Stigma

Chapter 2

The next day, Jungkook awoke bright and early, squinting against the sun shining through his windows. He felt sore, and looked ruefully at the ground he'd slept on after being too lazy to build the bed.

He'd been tired after spending so long at the club, and after his odd evening he'd been ready to go to sleep right away.

Today however, he promised himself he would get more done. No drinking, no bars, and certainly no incredibly attractive but unsettling men.

He quickly threw on a pair of ripped jeans and a large t-shirt, before running out the door.

He was greeted by crisp autumn air, and an omnipresent breeze which had been there since he'd arrived in town.

Hopping on his motorcycle, he revved the engine before setting off down the road.

It was the end of August, but leaves had already started to accumulate along the road. Piles of red and yellow that meant the coming of fall. He thought it was odd how quickly summer ended here.

The ride was short, but Jungkook was so lost in thought that he almost missed his turn and quickly swerved into a parking lot, pulling up in front of an unassuming brick building with an aging sign that had clearly been recently repainted.

Tendrils of ivy climbed up the walls, and blended with the myriad of hanging and potted plants which surrounded the entrance. He felt bad for the poor sap whose job it was to water them.

Taking off his helmet, Jungkook knocked on the front door, peaking inside the window.

The door was quickly flung open, revealing a flustered Jin in an apron.

"Oh thank GOD you're here. Get in the kitchen quickly, before Joonie burns it down." He said, pushing Jungkook inside before he could say a word.

Jungkook briefly took in the inside of the cafe as he walked to the kitchen. It was decorated in cozy warm tones, with comfy couches and book shelves filling the space. There was even a little window seat tucked in the corner next to one of the larger shelves.

The kitchen on the other hand, was a disaster. There were pots and pans everywhere, and ingredients in all the wrong sorts of containers. In the middle of the chaos stood a very confused and distressed namjoon, attempting to read a recipe book.

"Joon... what did you do?" Jungkook asked, trying his best not to laugh at the look on his uncle's face.

"Well uh, since it's your first day I wanted to get things started for you." He grumbled.

"How about we leave the baking to the expert ok honey? Put that culinary degree to work Jungkook. I'll keep him out of the kitchen." Jin rolled his eyes as he steered Namjoon away from the mess.

Jungkook sighed and looked around, smiling slightly at the thought of being back in the kitchen. He'd always loved cooking and baking, and when his uncles needed a new baker he'd jumped at the chance.

He quickly started gathering ingredients, casting a glance at the recipes Jin had left every once in a while. His uncle had written almost all of them himself, but had given Jungkook the liberty to change whatever he liked.

He soon lost himself in the process, mixing spices and creating beautiful aromas that filled the kitchen and began to drift out into the cafe.

"Smells delicious!"

Jungkook heard a familiar voice from out front, he should have known Jimin would show up for his first day.

Putting his current rack of muffins in the oven, he dusted off his hands on his apron and left them to bake.