(15) Of log cakes and hot chocolate

“The orders are coming in fast and furious this year,” Yuri commented as she flipped through the order sheets. “Mrs Choi ordered one hundred cupcakes and two log cakes for her Christmas party, Passion Hair Salon ordered two log cakes, Han Gang Elementary School ordered … oh my… three hundred cream puffs, four log cakes and three boxes of swiss rolls…”

“Mr TW Kim just called to place an order for one strawberry shortcake and one white chocolate log cake,” Yoona called out as she peeked into the kitchen.

“Got it!” Yuri replied, furiously jotting down the order onto the last page of the stack of papers on her clipboard.

The whirring sound of the electric mixer stopped.

“Good news for us then. Looks like we gotta work extra hard to push out the orders in time for Christmas,” Taeyeon commented. “Fighting!”

Yuri and Yoona looked at each other before making a fist with their right hands and punching them into the air.

Office Christmas Party

The office was unusually quiet as Taeyeon walked in. The lights were on but there was no one around. She checked the schedule in her phone and glanced at her watch. It was definitely a normal working day. Perhaps everyone was late due to the heavy snow earlier in the morning.

Pausing in the middle of the walkway, Taeyeon looked wistfully at the department’s cubicles and rooms. She had submitted her resignation a few weeks ago and was currently serving her notice. She missed the fun and laughter, as well as, the tears and pain they shared. However, the lure of better prospects and pay proved too appealing. In her current position, she knew she wouldn’t be able to rise in ranks.

After settling down in her room, Taeyeon headed for the pantry to get coffee. Just as she turned at the corner, she almost dropped her mug in shock.

Dear Santa

“Would you like another glass of wine?”

The gentle voice interrupted Jessica’s thoughts. It was then she realised the wine glass in her hand was empty.

“No thanks,” Jessica said politely, setting the wine glass on the table.

The waitress smiled politely, cleared the glass and walked away.

Jessica watched the snow fall and blanket the streets in white. With a short sigh, she left some notes on the table and left the cafe.

Of sharing and caring

Taeyeon burst into the cafe’s kitchen, waving her hands in the air.

“Yul, I have a great idea!” Taeyeon announced.

Yuri stopped the mixer and stared at her friend, wondering what the petite baker was up to.

“I’m all ears.”

“I’m thinking of having a Christmas party at our cafe! We can invite some of the under priviledged kids from the nearby Starlight Children’s Home and bring warmth to them in this festive season,” Taeyeon exclaimed excitedly, clapping her hands with glee.

Of little children and joy

The chill atmosphere in the cafe was broken by the high-pitched voices of children. Jessica looked up from her phone, irritated by the noise. She had been waiting for Tiffany to arrive and her best friend was almost an hour late.

Jessica blinked twice when she saw Tiffany approaching her. There was a little girl on either side of Tiffany and the two girls were busy chatting and laughing.

“Hey Jess, sorry I’m late,” Tiffany apologised once she caught her breath.

The chatter from the little girls disappeared the moment they saw Jessica. They were shy in front of a stranger. Jessica had a puzzled look on her face. She wondered who the two little girls were.

Of Christmas cakes and love

A sound of an electric whisk whirring in the kitchen greeted Jessica as she entered the apartment. She dropped her bag on the dining table before heading to the kitchen to greet her lover.

Tiptoeing into the kitchen, Jessica wrapped her arms around Taeyeon’s waist in a back hug and she planted a kiss on Taeyeon’s cheek.

“Ah!” Taeyeon was startled by the sudden hug and she accidentally sifted some cocoa powder onto the table instead of the large bowl.

All I Want For Christmas Is You

Knock knock

“Yuri ah, please open the door for me!”

Yuri unlocked the main door and saw a huge brown box in front of her. The box was tall and she couldn’t see the person holding it except for the arms that were wrapped around the box.

“Yoong, what’s that?” Yuri asked. She opened the door wide so that the younger girl could walk in.

“Jonghyun was clearing his cupboard and decided to pass me his train set.” Yoona kicked off her shoes and headed for the study room with Yuri following close behind.

One of a Kind

The couple stood in front of each other near the door of their apartment. Tiffany tied a red knitted scarf around Jessica’s neck. She adjusted the scarf before flipping the long blonde hair and letting it settle nicely onto Jessica’s shoulders. Jessica adjusted the pink beanie on Tiffany’s head, carefully tucking the stray hairs underneath the beanie and behind her ears.

Once both of them were satisfied, they headed outdoors where a thick snow had blanketed the ground overnight. They headed for the small park opposite their apartment, holding hands, intending to have fun in the snow. It was a chilly Sunday morning on a Christmas eve but there were a lot of people at the park. Most of them were children who were running around, throwing snowballs at each other.