Was this incident the turning point?
The two of them no longer shunned me as they once had.
In fact, quite the opposite.
“You’re here? Today I made egg tarts. Try one.”
Bell greeted me warmly and offered this treat.
As expected, it tasted wonderful.
“This is amazing today too! It just melts in my mouth!”
The more my praises piled up, the more their wariness crumbled away.
“Today it’s dacquoise.”
“This is delicious too!”
“Come on in! Why didn’t you come yesterday? Today it’s mont blanc.”
Now, it seemed they actually missed me when I didn’t show up.
Every visit brought a new dessert to sample, which made me happy.
They were so delicious that I started feeling guilty about getting them for free every time.
So, at some point, I began paying a little bit each time.
Of course, the two of them said it was fine, no need.
But I insisted, stubborn as ever, that it was only right.
Because eating such delectable desserts for nothing just didn’t sit well with me.
While showering them with compliments, I didn’t hold back on suggestions either.
“It’s really tasty, but how about trying a dessert with chestnut compote?”
“It’s rich in flavor. Good, but maybe it’d be even better if the cream cheese taste was toned down a touch.”
I shared my opinions candidly, without holding back.
“Chestnut compote? That sounds great.”
“I’ll have to adjust the cream cheese ratio.”
The pair embraced my feedback eagerly.
As a result, the desserts grew tastier by the day, and my urge to invest intensified.
From their reaction when I first tried the brownies, it seemed Bell had some emotional scars, so for a while, I deliberately avoided bringing up investment.
I was too busy lavishing her with endless praise, coddling her spirits.
Perhaps because of that, lately Bell seemed brimming with confidence.
“Wow, this is a masterpiece!”
“Is it okay?”
“Yes! It’s flawless. The pie crust is perfectly crisp, and the apple compote on top has just the right crunch—it’s the best.”
It was a flavor that truly brought happiness.
Seeing my blissfully melted expression, Bell smiled with satisfaction.
“I think so too. It turned out just as I expected.”
Unlike before, she radiated a newfound assurance.
That stirred the ambition I’d been keeping under wraps.
‘Maybe now’s the time to gently persuade her again?’
I gauged the moment carefully before casually broaching the subject.
“Still no interest?”
“In what?”
“The shop. I told you I’d invest.”
Bell’s face, which had been lit with contentment, froze.
Then, her complexion gradually paled.
It was an expression laced more with fear than outright rejection.
Her eyes darted restlessly before slowly dropping to the floor.
“Um, I like creating new things, but opening a shop… selling is a whole different story.”
Since Bell’s stance remained unchanged, I subtly shifted my gaze toward May.
A silent plea: You try persuading her.
She seemed to want to help Bell, after all.
Catching my look, May offered a faint smile.
“I’m not confident in running a business either.”
And with that, a firm refusal.
Even you, May…
“Why on earth do you lack confidence? When it’s this delicious? It’ll sell for sure!”
“I’m grateful you say that.”
The two of them just laughed it off, as if it were empty flattery.
No, you two.
I’m serious!
Something this tasty needs to be shared!
I can’t be the only one who knows!
“What do others say? Don’t they all think it’s delicious?”
At that, Bell lowered her head, and May glanced at her expression with concern.
‘Could it be…’
“No one else has tasted our desserts except you, miss.”
It was the answer I’d suspected, but it still surprised me.
They’d been so generous with me—I thought things had improved.
“Why not? I keep telling you, it’s delicious.”
If you’re making this much, couldn’t you share some with someone at least once?
What do you do with the leftovers?
“It just feels… inadequate to show to others.”
Bell forced a smile, but her voice trembled.
This won’t do.
I’d tried to pretend not to notice, sensing some unspoken circumstance, but it seemed like that wouldn’t work anymore.
“Who was it?”
“Pardon?”
“Who said Bell’s food wasn’t tasty?”
I went for a direct confrontation.
In an instant, Bell’s face turned ashen.
Her whole body began to shake uncontrollably.
“H-how did you…”
How could I not know?
“You’ve been constantly afraid of letting others taste what Bell makes. Isn’t there only one reason for that?”
“…”
She must have received some utterly devastating criticism somewhere.
But I couldn’t fathom just how vicious the insults had been to shatter her confidence this badly.
“At first, I tried to understand. That’s why I pretended not to notice.”
Bell and May’s gazes turned peculiar.
As if they hadn’t expected such consideration from me.
“But this can’t go on like this. Not for my investment’s sake, but for Bell’s. Tell me.”
Faced with my unyielding attitude, Bell clutched her arm tightly instead of answering.
Avoidance alone won’t lead to progress.
“Who was the tasteless idiot that said Bell’s desserts weren’t good?”
My outraged cry left Bell dumbfounded.
She blinked slowly, then suddenly burst into laughter.
“Pfft, a tasteless idiot?”
“Absolutely. Anyone who eats something this delicious and doesn’t recognize it has no palate!”
Perhaps my sincerity got through, because Bell’s expression eased considerably.
She glanced at May, then back at me, and with a resolute air, she calmly shared her story.
Bell had worked as an apprentice baker at a renowned dessert shop.
It was a place famed for its flavors in the capital, and the head baker there was notoriously strict.
-Is this the best you can do?
-I told you to develop new products, not copy others.
-There’s no originality. This is just a knockoff.
-You have no talent!
-This is inedible. Who would pay for something like this?
“He really said things like that?”
That wasn’t teaching—it was methodically crushing someone’s self-esteem.
As I fumed, Bell smiled awkwardly.
“I could handle the head baker’s harsh words. After all, even to me, his desserts were all delicious.”
“Then what was the problem?”
“It was my fiancé.”
“!”
Bell’s smile turned bitterly sour.
Bell had a fiancé who shared her dreams.
-I want to be the best baker. I hope my desserts make lots of people happy.
-You can do it. Let’s become the best together.
As someone pursuing the same dream, he had supported her work more than anyone, a kind and gentle soul.
-Why do you look so down?
-Got scolded again. He said it tasted like something he’d had before. He seems especially hard on me.
-The head baker has high expectations for you. You can do it, Bell.
-Thanks to you, I feel a bit better. Thank you.
-What, I’m sorry I can only offer words.
-Even words mean a lot.
Whenever she got reprimanded by the head baker and felt low, he was there to lift her up.
-I’m sorry. I have to go in for the new product development. The head baker wants me to practice. Sorry to postpone our date.
-It’s okay, it can’t be helped. Good luck.
He was so understanding, even when work forced her to cancel plans.
Feeling guilty and grateful, she worked even harder.
She vowed to establish herself quickly and treat him better, pouring her all into her job.
Then, the end came quietly, abruptly.
-I’m sorry, Bell. Let’s break off the engagement.
-Wh-what do you mean?
-You heard me.
The sudden request snapped Bell to attention.
-Is it because I’ve been too busy to pay attention to you lately? I’m sorry. I’ll do better. I won’t use work as an excuse to postpone dates anymore.
She apologized for burying herself in work and neglecting him, clinging desperately.
But he was merciless.
-I’ve found someone else.
His tone was final, and an ominous feeling crept in.
They worked at the same place, always together.
He wouldn’t have had time to meet someone else separately.
Yet he claimed there was another…
-Is it someone I know?
-…
The worst-case scenario.
She’d prayed it wasn’t that.
-So it is someone I know. Who?
-…
-Who is it! I have a right to know!
He hesitated for a while, then fixed her with a resolute stare.
As if deciding it was better to end it cleanly.
-Pam.
The name from his lips was unbelievable.
-…The head baker?
Why her, of all people?
Not just anyone, but her.
The one who’d console Bell every time she struggled under the head baker’s scoldings—it had been him.
He’d seen firsthand how harshly she treated her.
-How could you? Anyone but her!
-You tried her new dessert recently, right? It’s the kind of flavor you can’t help but fall for.
His enraptured expression pierced her heart.
That wasn’t love for Pam.
It was admiration for her skill.
-I can make that too!
-No.
Her desperate plea.
All her efforts until now.
-Compared to Pam’s, yours is garbage.
He trampled them ruthlessly.
She’d thought they’d spend their lives together.
That’s why it hurt even more.
As Bell’s story concluded, my insides boiled over.
Rage surged to the top of my head.
I slammed my palm down on the table.
May and Bell’s faces registered shock.
“You’re going to give up your dream because of someone like that?”
“The wound was that deep. For a long time, I couldn’t even make desserts.”
At Bell’s bitter murmur, I declared firmly.
“Let’s open our shop.”
“But I told you, I don’t have the confidence.”
To Bell’s refusal, I raised my voice even higher.
“No. All the more reason to work harder and succeed spectacularly, just to show him! Why abandon your dream over some jerk like that? This is a blessing in disguise!”
“…A blessing?”
“You found out what a loser he is early on! Imagine if you’d learned after marriage? How much regret would that bring?”
The two of them looked thunderstruck.
“Anyway, someone like that will stay rotten forever. Consider it a clean break and move on. Then go find your own life, Bell.”
Bell’s expression grew increasingly complex.
She seemed to feel it was fortunate, as I said, yet hesitation lingered.
“You’re not still hung up on him, are you?”
“No. I’ve sorted out my feelings for him.”
Bell’s tone was unwavering.
Thank goodness.
It would’ve been a headache if there were lingering attachments.
“But making desserts every day like this, even as a hobby, means you still have regrets. You haven’t truly given up on the dream.”
Bell’s eyes wavered.
“Wouldn’t it be a waste of your life to throw away your dream over some guy?”
Deep conflict shadowed Bell’s face.
She seemed swayed by my words.
But the scar he’d left appeared to block that final step forward.
I need to shake off that hesitation…
‘Ah, I’ve got a great idea.’
