helped him to keep watching them from afar. He was waiting for the right time.
He watched as the waiter who took their order finally walked away from their table. After that, he saw Seonghwa stood up and walked away leaving his husband alone. He assumed the taller male went to the restroom, but whatever. This was his chance. He was stopped after a few steps towards the entrance as he felt someone grab his arm.
He turned his head, "San?"
"What are you doing here, Wooyoung?" San asked in a serious tone.
"Not your business. Let go of me," Wooyoung struggled to pull himself from the older's grip. But San was so strong that he even managed to pull him away from the restaurant. "San, I said let go!"
San didn't listen to him and kept pulling him into a small alley, not too far from the said restaurant. That was when San finally released his grip from the younger.
"What are you doing?!"
"No, what are you doing? Ruining Seonghwa hyung 's life with his partner?"
"That's not your business!"
"Sure, it isn't. But I don't wanna see you ruining my boss's life. Let alone hurting his husband. Don't you think I have no idea about that hasty intentions of yours, Wooyoung? I know you've been watching him from outside the shop these few days."
Wooyoung glared at San. He scoffed.
"So you're defending that asshole who stole my boyfriend?"
"Wooyoung, watch your mouth!"
"You choose to side with someone you barely even know, rather than with me who has known you longer?" Tears began to gather in Wooyoung's eyes. San's sharp gaze at him softened. He knew what the younger was feeling right now. "God damn it, what's so good about that Hongjoong guy that Seonghwa hyung is head over heels over him? Even you, who practically is nothing to him, chose to side with him rather than me? You know how much I love Seonghwa hyung , right?!"
"Wooyoung," San's hand moved to grab the crying male's shoulder. "Listen to me. I'm not siding with anyone here. I just want you to accept the reality that Seonghwa hyung is now married to someone he truly loves. And if you want to know, he had managed to make that someone loves him back–"
"I don't want and don't need to know!" Wooyoung shrieked. "What I need to do now is to give them a lesson for doing this to me! I'll make Seonghwa hyung realize that he made a wrong decision for choosing that Hongjoong guy over me!"
Wooyoung smacked San's grip off his shoulder and ran out from the alley. He ran while wiping his tears with the back or his arms, covering his vision of the way. He did not realize he was walking through the crowd and towards the road. That was when a car drove along the road but Wooyoung was still unaware of that, too busy hiding his crying face from people around him. Not until he felt a hand pull him back to the pavement and hugged him there did he finally realize what danger he got himself into.
"Wooyoung, you alright?"
"San?"
"Please be more careful next time. I don't want something bad to happen to you," San said with a very obvious worried tone.
The younger male pushed his savior chest to escape from the embrace. They stared at each other for a few moments. San could see Wooyoung's red face and eyes. But those eyes were still staring at him with hatred. Wooyoung ended up running away again, leaving San alone in the crowd, engulfed in worries.