143 Kaoru’s Cake House – Chapter Nine

Yukii【ゆきい】: We’re currently looking for Chinese to English Translators! If you’re interested, please click on the ‘Contact’ page to contact us and ask for more details!

___________________________________________________________________

143 Kaoru’s Cake House

Author: Fakhrul Anour

Illustrator: Kaoru

Translator: Yukii 【ゆきい】, Sarane

Chapter Nine : Saturday Morning Call

Ginn Celes’ sweet Saturday morning slumber was disturbed by a call from his brother, Mike Celes.

“Hey! Aren’t you awake yet? It’ll be hard getting an income if you keep waking up this late!” Mike reprimanded before Ginn could even utter a morning greeting.

In a hoarse voice from just waking up, Ginn answered, “I came back home late last night. After playing tennis with some friends, a client called to discuss  about an upcoming runway project.”

“Whatever my dear boy, you still have to wake up early. Breathe some fresh morning air. It’s already 8 o’clock. Being a bachelor doesn’t mean you can do anything according to your will. Natures hate that,” Mike lectured.

Fury ignited within Ginn. He wanted to voice his resilient. His blood boiled for a moment. “Did you call this early only to rant? Are you mom now?!”

He could hear Mike chuckling over on the other end of the phone. Then, he heard the shuffling sounds of the phone being passed as Mike talked with the other person. “Here, you better speak to him. He’s already pissed!”

“Hello…good morning!” The sweet voice enter in his ears. Moon Johanez!

“Hi! Morning,” Ginn immediately greeted. The voice of the girl he respected the most was ringing in his ears, her good morning wish to him repeating again and again.

“Ginn, we’ll have lunch at Kaoru’s Cake House later this afternoon, alright? We can discuss about the wedding dress then,” Moon said.

“Alright!” Ginn agreed.

“Okay, see you!” Moon replied before ending the call.

Unable to reply quick enough, the line was cut off. Ginn’s lips curved upwards into a smile while he shook his head. He threw his phone onto the bed and then, went straight for the shower. As he got ready to enjoy the weekend morning, he couldn’t help but think about that girl…. Jasmine, along with what he should eat for breakfast.

Just as Ginn was about to enter the bathroom, his house phone rang. Quickly he rush to where his house phone was and picked up the call, “Good morning, Ginn’s Residence!”

“Good morning, Ginn!” The voice on the other line belonged to none other than his business partner, Elle Cavier. He was a fashion designer that he truly respected and admired.

“Hello boss! How are you this morning? Why did you call on a weekend? Is there an emergency event?” asked Ginn while dropping onto his bed.

“No, there isn’t. I just wanted to ask what your plans are for this afternoon. I was thinking of inviting you to lunch…” answered Elle but before he could finish his sentence, Ginn cut him off.

“Alright! We’ll meet at Kaoru’s Cake House during lunchtime! Mike—my brother—and Moon wants to discuss about the wedding dress. I really need you there to perfect the wedding dress I designed. Please!”

“Hmm… okay. See you there,” Elle replied without any objections and then hung up.

Ginn smiled another time and shook his head. That was how Elle was after succeeding a huge task. He would rest the whole weekend without checking at the boutique or making any meeting with any customers. Just one day all for himself.

After returning the house phone to where it belonged, Ginn stood up and went to the bathroom. This time, there were no interruptions by the phone and his mind wandered back to the last Saturday. Will he be able to meet Jasmine today? It has been four days since the encounter in the lift.

If the morning brought you to her, then she’ll be yours for the day…

~*~

Just like usual, Jasmine woke up as early as dawn. She had breakfast with her mother and as if it were a routine, she accompanied her mother to Maria’s Bouquet.

The hand on the clock read half past eight in the morn. By then, Jasmine was all alone in the condo unit again. Lazy to watch television, she went to her bedroom. All of a sudden, her mobile phone that was lying on top of her study table rang. In one swift motion, she picked it up and answered the call after a quick glance at the ID. She couldn’t help the grin on her face.

“Hello Liyana! Why are you only calling now? It’s not nice you know!” Jasmine playfully scolded.

“I’m sorry, my friend. It’s hard to call fromPakistan,” Liyana softly replied.

“You promised to call four days ago!” Jasmine whined childishly.

“Sorry. I had a flight delay because there were unsettled things over there.”

“So? Are you back already?”

“Yes!”

Jasmine cheered. “When can we meet?” she asked instantly.

“Anytime works. But…didn’t you move out? I don’t know your new address. Where is it?”

Jasmine proceeded to tell her best friend her new address but out of the blue, Liyana’s side of the line grew quiet. Silence. Jasmine’s answer had made her mute. Or was it simply a connection problem?

“Hello! Hello! Are you there?!” Jasmine called over the phone repeatedly.

“Yes… I’m here.”

“What happened?!”

Liyana paused, uncertainty laced in her voice. “It’s nothing. Err…you’re living over there now? Do you mean….the one near Kaoru’s Cake House?”

Jasmine stared in nothing at particular, her smile widening as she heard the name of her newly found shop yesterday.

“Yes! How did you know the shop, Liyana? Have you been there before?”

“Um…. I have friends there.”

“You mean the guys there?”

“Yes…”

Jasmine’s heart leapt in joy. She didn’t know that her best friend that went toKoreajust a month ago before heading toPakistancame back with good news. Liyana was already used to the area. Especially Kaoru’s Cake House that served her favorite cake.

“That’s great! If it’s like that, why don’t we meet at Kaoru’s Cake House this afternoon?”

“What?! We’ll just meet at your house! It’ll be fine! I want to see your new place!” Liyana replied, reluctant to go to the cake shop.

“We’ll come to my place after we hang out at the shop. Please?” Jasmina pleaded.

Liyana began to complain, giving excuses, trying to get out of the situation.

“Why won’t you go there? You’ve fainted in front of them before, haven’t you?” Jasmine giggled at the memory of her best friend’s phobia of guys. Even more so if she was touched by her crush. She could definitely faint!

“That’s enough! We’ll meet there at half past one!”

“Alright~” Jasmine replied in a singsong tone.

It was evident she was filled with bubbling happiness with the return of her childhood best friend. There was much to tell since she moved here. Even more about the one thing, or rather person, that haunted her mind…

Ginn Celes.

143 Kaoru’s Cake House – Chapter Eight

143 Kaoru’s Cake House

Author: Fakhrul Anour

Illustrator: Kaoru

Translator: Yukii 【ゆきい】, Sarane

Chapter Eight : If Remembered, The Other Would Remember Too

Night arrived peacefully. The dark blanket in the sky was filled with stars and the crescent moon illuminated it.

However, one person did not feel calm by the tranquility. In the vague darkness that covered the bedroom, Jasmine stared out of her window from her cross-legged position on her fluffy bed while hugging her pillow.

The girl’s heart was filled with longing for someone. The incident in the lift earlier in the day had really gripped onto her soul. It wasn’t how they didn’t share the same views, but it was the sudden speeding up of her heart.

At this moment, Jasmine missed him. The stare he had made her melt. When his face was up close, she could see every fine detail on him; the long, thick lashes and his beautiful clear complexion that would make every girl jealous. It was hard for her to forget.

But then, it was harder for her to understand how beautiful this feeling she felt blooming in her heart could be. In one second, they hated each other but in the other second that followed…they had most likely fallen in love…?

‘The way Ginn’s eyes had shone in the lift was as if he was trying to show me something…something like love,’ Jasmine smiled at that thought, feeling a little shy.

But wait!

“How can things turn out like this?! There’s no way that I have feelings for that jerk!” Jasmine suddenly shouted. “Impossible!” She threw her pillow to one side and got up to move closer to her window. She faced the sky, trying to take in the sight before her. She counted the stars (never mind that it was impossible to count them all) and stared at the moon, trying to clear her mind. Still, Ginn Celes remained in there.

“I think he was wearing Allure Sport for Men just now…Was it because of me?” Jasmine mumbled to herself. She closed her curtains and plopped onto her bed. Her lips had curved up into a sweet smile, a smile that one would show when one was in love.

Her eyes closed in satisfaction. ‘He was wearing Allure Sport for Men like dad!’ she shouted happily in her mind.

~*~

Ginn could not sleep. He was standing on his balcony, looking out at the beautiful wide night sky that was filled with stars. The moonlight shown so brightly that it nearly illuminated the whole room behind him.

‘She should be able to see the moon clearly at her home…’ the thought unconsciously came into Ginn’s mind. When he realized that, he groaned in dismay. Her face had embedded itself in his mind. Did he fall for her already?

Well, he knew the answer to that question as he was already interested in her since their first meeting. However, the first meeting did not go well. Still, it did not mean that that didn’t promise a seemingly impossible dream, and the proof for that is that now he truly felt something in his heart for Jasmine. That feeling….that feeling was a feeling that he once felt with Moon. However, the one he felt now seemed more than love, it was like hope. Hope that both he and she could be more than friends….

Ginn let out a louder groan in dismay. ‘Impossible!’ he shook his head to rid of all thoughts about the beautiful girl living in front of his condo unit. He moved away from the balcony as he felt the cold biting onto him and headed to his bedroom. Every step he took, his mind would remember Jasmine’s face and stare. Her deep brown eyes were large and wide like a doe’s, but the emotion that shone in them made them more beautiful.

‘Was it love?’ Ginn smile at himself. There was no way he would believe that to be true.

He shut the bedroom door behind him and fell onto his fluffy and soft queen sized bed. It felt like heaven lying there but that could not compare to the feeling that made Ginn continue to smile at himself now

His bedroom felt so wide and large, making him feel lonely. The loneliness could be cause by yearning due to love. It was an emotion that made him feel impatient for the moment he would once again meet her, who he was hoping to be by his side at this second, to arrive.

“She changed her perfume…it smelled like Estee Lauder’s PAE just now…” Ginn mumbled, still smiling to himself. “She changed her perfume…was it because I commented on the topic that day?” he continued. Ginn wanted to believe that Jasmine had indeed changed her perfume because of his comment that day because now, he himself was starting to like the scent of Allure Sport for Men.

“Ah! That’s enough Ginn Celes! Not much had even happened and you have already fallen in love!” he groused while slapping himself on the cheek. “It’s better for me to sleep…!” he turned again and immediately shut his eyes.

It was obvious that he was exhausted by today’s events because he drifted off to slumber right after his eyes closed. His slumber brought him to a dream…a dream that invited him to meet with Jasmine.

Why is it a taboo to confess your love even though you can still feel it in the longing hatred, the cool night, the feeling of love is still there…

143 Kaoru’s Cake House – Chapter Seven

143 Kaoru’s Cake House

Author: Fakhrul Anour

Illustrator: Kaoru

Translator: Yukii 【ゆきい】, Sarane

Chapter Seven : Kaoru’s Cake House, II

After a stop at Maria’s Bouquet, Jasmine made her way towards Kaoru’s Cake House. Her mother’s message was still vivid in her mind, “Send Wing my regards and tell him that these flowers are free. It’ll be a promotion as the flowers are being sold at Maria’s Bouquet.”

Jasmine stared at the bouquet that she still held; fresh chrysanthemum stalks of white and yellow.

She crossed from Block F to Block D of Wisma Kesuma as she continued on. While taking another step, she suddenly remembered the incident in the lift she had with Ginn an hour ago. It was an incident that she would most likely never forget.

She felt lost. Her hatred for that particular man had simply dulled away. Now, in her heart churned an emotion that she thought was impossible. The odd sensation she felt…was the feeling of falling in love. Honestly, it was the first time she felt so. The feeling felt way better than the one she had towards Wing whom she met a two days back.

With Block F left behind her, she continued walking until she finally came to a stop in front of a small mini house. It was double storey building with a touch of antique European to it. Its lawn was decorated with a carpet of grass and dainty flowers of many colors, just like the chrysanthemums she brought. Her eyes caught a glimpse of a pair of butterflies, their wings fluttering about as they danced around the flowers. Jasmine’s lips curved into a smile as she walked into the shop.

At the very second she stepped foot inside, four men whipped their heads at her direction. One of them was someone she certainly recognized as Wing, the handsome chef she met when he bought carnations at Maria’s Bouquet. As for the remaining three, they were strangers to her but she was sure that they were definitely Wing’s employees.

The three employees each wore a matching uniform; a white long-sleeved shirt, a dark brown vest and a bowtie of the same color. They had on matching trousers and shoes, but one would not really be able to see their legs with the long white apron tied around their waist.

The moment Denny glanced at Jasmine, his heart suddenly froze in captivation. His eyes seemingly sparkled and his heart praised her beauty. Who was she?

“Jasmine! Do come in!” greeted Wing as he guided her over to an empty table near the cashier counter. The chair was held out for her and she took a seat. She was then, introduced to the three employees under Wing’s care.

“This is Denny,” Wing gestured over to the 28 year old, a light dirty blonde haired male and also a Leo. Without delay, Denny smiled and bowed in respect. His heart was beating rapidly.

‘Will today be the day I meet my partner in life?’ he hoped.

Jasmine mentally praised the male’s handsome features. An original bishounen! She was sure that he made the girls melt and probably made a few guys fall for him as well.

“That one there is Bob.” Wing pointed at the direction of a young male that lost height-wise to his colleagues. He was of the age of eighteen and a Gemini. He was one year younger than Jasmine and still attended university. He was a petite boy but don’t look down at him, he’s stronger than you think—especially in terms of tempers.

“Next to Bob is Izz.”

Jasmine turned her attention towards the guy that stood at the far end of the cake display rack. He was 25 years old and a Virgo. He seemed to be the quiet type and his expression showed calmness, just like someone with many untold secrets. Izz gave a short, sweet smile at Jasmine and bowed his head in greeting.

“What would you like to drink, Jasmine?” Wing asked directly after the introductions were done.

Jasmine didn’t answer the question first but instead, extended her hand that held the bouquet towards Wing whilst saying, “Before that, my mother wants to give you these flowers.”

“For free,” she added afterwards.

Bob and Izz exchanged quizzical looks while Denny suddenly grew jealous. ‘Wing’s getting flowers from her?!’ his eyes narrowed slightly at the seen before him.

“Eh? For free? They’re chrysanthemums… Why?” Wing accepted the flowers hesitantly.

“As a promotion. She wanted me to inform you that we are selling these flowers now. Every bouquet has ten stalks, fresh fromCameronHighlands. A bouquet only costs RM20,” Jasmine smoothly promoted the new product of Maria’s Bouquet.

“It can’t just be free! There must be some kind of ulterior motive?” Bob suddenly spoke up. Wing was quick to give him a look, his gaze hard and sharp but Bob remained unnerved. Wing quickly apologized to Jasmine and added, “Please forgive him. He’s doesn’t really think before he talks.”

Bob snorted when he heard Wing’s accusation.

“It’s alright, what’s important is friendliness. I feel more comfortable. As for the flowers, you don’t have to ask so much. After this, if you’d like, you can just buy at Maria’s Bouquet, okay? Don’t buy from any other shops alright!” Jasmine replied jokingly.

Wing brought his gaze to the ground and nodded his head, but he then he thought, ‘There aren’t even any other florist shops near this area.’

The bouquet was handed over to Denny who realized that he had shown his dislike and a twinge of jealousy instead of keeping it in. Even so, he took the bouquet without question. Wing had noticed the change in behavior and it didn’t go unnoticed by the other two as well whom whispered to each other, “He’s jealous!”

Denny felt himself being talked about and as quick as lightning, he turned his gaze at Bob and Izz’s direction. His lips were pressed into a thin line. His two friends merely smiled at him with a sense of derogatory.

“Denny, put the flowers in the cylindrical glass pot on the counter yesterday! Make sure you put the water in first,” ordered Wing but in his heart, he was whispering, ‘Don’t you play a fool this time, Denny!’

Denny complied without any objections. He went straight to the kitchen but the moment he passed Bob and Izz, he socked a punch at them.

Wing saw Denny’s actions but simply shook his head while Jasmine smiled.

‘They’re just like brothers!’ she thought.

Wing turned to face Bob and Izz. “What do you think you’re still standing there for?!” he looked pointedly at them.

Quick on their feet, both of them left to continue their work that was left hanging at the appearance of Jasmine earlier.

“What would you like to drink, Jasmine?” asked Wing.

“Just an orange juice would be fine,” she answered.

He gave a nod and immediately disappeared into the kitchen.

Jasmine stood up and made her way towards the cake display rack that showed the over 20 cakes. She was impressed.

The rack was big enough to fit the number of cakes of twenty kinds. It looked like an antique with its combination of display glass and pure dark chocolate wood. She held a hand out to touch the cold glass. It was evident it served its purpose perfectly as it maintained the coolness of the cakes all day long.

As she observed the cakes that were decorated meticulously in the rack, Denny returned to the cashier counter with the bouquet of chrysanthemum from earlier already in a vase filled of water.

“Beautiful,” Denny told Jasmine before setting the vase down on the rack.

Jasmine smiled and watched him decorate. He looked like macho man, making sure that the flowers were in the right position. When he was done, he stared at Jasmine without a blinking, causing Jasmine to stand there dumbfounded.

“Okay, Jasmine. Please sit.” All of a sudden, Wing appeared from the kitchen, carrying a glass of orange juice and a plate of blueberry cheese cake that was sprinkled with almonds. Catching a glimpse of it, Jasmine grinned and said while pointing at the cake, “I was just looking for that cake at the rack!”

“This is homemade special. It wouldn’t be in the rack. Denny makes this cake on Thursdays at 3 in the evening,” explained Wing. “This is our last slice in the kitchen.”

Jasmine turned her head towards Denny with a look of awe in her face. “Denny made this? Wow!”

Denny bowed his head in respect towards her. Looking at Wing, he gave him a smile yet Wing’s expression remained unfazed.

Jasmine took her seat and hastily picked up the small fork set beside her plate. Her eyes observed the slice of cake.

It was obvious that the cake was special From the outside, the cake looked like it was coated with a layer of cheese cream. As for the inside, the content was a soft span of cheese. In the middle was a layer of blueberry cream. Almond was sprinkled randomly so it decorated the top of the cake and the sides of it at the same time. The aroma of blueberry mixed with cheese, as well as almond got her appetite on the run.

Out of the blue, Bob appeared at Jasmine’s side, his body bent over. His eyes were focused on the cake. While pointing a finger at it, he mentioned, “This cake is special! If it was sprinkled with ground nuts, it would be better! But if Wing had made it, even more so!”

Jasmine froze, startled at Bob’s sudden outburst.

Wing fought to keep his cool. Denny scowled at the comment of his cake’s taste being inferior. Bob could only blink when he saw all eyes in his direction. What could he do? It was a natural reaction every time he saw a slice of cake being enjoyed by someone. His passion for cake was unbearable. That was why he worked at Kaoru’s Cake House. Turning on his heels, he left a stunned Jasmine there in her seat.

The girl glanced at Wing. He quickly bowed his head apologetically, sweating a little. “I apologize for that. Bob is really obsessed with cakes. It’s somewhat of a taboo for him to look at people eating cake. If he doesn’t comment, then he will stare. That’s why whenever there are a lot of customers; we give him lots of tasks to do to get in engrossed in things other than cakes,” he explained.

“Yeah, we give him lots of tasks to do when they’re a lot of customers,” Denny agreed. “Thank goodness he didn’t teach you the right way of eating cake,” he added.

Jasmine’s eyebrows rose in disbelief at that. She turned behind and found Bob trying to pretend to sweep the floor, most likely embarrassed by his reactions just now.

“That’s enough. Please enjoy your cake, Jasmine. If there are any comments, do tell,” Wing said.

Jasmine nodded her head and turned her attention back to her slice of cake. She cut a small piece from it and brought it to her mouth. The moment the piece touched her taste buds, she could taste the delicious melted cheese that had been blended with corn flour along with the sweet taste of the blueberry core. Her eyes widened in surprise. She straightened up and covered her mouth with her palm. Her eyes then closed and spontaneously, she said, “Mmmmhh! Delicious!”

She would’ve added more but words were no match to how the taste was. She felt like she had died and gone to heaven.

Those who were watching couldn’t help but were surprised by Jasmine’s actions. Denny was speechless. He couldn’t believe his eyes. The cake that he made had received such response from the girl that he liked! Bob, on the other hand, merely smiled. He understood why Jasmine reacted that way.

Wing’s surprise disappeared after a few seconds. He shook his head and smiled as well. ‘Looks like there’s someone else that acts like Bob when it comes to cakes in this area,’ he chuckled before heading into the kitchen.

However, it was too bad that Izz didn’t witness it. What was he doing in the kitchen? Well, who cares? There’s always next time.