chapter 4

“Psst,” he heard.

He glanced up, and Taehyung was looking at him.

“There’s still enough time to bake another batch,” Taehyung whispered across the aisle. “You’ve got some batter left; put it in a smaller tin and serve them a bake you’re proud of.”

Jungkook blinked at him, the tremulous feeling in his chest subsiding a bit. Taehyung was right. He could do that. He still had time!

He had to scramble to finish before the clock ran out, and his version of the cake was noticeably smaller than everyone else’s, but it was baked perfectly. He ended up in the top three of the judge’s rankings. Taehyung ended up in fifth place.

In the short break before the third round, Jungkook approached Taehyung’s station.

“Thanks for that,” he murmured, a little embarrassed, a lot shy. Taehyung looked at him kindly.

“I could see you panicking from all the way over here. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself, alright? This competition is just for fun.”

Jungkook’s brow furrowed. A competition just for fun?

No, competitions were tests of strength, of intelligence, creativity, and skill. The fun part was giving 110%. How could Taehyung be so relaxed about it?

Taehyung simply grinned at him, using a finger to prod at Jungkook’s forehead.

“See? Stop frowning, Mr. Serious. We’re too young to get stress lines.”

The contestants had a break for a lunch, and when they returned for the third and final round, Jungkook was buzzing with adrenaline and excitement. Round three was where he truly got to showcase his abilities. The challenge was to make a three-tiered cake, each layer a different flavor, and decorate it with a floral theme.

He had a vision (and a painstakingly-calculated blueprint), and he couldn’t wait to create it.

The round began, and Jungkook got to work, preparing his batters and getting them into the oven before any of the other contestants, quickly moving on to his buttercream. He was planning to hand-sculpt a garden of flowers from homemade fondant and paint them with food coloring, a time-intensive task, so he needed to work quickly and efficiently. His favorite combination.

Taehyung put his cakes in the oven a few minutes later. He took a long sip of water, coming to lean against Jungkook’s station, cool as a cucumber.

“What’re your flavors?”

“Chocolate, cinnamon, and coffee, with a cream cheese frosting,” Jungkook said, wiping his brow as a giant batch of frosting whirled in his mixer.

Taehyung’s beret was gone, his chocolately curls tousled over his forehead, a bit of lemon curd still clinging to his cheek from the first round. Jungkook’s throat suddenly felt dry.

“My theme is: an afternoon in the garden,” Taehyung said with a dramatic sweep of his hands. “Matcha, earl gray, and chai tea flavors with honey swiss meringue buttercream.”

Jungkook’s brow raised before he could stop it. Taehyung just shrugged.

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