#Dumplings Market Analysis

[downincmi]

Frozen Food Market Finesse: Elevating Your Cuisine with Chill Creations

The frozen food market has witnessed significant growth over the past few years owing to the growing demand for convenience foods. Frozen foods offer benefits such as long shelf-life, convenience of use and consistency of taste. Moreover, the process of freezing foods retains maximum nutrition, freshness and flavor. Key products in the frozen food market include frozen ready meals, meat and poultry, seafood, fruits and vegetables. The emergence of private label brands with diverse product offerings has also fuelled the demand for frozen foods. The Global frozen food market is estimated to be valued at US$167116.37 Mn in 2024 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 4.8% over the forecast period 2023 to 2030. Growing urbanization and busier lifestyles have increased the demand for packaged, easy-to-cook foods. This has boosted the sales of frozen foods as they provide convenience without compromising on taste or nutrition. Moreover, rising disposable incomes in developing economies has allowed consumers to spend more on premium frozen food products. Key Takeaways

Key players: Key players operating in the frozen food market are Nestle S.A., Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Kraft Foods Group, Inc., ConAgra Foods, Inc., General Mills, Inc., H.J. Heinz Company, Tyson Foods, Inc., Unilever Plc., Maple Leaf Foods, Inc., and Pinnacle Foods, Inc. These players are focusing on new product launches catering to evolving tastes and preferences. For instance, Nestle S.A launched a range of frozen dumplings and bao in 2021. Growing demand: The global frozen food market is expected expand significantly owing to changing lifestyles, rising number of working women and emergence of nuclear families which boost the demand for convenience foods. Furthermore, increasing health awareness is leading to demand for frozen organic foods and foods with functional benefits. Global expansion: Major frozen food manufacturers are expanding their footprint globally through acquisitions and partnerships. For instance, Tyson Foods acquired Kentucky-based Keystone Foods in 2018 to strengthen its frozen and refrigerated value-added food business globally. Moreover, private labels brands are also expanding across regions which further intensifies the competition. Market Key Trends

One of the major trends in the frozen food market is increasing demand for plant-based and vegetarian frozen meals and snacks. With growing health and environment consciousness, consumers are shifting towards more healthier and sustainable diets. Plant-based frozen food options provide similar taste and texture to their meat counterpart. Moreover, advancements in plant-protein technology have enabled manufacturers to imitate meat texture and flavors very closely. This is positively impacting the sale of frozen plant-based meat substitutes.

Porter’s Analysis

Threat of new entrants: Frozen food requires huge infrastructures and capital investment, limiting the threat of new entrants. Bargaining power of buyers: Buyers have moderate bargaining power due to availability of substitutes. Bargaining power of suppliers: Suppliers have moderate bargaining power due to availability of alternatives. Threat of new substitutes: Substitutes like fresh and canned food pose moderate threat. Competitive rivalry: Intense competition from existing players. Frozen food market value is highly concentrated in North America and Europe. North America accounts for the largest market share owing to increasing trend of consuming ready-to-eat food amongst consumers. Europe follows North America in terms of frozen food market value share majorly driven by developed economies like Germany, UK and France. The Asia Pacific region is growing at the fastest rate for frozen food market primarily due to changing food consumption habits and rising disposable income in emerging economies like China and India. The demand for frozen foods is expected to increase substantially in Asia Pacific supported by growing middle class population, rapid urbanization and busy lifestyles.

[40sandfabulousaf]

大家好! Pa had a stomach upset last weekend, so we pushed back our meal and I began my exploring adventure early. After exercise and a cool shower on Saturday, I walked to a popular coffee shop along the main road, a 5 - 8 minute walk either way. Our country isn't known as the 'Garden City' for nothing (Joseph Borrell comes to mind); trees and shrubs line walkways and streets, beautiful against blue skies and poofy clouds. The greenery keeps the surrounding air cool, making a walk pleasant despite our tropical climate.

At the coffee shop, the queue at the cai fan (mixed veggie rice) stall stretched far back, so I looked around to see what else there was to eat. A stall selling soy sauce chicken rice made my mouth water and I had to order from them. The meal was delicious and nutritionally balanced, with steamed chicken, steamed egg, cucumber, oyster sauce bak choy, fluffy rice and a bowl of chicken broth. After eating, I relaxed with an iced local coffee before strolling home. The experience was so pleasant that I decided to do the same on Sunday.

Breakfast food here tends to be less healthy if we dine out, except for, maybe zhou (porridge) or dumpling soup. I found this to be true at the coffee shop. Fish is only available at the cai fan stall from lunch time onwards; their breakfast dishes were oily and didn't appeal to me, thus, I chose xiao guo tang (mini wok soup). Fish and pork balls, fish cake slices, veggies, her keow (fish dumplings), lean pork and an egg were served in clear broth, kept hot by a small fire lit under the tiny pot. It was the healthiest Sunday breakfast I found at the coffee shop (yummy too!) and it was good enough.

I was determined to eat from the cai fan stall, so on Monday, the final day of the wonderful long weekend, I walked back to the coffee shop. The only fish dishes available were fried or sweet and sour (yuck); I chose the lesser of the 2 evils. Besides that, I selected fu rong dan (a tasty shredded carrot and bean sprout omelette) as well as stir fried okra to go with my zhou. Not as healthy as I would've liked the meal to be (would've been better with steamed fish), but it was nutritious and balanced, and that will have to do. It was a very hot afternoon, perfect for iced local coffee before strolling home.

It was a fabulous long weekend; I caught up on rest, danced up a sweat and did some walking on top of my daily exercise routine. I also found meals at the coffee shop which, whilst not the epitome of clean eating, were still moderately healthy. Similar dining places line the road and across the street, and I'll keep them in mind the next time I explore my country in search of easily accessible, moderately healthy food. I've had fun and hope you find the health articles helpful. 下次见!

[fooddatascraping]

How To Scrape Dumpling Grocery Delivery App Data?

Scrape Dumpling Grocery Delivery Data - Dumpling Grocery Delivery App Data Scraping

You can easily use Dumpling Grocery delivery data scraping to get a clear and valued database, including different Grocery delivery data, reviews, locations, menus, mentions, etc., from Dumpling Grocery with no technical issues.

About Dumpling

The Dumpling Company is a principal grocery retailer in the United States. It functions over 1,300 supermarkets within 24 states across the US, mainly in the South, Southeast, Midwest, and Southwest. Over 1,050 of them are under Dumpling's name, having the remainder operating underneath names like King Soopers, Dillon Stores, and Fry's with its subsidiary, Dillon Companies, Inc. Over 93% of a company's sales come from grocery operations having maximum remainder coming from over 800 convenience stores. Dillon works under different names within 15 states. Dumpling also provides 37 food processing services that produce deli items, dairy products, bakery goods, and other grocery products.

People use Dumpling worldwide to discover eating places. Dumpling assists you in choosing where to eat; it doesn’t know your location. Many Grocery enthusiasts post reviews and share images so that you find everything for making a decision. Do you need excellent Grocery databases? Grocery Data Scrape offers the best Dumpling Grocery delivery app data scraping services, as we are skilled in scraping the Dumpling database according to your needs. You can use our Dumpling data scraping services could be used to do grocery marketing needs. Scraping Dumpling Grocery data could be helpful for people that need to create business directories or do research & analysis.

Which Data Fields Can You Scrape from Dumpling Grocery Delivery App?

With Food Data Scrape, it’s easy to scrape data fields from Dumpling like:

Grocery Name

Address

Geo Coordinates

Product Name

Product Image

Product SKU

Product Category

Product Descriptions

Product Price

Offers

Services Available

Shipping Charges

Ratings

Reviews

How to Scrape Region-Wise Data from Dumpling Grocery Delivery Data?

Scraping region-wise data can be annoying, mainly if you don’t understand how to do it. Having manual data supplies requires good resources and sufficient time. Our Dumpling Grocery data scraping services can help you find images, data, files, etc., used in grocery, get data about how to make different menus, and extract region-wise Dumpling Grocery data to get quick data. With Dumpling Grocery mobile app scraping, it’s easy to get optimal data suitable for you because they get an immense database, which is easily serviceable. Food Data Scrape provides the best Dumpling Grocery web extraction services to extract region-wise data for menus and locations.

How to Scrape Dumpling Grocery Delivery Data?

Scraping Dumpling Grocery data is a hard job to do, particularly if you don’t know the way to do it. Gathering manual information needs different things with sufficient time. You can use our Dumpling Grocery web extraction service in various analytics and data professionals for different business app needs. They are authentic and offer available results. You can get data, files, images, etc., with Dumpling Grocery delivery app data scraping, find the most relevant data for you, and utilize Dumpling Grocery delivery data scraping to avoid tedious work.

Is it possible to scrape Dumpling Grocery Competitive Menu Prices Data?

Dumpling Grocery ordering application data scraping helps you scrape data like Grocery pricing, menus, grocery names, and item modifiers that are extremely important for many Grocery businesses. You can defend site IPs from getting blocked, frequently remove identical data, and set pricing menu valuation events. We extract site images using confidential data because it is essential for any business. Well-balanced data is crucial as you can utilize it for market analysis.

What about Scraping Discounts, Delivery Charges, Packaging, and Services Data?

Food Data Scraping works with different formats. You can scrape data from other sources open in various forms if you want data fields like reviews, text, pricing, product descriptions, and digital resources. Using web scraping services, you can achieve volumes and variety that scrape different data volumes, get cut-pricing data, item-related services, delivery charges, and packaging, and find sensitive data that don’t make settlements precisely. Product and pricing data regularly alter at different intervals because of updates on the standard structure or changing prices to be aggressive. You don’t need to lose updates; you can reschedule scaping daily, weekly, or monthly.

To know more about Dumpling Grocery delivery app data scraping, you can contact Food Data Scrape. We also offer Food Data Scraping and Mobile Grocery App Scraping at reasonable prices.

[marketinsight1234]

Frozen Dumplings Market Size, Latest Trends, Scope, Competitive Analysis, Revenue and Forecast 2028

Frozen Dumplings Market size is projected to reach USD 3.9 Billion by 2028 from an estimated USD 2.6 Billion in 2021, growing at a CAGR of 5.7% globally.

Dumpling is a broad class of dishes that are made up of pieces of dough (manufactured from a variety of starch sources) packaged around a filling, or of dough with no filling. The dough can be based on bread, flour, or potatoes, and maybe furnished with vegetables, cheese, meat, fish, fruits, or sweets. Dumplings may be produced using a variety of methods, such as simmering or steaming, baking, boiling, frying, and are found in many global cuisines. Frozen dumplings, also known as shock-frozen dumplings, received their name from the freezing reaction between them. When the dumplings are framed fit, they are immediately placed in a chiller. With the temperature set as low as 45oC, the middle of the dumpling freezes, allowing it to reach - 18oC in a second, preventing supplements from traveling away from the dumplings. These can be steamed, seared, or cooked in a southern way.

The global Frozen Dumplings Market report provides comprehensive market information, including classifications, definitions, and market analysis. This also helps with the awareness of various item specifics, the manufacturing cycle, the supply chain, and the cost structure. Along these lines, the understanding of the project's structural squares and key drivers of development is enhanced. To estimate the market size, boundaries such as import and fare, rules in various nations, inflation, legal and political variables, financial elements, and other minor aspects inside organizations have been broken down. The research examines the competitive landscape as well as the most current positions of major rivals in the Frozen Dumplings industry.

[marketdevelopment]

Frozen Dumplings Market

Frozen Dumplings Market is growing at a faster pace with substantial growth rates over the last few years and is estimated that the market will grow significantly in the forecasted period.

Dumpling is a broad class of dishes that consist of pieces of dough (made from a variety of starch sources) wrapped around a filling, or of dough with no filling. The dough can be based on bread, flour, buckwheat or potatoes, and may be filled with meat, fish, tofu, cheese, vegetables, fruits or sweets. Dumplings may be prepared using a variety of methods, including baking, boiling, frying, simmering or steaming and are found in many world cuisines.

Read More: https://introspectivemarketresearch.com/reports/frozen-dumplings--market/

Global Frozen Dumplings Market 2022 by Company, Region, Type, and Application by Introspective Market Research to 2028 is formulated to analyse the present trends, financial overview of the industry, historical data assessment, and complete market dynamics analysis. This report offers exhaustive analysis and interpretation of the data gathered for the global Frozen Dumplings market. This report categorizes the market broadly by categorizing the market by Application, Type, and Geographic Region. It shows the current state of the industry. This study provides insights into the impact of global and local market experts, value chain optimization, probabilistic research, technical objectives, product launches, and critical market growth reviews. Our analysts drafted the report by gathering information through primary (via surveys and interviews) and secondary (including industry institutional databases, reputable paid sources, and trade journals) data collection methods. The report includes a thorough qualitative and quantitative evaluation.

[vlovers19]

Also u can hear yoongi saying in the back that they didnt always fight about dumplings though. But its clear that vmin didnt like being singled out. It may be bcoz of many reasons we might fully never know. Funnily some antis are saying that this is proof that vmin's bond is indeed fanservice or a marketed image. The fact that this info was revealed on national tv itself shows its not that serious otherwise it would have been edited out?

A lot of people have sent me different reactions to the dumpling incident. Like before, I don't have all my facts correctly but I'm so happy I'm not the only one noticing things. People are starting to notice things on their own. Again, there could be so many reasons why they reacted like that and it's also true that for their expressions to be aired like that without it being edited proves that they all handled the matter really well but of course eagle eyed as we are, we tend to notice things.

Jimin had already been in a good mood or at least showing us he was in a good mood before the whole dumpling incident fiasco but Taehyung was more into his own space so when the dumpling incident was brought up, they both gave questioning expressions. Jimin might have felt relieved that Jungkook didn't say too much or he might have just been thinking about the incident. Ultimately, he might just have been thinking about a lot of things at that exact moment. We will never know. You mentioned that Yoongi spoke that the dumpling incident wasn't the only thing they fought about which is true. It can't be the only thing they fought about but it's a significant thing which is the reason why they sang about it in their song. Of all the fights they've ever had, they chose to sing about that particular one which shows it's importance but i don't think Yoongi will understand that. It's something that is between V and Jimin. Somewhere in the song, they said:

You and me decided not to fight tomorrow for real

Which means there where times when their fights got out of hand. The fact that they are ready to work on their relationship shows how much they care about each other. How much they are willing to change in other to be better. We should all acknowledge that they are humans and showing such emotions means they are not faking it as some antis will say because all they are looking for is a mistake and they will prey on it. Below, is a little example of how Vmin used to view each other in the early days.

Out of the songs in the 7 album, friends was the only song Jimin produced by himself which should tell us how important it is to him. Big hit had always hesitated against a vmin sub unit, even rejecting the song Taehyung had wanted to sing with Jimin. However, for me, the only reason why I think they even allowed them to release the song was because they cut down some things. The title looked platonic enough "Friends" nothing there. Soulmate is what they often call each other so that's fine. Nothing to worry about but Vmin still managed to hide and also expose quite a lot about their relationship with each other. In the end, they sang that they would like to remain together even after the cheers have died down. Others could take it as being friends forever or it could be the other way around. It's up to them but such strong words, for a friend? It's suspicious but craftly hidden so you have no idea what to think which is why I'll be making my own analysis of the song too. I will do a lot of research before posting about it so it might take a while.

Bottom line, people who are closest to each other tend to fight a lot because there are a lot of expectations but when you are always fighting or butting heads with each other, you either separate from each other for the sake of your mental health or you straighten yourselves out. I will take it from my personal experience. My brother and his girlfriend where quite doting to each other, not that they didn't argue, they did but when they decided to move in together and discovered their different personalities, they started to argue all the time. They could argue twice in a day and for the smallest of things. Even when I came to visit them at their apartment, they would argue in front of me. I would settle them and everything would be alright again but then it would start all over again. It got so bad that my brother's girlfriend finally moved out. Because they had been together for so long, it was difficult to break up so I decided to use my psychotherapy skills to see if there was anything I could do to help. (Also because I like her and I want her to marry my brother)

I spoke to her and discovered that she had always hated the male authority. She didn't like someone telling her what to do especially a man because of the abusive relationship her mother had while being with her father. And my brother acted like her father in some ways. I figured that this wasn't a problem when they weren't living together but the minute they started to live together, they realized just how different they really are. Bottom line, they made up and talked about their issues. Today, everything seems okay between them. Not perfect but at least, they are better than before and my head strong brother has learnt a lot.

Why did I bring up this unnecessary story? It's because it has a similarity to vmin. People with opposing personalities will always butt heads especially when they live together but if they value their relationship a lot, they will want to make things work just as vmin are doing whether as friends or as something more. There are so many things we will never know about them. Seeing as how their relationship with each other isn't just black and white shows how complicated it is. One minute they are happy, totally over each other, the next they are sad, avoiding each other but then they are back together again. Typical behaviors of a couple. Normal best bros or buddies aren't that complicated. You simply make up, no need writing a song that has soulmates all over it. Am i right?.

If you have anything to point out, do let me know. I love interactive sessions a lot.

[vixxscifiwritings]

yellow tulips for love

jbsdhffhkb I didn’t know this gif existed before I wrote this oneshot

Characters - Hongbin x OC, Taekwoon x OC (established), Hyukvi, HaKen

Warnings - cheese everywhere

Summary - Hongbin and Haneul dance around their growing feelings for each other. Or rather, Haneul remains unaware of Hongbin’s silent confessions.

A/N - Yes this is the cursed story I wrote in return for @biasedwriting writing me college AU jock!Taekwoon. Or rather, the first half of the deal.

-x-

“Kim Haneul? What a pleasant surprise!” Hongbin said, smiling at her. He had been happily surprised to see her when she had walked into the conference room. He had waited till after the presentation to approach her.

“Hello. Minah couldn’t make it so I am a last minute substitution for her” Haneul explained. “She sends her apologies. She is terribly sorry about being caught up in Busan.”

“It’s alright. We are always happy to see a familiar face” Hongbin said.

“I don’t think your team was as happy after the presentation” Haneul said, frowning to herself.

“Well, it’s a lot of work every time a new product comes around. The company pushes really aggressively on targets just to make it popular in our client base” Hongbin explained.

“Well the new underlying processes reduce our cost of financing overall and the low interest rates would attract more customers from the middle market base” she argued.

“Still a gamble to take. The new loan scheme is complicated to explain to someone who isn’t a financial analyst like you or me” he replied. Hongbin smiled and his dimple showed, momentarily making Haneul lose focus. She narrowed her eyes at him. He always used his dimples to throw people off focus when he was losing an argument. Yet it strangely made her heart flutter.

“It’s a shame that the presentations always happen at the end of the business day. I don’t think people appreciate being pulled into meetings so late” she noted, watching as some people in the room yawned.

It had been an exciting day on the market and such days often saw a lot of worried investors harassing their relation managers over their portfolios and if they were making large profits or losses.

“It’s been a day for us as well. The equity team looked to be on the verge of tears. The advisory team is still faring okay” he told her.

“I did not expect a sudden change in regulations. We have a very short time to update our rules and start reporting on the new laws” Haneul observed.

“They will extend the deadlines. They always do” Hongbin said, dismissing her worry.

“Dangerous gamble to take Mr Lee” Haneul said with a grin. He smirked at her before adjusting his tie.

“I guess I’ll be on my way then” she said, with a short bow.

“It’s late. Should I walk you home?” he asked, looking out of the window. The sun had set before the meeting had started.

“I don’t want to trouble you” Haneul said hesitantly.

“Well, I do have an ulterior motive. I was hoping we could stop by the dumpling store like we did last time? I’ve been craving them and I forgot to ask you the name of the store” he confessed sheepishly.

“Who can say no to dumplings? Let’s go!” Haneul cheered. Hongbin laughed as he picked up her bag and held the door for her. Haneul went first, talking animatedly about the hole in the wall dumpling store that the two of them had walked across the last time he had walked her home.

-x-

“A vanilla latte please” Haneul said, stifling a yawn. It was seven thirty in the morning and it was too damn early by her standards. Hence she had decided to make a quick coffee run before she had to get to work.

She collected the receipt and waited at the pickup counter for her coffee to be ready. She mindlessly scrolled through the news, noting in the headlines and marking whatever seemed relevant to be read later. The slight chill in the air seeped through her suit jacket and made her shiver.

“You look like a funny kitten” a familiar voice announced. Haneul gasped, turning to see Hongbin standing there and grinning at her.

“Excuse you, I am a puppy” she protested.

“You look like a wet kitten that’s shivering in the rain. Why didn’t you wear something warm?” he asked her, standing next to her and leaning against the counter. He had a receipt token identical to hers and Haneul realized that she had been too busy to notice him come in and order his coffee.

“I forgot my scarf in the rush to get to office” she said, embarrassed at how silly it sounded when said out loud. Maybe she shouldn’t have said anything at all.

“I thought you didn’t clock in till later” Hongbin said.

“I am working longer for a month. We have this new research that’s keeping everyone on their toes” she explained. “It’s really exciting because we have finally started using big data algorithms. Did I ever tell you that they finally licensed the new market data for the parameters that we had been lobbying for? The deal with Bloomberg licenses went through so now we have extensive datasets to start analysis on -”

She was startled when soft wool landed along her neck. Hongbin removed his scarf and put it around her while she had been talking about her latest project.

“Sorry. But you kept shivering” he said by the way of an explanation.

“I couldn’t -” Haneul started, only to be interrupted when Hongbin bopped her nose.

“I’m used to the morning chill. I’ll survive. Besides, our coffee is almost done” he said, pointing to the barista fitting lids and cardboard holders onto the paper cups that held their names.

“Thank you” she said gratefully. She hadn’t realized how chilly it was till she felt the sharp contrast to the warmth of the wool. The scarf held the smell of his cologne. She could never quite place the scent and what tones it had, but she distinctly remembered that it was his signature scent. She coloured, burying her face in the scarf out of shame.

Hongbin smiled at her before taking the coffee cups. She adjusted the strap of her handbag before taking the cup from him and thanking the barista on their way out. They discussed the news as they walked down the block to the office campus, feeling more active after caffeine.

-x-

Haneul looked at the scarf, lying in a packet next to her desk. She had gone looking for Hongbin only to learn that he was on a business trip and wouldn’t be back for another two weeks. The weather had gotten colder and she hoped he kept warm.

“Haneul, do you have five minutes?” Minah asked, walking over to her cubicle.

“Uh yeah. Do you want to catch up on the report I wrote?” she asked her manager.

“Yes. And a couple of other things” Minah said. She frowned when she saw the packet that Haneul had been fiddling with.

“More dumplings from your brother’s shop?” Minah asked.

“No that’s just the cover. I had stuff… to return to someone” Haneul said vaguely.

“Okay, you are terrible at hiding things” Minah said. “Is this someone, the boy your brother doesn’t like?”

“My brother has never been introduced to a ‘boy’. Also I’ve only visited the shop with a friend not a boyfriend” Haneul clarified.

“Blame Wonshik. He is a tattle tale. He told Taekwoon and me about this man you came in with, late at night once. And then multiple times” she said, raising her eyebrow suggestively.

“Like I said, Hongbin is a friend” Haneul said. She bit her lip when she realized that she should never have given the names away.

“Lee Hongbin? As in the senior manager from the Advisory team?” Minah asked, a lightbulb going off in her head. She had seen the two of them walk in once with coffee in the mornings but she hadn’t thought much about it and hence hadn’t connected the dots.

“It’s not what you are thinking” Haneul said warily.

“Too late, I am already thinking it. He’s cute” Minah teased.

“And a colleague and I have a strict personal policy of not dating anyone I work with” Haneul said firmly.

“Funny because you work for the middle office while he works for the front office and have no business functions in common” Minah reminded her.

“Even so…” Haneul started and trailed off. She had no good response to that argument. “Just no. We’re.. Friends at max.”

“What a shame” Minah said, smiling at her like she would smile at her nephew causing trouble. She clearly had no intention of believing Haneul.

“Let’s just discuss my report? Disinvestment in the petrochemical industry is more important at the moment” Haneul reminded her.

“Yeah but your love life is more interesting” Minah observed.

“I lost interest in romance the day you said you wanted to date Taekwoon” Haneul said sourly.

“Shut up. We don’t talk about that” Minah said, clamming shut.

“Eat up the human dumpling was it?” Haneul pretended to recall.

“Disinvestment in petrochemicals!!” Minah announced dragging her subordinate along to her cabin.

-x-

“I should stop talking to all three of you” Haneul said with her arms crossed.

“That’s my line. I cook at the shop all day and now I am cooking for dinner too. I should be the one breaking this friendship” Wonshik complained.

“I am clearly helping” Taekwoon responded.

“You are only sitting on the counter and eating vegetables that should be going into the dumpling fillings” Wonshik complained, shoving him. Taekwoon yelped, almost falling off the counter.

“Boys, no fighting” Minah said, breaking them up. She took the bowl of veggies from Taekwoon who whined before handing them over to Wonshik who thanked her.

“Come along” she said, dragging him by his hand to the couch.

“You’re both gross” Haneul called out after them, when they ended up snuggling on the couch.

“You denying your puppy crush is gross. Go out and get laid” Minah retaliated.

“I don’t have a crush” Haneul said. “She doesn’t have a crush” Taekwoon added in perfect sync.

“You’re both stubborn high school children” Wonshik said, pulling out the first batch of dumplings. He carefully handed a plate over to Minah who promptly declared she loved him for the food. Taekwoon glared at the two of them before nuzzling into her neck. Minah rolled her eyes at the childlike behaviour of her boyfriend before focusing on her food.

“I am not a child. That is also precisely why you should believe me when I say that I don’t like anyone that way” Haneul explained.

“That’s why you were wearing his scarf?” Wonshik asked.

“Scarf? What scarf?” Taekwoon asked sitting up. He almost made the plate in Minah’s hands fall over, causing her to cry.

“So one day, I decided to go over and meet Sanghyuk at his cafe. You know the one near Minah and Haneul’s office? It’s sort of early and I am mentally crying but then I saw Haneul walk in” Wonshik started.

“Oh my god, why were you there?” Haneul asked in horror. Wonshik smirked at her before turning to the couple on the sofa.

“And Haneul is busy on her phone so she didn’t notice me. Which is fine because I wasn’t feeling very social anyways” Wonshik said. He gave a loud uff when Haneul ran up to him and covered his mouth.

“Shut up. You misunderstood everything that day!!!” she cried.

“Tell me I gotta know!” Minah said, putting her food away and hugging Haneul so that she would let Wonshik go.

“So this dude walked up to her and they start talking and then before I know it, he is pulling his scarf and putting it around her. He was so smooth, I swear it was like a drama” Wonshik said, laughing at Haneul’s misery.

“He was being nice!” Haneul protested.

“Sanghyuk almost died smiling at the the moment. I just died on the inside. It was too early for drama moments” Wonshik said, grimacing.

“Where can I find him and murder him?” Taekwoon asked.

“Don’t be overprotective. He was nice and respectful. What was his full name? I think Sanghyuk knew him but I forgot to ask” Wonshik said.

“Lee Hongbin and he works in our company” Minah said. “We can stalk his instagram.”

“We do not have to stalk anyone's Instagram. Why do you even know it?” Haneul asked Minah.

“That information is not important. He is a hobby photographer and he has an aesthetic af insta account. We should totally check it out” Minah insisted.

“We should” Taekwoon said. Everyone raised an eyebrow at him. “I need to be able to recognize him so that I don't murder the wrong person.”

“Taekwoon hyung really now” Wonshik sighed.

“Taaeeeeekwooooniieee” Minah cooed. “Don't you want Haneul to marry quickly and have tons of babies that you can play with?”

“Oh yeah” Taekwoon remembered causing Haneul to gape.

“You're both crazy.”

-x-

“Hi Sanghyuk” Haneul greeted when she walked into the cafe.

“Ah the other half of my otp. Your boyfriend is on the table by the window” Sanghyuk said.

“I don't have a boyfriend” Haneul deadpanned.

“Good to know” a voice behind her said, causing her to lose ten years from her life.

“I just came over to clear my bill and leave. I am sorry if I am interrupting you being asked out” Hongbin said. His voice was deeper and husky, a clear sign of him being sleepy. His hair was curly, something Haneul hadn't seen before.

“I wouldn't date her in a million years” Sanghyuk said, grimacing. Haneul leaned over and hit him.

“Just for that comment, my coffee is free today” she threatened. Sanghyuk gave her a patronizing look and she shrugged. At least she had tried.

She turned back to Hongbin who had been observing the interaction. “I didn't know that you were back” she said.

“I returned last night” Hongbin replied.

“How was your trip?” she asked.

“Terrible. The deal fell through because of competitive rates from a rival” he told her.

“I thought we were the most competitive on the street” she frowned.

“Clearly not. There is a long meeting planned for analysing the situation. Jaehwan was not happy” he said with a frustrated sigh.

“Not going to lie. Lee Jaehwan scares me a little” Haneul said.

“He's nice for most part” Hongbin refuted. “But he has a laser sharp focus when solving a problem and none of us are up for it after such a long trip.”

“Ahem” Sanghyuk interrupted. The two of them turned towards him.

“A sweet vanilla latte. It's on your tab” he said, pushing a paper cup towards her.

“I owe you” Haneul said gratefully before he left the two of them to their conversation.

“I guess I should get going” Hongbin said looking at his watch. He smiled at ruefully at her before attempting to fix his hair. He gave up with a very audible sigh and a hunch if shoulders that made Haneul feel bad for him.

“Uh… Hongbin?” Haneul called out to him.

“Yeah?” he responded.

“You need the sugar rush more than I do” she said, giving him the coffee cup. Hongbin looked at the coffee in his hand before looking at her.

“Are you sure?” Hongbin asked. She nodded in reply.

“Thanks I guess” he said, a little confused. Maybe it was her imagination, but his cheeks did look pink. An effect of the morning cold. She really should return his scarf, she mentally scolded herself.

He smiled at her, dimples showing before walking out of the cafe. She leaned against the counter and hit her head. How embarrassing. Why had the act been cute in her head but supremely embarrassing in real life???

“Well that was awkward” Sanghyuk commented, only to have Haneul hit him again.

-x-

“Hi, is Lee Hongbin here?” Haneul asked the person sitting in the cubicle next to his.

“He just left for a break. He should be back in ten. I can call him if you’d like?” the woman offered.

“It’s alright. I just had to return something. I’ll leave it at his desk” Haneul replied. The woman nodded, smiling at her before going back to work. Haneul looked around, spotting a post it notepad and a marker. She wrote down a small note, just so Hongbin would know that she was dropping his scarf off.

Of course it was more polite to give it to him in person, but she had an extremely busy day ahead and she had been hoping to catch him during her break. This would have to do.

She made her way down to the fifteenth floor. Advisory and Client Relations worked on the thirtieth floor since it had the best view, meant to impress visiting clients. But the fifteenth floor had a good view of the city too. The entire building had glass elevators on the outside that let you look out at the east side of the city as you traversed up or down. Haneul stepped out only to run into Hongbin.

“Oh hi” she said, surprised to see him here.

“Hey” he said, equally surprised. He awkwardly gestured to the elevator which was held open for him and Haneul nodded in understanding. As soon as the door closed she hit her head. How awkward was that?

She looked at her watch and she realized that she only had ten minutes for her next meeting. So much for grabbing a quick coffee from the cafeteria. With a deep sigh and a heavy heart, she walked back to her desk.

She stopped when she saw a cup of coffee on her desk. She hadn’t had time to stop by the cafe this morning so it definitely wasn’t hers. There was a small post it note next to her cup, accompanied by a bunch of yellow tulips.

‘I owed you coffee - HB’

“Oh” Haneul said, picking up the small bunch of flowers. The tulips were bright and looked extremely well taken care of. She didn’t know of any flower shops nearby, so where had he gotten flowers from? Surely he must have picked it up on the way at last minute’s thought.

“Haneul let’s go. We’re meeting in 17B instead of 15C” Minah said, passing by her desk. Haneul started, hiding the flowers behind her back. Minah was too busy with a stack of reports to look her away and Haneul thanked the gods. She grabbed her folder and coffee and followed, offering to divide the load.

The flowers stayed in her mind for quite a while.

-x-

“You were looking for me?” Haneul asked, peeking into the cabin.

“Yeah, take a seat” Minah said. “It’s just our routine one on one meeting. As your manager, I wanted to catch up with you and see how you were holding up.”

“Well it is tax season after all so hurray for how hellish everyone’s life is” Haneul said, taking a seat.

“Tell me about it. It’s extremely taxing on all of us” Minah said. The two women stared at each other and sighed. That pun may have been unintentional but it was terrible and both of them judged Minah for it.

“Anyhow… how is work? I get that this month is trying but otherwise? Are you able to hold up?” she asked, moving on.

“It’s okay. Manageable” Haneul said. There wasn’t much to be discussed to be honest. Since Minah was a close friend outside of work, they didn’t need to wait for a monthly meeting to discuss issues. This was more of a formality between the two of them now.

“And what of your life outside of work?” Minah asked, grinning at her.

“We are not discussing that here” Haneul said, sitting up straight.

“As your manager, I should be kept apprised of any such developments between you and any other colleague. HR regulations” she said, smirking at Haneul.

“Well good for us that there are no developments then” Haneul lied through her teeth. There had been… events or incidents or just a casual exchange of hellos and post it notes. But those were most certainly not romantic developments.

“If you think Jaehwan and I have not noticed the sudden increase in the number of times Hongbin and you have dropped by each other’s desks to supposedly return things you forgot then you both are sorely mistaken” Minah sang. “At first I was hoping that it was because you were hooking up and were being forgetful about your things at each other’s places. Imagine my disappointment when I found out that it was just post it notes and flowers and phone charms.”

Haneul buried her face in her hands and groaned. She didn’t know how things had escalated to this point. About one month ago, when she had originally stopped by Hongbin’s desk to return his scarf, Hongbin had stopped by her desk to drop off coffee, claiming he had owed her one. Since Haneul did not have the foresight or common sense to have asked for his number or his business card and she did not want to have this conversation on the office messenger or email, she had ended up leaving another post it note the morning after, thanking him for the flowers.

One post it note had turned into multiple. Sparse and spread out over the days but always accompanied by flowers or in her case, cute things like a Hello Kitty phone charm that she had found and thought he would like.

It had almost become a habit that Haneul thought nothing of. Till Minah had called her out on it.

“It’s not like that” Haneul protested weakly.

“Just so you know, I have no issues with this relationship. Jaehwan sends his blessings too” she added in a sweet voice.

“Since we are clearly done here, I am going back to my work” Haneul said, standing up.

“Please let me know of any further developments on this track” Minah said, formally yet mocking her.

“I hate you and you are officially uninvited for Chuseok dinner” Haneul frowned.

“Too bad for you. I’m hosting it this time, remember? You can’t uninvite me. I uninvite you” Minah replied.

“Fine. You won’t ever see me again. We talk formally like manager and direct report from now on since we must work together” Haneul said, parodying her brother when he was angry.

“We’re never letting Taekwoon live down that argument with Wonshik are we?” Minah laughed.

“No not at all” Haneul agreed.

“It did give me an idea though…” Minah said thoughtfully.

“For?” Haneul asked.

“Nothing. Just idle thoughts” she dismissed. Haneul nodded before leaving the cabin.

-x-

“Not leaving yet?” Minah asked, looking at Haneul typing away on her desktop.

“I just have some analysis left to do. I think I will leave in an hour” Haneul told her.

“Don't stay too late” Minah said, patting her shoulder before leaving.

Truthfully Haneul would have left with her but there was a single hypothesis on her analysis that was failing. She could swear it was a data issue. Their sample size hadn't been as large as she had hoped for. But she hadn't expected it to fail with such a wide margin and now she had to rework the calculation. That had of course escalated to data cleaning being redone and had taken her a good chunk of the past hour.

She groaned as the test failed with a significant error yet again. Luck and math were both clearly not on her side today.

She decided to take a break and probably come back at this problem in five minutes. She locked her screen and took her phone up. She mindlessly scrolled through her Kakaotalk messages and LinkedIn notifications. There was nothing there except the usual adverts and spam messages.

She hovered over Instagram. How had Minah known about Hongbin’s instagram account? She had remembered him mentioning that he liked photography and that sometimes he would travel out of the city on weekends for nature shots. But she had never seen any of the photos he had ever taken.

Haneul looked around to make sure no one was looking before opening up the app. She navigated to Minah’s profile. There was a photo of pasta that she figured her brother had cooked for her. She double tapped for a like and went to her following page. A quick search revealed Hongbin’s instagram. It was his name with extra Is in it. Cute, she thought as she clicked on his profile. It wasn’t private which was a blessing because she could now scroll without having to follow.

Minah hadn’t been wrong about his page being aesthetic. The photos he took were all so beautiful and high definition. Looking at the dates, she could tell that he uploaded rarely. Maybe he had a different place to share his photography or didn’t share much. But the photos he did have uploaded were beautiful.

He also didn’t upload many pictures of himself. Amongst the scenery, there was only one of him walking through the cherry blossom trees in Yeouido. A lot of it was also food. There was one another picture of him, with a Hello Kitty headband. From the comments, it looked like it had been uploaded as the result of a dare. It was really cute, she giggled to herself. Perhaps a few years old because he looked very young in it, but uploaded not so long ago.

She double tapped and froze for a moment. She had accidentally liked the picture. Why would she do that?!?!?! She was such a dumbass. She had a mini panic attack as she immediately unliked the picture. Except she tapped too many times and now the picture was liked again. Distressed, she threw the phone away from her and buried her face in her hands. Clearly she could do nothing right today.

-x-

“Yo Haneul, your boyfriend was looking for you earlier” Sanghyuk said, placing the vanilla latte in front of her.

“He’s not my boyfriend. He can be your boyfriend” she said, miffed and sulky.

“Okay spill. Why are you sulky and why are you avoiding him?” Sanghyuk asked.

“I’m not sulky and I am not avoiding him. He’s just not my boyfriend” Haneul protested.

“Are you in a mood because he isn’t your boyfriend? I thought the problem was something he might have said but I guess the problem is the lack of him saying anything” Sanghyuk deduced wisely. “Sometimes men are idiots like that. Maybe you should make the first move.”

“I will strangle you with an empty coffee cup. Also you deduced amazingly wrong” she grumbled.

“I am only trying to help you here” he said, raising both his hands in defeat.

“Oh Sanghyuk I did a very stupid thing” she confessed, burying her head on the table.

“Tell me something new” Sanghyuk snorted. Haneul glared at him and he chuckled. “Okay, confess your sins away.”

“You have to promise not to laugh at me okay? I was scrolling through Hongbin’s instagram” she started.

“Stalking you mean” Sanghyuk corrected.

“Scrolling!! Anyhow, I accidentally liked a very old post. I wasn’t even following him when I did! He would clearly know that I was looking at his ig!!” Haneul cried.

“What an amazing miracle. I am suddenly inside a teenage romcom” Sanghyuk said, faking awe.

“You are terribly useless and I hope you die alone” Haneul told him.

“Well… I don’t know about that considering I just started dating Wonshik and I think it might be for the long haul” Sanghyuk said, smiling sheepishly.

“What? When?! Details!!” she asked excitedly.

“There are no details. It’s all pretty new and we’re still trying to figure this out. But you know how Wonshik is. If he decides he loves someone, he goes all in. And I kind of like him a lot too” he confessed.

Haneul beamed at him. At least love was going right for someone in this world. And she hadn’t thought about it before but now that she had been enlightened, the two of them would be the cutest pair ever! They had similar interests and got along like a house on fire. And looking at the dopey way they talked about each other, they were clearly very in love and her heart was so soft at the moment.

“Do the others know yet?” she asked him.

“We were thinking of telling Minah and Taekwoon on Chuseok. But Minah changed her mind and invited a couple of other people she wanted us to meet. So we will tell them after that I suppose” he said, playing with the stirrers.

“I am so happy for both of you” Haneul said, positively glowing for the two of them. Sanghyuk blushed, ruffling his hair since he didn’t know how to respond to it.

“Since I am the first person who came to know, will you name your first baby after me? Haneul is a common name for both boys and girls too” she said, resting her hands on the counter.

“And risk sharing your intelligence? What if the name itself is jinxed?” Sanghyuk asked in horror.

“I officially hate you and I am going to take my business and go to Starbucks from now on” Haneul said crossly.

-x-

“So… will anyone give me the lowdown of who you guys invited or will you both just stand there being gross?” Haneul asked, cutting up the meat. Taekwoon just stared at her before going back to hugging Minah who was busy with the glass noodles. Minah chuckled when Taekwoon buried his head in her neck.

“You tire me out” he told his sister, who just gave up on him. How on earth anyone tired out by doing nothing was a mystery to her. It was clearly Minah who had done most of the work.

“Taekwoon” Minah laughed when he kissed her neck. He paid no heed to her words as he proceeded to kiss her jaw and her cheeks and ears. She hit him with her elbow and he grumbled, only to hug her tighter.

“Right in front of my salad” Haneul said, taking away the vegetables from the extra lovey dovey pair in disgust.

“Excuse you that’s my salad. Don’t steal the carrots!” Taekwoon called out.

“I don’t know man, maybe don’t kiss where all of us will eat!” Haneul replied.

The doorbell rang, saving them from another sibling quarrel. “Hannie, can you see who that is? Taekwoon, if you’re not helping then go sit down” Minah ordered.

“No” Taekwoon said, pouting at her.

“Baby we have guests” she explained.

“Yeah baby, move your lazy ass and go welcome your guests” Haneul added sarcastically.

“I should kick you out of my house” he said, detaching from Minah and walking out of the kitchen.

“Why is my brother in such a weird mood today?” Haneul asked Minah, now that they were alone.

“No reason” Minah said.

“I knew it. He’s just a weird child” Haneul grumbled, taking over cooking the stew. There was a lot of laughter and chatter that confused Haneul and made Minah smile. It was followed by Taekwoon’s loud whining and the two women sighed.

“I guess this means Hakyeon and Jaehwan are here” Minah said with a fond exasperation.

“Hakyeon… and Jaehwan?” Haneul asked.

“Yeah. Hakyeon is a friend from university that both Wonshik and Taekwoon know. And Jaehwan is Hongbin’s boss. The one and only Lee Jaehwan” Minah told her, walking out. Haneul’s heart dropped as she covered the stew and followed them out.

“Hannie come here. I need to introduce you to our guests” Taekwoon said when he spotted her.

“Hakyeon, Jaehwan - This is my sister Haneul” he introduced. Haneul bowed and the two men did too.

“We work in the same company. Different departments though” Jaehwan told Hakyeon.

“Ah… so you’re that Kim Haneul” Hakyeon said. Haneul raised an eyebrow before Jaehwan shushed him.

“Hakyeon studied in the same college I did. That’s how we know each other. Jaehwan is Hakyeon’s husband and Minah’s close friend… by some twist of fate” Taekwoon said.

“What a coincidence” Haneul said shooting Minah a look. She knew exactly why the two of them were suddenly best buddies. Both of them gave her matching innocent smiles. Devious Aries people, Haneul cursed under her breathe as she turned to her brother.

“Why don’t we all go inside? The food’s almost done and we’re still waiting on a few people” Taekwoon said.

“You have a really cozy home” Hakyeon said, following him. Jaehwan followed, talking about something that Haneul wasn’t paying attention to. She dragged Minah to the kitchen under pretext of checking on the food.

“Who else did you invite?” she asked Minah. They were only waiting on Wonshik and Sanghyuk. What had her brother meant by the word ‘few’?

“Well, we did invite someone else. But this time it is someone you know” Minah said with a guilty face. But her tone indicated that she really wasn’t.

“You invited Hongbin, didn’t you?” Haneul asked, her head buried in her hands again. The state of facepalming was slowly becoming her constant state of being.

“Yeah. The poor boy was alone on Chuseok because his parents are on some tour out of the country. So I invited him along” Minah told her. “And I know that you are lovestruck but I hope you behave tonight.”

“This is insane” Haneul said with a heavy sigh.

“In a few years, you will look back at this moment and thank me for setting you guys up” Minah said.

“The police will look back at this moment and declare that you pushed me to the point of jumping out of this window and declare my suicide a homicide” Haneul said before storming off behind the counter.

“Yeah okay. Go set the table” Minah said, dismissing her. Haneul was as dramatic as her brother sometimes, if not more. It often gave Minah pause, wondering what she might marry into someday. But it was also very amusing when not directed at her.

Haneul joined the others in the living room once the stew was done. Jaehwan and Hakyeon were sitting on the couch while Taekwoon was sitting on the armchair on the side with Minah leaning against the handle. Her brother had his arm around her waist and it made Haneul scoff.

“But you really should drop by Hakyeon’s new flower shop some time. It’s very close to our office and from what Minah tells me, it is close to your restaurant too” Jaehwan said enthusiastically.

“I must mention, I am a huge fan of the dumplings. Jaehwan and I binged on it once with no regrets” Hakyeon said.

“They were Wonshik’s special recipe. He will be happy to know” Taekwoon replied modestly.

“Oh, speaking of specialities, I heard that your shop has beautiful tulips Hakyeon. How did you manage to get them in this season?” Minah asked. “Haneul really loves tulips” she added with a sweet smile her way.

“Ah. That was a tricky thing but I won’t give my secret away” Hakyeon teased. “Do you like flowers a lot Haneul?” he asked her.

“In general yes. I like flowers” she said. It hadn’t taken her long to figure out what Minah was hinting at. The yellow tulips from six weeks ago had been from Hakyeon’s new shop.

“Tulips are delicate flowers. Probably the reason why they have such a romantic meaning attached to them too” Hakyeon said.

“Romantic meaning?” Taekwoon asked.

“Yeah. what was it again? Love?” Jaehwan asked his husband.

“Yellow tulips were a sign of being hopelessly in love” Hakyeon said. He shared a look with Minah and Jaehwan while Haneul’s heart sank further and further.

“Excuse me” Haneul said, excusing herself from the discussion. Had Hongbin always known?? What was this supposed to mean???

Her brain went into overdrive as she paced around the kitchen. What was she supposed to do now? Oh my god, she was such an idiot. How was she supposed to keep a straight face when Hongbin arrived? And why in the world were Hakyeon, Jaehwan and Minah all in on this??

The ringing of Minah’s phone distracted her from her thoughts. But Haneul went right back into it when she saw Hongbin’s name flash. If only she could either jump from the balcony or make herself small enough to hide under the kitchen sink or something. Haneul settled into a compromise and just ducked behind the counter, hoping to hide from the world forever there.

“What in the world are you doing?” Taekwoon asked, staring at his sister. He had volunteered to come get Minah’s phone but had been confused by Haneul acting like a weird chicken.

“I uh… don’t feel so well. I think I need to run to the pharmacy and get some medicine” she said, jumping up. She rushed out before Taekwoon could ask her what was wrong and dove straight for the closet. She pulled out her jacket and put on her shoes, not caring for the socks that lay forgotten in a jumble.

“Is Haneul okay?” she heard Minah ask as she closed the door behind her. Haneul checked her pocket for keys to her apartment. Maybe it wasn’t too late to just go home and sleep and pretend that tonight had never happened.

She pressed the button for the ground floor and counted down numbers till she did reach the ground floor. The activity helped her calm down a little and brought rational thought back to her head.

She must have definitely looked like an idiot rushing out of the room like that. But there was no way to save face now. She could always walk down to the all night pharmacy and buy cough drops for the sake of going through with the lie, but it was too extreme, even for her. She hung around in the lounge for a while before stepping out.

“Oh. Haneul hi” a familiar voice said.

“Sanghyuk! You’re here” Haneul said, surprised.

“Yeah. Wonshik and I were just looking for the visitor’s parking area. We found Hongbin too. Bless the poor soul, he had the wrong block” Sanghyuk said, turning and waving to the two men.

“Um… I was just headed to the pharmacy so I should get going” Haneul said weakly. Maybe she should have jumped off the balcony when she had the chance.

“Pharmacy? Are you not feeling well?” Wonshik asked. He had heard the last sentence when the two of them had arrived.

“Haneul! Hi” Hongbin greeted before stopping. He had noticed something was wrong and he immediately went up to her.

“Are you okay? Are you feeling unwell?” he asked, touching her forehead to check her temperature.

“I’m fine” she squeaked. Her face was hot from her embarrassment at her actions and she was sure that Hongbin had misunderstood the high temperature as a rising fever. He took her hand to measure her pulse but she pulled away.

“I’m absolutely okay” she lied. She had never been more not-okay in her life but she couldn’t stand the fuss.

“Let’s go upstairs. It’s cold outside” she told Sanghyuk who was now smirking at her. While Wonshik and Hongbin were confused. Sanghyuk had figured out the reason behind Haneul’s actions and was now clearly enjoying himself. When Minah had admitted that she hadn’t told Haneul because she didn’t want her to freak out and bail, she had clearly been right in her assumptions.

“Isn’t it? It’s unusually cold for autumn this year” Wonshik said.

“Maybe I should buy more woollen scarves. It gets chilly here” Sanghyuk said, causing Hongbin to blush and Haneul to start coughing.

“Are you okay? Do you want me to go to the pharmacy and get you cough drops?” Sanghyuk asked her in a very concerned voice.

Haneul glared at him and walked ahead, not caring about the others. Sanghyuk laughed before following her. When Wonshik raised an eyebrow at him as they waited for the elevator, he promised all of it was in good fun.

“Are you sure you don’t have a fever though?” Hongbin asked in a whisper as he leaned in. Haneul nodded, trying not to pay too much attention to his perfume that she had come to like.

-x-

“Thank you for having us” Hakyeon said once he put his shoes on.

“It was our pleasure. You are all invited for dinner again some time. Maybe we can convince Taekwoon to cook his signature pasta. He is really good at it” Minah said proudly.

“Some time for sure. We would love to have you guys over for our New Year’s Eve party if you are in town at the time” Jaehwan added. “You too Hongbin. Wonshik and Sanghyuk too. Tonight was a lot of fun.”

“I can’t deny my boss’ order” Hongbin teased. Jaehwan glared at him causing everyone to laugh. It was a merry sort of buzz, everyone feeling warm and cozy after having their fill of food and drinks. Sanghyuk and Wonshik had brought soju along and now everyone except the designated drivers were tipsy and giggling.

“Do you want us to give you a ride to your place?” Sanghyuk asked Hongbin.

“It’s not very far from here so I will just walk” Hongbin said, politely declining the offer.

“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow at the cafe then” Sanghyuk said. He bid everyone good night before the two of them headed out. Taekwoon and Minah noticed them holding hands as they left, but wisely left their questioning for later.

“That’s our cab driver and our cue” Hakyeon said, holding up his ringing phone. “You’re sure it’s not a problem if we leave our car parked overnight?”

“Yeah, don’t worry about it. Come pick it up later” Taekwoon said, waving his concern off.

“Thanks for inviting us Minah” Jaehwan said. He went to give her a hug but somehow found himself hugging Taekwoon who was staring at him blankly while squeezing him to death. Hakyeon stopped laughing long enough to rescue his husband before pulling him out the door, giggling about how cute possessive Taekwoon was.

“I shall be out of your hair too” Hongbin said, once things had quietened down a little.

“Thank you for the persimmons though. You really didn’t have to bring anything” Minah said modestly.

“It’s Chuseok tradition. And it was the first time I was visiting your house. I couldn’t just show up empty handed” Hongbin insisted.

“Next time, you don’t have to be so formal” she said warmly.

“Good night” he wished everyone.

“Good night” Haneul replied. Probably the first words she had spoken to him in the duration of the entire event. He smiled at her before taking his leave.

“You know… maybe you should walk Haneul back. Don’t the two of you live close by?” Minah asked.

“I can walk her back” Taekwoon said, not impressed by her suggestion.

“You have zero balance at the moment. You are only walking back to bed mister” Minah told him firmly. Taekwoon looked at her, raising an eyebrow suggestively.

“Good lord why didn’t I die before I had to see that” Haneul groaned, grabbing her socks and shoes and running out the door for a second time that night.

“Your brother is just drunk” Minah yelled back, amused by her complaints.

“I don’t care. Be gross in private!” Haneul yelled back in reply. She came back the door and grabbed Hongbin’s hand, pulling him out and closing the door behind them.

“Do I want to know?” Hongbin asked as the two of them stood at the end of the corridor, waiting as Haneul wore her socks.

“You really don’t. My brother is a weird child” Haneul said scrunching her nose. She jumped about, trying to get her shoes on and Hongbin laughed at the silliness of the situation.

“I’m glad you’re feeling better. You were really silent during dinner” he said, pressing the button.

“Yeah… I… yeah” she replied. Very articulate, she berated herself.

“You are really bad at handling the cold aren’t you?” he asked her, as they stepped into the elevator.

“I generally have better resistance” she said half heartedly. “And I usually have my coat which I forgot at my brother’s apartment. I am an idiot.”

Hongbin grinned at her pouting at her own self. Haneul was expressive and this amused him no end.

“You don’t really have to walk me back. Minah just said that for the sake of it” she told him in a quiet voice. “I don’t really mean to inconvenience you. It’ll be out of your way and it is already late and -”

“I would like to” Hongbin interrupted her. He put his jacket around her so that she wouldn’t feel cold and she blushed. “If you don’t mind it, I would like to walk you home.”

“I… That would be nice yeah” Haneul relented. She did want to spend time with him. She had been too embarrassed to talk at dinner time and the walk would be a nice excuse.

“I stay about a block away. It’s not too far” she assured him. He nodded, letting her lead the way.

“Are you sure you’re not feeling cold?” she asked, ten steps into their walk together. He nodded in response. She bit her lip, wondering how to return the jacket without seeming too rude or blunt.

“I never caught how Hakyeon and Jaehwan know Minah and your brother” he said, making idle conversation.

“Jaehwan and Minah are friends from work. Hakyeon knew Wonshik and Taekwoon from college. They went to the same business school I think” Haneul told him.

“It must be nice to stay in touch after all these years. I am only in contact with a few people from back then” Hongbin said.

“Yeah. Most of my friends decided to settle in different places so we rarely meet up now” Haneul agreed. “How did you come to know Hakyeon? Through Jaehwan?”

“Yeah. We’ve been friends for better part of three years now” Hongbin replied.

“Can I ask you a completely random question?” Haneul asked.

“Go ahead” Hongbin replied.

“The yellow tulips from earlier. They were from Hakyeon’s shop weren’t they?” she asked him.

“How did you come to know?” he asked in surprise.

“His flower shop is the only one near office. Jaehwan said that they specialised in exotic flowers. Tulips are rare in autumn” she explained.

“Ah. Yeah they were from his shop. He suggested I buy them for you” he told her honestly.

“Did he tell you… what they mean in flower language?” she asked him.

“He did” Hongbin confessed.

“Huh” she said in response to it. The two of them continued walking, not saying more

“Did you like them?” he asked after a moment of prolonged silence.

“Yes” she said, looking at the ground instead of at him. Hongbin said nothing more, walking along with her.

“This is my building” Haneul said, gesturing to the apartment block they were approaching. “Would you like to come upstairs for coffee? Or hot chocolate? Or something?”

Hongbin ran his hands through his hair, wondering what the correct response to the situation was.

“Maybe next time” he said, although both of them could tell that he didn’t mean it.

“That’s a shame” Haneul said.

“I had a good time tonight” she followed up, tiptoeing back and forth.

“Me too” he said ruefully. Haneul nodded, not moving because she didn’t want to say goodbye just yet. Hongbin had no such intention either but the silence was making things awkward.

“Would you like to get dinner with me? Next Saturday maybe?” Hongbin asked her.

“Yes! I mean yeah. Yeah that sounds like a good idea” she said, trying not to sound too enthusiastic about it.

“Great” he replied. “I'll pick you up on the day of. We could go to the nice restaurant or maybe Lotte World. Namsoon Tower is too far -”

“Hongbin?” Haneul interrupted. “Can I get your number or your KKT id?”

“Oh right. Yeah” he said, flustered that he forgot the most basic part. He entered his number on her phone and saved it under his name. He would automatically show up in her contacts.

“Thanks. I'll see you at work?” she asked hopefully.

“Yeah. We could grab coffee before that if you liked” he suggested.

“Sounds wonderful”

-x-

“Your boyfriend was looking for you” Sanghyuk said when Haneul walked in.

“He's not my boyfriend. And I found your boyfriend who was looking for you” Haneul said, gesturing to Wonshik.

“You didn't tell me that Haneul knew about us” Wonshik said with a pout.

“I think Taekwoon and Minah figured out that something was up at dinner” Sanghyuk confessed.

“So effectively everyone knows” Wonshik summarised. “It would explain while Taekwoon kept looking at me and didn’t say a thing when I said I wanted to make a coffee run.”

“I’ll excuse myself then” Haneul said winking at the two who groaned. She laughed, accidentally walking into Hongbin who had come looking for her.

“I am so sorry” Haneul exclaimed, worried she had hurt him on accident.

“I’m okay” Hongbin said, holding her steady by her shoulder so she wouldn’t stumble.

“Ah…” she said wisely, feeling awkward and nervous.

“So um… coffee?” he asked her.

“Not here. Sanghyuk and Wonshik are going to do gross PDA” Haneul said. Her volume was loud enough for the people in question to hear and that resulted in Sanghyuk chucking a cardboard sleeve at her.

“Please take her out if she intends on being troublesome” Sanghyuk yelled at Hongbin.

“In a date way or a sniper way?” Hongbin asked, causing Wonshik to laugh and Haneul to frown.

“Sniper way. I can’t live if you three being friends would mean listening to such bad jokes” she retorted.

“Damn. I was hoping for a date way since we’re both free today” Hongbin replied. Wonshik and Sanghyuk ooh-ed while Haneul blushed.

“Well?” Hongbin prompted.

“Can we go eat patbingsu?” Haneul asked, taking a chance. Hongbin pretended to think.

“Strawberry or red bean?” he asked, causing her to smile widely.

-x-

[marketdevlopment]

Frozen Dumplings Market

Frozen Dumplings Market is growing at a faster pace with substantial growth rates over the last few years and is estimated that the market will grow significantly in the forecasted period.

Dumpling is a broad class of dishes that consist of pieces of dough (made from a variety of starch sources) wrapped around a filling, or of dough with no filling. The dough can be based on bread, flour, buckwheat or potatoes, and may be filled with meat, fish, tofu, cheese, vegetables, fruits or sweets. Dumplings may be prepared using a variety of methods, including baking, boiling, frying, simmering or steaming and are found in many world cuisines.

Read More: https://introspectivemarketresearch.com/reports/frozen-dumplings--market/

Global Frozen Dumplings Market 2022 by Company, Region, Type, and Application by Introspective Market Research to 2028 is formulated to analyse the present trends, financial overview of the industry, historical data assessment, and complete market dynamics analysis. This report offers exhaustive analysis and interpretation of the data gathered for the global Frozen Dumplings market. This report categorizes the market broadly by categorizing the market by Application, Type, and Geographic Region. It shows the current state of the industry. This study provides insights into the impact of global and local market experts, value chain optimization, probabilistic research, technical objectives, product launches, and critical market growth reviews. Our analysts drafted the report by gathering information through primary (via surveys and interviews) and secondary (including industry institutional databases, reputable paid sources, and trade journals) data collection methods. The report includes a thorough qualitative and quantitative evaluation.

[columbusohioblog-blog]

Places You Can't-Miss On A See To Columbus, Ohio

Columbus, Ohio is one of the most stunning cities in the nation, and it's been under the radar for far too long. This location offers a great mix of things to do, like the Arena District, The Ohio State University location which is filled with bars ideal for a night on the town in addition to killing time at least a couple hours in German Village consuming bratwurst and lazing in its parks.

Here are locations you can't miss out on when you're checking out Columbus, Ohio!

The Topiary Park

This gorgeous area is on the original website of the historical Ohio School for the Deaf, which is house to a jaw-dropping living sculptural analysis of Georges Seurat's traditional painting, A Sunday Afternoon on the Isle of La Grande Jatte. It was also become the Stephen Sondheim Broadway musical called Sunday in the Park With George.

Columbus Museum of Art

This world-class museum is loaded with masterpieces, however what makes it much more unique is the ingenious way of starting important discussions. A number of its exhibits highlight thought-provoking questions, and it's worth putting in the time to read the responses from guests-- and include your own.

After that, make certain to hang out in the Wonder Space-- a family-friendly space covered in remarkable artworks by textile artists that include Jeila Gueramian's supreme blanket fort. You'll feel forced to touch or feel whatever, and will want to try all the hands-on activities such as weaving on the life-sized loom.

Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

The Franklin Park Conservatory has actually been drawing visitors to its acclaimed gardens, Chihuly glass work, and creative art display screens for more than a century. There are more than 400 plant types which are displayed in a kind of greenhouses and is interesting to check out as they represent environments from the rainforest to desert.

The two-acre Children's Garden showcases lots of interactive adventures for connecting with nature, like taking in the view from the treetop hammock or building your own fairy house.

North Market

This public market has been home to bakers, butchers, and candy makers-- not to mention fishmongers, restaurateurs, greengrocers, and ice cream artisans-- serving up the freshest regional meals because 1876.

There are dozens of "best in class" independent merchants that make this distinct space an essential part of the city. If you come hungry, you'll get a real taste of Columbus, from Brezel's Bavarian pretzels to Pistacia Vera's handmade pastries to the steaming dumplings at Momo Ghar Market.

German Town

Learn the history of one of the earliest locations in Columbus as you value the architectural features of the original brick homes built by German immigrants in the 19th century. If you're lucky, a property owner might even welcome you inside so that you can take a look.

Short North Arts District

Among Columbus' invigorating communities, the Brief North Arts District is home to plenty of galleries, indie shops, and dining establishments. You can attempt to check out on the very first Saturday of the month when High Street hosts the favorite Gallery Hop, and you get to soak yourself in all things art.

Huntington Park

You can take pleasure in a baseball video game at Huntington Park. It is among the travelers' favorite things to do. The local Columbus Clippers are the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, and tourists admire the atmosphere, the views, and the cost of games at this ballpark. The park can hold 10,000 people, but many say it's rarely crowded which permits visitors to explore and walk around different parts of the stadium.

Easton Town Center

Easton Town Center is an open-air shopping district, and it hosts stores like Coach, Nordstrom, and Cage and Barrel, the community likewise invites a farmers market on Thursdays from June to August.

The complex is home to lots of dining establishments also, which range from casual and fast like Panera Bread and Cosi to more posh establishments such as Smith & Wollensky and Mitchell's Ocean Club. When it's summertime, Easton Town Center entertains several events which include yoga classes, art shows, movie screenings, and concerts.

This place is outstanding for shopping, grabbing a meal, and people- seeing. Some state that it's finest to hit this shopping complex during the day as recently the evening crowd has actually become a little rough.

Whether you're thinking of a weekend trip or looking for methods to captivate your friends and family, we've got you covered. It’s also the best time to hire an expert home cleaning service to take care of your house. We have actually put together the top things you need to see in Columbus, and this is simply a start!