바실래아

≡ pt.2:: ↷

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The way you feel when you kiss
someone for the first time.
Like fire within your bones.
Like your soul has returned.
Like every part of you that came
from a dead star is alive again.

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Giggles and light chuckles resonated in the walls as two visibly perky youngsters chatted on while successfully making a mess of the kitchen. Streaks of batter painted over the countertop and their hands as if it were abstract art, patches or flour staining their aprons, they grinned and sang as they concocted their dessert.

While Yeonjoo kneaded the cookie dough, Felix pushed the brownie tray into the oven and huffed loudly, wiping the sweat beads on his forehead with his unusually large Christmas-themed oven mitt.

“We’re still a month away from December and you’re already wearing Christmas clothes?” Yeonjoo joked, her face radiant and bright as she spoke.

“It’s always better to be prepared, you know? And also, oven mitts aren’t considered clothes,” Felix beamed, his eyes sparkling vividly.

As much as they flirted on a daily basis, one could tell it was genuine. And for Yeonjoo, it was a new feeling: the sensation of butterflies in your stomach, the shivers up your spine with a slight brush or a touch. She loved the feeling, but she loved his presence and company even more.

The two lovebirds continued laughing and chattering all throughout the baking process, and it was a pleasant sight, and much more wonderful to hear their cheerful and warm conversation. Even for Miae, who was eavesdropping on them outside the lounge. She would go in if she could, but she feared it would risk her operation.

After having divulged her plan to Jinhyuk last month, she was determined to use every tactic to get information out of them. She even tried using reverse psychology on Jiryun to make her spill, but to no avail. When she noticed Yeonjoo and Felix enter an hour ago, she followed them, staying outside the door during their unofficial date.

Miae smiled unknowingly at their audible giggles. Part of her still hated them, but she wouldn’t admit that the other part did feel envious. She probably felt envious of their relationship, and wished she had someone like that too. She knew who it was, yet confessing felt more challenging than climbing Mount Everest.

Shaking herself out of her daydream, she leaned in closer to the door, their voices reaching her ears more clearly now.

Inside, Yeonjoo and Felix had just finished placing the dough on the tray and bid it farewell as it went into the oven. Taking off their aprons, they fell back onto the bar stools at the island, pouring themselves water from a shimmering jar and gulping the contents of the glass.

“Ugh, who would've thought baking would be so fun yet so tiring?”

“I would,” Felix answered her with a wide grin, “I’ve been baking since I was 7.”

“See, that’s why we get along well. While you bake desserts, I can make all things savoury! Isn’t that a perfect match?”

“Why wouldn't it be, when it’s you that makes it perfect?”

Yeonjoo reacted with a shy and elegant smile, and the sign that she was flattered glimmered in her eyes. She cleared her throat with a mischievous look, straightening her posture, and then scooted her bar stool closer to Felix, then bent towards the island in front of her.

Resting her face on her left palm as her elbow stuck firmly to the table surface, she studied his face for a while before extending her right hand to lightly feel Felix’s smooth skin along his sharp jawline.

Once she reached his chin, she quickly looked into his eyes, searching for an emotion that just screamed ‘Yes!’, and leaned in, kissing him shortly.

Being it her first kiss, it felt like her lips were on fire, and she could not have been any more delighted when Felix kissed her back, breaking it as soon as it started.

Backing away, her eyes twinkled as she combed his hair away from his forehead, looking back at his face with a small but gentle smile. She cleared her throat again to cut through that still atmosphere, her eyes wandering as Felix blinked and scratched his nape.

“Your ears are red, by the way,” Yeonjoo interjected, pointing at them.

“Your cheeks are pink, by the way,” Felix copied, a tender look on his face.

“I liked hanging out today,” she started, playing with her fingers, placing them neatly on her lap as she peeked at the city’s chaotic morning sight out the window, “it’s worth the wait. With all the down moods so far, it was nice to get away from it, even if it was short.”

Felix nodded, leaving his seat to go check in on the oven then returning to stand opposite to her, placing his elbows on the island and just simply staring at her. She faltered a little bit at this sudden movement but returned his gaze. They maintained that gaze for a long time, placing Yeonjoo on cloud 9 until a high-pitched beep interrupted them.

Yeonjoo took a deep breath. She was happy, truly happy, for nearly the first time in her life. She stretched her arms, momentarily closing her eyes when the oven beeped again, implying that their cookies were ready.

“What? Has it already been 15 minutes?” Felix quipped, retrieving his oven mitt and taking the tray out of the oven, the warm chocolaty smell diffusing into the air.

“Damn, time sure does fly fast when you’re, um, busy,” Yeonjoo remarked, searching for the most fitting word.

Felix breathed in the fragrance, transporting him to an imagination of a cozy winter night and returned to reality satisfied. He glanced at Yeonjoo, and grabbed her arm, pulling her close and surprising her. She let out a small yelp at the jerk as her hand hit his firm chest, their bodies inches away.

Felix focused on her smiling eyes as she lifted her head to look at him with a naive expression, her nose wrinkling adorably.

“Man, I’m glad that bitch Seojung died. She finally gave us some well-deserved alone time.”

His eyebrows furrowed as he cocked his head back, shocked at her statement, when they heard a loud noise of the door opening wide, and in came a furious Miae.

“How dare you!” Miae thurdered, her eyes red as she clenched her fists.

Stomping her way up to them, she glared at Yeonjoo before raising her hand and harshly slapping her, crimson flooding her cheek.

“How dare you say that?! Do you have no shame? No guilt?! Not even basic courtesy, that you don’t say something so rude, to a girl, who’s dead!” Miae cried, grabbing Yeonjoo’s collar as Felix tried to separate the girls to stop the fight.

“Let her go, Miae! Don’t start a fight unnecessarily, especially here, where you aren’t allowed.” Felix hissed, gripping Miae’s wrist and pushing it away, then turned to ask Yeonjoo if she was okay and caressed her cheek.

“Oh my god,” Miae began, scoffing with her arms crossed, “you guys sure know how to act. One minute you’re crying at her funeral, the next you’re insulting her. Then again, I should’ve seen this coming from you shameless jerks. Just wait, I’ll make sure Seojung’s death is avenged. I should definitely do that, shouldn’t I, Yeonjoo?”

Yeonjoo squinted at her before voicing, “What are you even talking about?”

“Oh darling, just how clueless are you? It’s kinda fun seeing you this way, not gonna lie. All helpless and scared, like a little puppy,” Miae taunted, provoking her and smirking as she walked out the lounge, shutting the door with a bang behind her.

“I’m going home, Yongbokie, mm? I’ll, uh, see you tomorrow at school, okay? Bring the cookies!” Yeonjoo hastily informed before finding her phone and leaving him alone with the freshly-baked desserts.

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