#prepchef

[makeitmingi]

The Cat and Dog Game [Bonus Chapter]

Genre: Romance, Fluff, Comedy

Pairing: Yunho x Reader (y/n)

Characters: Chef!Reader, RestaurantOwner!Yunho, MaitreD!Hongjoong, Waiter!Yeosang, Waiter!San, Waiter!Mingi, SousChef!Seonghwa, SousChef!Wooyoung, PrepChef!Jongho

Summary: Yunho's dream was to open and run his own restaurant. But he doesn't know anything when it comes to cooking. Until you came along and accepted the job, bringing with you a small crew. How will the black cat tame the energetic golden retriever?

Word count: 5.6K

Chapter warning(s): Slightly suggestive at the end.

"Happy birthday!" Wooyoung burst into your bedroom. You groaned and hid under the covers, snuggling closer to Seonghwa. But of course, Wooyoung put his whole body on top of yours to squish you with all his affection.

"Where's Yunho hyung?" Jongho asked, realising it was Seonghwa beside you and not your boyfriend.

"He said he had something on in the afternoon that he couldn't change and we'll celebrate my birthday tonight so Seonghwa came over at midnight to wish me and spend the night." You yawned.

"What?! And you didn't invite us?" Wooyoung screeched.

"Just know I am the first to wish her happy birthday like a true best friend." Seonghwa said with a smug smile on his face.

"It's just a birthday, guys. Like every other day. It's not that big a deal." You said, scooching over to the middle of the bed so Wooyoung could lie beside you instead of on top of you.

"You really know how to put a damper on a birthday, huh?" Wooyoung scoffed.

"It's my birthday. I can celebrate it however I want and right now, I want to stay in bed and do nothing." You declared, reaching over to pat Willow as she slept in her dog bed.

"Let's see if you can say the same when you find out your surprise." Jongho said. Seonghwa and Wooyoung both snickered. Now that got you more alert. Even if they knew your sentiments towards birthdays, the boys never fail to celebrate it with you somehow. Seonghwa always planned some sort of surprise.

"What surprise?" You asked.

"Now you're interested? I thought you wanted to stay in bed the whole day?" Seonghwa asked. You shot him a dirty look and jabbed his side, making him wince and curl up.

"Get dressed and ready to go out! Then we'll bring you to your surprise." Wooyoung patted your butt and pulled you to sit up.

"Alright, alright." You yawned and stretched your arms, getting out of bed and shuffling to your bathroom.

"Hwa, do you need your towel?" You asked before you closed the bathroom door. He came in to get it himself, getting his toothbrush at the same time.

'Happy birthday, love~ I'll see you tonight! Enjoy yourself with Seonghwa hyung, Wooyoung and Jongho. I love you.

- Your yuyu'

You saw the post-it on the mirror in Yunho's familiar handwriting, making you smile. You didn't enter the bathroom after Yunho left so you guessed he left this behind for you.

'Thank you for the note. I have no idea where the 3 are dragging me to, it's a surprise they say. I'll see you tonight, I love you too. - (y/n)'

You sent a message to Yunho and finished getting ready. Seonghwa came to tell you not to dress too fancily, which only made you more curious and slightly worried that they might drag you to do some sort of physical activity.

"Is jeans and a t shirt okay...?" You poked your head out into the hallway.

"Yes. Now hurry and eat breakfast." Wooyoung rushed. You rolled your eyes and went to get ready, grabbing a black t shirt and a pair of simple jeans to dress in.

"You know, considering it's my birthday, you're actually making me feel slightly concerned about this surprise." You said to them.

"We won't kill you." Jongho assured.

"That's not very reassuring, Jong." You scoffed, sitting at the counter. Seonghwa slid you a coffee and a slice of toasted sourdough bread that he made fresh yesterday.

"I have whipped mascarpone in the fridge. Can you get me that and the cherry jam, please?" You asked.

"Sure." Seonghwa went to retrieve it. You spread both on your toast and took a bite. Seonghwa hummed as he made one for himself.

"There's something different about this cherry jam that you made. It doesn't taste like the regular one. Like there is a caramel flavour." Seonghwa noted.

"Yeah, I did something different. You know the homemade maraschino cherries that Jongho and I made last time with the rainer cherries? The ones that were soaked in rum. I added a few inside with the liquid they're soaking in. Thought the after taste of flavoured rum would add more depth." You explained.

"It's good. I like it and it doesn't taste alcoholic at all." Seonghwa nodded in approval. Wooyoung and Jongho came over to steal bites from you.

"The cherries didn't go bad?" Jongho asked. You shook your head.

"I think we added too little alcohol last time, that's why it went bad. This batch was just right." You said.

"Hurry up and eat or else we won't have time for your surprise." Wooyoung whined, rushing you. You laughed and shook your head, he was more excited than you were.

"I'm done, I'm done. Let's go." You finished the last bit of your coffee and kissed your pets goodbye.

"We'll drive." Jongho shook his keys. You all climbed into his car, with you and Seonghwa in the back seat, Wooyoung in the passenger.

"Do I get a hint?" You asked, looking out the window. The place didn't seem familiar and considering you just ate breakfast, you assumed they weren't going to drag you to another location to eat.

"Nope." Seonghwa was quick to shoot you down. You pouted at him and took your phone out to text Yunho. He felt really bad for missing half your birthday but you assured him you didn't put much importance on your birthday, it was just another day.

"Okay, blindfold time!" Wooyoung declared and Seonghwa nodded, taking the eyeshades out of his pocket.

"You guys are gonna drive me to a forest and leave me in a ditch to die, aren't you?" You looked at your best friend suspicious, backing up slightly towards the door.

"You are so dramatic, just as much as Wooyoung. Which says a lot." Seonghwa scoffed.

"Hey!" Wooyoung yelled out in protest. But you sighed and gave in, knowing you couldn't argue against the 3 of them on your own.

"Hold my hand so I know you aren't gonna do something to me." You said as Seonghwa put the eyeshades over your head, making sure not to mess up your hair too much.

"Fine, you're such a scaredy cat." Seonghwa teased, reassuringly grasping your hand in his.

"You guys are the ones who say I'm the cat." You reminded.

"Shhh." Seonghwa shushed you, carefully guiding your head so you could lay on his shoulder. Being blindfolded, you didn't know where to lean and he didn't want you to accidentally bump your head.

"Okay, we're here. Don't move, we'll get you out." Jongho said as you felt the car stop after he parked. You obediently didn't listen, continuing to lean on Seonghwa. Then you heard the door open and someone carefully guide you out of the car. You stood there, unsure of what to do next.

"Follow us. Walk slowly, there are no steps in front of you." Wooyoung told you and you cautiously took steps in front of you, each arm being held by someone.

"Alright, that's good. Stop here." Seonghwa said. You stood still, not really hearing or sensing anything until there was popping heard.

"Surprise! Happy birthday, (y/n)!" You removed the blindfold and gasped. All of the boys' families were there.

"Yunho!" Your eyes widened in surprise before you ran over to hug him. He laughed and wrapped his arms around you, leaning down to press his cheek against your head lovingly.

"You really know where her priorities lie." Mingi teased.

"Thank you all for coming." You said shyly, greeting all 8 sets of parents and siblings.

"I'm sure you're wondering why we got all our parents here, (y/n). Yes, it is to celebrate your birthday but basically, we needed mouths to feed for your real surprise." Seonghwa told you.

"This isn't the surprise?" You blinked in confusion.

"We're just a part of it, dear." Mrs Park giggled. Yunho grinned at you and pulled away the cloth that was covering a huge contraption. The moment your actual surprise was revealed, your jaw dropped at what you saw. You were in disbelief.

"Shut up, you didn't..." Was all you could say. Although Yunho's friends didn't really understand it, Seonghwa, Wooyoung and Jongho did. After all, they planned this.

"Isn't that a kebab spinning thing? You know, where the meat goes." San leaned over to ask.

"It's her dream to operate one and carve meat off it. We've never got a chance to use it before." Wooyoung explained.

"Eeeee heheheh thank you! Thank you!" You squealed exictedly, unable to contain your excitement. Honestly, you didn't know who to hug so you hugged Yunho.

"You shouldn't thank me, love. They spent a long time explaining this to me." Yunho said, patting your head.

"Thank you." You hugged Seonghwa, Wooyoung and Jongho.

"You're welcome." Jongho patted your back. Wooyoung held your shoulders and led you to the doner spit. You rubbed your hands excitedly as you looked at all the ingredients laid out.

"She's really something. Only she would have such a wish on her birthday." Yeosang chuckled.

"That's what I love about her. She's so unapologetically her and she's so driven by food, which is her passion. I'll never understand it but I love seeing how happy it makes her." Yunho smiled, watching you excitedly put the meat on the spit with the biggest smile on your face. You were truly in your element.

"So how does this work?" Yunho came to stand with you.

"You put the meat on here. As the outside cooks, you carve it off and eat it on rice or in pita. Some people even have this machine that shaves off the meat." You told him.

"That's cool. Can't wait to eat it." Yunho kissed your temple since you were busy focusing on the meat.

"Did you manage to settle what you needed to do?" You asked.

"Oh yeah, I did... I'm all yours for the rest of the day. So don't eat too much because I'm taking you to dinner tonight." Yunho declared. You laughed and nodded.

"You guys are so gross." Hongjoong gagged. Yunho rolled his eyes at the older male's words.

"You're just jealous." He shot back. Wooyoung turned the doner spit on and the meat started the turn.

"Ooooh." Mingi went close to take a video but you instinctively grabbed the back of his shirt to pull him back, making him stumble and almost fall.

"Sorry! It's hot, Mingi. I didn't want you to burn yourself." You said. Mingi laughed and nodded, wrapping his arms around you to show how grateful he was that you stopped him. Seeing that, Yunho frowned slightly and plucked Mingi's hands off you.

"Aigo, Yunho ah. Don't be jealous." Yunho's mum giggled, making the other mums coo at him.

"I'm not!" Yunho squeaked, his ears turning a bright red. Hongjoong and Yeosang went around to give drinks out to people, as well as some plates and cutlery.

"We're ready for when the meat is done." San smiled.

"Yes, help yourself if you want rice or a pita. The sauces and vegetables are at the side." Seonghwa directed everyone.

"Go on, my love." Yunho said, holding his phone up to take a video of you carving meat. With a large knife, you began to carve the outer layer of the meat.

"It looks so good." Mingi said.

"It smells so good!" Yunho grinned excitedly. Of course, you weren't too interested in eating it so you fed some to him.

"So good." Yunho melted at the taste. You took turns with Seonghwa, Jongho and Wooyoung, each carving the meat and tossing it in the juices at the bottom of the spit before giving it out.

Yunho watched you from the side, eating his food and occasionally feeding you a few bites. He knew you weren't too interested in eating, just carving the meat off the rotating spit. You were really so happy, giggling to yourself and asking if people wanted more just so you could carve more meat off.

"I know you're having fun but you got to eat too, dear." The parents fussed over you, as usual. You were like the adopted daughter of each family, both fathers and mothers loved to fuss over you.

"I will! I will! Thank you!" You grinned. Mr Jeong patted your head with a fatherly smile.

"And we also want to give you this. Happy birthday." Mrs Jeong handed you a money packet.

"Omma?! Appa?!" Yunho blinked in disbelief. He usually get wishes from his parents and an occasional gift but never a money packet. You received it with a bow.

"Thank you." You hugged them.

"Us too!" Mr Song raised his hand and with his wife, they held out the money packet to you.

"Don't forget us." Haneul giggled, giving you an actual gift while her parents gave you a money packet. The 8 boys watched in disbelief, shock and jealousy as their parents gave you money.

"Spend the money on yourself, okay? Not on things to feed our sons." The parents said. You laughed and nodded your head. It was moments like these, you didn't need your biological father and stepmother in your life. You had 8 sets of parents and siblings here.

"This is so pretty! Thank you." You said, unwrapping Haneul's gift to find a Dior lipstick inside.

"So, will we get money during our birthdays too?" Hongjoong asked.

"Why would we give you money? You're already working." Mr Kim raised an eyebrow at his son's questions. Hongjoong's jaw dropped slightly at the blatant biasness.

"But you gave (y/n) money." Wooyoung protested.

"So? What's your point?" His mother asked, slapping the back of his head as she chided him.

"Wow, all this FAVOURTISM!" The boys protested. Yunho stood behind you, wrapping his arms over your shoulders. You looked up at him and he smiled down at you.

"Are you enjoying the food?" He asked.

"Mhmm but I enjoy the cooking and carving part much more. I mean, look at that thing." You giggled.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. Even if I don't really get it, I'm happy as long as you're happy." He leaned down to kiss your forehead upside down. You closed your eyes and smiled up at him, he was really the sweetest person ever. You put your hand over his own and squeezed it tightly.

About halfway through the little gathering, Yunho announced his leave. Of course, you were confused because you thought you were going to dinner after this.

"I actually have something to prepare." Yunho confessed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yun... You don't have to. I'd much rather you just spend time with me." You admitted, hugging him.

"I know. I'm sorry I'm leaving but I promise it'll be worth it." He pressed a kiss to the top of your head. You nodded, disappointed to part from him but you let him go.

"I'll see you." Yunho bid everyone goodbye, including his parents and Gunho before running off.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine." Seonghwa patted your shoulders.

"I know. But he doesn't have to do much, having him with me is all I need." You said, beginning to carve the remaining meat off to distribute it to the families and the other boys to take home.

"Now that you're done with that, let's have some champagne." You were whisked away by the mothers and a champagne flute was placed into your hand. There was a small toast, with everyone lifting their drink cups.

"Happy birthday, (y/n)!" They all cheered and drank whatever was in their cups.

"Thank you for the surprise and for coming down to spend my birthday with me. It was truly amazing." You smiled softly as you looked at everyone.

"Any time. We're family afterall." Gunho slung an arm around you.

"Take a picture of us and send it to my brother please." He requested. Of course, Mingi stepped up to do it.

"You are purposely trying to rile your brother up." Mr Jeong shook his head at his younger son's behaviour. Gunho nodded in confirmation, not even going to deny it.

RINGGGGGG

"Look what you did." You stepped aside from Gunho to take your phone out and saw Yunho's contact ID.

"Hey, love. Do you mind putting me on speaker please?"

The moment you did, Yunho's voice was no longer the sweet tone that he spoke to you in.

"JEONG GUNHO! YOU BETTER KEEP YOUR ARM OFF MY GIRL OR YOU'LL REGRET IT! I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'LL DO YET BUT I WILL MAKE SURE IT IS SLOW AND PAINFUL! And it's not just me! You'll be dealing with Whiskey and Willow too! Okay, maybe not Whiskey since he doesn't care BUT WILLOW...!"

"You're not here to stop me though, are you hyung?" Gunho teased. You tried your best not to laugh at their banter but imaging Yunho's pouty angry face made you giggle.

"Baby~ Don't laugh at me~ Omma, they're bullying me."

"Yunho ah, you shouldn't be whining and complaining to me in front of your girlfriend." Mrs Jeong chuckled.

"Alright, alright. Don't whine, Yun. I promise I won't let Gunho have any physical contact with me anymore, okay? I'll see you soon." You hummed and hung up.

"Time for some pictures." Seonghwa declared.

"I'll take them!" Wooyoung raised his hand, taking his DSLR out of his bag and holding it up.

As you took pictures with people, you were kind of sad that you didn't have the chance to take a picture with Yunho before you left. But you swallowed that feeling, knowing you'll see him later.

"My turn! My turn!" Kyungmin jumped excitedly, running into your arms and posing immediately. You smiled and patted his head, smiling for the camera. Once everyone was done with their pictures, you bid them goodbye.

"Thanks again for making the time to come down here." You hugged all the parents.

"Stop sounding like you're inconveniencing us. You always make time for family and always spend time with family, even if there's no big occasion to." Mrs Kang wrapped an arm around you.

"Thank you for showing me what real family is." You tried your best not to get choked up.

"Nothing to thank us for. Don't forget, next week we're going for brunch." Mrs Kim reminded with a chuckle.

"Yes, I won't forget." You said, hugging her before they all left with the boys' siblings.

"Look at you, making brunch plans with our mothers and we're not even invited." San laughed, hugging you and lifting you up slightly. You giggled and patted his shoulder.

"Thank you again for the surprise and just being here with your families." You said to all of them.

"Stop thanking already! You know we will always celebrate your birthday, even if you wanna be a grumpy little cat about it." Jongho teased, making you playfully frown at him. It was still weird for you, even if your friends always celebrated your birthday. But to have family celebrating your birthday, it was still foreign.

"Sorry to break the mood but we have to get you home to get ready for your dinner with Yunho." Seonghwa cut in, having checked the time on his phone.

"Bye! I'll see you next week." You bid everyone goodbye. Wooyoung, Seonghwa, Jongho and yourself climbed back into Jongho's car.

"Do you know anything about Yunho's dinner surprise? Like where he is taking me or the cuisine?" You asked.

"Nope." The 3 replied.

"Now I know you guys are lying because you replied a little too quickly..." You crossed your arms with a scoff, knowing Yunho probably roped them into this surprise.

"Alright, we're here. See you tomorrow." They wished as they pulled up to the drop of point.

"Aren't you guys gonna come in?" You raised an eyebrow. They always invited themselves into your house.

"Sorry! We're busy!" Wooyoung quickly closed the door and Jongho drove off before you could say anything, leaving you standing there, dumbfounded. You blinked in confusion but shrugged and went up.

"Willow, Whiskey, I'm home." You opened the door, announcing your arrival to your pets. You were surprised to find your house lights already on, maybe you forgot to turn them off when you were rushed out of the house this morning.

"Surprise!" Your eyes widened when you saw Yunho standing there in the kitchen, wearing an apron, cooking something.

"What the..." You didn't even know what to say.

"Oh, my poor baby. Did I scare you? Your shocked face is so cute." Yunho laughed and came over, arms wide spread as he engulfed you in one of his bear hugs.

"How did you... When did you... What...?" You still couldn't even form coherent sentences.

"We always go to nice places to eat but as a surprise, I thought that I would try cooking for you." He explained.

"When?"

"I've been practicing with the help of Seonghwa hyung, Wooyoung and Jongho. That's why I wasn't here last night, I was busy preparing stuff at my apartment." Yunho revealed.

"Y-Yun, I don't know what to say. This is the best surprise ever." You looked up at him, tip-toeing to press your lips against his. You didn't know how else to express your gratitude. Yes, the others always do nice things for you and give you presents but this was a whole new level and you're not just saying that because its Yunho.

"Come! Sit down and wait to be served." Holding your hand, he guided you to sit down at the bar to watch him work.

"It'll only take a second for me to plate." He smiled. You nodded and observed him, taking a look around the kitchen too. There were amazing smells and the kitchen looked clean.

"Wow, this looks amazing." You said as Yunho placed the first dish in front of you.

"It's a kumquat infused confit tomato tartlet with balsamic caramelised onions and crumbled feta." He recited.

"Wait, let me take a picture." It was plated so beautifully that you had to take a picture. After that, you took a bite of it. The burst of flavour was so good.

"Yun, this is delicious!" You complimented.

"Really?!" He grinned. You nodded and gestured for him to eat one, you wanted him to taste his own creation.

"It is good... The pastry is homemade, I made it last night after practicing with Jongho multiple times. It's a shortcrust pastry with fresh thyme and a grating a nutmeg to enhance the tomato flavour." He explained as he chewed.

"It's really good." You were surprised that Yunho made his own pastry crust. It wasn't easy and with the complexities of the toppings, you wouldn't have judged him if he used store bought.

"Ah! I forgot the wine!" Yunho exclaimed and ran off.

"Yun! It's fine, please don't rush and hurt yourself!" You stood up, trying to see where he disappeared to.

"Wooyoung brought me to a nice wine shop. So this a pinot noir, light tasting to suit appetisers. Then with the main, we have a heavier, full-bodies cab sauv." He popped the cork.

"Ooh, exciting. I love wine pairings." You rubbed your hands as you watched Yunho fill two glasses.

"I know." He chuckled and placed the glass in front of you.

"Happy birthday, my love." Yunho beamed and held his glass out. You melted slightly with a soft smile, lifting your glass to lightly clink it against his own.

"Thank you, Yun. For everything, not just today." You leaned forward to give him a kiss again.

"You're always welcome, baby. Now, let's go to the next course. It's a soup course." He placed his glass down and grabbed a bowl, going to the stove. You tried to look at what soup he was serving but his body was blocking the hobs. When he turned around, he saw you trying to peek and laughed at your face.

"You look like Whiskey trying to take a peak at things." He teased but put the bowl down. You gasped, you knew the look of this soup and if it was really what you assumed it to be...

"Smoked chicken consomme." He confirmed.

"Oh my gosh." You stared at it. The soup was so clear and golden, a well made consomme indeed.

"I..." You didn't think you'd be so overwhelmed with emotion before even tasting the soup. But consomme is one of the hardest soups to make and for Yunho to execute it perfectly.

"WHY ARE YOU CRYING?! You haven't even tasted it yet!" Yunho panicked, seeing tears stream down your cheeks.

"I promise it doesn't taste bad, love. Are you scared to eat it?" Yunho came over to hug you to his chest.

"You idiot! Of course, I know it won't taste bad... I just know how hard it is to make a consomme. And you made it..." You cried into his chest. Yunho chuckled and kissed the top of your head.

"Baby, it's just a soup." He rubbed your back.

"It's not just a soup! It's consomme!" You wailed. A part of you felt guilty too, that Yunho did so much for you, it probably wasn't easy learning how to make this and to make it so perfectly. Imagining Yunho slaving away to make all these things for you, you did feel bad.

"But do you mind trying the soup before it gets cold? And I haven't even impressed you with my main yet." He whined. You let out a little laugh and pulled away from his embrace.

"You can cry again after the meal, okay?" He laughed and gently wiped your tears with his thumbs.

"You're mean." You frowned and turned to taste the soup. As expected, it was delicious. Full of chicken flavour with a hint of smoke.

"I didn't think you would cry two courses in." Yunho teased. You rolled your eyes.

"I have high expectations for the main now." You teased back.

"Which reminds me, it needs to go into the oven." He said and turned back to the kitchen. You saw him put something in the oven and set a timer. But he used his body to block you so you couldn't see.

"Why won't you let me see?" You pouted. Yunho playfully shrugged and refilled your wine glass.

"By the way, where are the kids?" You finally noticed that Willow and Whiskey were not around. And usually by now, Willow would be pawing at your feet for a bite of your food. Like you, most of the time, Whiskey would chill on his own so half the time, you wouldn't even realise he was in the room.

"They're in the room. Whiskey is chilling in his usual spot by the window and Willow's in her crate. Both have been fed. I wanted it to be more relaxing while you ate." Yunho informed.

"Yeah but honestly it's kinda weird to not have Willow whimpering for my food." You giggled.

"I, for one, do not miss it. She always eats my food." Yunho sighed and went back to the hob to work on other things.

"Because she knows between the two of us, you're the weaker one." You replied. Yunho pouted but knew you were not wrong, he gives into the animals way too easily.

Just like how you give into Yunho easily.

"I still can't believe you did all this. Got secret cooking lessons, spent last night preparing the stuff..." You smiled.

"I want your birthday to be special." Yunho put an arm around your waist. Even if you were on an elevated bar stool, he still towered over you greatly.

"Yunho, it'll be special no matter what. As long as I can spend it with the people I love. Everyday with you is special to me, it doesn't just have to be on my birthday or any other occasion." You smiled softly, reaching up to cup his cheek.

"I love you." He turned his head to plant a soft kiss against your palm. Just then, your moment was interrupted by the kitchen timer. Yunho broke away to retrieve the main from the oven.

"I'll just quickly plate up while it rests." Yunho smiled and turned around to plate the dish.

"Take your time." You chuckled, watching his back move.

"Beef wellington with garlic pomme puree and charred winter vegetables... With pan jus on the side." He put the plate with a gravy boat before you.

"Yun! This looks beautiful! A beef wellington?!" You exclaimed, snapping a few pictures while he changed your wine.

"The beef didn't cook like I intended. It's a bit more medium than medium rare..." Yunho said with slight frustration.

"No, it's great, Yun. Give yourself more credit." You rubbed his knuckles with your thumb. Taking the cutlery, you cut into the wellington and poured some of the jus over it.

"Yunho, it's absolutely delicious. The layers are so flavourful and the textures are perfect." You said as you chewed. Yunho thought you were adorable, kicking your feet and letting out little sounds of happiness. He rarely saw you like this, only when you were really content and happy.

"Eat it, Yun!" You laughed.

"I feel full just by watching you eat." He cooed teasingly with a smug smile on his face. You shot him a disgusted look, knowing he was doing this on purpose.

"I will not unleash my wrath on you only because you cooked this amazing meal." You threatened.

"Now, I understand why you guys get annoyed when the meat is cooked slightly over or under." Yunho chuckled.

"That's all that matter, Yun. I'm so proud of you, you've come so far with your cooking and all these dishes are not easy. Looks like I've lost a cooking assistant." You joked.

"You know what I'll always be your assistant, any day, any time." Yunho grinned.

"Shall I talk to Manager Kwon?" You asked.

"Okay, let's not get ahead of ourselves, I cooked one meal for you, love. I'm definitely not qualified to work at Anne Sophie's michelin starred restaurant." Yunho laughed, holding onto you.

"Are you ready for dessert?" Yunho turned to you. You nodded, giving him a kiss before he returned to the kitchen. He fixed a plate and turned around. There was a small sticky toffee pudding with a candle stuck in it, hovering his hand around the flame.

"Happy birthday to you~" Yunho began to sing with a big smile on his face. You clapped softly, watching him as he sang to you.

"Happy birthday, my love. Make a wish."

"Thank you, Yun. I don't need to make a wish, I already have all that I need." You still closed your eyes. You wished for the people around you to always stay happy and healthy, and blew out the candle.

"Here." You and Yunho each held a spoon, digging into the dessert to share it together.

"This has been an amazing meal, Yun. You'll have to cook for me again soon." You smiled after taking a bite.

"I'll continue to practice and cook for you any time you'd like." He winked.

After the dessert was done, you insisted on helping Yunho with the cleaning. But he cleaned as he cooked so there wasn't that much cleaning to do. Then you both got ready for bed.

"Happy birthday again, love." Yunho said, hovering over you, caging you in his arms.

"You made my birthday perfect, Yun." You reached up to cup his cheeks. Maybe with Yunho around, you would start liking to celebrate your birthday. Your birthday was always a bitter reminder that your mother got sick after giving birth to you, that's why you never liked to celebrate it.

"Hey... Come back to me, love..." Yunho's voice pulled you out of your deep thoughts. You looked up to meet his eyes, feeling his thumb wipe a stray tear off your cheek.

"Sorry." You whispered, leaning into his touch.

"Nothing for you to be sorry about." He shook his head with an understanding smile.

"I still miss my mom. And my birthday was always a reminder that she started to get weak and sick because of my birth. My dad always told me that." You looked at him through your tears.

"It's not your fault, baby. I'm sure your mother doesn't blame you." Yunho comforted.

"If I wasn't born, she would still be here." You breathed.

"If you weren't born, I wouldn't have met you. I wouldn't have you right here, in my arms." He leaned down to hug you. Now, Yunho knew why you didn't like celebrating your birthday.

"I'll make you love your birthday again. Every year, every day." He vouched, voice filled with determination. Yunho would show you the care and appreciation you needed, he wanted to erase what your dad did, he hated how your dad made you hate your own birthday.

"Thank you for loving me." You hugged his neck. Yunho pulled away and gave you a sweet kiss, his forehead resting against yours.

"Now, about that picture you took with Gunho. Why did you allow him to put his arm around you for the photo?" Yunho asked with a small frown.

"Honestly, I thought I was going to take a picture with him and your parents. But he came in and asked Mingi to take the picture."

"I knew it. Trying to take what's mine." He rolled his eyes.

"He was just trying to get under your skin, Yunho. There's no one else but you. I love you and you only." You giggled.

"Good. Because you're mine and I'm not afraid to remind you of that... over and over again." He smirked and leaned in again, fingers caressing the exposed skin of your hip. You gulped, knowing you were in for a long night.

~

Series masterlist

[misangela]

No mandolin. Yes they are see thru. #knifeskills #practicemakesperfect #prepchef #atlantacatering (at IndigoDragon Studios) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4k8oYtpZau/?igshid=2ai60a5cx5x

[calvinhobbesfan]

Prep food for 4 days. Watches Rams lose but able to cook all meals. Ibstapot. Oven and leftovers. Breakfast mushrooms w veggies 2 egg and cheese. Snack polluck fish patties lunch steak salad snack2 ground beef broccoli and asparagus dinner chicken w/cup of broccoli. Today weighted all food and portions. Looking to go for big gains in loss of weight. Thursday night hit repeat and prep again. #prepchef #ketodiet #ketomeals #ketosnacks #instapot #dessertnext #domore #beatyesterday #sundayfunday #tryorgohome #keepcalm #stayunder300 (at Irvine, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3k9lPhD9jI/?igshid=1nhydmgucnn34

[mealchef-blog]

Baked Chicken Breast with a Jerk Sauce... Accompanied by Rice, Peas and Steamed Veg... A Filling Lunch for a Training Customer 💪🏼💥👩🏾‍🍳✨... #mealchef #personalchef #mealprep #PrepChef #Nutrition #Lunch #Gym #Gains #Fooddiary #foodfirst #ambition #food #foodporn #mealplan #foodpics #eatgood #Fruit #Chicken #Turkey #Fish #Beef #Vegan #Protein #mealprepideas #Fresh #eatright #wholefoods #Seasoned #POTD #Full #Happy #Birmingham

[obtuseworld]

#cooking #ouch #chopped #broccoli #prepchef

[makeitmingi]

The Cat and Dog Game [Masterlist]

Genre: Romance, Fluff, Comedy

Pairing: Yunho x Reader (y/n)

Characters: Chef!Reader, RestaurantOwner!Yunho, MaitreD!Hongjoong, SousChef!Seonghwa, Waiter!Yeosang, Waiter!San, Waiter!Mingi, SousChef!Wooyoung, PrepChef!Jongho

Summary: Yunho's dream was to open and run his own restaurant. But he doesn't know anything when it comes to cooking. Until you came along and accepted the job, bringing with you a small crew. How will the black cat tame the energetic golden retriever?

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

FIN

Bonus Chapter

[calvinhobbesfan]

Eggbites made during lunch today. Tried both sous vide method and instant pot. Cooked 10 minutes steam in instant pots takes about 35 minutes for whole start to finish. Cooked 35 minutes at 185 in Sous vide. 5 minutes to prep 40 minutes 10 jars. Taste test taste both the same yummy with cream cheese slightly still in chocolate chip size chunks. #makeyourownrules #cookanything #sousvide #sousvideeverything #prepchef #mealpreparation #ketobeginner #cheaperthanstsrbucks (at Irvine, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/B27jNWND0UR/?igshid=fpnnhzx2c1rt

[makeitmingi]

The Cat and Dog Game [Chapter 45]

Genre: Romance, Fluff, Comedy

Pairing: Yunho x Reader (y/n)

Characters: Chef!Reader, RestaurantOwner!Yunho, MaitreD!Hongjoong, Waiter!Yeosang, Waiter!San, Waiter!Mingi, SousChef!Seonghwa, SousChef!Wooyoung, PrepChef!Jongho

Summary: Yunho's dream was to open and run his own restaurant. But he doesn't know anything when it comes to cooking. Until you came along and accepted the job, bringing with you a small crew. How will the black cat tame the energetic golden retriever?

Word count: 4.2K

You hummed to yourself as you walked on the streets, after your psychologist appointment. There was a lot to unpack, especially trying to navigate how you feel after cutting ties with your fahter, so you always liked to take a walk on your own.

'SHELTER DRIVE'

A crowd and big sign caught you attention as you passed by the park. You saw a big fenced pen set up with dogs jumping around, barking while people looked at them.

"Hello, miss. Are you interested in getting a dog?" A young guy came up to you, a little too enthusiastically.

"I don't support pet shops..." You cleared your throat.

"Oh, that's great to hear actually! We're actually not a shop, we run a local shelter and to prevent overcrowding, we do events like these to get our eligible dogs out there. " He explained.

"I see." You nodded your head slowly. Yunho had recently been watching puppy videos, it's his new obsession.

"D-Do you have golden retrievers?" You asked. He nodded, leading you over to the pen where there were adult, teens and puppies, all golden retrievers. When you bent down, some of them stood on their hind legs, curiously trying to sniff you. They barked enthusiastically, spinning in circles.

"Golden retrievers are very popular. We just got a litter surrendered to us, that's why we have a lot of puppies." The guy explained. You nodded, scanning all of them.

"If you'd like to meet any of them, let me know and I'll get them out for you." He continued.

Then you saw her. She was sitting slightly behind the rambunctious group, an enthusiastic smile on her face, staring at you with puppy eyes.

"Her." You pointed, melting slightly. The worker went in to pick her up and she immediately tried to climb into your arms. The puppy put her arms around you, her tail wagging happily.

"Hello there, precious." You whispered. She let out a yelping bark and licked your cheek, rubbing her head against your skin.

Just like what Yunho does.

"It's like matchmade in heaven." The worker smiled. You couldn't help but agree with him. Even though she was enthusiastic, you knew Whiskey would warm up to her soon. Like how you warmed up to Yunho's enthusiasm.

"Where do I sign the papers?" You asked, keeping her in your arms. After signing the papers and paying the small fee for the microchipping and vaccinations, you took your puppy home.

"Whiskey, I'm home~" You called out to your cat. Whiskey loved you but like you, he wasn't very enthusiastic.

"I got you a friend. Be nice to her." You said to the cat who jumped down from the cat tree.

"Hold on." You held the puppy and sat down. Whiskey leaned forward to sniff the puppy and the puppy did the same, a little more happily of course. Whiskey leaned back, casting you a look.

"What? You'll love her, soon enough." You raised an eyebrow, knowing Whiskey was questioning your decision at this point.

*meow*

With that comment, Whiskey turned around and walked away, climbing up his cat tree, which was able to put him far away from the excited puppy. The puppy whimpered and looked back up at you, almost showing her disappointment in Whiskey not wanting to play with her.

"Don't worry about Whiskey, hmm? He's just unfriendly." You scolded. The only golden retriever Whiskey has grown close to was Yunho. They're almost inseparable now.

"(y/n), are you home?" Speaking of the devil. Yunho's voice was heard from the doorway.

"I'm her- What's that?" Your tall boyfriend stopped in his tracks, seeing the golden ball of fur run around the place.

"This is our new daughter. I got her for you or us." You chuckled, seeing the puppy run to Yunho and jump around his feet, sniffing him curiously. Yunho bent down, fingers stroking the pup's head.

"Wait, why?"

"You've been watching those puppy videos a lot recently. Plus there was a shelter adoption thing I went past." You explained.

"I see." Yunho chuckled. He came over to you, bending down to kiss you on the head before sitting beside you. The puppy clumsily ran over to play with Yunho. She climbed into Yunho's lap, hoisting her front paws on his thigh.

"And doesn't she remind you of someone?" You teased. Yunho rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to the puppy. The puppy jumped out from Yunho's lap and came to you.

"And Whiskey's okay with this?" Yunho raised an eyebrow. You shrugged, pointing to the cat tree.

"Aww, Whiskey. Your mum brought an intruder to your house?" Yunho went over, cooing at Whiskey, who meowed in response.

"Grow up, you two." You scoffed. Yunho scratched Whiskey's chin and he ate it up, rubbing his head affectionately against Yunho's knuckle, licking his finger.

"We need to name her and pick up puppy supplies." You said to Yunho.

"What did you have in mind?" Yunho asked.

"You should name her. I named Whiskey, it's only right that as a felow golden retriever and president of the puppies, you name her." You fell backwards, laughing and holding your stomach. Yunho sent you the dirtiest look ever. The puppy excitedly came over to sniff your face and lick your cheek.

Of course you knew when's Yunho's birthday. But when you found out from Mingi that Yunho's birthday is actually international puppy day too, you ate that up. Yunho has never hated his best friend more.

"Oh, you think that's funny? Huh?!" Yunho came over to tickle your sides, making you squeal. The puppy only grew more excited.

"Yunho! Stop!" You said between laughs.

"I know... What about Willow?" Yunho stopped tickling you, sitting back on his heels as he suggested. You laid on the ground, trying to catch your breath.

"That's so cute. Whiskey and Willow." You smiled. Yunho nodded, reaching over to wrap an arm around you.

"When do you start work?" Yunho asked.

"Next Friday." You replied, leaning against him. He hummed and kissed the top of your head.

During the last dinner of the vacation...

"Excuse me. Just let me take this." You stood up to answer your ringing phone, walking away. Yunho cast you a puzzled and slightly worried glance, he could hear you greet the person on the other end in your 'professional' voice.

"Hello, is this Miss (y/n) (y/l/n)?" The person on the other line asked.

"Yes, speaking?" You replied, leaning against the counter top.

"Good evening, Miss. I am representing the talent acquisition team at Anne Sophie Pic's group of restaurants. Is this a convenient time for you to talk?" He asked. Your eyes widened.

"Wow... Anne Sophie Pic? Yeah, of course. What can I do for you?" You tried your best to hide your surprise.

Anne Sophie Pic is a decorated chef in the world. She was famous and one of the top 3 female chefs of the current culinary industry.

"With the closure of our Singapore restaurant, we are going to open a branch in South Korea to maintain our presence in Asia. So we were wondering if you would be interested in working with us."

"Me? Really?" You couldn't even contain your shock.

"Yes, really. We are aware you have a team of 3 other chefs with you. If you and your team are interested, we would like you to head our team during the weekends. From Friday to Sunday, where we are at our busiest. As weekdays will be less crowded, we will not need the extra hands then." He explained.

"I understand, that actually works out for us. Thank you so much for this opportunity. Let me discuss with me team and I will get back to you as soon as I can." You said.

"Of course, I look forward to hearing from you soon. Hopefully with good news. Have a nice evening." He wished.

"You too." You replied and hung up. Seonghwa stood his feet, coming over to you. You threw your arms around his neck, making you him stumble back.

"Hwa..."

"What happened?" He asked.

"I-I... That call... We've been asked to work at Anne Sophie Pic's upcoming restaurant... They're opening a La Dame in Seoul and need chefs for the weekend." You looked at him.

"Wait, all of us?! Working at La Dame?!" Wooyoung and Jongho stood up, making their way over to you and Seonghwa. You nodded your head in confirmation, throwing your arms around them to hug them too. The others at the table was confused.

"What's going on?" Yunho asked.

"Anne Sophie Pic is this really great, famous chef. Fancy French restaurant and they just asked us to be in their weekend crew." You informed with a big smile.

"That's amazing! Congratulations." The boys all stood up and exchanged hugs. Yunho hugged you last, kissing your head.

"I knew others would see how amazing you are." He whispered, smiling down at you.

"Thank you. I can barely believe it myself. But it's also good news for your restaurant, Yun." You said, holding his arms. Yunho tilted his head in confusion.

"Being part of the weekend crew, we'll only be at La Dame from Friday to Sunday. That frees up Monday to Wednesday for us to work as usual at the restaurant." Jongho explained. You, Seonghwa and Wooyoung nodded. Yunho's eyes widened, he didn't even seem to realise it until Jongho mentioned it.

"So that means you all can still work at the restaurant?" He asked. You nodded again and everyone cheered, Yunho lifting you up.

"We'll find people to work the weekend when we're not around." Seonghwa said.

"That's great. See? I told you it'll work out, love." Yunho tucked your hair behind your ear, leaning in to give you a kiss.

"Let's get some drinks to celebrate!" Hongjoong declared, making you groan. Looks like it would be another night of you taking care of the 8 drunk babies.

The moment all of you got home, the 4 of you found some friends to help cover the weekends when your crew was not around. Opening night at La Dame Du Pic was next week and you've been ecstatic, especially since Anne Sophie was flying in to open it..

"Ah! Willow!" Yunho's exclaimation pulled you out of your flashback. He quickly got some paper towels to wipe up where Willow had peed on your floor.

"We should get some puppy things. I don't think Whiskey will appreciate Willow invading his space." You giggled.

"You already invaded his space by bringing her home." Yunho pointed out.

"But who can say no to this face?" You cooed, lifting Willow up. Yunho threw his head back in laughter. It was funny that he was 'siding' with Whiskey while you 'sided' with Willow.

"Ah okay." You let Willow go as she squirmed in your arms. She ran to Yunho, who ran and let the puppy chase after her.

"That's more like it." You leaned back on the couch. Whiskey came over and curled up in your lap, resting his head on his front paws.

"They can wear each other out." You chuckled as you stroked Whiskey's fur, making him purr in contentment. Yunho's laughs and Willow's puppy barks were heard throughout the apartment as the two golden retrievers ran around. The two black cats just sat on the couch, watching them.

"Oh, love. You went for your appointment, how was it?" Yunho came and sat by your side, remembering why he came over in the first place. You nodded with a hum.

"Come here." He hugged you, moving your body so it laid over his own. He stroked your head as he held you.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" He asked.

"I don't even know what to talk about. I barely know what to feel after everything that happened with my dad..." You sighed, burying your face in his chest.

"It's okay. It's a big thing, it'll take time to mentally come to terms with it." He patted your head.

"You're just like Whiskey when you lay on me like this. It's cute." He chuckled. You pinched his side, making him howl in pain.

"Oh, we should go get stuff for Willow before going to Hwa's place." You got up. Tonight, Seonghwa invited everyone over to his parents' house for dinner in the backyard. More like, his parents invited everyone over to celebrate the new job at La Dame Du Pic.

"Are we bringing her?" Yunho asked.

"Yeah, we should? Dinner will be in the backyard so it'll be fine to let her run around. Plus, I don't trust her to not annoyed Whiskey while we're not around." You said, going to the room to change.

"Right." Yunho got up too. Yunho kept his house since the others boys went over to game from time to time. But he mostly stayed at yours.

"I got the wine to give to Hwa's parents and- What are you doing?" You asked, seeing Yunho cradle Whiskey.

"I'm saying goodbye to Whiskey. He may feel left out, you know?" He reminded, swinging Whiskey from side to side like a baby. You raised an eyebrow.

"If that's what you think, Yun. I bet Whiskey loves having the house to himself." You chuckled and went to find Whiskey's old crate.

"Willow." You called after putting a small blanket inside. Willow tilted her head and stared at you. You held her and put her in the crate, closing the gate. She settled in surprisingly quietly, probably feeling tired from all the running around. You filled Whiskey's food bowl and water before going to him.

"I'll see you later, baby." You kissed his head, scratching his ear, and he licked your finger.

"Come on, love." Yunho held his hand out to you, his other hand holding the crate with Willow. You slipped your hand into his and headed out the door with him.

"She's so cute when she's sleeping." Yunho cooed, lifting the crate to take a good look at the sleeping puppy.

"You hold her, I'll drive." You said.

"Yay, passenger princess." Yunho cheered. Just as he was going to put the crate in the back, Willow woke up momentarily, whimpering and pawing at the gate.

"Alright, alright. You can sit with me." Yunho said and let Willow sit in his lap, in the blanket.

"Look at you warming up to her." You laughed. You stopped outside the pet store and grabbed a cart, walking ahead while Yunho was supposed to be trailing behind you. But you guessed he wasn't because he suddenly ran up to you with Willow in his arms.

"(y/n) don't leave me alone again. These women keep staring at me... It's scary." He whimpered, practically gluing himself to your side.

"You're a good looking with your tall, prince-like self and carrying a puppy. People probably fantasize about 'ideal' boyfriends and see you." You pointed, poking his chest.

"Okay, firstly, I like that you call me good looking and all the other stuff. And secondly, how is that my fault?" He whined.

"Consequences of being handsome. Welcome to the real world, buddy." You patted his arm.

"This should fit." You grabbed the puppy harness.

"Can you not ignore how I am feeling victimised and objectified right now?" Yunho pouted. It was hard to take him seriously with Willow in his arms and him being all childishly whiny.

"What do you want me to do, Yun? There's no way I can make you un-handsome." You shrugged.

"Give me a kiss. Stake your claim." He demanded. You raised an eyebrow at his demand, leaning your head back as you shot him a weirded out look. But Yunho wasn't going to take no for an answer so he used his free hand, grabbed your chin to bring you close and pressed his lips against yours.

"Ah, enough. I think they get the message." You chuckled when you pulled away, reaching up to wipe the lip gloss that smeared on the corner of his lip.

"Kisses for you too, Willow." You smiled and kissed her head. She licked your cheek, the ticklish feeling making you laugh.

"You give kisses to Willow and Whiskey so generously. I call favouritism." Yunho said.

"You shouldn't be jealous of our kids." You chided and picked up a bag of dog food. Even if you said that casually, Yunho's cheeks grew red when you said 'our kids'. The prospect of it made him flustered.

"Here. Let me." Yunho passed Willow to you and picked up the heavy tray of food.

After getting some other essentials and a dog bed, you and Yunho headed for the checkout. Seeing the girl smile sweetly at him, Yunho grasped your hand.

"Do you want me to hold Willow, love?" Yunho smiled at you, emphasizing the pet name.

"I'm good, Yun. Thanks." You kissed his cheek. Fine, if it makes him feel better, you'll play along. Yunho had a smug smile as he paid for the items. For you, it was amusing seeing the cashier's face fall at Yunho's very obvious display of love and affection for you.

"Let's go." His eyes were only on you. You nodded and walked out with him. He put all the items in the back and sat in the passenger seat again. You placed Willow on his lap.

"Sure you don't want me to drive? I don't mind while you hold Willow." He asked.

"I'm good. Plus, the Park's doorman recognises me." You said. Yunho's eyes widened as the mention of a doorman.

"How rich is Seonghwa hyung's family that he has a doorman?"

"Uh, rich? I don't know." You shrugged. It was odd to drive to that area, considering your father's house was only two doors down from where Seonghwa's was.

"Woah... That house is huge! Is that Seonghwa hyung's house?" Yunho asked in disbelief, nearly pressed up against the window.

"No... That's actually my house. Or the house I grew up in." You cleared your throat.

"Oh, wow." Yunho didn't know whether to react in awe or disgust. He was truly amazed at the size of the house, an indication of how you grew up. But then he remembers how you told him you were always forced to go for dinner parties and events so he already sort of knew that your family was wealthy.

"You don't have to react negatively, Yun. It's just a house. I won't be mad." You chuckled, already knowing him well enough to know his internal conflict. Yunho was always so thoughtful.

"Shall we go to Seonghwa's place now?" He turned to you. You nodded and began to drive.

"Mr Kim! It's me!" You rolled down the window and waved to the camera. The gate opened, the doorman recognising you.

"Wow. This house is huge too." Yunho said as he unbuckled his seatbelt. You nodded and got out of car, running up to a couple who was at the front doorstep. Yunho watched you hug them both.

"And they didn't even come out to greet me." Seonghwa came out with his arms crossed.

"Be jealous." You stuck your tongue out, happily hugging Seonghwa's parents. They were practically your parents too.

"This is my boyfriend, Yunho. Yun, this is Mr and Mrs Park." You stepped aside to introduce, taking Willow into your arms so he could shake hands with them. While they exchanged greetings, Seonghwa came to you.

"Who is this? Since when did you get a dog?" He asked, letting Willow sniff his hand.

"New daughter. Just got her today. Say hi to Uncle Hwa, Willow." You said, as if she was really a child that could talk. You lifted her arm to flap her paw at Seonghwa.

"Whiskey must not be impressed with you right now." Seonghwa raised his eyebrows, shaking his head.

"Whiskey is never impressed with anyone except Yunho. But I couldn't resist, she reminded me of Yunho." You rolled your eyes.

"Well, the universe works in mysterious ways." Seonghwa said. You tilted your head, confused by his sudden statement but he just laughed and walked into the house.

"Come in!" Mrs Park ushered all of you in. Mr Park walked with you. Yunho watched as you greeted all the staff with familiarity.

"Mr Kim! I missed you." You hugged the older gentleman in a suit.

"She's the only one that would greet the staff and thank them. Most people don't even bother to acknowledge the staff." Mrs Park smiled, turning to Yunho. Yunho nodded his head with an affectionate smile as he watched you. He was about to go up to you but Mr Park stood in the way and cleared his throat, staring Yunho up and down.

"Appa, stop being so protective of her. He's her boyfriend." Seonghwa scolded, holding Willow in his arms. Mr Park ignored his son, leading you out to the back, alone. And away from Yunho.

"Ignore him. She's the closest thing to a daughter that he has so he's overprotective." Seonghwa said.

"Understandable. They should catch up with one another." Yunho chuckled. The two went out to where the others were chilling.

"Who is this?!" Wooyoung squealed, seeing Willow.

"Her name is Willow. (y/n) saw her at some shelter adoption this morning and brought her home." Yunho explained. Yeosang grinned and stroked Willow's head.

"I'll let her down to run if that's okay? We have a fence around the backyard anyway." Seonghwa asked. Yunho nodded in approval.

"We'll bring the food out soon. Grab a plate and help yourselves." Mrs Park said to everyone. Yunho saw you sitting with Mr Park, a little separated from the group, the two of you talking about something. He gave the two of you privacy.

"Hey." You came back over. Yunho wrapped an arm around you, pulling you close. You watched the boys all play with Willow, cooing at how cute she was.

"Come here." Jongho squeaked one of the puppy toys that Yunho took out from the car.

"Everything okay?" Yunho asked, kissing the top of your head.

"Mhmm." You hummed, not offering any details about what you talked about. Yunho wouldn't push. He just rubbed your back.

"Food's here!" Hongjoong called the two of you. You went to the table to see the spread that Seonghwa's parents got the chef to prepare. There was so much food.

"Isn't it funny that the black cat and golden retriever couple adopted a black cat and a golden retriever? Plus, (y/n) gets along with Willow more while Yunho gets along with Whiskey." San chuckled.

"That's why I said, the universe works in mysterious ways." Seonghwa nodded in agreement.

"We can hear you, you know?" You raised an eyebrow while Yunho sighed and shook his head. You and Yunho have just learnt to accept the others calling your relationship with Yunho the 'black cat and golden retriever' dynamic.

"It's cute. It's like fate giving you the animal versions of yourselves to take care of. The two of them will get along just fine." Yeosang pointed out, making everyone laugh.

"I only believe that because of the way Willow and Yunho were happily chasing each other around earlier." You laughed.

"Yeah, like how you and Whiskey lounged on the couch and just watched." Yunho rolled his eyes.

"Grab a champagne flute everyone. We would like to make a toast before we eat." Mr and Mrs Park gestured. You stood with Yunho, arms around each other.

"Ah, omma... appa..." Seonghwa facepalmed in embarrassment but Mrs Park shushed him.

"Seonghwa hyung's parents make good toasts. Take note, Yunho hyung." Jongho teased. Mingi, who overheard, snickered at his best friend while Yunho threatened to kick Jongho.

"Thank you all for coming today, it's a pleasure to meet all of you. I know you're all under the impression we wanted to do this to celebrate (y/n), Seonghwa, Wooyoung and Jongho receiving the job offer to work at La Dame Du Pic. Yes, congrats to them, we're proud of all 4 of you." Mr Park smiled.

"Aww, thank you." The 4 of you smiled.

"But it's also to congratulate and celebrate the rest of you too." Mrs Park added, making the others look at each other in confusion.

"Hongjoong, for receiving new projects for your custom fashion pieces. San and Yeosang, for being offered trainer roles at the gym." Mr Park spoke.

"Mingi, for being a great friend and supporting Yunho even before the restaurant opened. As well as all your efforts towards the restaurant to keep it going." Mrs Park smiled.

"And last but not least, Yunho. You're the reason this family was brought together in the first place." She turned to the tall male.

"Yes, we are a family. And always will be." San agreed.

"You've all done great work, together and on your own. We wish all of you nothing but continued success." They said.

"Cheers to all of us!" All of you raised your glasses. You looked up at Yunho, who looked down to meet your eyes. Yunho wiped the stray tear that slipped down your cheek.

"I love you." You smiled tearfully at Yunho. You wouldn't ask for anything more. Each of the 8 boys with you, especially with Seonghwa being on one side and Yunho being on the other, Whiskey and the newest edition to your family, Willow.

"I love you too. Forever." Yunho smiled softly, leaning down to press his lips against yours.

~

Series masterlist

[makeitmingi]

The Cat and Dog Game [Chapter 33]

Genre: Romance, Fluff, Comedy

Pairing: Yunho x Reader (y/n)

Characters: Chef!Reader, RestaurantOwner!Yunho, MaitreD!Hongjoong, Waiter!Yeosang, Waiter!San, Waiter!Mingi, SousChef!Seonghwa, SousChef!Wooyoung, PrepChef!Jongho

Summary: Yunho's dream was to open and run his own restaurant. But he doesn't know anything when it comes to cooking. Until you came along and accepted the job, bringing with you a small crew. How will the black cat tame the energetic golden retriever?

Word count: 3.3K

"Yunho..." You raised your head from your pillow, slight hesitation and worry in your voice.

"Hmm?" He hummed, eyes focused on the game that he was playing on his phone. You and him were slowly growing accustomed to staying at each other's places. And tonight, Yunho was staying over at your place.

"Would you like to visit my mom?" You asked.

That's how you ended up in your position now. Yunho drove, worried that you were too distracted to drive. He was right, you couldn't focus on a single thought for more than 5 seconds.

"Thanks again for coming." You blurted out, hands dripping the material of the pants you were wearing.

"(y/n), there's no need to thank me. I should be thanking you for introducing me to her." He said, reaching over to place his hand on yours.

"I'm a littler nervous. Going there always sends me spiralling." You confessed. But it also acted as a warning to Yunho of the state that you will be in when you reach.

"It's okay, I'll be with you all the way, alright?" He squeezed your hand.

"You can tell me anything, I'll always listen." He added. You nodded with a hum, turning to look out the window but you never let go of Yunho's hand. Although the memories of your mother are fond, they always scared you. So Seonghwa made you promise that you'll never come here alone.

"When I think about my mother... She's an amazing person. Seeing her regress to the state she was in before she died... It still haunts me." You told him.

"I understand that, considering how close you were with her..." Yunho empatised.

"And on top of that, my father was detaching himself. I could tell, when she got sick, he just wasn't there." You sighed.

"He left your mom alone?" Yunho asked in disbelief.

"Yes and no. He was there but he didn't visit her room, buried himself in work... almost as if she was already gone from our lives. And right after she died, he got together with my stepmother." You sighed.

"It's like he didn't even care to mourn for her. I became invisible to him, just forgotten. The father that I knew and counted on growing up was gone. And I know a part of me still cannot reconcile with that." You said.

"I can't imagine you having to go through that all on your own, especially at that age." Yunho replied with a small shake of his head, he really didn't like your father.

"You know, I always wondered how different things would have been if my mother was still around." You chuckled bitterly.

"Or is this just his true colours?" You thought out loud.

Yunho didn't reply to that. He has never met your father and mother But he knew he hated your father and was angry with him for treating you that way when you were little and just lost your mother.

"That's the only good part. Your mother isn't around to see how your dad truly is." Yunho said. You hummed in agreement.

"For a long time, I thought maybe that's just his way of mourning. Maybe he just blames me for making my mother sick. He always said she started getting weaker after she gave birth to me. That's why I don't have a sibling. It made me believe my mother would still be alive if I wasn't born." You said.

"That's not true. It's not your fault and your dad shouldn't blame it on you, you're his kid." Yunho frowned.

"It didn't help my case that my stepmother and I hated each other from the start. He hated that I 'embarrassed him'." You scoffed.

"Was she mean to you as a kid?" Yunho probed a little more. He was glad that you found this opportunity to share more with him so he could learn more about you.

"She saw me as a threat so she tried to erase me from my father's life. Little did she know, my father already didn't care for me at that point. But she knows she'll never be my mother." You said.

"What about your stepbrother?" He asked.

"Oh, just as bad as her. But he was the perfect child, wanting to be a doctor, so of course my dad was fine with paying for everything."

"My mother was a respected woman. Everyone loved her, no one can come close to her. She was philantropic, humble and confident. Everyone knows my stepmother is only in it for the name and the money. She'll never replace my mother. Even Seonghwa's parents hate my father and stepmother now." You shrugged.

"What parent would just ignore their child like that...How could he just leave you to be on your own after your mother died." Yunho shook his head.

"It was hard and I barely survived it but that's a discussion for another time." You forced a smile, patting the back of his hand.

"Thank you for telling me all that."

"Nothing to thank me for. I never want it to happen but if you meet my father and stepmother some day, I just want you to be prepared for how they will be." You said.

"I hope I never run into them." Yunho clicked his tongue. You assumed it was because Yunho was afraid of your dad. But no, Yunho just knew he would not be able to fight to urge to punch your dad.

"Is this this place?" Yunho stopped the car and leaned forward to see the sign overhead.

"Yeah, you can go straight ahead and park there." You pointed. Yunho nodded and continued driving until you told him to stop and park the car. When you both stepped out, Yunho went to grab the offerings from the boot.

"Are you cold?" Yunho asked, seeing you wrap your arms around yourself as you waited. You shook your head with a small smile.

"I just... hate it here." You looked away. It was hard explaining all the emotions you felt when you came here. Yunho came forward, holding your hand to walk with you.

"It's okay." He kissed the back of your hand. Although Yunho walked in front, you guided him to where your mother was.

"There she is." You nodded to the headstone that was by the big plum blossom tree.

"Hi... mom..." It felt like there was a rock in your throat you just couldn't swallow. Yunho saw your apprehension but didn't point it out or rush you.

"I'll set up." He said softly, opening the picnic mat. He placed down the flowers, fruit, Korean rice cakes and alcohol. Thankfully, he called his mother to ask for help the night before. You watched, rooted to your spot as Yunho picked off the weeds and used a clean, damp cloth to wipe the headstone.

"Done." Yunho informed, carefully folding the cloth and setting it aside. He didn't greet your mother yet, wanting to let you go first. You gulped nervously, kneeling down on shaky hands.

"H-Hi, mom... I-It's been a while... I'm s-sorry about that." You stuttered as your brain refused to form coherant sentences.

"You go. I don't know what else to say." You said with a clenched jaw. Yunho nodded, patting your head.

"Nice to meet you, omonim. My name is Jeong Yunho, I am (y/n)'s boyfriend. (y/n) has told me a lot about you and she continues to do so." Yunho smiled, bowing deeply.

"I own the restaurant that she's currently working at. She's amazing, her and the whole crew. They saved my business." He continued.

"Thank you for leading her to me." He smiled.

You looked on at how Yunho spoke to your mum, tears slipping down your cheeks. Hearing his words, maybe he was right. Your mother led you to Yunho, knowing what a patient, kind and amazing person he would be in your life.

"He's a big eater, mom, just like Hwa is. You would have loved feeding him." You whispered. To which, Yunho grinned proudly, nodding in confirmation.

"I promise to take care of (y/n)." Yunho quickly added.

"You already take such good care of me, Yunho." You said. He turned to you, wiping your cheeks with his thumbs.

"I know that. And I'll continue to do it. I just have to reassure your mom that her daughter is in good hands, don't I?" He chuckled with a charming smile, reaching over to pinch your cheek.

"I don't really know what you like to eat but I hope fruits, sweet rice cake and the soju is okay. I'll bring more next time." Yunho said.

"She's not a picky eater. She'll be grateful no matter what." You informed with a soft smile. It made your heart swell when Yunho said 'next time'.

"Here, sit." Yunho brushed the mat for you to sit. You hesitated before taking a seat beside him with your mother's headstone opposite. It was a new feeling, you never wanted to stay here for too long. Seonghwa always had to convince you to stay a little longer before you ultimately rushed out of there.

"Can you believe how long it has been since you left, mom? I'm still not over it..." You sighed. Yunho reached over to hold your hand, rubbing the back with his thumb to comfort you.

"When you left, dad left too. Things have never been the same, our family is gone." Your tears fell into your lap.

"But it's okay, I'm okay. I have a new family of my own, a better one." You looked up at Yunho with a sad smile. He smiled back at you.

Yunho wrapped an arm around your shoulders, pulling you to his body and kissing the crown of your head. You wiped your tears with your sleeves.

Then it all happened, the same thing that always happened when you came, the flashbacks of memories of your mother. The happy ones and then the sour ones leading up to her death and after.

"Let's go." Pulling away from Yunho, you stood up and brushed your pants. Yunho looked at you in shock and confusion.

"Are you sure? There's no rush and-"

"Yunho, now. Please." You begged. Seeing your pleading eyes, Yunho nodded and stood up as well.

"Why don't you head to the car first? Start up the engine. I'll pack up and be with you." Yunho suggested kindly. You didn't need to be told twice. Taking the keys from him, you trudged down the small path and headed to the car.

"Forgive her, omonim. It's still hard on her..." Yunho bowed politely as he began to pack up. He pour the soju over the grass patch and put the fruit away then folded the blanket.

"Watch over her and protect her, please. She doesn't deserve all this. I'm sure you know that..." He sighed as he patted the headstone.

"We'll be back soon." He gave a final bow before leaving. You were already settled in the passenger seat.

"Hey." Yunho put the things in the boot and came to the driver's seat. Usually, he holds your hand but this time, you were so quick to grasp his hand, as if you would go crazy if you didn't.

"Hey, hey. It's okay..." His other hand came over to cup your cheek.

"Let's go home, hmm?" He smiled softly and you nodded. Yunho drove to your home, sensing that you would prefer the familiarity.

When Yunho arrived, you both went upstairs. Yunho placed the bag of fruits down on the counter and you immediately glued yourself to him, hugging his waist tightly and burying your face against his chest. Yunho hushed you, one hand on the back of your head and one on your back to hold you.

"It's okay, it's okay." He whispered as he felt your tears soak the front of his shirt. Yunho let you hold onto him for as long as you needed, he wasn't going to be the first to let you go.

"Sorry, let me shower." You mumbled.

"Don't be sorry." He patted your head. You shuffled to your bathroom to shower while he quickly showered in the other bathroom.

"Yunho, I'm sorry. I... I..." You struggled to find the words as you both sat on the bed after your showers. Yunho offered to help you dry your hair so you could sleep.

"Love, I told you, there's nothing to be sorry about." He told you, daringly trying the new affectionate nickname.

"I just have this whirlwind of emotions when it comes to her." While you didn't address it, you didn't react negatively so Yunho took that as a win.

"I understand, it's normal." Yunho said. When he was done, you combed your hair while he put the hair dryer back. He got under the covers and you scooted close to him so he could wrap his long arms around you securely. You felt safe with him.

"Yun, thank you." You murmured.

"You're very welcome." He smiled, brushing your hair away from your face, staring into your eyes.

Holding his bicep, you lifted yourself slightly to be on his eye level and pressed your lips to his. Yunho's eyes widened but kissed back, pulling your body closer to his. You pulled away first to breathe.

"Are you okay?" You chuckled, hand resting on his warm cheek. He grinned and pounced over, showering you in kisses.

"Argh! Yunho!" You yelled out as he placed multiple kisses all over your face like an excited puppy.

"That was amazing." Yunho grinned happily. You rolled your eyes jokingly, putting your face against his chest so he wouldn't see you all shy and embarrased.

"Go to sleep." You slapped his chest.

"I expect a wake up kiss later." He declared before returning to the original position as before. You let out an audible sigh then closed your eyes to sleep. Yunho let out a soft laugh, seeing you fall asleep to quickly. He was just teasing you but was glad that you took the first step and you shared your first kiss as a couple.

"Goodnight, my love." He rested his cheek against your head and joined you in dreamland.

"Oh, Seonghwa hyung." Yunho greeted, quickly adjusting his post-sleep hair when he saw that your best friend had arrived. He closed your bedroom door, not wanting to disturb you.

"Hey, thanks for contacting me." Seonghwa greeted Yunho with a brief hug.

"She's sleeping but I thought she might need you more than she needs me... to comfort her." Yunho rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yunho, you know that's not true. She needs you too, you've become such a big part of her life now, provided her protection and comfort." Seonghwa smiled softly.

"I'm guessing you both haven't eaten." Seonghwa raised an eyebrow. Yunho nodded his head shyly.

"It's early for dinner but considering it's your first meal of the day, I'll get started on cooking." Seonghwa informed. Before going to the kitchen to cook, Seonghwa went into the room just to be with you for a bit and see how you were.

"Let me help, hyung. I want to cook for her." Yunho said, standing in the kitchen, when Seonghwa came back out. Seonghwa chuckled as he nodded.

"I'll learn from you. I can't cook a full meal by myself but I can help." He said with determination.

"Sure, ask questions if you have any." The older began to look through your fridge, reading the labels on all the stuff.

"Put these on the counter for me?" Seonghwa requested. Yunho took the vegetables and deli containers, putting them on the kitchen island to be used later.

"Do you know what you're gonna cook right away?" Yunho asked.

"No. So I took out stock because you can always use stock in cooking. Then these vegetables look like they're going to spoil so I took them out too." Seonghwa explained, finding a knife.

"(y/n) removed you from knife duty, right? I don't want to face her wrath for disobeying her." Seonghwa teased.

"Ah, hyung~ Come on. I'm sure all of you got hurt in the kitchen before too! It was just a little cut but she doesn't let me near the knives anymore. I don't want to go back to weighing ingredients. That's so boring." Yunho whined. Seonghwa laughed and let Yunho use one of the spare chef knives.

"So we'll use the stock and braise the leeks. That's easily done in the stove then thrown into the oven. There's also some beef, we can do rice bowls." Seonghwa said.

"Okay, I'll follow your lead." Yunho began.

"Oh, let's make a quick pickle. Green papaya, radish and carrot. You can use this slicer. Use the guard though." He instructed.

"Alright, so to draw the water out, we put salt and let it sit for a bit. It's thinly sliced to it should be quite quick. In the meantime, we have prepare the pickling liquid." Seonghwa taught Yunho.

The two of them prepared the meal together, Yunho learning and remembering the little tips Seonghwa taught him.

"Yunho?" You woke up and found the bed empty. Groaning, you reached over to turn on the bedside lamp. After checking the time, you got out of bed and went to wash your face. You assumed Yunho had gone home.

"So you want to baste the steak to add flavour, grab the handle and tilt the pan like this." You peeked over to see Seonghwa teaching Yunho how to cook.

"What's going on here?" You blinked. The two men stopped and looked over at you.

"You're awake." Yunho bound over to you, putting his arms around you to wrap you in a big bear hug.

"Hey, Hwa." After hugging Yunho, you went to hug Seonghwa. He wrapped an arm around your waist while you took a a few seconds to rest your forehead on his shoulder.

"You okay, sweetheart?" He whispered. You didn't say anything, your silence was a sufficient response. He patted your back.

"Aren't you supposed to be off knife duty?" You raised an eyebrow, turning to Yunho.

"Aww, (y/n). Come on~ I was careful. Look, no cuts." Yunho wriggled his fingers to show you. You gave him a skeptical look and went to the fridge to pour yourself some cold coffee, wanting the taste and aroma to really help wake you up. Yunho reached over to steal a sip from you.

For the first time, you didn't cook, on insistence by Yunho and Seonghwa that they'll handle it. They only allowed you to sit by the counter to watch them.

"Shall I make you a bowl?" Seonghwa offered.

"Can you let me slice the steaks, at least?" You asked back. Seonghwa gave you a flat look but gave in easily.

"Alright, let me assemble my bowl." You laid the slices of steak over your rice, making a well in the middle to put a raw egg yolk and sauce. Yunho placed the pickles they made onto a sharing dish.

"Perilla leaf kimchi?" Seonghwa asked. You nodded and he went to put a plate of kimchi there.

"Thank you for cooking, you two." You said before digging into the food with them.

"This is so good! Seonghwa hyung is a great teacher." Yunho said between his chews, clearly impressed that he helped put together such a delicious dish.

"And I'm just chopped liver... Maybe next time, you should cook with Seonghwa and help him with his prep, since he's such an amazing teacher, you know?" You scoffed, feigning offense. Yunho's face fell as he tried to defend himself.

"You know that's not what I mean!"

~

Series masterlist

[makeitmingi]

The Cat and Dog Game [Chapter 38]

Genre: Romance, Fluff, Comedy

Pairing: Yunho x Reader (y/n)

Characters: Chef!Reader, RestaurantOwner!Yunho, MaitreD!Hongjoong, Waiter!Yeosang, Waiter!San, Waiter!Mingi, SousChef!Seonghwa, SousChef!Wooyoung, PrepChef!Jongho

Summary: Yunho's dream was to open and run his own restaurant. But he doesn't know anything when it comes to cooking. Until you came along and accepted the job, bringing with you a small crew. How will the black cat tame the energetic golden retriever?

Word count: 3.3K

"We should take it to the vet tomorrow." You said as you and Yunho hovered over the kitten. You placed some wet cat food onto a paper plate and he was so quick to eat it up. Yes, you also learnt that the kitten is a boy.

"We should but the only free time we have is between morning and dinner service. Plus it's Friday so we're going to be busy." Yunho said.

"I'll do it after the morning shift then." You smiled.

"And by 'I', you mean 'we'." Yunho laughed and pressed his forehead against your temple. Instead of hovering, he sat on the floor and pulling you to sit on his lap.

"There, we can watch him like this." He said, resting his chin on your shoulder with his arms around your waist.

"It's late, you still have to drive back." You stood up. Yunho nodded in agreement.

"You can handle the little one?" Yunho chuckled. You hummed, smiling softly as you looked over at the kitten that was rolling all over your rug, happy to have a full belly of food.

Although Yunho wanted to ask to stay the night or thought that you would offer him that option, he didn't want to overstep so he willing got his coat to leave. Maybe you just wanted the house and your bed to yourself since you had all 8 of them over last night. He understood that you needed to recharge.

"Goodbye. I'll see you again tomorrow." Yunho said, gently stroking the kitten's head with the back of his finger.

"Thanks again for tonight." You said, looking up at him as he got ready to leave.

"No need to thank me. Have a good night, I'll see you tomorrow?" He tilted his head. You nodded and tip toed to give him a goodbye kiss before he headed out the door.

"Alright, let's set you up for the night." You said to the kitten. You cleared the used plates and brought the animal crate to your room.

"Here." You placed some blankets inside, making sure it was warm and comfortable before placing the kitten inside.

"There, all comfy for you." You chuckled. You didn't buy a cat bed because you didn't know if the kitten will be permenantly staying with you so you just grabbed a crate to ferry him around.

After making sure the kitten was settled, you went to remove all your makeup and take a shower. However, mid shower, you didn't expect a little black shadow to push open the bathroom door and enter. He let out a loud meow to establish his presence.

"Geez! You scared me!" You jumped slightly, placing a hand over your racing heart. But he just sat there, staring back at you with a tilt of his head.

"Don't be clingy like a golden retriever." You said, snickering. Once you stepped out, you changed into comfy home clothes.

"Hey, Hwa... I'm home." You said to Seonghwa with the phone on speaker as you did you skincare.

"Hey, sweetheart. I was about to call you. You don't have to come in for morning shift, you know? You can go home and rest after your morning session. We understand."

"I know but you guys can't keep giving me all these exceptions, it's not fair and unprofessional of me." You sighed.

"It's not exceptions. We're friends, practically family. We do it for anyone that needs it."

"I know that... And I'm really grateful for the 3 of you being so supportive. But it's fine, really. I'll be okay. Working would serve as a good distraction rather than just laying in bed." You said, finishing up your nightly routine of skincare. You took the phone with you as you did your laundry.

"But-"

*meow*

"D-Did you just meow at me?"

"What?! No, that's not me. I have a... house guest." You turned the call to a video call, turning the camera to show Seonghwa the kitten that was now curled by your feet.

"I thought you were only having dinner with Yunho's family! When did you get a cat?!"

"It's a long story. He's just staying with me until I can get him to a vet tomorrow and decide what to do with him." You informed.

"It's actually really funny, (y/n). You compare Yunho to a golden retriever every chance you get and now, it's like I'm seeing two of you. Can barely tell the difference."

"Very funny, Hwa. You'll be glad to know that Yunho's been making fun of me the whole night, comparing me to the kitten. That's utter nonsense, I am not a black cat or like one." You scoffed, stroking the kitten as it sat on your thigh.

"Sure~ Like how Yunho denies that he's an overly excited golden retriever puppy."

"You know what, see you tomorrow, Hwa." You scoffed and hung up while he was busy laughing at you. You picked the kitten up and placed him in his crate.

"Stay here. I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight." You stroked its head and went to bed.

-

When Yunho arrived at the restaurant the next morning, he looked at his phone. He had sent you a morning text and asked about the kitten but you haven't opened the message.

"Maybe she's busy." He shrugged, it was a Friday morning after all. You probably didn't even have time to look at your phone like always. But when he entered the kitchen, he was surprised to see your crew already working without you there. Yunho went to the locker room but you weren't there either.

"She's coming in late. Had something to attend to." Seonghwa spoke as he mixed the cake batter.

"Oh... Okay, thanks." Yunho frowned slightly, scratching his head as he went to the front. You didn't mention this to him last night. Did something happen to the kitten during the night?

"Sorry, the number you have dialled is-"

Yunho chewed on his bottom lip, you were not answering your phone or your texts. He straightened up and went to call Seonghwa out.

"What's up?" Seonghwa asked with raised eyebrows as he leaned against the counter.

"Hyung, (y/n)'s okay, right? It's just, I was with her last night and she didn't mention that she had anything on this morning that would make her late... So I'm just worried..." Yunho rambled.

"She's fine, Yunho. There's not much I can tell you... But rest assure, she's okay. But she's not contactable." Seonghwa placed his hand on Yunho's shoulder to give it a light squeeze and gave the taller a small smile. Yunho nodded his head slowly.

"As long as she's okay. Let me know if you guys need any help in the kitchen." He forced a smile.

"We will. And yes, she's okay. If she wasn't, I would have told you. She should be coming in soon." Seonghwa nodded and headed back to the kitchen to continue baking.

"What's up?" Wooyoung tipped his head at Seonghwa when he saw the older come back in.

"Asked about (y/n). You know she's uncontactable and he's worried because she didn't tell him that she'll be late today." Seonghwa said.

"Oh... No wonder he's worried. Wait, she hasn't told him yet?" Jongho asked as he took the cookies out of the oven. Seonghwa shook his head with a soft sigh.

"It's her decision to tell him. We all know how private she is..." Wooyoung reminded.

Just then, you walked into the kitchen, yawning with two big cups of coffee in your hands. Not even saying hi to your team, you went to the locker room to put your things down first. You leaned against the shelves, taking long sips of your coffee. You needed coffee immediately so you bought two cups.

"Hey." Seonghwa popped in.

"Hey, Hwa, sorry. I'll be right out." You grabbed your apron and tied it around your waist. He hummed and went back to the kitchen to wait for you.

"(y/n), are you okay?" San tilted his ehad when he saw you come out, setting your cups of coffee aside.

"Morning, San. Yes, I'm fine. Thanks for stepping in to help." You chuckled and went to wash your hands. With you around, you were able to take over and San went back out to the front.

"They don't need you anymore?" Mingi asked as he filled the machine with more coffee beans.

"Nope. (y/n)'s here so I think they got it handled." San informed.

"(y/n)'s here? Like here in the kitchen?" Yunho blinked. San raised an eyebrow at his question but nodded his head slowly, with much uncertainty and confusion. Yunho put his things down and went to the kitchen.

"Jagiya~" Wooyoung was hugging you from the back, rocking you from side to side with a smug smile on his face. You were unbothered, cutting up something in front of you.

"Woo, this isn't very safe when I'm using my knife." You said but of course he ignores you.

"We should discuss the dinner menu for tonight so I can get started on prep." You told the rest of the team.

Throughout the time he has been with you, Yunho has been learning how to read you. You were functioning and speaking fine to your team but there was exhaustion on your face.

"Kicking it old school, tonight's pasta is bolognese." You smiled and the boys clapped.

"Traditional style, of course?" Jongho asked and you nodded.

"For fish, let's do a mi cuit salmon with microgreens, buerre blanc, potato puree and pickled beetroot." You said, waving your hand to get your thought processing out. (Mi cuit is French for half baked. Salmon is sous vide at a low temperature until firm but still has the texture, look and taste of raw salmon)

"I think we should do a wet brine for the salmon before putting it into the sous vide." Seonghwa suggested and you wrote it down.

"We should do pork chops with stewed apples and blue cheese sauce." Wooyoung raised his hand.

"Alright. We can throw the pork chops into the sous vide machines. If we have the sous vides going, let's do some chicken breast for classic caesar?" You tilted your head.

"We still have those smaller, thin cuts of beef... What can we do with them?" Jongho reminded.

"Let's leave it for tomorrow." You said.

Yunho quietly observed how you continued to lead the discussion on the food menu for dinner. Like the professional you always are, you didn't let whatever was bothering you affect your work.

"Dessert, let's do sticky toff. It's been a while!" Seonghwa was quick to throw his suggestion in.

"I question the personal motive behind that suggestion but I do agree that it's been a while. So we're doing individual sticky toffee puddings with caramel sauce and vanilla custard? Or should we do ice cream?" You chuckled.

"Ice cream is better since we already have caramel sauce." Wooyoung said. You wrote down everything and pinned it up.

"Alright, let's finish up here and start on some prep work. Then I'll continue after you guys leave." You said. They nodded and you got to work right away.

"We'll do the cleaning." Seonghwa and Wooyoung did it while Jongho assisted you with prepping.

"Hey." Yunho came in.

"Oh, hey." You smiled. But of course, Yunho wouldn't just greet you with a smile. He came over to hug you tightly, quickly planting a kiss to the top of your head.

"You want a coffee?" He offered. You shook your head, nodding over to the two cups of coffee you had brought in with you.

"Is it okay to be drinking so much coffee at once?" Yunho tilted his head.

"Nope!" Seonghwa answered for you, making you roll your eyes. You scoffed loudly to show Seonghwa you were ignoring him and patted Yunho on the hip before going back to help Jongho with the prep. Having already missed the morning stuff, you didn't want to lag behind, you wanted to make up for the work that you didn't do.

You noticed that Yunho was strangely quiet but you couldn't put your finger on it. Usually, he was loud and excited when he sees you but today, he greeted you and left obediently.

"Is Yunho okay? Did something happen when I wasn't around?" You asked Jongho.

"Nothing happened but Yunho hyung was worried when he didn't see you this morning. Didn't know where you were..." Jongho informed.

"Oh." You replied, continuing your prep work.

"Fridge?" Wooyoung came over, seeing the containers of prepped ingredients that you were done with. You nodded and he helped you bring them all to the walk in.

"You guys should head off soon, I"ve got it covered here." You said, checking your watch.

"Don't stay too long. We'll see you tonight, princess." The boys all left without argument. Wooyoung hugged you tightly and gave you a big kiss on your cheek, to which you scrunched your nose. Jongho gave you a brief hug.

"Don't overwork yourself, sweetheart, hmm?" Seonghwa stroked your head. You hummed and he hugged you before patting your head with a soft smile.

"The crew just left?" Yunho came in.

"Yeah, I'm finishing up on the prep. After that, we'll go back to mine to pick up the kitten for the vet?" You asked.

"Sure. Do you need help in here?" Yunho leaned against the metal counter.

"Help me fill the big bins with water? I'll need to clamp the sous vide machines and get it heated." You pointed. Yunho helped you do that while you cooked the caramel sauce for the dessert.

"What else is there to do...?" You thought out loud and went over your list of things that you could prep.

"(y/n), why don't I pick the kitten up from yours then we can bring it to the vet from here?" Yunho suggested.

"Oh, sure." You were surprised at his suggestion but you weren't against it. You gave Yunho the key to your place and he left to pick the kitten up. Now you were worried, Yunho and you were always together, given the opportunity. It was odd for him to suggest he go ahead and pick the kitten up first.

"I'm done with my duties." Hongjoong came in, finding you alone. Honestly, he thought he would find Yunho in here with you.

"Can you bring that tray of meats to me, please?" You requested. He brought over the vacuum pack sealed pork chops for you to dump into the heated sous vide water.

"Where's Yunho?" Hongjoong asked, continuing to help you were he could.

"Oh, he went to help me pick something up from my place. He'll be back soon." You informed.

"Are you alright, (y/n)? Is something bothering you?" Hongjoong noted how you were slightly distracted as you were doing whatever you were doing.

"I'm probably overthinking it but Yunho's just acting a little weird today so I'm wondering if everything's okay." You shrugged.

"Hmm, from what I know nothing happened today in the store and he's been fine... You know, the usual Yunho... I'm sure it's nothing, don't be too worried. We all have our off days, even energetic puppies." He gave a comforting smile.

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Hongjoong." You laughed in agreement, it was funny to hear Yunho's friends refer to him as a puppy too. Subsequently, the other boys came in to offer help too.

"All these in the fridge?" Yeosang checked.

"Yeah. But keep the trays separate, they're portioned according to the different dishes." You said.

"Sure." He and Mingi brought it whatever you were done with. With their help, you were done relatively quickly. Just in time, Yunho pulled up to the restaurant.

"Bye, thanks guys. See you tonight." You waved to them before hopping into Yunho's passenger seat.

"Thanks for going to pick him up." You said.

"You're very welcome, love. Are you tired?" Yunho softened, reaching over to cup your cheek. You shook your head, leaning into his touch and closing your eyes. You let out a long exhale.

"Shall we talk after the vet?" He asked. You hesitated for a while before nodding, even if your heart was pounding nervously against your chest. With that, Yunho drove to the vet clinic where you had made an appointment for the kitten this morning. He helped you carry the crate with the kitten.

"Hi, I have an appointment?" You went to register at the receptionist counter. Yunho watched your back as you signed the kitten in.

"At least just now when I went to pick him up, he wasn't trying to maul me." Yunho said to you as you took the seat beside him to wait for your turn.

"Maul you? I highly doubt that tiny kitten can maul someone so much bigger like yourself." You laughed.

"He's opening up to me. See? I have that effect on black cats." He coughed, sending you a mischievous grin and side eye.

"I'm not a black cat." You scoffed, picking up the crate and looking at the kitten inside. It let out a small meow and pressed his nose against the gate to try and sniff you.

"Cutie. I hope you slept well." You giggled. He clawed at the gate to show his frustration of being locked up. So you caved and let him out of the crate. However, instead of putting him in your lap, you set him down in Yunho's.

"Since you claim he's comfortable with you now." You laughed, leaning against his arm.

"I said he didn't try to maul me, I didn't say he's comfortable with me." Yunho rolled his eyes but watched as the kitten tried to get comfortable, curling up in his lap.

When the nurse called you, you held the kitten in your arms while Yunho held the crate and entered the vet's office.

"Good afternoon. What can I do for you today?" The vet smiled. However, her smile seemed to grow bigger when she saw Yunho walk in.

"We found this kitten last night in the park, abandoned in the box. We're not sure how long he's been there. So we just want to make sure he's fine." You explained.

"Oh, sure. That's so nice of you to take him in, I'll just do a general check of him." She said, staring at Yunho as she spoke. You raised an eyebrow of amusement at her behaviour and her suddenly flirtatious smile, she was obviously very taken to Yunho's good looks. I mean, who isn't?

"Thank you, doctor." Innocent and ever-so kind Yunho smiled back with bowed his head. He came to stand by your side as the doctor examined the kitten.

"From what I see, judging by his posture, he's about 4 weeks old? But he's malnourished." She said.

"Good that you cleaned him and fed him." She smiled at Yunho.

You were not jealous and you knew how Yunho was. He wasn't deliberately flirting back with her, he was too kind and gracious to anyone he meets. He can't help his golden retriever tendencies.

"Actually, my girlfriend did it all, she's amazing. The kitten isn't too friendly with me yet." Yunho grinned.

"Oh..." The vet cleared her throat awkwardly at the mention of the word 'girlfriend'. You had to purse your lips to stop yourself from laughing at her expression.

"Let me just do some scans and bloodwork. You can wait outside, we'll call you again when we're done." The doctor said a little more uncomfortably now. You nodded and headed to the exit but Yunho quickly grabbed your hand, making you give him a look.

"She kept smiling at me, I felt oddly violated." Yunho whimpered softly to you.

~

Series masterlist

[makeitmingi]

The Cat and Dog Game [Chapter 39]

Genre: Romance, Fluff, Comedy

Pairing: Yunho x Reader (y/n)

Characters: Chef!Reader, RestaurantOwner!Yunho, MaitreD!Hongjoong, Waiter!Yeosang, Waiter!San, Waiter!Mingi, SousChef!Seonghwa, SousChef!Wooyoung, PrepChef!Jongho

Summary: Yunho's dream was to open and run his own restaurant. But he doesn't know anything when it comes to cooking. Until you came along and accepted the job, bringing with you a small crew. How will the black cat tame the energetic golden retriever?

Word count: 3.3K

Chapter warning(s): There are some possible triggers in this chapter. Mentions of a bad past, depression, anxiety, self harm, mental health instability, therapy sessions with a psychologist. Please read at your own discretion.

"And you're good to go." The nurse handed you the kitten's medications. You hummed and went through it before scanning the receipt and paying for everything. It was a hefty bill, as expected of vet visits.

"We're all set. Let's go." You and Yunho went to the car, he opened the door for you to enter. But he didn't start the car, you just sat in the passenger seat with the kitten in your lap.

"So what do we do?" Yunho asked. You threw your head back against the seat.

"I don't know, Yunho. What should I do?" You turned to him. He reached over to scratch the underneath of the kitten's chin.

"Whatever you decide to do, I'll support you to the best that I can, okay?" Yunho smiled, reaching up to hold your hand. You chewed on your bottom lip, thinking about your options.

"Knowing how black cats are stigmatised in a shelter, he's not going to get adopted and the way that they're overcrowded..." You sighed sadly.

"I know, you won't be able to leave the little guy alone. If you decide to keep him, we'll take turns taking care of him." Yunho chuckled.

"Really? You'll do that? Okay, I'll keep him with me. If I put him in a shelter, I'll go crazy thinking about him. He's already been abandoned once, he needs a good home and people who will take care of him." You smiled. Yunho nodded his head, reaching over to cup your cheeks and give you a kiss.

"Alright. That means you're officially a cat mom to this little one right here." Yunho giggled.

"Means you're a cat dad." You replied. Yunho's eyes widened at your words then softened, the kitten was really going to be like your first child and it warmed his heart.

"Tomorrow, we should go get him some actual things since he's going to stay permanently." Yunho suggested and you nodded.

"All that's left is to give him a name." You said.

"You're terrible with names though. Look at what you named your stuffed golden retriever and stuffed manatee." Yunho laughed and you glared at him.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Yuyu and Yunnie are great names!" You scoffed.

"They're basically variations of my name. That's not very creative." Yunho pointed out. You rolled your eyes, deciding to just ignore his insults. The kitten playfully pawed at the buttons of your shirt and you held him away.

"Don't do that." You scolded lightly, clicking your tongue. He just let out a loud meow in defiance. You and Yunho burst out laughing at how cute he was.

"Let's go back to mine to chill for a bit, drop the kitten off then go in for dinner shift." You said.

"Alright. He's probably tired for all his jabs too. They're usually like that." Yunho nodded and went back to your house.

"Here you go. All nice and comfy, have a nice sleep." You placed the kitten in the crate, amongst the blankets, but left the gate open since you and Yunho were around.

"So..." You handed Yunho a cup of cold brew coffee as you sat on the couch with him.

"You worried me this morning when you didn't show up." Yunho stroked your cheek with his thumb.

"I know... I'm sorry, I should have told you but I didn't know how to. I've been stressing over this for a while, wondering how I'm going to tell you this. It's nothing against you, it's me, I just... I don't know." You sighed, burying your face in your hands. Yunho gently pulled your hands away, kissing your forehead.

"Don't worry, take your time. Just tell me whatever you want to." He said, bringing your thighs over his lap and wrapped an arm around your waist to hold you.

"Remember when we visited my mother... I said I'll tell you more about my life after my mother died? How I barely survived."

"Yeah. I remember." Yunho nodded. You sighed and leaned against his chest, trying to collect your thoughts.

"When I got older, I became that typical brooding kid. I wanted to see if my father still cared about me so I acted out, I did a lot of things, didn't come home, mixed with the wrong crowd..." You started.

"But he was too distracted by my stepmother to care that I didn't even come home." You scoffed.

"What about Seonghwa?" Yunho asked.

"He was the only one that cared, he wanted to go to the police multiple times but I would always contact me and assure him that I'm safe. But soon, I just... distanced myself. I liked the life outside, it helped me feel numb." You chuckled bitterly.

"I wasn't proud of it, the things I did. I thought those people actually cared about me. They made me feel loved, like I belong to something." You said, tears forming in your eyes.

"Baby..." Yunho grabbed a tissue and gently wiped your tears away from your cheeks.

"I was going crazy, Yun. I was killing myself and my father didn't give a damn about me!" You squeezed your eyes shut.

"Shh, shh. Okay, you don't have to go further." Yunho wrapped both arms around you, bringing you onto his lap and hugging you tightly. He hushed you softly.

"N-No, I have to. I need to tell you the truth." You shook your head.

"I hurt Hwa the most. I pushed away the only person that's ever loved me and cared about me." You cried.

"He knows you didn't mean it. I'm sure you didn't mean it too. Sometimes when we're hurting, we also end up hurting the ones that are the closest to us." Yunho stroked your head.

"Seonghwa and his parents were the only ones that helped me. Seonghwa got me out of that whole situation, made me leave that life and checked me into an institution. He got me the help I need and has been with me through everything, every step of my life. I owe him my life." You said.

"You were institutionalised?" Yunho blinked.

"He didn't force me. Seonghwa and I spoke, I agreed that it was the only way for me to be functioning again. If it's not for her, I would be dead by now." You said.

"It was the right choice then. I'm glad you got the help you need (y/n)." He held your hand.

"That's why I hesitated to tell you all this, Yunho. It's not something I'm proud of and it's shocking to-"

"No. Thank you for telling me this and trusting me to tell you this. I'm not scared of you, who am I to judge you after everything you've been through on your own." He pressed his forehead against yours.

"So besides this morning, if you've noticed that I disappear or have errands to run in the morning. I'm seeing my psychologist." You said.

"I understand, that makes sense. Do these sessions help?" He seemed hesitant to ask.

"I guess. I don't know how to describe it. It keeps me sane and yet, I feel like I'm driving off the deep end. Obviously I'm far from 'healing' if I can even be healed in any way. But it helps me sort my thoughts and feelings out." You explained.

"That's all that matters then." He kissed your temple.

"The fact is, the topic of family will always be a wound that never closes. It's just something I am taking a long time to come to terms with and to deal with." You sighed.

"And that's okay. Some times you take a lifetime to heal and that's okay too." He comforted.

"It makes me feel useless though. Every time I feel like I'm making progress, my father does something that sends me back two steps."

"I wish your father would just leave you alone." He said honestly.

"Like I said, I'm still holding on to the possibility that he'll go back to the man or father that he once was. But each time, that hope slowly slips from my grasp." You rubbed your forehead.

"And that's not your fault. You've given him so many chances and sacrificed so much of yourself for him. It's not fair to you." Yunho frowned.

"It's not just that too. I... Just like going to my mother's grave, every time I see my psychologist, it mentally exhausts me. I become a void. I try not to but it just happens. Seonghwa, Wooyoung and Jongho all know, they've been very understanding of that." You informed.

"They always try to be here for me after a session. Even if all I do is sleep, them being here helps me a lot. It brings me comfort." You smiled.

"No wonder you're all so close. Right from the start, when I met all of you and saw how you worked together, it was like all of you were more than friends." Yunho said.

"We're family. Y-You are my family too." You smiled softly.

"That's right. If I could change your past, trust me I would. But for the future, you'll never be alone again." He pressed his lips to yours.

"Thank you, Yunho. For loving me and showing me love." You whispered, wrapping your arms around his neck. Yunho laughed and showered you in kisses.

"Ack!" You struggled. You were both interrupted by the kitten standing there, meowing at the two of you.

"Someone doesn't like to be excluded it seems." Yunho laughed. You bent down to pick the kitten up, putting him in your lap.

"I am tempted to name you Shadow because you follow me around like a shadow. But... Thinking about the wood type that I like to use when I'm smoking meats... How about Whiskey? He looks like he'll respond to that name." You asked, stroking the top of Whiskey's head while he rubbed his cheek against your stomach.

"Whiskey? That's... actually not a bad name. It's random how you relate it to smoking meats but it's cute." Yunho said, cooing at the kitten.

"I relate everything in my life to cooking and food alright?" You rolled your eyes, making Yunho laugh.

"And I wouldn't have you any other way." Yunho smiled.

"We should go soon or we'll be late." You stood up, holding Whiskey in your arms. Yunho followed you to your room, helping you set up a fence to cage Whiskey in with his crate and litter box.

"Looks like I'll have to move things around and train him to use the litter box." You rubbed the back of his neck.

"One step at a time." Yunho held your hand. You nodded in agreement. Suddenly, Yunho tugged you to him, hugging you tightly.

"I love you, (y/n). You're not broken, you're not a burden, you're not alone. You've survived for so long, having to carry all this on your back. You're amazing and strong." Yunho said as he hugged you, his voice cracking a little.

"I love you. You're perfect just the way you are, I don't want or need you to change." The way Yunho spoke about you with love, only Seonghwa has ever spoke about you as such, and it broke your heart.

"Oh, Yun. Don't cry over me. It's not worth it... And I love you too." You pulled him down slightly so you could hold his face in your hands, wiping his tears.

"Don't say that. You are worth it." He pressed his face into your shoulder and cried for you, and everything you've been through.

"You take such good care of me, Yunho. I'm sorry I haven't been able to give anything back to you." You apologised.

"No. Not at all." He shook his head. Yunho never measured or thought that he gave you more than you gave him. In fact, he was just over the moon you trusted him enough to tell him everything.

"Let's wash our faces and go to the restaurant." Yunho smiled. You nodded with a hum.

After washing your faces in cold water to try and hide the fact that the both of you just cried, you and Yunho headed to the restaurant, not wanting to be late and keep the cooking team waiting. Seonghwa, Wooyoung and Jongho were already in Jongho's car when you and Yunho arrived.

"Hwa." You went up to your best friend and hugged him. He wrapped his arms around you, kissing the top of your head as you buried your face against his chest.

"I told him everything." You whispered, just audible enough for him to hear you.

"Okay. We can about it later." He replied.

"Sure." You nodded. Seonghwa held your hand as you all walked up to the restaurant. Yunho just let him, knowing you probably needed Seonghwa right now.

"Yunho... What did you do? Because I swear to all the heavens and levels of hell that exists, if you hurt my jagi, I'll-"

"Woo, calm down. He didn't do anything to me." You stopped the male from raging.

"He better not have." Jongho crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow at Yunho. The taller male just gulped, suddenly frightened for his life with Wooyoung and Jongho's threats. He took a step towards you, hiding behind you even if your height can't hide him.

"Why are you hiding behind me? Do you really think they can't see you? Do you not remeber that you're taller than me." You laughed as you looked at Yunho.

"I know I'm taller than you. But you're scarier and fiercer than me so you can protect me. Especially against them." Yunho said sheepishly.

"Unbelieveable." You shook your head and facepalmed.

"Alright, let's start cooking." Seonghwa clapped his hands, getting everyone's attention. All of you brought out the trays of deli containers with the prepped ingredients you prepared.

"Everyone knows what they're doing right? Sound out if you're available or need help." You instructed.

"I'm starting the ice cream churner for our dessert." Wooyoung said. You made the pickled beetroot for your salmon dish since that needed to sit aside to pickle.

"My beetroot is pickling and the other components of the dish is all last minute prep. Is anyone available to do appetisers with me?" You asked. Before Seonghwa, Wooyoung or Jongho could reply, Yunho raised his hand with a big, excited smile on his face. You let out a snort of amusement.

"Me! Me! Me!" Yunho grinned, pushing his hand further as if you would not be able to see him.

"Fine. Yun, you're with me on appetisers." You shook your head and laughed. Yunho fist pumped in victory and was by your side instantly, with his apron on and ready.

"I need you to flake the fish. Use these two forks and pull it apart like this. But not too small because we're going to mix it with stuff later, that's going to break it further." You demonstated to him.

"Sure, I can do that." Yunho nodded and began to do as instructed. You worked on something else beside him.

"What fish is this?" He asked.

"Grilled swordfish. We're going to mix it with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, tomatoes and grilled peppers. You eat it with bread." You said.

"I'll do the prep for the components of the salad so we can assemble it to order." Jongho said. Yunho was proud that he could do more complex kitchen tasks without you having to look over and check on him. Only if he had a question or asked for your help.

"How much of each do I add?" Yunho asked as you placed all the dressing ingredients in front of him.

"Trust your intuition, Yun. Add the tomatoes and peppers first, the others, add little by little until the taste is right to you." You smiled, patting his shoulder.

"What? I-I can't, I don't even know what it's supposed to taste like." Yunho's eyes widened.

"You'll know when you taste it." You encouraged him.

"Olive oil is rich, red wine vinegar is tart, balsamic vinegar is sweet. Then salt and pepper. There's optional lemon juice to add too, if you'd like. It's all about balance." You explained the flavours to him.

"Is that too much tartness? With the two vinegars and the lemon juice." Yunho asked.

"It depends on how sweet the peppers and tomatoes are today. Different batches and varieties all taste differently." You shrugged.

"But I... I don't-..." Yunho whimpered worriedly. You laughed, totally not feeling any sympathy for him. But still, you quietly did tasks that allowed you to stay by Yunho's side, silently giving him moral support. He frowned as focused on the bowl in front of him so he didn't notice the way you watched him from the corner of your eye.

"Hmm..." He would tilt his head as he tasted the dish then add more salt, pepper or vinegar. After another taste, he added a few drops of lemon juice to taste again and nodded in approval.

"Are you laughing at me?" Yunho whipped his head to you when he heard you stifle a laugh.

"Not at all. I think it's just amazing how far you've come, Yun." You smiled and his ears turned bright red at your praise.

"Can you check if it tastes okay?" Yunho pushed the big mixing bowl to you. You grabbed a plastic tasting spoon and took a taste of the swordfish mixture.

"It's great, Yun. A touch more black pepper though. But otherwise, it's perfect. See? I knew you could do it." You chuckled.

"Stop~" Yunho whined but add more pepper before folding it in. When he was done, he put it aside.

"Good evening, everyone." Hongjoong, Yeosang, Mingi and San came in. You all exchanged greetings with one another before they went to the locker room to put their things down. Then they headed out to the front to prepare for dinner service.

"Your team might need you. We've got it here." You said to Yunho. He pouted but nodded, leaning to sneak a kiss on your cheek then headed out to the front.

"Let's go through reservations for the night." Yunho called his friends. Since it was a busy Friday, family meal was extras of the bolognese.

"Ice cream is looking good and done. I'm moving it to the freezer." Seonghwa announced.

"Thanks, hyung." Wooyoung replied, busy preparing the dish that he was assigned to for the night. You cooked the pasta that the staff would be eating for family meal.

"Bolognese is good." Jongho informed.

"If anyone has time, have your dinner before the full swing of the Friday night crowd comes in." You said.

"Dinner is ready and in the bins whenever you guys are hungry and available to eat." Wooyoung told the team at the front of the house before coming back to the kitchen. You had a plate of pasta in your hands as you walked through all the prep for tonight, not wanting to miss anything out.

"Eat first." Seonghwa placed his hands on your shoulder, guiding you away from the walk in and to the table where his own plate of pasta was waiting for him.

"Don't worry, Hwa. I just want to make sure nothing is missed out." You said, sitting with him at a booth.

Seeing you and Seonghwa sit together at a table, engaged in your own conversation, Yunho moved to sit with his friends instead.

"This afternoon was hectic. But I told Yunho everything." You informed Seonghwa in a hushed voice as you ate. Seonghwa nodded, reaching over to hold your hand.

"That's great." He smiled, happy that you let someone else into your world to see the real you.

~

Series masterlist

[makeitmingi]

The Cat and Dog Game [Chapter 35]

Genre: Romance, Fluff, Comedy

Pairing: Yunho x Reader (y/n)

Characters: Chef!Reader, RestaurantOwner!Yunho, MaitreD!Hongjoong, Waiter!Yeosang, Waiter!San, Waiter!Mingi, SousChef!Seonghwa, SousChef!Wooyoung, PrepChef!Jongho

Summary: Yunho's dream was to open and run his own restaurant. But he doesn't know anything when it comes to cooking. Until you came along and accepted the job, bringing with you a small crew. How will the black cat tame the energetic golden retriever?

Word count: 3.2K

Chapter warning(s): Alcohol and alcohol consumption.

"Hey, I'm headed off. I'll see you back at mine?" You told Yunho.

"Hang on." He told Yeosang and came over to follow you into the kitchen. Even if he was seeing you in an hour or two, Yunho always insisted on walking you out.

"Mmm, rest well. I'll see you later." He bear hugged you and kissed your cheek. Lip kisses was still a little rare with the two of you, especially in a public space. But Yunho was grateful to receive them anyway. When it was just the two of you, he would always steal kisses and kiss you whenever he could.

"Let me know when you're on the way. I'll leave the door unlocked in case I'm in the shower or something." You said.

"Alright." He patted your head, waving to Seonghwa, Wooyoung and Jongho, who were waiting by their cars. The 3 waved back to the tall male as you jogged to Seonghwa.

"Let's go." You jumped in.

"Luckily I did all the prep last night and some cooking just now. Tomorrow's off day will be spent sleeping." You giggled.

"Yeah, we'll probably all end up crashing at yours anyway after tonight." He chuckled in agreement as he drove back to your house. When he parked, you saw Wooyoung and Jongho.

"Come on." Jongho held your hand and all 4 of you headed in.

Tonight, all of you were surprising Yunho with a party to celebrate the restaurant being open for 6 months. His friends were in on it too, they'll try to get to your house before Yunho since he is driving alone, thinking it was just another night of sleeping at your place.

"Let's get started." You pulled your apron on to continue cooking the dishes that Yunho liked. It was an effort on everyone's part to keep the restaurant going but you wanted to make it special for Yunho.

"Check the pork shoulder for me?" You requested. Wooyoung was at the oven in an instant.

"Texture is looking good. I'll remove the foil to get the crackling going." He said and you nodded your head.

"It still has about an hour to go. It's been going for 7 hours." You informed, checking the timer and the piece of paper where you wrote down the dishes.

"Here's all the prep stuff." Jongho brought the deli containers of prepped ingredients to Seonghwa.

"Luckily we worked on all this last night. Now it's just putting it together." Jongho noted.

"Yes but like I was telling Hwa, we'll spend the day getting the sleep we deserve tomorrow." You laughed. Wooyoung and Jongho nodded in agreement. Like always, no matter where your team was, you all worked so well together.

"Abura soba is done, pork shoulder is in the oven, steaks will be done last minute. Can I start the arrancini or does anyone need any hands?" You called out.

"Don't forget to frost the cake!" Wooyoung reminded.

"You do that, I'll get started on the arrancini. Then you can take over." Jongho patted your shoulder.

"Thanks." You went to the larger fridge in your pantry and took the cake out. Grabbing an offset spatula, you frosted the cake over the crumb coat you had applied on earlier.

"Honestly, thank god for your prior planning skills in this. If you only had that main fridge out there, we wouldn't fit all this."

"I know. But honestly, that initial bedroom in the back was so small, it was easier to just turn it into a pantry. I needed that space more than a spare bedroom anyway." You chuckled, piping the frosting in a elegant pattern over the top of the cake. After writing the letters, you put the cake back in the fridge.

"Oh, Hongjoong and the others are on the way. They rushed out of there while Yunho was locking up the place." Seonghwa said. On cue, you sent Yunho a text to stall him.

"What did you ask him?" Wooyoung asked.

"Said to pick up a few blocks of butter since I'm recipe testing." You chuckled. Of course, the ever kind Yunho agreed to do it.

*DING DONG*

"Must be the others." You went to open the door for them. San engulfed you in a hug, as if you didn't just see him a few hours ago. But you still patted his back to reciprocate.

"Welcome, make yourselves at home." You smiled and went back to the kitchen.

"Woah, it's like a restaurant kitchen in here." Hongjoong said, seeing the size of the kitchen.

"Who needs a dining area?" You raised your eyebrows with a laugh. The boys all greeted each other then tried to help where they could. It was amusing seeing Mingi venture through your house, respectfully of course, and seeing your pantry.

"Wow! It's like a convenience store in here but less packaged snacks and sweets." Mingi said, making everyone laugh.

"With the way we cook, we need more space to keep stuff, which also means two fridges. And frankly, we run out of space quite often." Jongho said.

"Yunho just got the butter, he's on the way. 15 minutes." You informed, reading the text.

"We better get started on decorations." Yeosang took out the small balloons and simple streamers that they bought.

"This is the dressing, if you could help dress the salad. Just shake it up first since the oil separated." Wooyoung handed the salad bowl and dressing container to San.

"Where are the cups?" Mingi asked. You pointed to the cupboard and showed him where all the cutlery, plates and bowls were as well.

"Steak is tented and resting." Seonghwa announced.

"Getting the short ribs out." You said. Seonghwa came over held the big serving bowl for you while you took out pieces of the short rib and poured the sauce over. The meat was so soft, falling off the bone as you used your tongs to put it into the bowl. You tore off a small piece to give Seonghwa and yourself.

"It's perfect." He smiled. You laughed and he brought the serving bowl to put with the rest of the food.

"Yah! Stop stealing! Take some salad if you're that hungry." San whined as Hongjoong took a piece of the steak that he was bringing to the food table.

"Nah, no vegetables for me. Waste of calories." Hongjoong scrunched his nose in disgust.

"Hongjoong, that spiced chicken dish I made the other day for family meal? It's mostly vegetables, you ate all that." You pointed out.

"What? Really?! (y/n), I trusted you!" Hongjoong yelled.

"You trust me to take care of you, I do that by feeding you vegetables and making you healthy." You scoffed. Seonghwa slung his arm around you, laughing at hongjoong.

"Like hiding vegetables in a kid's meal." Seonghwa chuckled. You hummed, you were all used to this. Working in multiple restaurants, parents always requested that you somehow hide vegetables in their children's food.

*DING DONG*

"That's Yunho!" You broke away to go to the door while Wooyoung dimmed the lights.

"Hi, love. Sorry, I'm late. I got your butter!" Yunho held the bag up with a proud grin. You chuckled, he really looked so cute. You reached up to pat his head.

"Thank you for making the detour." You smiled softly. His golden retriever tail must be thumping against the ground happily now.

"Don't mention it. It's no big deal." He leaned down to hug you, nuzzling his cheek against yours.

"Why's it so dark?" Yunho tilted his head as he entered. You shrugged, leaning against the wall as you waited for him to remove his shoes. Being dim, he didn't notice his friends' shoes there.

"What's going o-"

"Surprise! Happy 6 months to the restaurant!" The lights turned on and everyone jumped up. Yunho jumepd slightly at the sound, eyes widening as he realised what was going on. He was speechless, turning to you then to his friends then back to you. You just laughed at his dumbfounded, surprised reaction.

"What?! So this is why you all rushed off?" Yunho went to his friends, pointing a finger at them. Even if he had an accusatory tone, he was smiling the whole time.

"Oh, just thank us for the surprise." Mingi rolled his eyes, going over to hug his best friend.

"Thank you, everyone." Yunho said over Mingi's shoulder.

"I honestly didn't even know that it has been 6 months, time flies so quickly." He continued, patting Mingi's back until he let go. Jongho was quick to put a drink in Yunho's hand.

"Hey, eat first." Seonghwa scolded. Yunho's eyes sparkled as he saw all his favourite dishes lined up.

"It's all my favourites!" Yunho took his phone out to tak a picture of all the dishes.

All the boys queued up to get their food, filling at least two plates each with food before sitting in your living room to eaat together. Wooyoung and Jongho went around, pouring everyone a drink, insisting that everyone must have a little.

"Mhmm, the short ribs are so good. The meat is so tender." San hummed happily as he chewed, already digging in. He cast you a smile, to which you smiled back.

"Yah! We haven't had a toast yet." Hongjoong said. San shrugged, not interested in the alcohol at all.

"Speech, speech!" You and Yeosang giggled as you chanted, trying to put Yunho on the spot. He shot you a glare of betrayal.

"Uhh, you know I'm bad at speeches... Thank you for this surprise and for the past 6 months. We have a good thing going thanks to all of your efforts, so let's continue to do that?" He tilted his head.

"Wow, he's really bad..." Mingi shook his head.

"I'd like to see you try." Yunho hissed. But everyone raised their cups anyway to toast to Yunho, themselves and the restaurant.

"Your ears are red." You chuckled, reaching up to gently rub his burning ears, before taking a sip of your drink.

"There you go, teasing me again." He pouted, leaning over to give you a kiss. You knew this was just Yunho trying to tease you back, plus he was happy with the fact that you've helped him keep the restaurant going for 6 months. He didn't even consider the weight of his actions until Hongjoong and San teased him.

"Get a room!" Jongho yelled. Yunho's face turned bright red, groaning as he buried his face in your chest, his arms holding your waist. You laughed at his embarrassment.

"Hey, you were the one who kissed me." You said as you stroked the back of his head.

"Stop~" He whined.

"Okay, okay. Start eating." You waved everyone off. Ultimately, you had a soft spot for Yunho and would easily give in to help him. You caught Seonghwa laughing at how soft you were for Yunho.

"Shut up, Hwa." You glared. You pulled Yunho's face away from yours and he stared up at you.

"Eat a lot. I made your favourites." You smiled. He nodded and began to eat but still kept one arm around your waist.

"So good." He smiled at you. You watched as Wooyoung and San deliberately put a heaping spoon of salad onto Hongjoong's plate, right on top of the meat that he was eating. Hongjoong yelled at the two, threatening to hit them.

"You have to eat too." You looked down to see Yunho holding his chopsticks out to you. You gave in and ate the piece of meat he had in his chopsticks then ate your own food.

"More drinks!" Jongho went around topping everyone up.

"Hope you're ready for us to crash here, (y/n)." Yeosang laughed. You nodded with a thumbs up.

"I am prepared for that. I'll just leave you guys out here. There's one guest room down the hall, help yourselves to it... If you can make it there." You giggled.

"Yeah, I'm crashing in (y/n)'s room." Wooyoung said.

"No, I am." Seonghwa hit the back of his head. You remembered the last time that happened, you were chased out of your own bed.

"But... I..." Yunho said softly before pursing his lips, about to raise his hand to interject. He wanted to say that he was going to be the one sharing a bed with you tonight but he knew Wooyoung and Seonghwa, especially, claimed that spot in your bed way before he did. He put his hand down with a pout.

"Yah, you two can take the bed in the guest room. Yunho's with me now. There's no space." You spoke up, making Yunho's head whip around to look at you in disbelief.

"Wow... Ultimate betrayal." Seonghwa shook his head. Wooyoung nodded along with Seonghwa.

"Because the last time you guys tried to squeeze on my bed, I had to go to the guest room to bunk with Jongho." You rolled your eyes.

"It's because you don't want to cuddle." Wooyoung pointed out.

"With the two of you, it's more smothering than cuddling." You scoffed as you drank your drink. The other boys just laughed at the way the 3 of you bantered.

"Okay! We're doing shots now!" Hongjoong went around passing out shot cups and topping them up.

"This is not going to end well..." San shook his head but took the shot anyway. Yunho gulped his shot and poured himself another. Jongho grinned mischeviously, refilling Mingi's shot glass while the taller was distracted by his food.

"You didn't drink, Mingi hyung." Jongho said innocently.

"What? You're lying, you just refilled it, didn't you? I swear I drank when Hongjoong hyung gave out the shots." Mingi argued, scratching his head.

"Nah, you're just tipsy." Wooyoung added to Jongho's lie, trying to convince Mingi otherwise.

"Oh... Okay, fine." Mingi took the shot, shaking the empty glass above his head to prove that he had finished everything.

"Don't get too drunk before we have a chance to cut the cake." Seonghwa announced loudly beside you. But you were not fast enough to cover his mouth

"Cake?" Yunho blinked.

"Hwa! You're drunk and being a loud mouth." You hissed but Seonghwa just smiled dreamily at you, cupping your cheeks and leaning forward to give you a big, loud kiss on your forehead. You crinkled your nose uncomfortably and slapped his hands away while Yunho laughed in amusement.

"Yes, there's a celebratory cake too. I baked it early this morning and frosted it just now. It was supposed to be a surprise but I guess not anymore." You told Yunho.

"It's okay, I'm always up for cake. Thank you." Yunho rubbed your knuckles with his thumbs.

"What flavour is it?" Yunho asked.

"It's-"

"Shh, Hwa. Shh." You put a finger to your lips. Seonghwa grinned and leaned his head on your shoulder, taking another sip of his drink. You rolled your eyes, reaching up to pat his head.

But Seonghwa was right, before the boys and yourself got too drunk, you took out the cake and placed it right in the middle of the coffee table.

"Can I know what flavour it is now?" Yunho asked.

"It's a tiramisu cake with salted caramel frosting. Like a caramel macchiato, your favourite drink." You explained. Yunho softened, the alcohol along with the realisation of everything you and the others have done for him making him emotional.

"Are you crying?!" Mingi pointed out in disbelief. Yunho let out a choked sob as he hugged you again, burying his face against your chest as he cried.

"I'm just... grateful... for all of you..." He cried.

"Yun, we're glad to have such a great boss who takes care of us." You said, comforting him.

"Don't cry!" San, obviously already drunk, came over to hug Yunho. Hongjoong, who was also tearing up, joined the hug. It was odd seeing he usually didn't like skinship from the boys.

"You big puppy! You're making all of us emotional." Wooyoung went over with open arms to hug them all.

"They stole my boyfriend so... come here, Hwa." You hugged your best friend, who blinked in confusion but still hugged you tightly.

"I love you~" He giggled.

"I love you too, Hwa hwa." You laughed, patting his back. Once all the hugs were broken, Jongho, who was the only one sturdy enough to cut the cake, sliced it up and gave it out to everyone. Yunho held his plate and insisted on feeding you. After you took the bite, he giggled drunkenly and pressed his forehead against yours.

"I love you. I love this cake!" He laughed. You couldn't help but laugh at how cute tipsy Yunho was. You were definitely feeling the effects of the alcohol too. It was the first time Yunho said he loves you.

"Don't cry anymore and eat cake, hmm?" You giggled, reaching out to wipe the stray tears on his cheeks. He nodded obediently and ate the cake with a smile.

"Thank you for doing this..." He said, pulling you close to kiss your temple.

"Nothing to thank me for. I'm glad you enjoyed the surprise." You shook your head with a soft smile. Yunho hugged you again.

"This cake is soooooo good! Best! Cake! Ever!" San yelled, jumping to his feet and pointing to the cake.

"Shh, San. No yelling." Yeosang scolded, making San sit back down. Although Jongho still spoke coherantly, you knew from the glazed look in his eyes that he was nearly gone too.

"Alright, I think it's time to go to bed. We'll all be dealing with hangovers tomorrow." You said.

"Booooo!" The boys jeered at you. Jongho helped you move Yunho to your room first. You stumbled as you picked up the used plates and cutlery, just to leave them in the kitchen. Wooyoung's eyes were half lidded as he laid on your rug.

"That's that..." You draped a blanket over him and moved to help move the others.

"Wait, where's Mingi?" You looked around, realising the other tall giant wasn't there. Yeosang went to the guest room to see the tall boy fast asleep on the bed.

"He's in... the guest room... asleep." Yeosang spoke slowly, leaning against the wall as he yawned.

"(y/n), go to bed. We'll handle it." Jongho said, moving Seonghwa to the couch and putting one of the blankets over him while Yeosang got Hongjoong.

"Okay, goodnight. See you all tomorrow." You smiled. They waved back before you enter your room. Yunho was hugging Yuyu and Yunnie, sleeping with a small frown on his face.

"Yun..." You slipped under the covers.

"(y/n)...?" He lifted his head groggily. He moved Yunnie and Yuyu aside, reaching over to hug you and tucked his head into the crook of your neck. You sighed blissfully, fingers threading through the ends of his hair behind his head. He pressed kisses to your neck, making you shiver slightly.

"Sleep, Yun." You whispered, yawning yourself. He gave a small nod and a hum, falling asleep right away.

"Shh! Wooyoung hyung, San hyung, stop singing!" You chuckled as you heard Jongho scold the drunk boy. Looking down at Yunho, you caressed his cheek with a loving smile.

"I love you too." You whispered, tilting Yunho's head up to give him a peck despite him being asleep.

~

Series masterlist

[makeitmingi]

The Cat and Dog Game [Chapter 37]

Genre: Romance, Fluff, Comedy

Pairing: Yunho x Reader (y/n)

Characters: Chef!Reader, RestaurantOwner!Yunho, MaitreD!Hongjoong, Waiter!Yeosang, Waiter!San, Waiter!Mingi, SousChef!Seonghwa, SousChef!Wooyoung, PrepChef!Jongho

Summary: Yunho's dream was to open and run his own restaurant. But he doesn't know anything when it comes to cooking. Until you came along and accepted the job, bringing with you a small crew. How will the black cat tame the energetic golden retriever?

Word count: 3.2K

Chapter warning(s): Reader has a little meltdown/ anxiety. Read at your own discretion!

"Mr and Mrs Jeong." You greeted Yunho's parents outside the restaurant.

"Ah, drop the formalities, sweetie! I already told you to call us abonim and omonim. You're practically family!" Mrs Jeong pointed to her husband then herself, holding your hands in hers. You nodded with head, feeling some heat in your cheeks. There was so much love in her smile as she stared at you.

"And you look so beautiful as always!" She pulled you in for a surprise hug. You recovered quickly from the surprise, lifting your arms to hug her back.

"Okay, omma. That's enough." Yunho cleared his throat and gently pulled you back to his side.

"Oh, don't be so possessive son." Mrs Jeong clicked her tongue in disapproval, seeing how Yunho was holding you.

"Our table is ready, let's go in." Gunho informed. You smiled and waved to Gunho, who waved back with a friendly smile that made him look like Yunho.

"No, she's mine." Yunho squinted his eyes at his younger brother, moving you to stand behind him.

"Yun, what are you talking about?" You chuckled.

"You called him cute the first time you saw him at the restaurant. No, even worse, you thought he was cuter than me!" Yunho argued, pointing to Gunho, who just blinked in confusion. You can't believe Yunho remembers that.

"And until now, you still haven't told me that I'm cuter and better than him." He pouted at you. Gunho scoffed at his older brother before heading into the restaurant.

"You're the cutest and bestest to me, alright?" You cooed. He nodded with a goofy smile and leaned down to give you a kiss.

"We better go in." You said and walked into the restaurant with Yunho. It was a cute French bistro.

"Have you been here before?" Yunho leaned over to ask you softly as the two of you sat down in your seats and were handed menus by the wait staff.

"Just because I'm a chef, doesn't mean I know every restaurant, Yun." You laughed as you scanned through the menu.

"They have boeuf bourguignon! I know what that is." Yunho pointed at the menu. That dish had a special place in yours and Yunho's hearts, it was the first time you invited him over to your house and cooked for him. And Yunho will always find endearing how you fell asleep on the couch.

"Are you getting that?" You asked.

"Nope. I'll forever only have the one you cook." Yunho shook his head. You pursed your lips at him.

"Yun, don't say that. And who knows, they may make it better." You shrugged but Yunho was stubborn, shaking his head and looking at the other menu items.

"Have you decided what you're having?" Yunho leaned over.

"I'm thinking between the bouillabaisse, which is a seafood stew, and coq au vin, the chicken mushroom red wine dish." You told him.

"That does sound good... Since I'm not having the beef dish, I'll order the coq au vin. You can order the seafood stew and we'll share it?" He suggested with much excitement.

"You don't have to, Yun..." You smiled softly.

"I'm not sacrificing anything by ordering that. I'm sure they're both good." He smiled. There was no arguing with him so you nodded in agreement. You didn't know that Yunho's parents were looking at the two of you endearingly.

After giving your orders to the waiter, Mr Jeong ordered a bottle of wine and offered you a glass. Yunho wasn't drinking since he drove but you felt bad for turning down a glass.

"Cheers." Mrs Jeong toasted and everyone clinked their glasses before taking sips of their wine, water for Yunho.

"Actually, Mr and Mrs Jeong. I wanted to apologise to you." You spoke, putting your glass down.

"Apologise to us? What for?" Mr Jeong asked, blinking. Mrs Jeong tilted her head in puzzlement and even Yunho gave you a curious look, having heard this the first time.

"The other time we met, I apologise for leaving the party aburptly without a proper goodbye." You explained.

"Oh! That. Don't be sorry, silly. It didn't even occur to us." Mrs Jeong said.

"Still, it was rude of me and-"

"We understand, dear. Really." She cut you off with a soft smile, one that only a mother can give. You nodded with a grateful smile of your own. A lot of people knew what your father and your relationship with him was like, it wasn't a surprise that you didn't get along, especially with your stepfather.

"It wasn't your fault." Yunho said to you with a small frown, holding your hand over his thigh. You sent him a soft smile, knowing he really hates your father. Who doesn't?

"So, (y/n), tell me what it's like dating my brother." Thankfully, Gunho changed the subject.

"Yah, Jeong Gunho..." Yunho gave his brother a threatening glance.

"It's been great, actually. Yunho treats me very well, he takes care of me and is very patient with me." You said with a giggle, feeling your cheeks heat up. You were not used to expressing yourself like this.

"That's good. He better be taking care of you." Mr Jeong raised an eyebrow at Yunho.

"He is, I'm very thankful." You smiled.

"See? You two raised me well, I know how to take care of my partner." Yunho scoffed but had a proud smile on his face, hearing you speak so highly of him.

"Sometimes he's an overgrown, excited puppy, isn't he?" Mrs Jeong asked you. You stifled a laugh, nodding in agreement.

"I thought I was the only one that saw his puppy-likeness. Right from the start." You said between your laughs. Yunho stared at you with a done look, knowing you were always trying to push his golden retriever agenda.

"You're not the only one. Don't worry, we know what you're talking about." She smiled.

"Him and Gunho have been puppy siblings from the start. Even the way they used to fight as kids or now too, they're like litter mates chewing on each other." Mr Jeong chuckled.

"Appa~" The two brothers whined in embarrassment.

When the food was all served, you all dug in, starting with the appetisers that were ordered then the main course.

"How is it?" You asked Yunho as he cut into the chicken. He melted against your shoulder, letting out little sounds of happiness at the taste of the dish.

"That's good." You laughed, breaking a small piece of bread to dip into the stew and offered it to him.

"Thank you." He leaned forward and ate the bread that you were holding out. He pointed at your dish and nodded in approval.

"This is all so good, I love it. I can't decide which is my favourite." Yunho said, making you and his parents laugh. Even though you fed Yunho, Mrs Jeong noticed that Yunho cut a small piece of chicken and let you use your own fork to pick it up for a taste, respecting how you found such PDA awkward.

"It's good, isn't it?" Yunho nudged you lightly as you covered your mouth to chew.

"It is, it's done very well. One of the better coq au vins I've had here." You said. Yunho smiled, happy to know you like the dish even if he wasn't the one that cooked it.

"You're smiling like you're the one that cooked it." Gunho joked.

"Yeah, well I ordered it so it counts." Yunho stuck his tongue out at his younger brother.

"After (y/n) recommended it." Mr Jeong piled on.

"You're all bullying me, I don't like this." Yunho sulked. You chuckled and patted his thigh, with a comforting smile. They moved on to talk about other things, making sure you were included always.

"Excuse me, I need to use the loo." You forced a smile and excused yourself with a bow of your head. You entered the individual toilet and locked the door behind you, leaning against the door and letting out a shaky breath.

It suddenly became overwhelming for you, you didn't know why. Seeing Yunho's happy family. When was the last time you sat down to eat with your family without fighting?

But this isn't about you and your pitiful life. This was you getting to know your boyfriend's loving family, being accepted by them and-

*KNOCK KNOCK*

"O-Occupied!" You stuttered out, standing straight.

"It's me." You heard Yunho's voice on the other side and unlocked the door. Before you could say anything, Yunho made his way in, making you step back.

"Yun, you shouldn't be in here. People may think we're up to no good." You tried to pass it off as a laugh or joke.

"Are you okay?" He stared down at you, a frown of worry on his face. You looked up at him and nodded your head. He tucked your hair behind your ear, he wasn't convinced by your answer.

"Seriously, I'm okay. Don't worry, we shouldn't worry your parents by being away for too long." You said, putting an assuring hand on his arm. You didn't want Yunho to feel the need to comfort you again, it's what he is always doing. And that just makes all the guilt and doubt creep up your throat.

"Stop." He grasped your wrist and tugged you to him, hugging you to his chest tightly. You closed your eyes, enjoying the warmth and security of his hug.

"I love your family. They're so nice, you're lucky to have them." You said, words muffled slightly by his hug as you clutched onto him.

"And they love you too. They're your family as much as they are mine, okay?" He whispered, rubbing your back.

"I swear, I'm not jealous or anything about your family, Yunho. I don't know what came over me, I'm sorry. I'm just petty and clinging onto what could have been..." You shook your head.

"Which you have every right to so don't apologise." He held your chin and tilted your head up.

"I love you." He spoke.

"I love you too." You replied with a soft smile, letting him lean down to give you a kiss. Yunho was too kind for his own good but you loved him and didn't want to let him go. When the both of you pulled away, you leaned against his chest.

"Sorry, I didn't think the first time I'll tell you I love you would be in the bathroom of a restaurant." Yunho chuckled.

"Don't worry about it, this isn't the first time." You replied with a giggle. Yunho pulled back to give a questioning look, not knowing what you were referring to.

"Yesterday in your drunken stupor, you told me you loved me. Then told me you loved the cake I made." You explained to him.

"I-I did?" He stuttered, his cheeks turning red as he facepalmed. You nodded your head.

"Oh god. Why didn't you mention this to me?" His head fell onto your shoulder. All you did was continue to laugh, wrapping your arms around his head.

"You were too cute. But we should really go." You said to him, stroking his cheek. He nodded and straightened up.

"Wait, before we go back..." He quickly stole another kiss before opening the door to let you through, making your eyes widen in shock. Yunho walked behind you as you headed back to the table. The first thing you did was bow and apologise to Yunho's family for disappearing for so long.

"No worries. Shall we get dessert?" Mrs Jeong asked, not making you feel embarrassed or anything, playing it off as a minor issue. You hummed and looked at the menu.

"So, what's good?" Yunho, once again, leaned over to ask you.

"I'm not telling you." You snickered and hid your face behind your menu, playfully leaning away from him.

"But (y/n)~ I wanna share with you." Yunho whined, continuing to lean into you until he was practically draped over you while you were laying on the couch of the booth.

"Yunho! Let the poor girl go before you squish her." Mrs Jeong scolded her son.

"What can I get you all for dessert?" The waiter came. Yunho cast a look over to you, waiting for you to order.

"We'll share a crêpes suzette and and a slice of tarte tartin." You ordered with a small chuckle, you gave in to Yunho too easily. The waiter nodded and took the other orders before leaving. Mr Jeong chuckled, shaking his head.

"Do you always give in to him so easily?" He raised an eyebrow. His smile indicated that he was joking.

"Can't help it... I guess we just give into each other a lot. Sometimes without knowing too." You smiled with a casual shrug. Yunho nodded in agreement.

When the desserts were served, all of you shared your desserts. Mr Jeong had a small glass of digestif orujo (Spanish after dinner drink of alcohol, most likely Spanish brandy, served in a shot)

"See? Trusting you chef taste is good." Yunho said happily, eating a piece of the crepe.

"Grand marnier, an orange liquor is poured over and lit up. This is one of Jongho's favourite desserts actually." You told him.

"Would you like a glass?" Mr Jeong offered.

"Oh, no. I'm good, abonim. Thank you for offering." You shook your head, not wanting to take anymore strong alcohol. You took a bite of tarte tartin that was served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream then pushed your plate closer to Yunho for him to take a scoop off your plate to try.

"Can you make this? I like it." Yunho pointed to your tarte tartin.

"Sure, Yunho. I'll make it next time you come over and you can use different fruits too, whatever is in season." You laughed. Yunho clapped his hands excitedly.

After all the desserts and conversations were done, Mr Jeong raised his hand to ask the waiter for the bill.

"Actually, Mr Jeong, if it's okay with you, I would like to pay for dinner." You offered. Yunho's parents looked at you with wide eyes.

"What? Nonsense, (y/n). We appreciate it but we can't let you pay! Ah... how about, next time, you cook dinner for us instead?" Mrs Jeong waved you off with a giggle.

"That's a promise." You smiled. Once the bill was paid, you all headed out.

"Thank you so much for tonight, it has been great. I had a great time and the food was amazing." You said to all of them.

"Aww, you're most welcome, (y/n). We have to do this again soon, okay? Don't stay away for too long." Mrs Jeong pulled you into a tight hug. You melted in her hold, closing your eyes as you savoured the feeling of a mother's hug.

"Any time you need anything, let us know." Mr Jeong gave you a fatherly smile and tucked you to his side for a brief hug, just like how Yunho always did.

"I will, thank you. Have a good night, omonim and abonim." You smiled. You waved to Gunho, who waved back with a bright grin.

"Bye, (y/n)~" Gunho sang as he waved. Yunho glared at his brother but still gave him a goodbye hug.

As you all parted ways for the night, you and Yunho decided to go for a short walk at a nearby park before heading home. The weather was nice to spend some quiet time with Yunho.

"So, what did you think of tonight? I know my family can be... enthusiastic..." Yunho asked.

"They're great, I love them and I'm glad I got to know them better, especially your mother." You said, taking a seaton the bench.

"Yeah, she's a little... excited... to have a daughter to hang out with and do girly things together. You don't have to give in." Yunho rubbed the back of his neck. You shook your head, you were happy to spend time with Yunho's mother, it would be like all the time you could have had with your own mother.

"Actually, I-"

*meow*

"What's wrong?" Yunho tilted his head when you stopped talking mid way. You turned your head, looking around for the source of the sound. It was faint but you could hear it.

"You didn't hear that? Like a 'meow' or something..." You frowned, having heard it again.

"No, I don't hear anything. Or is there only a wavelength cats can hear each other on?" Now it was Yunho's turn to tease you.

"Ha. Ha. Very funny, turning the tables on me." You scoffed. You stood up, walking to where you heard the sound. Yunho curiously followed behind you.

"(y/n), be careful." Yunho warned. You stooped in front of some bushes, pushing them aside. Behind them, there was a small cardboard box. But before you could open it, Yunho grasped your arm to stop you.

"It's fine, Yun." You laughed and opened the box. It was hard to see so you used the torch on your phone to see.

There, in the corner of the box, a black kitten was curled up. It looked up and stared back at you with big green eyes. Yunho, with longer limbs, reached in to help you bring the box out.

"Look at you, poor thing." You gently reached out to stroke the kitten's head.

"Should we take him or her... out of the box?" Yunho abruptly reached in to try and grab the kitten.

"Oww! It scratched me." Yunho recoiled with a hiss of pain, looking at the little lines that the kitten left on his hand. Thankfully, it wasn't deep enough to bleed.

"You can't just reach in and grab it, Yun. Be gentle, you probably spooked the poor thing." You said.

In the end, Yunho helped carry the entire box with the kitten in it to his car. But he didn't want you to have it on your lap since it was dirty from being on the floor for god knows how long. So you coaxed the the kitten out and wrapped it in your jacket. You sat in the passenger seat with it in your lap.

"So what do we do with the little guy?... Or girl..." Yunho asked, leaning on his steering wheel.

"Well, we can't just leave it out there. It's just a baby, it won't survive." You sighed. The kitten snuggled into the warmth of your jacket, closing its eyes.

"Let's get some cat food and bring it home for a bit to get it warm." Yunho suggested.

"Okay, you hold onto it. It seems to like you more." Yunho said. But before he could start the engine to drive, you let the kitten go over.

"See? It likes you too. Just don't be too abrupt when handling him." You giggled, seeing the kitten curiously sniff Yunho as it balanced on the middle console of the car.

"Just hold onto it! I can't drive with a kitten in my lap." Yunho burst out laughing, gently patting the head of the kitten.

"Come here, the big doggy man is too scary, huh?" You cooed to the kitten while Yunho rolled his eyes and began to drive to the nearest pet store that was still open. The kitten comfortably curled up in your jacket again.

"Don't worry, you won't be alone again." You smiled softly.

~

Series masterlist

[makeitmingi]

The Cat and Dog Game [Chapter 31]

Genre: Romance, Fluff, Comedy

Pairing: Yunho x Reader (y/n)

Characters: Chef!Reader, RestaurantOwner!Yunho, MaitreD!Hongjoong, Waiter!Yeosang, Waiter!San, Waiter!Mingi, SousChef!Seonghwa, SousChef!Wooyoung, PrepChef!Jongho

Summary: Yunho's dream was to open and run his own restaurant. But he doesn't know anything when it comes to cooking. Until you came along and accepted the job, bringing with you a small crew. How will the black cat tame the energetic golden retriever?

Word count: 3.3K

"Great work tonight, everyone. Thank you." Yunho smiled, bowing his head to everyone. Seonghwa, Wooyoung and Jongho bowed back, grabbing their things and heading for the door.

"Coming?" Jongho asked.

"No, you guys go ahead. I'm going with Yunho tonight..." You rubbed the back of your neck. Seonghwa, who already knew this, just nodded his head. While Jongho and Wooyoung exchanged amused looks with raised eyebrows.

"Stop that. He's already nervous as is. And I'm no better. I don't want to add to that." You hissed at the two. Jongho chuckled and wrapped an arm around you, hugging you to his side.

"That overgrown puppy better not try anything with my precious jagi." Wooyoung cupped your cheeks.

"Relax." You rolled your eyes.

"We'll see you tomorrow then." Seonghwa smiled softly. You nodded and waved goodbye to them as they jumped into their cars to drive home. You stood outside for a while more.

"Hey, there you are." Yunho poked his head out, looking for you. You turned around.

"I'm almost done here. Then we can go back." He smiled as he straightened up, coming over to hug you to him.

"Take your time." You chuckled, reaching up to pat his head. The both of you entered the kitchen. While waiting for Yunho to clear up with the rest, you did some prep work for tomorrow. Nothing too complicated or things that would create a lot of cleaning up to do. You made the filling for the pastries and some toppings.

"Hey, (y/n). Do you need any help?" Hongjoong came in, having finished his tasks for the closing of the restaurant. You looked around at what you were doing.

"Could you help me bring these containers... and these... to the walk in?" You requested.

"Sure. Just these?" He checked. You nodded in confimation. Hongjoong moved the containers for you.

"Let me help you with that." Yeosang entered the kitchen, helping you dry the equipment that you were currently washing up so it wouldn't create too big a stack.

"Where should I put these?" He asked.

"The bowls go onto the shelf there and the spatulas go there in the corresponding holders. They're labelled. Everything else can stay on the counter to dry since we'll be using them tomorrow morning." You informed. Yeosang hummed and did as told.

"Hey, I'm done. Ready to go?" Yunho came in. You dried your hands and went to the locker room to hang your apron up. Coming out with your night bag, Yunho immediately grabbed it for you.

"Yunho, don't worry. I can manage." You said, wanting to take your bag back but he just held it away from you.

"Don't worry about it." He smiled. Mingi and San came to the back to grab their things too.

"Goodnight. See you tomorrow." You all exchanged goodbyes.

"Goodnight, (y/n). Sleep tight." Mingi and San, to tease Yunho, encased you in a group hug, making you stand in the middle of them. You burst out laughing, wrapping one arm around each of them.

"Thank you. Goodnight, see you tomorrow." You smiled. Yunho looked like he was going to explode, his eyes twitching.

"Yah, yah. That's enough." He yanked you away from the two, pushing you behind him protectively. He glared at his friends for doing that deliberately. With one final wave, Yunho escorted you to his car, opening the passenger door for you to enter first before putting your bag in the back seat.

"Are you hungry? We can get some supper before heading back." Yunho offered.

"I'm not. But if you are, I don't mind stopping somewhere to get food. Or I can cook something for you if you get hungry, I don't mind." You chuckled, shrugging.

"Oh, here's the thing. I would love that... But my house is pretty much a void of fresh food..." He said in embarrassment.

"Yunho!" You laughed in disbelief.

"What? You know I don't cook. Plus, I have a girlfriend that's a chef. There is literally no need for me to cook." He scoffed. You pursed your lips, finding yourself a mush at Yunho calling you his 'girlfriend'.

"And it's not that bad. I have snacks and ramyeon." He defended, making you giggle.

"Alright, let's just go back then." You said. Yunho hummed, hand coming over to hold yours, keeping only one hand on the steering wheel. Yunho let out an internal sigh of relief, feeling you lace your fingers with his.

"Here we are." After Yunho pulled up in a parking space, he grabbed your bag and led you upstairs to his house. You removed your shoes at the entrace way before following him in.

"It's not much but... it's home." Yunho gave a crooked smile rubbing the back of his neck. He spent the entirety of last night cleaning.

"Thank you." You smiled, looking around.

"I'll put your bag in my room. Feel free to look around, make yourself comfortable. Help yourself to whatever." He told you and disappeared down the hall.

The apartment was simple yet modern. The couch was tucked in the corner, behind it was a floor to ceiling window. There were two rooms, one bedroom and one room that looked an office.

"Is this where you game?" You asked, noticing the gaming set up he had in the office.

"Yeah but there's pull out bed. My parents sleep there when they come over. Or Gunho..." He informed. You nodded with a hum and walked into Yunho's bedroom. It was like yours, a little plain. There was a bath towel, face towel and spare toothbrush sitting on the bed, having been set out by Yunho.

"These are for you to use. Let me know if you need anything." He picked the items up and held them out to you. You tucked them to your chest, going to your bed to get some clothes to wear to sleep.

"You use the bathroom here. I'll use the outside one." Yunho smiled.

"No, Yunho. It's okay, it's your bathroom. I'll use the spare one." You chuckled. He shook his head in denial.

"No, I insist." Before you could protest further, he ran away while cackling, leaving you standing there in the middle of his bedroom.

"Yunho..." You shook your head and went to take a shower. As you stood in the bathroom, you smiled to yourself. The towels smelt like Yunho and now, you did too, after using his soap.

"You're crazy." You scolded yourself. You gathered your dirty clothes and exited the bathroom.

Yunho came out from the bathroom at the same time. He looked good, dressed more homey, his hair ruffled and slightly damp from washing. His big grin made he look even more handsome and your heart soar.

"Was your shower good?" He asked, tilting his head. You nodded your head and Yunho came to hug you, tucking you to his side. He leaned down to kiss the top of your head.

Yunho prayed you couldn't hear his heart racing. Now, you were in his home, staying over. And you smelt like him!

"I can see your imaginary tail wagging." You teased him, jabbing his side.

"What is that supposed to mean?" He whined as he squirmed away, ticklish from your jabbing. You laughed and went to the living room with him trailing behind you.

"Where's your dirty clothes? We can throw them in the wash. Should be done by tomorrow." Yunho asked.

"It's fine. I'll just bring them back to mine to wash." You shrugged.

"But the cooking smell will linger and become stale." He reasoned. Alright, you agreed with that. You followed him to the washing area and threw your clothes into the washing machine. After putting in the soap and starting the wash cycle, all that was left to do was wait. Yunho turned to you with a mischievous grin.

"Yunho!" You squealed as he suddenly lifted you up, hugging you. He laughed at your frightened outburst.

"Let me go! Put me down!" You hit his shoulder. Yunho giggled and placed you down on the counter so you were eye to eye with him. His hands planted on either side of your body, trapping you.

"Don't do that, you scared me." You scolded. He smiled, meeting your eyes. Your hands came up to cup his cheeks.

"I'm really glad you're here, (y/n)." He said honestly, gaze becoming soft.

"Yunho..." You smiled softly. Your arms wound around his neck, hugging him. You felt one of his hands come up to hold your waist as he tucked his face into the crook of your neck.

After you and Yunho moved to the bedroom, you sat together and just talked. Although, while you were talking, you noticed Yunho just staring at you with a dreamy look on his face. You stopped talking and laughed at his expression.

"Are you okay?" You giggled. Yunho groaned and leaned forward, burying his face against your chest in embarrassment. You held his head, laughing at him.

"Don't laugh at me." He whined.

"Why? You just looked so cute while you were spacing out." One hand coming to stroke the back of his head.

"I just can't believe you're here." He murmured. You smiled softly, you felt the same. This feeling you had when you were with Yunho, you've never felt anything like this before.

"Stop hiding already." You laughed, gently grasping the back of his collar to pull him away.

"No!" He protested, grasping your hips and knocking you down instead. You laughed as Yunho laid his head on your chest.

"We can't sleep like this." You scoffed.

"Why not? I'm perfectly comfortably." His arms wounds themselves around your waist, effectively caging you in Yunho's embrace. You felt your cheeks heat up as you rolled your eyes. You sighed in defeat, one arm slinging over his shoulders and the other dress playing with the ends of his hair.

"Fine. If you have a bad back tomorrow, don't blame it on me." You sighed. Yunho nodded his head, even if he did have a bad back tomorrow, no way would be regret it.

"Yunho... I know I already said this but I'm happy you got to meet uncle Junghyun despite everything... " You said.

"Thank you for letting me meet him. And for telling me more about him." He replied.

"I'm trying... to open up more. I want to tell you... it's just..."

"Shh, it's okay. I understand. You don't have to rush into it, I'll always be here when you're ready to tell me." He promised you, squeezing your waist reassuringly.

"I can barely cope with it myself, after so many years. I don't even know where to start, everything in my head is just a mess. I've always been scared of letting people into my world." You sighed.

"It's okay to be scared. I know that some wounds just never close, but it's not your fault, (y/n). Just know that you are not alone."

Feeling your breathing even out, Yunho lifted his head to see you fast asleep. When he heard the washing machine beep outside, he reluctantly wiggled out of your hold and went out to move the clothes into the dryer.

"Done." He smiled and turned off the lights, hurrying to the room to be by your side again.

"Goodnight, love." Yunho gently lifted you over his arm so you were safely tucked to his side. He smiled down at you.

Planting a soft kiss to your forehead, Yunho closed his eyes and joined you in dreamland, hoping that you and him could just stay there forever.

-

You woke up first, hoping to leave before Yunho woke up since you were meant to clock in earlier. However, when you came out of the bathroom, you saw him sitting on the bed, looking lost.

"Oh... There you are..." He smiled sleepily when he saw you, his voice deep and sleep ridden.

"I hope I didn't wake you up. Go back to sleep. I'll see you at the restaurant later when you clock in." You chuckled, coming over to hug him. He wrapped his arms around you, burying his face against your abdomen. Your fingers carded through his slightly tangled hair. He mumbled something.

"What? I can't hear you." You giggled.

"You didn't wake me up and I don't want to go back to sleep. I'll clock in with you. There's no way I'm going to let you leave without me." He repeated, looking up at you.

"Yunho... The whole reason why you clock in later is because you stay later to help the others with the clean up." You sighed.

"I know but I told them I'm bringing you on a date so I'll clock in with you and do the work first." He reasoned.

"The boys are not gonna like this."

"Please, they're fine with it. If it makes you feel better, I promise it won't happen often." He gave you his puppy eyes and pout, which didn't even match his deep voice.

"Alright. I'll go out and wait." You patted his back. Yunho nodded and crawled out of bed, going to the bathroom to wash up.

While Yunho was in the bathroom getting ready, you tidied up the bed, arranging the blankets and the pillows. Then you sent Seonghwa a message to let him know that you were fine and that nothing happened in the night.

"I'll make us some coffee?" Yunho offered. You hummed and followed him out to the front. It was cute that despite not using his kitchen, Yunho had a small coffee set up.

"Welcome to Yunho's cafe!" He grinned. You smiled seeing how enthusiastic he was.

"May I have a large iced americano to go, please?" You ordered.

"Certainly! Coming right up." Yunho began making the coffee. You watched as he made the coffee for you, a little frown of concentration on his face.

"Iced americano!" He yelled out, as if you were not just in front of him. You winced, covering your ears at his volume.

"Thank you." You smiled.

"On the house, for the prettiest girl ever." Yunho winked and held the cup out to you. You scoffed and rolled your eyes, looking away as you grew shy at his compliment. Yunho chuckled at your reaction before beginning to make his own coffee. You stayed with him, sipping your coffee as you accompanied him.

"We should go before we're late." You said, checking your watch. You never liked being late to work. Grabbing your stuff, you and Yunho left his house to report for work.

"Should I be worried that you're driving one handed?" You chuckled as one of Yunho's hands came to hold yours.

"I would never knowingly put you in any danger, (y/n)." He scoffed. You couldn't help but laugh.

"If you say so." You shrugged, teasing him. He was about to protest but he felt your hand still hold his, with no sign of letting go any time soon. He smiled happily, giving your hand a loving squeeze.

"I can't wait for our date later." Yunho smiled. You nodded in agreement, you enjoyed your dates with Yunho.

"And there she is." Wooyoung smirked as you pulled up, giving you a small wave.

"You're alive." Jongho chuckled as you came out of Yunho's car. You rolled your eyes, slinging an arm around him.

"You're just as bad as Hwa." You scoffed. Jongho really cared for you, he just never showed it or expressed it like Seonghwa and Wooyoung did. But you know he cares. They all did, that's why they are your chosen family.

"Hey." Seonghwa knocked the back of your head and clicked of his tongue. Yunho bowed his head to greet everyone as he opened the door to the kitchen.

"Alright, let's get started." You said, putting your hair up into a bun and tying your apron on before washing your hands.

"I'm going to get started on the Paris-Brest (ring of choux pastry with praline cream filling topped with flaked almonds and icing sugar)." You announced to them, reading off your list for the day.

"Are we doing big quiche or mini quiches?" You asked.

"If we're doing shredded duck and with the fennel then I think let's do a big one." Wooyoung suggested.

"Starting on that. I'll do a thyme embedded crust." Seonghwa raised his hand.

"Next, there is a mixed berry lemon muffin with crumble topping. Who is taking that?" You turned to the rest. Wooyoung raised his hand to take the item. That left Jongho with the fluffy Japanese cheesecake, which he had experience making those before to the perfect consistency.

"Whoever is done will do the Ispahan cake (French raspberry, rose and lychee cake) and the Basbousa (Egyptian semolina cake with coconut orange syrup)." You informed.

"Can I help?" Yunho came up to you as enthusiastic as ever.

"Not me, Yun. Maybe the others might need help." You chuckled, turning back to your choux dough.

"Y-Yun?" Yunho's eyes widened, growing flustered at the sudden nickname you threw out there. You turned to him, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"N-Nothing! Nevermind... S-Seonghwa hyung! Let me help you!" Yunho ran over to where Seonghwa was at the stove.

Although, somewhere along the way, Yunho found himself back by your side, helping you with even the smallest of tasks. He liked helping you and appreciated that you were willing to teach him.

"Oww!" Yunho suddenly jumped, making you jump as well. He stuck his finger into his mouth while you stomped over with a frown. Grasping his wrist, you took his hand to see what had happened. You saw the blood ooze out the side of his finger.

"Yunho is off knife duty. Now you, come with me." You mumbled, dragging him along with you after addressing the rest.

"I'm fine, (y/n). It's just a cut." He sighed as you sat him down in the locker room, going to retrieve the first aid kit in the corner. You didn't reply him.

"Are you mad?" He asked sadly.

"I'm going to stop the bleeding first." You said, not answering his question. You held a small piece of gauze to the wound.

"Okay, now stay still. This is going to sting a little but I need to disinfect the cut." You warned him. Yunho didn't say a word, wanting to let you finish dressing his wound.

"Ahhh... That hurt..." He winced, kicking his feet as you sprayed the disinfectant over the cut. There was a childlike pout on his face. But Yunho opened his eyes when he saw you gently blowing over the wound. There was a worried frown on your face, an expression Yunho had not seen before.

"(y/n), please don't be mad." Yunho said, his free hand curling around your waist as your hands busied to wrap his finger up.

"I'm not mad at you. I just don't like seeing you hurt... Our professional knives are sharper than the regular home kitchen knives. I should have warned you." You shook your head.

"Hey, don't blame yourself either. I'm the one who wasn't paying attention and got hurt cutting raspberries." He cupped your cheek.

"You're banned from using knives without supervision from now on." You frowned.

"Nooooo, please. I have made it so far in doing kitchen things without supervision. If I can't even use a knife on my own, I'm as good as useless." He whined.

"You can go back to weighing ingredients." A small smile finally appeared on your face as you patted his head.

"That's so boring!" He groaned, pressing his forehead against your stomach. You scoffed and shook your head but couldn't help laugh at how silly Yunho was being. As long as he was around you, you would never find him useless.

~

Series masterlist

[makeitmingi]

The Cat and Dog Game [Chapter 20]

Genre: Romance, Fluff, Comedy

Pairing: Yunho x Reader (y/n)

Characters: Chef!Reader, RestaurantOwner!Yunho, MaitreD!Hongjoong, Waiter!Yeosang, Waiter!San, Waiter!Mingi, SousChef!Seonghwa, SousChef!Wooyoung, PrepChef!Jongho

Summary: Yunho's dream was to open and run his own restaurant. But he doesn't know anything when it comes to cooking. Until you came along and accepted the job, bringing with you a small crew. How will the black cat tame the energetic golden retriever?

Word count: 3.4K

"Say hi to your parents for me." You smiled, leaning against the door. You were still wrapped up in the blanket you dragged from your bed to walk Seonghwa out.

"You can come with me, you know? They did ask you to tag along." Seonghwa chuckled.

"I know, your parents have always loved me more. But you barely spend any time with your parents now, Hwa. I'm sure they miss you. Just go and... be their son. Don't worry about me." You giggled. Seonghwa rolled his eyes.

"I am still their son, I've never denied it." He scoffed.

"I know that. Tell them I'll be there next time." You said. Seonghwa nodded, reaching to to kiss your forehead and hug you before he left your apartment.

Mr and Mrs Park were there for you through it all. They were there for you after your mum passed away, they looked after you like their own daughter whenever you left home because of your stepmother.

"Oh, my soup!" You ditched the blanket by the doorway and went to the kitchen to check on your soup.

"Just what I need." You took home some seolleongtang from yesterday, wanting to add sliced beef and rice cakes for your lunch.

'Psst. Is your bodyguard gone yet? - Woo'

'You know I can't actually hear you through text, right Woo? And if you're referring to Seonghwa, yes. He just left to meet his parents not too long ago. - (y/n)'

'Perfect! I'll be there in 30 minutes, I'm going to buy some snacks first. - Woo'

You laughed, shaking your head as you put your phone aside. Reaching into your fridge, you took out more stock to prepare a portion of food for Wooyoung too. Wooyoung and Jongho both dropped by on their own from time to time to hang out with you, just like Seonghwa did.

"I'm here, jagiya!" Wooyoung announced loudly. You turned around to see him folding the blanket you left at the doorway earlier, draping it over his arm.

"Hi, Woo. And thanks." You smiled softly. He nodded and went to return the blanket to your room.

"What are you making?" He came, peering over your shoulder.

"Yesterday's seolleongtang. I just added some meat, rice cake and napa." You said, stirring the pot. He tugged you to him to hug you tightly, his arms circling your waist and chin on your shoulder.

"My jagi~" He giggled, giving you a loud kiss on the cheek before pulling away.

"You always do that to make Seonghwa angry." You snorted, turning the flame down for the soup to let it simmer.

"No. He's just jealous he can't do it." He rolled his eyes. When the soup was done, Wooyoung portioned the food out and you both sat at your counter to eat together. You topped your soup with red pepper flakes and spring onions.

"Bowl of comfort right here." He pointed at the bowl with his spoon as he chewed his food.

"That's what you say about post-Christmas split pea and ham soup." You laughed. After Christmas ham was eaten, you usually kept the bone to make pea and ham soup. It was practically a tradition.

"There are a lot of things that can bring you comfort, (y/n)." He pinched your cheek, making you wince.

"These fritters are good." You said, eating on a gimmari that Wooyoung bought.

"It's from the market near my place. A new stall run by an older couple but the food is always good. Crisp and fresh." He informed. You nodded, taking a vegetable fritter to eat.

"So, what did you think about yesterday?" Wooyoung casually asked.

"It went well. It was nice cooking at such a magnitude again, you know, cooking fancier dishes and stuff. With our small team, I don't think I can do it every night along with the morning bakes. But maybe we should do themed nights then. I'll suggest it to Yunho." You said as you leaned on one hand.

"That's nice and all. But I meant more... meeting the families." Wooyoung threaded lightly.

"I'm fine, Woo. I'm not gonna start spiralling just because I saw happy families. Was I envious? Yes, I'll admit that I was. But that's just how it is, nothing I can do about it." You shrugged.

"Okay, I just want to make sure you're okay. I am here for you." He slid his hand over yours.

"You know, I told Hwa that before we left, Yunho's mother hugged me. It... felt nice... In a familiar sort of way." You laughed bitterly.

"How so?"

"It's different from the hugs your mother, Mrs Park and Mrs Choi gives me. I may be going crazy but it just reminded me of my mother." You sighed.

"No, you're not going crazy, jagi. I understand. Like how my mother's hugs will always feel and be different. I get it." He giggled.

After the meal, you and Wooyoung did the dishes and cleaned up before sitting on the couch together. There was a random show playing on the television but it was mostly background sounds used to fill the space.

"Tell me something." Wooyoung started, taking a handful of popcorn and eating it from his hand. You hummed, fiddling with a stray string on your shared blanket.

"The dish you made yesterday. You chose galbi jjim because it's Yunho's favourite, right?" He asked. You remained silent.

"What's up with that? You and Yunho." He probed further.

"I... I don't know..." You shrugged with a soft sigh. Wooyoung was someone who was very in touch with his emotions while you were not. Maybe he could help you make sense of things.

"I need you to pick my brain." You confessed a little too honestly. Wooyoung's eyes widened.

"Jagi, I hope you don't mean that literally. Because you know I love you but brains..." He laughed.

"Be serious! I need you to help me understand things." You groaned and kicked his thigh, which was next to your food. He yelped and pouted at you.

"Try me. Tell me everything." Wooyoung encouraged. You took a while to try and form your thoughts into coherant sentences. He was patient though, Wooyoung always was, never rushing you or sarcastically commenting. You sifted through all your feelings in each situation you've been in with Yunho.

"How do you know if you like someone? Romantically. Rather than just, enjoying their company as a friend." You asked.

"Hmm. Well, what else do you feel when you're in that person's company? Yes, enjoying their company is one thing. Do you feel anything else?" He asked back.

"I like it, I don't want our time to end. But don't you feel that way with friends too?"

"Let's put it this way. When you are with Yunho, do you feel it's different than when you're with us?" He explained.

"Yeah. I feel like a different person entirely, more at peace. Like I want to get to know more about him and at the same time, I want to share more about myself. Which is rare." You said.

"There you go." Wooyoung nodded.

"I always thought it was just because you guys are noisy and chaotic, that's why Yunho brings me peace." You blinked.

"Yah." Wooyoung flicked a popcorn at you. You snickered, picking up the popcorn to pop into your mouth. Wooyoung's words sunk in, did you like Yunho? Romantically? It almost scared you at the thought of loving someone.

"Hey. Don't get lost in there." Wooyoung's hand slipped over yours, breaking your internal spiralling. You looked up and he sent you a gentle smile. He just knew you too well, all the boys did.

"What should I do? I'm scared of feeling this way, Woo." You asked in a whisper.

"What do you want to do? Do you want to tell him?" He asked.

"And then what?"

"Silly girl. If he likes you back, then you can try going on dates together. You don't have to get into a relationship right away. Try spending more time together." He chuckled.

"I know with everything you've been through, you are scared of your feelings. But I see how you are with him. He makes you happy." He smiled.

"I'm broken, you know? Yunho doesn't even know anything about my past. It feels wrong to hide it from him. But I'm afraid that he finds out and it scares him. He looks at life so beautifully while I can barely put myself together." You forced a bitter smile as tears started to form. Wooyoung leaned forward, cupping your cheeks.

"Hey, hey. Don't you say that about yourself. You're not broken, jagi. You're the toughest person I know. Life put you through the wringer and yet, here you are." His thumbs stroked your cheeks.

"It's all because of Hwa... And you... And Jongho." You shook your head, tears streaming down your face.

"No. It's because of you. You pulled yourself out of there. I'm sure Yunho can see what a beautiful person you are. Inside and out." Wooyoung said firmly.

"I love you, jagi." Wooyoung hugged you to his chest.

"You don't have to tell him everything at the moment. When your heart is ready." He stroked the back of your head.

"Thank you, Woo." You murmured, pressing your face into the material of his shirt.

"Whatever you decide to do, I'll always be here for you, jagiya. I just hate seeing you hurt." He promised, planting an affectionate kiss to the top of your head.

When Seonghwa came back from meeting his parents, he wasn't surprised to see Wooyoung's platform shoes there. Wooyoung and Jongho always dropped by to hang with you. He found the couch empty, only the blanket there.

"Sweetheart? Wooyoung?" Seonghwa called out but there was no reply. He sighed and folded the blanket, setting it aside.

"(y/n)?" He peeked into your room to see you and Wooyoung asleep. Your upper body was resting on Wooyoung's chest, the boy's arms wrapped around your shoulders.

With a soft smile, Seonghwa adjusted the blanket over you and Wooyoung before exiting the room.

"What should I cook?" He checked the time and went to the kitchen. He dug through your fridge to see what you had to cook for dinner.

*BZZZZ*

Seonghwa checked his phone and was surprised to see the message that popped up on his screen. After typing a quick reply, he put the ingredients back into the fridge and went to wear his shoes. Just like that, he walked out of the house again even though he had only been back for 15 minutes.

"Hey." Seonghwa greeted as he entered the cafe, seeing the person who sent him the text message sit at a corner booth.

"Hey, hyung. Thanks for meeting me so suddenly. It was probably surprising for you to receive my message out of the blue." The person said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Not at all." Seonghwa cleared his throat before sitting on the opposite bench.

"Berry smoothie, please." He raised his hand to order with the waiter. Seonghwa glanced at the man, who kept his head lowered.

"Yunho, what's wrong?" Seonghwa tilted his head. Yunho cast his eyes upwards to look at Seonghwa, like a puppy that got caught doing something bad.

"I'm sorry, hyung. I... I don't know how to say this... I thought about it the whole night until this morning and I don't know how to go about doing this but my mind told me I should be apologising to you first but I didn't know how-"

"Woah, woah. Slow down. What are you talking about? Why are you apologising to me?" Seonghwa frowned.

"I... I like (y/n)." Yunho confessed.

"Okay... I think I could tell that you like her... But why are you apologising to me? It's not like she's my property or my daughter." Seonghwa was still confused.

"Isn't it against the bro code to go after your friend's girl?" Yunho asked with a wince.

"Is that what you thought? (y/n)'s not my girl... I am extremely protective of her but girlfriend? No." Seonghwa shook his head.

"Wait, you're n-not together? But I thought..." Yunho's eyes widened. Had he misunderstood the whole thing? This whole time, he assumed things and they turned out to be wrong.

"We're not dating. But like I said, I am extremely protective of her. (y/n)'s bubble is fragile and I protect it vigilantly."

"Did something happen?" Yunho asked.

"It's not my story to tell. I don't oppose of you wanting to start a relationship with her. Frankly, even if I did oppose it, I have no right. (y/n)'s her own person and she makes her own decisions. Just don't hurt her, Yunho. She puts her heart and soul into everything. If you can't do the same, leave her alone." Seonghwa warned.

"No, no. I promise I won't hurt her. I can't even fathom the thought of her being hurt." Yunho said earnestly. Every time Yunho was with you, he just wanted to hug you and take care of you.

"Do you think she likes me back?" Yunho asked. Seonghwa knew you best and spent the most time with you. He would know.

"Not for me to say. I don't want to get your hopes up or give you any expectations. That's a conversation you should have with her." Seonghwa replied.

"All I can say is, be patient with her." Seonghwa advised with a kind smile. Just then, his phone rang.

"Hey, Wooyoung... You're cooking alone?... Oh, she's still sleeping..." Yunho sipped his drink, assuming 'she' was you.

"I actually ran into Yunho... Mmm, we're just having drinks... I'll ask him." Yunho straightened up when he saw Seonghwa pulled the phone away from his ear.

"Would you like to join us for dinner?" Seonghwa asked.

"Oh but I wouldn't want to intrude-"

"Yeah, he'll be there. I'll come with him." The older said and hung up. Yunho's eyes widened, unable to say anything. Seonghwa chuckled and tucked his phone back as they finished their drinks. Yunho insisted on paying after asking Seonghwa out.

"Hyung, what if I can't act like myself around her? I don't want to be accidentally blurting things out. It already almost happened once." Yunho panicked slightly.

"You'll be fine. It's just dinner. Besides, Wooyoung and I will be there." He laughed, patting the taller on the shoulder.

"You know her address, right?" Seonghwa stood at his car door. Yunho nodded and the two split up to drive back to your house.

When the two entered the house, Yunho could immediately smell something delicious being cooked in the kitchen. Wooyoung hummed as he moved around the kitchen.

"Hey, you two." Wooyoung greeted.

"Hey." Seonghwa dropped his coat on the couch while Yunho bowed politely and draping his coat over the bar chair.

"She's still asleep, hyung." Wooyoung informed turning around to face the stove. Seonghwa nodded and moved down the hall to where Yunho presumed your room was.

"Don't stand around. Sit, sit. Make yourself at home. Want something to drink?" Wooyoung waved at Yunho. It was amazing how Wooyoung and Seonghwa, probably Jongho too, treated this house like their own house. They were so comfortable here, they knew where everything was.

"Ah!" Yunho jumped when he heard Seonghwa yell. Wooyoung didn't even flinch, cooking the food like it was normal.

"Is... everything okay?" Yunho asked.

"Oh yeah. (y/n)'s probably just trying to kill him for waking her up. Don't worry about it." Wooyoung shrugged. Seonghwa emerged from the room first.

"She's up." Seonghwa announced. Wooyoung opened his mouth to say something.

"Oh my god!" You yelped and the sound of your rapid footsteps were heard, followed by the sound of your room door slamming close.

"PARK SEONGHWA!" You shouted from your room. Yunho smiled to himself, he found you so adorable.

"I was just going to ask if you preempted her about Yunho being here... Guess not..." Wooyoung snickered. Seonghwa sighed and went back to the room.

"What is Yunho doing here?! Why didn't you tell me?" You hissed the moment Seonghwa came in. You were getting presentable clothes to change to considering you were wearing one of Jongho's shirts and really old, torn home shorts.

"I ran into him and invited him for dinner. I couldn't tell you because you were strangling me for waking you up." Seonghwa rolled his eyes.

"Oh my gosh." You slapped your forehead.

"What?" Seonghwa blinked. You shook your head with a sigh and went to your bathroom, making sure you brushed your teeth and looked presentable enough.

"Sorry about that. Hi, Yunho." You greeted as you came out. Yunho got off the bar stool.

"Hi, (y/n). Not need to apologise. Sorry for intruding." He smiled kindly. You tied your hair up into a bun and entered the kitchen area.

"Smells good, Woo. What are you making?" You asked Wooyoung, opening the fridge and pouring yourself a glass of cold brew coffee.

"Whatever you had in the fridge. So minced mushroom and cabbage stir fry, sweet and sour pork collar strips, bavette steak and side dishes." He informed. You nodded with a hum.

"I'll do the bavette." You said, putting your coffee aside and grabbing your apron. Seonghwa took whatever kale you had left to make a lemony kale salad with feta cheese and chopped cashews. Yunho volunteered to help Seonghwa with the salad since it seemed like the item he would screw up the least on.

"Sorry, it'll be scraps. We usually just eat whatever is in my fridge with rice." You apologised to Yunho as you stood next to him, seasoning the steak while he crumbled the feta.

"Not at all, it's fun. I look forward to see what dishes you come up with." Yunho laughed.

"You massage the kale like this to break it down. Makes it easier to chew and digest." Seonghwa explained to Yunho.

"Ooh, that's interesting. I never knew you could do that." Yunho said, amazed. Standing at the stove, you couldn't help but snicker at Yunho's pure amazement.

"Are you laughing at me?" Yunho turned around with a pout.

"Not at all." You shook your head innocently. You heated up the cast iron and cooked the steak. Yunho helped to cook the rice to have with the other dishes while Seonghwa and you took out all the side dishes from your fridge.

"Set a timer for 5 minutes." You said to your phone to set a timer, letting the bavette steak rest on the cutting board before you could cut into it.

"Help me stir the cabbage." Wooyoung requested. Seonghwa grabbed the cooking spoon to stir the cabbage as it wilted further.

"I'll slice the steak." You grabbed your knife to slice it. With Seonghwa and Wooyoung by the stove, Yunho stood by you, silently watching you slice the meat in a 'fancy, angled' way.

"Even this feels elaborate..." Yunho chuckled rubbing the back of his neck.

"Is it? We're just clearing the fridge. How do you clear your fridge then?" You laughed.

"Ramen?" He tilted his head. The two of you shared a laugh at your differences. When all the food was ready, the 4 of you grabbed a plate to scoop the food like cafeteria style before sitting in the living room together to eat. It was informal but not awkward with small conversations here and there.

"I'll bring the recycling down." You told Seonghwa and Wooyoung, who were drying the dishes Yunho just washed. Yunho grabbed his coat, ready to head down.

"Thank you for cooking." Yunho bid the two goodbye.

"See you tomorrow." They waved back. You and Yunho headed downstairs. Yunho followed you to put the recycling in the corner before you were to split ways.

"Thanks for having me." Yunho smiled softly.

"No need to thank. You can come over any time." You chuckled, a small smile on your face.

"Goodnight." He wished. You hummed to express the same sentiment. As you were about to turn back to head into the lift lobby, Yunho grabbed your wrist to stop you. You faced him in confusion.

"Yunho, what-"

"(y/n), I like you. And if you would give me a chance, I would like to take you out for dinner."

~

Series masterlist

[makeitmingi]

The Cat and Dog Game [Chapter 34]

Genre: Romance, Fluff, Comedy

Pairing: Yunho x Reader (y/n)

Characters: Chef!Reader, RestaurantOwner!Yunho, MaitreD!Hongjoong, Waiter!Yeosang, Waiter!San, Waiter!Mingi, SousChef!Seonghwa, SousChef!Wooyoung, PrepChef!Jongho

Summary: Yunho's dream was to open and run his own restaurant. But he doesn't know anything when it comes to cooking. Until you came along and accepted the job, bringing with you a small crew. How will the black cat tame the energetic golden retriever?

Word count: 3.2K

"Where's (y/n)?" Yunho entered the kitchen, realising his girlfriend was missing from the morning kitchen crew.

"Didn't she tell you? She's with Mingi so she's coming in late." Seonghwa looked up from the batter that he was mixing. Yunho's eyes widened, what were you doing with his best friend? Both of you hadn't told him that you were together.

"No... Mingi told me he was with his mother that's why he's coming late..." Yunho was still reeling from the fact that Mingi lied to him. If there was nothing going on, why would Mingi lie to him?

"Woah, okay. I can see you spiralling. Calm down." Wooyoung patted Yunho's arm.

"I'm fine." He forced a smile. Jongho's eyebrows raised in amusement before he snorted a laugh and put his cakes in the oven.

"I'm going to open the shop. Let me know if you need any help." Yunho mumbled and went to put his bag in the locker room before heading outside.

"If he had puppy ears, they'd be folded against his head now. Truly a kicked puppy look." Wooyoung snickered.

"Shhh, he can hear you." Seonghwa kicked the younger.

When Yunho's friend reported for work, minus Mingi, they were not expecting to see a sulking Yunho at the counter, counting the money in the cash register with a little bit more anger than usual. None of them said anything, going to do their own duties for the store opening before San approached him.

"What's up with you? You're sulking even before the store is opened." San asked his friend as he dried the mugs and set them aside to be used later for the morning drinks.

"Mingi's not here..." He murmured.

"Yeah, we know that. He said he's spending the morning with his mother, right? What's to be angry about?" Hongjoong said.

"He's not! That's the thing, he's with (y/n)! Means, he lied to me." Yunho exclaimed, throwing his head back as he let out a small wail of disbelief. The boys looked at each other.

"So, you think they have something going on behind your back then?" Yeosang questioned.

"Of course not." Yunho scoffed. He trusted the both of you, Mingi has been his best friend forever and you're his loving girlfriend.

"Then?"

"Why did Mingi lie to me? And (y/n) didn't even tell me that she's meeting Mingi. I mean, not that she has to. She told her crew that she's meeting Mingi... I don't know!" He threw his arms up, clearly frustrated by the whole thing.

"You're hilarious, Jeong Yunho." San patted his shoulders and laughed. Hongjoong and Yeosang agreed. It was amusing to all of them to see Yunho so... envious? Jealous?

"Yunho's issues aside, we still need to get ready for service." Hongjoong clapped his hands, waving everyone off to prepare.

"Let me help bring things out." Yeosang and San went into the kitchen to bring out the finished baked goods.

"Oh, Yunho ah. Later, we need to go through the schedule for the social media posts." Yeosang said as he helped San arrange the display case.

"Yeah..." Yunho replied solemnly.

"We're open. Look alive!" San exclaimed, patting Yunho on the bum. Customers streamed in steadily.

"We're here! Sorry, we're late!" You and Mingi rushed into the kitchen mid service, quickly going to put your stuff and Mingi's things down in the locker room. Mingi, who was carrying a large styrofoam boax, went to the walk in. You assisted him, following him in and telling him where to put the box down.

"How was it?" Seonghwa asked when the two of you came back out.

"Amazing. I learnt a lot. Thanks again, Mingi." You smiled at the tall male. He wrapped his arms around you to hug you.

"Don't mention it. I think my mother had a great time too, at least someone is finally interested in learning some cooking from her." He chuckled, patting your back.

"What's going on here?" Yunho's eyes twitched, coming into the kitchen to see you and Mingi hugging each other.

"Right after sneaking into the walk in together." Wooyoung clicked his tongue, shaking his head.

"Wooyoung, shut up." You hissed.

"You! You call yourself my best friend and you lie to me. You told me you were going to be with your mother! Turns out, you were with my girlfriend." Yunho pointed an accusatory finger at Mingi, moving to tug you to his side protectively.

"Okay, calm down. Mingi was with his mother, I just asked to join in." You said, placing a hand on Yunho's back.

"Why? I didn't hear you mention this." Yunho pouted.

"Because I told Seonghwa and the others to tell you. Anyway, if you must know, I requested to meet Mingi's mother to learn more about prepping and cooking Korean eels." You looked at him.

"Oh..." Yunho slumped while Mingi rolled his eyes at how dramatic Yunho was. He didn't get why Yunho was acting up, honestly.

"So, yeah. We were not up to anything." You crossed your arms with raised eyebrows.

"I didn't think you were... I just didn't know what was going on..." Yunho whined, trailing after you as you walked away to help your crew with the other food prep.

"Ah, I really don't get relationships some times." Mingi chuckled with a shake of his head, going out to the front to help the others. As you prepped and did whatever you needed to do with Seonghwa, Yunho stayed by your side like a puppy. Although it was hard to ignore him because he was so big and cute.

"Let's have two eel dishes tonight." You said to the team. They gathered together to listen.

"For asian, marinate the eel in black bean sauce, rice wine, sesame oil and soy sauce. Grill it and serve it with a spicy marinated chive salad. What else can we serve with that?" You asked.

"We can take the bones and make a stock. Use that stock to cook rice and serve on the side since it's asian." Jongho suggested.

"Good idea." Seonghwa nodded.

"For western dish. A potato galette and we'll grill the eel until it's crispy and smokey, flake it on top with burnt leeks, poached eggs and pickled onions?" You said to the team.

"Sounds good." Wooyoung said, taking down the notes in his phone for later.

"Either that or I was thinking an eel stew with tomatoes, capers, so on." You thought out loud.

"The potato galette is better. But I think instead of grilling, I suggest we take stock and poach the eel in it, with flavours of a court boullion. Once the eel is done, emulsify it with butter to make a sauce." Seonghwa said.

"Oh, good idea. It won't be too heavy then. Or else baked galette with smokey burnt leeks and crispy grilled eel might be too much." Jongho agreed. You hummed and wrote it down.

"Let's move on to the other dishes." You said. Yunho was always in awe when he watched how your team formed a menu.

"Anything to add?" You turned to Yunho. He blinked, totally not paying attention to what you said.

"Uhh... No. I'm good." He blushed and shook his head. Before continuing, you went out to get yourself a coffee, greeting the others at the same time.

"Mrs Song was so nice. She taught me a lot and I learnt a lot." You smiled, conversing with the others.

"She's just glad there's someone to pass on her cooking knowledge. Because my brother and I have not shown any interest whatsoever. Wouldn't be surprised if she asks you join the family or something with the way she kept calling you her daughter." Mingi scoffs while rolling his eyes. You couldn't help but laugh.

"You'll have to fight Haneul for that. She wants (y/n) as her younger sister." San raised a hand. Hongjoong and Yeosang agreed, their mothers loved you since they met you.

"No, no, none of that. My omma already called dibs." Yunho came into the conversation.

"Well, I'm honoured. I love all your parents, they're kind, caring and wonderful people. I'll gladly be their daughter." You smiled.

A part of you hurt. So that's what it was like having parents around who wanted you. It bitterly reminded you of your father and stepmother, how they didn't even want you around them.

"I'm going to do dinner prep. Thanks for the coffee." You shook the cup and went to the kitchen.

"Are you sure you don't want us to stay and help?" Jongho asked, throwing his arms around you to stick to your side.

"Yes, don't worry. This was the deal remember? I come in late, I stay behind to make up for it. You guys were on time so go home and rest." You laughed. Of course, the 3 boys were unsure of leaving you behind and going home to rest.

"Not like you slept in, you were still out and about... At the market, Mingi's mom's restaurant..." Wooyoung pointed out. Seonghwa and Jongho nodded.

"Seriously, guys. I'm fine. I'll see you all tonight, okay?" You said, giving them hugs. Of course, Wooyoung's was the longest.

"Come here, jagi!" He squished you, rubbing his cheek against yours. You scrunched your nose, patting his hip.

"Go~" You shooed them out of the kitchen. Casting you another uncertain look, Seonghwa wrapped an arm around your waist, pulling you in for another hug and kissing your forehead.

"No overworking, you got me?" He said sternly.

"Yes, mom." You saluted. Seonghwa gave you a flat look, patting your head and leaving the kitchen.

"You're still here?" Yunho poked his head in, confusion written all over his face when he saw you setting up rather than clearing down the kitchen. You nodded with a hum, laying the newspaper down and putting the chopping board there. After that, you laid out your knives and other things you needed.

"I came in late so it's fair I stay longer to prepare for dinner. I'm going to prep the eels." You explained, your back facing Yunho. He came over and hugged you tightly.

"What?" You were puzzled but hugged him back.

"Nothing." He mumbled, leaning over you. One thing about Yunho's hugs, with his taller physique, his body almost encased yours.

"Need help?" He asked, pulling away. You asked him for the styrofoam box that Mingi had put in the walk in. The eels were all in there and needed to be prepared.

"It's going to get messy... And a little gory... You might wanna leave." You warned Yunho.

"I'm fine. I'll get my apron and stand back." Yunho went to the locker room to fetch his apron, putting it on.

To be honest, a part of why you volunteered to stay later was because you were excited to use your new knowledge to use. It was exciting to put into practice what you were taught and continue honing that skill through practice.

"Don't the guys in front need your help?" You asked, picking up the box of eels and dumping them into the sink, watching them flop around and wriggle.

"Nope!" He grinned.

"Yun..." You warned. Yunho knew you didn't like it when he abandoned his duties to hang out with you or be with you.

"I'm not, love. I swear. I did my stuff for closing already. They told me to come in and help you guys clean up if you needed it." He crossed his heart. You grew flustered at his nickname.

"Isn't Seonghwa your teacher now? Since you looooove learning from him." You scoffed.

"Baby, you know that's not true! It was one time that he taught me and that's only because you were sleeping." Yunho argued.

"Mmm, sure. Put the blame on me." You teased, washing your hands.

"No! You know that's not what I mean, (y/n)." He wailed out. You would have laughed but you did feel bad for always teasing Yunho so you went over to him to hug him again to comfort him. He pressed his face into your shoulder, grabbing your waist. You stroked the back of his head.

"Uh, am I interrupting something?" Yeosang stood at the doorway, blinking in confusion as you released Yunho. You burst out laughing and shook your head.

"What are you doing?" Yeosang peered over the sink.

"Preparing eels for tonight. Just like how Mingi's mother taught me." You said, grabbing your knife to begin.

"Ouch, remind me never to offend you, (y/n). Ever." Yeosang winced, seeing you grab the eel and cut into it to remove its guts then mercilessly skin it.

"Yeosang, I would never use my culinary knowledge to physically hurt someone. Plus, it's easier to skin an eel than a human." You shrugged.

"I'm not even going to question how you know that." Yeosang chuckled and went to the locker room to get his things. With a wave, he left first. You and Yunho waved back to him.

Soon, San, Mingi and Hongjoong came in, having done everything for service tonight. Not wanting to see all the gore of you preparing the eels, Hongjoong and Mingi grabbed their things and made a beeline for the door.

"Don't tired yourself out, (y/n)." San smiled kindly.

"Thank you, San. I won't. Have a good rest, see you tonight." You wished. He nodded and left, not before patting Yunho on the shoulder to bid him goodbye.

"Now, it's just us!" Yunho declared with a wide smile. You laughed with a snort.

"Do you not want to rest, Yun?" You asked as you moved onto the next eel. You kept the area as clean and organised as you could.

"No, I'm okay. I'd rather be here with you." He said. You felt your cheeks heat up at his words. Yunho ended up grabbing his laptop and a chair to work behind you at the main island.

A nice silence fell over the both of you. Silence in that there wasn't any playful banter or conversation. You both let each other focus on your tasks.

"Here." Yunho took a break by holding the coffee up to you so you could take a drink, even if your hands were dirty.

"Thank you." You smiled gratefully and took a sip. When you were done with all the eels, you set the prepared eels aside and cleaned up the area in case any of the eel innards dropped. Yunho helped you with mopping the floor while you scrubbed the sink, counter top, knives and cutting board.

"What's next?" Yunho asked.

"I'll put these in the fridge to be used tonight. And I'll start a stock on the bones. I have the blanch them then boil the stock." You informed, bringing the eel filets into the walk in fridge.

"Do you always have to blanch the meats before making a stock? I know my omma does that with beef and pork bones."

"Not always but most of the time, it gets rid of the blood and impurities." You replied.

"It doesn't affect the flavour?" Yunho helped you put the two stock pots on the stove and turned on the pot filler to begin filling them with the water.

"No. Personally, I feel it actually helps, gives it a cleaner flavour. So like fish, I'll lightly blanch it just to get that heavy fishiness away." You said, throwing the eel bones into the water.

"So are you doing two types of stock?" He asked.

"Yeah. One is a light stock, flavoured with white wine, onion, celery, peppercorns, herbs. To make something similar to what is called a court boullion, used to poach things like seafood. The other will be heavier because it'll flavour the rice we're serving." You explained.

"Court boullion... So this is similar but not exactly? What's the actual one then?" Yunho questioned.

"Usually it's water with white wine, herbs, vegetables. Sometimes you can add lemon since it's meant to be a little more acidic than normal stock." You said.

"It lets the seafood or whatever you're poaching shine in flavour?" He tilted his head.

"Exactly." You grinned.

Yunho helped where he could, mainly he wanted to be close to you. Now, you were just letting the stock boil for as long as possible. So after you set the timers, you and Yunho sat outside.

"Come." Yunho patted the seat beside him at one of the booths. The curtains were all drawn and no one could see into the shop.

"This is nice." You admitted, being tucked against Yunho's side, his arm draped over you. He smiled down at you, leaning to kiss the crown of your head. The both of you just sat there in silence, enjoying each other's company but at some point, you didn't know when, you fell asleep.

"You must be tired." He said softly, lighting stroking your head, but careful not to wake you up. Yunho enjoyed these moments with you, it brought him peace.

For you, Yunho brought so much light and excitement. For Yunho, you brough so much peace and calmness.

"(y/n)?" In the evening, Seonghwa, Jongho and Wooyoung came in for the dinner service.

"Where is she?" Wooyoung looked around. The stock was gently cooking on the stove but you were nowhere to be found. Seonghwa walked out to the front and paused at the sight before him.

"Is she here?" Jongho came out.

"Shhh." Seonghwa hushed the younger, pointing over to the booth seat. You were still tucked against Yunho's side, fast asleep. Yunho's cheek pressed against the top of your head, having fallen asleep as well. Jongho's eyebrows raised in amusement.

"Quiet, Woo. They're sleeping outside. Don't bother them." Seonghwa said. Wooyoung went to see. He studied the two of you, tilting his head while Jongho snickered.

"They're just sleeping." Jongho smacked Wooyoung.

"I was just checking." Wooyoung shrugged. He took his phone out to snap a picture, silently cooing at the two of you.

"Okay, let's get back to work." Seonghwa pushed the two to the kitchen.

"You know if (y/n) wakes up and finds out we started cooking without waking her up, she'll kill us." Jongho pointed out. Wooyoung whimpered at that.

"It's fine. Plus, Yunho is sleeping on top of her. She wouldn't move to disturb him." Seonghwa waved them off.

"Your funeral." Wooyoung held his hands up. They began preparing for the dinner service. However, they didn't realise the timer for the stock was on your phone. You and Yunho jolted awake when the alarm on your phone sounded. You checked your phone, eyes widening when you saw the time.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU WAKE ME?!" You barged into the kitchen. Jongho and Wooyoung ducked behind the counters together, leaving Seonghwa to fend for himself.

"You and Yunho were sleeping so peacefully. I didn't want to wake either of you." Seonghwa replied calmly.

"You! I'm never going near you again. You make me sleep." You frowned, pointing at Yunho.

"I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or insult..." Yunho scratched the back of his head, yawning and stretching his limbs. You sighed and grabbed your apron to tend to your stock.

"Probably not the best time to tell you Wooyoung hyung took pictures, right?" Jongho voiced out.

"He what?!"

"YAH! CHOI JONGHO!" Wooyoung screeched.

~

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