Kintsugi // ATEEZ [Ishihara Sequel] ✔

53 Midnight

"That's not how you do it."

"Well it's the way I'm doing it," Sara grumbles as she kneads the dough with her hands, glaring at Wooyoung every second or so every time she's doing it. She's imagining that she's kneading him instead, putting extra pressure as the man keeps telling her that she's doing something wrong in her recipe.

This is her first time having too many company in the kitchen; six other people to be exact, and now adding one more as she sees from the corner of her eyes, the general of Lucida coming into the kitchen with a serious look on his face. She's not used to hearing different comments and instructions from other people in the room, when before this it was only Twinkle and Micko, where they barely said anything except waiting patiently for the donuts to be baked. This time around, she's almost forgotten her recipe as there are too many telling her what to do.

"I know what I'm doing," Sara says, slapping Wooyoung's hand away as he tries to help her in kneading the dough.

"Make sure it's edible," Wooyoung says. "Not rock-solid if you burn them."

"I'll knead and bake you together with the donuts so you can make sure that they're not burnt," she shoots back.

She manages another glare at him as she finishes kneading it. After she has finished kneading it, she combines other ingredients, which, for the first time is something that she has obtained legally, as what San had said. Apparently San didn't even let her say that before this, she'd bake the donuts with the stuff that she had 'borrowed'. She lets the dough rest, and turns to the rest as she rinses her hands dry.

"I'd let it rest for around 2 more hours," she informs them, "then I'd have to let it settle down for around half an hour more... so you guys can probably taste them tonight?" She cringes, "I told you that you didn't have to wait in the kitchen with me."

Hongjoong, Yeosang and Mingi only shrug as they say they don't mind; it's not like they have any other better stuff to do. Wooyoung keeps making a point to annoy her, while San is only cautiously watching her from the side as she concentrates on making the dough for the donuts. Jongho had come in a little bit later, but he did manage to catch her combining everything before they'll have to wait for the 2-hour period. Yunho, on the other hand, feels a little bit lost on what they're supposed to do while waiting for 2 hours.

"Why did you leave us this morning?" Wooyoung speaks up, referring to San as he leans against the kitchen counter.

"We were really worried though," Hongjoong utters.

"Hongjoong," Mingi says, "you weren't even awake when we found out San wasn't in his cell."

Hongjoong puts up his forefinger, shaking it. "Even though it might not seem like it, I was actually awake the whole time I seemed like I was asleep. I was worried with my eyes closed."

"Sure," Yeosang narrows his eyes at the blacksmith before changing his attention to San. "Yeah, why didn't you tell us that you wanted to go out? You got us worried that you broke out of the cell again," he glances at Sara, "plus you only went out with her."

"I asked for permission from Akira and Seonghwa, actually." He scratches his head as he argues, "Even in Nyla I'd go out alone from time to time to clear my mind. But since... you know, my condition isn't good now they had to make sure Sara was with me." He sheepishly looks at Sara, who only innocently blinks as he says, "Seems like she's the only one who can control me."

There is a tense moment of silence that San fears they had caught on his slight lie, but when the rest shrug and murmur in agreement, he lets go of a silent sigh.

"We were really worried," Wooyoung pouts as his eyes travel to Sara, not wanting to say the fact that they had suspected her with ill intentions towards San. "To find you suddenly disappearing like that. We thought that you," he wiggles his fingers, "changed again."