Wax

Forty Nine

A/N: UwU!! Sorry everyone for being a little late to the update. It's a little longer than usual cuz I missed last week's update (was actually writing fanfics instead dear god what have I done HAHAHAHA). Thank you for being patient as usual! 

And for the Beans from Indonesia, HELLO THERE ;v; I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Hehe. 

Soundtrack is from a very old anime by the name of Free! I felt extremely nostalgic listening to this OST but it was (and is) the best soundtrack that reminds me of midsummer emotions. The entire tracklist is extremely good at evoking nostalgia and a longing for crystal clear waters and the beach hehe. 

Enjoy.

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[Vanilla]

It is a personal achievement of mine to have dressed smartly for every swell occasion I may attend; however small it may be. Needless to say, no summer heat or ocean wave should impose upon my desire to put on a favorite tie or splendid quality vest to match and though I did consider folding the sleeves of my dress shirt for the morning shoot, I eventually thought against the idea after deeming it a tad scandalous. Three episodes in and already, exposed forearms? Never.

"Welcome chefs! To Jakarta, Indonesia." Chef Pao was holding in a bout of laughter while the cameras were rolling, despite having had a moment of his own backstage when he first saw how I was dressed for the day. "Look at the skies. Breathe in the sea. The beautipul water. The wind... and also Banilla's tie that has nearly slapped me in the face twice because of the wind."

I grabbed ahold of my accessory, attempting to keep a straight face myself. The sea breeze out on the deck, coupled with the natural speed and momentum of the superyacht headed toward our destination of the day made for flying locks of hair and any form of clothing material at the mercy of the elements.

"And because I make the rules, I say this," Pao went on with cheeky grin on his face. "Whoever returns with more than one catch at the end of today's field lesson gets to decide Banilla's outfit for tomorrow."

Amidst collective laughter and looks, I turned to Pao on my left with a subtly horrified expression of controlled fear and utter shock. "I—well—bold of you to assume I own anything other than dress shirts and ties, Chef Pao."

"Aw I like this side of you, Vanilla," Amelia said lightly. "They say that in every block of ice lives a flame. Oh and you don't have to look so frightened; Pao is being very generous, but I'd be very impressed if any of our chefs returned with even one fish today."

"Ay that is correct, Amelia." Pao rubbed his hand in glee. "Today, you will learn the art of spearfishing! One of the most challenging fishing techniques to ever exist."

"Teaching you this skill is instructor Rashid and his fellow villagers," I chimed in on cue, "who take an active role in passing down the tradition of spearfishing by organizing weekend trips to lesser-known fishing spots. They are our experts for today and will be joining us on board as soon as we dock at the shallow reef."

"Most importantly, you will be putting these skills to test... in a team-based catch and cook challenge tomorrow," I said with added emphasis, observing a glimpse of alarm across the board. Unsurprisingly, most chefs working in production kitchens have never experienced the act of fetching their own ingredient out in the wild; what with the many commercial fish farms, vegetable markets, and butchers that catered to quality restaurants like their own.