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“Hey, Yoo Joonghyuk, get me a slice of lemon cake will ya?”
Han Sooyoung called out as she sat in the living room grading her students' papers. Hearing no response, she glanced up and locked eyes with Yoo Joonghyuk. He was dressed in his thick coat, prepared to head out for his weekly grocery shopping.
“You know, the one from the bakery nearby,” she continued.
He raised an eyebrow, the stoic expression on his face remaining unchanged. "Your recent sugar intake has become excessive. It's not healthy."
"Come on, it's just a small indulgence. I've been working hard grading these papers. I deserve a treat."
“No.” Yoo Joonghyuk crossed his arms, as stubborn and unwavering as the protagonist she had always pictured him to be. She sighed dramatically, "You're no fun, just one slice won't hurt." He shook his head, refusing to budge. "You'll thank me for this later."
Han Sooyoung rolled her eyes, turning back to the stack of papers. "Fine, be the health police! I don't care anyway—”
Yoo Joonghyuk slammed the front door without bothering to say his goodbyes.
“Hah! What a sore bastard. Just whose brilliant idea was it to make him such a stick in the mud…”
Then, as if summoned by a ghost, Kim Dokja shuffled into the kitchen, his messy hair a testament to his recent awakening. He yawned, rubbing his eyes as he glanced around.
"Hey, where's Yoo Joonghyuk?" he mumbled, still half-asleep.
“Supermarket," she replied curtly, not bothering to look up from the papers.
“Oh, for groceries?”
His innocent inquiry seemed to trigger something in her, and Han Sooyoung's irritation escalated. "Don't ask me about Yoo Joonghyuk. I begged him to get me some lemon cake, and he turned into a nutritionist lecturing me about sugar intake and whatnot. Can you believe that asshole?"
Kim Dokja, always one to enjoy a bit of chaos, smirked. "Looks like someone will have to settle with healthy snack bars for now."
She shot him a glare, its searing effect amplified by her glasses. "Don't test me, Kim Dokja."
Chuckling, he strolled towards his designated spot on the couch, switching on his phone to read yet another questionable web novel. "Seems like another fight broke out while I was asleep. Ah, the joys of living with two stubborn blockheads."
“Don't think I didn't hear that,” Han Sooyoung hissed.
As Kim Dokja settled into his reading with a hearty laugh, he felt his chest bloom with the warmth of the sun. He revelled in the domestic drama unfolding around him, fully aware that the tranquillity of their shared space was always fleeting.
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“Kim Dokja, enough with your phone. Come help me set up the table for dinner,” Yoo Joonghyuk demanded, a sense of urgency and irritation coloured his tone.
It was Valentine's Day, and Yoo Joonghyuk had meticulously planned out a special thank-you dinner for Han Sooyoung.
“She's the sole breadwinner of this house. It's the least we could do,” he said. Kim Dokja, unwilling to come off as an ungrateful freeloader, hastily got up from the couch to grab the cutlery. As they prepared for the special occasion, the aroma of carefully crafted dishes filled the air, eagerly anticipating Han Sooyoung's return.
After finishing the setup, they sat down, glancing at the clock with growing impatience. It was a quarter past seven. Kim Dokja frowned and turned to Yoo Joonghyuk, "Shouldn't she be back by now?"
Just as Yoo Joonghyuk was about to respond, Han Sooyoung dramatically swung the door open and sauntered inside.
“Oh you won't believe what I just got!” she exclaimed, shoving a velvet heart-shaped box tied with a ribbon in their faces. Yoo Joonghyuk and Kim Dokja exchanged an unimpressed glance.
"Put that away and hurry up before dinner gets cold,” instructed Yoo Joonghyuk. Kim Dokja nodded in agreement, “Yeah, we've been waiting forever. What made you so late today, of all days?”
Han Sooyoung grinned, "Oh hush, I know you two can wait. But look at this!" She proudly declared, showcasing the fancy box of chocolates. "One of my students made these for me. One hundred percent homemade, can you believe it?"
Kim Dokja leaned back in his chair with a smirk, "Ah, so that's what happened. Someone's got a secret admirer, huh?"
“Ha! You're just jealous of my incredible amazing charm~”
"That's great. Now put the chocolates away and eat the food on the table,” Yoo Joonghyuk sighed, “I'm not asking again."
Han Sooyoung narrowed her eyes, clutching the box of chocolates to her chest as if her prized possession was in danger of being stolen. "Well, I can't just ignore my student's efforts, can I? I'll eat the chocolates first, then join you.”
“Dessert before a proper dinner?” Yoo Joonghyuk scoffed at her insistence, knowing she wasn’t listening to him anymore, “Whatever, do what you want.”
As he watched her sit down and tear open the box with the fervour of a child opening their birthday present, Yoo Joonghyuk felt his jaw clench. He couldn't help but feel a stab of jealousy at the sight of her shining eyes and wild grin. He had spent hours planning and cooking a special Valentine's Day dinner for her, putting thought and effort into every dish…
Only to be overshadowed by a simple box of chocolates.
“Oh, this tastes so good!” Han Sooyoung gushed, her lips tainted with the melted sweets in her mouth. Yoo Joonghyuk’s instincts urged him to reach over and wipe the smudge away, a gesture he would normally make without a second thought.
However, the lingering jealousy from earlier held him back. He hesitated, his hand briefly hovering in the air before quickly withdrawing it. His eyes fixed on the smudge, a mixture of longing and restraint evident in his gaze.
Kim Dokja, perceptive as always, snickered at the sight unfolding before him. He leaned over to nudge the sulking man, "Not everything has to be a competition, you know?"
Of course, he knew that.
This wasn't a big deal. He didn't care for Han Sooyoung's praise or heartfelt thanks. He didn't need any of that.
But still, the feeling of losing against someone— especially when it came to food—left a strange taste in his mouth.
Yoo Joonghyuk continued to stew in his sour thoughts, unspoken rivalry pumping through his veins. He hadn't even noticed when Han Sooyoung finally joined them for dinner.
“Hey, the soup’s gone cold. We should probably heat it up again.”
With mechanical rigidity, Yoo Joonghyuk stood up to collect their bowls and poured the soup into a pot on the stovetop to be reheated. After a good few minutes, he dipped a spoon into the pot for a taste test. As he licked the spoon clean, saw his unsatisfied expression reflected in the burbling broth.
To him, the soup wasn't cold nor hot, it was bitter.
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“Wow, those chocolates really dealt a huge blow to your ego…”
Yoo Joonghyuk ignored Kim Dokja’s teasing, choosing instead to focus on zesting and juicing lemons on the countertop. He had no time to engage in meaningless discussions today. There were only three hours left to bake the cake if he wanted to make it in time for Han Sooyoung’s lunch break.
“If you're not going to help me then get out of the kitchen, I have no time for this.”
“You could've had more time to prepare if you hadn't gone out the entire morning. Where did you go, anyway? We have plenty of fresh lemons and all the baking ingredients are just sitting pretty in the pantry…”
“...”
“Seriously? Keeping secrets at this stage of our relationship? You're such a buzz kill.”
Yoo Joonghyuk’s nose scrunched up at the word “relationship”, not knowing how to respond. The kitchen plunged into silence, occasionally broken by the sounds of baking. After a long moment of deliberating, he finally gave up and decided to say it out.
“That bakery… it closed down a month ago.”
Kim Dokja gasped, “A month ago? Wasn't that around the time she asked you to get her that cake and you refused to?”
“... I had to go look for the bakery owner for the recipe. That's why it took me so long to get back here. So, are you going to help me or what?”
The sly reader’s grin widened. “Oh but you know, Joonghyuk-ah… I could help you,” he paused to lean in closer and whispered, “if you say ‘please’ , that is!”
Yoo Joonghyuk's expression darkened—mirroring the thundering clouds outside the window— threatening to strike down any poor victim in the vicinity. He loomed over Kim Dokja, brandishing a mixing spatula as if it were a new weapon of mass destruction. Bracing for impact, he squeezed his eyes shut and covered his head. But instead of being attacked, all Kim Dokja received was the bowl of cake mixture and spatula.
“Start mixing, now.”
With a cough and nervous laugh, Kim Dokja obediently began working on the mixture. Soon enough, the kitchen became a battleground of banter and instructions. Yoo Joonghyuk, ever the perfectionist, hovered around Kim Dokja like a hawk, ensuring every step was executed flawlessly. There could be no room for error, not with Han Sooyoung's high standards and picky attitude, especially with her favourite dessert.
"Whisk the eggs carefully and make sure no eggshells fall into the bowl," Yoo Joonghyuk remarked, his tone laced with mild exasperation.
Kim Dokja chuckled, a mischievous glint in his eyes, “You know, this reminds me of one of the funniest scenarios we had back then.”
Yoo Joonghyuk's frown deepened, "the scenario was funny to you?"
Kim Dokja closed his eyes, the memories flooding back vividly. "Yeah, I had a very strict dumpling on my shoulder, telling me all the details on how to make the perfect murim dumplings... doesn't that sound familiar to you?"
Yoo Joonghyuk let out a begrudging grunt before turning back to his own task of preparing the lemon drizzle. “Enough reminiscing, we have to hurry up.”
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Ding!
“Oh, it's finally done,” Kim Dokja exclaimed, jumping up from his chair. He was usually barred from taking part in the cooking and baking process, so this was something truly exciting. He held his breath as Yoo Joonghyuk carefully pulled out the tray from the oven.
I hope I didn't mess up the cake, otherwise I'm getting banned from this space for the rest of eternity…
The cake finally emerged golden brown, its citrus scent wafting through the air. Relieved, Kim Dokja slumped against his seat and sighed. But the battle wasn't over until the hero himself declared victory. And so he waited. He sat and observed Yoo Joonghyuk's meticulous inspection of the freshly baked lemon cake. The stoic man's expression was a complete contrast to the bright pink apron he wore as he checked for any imperfections.
Seemingly satisfied, Yoo Joonghyuk began preparing to drizzle the lemon glaze over the cake. It was at that moment Kim Dokja noticed a subtle shift in his demeanour, his scarred hands trembling slightly. Beneath that facade of confidence, there was a hint of nervousness and worry, almost imperceptible to the untrained eye.
It struck Kim Dokja that even someone as composed and skilled as Yoo Joonghyuk could feel the pressure of living up to Han Sooyoung's expectations.
I guess we're not that different after all, huh?
Watching Yoo Joonghyuk's silent struggle, Kim Dokja felt a surge of empathy. He understood the weight of wanting to make Han Sooyoung happy, especially after being brushed off yesterday.
"It looks perfect, Joonghyuk-ah. Don't worry, she'll love it."
Yoo Joonghyuk met his gaze, a flicker of gratitude passing between them as they stood side by side, admiring the final product.
Now, all that’s left was to see Han Sooyoung's reaction to their labour of love.
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Han Sooyoung sat in her office, surrounded by stacks of papers, her fingers flew across the keyboard, inputting the marks of her students’ essays.
“This university is such a joke,” she grumbled under her breath, cursing the inefficiency of the online grading system. To make matters worse, the tranquillity of her office was shattered by a loud commotion echoing from the corridor outside. Han Sooyoung clicked her tongue in annoyance, speculating aloud about the cause of the disruption.
"What is it now? Did some famous alumni decide to grace us with their presence?” she huffed, taking off her glasses to massage her temples. The sound of footsteps and fangirling grew louder still, stopping just outside her door. Then, as if to be polite, a gentle knock could be heard. For some reason, Han Sooyoung felt her irritation flare up, unable to stop her soured lips from spewing acidic words.
“I don't care who you are, but it's my precious lunch break right now, so leave! You're not welcome here!”
Just then, the door to her office slid open, revealing Yoo Joonghyuk and Kim Dokja.
From her seat, she saw a horde of giggling students, gawking at the two men as if they were royalty. When they noticed her gaze, her students immediately started bombarding her with questions.
“Dr. Han, Dr. Han! Who are they? You told us you weren't dating anyone, did you lie?”
“No way, that can't be her husband, right? Maybe they're her brothers or cousins?”
“Yeah, let's not jump to conclusions, guys! Dr. Han wouldn't lie to us about this.”
“Tell us! Tell us! Tell us!”
Great. This was exactly why she told those two to never set foot in her workplace. Why bother? They just wouldn't listen to her, they never would!
She slammed her palm onto a stack of papers and flashed a glare at the students crowding at her doorway. “This is none of your business. Class is starting soon, so why don't you run along and prepare for your pop quiz on Tim O’Brien’s work, hmm?”
Just like that, the crowd dispersed in a flurry of panic and shock, rushing to class for last minute studying.
"You two. What are you doing here?" Han Sooyoung spoke, her tone implied it wasn't so much a question than it was an accusation. Sensing her anger, Yoo Joonghyuk and Kim Dokja stood frozen in the doorway with matching sheepish expressions, not knowing how to approach her.
Kim Dokja decided to strike first.
"We, uh, thought we'd bring you something to eat. You've been complaining about not having enough time to get lunch lately, so…”
Yoo Joonghyuk nodded curtly, following up immediately by holding up a fancy box, tied neatly with a gorgeous purple bow. "We got you your favourite dessert. So come and eat it, you could use a break."
Han Sooyoung blinked, utterly speechless at the confusing gesture of kindness from her usually gruff housemates. She couldn't help but let a soft smile tug at the corners of her lips as she gestured for them to come inside.
"Well, in that case, you're both forgiven for barging in unannounced," she said, a hint of warmth in her voice. "This better be that lemon cake from the bakery near our flat’s supermarket, or else...”
“Actually, it's—”
Yoo Joonghyuk's side-eye and stony face easily made Kim Dokja stop in his tracks. Still, wasn't it defeating the entire purpose of the gift if she didn't even know who made it?
The two of them watched with bated breath as Han Sooyoung took the first bite of the homemade cake they had painstakingly prepared. Anxiety gnawed at them, their hearts pounding in anticipation.
What if she hated it? Could Yoo Joonghyuk handle another rejection from her, especially after the disappointment of the previous day?
But as Han Sooyoung's eyes lit up at the taste of the cake, relief flooded over them. She savoured each bite, a satisfied grin spreading across her face like a contented cat. Then, as if to tease the victory out of their grasp, Han Sooyoung paused mid-chew, her expression shifted to one of contemplation. She turned back to them, a puzzled look in her eyes.
"This... this isn't from that bakery," she remarked, her brow furrowing slightly. "The lemon drizzle tastes way more sour than usual. But they've never changed their recipe for all these years, so why now?"
Yoo Joonghyuk and Kim Dokja exchanged a glance. Oh well, there was no way they could have gotten the recipe right down to every little detail. They had indeed altered it in their attempt to recreate Han Sooyoung's favourite dessert.
“But it's still good, right?” Kim Dokja blurted out.
“Didn't you always complain that the drizzle wasn't sour enough? What's the problem now?” Yoo Joonghyuk asked, inclining his head in defiance. He would not suffer another defeat, no matter what.
Han Sooyoung squinted at them through her glasses, "Don't tell me... it was you two? You made this?" she exclaimed, disbelief colouring her tone.
Yoo Joonghyuk and Kim Dokja didn't know what else to do but nod. At this point, they were already busted.
Yet, to their surprise, Han Sooyoung leapt out of her chair with a grin, grabbing Yoo Joonghyuk and Kim Dokja by their collars and pulling them down to her height. With a cheeky gleam in her eyes, she pressed a kiss to Yoo Joonghyuk's mouth, her lips lingering for a moment before moving onto Kim Dokja.
Yoo Joonghyuk and Kim Dokja stood as still as they could possibly manage, stunned by her sudden display of affection. They could only watch as she peppered their cheeks with lemon-flavoured kisses.
"Thank you," she murmured after pulling away, her voice brimming with emotion. "This is the best lemon cake I've ever had.”
A pause.
"And... I expect you two to bake me this dessert every week from now on!"
They could only blink in confusion at her once more. After all these years together, it was still hard to get used to Han Sooyoung's quick switch of attitude around them. Still, that was such an absurd request!
Yoo Joonghyuk sighed, reaching out to gently wipe away a smudge of lemon drizzle from the side of her mouth, "Only on special occasions. I already told you, your sugar intake has been excessive lately."
Han Sooyoung grinned back at him, "But Yoo Joonghyuk, every day is a special occasion with you two!"