Chocolate Truffles

Unsweetened Chocolate


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For unsweetened chocolates have always been set aside. Only those who aren't allowed the pleasure of sweet things eat unsweetened chocolates. I think they're tasteless and they don't fill the role of sweets quiet well. However, it's still a flavor of chocolate and in my opinion, beautiful things start from unsweetened beginnings.

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The street was filled with various people. People with somewhere to go and people with nowhere to go. People who have tight schedules and people who drift through life. People with someone to come home to and people who would be faced with an empty refuge.

Im Yoona was awestruck at the amount of possibilities that awaited every single stranger that she happens to walk pass by. Even at the dead of winter; there was something about looking at stranger's happy faces in the street that warmed her heart at once. As she walked towards the hospital, she hugged herself to keep warm and continued looking around.

She spotted a young woman who was dressed fashionably in mocassins, black tights and a beige trench coat. Everything about her screamed class yet if you look closer with a trained eye like Yoona, you could see that her coat hasn't been ironed properly and her mocassins were starting to lose its color and there was a macro hole or two in her tights. Yoona stared at the girl subtly and recorded the details of her hair, how it seemed to just be tied up in haste and her face skilfully make uped.

The brown haired girl wondered what caused the woman to be this morose and indifferent towards herself. Could her heart been broken? Did she lose someone she loved? Or was she simply too busy that she rushed from her house to wherever she was headed in a blur?

The endless string of possibilities amused the doe-eyed girl immensely. For her, everything and everyone was a book to be read and everything on the face of this planet contains stories.

Sometimes wonderful, sometimes tragic but otherwise beautiful. It just depends if you take the time to read and appreciate it. For you never know.

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"Wah! That seems delicious!" Sehun clapped his hands and stared at the intricately-designed wedding cake. "Though I have no idea why people would want to get married near Christmas. It baffles me."

Luhan chose to ignore his younger brother's comment and focus on swirling the chocolate syrup on top of the icing. His hands moving gracefully, the pressure of his wrist controlled.

"Way to go, hyung! You could be a professional now!" The younger couldn't help but exclaim as he stared in awe at the marvelous design that was taking place right before his eyes. Sehun knew that his hyung had it in him. In their family, he would be the one with the brains and Luhan would be the talented and creative one. It seemed like their parents had their roles lined up since the beginning.

What was much more creepy was the fact that it happened exactly the way they predicted.

He was now a graduating scholar in a prestigious university while his brother had inherited their father's quaint bakery shop and started to manage it. Sehun stared at his hyung and smiled, he was dedicated and focused like always. It was this attitude of him that Sehun would sometimes get jealous about yet he learned to accept their differences through out the years.

Being careful with the thin tube, Luhan set it down carefully on top of the table and a smile appeared on his face. The smile was that of satisfaction. Just the fact that he had finished making something made him content and blissful. Xi Luhan would usually be at his best during times like this.

He stepped back to admire his creation.

It was a vanilla-and chocolate cake with three layers placed carefully on top of the other. He had spend nearly the whole day inside the warm and neat kitchen just to finish this masterpiece. This ordered was rushed and the couple were willing to pay double the amount for this cake. However, Luhan brushed off their offer and treated it like a normal order.

And by normal, he would put his all into it, making sure that everything from the mixture to the icing to the designs were flawless and delicious.

Dedicated and talented, that was what Xi Luhan was.

He turned towards his brother and engulfed him into a hug, his own outlet of happiness.

"There you go again with your crazy hugging. Let me go!" Sehun pleaded, knowing that his hyung wouldn't listen to him anyway.

Dark Chocolate

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For the fact that not everything in life is sweet. That some people have bittersweet experiences.

Yes, it's quite unpleasant. Isn't it? Still, most people are fond of dark chocolates.

Dark chocolate, we all need to taste these every once in a while. For, if we knew how bitter some things are, we will value sweetness more once it comes back to us. Being deprived of something makes getting it all back again worthwhile.

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"Stay away from me!" Yoona's father yelled at her then threw a throw pillow in her direction. "You are not real! What have you done to my daughter? Where is she?"

Yoona dodged it at once yet before she could say anything, the door burst open and the nurses who had been watching from the small window sprinted inside to intervene. She walked to the farthest corner and watched with a tinge of pain as the nurses injected medicines into her dad's body just to calm him down and put him to sleep.

Injecting medicines into her father was routine and it was a form of restriction. Im Yoona had seen doctors and nurses as they did the procedure on her father a lot of times for several years now.

Yet just because you're used to something doesn't mean that you could get used to the feeling that it brings.

As her father's frail body started to stop struggling and go limp, she felt tears threatening to fall from her eyes. No amount of repitition would ever make her feel used to the pain and anger.

"Coffee?" Changmin, the doctor who had been taking care of her father approached and asked her.

As usual, Yoona nodded quietly and followed the lean, dark-haired man out of her father's room and into the hospital lobby. After making sure that she was well-seated on the beige couch, Changmin left to get them two cups of instant coffee from the vending machine.

Once more, Im Yoona did what she'd always do to avoid thinking about the reality that awaited her--she looked around and tried to study other people in the room. There was only an elderly couple and a male nurse dressed in his all blue ensemble. She wondered what disease those two people had and how long they have been in this psychiatric ward. Were they inflicted with some rare illness too, like her dad? Did these two people have children and grandchildren? Where are they now? Are they normal?

The sound of someone sitting down in front of her snapped her out of her reverie and she looked at the smiling Changmin.

"There you go again." He chuckled slightly, handling her the styrofoam cup filled with hot coffee.

"Thank you," She mumbled softly, unable to find the strength to at least talk properly.

Everytime she would visit her dad, Yoona finds herself always feeling this way in the end. Like she had been drained dry of energy and she just felt simply exhausted.

"How's Japan?" Changmin asked yet Yoona knew that there was more to the question that he wanted to let on. How have you been doing these past two years away from your father? She knew, for he had always been like that. Saying one thing and meaning another. It was his special way of asking questions that would make you spill the things that he really wanted to know.

Contemplating that she might as well tell him since he was the one who took care of her dad for him all these years and still make some time for her, Yoona admitted with a slight frown. "Japan is nice. I already set up my gallery there and so far, it's fruitful. I have no problems at all. I just came back here for dad. I missed him and even though I know that I should be working more to fund for his medication, I couldn't help but be selfish and want to see him soon."

Changmin had graduated from medical school with flying colors and he was taught how to decode people's emotions and the real meaning of their words and feelings through their facial expressions and the tone used. Japan is nice and I'm settling down well. But I really miss my dad and I'm tired of working and I just want to rest and take care of my dad. I don't care about what might happen but I need him now. "It's getting near Christmas. It's not selfish to want to be with your only family and uhm, Your dad . . he's doing well."

As if she was told that she had won the lottery, Yoona's head snapped up immediately and grinned widely at Changmin.

He found her sudden mood infectious that he automatically smiled back at her. "Compared to his results from before, I'd say that he's progressing quite well. I don't know if you noticed since your accidental encounter but your dad is starting to get less violent and there would be times that he would be laughing and talking like a normal person."

"Really?" Her eyes widened and she couldn't help but raise her voice an octave out of excitement. This was the best news that she had recieved after a long time. And for a moment, she felt happy.

"Yeah, but the weird thing is that he'd be smiling and laughing on when there's one person around. And he remembers that person." The doctor's thick eyebrows furrowed in contemplation, as if he himself couldn't believe what he was saying.

"B-but," She stuttured, trying to process that all in. "That's impossible! He can't remember anyone! He's always under the impression that everyone he meets is just an imposter of the people he knew! He even thinks I'm an imposter and I've abducted his real daughter, dammnit! How could this be? It's called a 'Capgras Syndrome' for a reason! Dammnit, Changmin. Dammnit."

Her voice turned into a whisper once more and Changmin reached out to pat her arm awkwardly.

He was unsure, for he wasn't educated and trained to comfort the distressed relatives of his patients. "If it makes you feel any better, I can give you a way to contact that person and tell you about him."

Orange Chocolate


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For the things that we don't like. Orange chocolates are the ones that even the dogs won't eat.

However, they're still produced and selling quite well. I like opening a box of chocolates with various flavors and sometimes, I would have the unpleasant experience of getting a chocolate filled with that orange thing inside. It's weird, yes. But if you eat more and more, you'll get used to it and realize that it's quite delicious in its own way.

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Avec Amour.

Im Yoona smiled, staring at the sign written in cursive high above her. She had finally reached the bakery. The second that Changmin had filled her in the details about the guy named Xi Luhan, she didn't waste any more time and ran out of the hospital all the way to the quiant little bakery right around the corner.

She took out her polaroid camera and snapped a quick yet well-placed picture of the sign and a glimpse of the dark sky above. Yoona smiled and placed the camera back in her bag. This was one of the main reasons why she was a successful photographer--she didn't treat it like work.

She made sure to run her hand through the length of her hair to untangle any knots and slap both her cheeks in a vain attempt to ressurect some color in them. According to her wrist watch, it was nine in the evening. People were starting to walk out of the bakery carrying brown paper bags in their hands and smiles plastered on their faces. This simple display of contentment made the nervousness that Yoona was starting to feel fade a way a little. It can't be that bad, right? Everyone seems happy.

Smiling to herself, she pushed the door open and stepped inside. The warmth of the shop and the scent of freshly-baked things coming from the oven greeted her like a kiss (for she was a complete ignoramus when it came to some foods). She registered the conditions of the shop. It had the whole 'little shop in London' theme to it, she thought that it must be the cute and cobbled floor and the flourescent lights hanging from the cieling like what you'd see when people shoot for a film. There were tons of different sweets and bread carefully displayed on intricate glass trays. She found that adorable. After looking around the quiant shop, her eyes finally landed on her target--Xi Luhan.

Luhan stopped writing and looked up from his notebook when he heard footsteps that seemed to be approaching him. He saw a beautiful woman with long, flowing dark brown hair and a smile on her face. The woman was wearing a pair of tights and a large over-sized denim shirt. For a minute there, he wondered how she could dress up like that in a severe weather like this.

"Annyeonghaseyo. Are you by any chance, Xi Luhan?" The stranger asked in a sing-song voice.

He nodded, not liking where this was going. Luhan heard the same things before, for it was the same tone of voice that his mother would use whenever she wanted him to do something for her. His instincts told him that this woman wouldn't be any different. "Yes, what do you want?"

Yoona was slightly taken aback by his straight-to-the point approach. She shook her head and decided to cut to the chase. "My name is Im Yoona, the daughter of the man who you're always visiting and giving chocolate truffles."

She watched as his eyes widen in recognition and after a few seconds, he nodded.

"Oh, do you want to order chocolate truffles for him?"

"No, I want you to teach me how to make them."

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She huffed in slight annoyance as the almost-blonde haired bakery owner slammed the door in front of her face. Considering that he had previously shoved and yelled her out of the shop; Im Yoona was way past the point of caring about formaltiies and manners.

A snowflake met in contact with her face and she shivered in the cold breeze. The knowledge that no one in their right mind would stand in front of a bakery hopelessly five days before Christmas didn't bring much comfort to her. She never thought that she would find herself in the midst of this kind of situatuion but she figured that desperate times call for desperate measures.

Tying her long, brown hair into a ponytail, she cracked her knuckles and pounded her fist against the wooden door as loud and loud as she can. Pretty soon, heads started to turn and gawk at the loud and boisterous ryoung woman who could possibly be attempting to break the shop's door open.

At once, her pounding stop when the door burst open and the angry almost blonde-hared Xi Luhan appeared in front of her with an expression that tells her he wasn't too delighted with the way she acted. "Stop it. madame."

"But I--" Yoona was once more rudely rewarded with a great slam of the door.

"I need your chocolate truffles! Teach me how to make them! Please be kind to your fellow homo sapien! Have mercy on me!" Shivering, ashamed and tired, she continued yelling nevertheless. "Don't you get it? This is a life or death situation, young man!"

After waiting quietly for a few more minutes, she realized that he was just as stubborn as she was. Xi Luhan had asked her to leave the moment that she pleaded him to teach her how to make those chocolate truffles.

"I'm sorry but that's classified information." She could remember his arrogant and haughty tone as he replied to her before.

"Classified, my ass." She grumbled, hugging herself tighter to keep warm while waiting at the exit of the bakery she found while looking around. If he couldn't be buldged by politeness, then she would forcefully get it out of him. Yoona decided that she would hide behind the corner of the exit and wait for some customers to go out and for the shop to close then she would sneak in and trap that Xi Luhan.

Thankfully, there was no one that seemed to walk near this almost-dim alley at this time of the night.

"He was good-looking, though." She started talking to the brick wall the she was leaning against. Talking to inanimate objects was one of her bad habits that she couldn't seem to get rid herself of. "But brick wall, I think that no matter how harshly he sent me out, he's a good person. Why? Because, brick wall if he wasn't kind then he wouldn't have visited my father every other day. I believe that he's a really kind person. Just a little bit ashamed of having people know his soft side. I like him, brick wall. I think he's humble and really fun to tease. You should have seen his face, brick wall."

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"I'll go see you tomorrow, hyung!" Sehun waved goodbye and Luhan nodded.

Luhan watched silently as his brother left the shop and turned the sign hanging on the door back that it now said 'closed'. With a sigh of relief, Luhan stretched his arms high above the air and yawned. He was free to go back to his own apartment now and rest but like always, he would choose to stay back for a few more hours and make new sweets and incorporate new and different flavors on his sweets. This was his routine and it was his favorite part of the day.

He felt like he would never get tired of living this kind of life, doing something that he deeply loved.

The tall and lean man stood up from the chair and jumped for a minute and stretched again, to feel more energized and ready for what he was about to do. Luhan walked to the kitchen and he made sure to keep the door open by moving the wooden block next to it (for the door could only be opened from the outside and he wasn't in the mood to get himself trapped in the kitchen).

Semi-sweet Chocolate

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For the fact that it's both sweet and bitter.

It's this weird combination that keeps others coming back for more. In semi-sweet chocolates, you can never distinguish these two contrasting flavours apart. Maybe that's what makes it delicious; just the fact that it's two conflicting flavors that have no choice but to be together to be made into this special kind of chocolate.

Both can stand by itself yet they were chosen to blend together.

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"Boo!" A sudden, loud voice surprised him and he couldn't stop jumping in place because of shock. He never thought that someone could walk right behind him. But then again, Sehun had always told him that he couldn't notice anything else if he's focused on making some kind of pastry.

Loud, booming laughter followed afterwards and Luhan turned back to see the same lady who introduced herself as Im Yoona laughing at him; with her mouth wide open and head slightly tossed back.

"Oh my god," She breathed out and said in between laughter.

"You were like," Yoona jumped and tried to imitate his surprised expression. Somehow, this made the doe-eyed beauty laugh harder until she felt like she couldn't breath. "I can't breath! Oh my god!"

"Then don't breath! How dare you breath in the same oxygen that I take in!" He retorded, childishly crossing his arms in front of him and hoped to God that she wouldn't notice the faint blush that was now starting to form on his cheeks out of sheer embarassment. He glared at her, pretending to look angry yet finding it hard because her laughter was sort of contagious.

"I was just playing around, Mr. Xi Luhan." She uttured once she composed herself but it was as clear as day that she wasn't quite done with making fun of him yet. It was very obvious by the mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Wait," Luhan started to have a bad feeling about this. "How did you get inside?"

"Through the door, duh." Yoona shrugged and pointed at the now-closed wooden door.

To her surprise, Luhan's eyes widened and he started to panic. "Ah! Chincha!! You shouldn't have closed the door! It only opens from the outside! We're locked in now! Urgh!"

Yoona bit her lip. "So that was what the wooden block was about. I get it now. That's interesting."

"Interesting? That's what you say? We can't get out now! We're trapped and you still remain calm-- Hey! Don't eat the icing!" He walked closer to her and held both her hands, stopping her from taking any more of the icing that he will use for later.

"Of course! Do you expect me to whine like you? If I whine, the door won't magically burst open so I might as well eat these icings. They're very delicious by the way, can I have some more?" She asked politely, ignoring his hold on her hands and tried to reach out to get another quick taste.

He stared at her in disbelief and sighed in resignation. She really reminded him of his mom, stubborn and always wanting to go things their own way. This time, he was determined not to let anyone take him for granted. "No, you cannot."

"Fine," She sighed and his hold in her loosen.

Though the moment that he turned back to turn the heater a little bit higher, Yoona reached out and took another swipe of that heaven-sent chocolate icing. Deciding that it couldn't hurt to have another swipe, she reached her hand out slowly again only to have it slapped slightly by the quick Luhan.

"No means no, Yoona-shi." He scolded like a dad.

"But there's a delicious lump of icing in front of me! You can't expect me to not eat that!" She whined and tried to put on a pout.

Luhan rolled his eyes. "Just because there's something to eat in front of you doesn't mean you have to eat it."

"Well, you really can't expect it to eat itself now, do you?" Yoona made a tsk tsk noise with her tongue. "Can't you see? I'm doing the world of sweets a favor. They need to be appreciated and there's no better way to show that you appreciate sweets than to eat them. Don't you see my point, Luhan-shi?"

He squinted his eyes at her, not getting her ridiculous mindset.

"Oh, by the way." She started, as if only remembering it now. "I came here to learn how to make your truffles. Can you teach me how?"

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Yoona sighed and lied down on the countertop. She had been trying in vain to get it out of Luhan for an hour now. She had tried begging, getting down on her knees to punching his back until he complied but to no avail. She could be talking to a rock, for all she knew.

Luhan was busy making a cake and he hardly answered her and had ignored her cries of desperation.

She took a deep breath and made herself comfortable, crossing her legs and staring at the cieling above. This was plan D for Desperate; her final resolve. After all, what better way to convince someone than to share your real reasons, right?

"Luhan, let me tell you a story. I'm going to start now. Are you listening?" She asked, not bothering to look at the busy Luhan beside her who was concentrated on mixing something.

He made a grumbling sound but it was enough for her, knowing that she got his attention now.

"I like taking pictures, when I was nine years old, I never thought that I would be taking pictures for a living." She laughed slightly to herself, as if she still couldn't believe it after all these years. "My mom was an avid fan of taking pictures and as her only daughter, she would keep pestering me to be her model. It was fun though, because I get to wear pretty dresses and have flowers on top of my ear. Together, my dad, mom and I would have long, road trips to the country side."

Her lips tilted upwards in a slight smile. "We would be in my dad's old car with the windows rolled down and we'd be belting indie songs from the top of our lungs and laugh together until we reach the place where we were going to shoot, just for fun too. I missed those times. Anyway, my dad worked at as a freelance painter and he did a great job at it. You know, I always thought that there was nothing that my dad couldn't paint. He was that good!"

By this time, Luhan was starting to melt chocolate bars by steaming them on top of a boiling water. The scent wafted around the room, making Yoona smile. He was doing what he normally did yet his attention was now on the girl lying on the countertop, telling him tales of her childhood.

"That smells nice," She commented. "Anyway, my dad was a great painter and he would sell his paintings around town. He sold tons of them and I was under the impression that every house around town must at least have one of dad's paintings. I know it seems silly, but that's what I think. However, my mom wanted greater things for my dad. She couldn't be content with a simple lifestyle and she wanted dad to go out of town and sell his paintings in Seoul because she knew that the opportunities for him here are endless. My parents don't fight but when they do, it's always about this topic."

Yoona closed her eyes to keep the tears that were threatening to fall at bay. When she opened them once more, tears were starting to blur her vision. "My dad was content with our simple lifestyle and mom wasn't. Soon enough, these fights get bigger and bigger and the road trips and photo sessions with my mom turned scarce until they stopped altogether. And one day, we woke up and she left. Took all her stuff and the only thing she left me was her camera."

Luhan found himself turning off the stove and covering the pan of melted chocolate. He walked to the large countertop and lied down beside her. He found himself engrossed in her story. "What happened then?"

"My dad started to focus more and more on his painting and after three months, I think he finally got it right. I don't know but I guess he just realized something." Yoona bit her lip and a tear started to fall from her eye and since she was lying down, it fell slowly from the corner down to her temple and involuntarily, Luhan found himself, wiping it off gently. "He packed our things and we started anew in Seoul. He did precisely what my mom used to bug him about. He sold his paintings in Seoul and soon enough, galleries started taking interest in him and since then, we've been living very well off. Luhan-shi, do you know what's kind of sad about that?"

He placed his hands behind his head and nodded. "I'm not too sure, but is it the fact that he has to lose the love of his life just for that?"

Yoona shook her head and winked at him. "No, the fact that you don't teach the daughter of that guy to make chocolate truffles. That's sad."

"I am going to teach you. I was just preparing the ingredients and making sure that everything's okay." Luhan admitted and avoided her gaze.

"Really?" She sat up and laughed. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I just wanted to see you miserable." He grinned then his face started to turn serious. "If you don't mind, can I ask you something?'

"You want to know what happened to my father." She stated and the guilty look in his face gave her the answer. "People always wants to know what happened to him. Dad's doctor said that it was because of an accident that affected his brain. It wasn't detected earlier for it was just a simple car accident with a few bumps and scratches. After a few months, he started to have migraine attacks and one day, when I arrived home, he suddenly called me a fake and that he was going to call the cops on me."

"What happened then?"

"I thought he was joking but really, he called the police and they arrived home. It was a good thing that they believed me though. Since then, my dad's been in that psychiatric hospital."

Coffee-Chocolate

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For these kinds of chocolate are in demand because of the flavor of coffee.

We're all familiar with the taste of coffee and for a change, we want it to be integrated with chocolate.

It's in demand because it's familiar and to be honest, coffee-flavored chocolate could taste like home.

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Yoona was surprised to find out that Luhan and her could get along well. While he was teaching and showing her how to melt the chocolate in sweet condensed milk, they talked while waiting for it to cool down then. She found out that he has one younger brother named Sehun and that he had been making sweets ever since he was seven years old.

"My dad was the original owner of this bakery." He had told her, mixing vanilla extract into the melted chocolate and moving the mixture into a bowl. He covered it and placed it on the refrigierator. "He didn't force me to run this little bakery but I volunteered myself and so far, I think I'm the happiest I've ever been."

In turn, as they waited for it (since Luhan told her it takes two hours to cool) Yoona told him about her job and she cracked a joke or two but she would be the only one who would find it funny.

"Hey Lulu!" Yoona called out, swinging her legs from the countertop.

"Don't call me that!" Two red splotches started to form on his cheeks. He knew it was a mistake to tell her about his family's endearment to him. Now, Yoona-shi was using it as often as she can.

"Let me tell you something. There was a pregnant lady and right after she gave birth to her twins; a boy and a girl, she fell into a comma. Two months later, she woke up and she asked the doctor 'Doc, where are my babies? How are they?' then the doctor told her 'Don't wory, they're fine. Their uncle named them for you.' The woman was shocked 'No! Not my brother! He's stupid! What did he name the girl?' to which the doctor replied. 'Denise'. 'Well, that's not so bad' the woman realized. 'What about the boy?' the doctor frowned. "DeNephew.'"

He found it so corny he couldn't help but laugh. Yoona's alligator laugh didn't help him either, instead he found it funnier and they both started laughing hysterically. Yoona found herself leaning against Luhan's back and they both sighed in contentment.

They were quite for a few seconds before Luhan took out a container filled with icing inside the refrigerator and handed it to Yoona.

Like a child given a toy, Yoona's eyes widened and at once, she wrapped her arms around Luhan's neck--her own outlet of gratitude. "Thank you!"

Luhan could only nod for he was taken aback by her hug. It warmed him, not in the literal way like raise his temperature but her hug warmed him in a way that coffee could. Once you take a small sip, it'd be enough to warm up your insides and make you feel comfortable. He knew it was a weird metaphor but he couldn't help but want more.

She opened it and started to eat the heaven-sent icing, basking in the sweet taste of it in her tongue.

Luhan watched her devour it in amusement, and he beamed with pride. "In the future, I want to be known as the best patissiere in town. I want people to stop worrying and enjoy what I make. It's this kind of temporary happiness that I could impart to others through my baking that makes me want to become a better patissiere."

"I don't know kid," She answered honestly. "I just want to eat."

Luhan laughed. "I know and thank you."

"For what? Stepping on your dreams?" She took another swipe at the icing, smearing her lip on accident.

"No, for not being superficial. When I tell others that, they would launch into a tale of following your dreams and everything." He admitted, taking his handkerchief from his backpocket and wiped Yoona's lips with it.

"I'm not discouraging you but really, it's simple. If you want something, then just go for it. Like me, for example. I like taking pictures so I go do it and I always use my mom's camera."

"Why?" He sat down beside her.

"Because it's like I could see the world through her eyes. Weird but I always feel that way."

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Somehow, after making the chocolate truffles; they ended up sleeping side by side against the wall. And that was how Sehun found them when he opened the kitchen the next afternoon.

He was shocked to find agirl sleeping side by side by his hyung, not to mention that they were locked in for the whole night--Sehun didn't want to imagine was sort of sweet interlude they were doing in the kitchen. Shrugging, he decided to nudge Luhan's sleeping figure awake.

"Hmm," Luhan murmured, opening his eyes. He stood up immediately once he saw Sehun and tried to explain it to him.

"Long story but we got locked in. Did you open the shop yet?"

Sehun shook his head and immediately went back to the shop to change the signs. Luhan took this opportunity to wake Yoona up, trying to ignore the buzzing feeling in his chest as he stared at her sleeping face.

"That's weird." He murmured.

Thankfully, she woke up easily and groggily stood up.

Once they were fully awake and the truffles they made were inside the boxes, Yoona smiled at Luhan and bid him goodbye. He nodded and he was surprised when Yoona walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Thank you."

Once again, he heard those buzzing noises and his eyebrows furrowed, hugging Yoona back. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"That buzzing sound like bzzzzzz bees." He tried to explain yet it seemed to come from somewhere inside him. No bee could possibly enter his ear now, right?

Yoona laughed at him and unwrapped her arms around him. "I don't hear anything. You're just imagining things. So yeah, I guess this is goodbye. Thank you, once more."

Then she said something in a soft whisper that he could hardly hear but thankfully, he did.

"Maybe my father will remember me now."

"Did you just say what I thought you said?" He wanted to confirm. It all made sense now. The real reason why she wanted to learn how to make truffles so badly. He realized that there are more to things than what they appear to be, that everyone has a reason and it's up to you to decide whether to stick around to decode them or pass by them; unaware of the treasure you'll find.

Yoona gulped and started to fiddle withthe hem of her shirt out of embarassment. "Nothing, it's just a silly notion."

"It doesn't matter." He stated. "If he remembers you or not. The important thing is that you're still his daughter and you know that. Just stay by his side."

And she smiled at him, completely grateful for his words. "Thank you."

"One more thing," He added, "Stop using your mother's camera. It's about time that you see the world through your own eyes."

Plain Chocolate


It's about time that you see the world through your own eyes. His words replayed in her mind and Yoona smiled, looking down at her father's sleeping figure.

It had been five days since that fateful encounter and she hasn't used her mother's camera anymore. Yoona looked left to the window of her father's hospital room. He still treated her like normal but she learned to be stronger. She told herself that she'll try again and again, that just because it didn't work out the way it was planned doesn't mean that it won't work out somehow.

Yesterday, she heard from Changmin that a doctor who specialized in her father's case would visit Korea for a lecture next month and she was excited for that. There's always hope.

Meanwhile, she stood up and looked at the dark skies of Seoul. It was Chirstmas afternoon and most of them are inside their own houses and celebrating it with their families. However, Yoona was happy with her life right now. Sure, it might not be as merry as some; still. She had a dork who keeps following her around like a lost puppy and it was enough for her.

"Ta-da!" Just then the door burst open to reveal Luhan who was dressed in a red shirt and a headband that had antlers and his nose was painted a bright red color. Yoona couldn't help but laugh at his get up.

"What do you think?"

"Sexy!"She teased. A day after their encounter, he called her for coffee and he would talk to her dad calmly, like an old friend. Yoona wondered why she tolerated this dork sometimes.

"Chincha? Look at this." He walked to her, swaying his hips to the left and right in an exaggerated movement with his right hand on his hips while his other hand behind his back. Luhan started to sing "Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock."

He slapped his butt.

"Oh my god! Are you imitating that scene in Mean Girls?" Her jaw dropped in disbelief, finding it amusing.

"Jingle Bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock." He continued, walking closer to her.

"Stop it," She ordered, walking father back.

"Jingle Bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock." He sang louder, sashaying like a girl.

"Seriously, Xi Luhan! Stop that!" She took another step back until she felt her back against the wall.

"Oh Look, we're under the mistletoe!" Luhan pointed at the wall behind Yoona. She looked at it--only to find it completely bare.

"There's no mistletoe."

Luhan smirked at her and took out something from his back. "There is now."

And before she could reply, Luhan lifted the miniature mistletoe and raised it high above their heads, cupping Yoona's cheek with his other hand and pressed his lips against hers slowly.

"Merry Christmass." Yoona smiled out of pure contentment and happiness.

"Jingle Bell Rock" He sang and underneath the make-shift mistletoe, they laughed together. Looking straight into each others eyes and realizing that they had their own heaven-sent Christmas gift right in front of them.

- - - - - - -- - - - - - -

For Plain Chocolate are always the best. Why?

Because they're the foundation of everything. Once you have plain chocolates, the amount of flavors and toppings that you can add are infinite. You can add rainbow sprinkles on top, or dip it in another melted chocolate or swirl it in caramel. You can roll it in whatever you want or you can just eat it as it is.

It doesn't matter.

For once you have it. you can enjoy it and top it to your hearts content.

So, plain chocolates, anyone?

- - - -- - - -- -- - - -- - --

FIN