Seobin smudged the icing across the cake with a precision that he hoped made it look effortless and accidental. It was one of those color smear cakes that looked like a paint palette. He was supposed to make six more cakes. Each of them would have gold accents and flowers on top. It was a cake that was selling particularly well for walk-ins right now. Since paint-smearing cakes were trendy and he had to make a new batch anyway, he might as well film a vlog for their YouTube channel at the same time.
“Grab one to three colors on the side of the palette knife and smudge in a single direction you want your colors to flow. Always brush in the same direction for these cakes. Using a pallet knife back and forth on chilled buttercream like this will cause the colors to bleed into the white, creating a marble effect, which we do not want on this style of cake.” He said.
Seobin absorbed himself in showing the process more than talking, but it seemed like that was fine as he was at least trying. Despite Hansol being more personable in front of a camera. The fans seemed to like his own calmer, quieter nature, so Hansol had convinced him to do the occasional solo vlog. There was never much talking in his episodes. Instead, his vlogging usually included getting the cafe ready for a busy day, with subtitles on the videos to follow along and explain what methods he was using. Or if he wasn’t doing the silent content with subtitles. He occasionally spent his time showing how to create a certain style of baked goods or drink, as a tutorial if the fans wanted to make it at home. He was less comfortable with the tutorials, but Hansol did a good job subbing them with cute and fluffy commentary subs. Which the fans loved.
‘This was nice. Getting back into his everyday normal. It was hard to do so after the past few weeks.’ His mom showing up had been hell. He expected it to happen at some point, but a small part of him had hoped that day would never come, so when she showed up after three years.
It hurt so much. A huge part of him had wished she had something to say. Some sort of sorry. A glimpse of realization that he was a human being, a sliver of remorse.
It didn’t matter because that’s not who she is. She would never own up to those feelings, let alone show them. Luckily, going home had turned out pretty much as bad as he had expected. Well, not entirely as he had expected.
‘Or had it?’
Seobin thought about that.
‘Was it really so shocking his father wasn’t doing well? He was sixty-eight, and he hadn’t spent his life trying his best to be healthy. He smoked cigars and played out late with his buddies, drinking heavily despite his age.’
‘No, I suppose him not feeling well was inevitable. But when they asked Seobin to come home to run the family restaurant empire. That was unexpected. They had disowned him when he walked out that door years before. Shouldn’t his sister have been the first choice?’
But Arein didn’t want it either. He supposed.
That would leave just his father’s brother, who was older than their dad.
‘So I guess it leaves him in a bind. Father doesn’t want to give it to Mother because of Uncle Minsu. He is greedy, and wouldn’t care at all about taking care of the restaurants themselves, instead only caring about the money the successful locations brought in and how he could spend it. Minsu is the type that will flounder and squander the business to shreds. He will make sure it burns as he has put the last nail in the coffin of Father’s empire. He will probably do it with a smile too, neither one of them likes the other. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if he did it to spite Father. I suppose Father doesn’t have many options, sell it all off, maybe in bulk or pieces, each restaurant split off from the chain, or let people he didn’t trust keep it and chance ruining it entirely.’
To let go of his father’s fifty-year empire.
‘Ughhh, there doesn’t seem to be any good answer. I don’t want it. Arein doesn’t want it. Mother, Uncle Minsu, and Uncle Chansung are all completely unreliable options for the longevity of the company. Thinking about this is getting me nowhere at all. No answers have come. All I am doing is tormenting myself now and will be again later when I finally find a solution. I’ve been too quiet on the tape. Focus on one thing at a time, Seobin.’
Seobin opened his mouth to mention the firmness of the buttercream, but Hansol’s hands wrapped around Seobin’s neck, and his long fingers crept their way up into the back of Seobin’s hair. His hand touched the front of his face, and his fingers brushed it. Seobin leaned into the soft stroking of his cheek, relishing it.
He reminded himself not to get distracted.
“Hansol, not right now. I am almost done painting this cake. Once you have finished placing all your chosen colors, take a little alcohol and a paintbrush and then dab it gently on the buttercream. Do not swirl or drag, you will wreck the chilled icing. Pick the spots that look the best to you. From there make sure you use food-grade gold leaf and gently pat it onto the wet spots. Taking a separate already dry brush after a few minutes of waiting, you can gently brush away the excess from the cake.” Seobin said.
Hansol’s giggle reached his ears, and he glanced down for only a short moment, but it was long enough to make his heart twist. ‘Ayeo, I am in trouble. He looks mischievous.’
Hansol’s pretty lips thinned out as his pearly white teeth beamed at him. ‘A devilish cute grin to beat my heart into submission, hmm?’
His hair was fluffy after being washed and blow-dried, so it was all over the place. He wore one of his sweaters, which looked giant on him and hung off one of his shoulders, exposing the milky white skin and collarbone below.
“Tshhh, not right now,” Seobin warned. But he wasn’t sure if he was telling Hansol that or speaking to his own body.
Hansol chuckled. “I just showered.”
“I know. You smell like lavender flowers and coconut.” Seobin said.
God, he loved how Hansol smelled. He always smelled like heaven.
“You smell like cake,” Hansol said. His lips came down and kissed Seobin’s cheek, solidly.
Seobin relaxed. ‘He got what he wanted. He will go off and play and let me finish now.’
But Hansol’s lips came back down and kissed him repeatedly, soft little pecks.
Seobin sucked in his bottom lip before opening his mouth a little to speak. But Hansol’s arms pulled him down and twisted his head to the side. Planting a kiss directly on his lips.
He let go, and Seobin paused. ‘You freaking thief.’
Seobin turned and removed his palette knife from the cake. The deep navy blue icing hanging off of it precariously. His jaw dropped open when he realized Hansol had no pants on.
‘You fiendish fox, you came out here smelling like heaven and wearing no clothes.’
Hansol stared up at him, and Seobin couldn’t help but feel that raging fire that ate away at his heart and body every time Hansol looked at him that way. ‘Damn it, Hansol, how are you so innocent looking even though I know the handsy little demon you are?’
“Are you sure you can handle the consequences of your actions?” Seobin asked.
Hansol’s eyelashes fluttered. He gulped, trying to suppress the urges that rose inside of him at that small little telltale sign.
‘He is flustered.’
He nodded yes. His lips parted as he closed his eyes, waiting to be kissed.
Seobin’s heart erupted with love for this sweet man. He picked him up, and Hansol’s legs wrapped around him instinctively. He pulled the shirt up, his hands sliding across Hansol’s bare thighs. They paused as he realized pants were not the only thing missing.
‘How dare you! You are a killer.’
Hansol pulled away from the kiss for a moment. Seobin groaned as his lips left him.
“I’m going to have to erase this entire tape,” Seobin said.
Hansol chuckled. “No, keep it. We can just end it here. Bye guys, I need to change my hubby’s mood. Stay safe, love you.” Hansol said sweetly. His hand reached out and covered the camera. “There, we can cut it naturally there.”
Seobin groaned. “I don’t think I can wait,’ he said. And he walked Hansol over to the little couch in their living room.
“You didn’t stop the camera,” Hansol said. His eyes were heavy and filled with hunger, but he flushed from how shy he was.
“I know,” Seobin commented before throwing Hansol down onto the couch.
“I know.” He repeated, removing his shirt from his chest. Hansol’s eyes raked across him happily.
“Your turn, remove the shirt,” Seobin commanded.
Hansol looked directly into the camera with his gorgeous blue eyes and did as told.
Seobin fell onto him ravenously.
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