Dawn Awakening and the Sweet Temptation of Whipped Cream
The alarm clock chimed exactly at 5:00 a.m. the instant I woke, and I folded the blanket with quick, practiced strokes. Now that I had learned to wrap it around the weight of my body, it came out smooth and rose-petal perfect.
Of course I would never use something like this on my juniors. I would hug them with love instead, the way Jeong Seung-ah did. If I took good care of them, they would follow me willingly.
Once the blanket was neatly rolled and tucked into its cover, I folded the mattress. Gazing at the freshly made bed with satisfaction, I heard the sleepy rustle of my seniors starting to tidy their bedding one by one.
They had cleared away most of the mess and were now moving straight into their personal routines. I could hear the soft click of hair bands being secured across foreheads and the gentle clink of toothbrushes being collected.
“Did you have a peaceful night?”
I asked the one beside me, whose eyes I was pinching shut. Jeong Seung-ah nodded. She had clearly risen early and was still in that dreamy state.
Han Jihye had woken everyone, so there was still time. I joined the other seniors and headed for the washroom.
They had brought their own personal studio setups, lining up cosmetic bottles and jars in neat rows. That was why the peak hours meant waiting over an hour.
Well, it was fine now. It was still early, so the living quarters were empty and the seats were plenty.
…
Ready for the outing.
At the designated time, those with cars drove separately while the rest took public transport out of the base.
“That car is always making such a racket no matter when you approach it.”
Yeon Byeori gave a long, dragging “buda-buda” as she stared at the red sports car speeding away.
“Don’t you feel a little romantic spark?”
“What romance? Seriously? It looks like something a guy would love. I’m not the type to divide things by gender, though.”
“Harang-ah, Harang-ah.”
“Superhuman Seo Harang?”
“I understand. I have a bit of romance. A car like that.”
I was actually taken aback by Jeong Seung-ah’s agreement.
Admiring such a car? Jeong Seung-ah of all people? The pure, gentle, kind Jeong Seung-ah?
An absurd image flashed through my mind: Jeong Seung-ah riding a supercharged motorcycle, arm stretched as far as it could go, desperately reaching for the handlebar.
…It was just a silly thought, but it somehow fit her perfectly.
“Really? It seems like something that suits you two very well.”
“Doesn’t it!? I think the same thing!”
Our eyes met in complete agreement.
Even while chatting with Jeong Seung-ah, I kept my plan in motion. My plan was only for today, after all.
I deliberately slid into the back seat with two empty spots and sat next to Yeon Byeori.
And then just a little. I subtly narrowed the gap between us. Jeong Seung-ah and Kim Heejin had both reacted strongly to the closeness, so it seemed to have that effect on them too.
Women were said to be influenced by negative energy, weren’t they? They had surely been affected by the positive aura flowing from my inner beast.
So I did the exact same thing to Yeon Byeori. Just like I had done with the other two.
Ah! Yeon Byeori shifted slightly! She seemed to be about to say something!
“Harang-ah. Sorry, but could you move a little to the side? It’s not that narrow, but it feels like my privacy is being invaded.”
“I’m sorry…”
I was sensitive to space. Jumping straight in could backfire.
But it was fine! As I kept reminding myself, my plan was only for today! If I revealed my true colors this early, there would be no point to all the worrying and training I had done, right?
…
We got off the bus.
“This is my first time here.”
“Yeah? Ah, you mean the outing was your first time? When we all agree to go out together, most of us end up here. Plenty of cafés and restaurants, and there are plenty of fun things to do too.”
“Oh…”
Since I hadn’t lived a life familiar with nightlife, my eyes naturally went wide.
“Is it that impressive? It’s underdeveloped because it’s right next to the base. The buildings are short. But is that okay?”
“Honestly, if the buildings were tall and the neon lights were flashing, I wouldn’t know where to look.”
“Ah, I get what you mean. Actually, I like places like this too. They’re quiet, you know? There aren’t many people in the cafés.”
“That’s true! It seems like a perfect match for Yeon Byeori-nim and me!”
“No, I don’t get along with lively people like Harang.”
Too harsh! She drew a firm wall with just a glance. Her indifferent attitude never changed.
It was even better. I would simply step over that wall.
“First, Yeon Byeori-nim, you should probably do what you usually do.”
“What I usually do? I mostly just go to a café and check my phone.”
“That’s plenty.”
“Is it okay? It’s an outing, but is it really that boring to just sit around?”
“Just being with Yeon Byeori-nim is plenty entertaining.”
At my words, Yeon Byeori let out a soft, lopsided smile.
“Did I just get roasted as a boring girl?”
“No! Yeon Byeori-nim is fun!”
“You’re just teasing me because I look fun, aren’t you?”
“Kkwaaaang!”
She giggled.
“Ah, I really don’t have that kind of taste. It’s lively and fun.”
That was my review.
It wasn’t bad to hear that I was fun, but right now I wanted to show off my vulnerability instead.
“Let’s go to a café first. The one I always go to.”
If it had been Han Jihye, she would have just dragged me along. The fact that she stopped in her tracks and asked my opinion moved me deeply.
Following my direction, Yeon Byeori led me up to a private café on the second floor. It was an ordinary, dimly occupied personal café. The coffee aroma was quite pleasant.
“What would you like to drink? Here’s the menu.”
“I’ll have…”
Coffee beans.
Brazil Bourbon Natural… Colombia Honey… Madagascar…? No, Margarita…
“What are you saying? This?”
“Have you never seen this kind before? The side shows the acidity and overall taste. Choose based on that.”
Even looking at it, I had no idea. But I wanted to try the one I had drunk before.
“Don’t they have ones with a lot of whipped cream here?”
“Huh? Ah, the one Han Jihye Hero often orders? Vanilla Cream Latte Frappé?”
“Ah! That name rings a bell!”
“Do you like sweet things? Um… sorry, they only sell coffee and lattes here, so I don’t think they have Frappés.”
“Ah! It’s fine! I just tried it once and it was delicious!”
The happiness from overindulging in sugar was fading. It was a shame, but I had no choice.
Thinking I shouldn’t delay too long, I roughly picked a bean. It was labeled ‘Signature Room’.
“Is it okay? It’s high acidity.”
“I just chose it because the name is short. And besides, anything you can eat is delicious, right?”
I ordered and waited. Of course, I didn’t waste the time. Using everything I had learned, I chatted with Yeon Byeori.
By repeating effort after effort, it felt as if the heavens had noticed my dedication.
Yeon Byeori, who had been staring at her phone, suddenly looked straight at my face.
“It’s a bit suffocating.”
“I’m sorry…”
…The world couldn’t be overcome by will alone. The path to the destination was long and treacherous.
Ah, our coffee has arrived.
Both the beans and the menu suggested this was a proper place. I expected it to be served in a tray like a regular café, but no—the staff member personally handed it over.
I took the cup and took a sip.
“…Eh?”
“Why?”
“This tastes…”
“I ordered the high-acidity one, right? It should have entered properly.”
There were people who liked that flavor, so I couldn’t speak carelessly…
Maybe I had misjudged it, so I took another sip.
It was clear. I had not misjudged it.
“Sss…”
“Fff…!”
“No, really, it’s really like the sound of sauce. This…”
“I know. When I first drank it, I thought the same thing. I didn’t expect it to hit my tongue right away.”
Since I had adjusted the volume, the staff probably hadn’t heard it. It was too rude a comparison for someone who studied coffee seriously.
Still, it wasn’t undrinkable. As I drank, I realized it had its own unique charm.
Separately, the sweetness was pulling at me. I had never experienced a craving for sugar in my life before.
It wasn’t just sweetness—I wanted that overwhelming cream drink I had tasted back then. The one that would make my blood sugar explode if I drank just a little.
To suppress that impulse, I focused even more on chatting with Yeon Byeori.
I was focused on my phone, so the conversation didn’t continue, but I didn’t let that stop me.
…
I rambled on for about an hour. While I spoke, Yeon Byeori gave only vague replies like “mm,” “uh,” and “yeah.”
Halfway through my coffee, I started feeling my mouth grow bored. Normally I didn’t eat anything else when drinking coffee.
Why was I sipping so slowly even though it wasn’t a full 1-liter Americano? Why was the sweetness constantly pulling at me? Everything was a mystery.
But I decided not to dig deeper. If I figured it out, I wouldn’t be able to stop.
…Still, wasn’t it okay to have just a little? I didn’t die from eating sweets, did I? Just one dessert. Just one.
I asked my inner beast’s heart.
“Mm! Of course!”
As the answer came, I decided to eat the thing that had been staring at me.
“Is this a whipped scone…? It looked like they sell them. Can I order one?”
“Sure. Card?”
“No, I’ll pay.”
“…Okay.”
“Yahoo! Thank you!”
As I looked at the other desserts on the menu, I felt eyes on me. There was only one person in the entire café looking at me.
“Harang-ah.”
“Superhuman Seo Harang?”
“There’s something I want to ask, but it might sound a little weird. Is it okay?”
“It’s fine! Answer anything you’re curious about!”
Yeon Byeori placed her phone on the table, her expression one of complete incomprehension.
“Is being with me fun?”
“Yes. Besides that, it’s nice that Yeon Byeori-nim is so kind and makes me feel at ease.”
“So that’s why you keep doing this?”
She hadn’t said exactly what, but I could tell what she meant.
She was pointing out my defenselessness. From that expression alone, it was easy to guess.
“That’s…”
“Could you like me? You don’t react at all, yet you keep saying it like that?”
Before I could respond, Yeon Byeori added something else. Setting other things aside, I agreed to that question. It was the truth, after all.
“Of course I like Yeon Byeori-nim!”
“Isn’t it weird to talk to someone as quiet as you?”
“No! It’s quiet, but Yeon Byeori-nim isn’t that kind of quiet. It’s a dignified presence!”
“Dignified. You’re making it sound embarrassing. But it’s not like that.”
After chatting a while, I was certain. There was no progress at all.
I used everything I had learned, but Yeon Byeori’s attitude was exactly the same as before.
…
With a groan, I took a break and tried searching again. What on earth was fox flirting?
I scrolled through the page, but there was nothing even close to a knee slap.
Should I give up? It would be better to refresh by buying a little something sweet.
“First, I’ll go order.”
“Yeah, come back soon.”
Leaving Yeon Byeori with no special reaction behind me, I went to order.
But I didn’t return to my seat right away. If I sat down again, I would have to face Yeon Byeori and feel that pressure.
To clear my head, I took a walk outside and then returned with two whipped scones.
Yeon Byeori sat quietly in her seat. She wasn’t even holding her phone.
“There were only two flavors, so I ordered one of each.”
“Ah, uh, yeah… okay, makes sense.”
“Yeon Byeori-nim?”
“Hm? Why?”
“Is there anything uncomfortable?”
“No? Nothing is uncomfortable. Why?”
Why? Because her attitude had completely changed from a moment ago.
I didn’t know what had happened in the meantime, but her gaze, which had been perfectly on me before, was now wandering.
Yeon Byeori’s gaze wandered in empty space. She had no intention of returning it to me even though I had pointed it out. She was only looking at the phone I had placed on the table.