Chaser | Hyunjin Fanfiction

Chapter 1: A bluff

Days weren't busy at the bakery but January could be considered the busiest month.

It wasn't seasonal, much less had something to do with the weather. In fact, the reason why they received so many orders was quite personal. Mr. Lee's family and friends arrived every year to spend post-holidays, and of course, they would gladly order a bunch of unnecessary cupcakes and muffins.

Although, what was there to complain about? Certainly, she would get a higher tip. Mr. Lee's mother was always so generous with her tips.

"Do you think they'll arrive today?" Jeongin's voice came from the front desk as he nibbled on a cookie and left crumbs all over the counter. His eyes lost in the street as his shoulders slumped in severe boredom.

SeungHee, who had been wiping the round tables clean, frowned at the sight.

"You're making a mess and I'm not going to be the one to clean that."

The boy perked up, looked down and finally noticed the disaster. A groan escaped his mouth.

"They will be here by next week, that's for sure," SeungHee replied at the end, spraying the table one last time before moving to the next one.

"Next week?" Jeongin sounded surprised.

"Yes, I heard Mr. Lee on the phone the other day. Apparently one of his sisters had some trouble with her dog and they had to postpone it."

The younger boy opened his mouth in understanding and munched on the last piece of cookie before going for a towel.

SeungHee finished her task and placed her fists on her hips, admiring her work. The tables were shiny and gleaming. Such a satisfying view, she thought. If only clumsy customers didn't spill their drinks all over them...

"What will you do tonight?" Jeongin reappeared from the back door, a green cloth in hand.

The girl took off the pink gloves and placed them on the back, checking if she had somehow stained her attire.

One check, two, then three. She was good. The shirt was still perfectly white and the pants looked as soft as they did in the morning. Too bad she couldn't say the same about her friend.

Jeongin always managed to stain his clothes with everything, and thanks to that, their boss would send him to the back of the store, where no one would be able to notice the dirty state of his uniform. Sometimes SeungHee thought her friend did it on purpose but it was hard to argue whenever a cherry fell on his shirt or some icing got sprayed on his face.

Today the mess was created by raspberry sauce, staining the left pocket of his shirt a deep purple that would make anyone cringe. For his sake, the girl could only hope it could come out with detergent.

"What do you think?"

Jeongin chuckled. "Don't blame me for thinking otherwise. You told me you struggled the other night." He shrugged.

SeungHee rolled her eyes and grabbed a broom, eyeing the clock impatiently as she began sweeping the black-and-white tiles. "I didn't."

Jeongin's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "But you sounded close to crying when I called you."

"Yes, from joy," she responded shortly and the boy couldn't help but throw his head back in laughter.

"Then you definitely struggled."

She huffed. "I hate that you know me so well. Nonetheless, I didn't go as Black Rose that night, but myself."

This time, the boy's smile dropped a little and he seemed to hesitate for a second, noticing something was off right away. SeungHee rarely attended the casino as herself, there was nothing to gain and most times it was spontaneous. Spontaneous meant un-prepared, with her head lost into nothingness, which brought her nothing good and resulted in her losing a lot of money. That's why it didn't happen often.