SUGAR KISS [YEONBIN] ✓

twenty-two

The next challenge comes, and this time it’s a speed round. It’s kind of a shock to the system after the last long-form thing, but we have thirty minutes to throw together a dessert that would be equally pleasing to a crowd of wealthy adults and to their toddler children. And for the first time, Yeonjun and I aren’t working against each other.

Yeonjun is power-walking from one end of the kitchen to the back with the ingredients like he owns it, and I am in charge of whipping this chocolate into submission while Yeonjun takes care of the pomegranate, and for once—for once—I don’t feel like I shouldn’t be here. The chocolate bubbles perfectly and melts into this total silk, and the tiny cakes we have in the oven puff exactly right. Everything, everything goes exactly right. Yeonjun catches my eye when he comes back from picking up some powdered sugar and winks. My whole body flashes hot, and to be honest, it’s done that basically every time he’s looked at me in this kitchen, but for a thousand different reasons.

The thing I feel, mixing these pomegranate seeds in with this chocolate, is confident.

I feel like I am allowed to be here, in this kitchen.

I feel like I deserve to be here.

I feel like maybe I could win.

We set out our dishes and judging goes well, like we both knew it would, and we head out of the kitchen.

“Doing a little charity work?” I hear from behind us.

“What?” I say.

Jaehyun jogs up and gets in front of Yeonjum. He cocks his head at me. “Helping those less fortunate, eh, Choi?”

Yeonjun narrows his eyes. He doesn’t stop walking, and Jaehyun doesn’t move so Yeonjun winds up shoulder-bumping him and Jaehyun makes this noise like it just hurt so much. He’s way bigger than Yeonjun; I doubt it even stung. But Yeonjun is sharp. Maybe his shoulders are too.

I tighten my fingers in Yeonjun’s and Jaehyun says, “What the hell?”

Yeonjun says, “We have somewhere to be.”

Jaehyun says, “Yeah, I bet you do.” He smirks and it’s gross and I don’t even know what he’s trying to do. “Nice of you to put so much time into this little thing, though. She could use the help. In and out of the kitchen.”

I stop short. “What is your problem, Jaehyun?”

Jaehyun smiles with his teeth. “My problem is you shouldn’t be here.”

Yeonjun gets a little taller, his hand on mine a little tighter. But he doesn’t speak. He waits for me to, because he knows I’m going to. I’ve spent the whole summer fighting against him; I can take this asshole.

“Scared?”

Jaehyun laughs. “Hell no.”

“Then why are you wasting your breath on me?”

He raises his eyebrows. “Maybe I’m pissed I’ve seen a bunch of our team mates go home while you stay where you are not a right candidate to win. Everyone knows that’s like affirmative action or whatever.”

I blink.

“I was on a team with you. You spend half your time screwing up. Maybe I’m pissed we’re this close to the end and you’re gonna stay another week because you got lucky enough to be paired with Yeonjun here. It’s bullshit.”

Something twists in my chest and I just deflate.

I don’t want to.

I want to be one of those people who has witty retorts that stick with people months after you fire them back. I’ve been that person, with Yeonjun. Whip sharp, firing off these little zingers without a thought. But Jaehyun doesn’t make my veins feel like lightning is crackling through them. Jaehyun makes them feel like sludge.