I can't promise that you'll like the music but i'll recommend it to you so i hope you give it a listen :^)

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It all started when his mother added salt into the batter when his father left, and being the loving child he was, he ate all the cookies so that his mother didn't need to taste the pain.

Seokmin got his passion for baking from his mother.

During those old days they would always do everything together; little Seokmin running home from school, throwing his backpack to the side and immediately wash his hands to help his mother bake. It was a routine of theirs since his mother got a divorce. Baking was their only escape.

It was a way where they could fully ignore their black and blues of life somehow, where they would forget all the sad things that's been happening towards them. It was their best way to be happy. It was Seokmin's and his mother's special recipe towards happiness.

A few ounces of sugar to replace the salt with sweet. A drop of vanilla essence to put serenity into their hearts; calm and collected. Sometimes a little lemon juice or cream cheese; adding flavour into their life. Most of the time lots and lots of chocolate, where they would melt away from the world in each bite. Sift away the flour, only let the good parts be mixed into the batter. Mix away, all those stirred feelings and emotions with a wooden spoon, or a spatula, or a mixer.

Once it comes out of the oven, all the mixed feelings turn into only one thing; happiness.

And that was what Seokmin liked about baking.

Of course, their life wasn't always about happiness all the time.

When his mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, Seokmin's world came breaking down. She forgot everything. She forgot him, their memories together, the proper way she taught him how to make his favourite chocolate fudge muffins, nor did she remember all the amazing and original recipes she stored inside her head. Seokmin's mother was a walking recipe book. Now, she had lost that too.

But one thing that his mother seemed to remember was that he loved baking.

And even if her passion for baking had died, she still savours all the treats Seokmin made for her. It wasn't the same, but that part of his mother made Seokmin believe that his mother was still there.

When she was finally able to leave the hospital, somehow, her condition worsened. Seokmin's mother went missing for days. Everything that Seokmin went through only lead to one thing; his mother's death.

Nobody could blame a woman in her seventies who was walking on the streets alone, clueless, even worse when she's diagnosed with Alzheimer's. The woman was hit by a truck and died right after.

Seokmin blamed everything all on himself.

Then there was a time when his mother went missing, under all that pressure he had to prepare for his finals. Chasing after his dream like his mother used to teach him, he was finally able to enroll into a cooking academy and majored in pastries. Everything went well until he was blamed for an incident that happened during their finals.

A crime he didn't commit, as what Seokmin would say. And it was true; he didn't.

On the day of the finals all the students were bustling around grabbing their cooking materials, thinking about what they should cook, whether their dish was sweet or salty enough for the judges to the extent where they didn't notice a shadow lurking around despite all the commotion.

During the hour where the judges were supposed to take a look at their dishes, a student started breaking down into tears saying that someone had sabotaged her dish a while ago. Her dish was completely ruined. Her croissants were replaced with rotten, store bought ones, and much more disgusting things on her plate.

And Seokmin was accused for all of that.

Why him? Of course we all know Seokmin wouldn't do that. Everybody loved him. He was the sun during every hour, going around from table to table just to joke on people, doing ridiculous pranks on other guys, but never, ever to the extent where he would destroy pastries.

He could never. He swore he couldn't, and he never would.

Again, why him out of everyone? Because when they looked through the cameras inside the room Seokmin was out in the hallway, carrying a bag of croissants into the room.

He tried to explain to them, he was bringing the croissants to the students from the next class since they asked for his help. They were fresh croissants, he swore they were. Even if he tried to explain, none of them believed him. And if they wanted to believe him, there was no proof that could support him.

It was a stupid for accusing him despite the stupid reason, everyone thought. His friends thought. His favourite teachers thought. But the head of the academy didn't. Neither did the girl who accused him.

That incident got him expelled from that academy; Seokmin leaving without even having a chance to graduate. Everyone felt sorry for him. He wondered; what kind of grudge did the girl have against him to tell such a lie? He's never done anything towards her. Heck, did he ever spoke to her before?

Passing by the hallways of his school, her picture was hung on the notice board, saying that she was to be the top student to ace the finals.

Ah, so that was why.

She was just envious of Seokmin.

He himself knew where his standards were. He's over the top whenever it comes to practical lessons. Moreover, a practical test. Seokmin was just born with the ability to match the strangest flavours together. It's in his blood.

Seokmin clenched his fist tighter the more he stared at the smiling girl's picture.

He knew it was a stupid reason to get angry at, I mean, she was just jealous, why should you be angry at her? She's acting like a three year old and everyone just believes her, so why are you angry?

Everyone saw the cloud on top of Seokmin's head. Despite being the sun, like everyone says, whenever he's gloomy, you can always feel his gloominess, just as much as you could feel his positivity whenever he's happy.

He trudged back home, no energy left in his legs. All he wanted to do was go home and make himself some good chocolate fudge muffins to feel better. They always helped.

So he did. He measured all the ingredients, sifted the flour, mixed away all his feelings. But his muffins didn't turn out as perfect as how they used to be, nor did they contain the exact amount of happiness they had when he used to bake them. Seokmin could tell with just a look.

He didn't even had the time to even take a bite of his muffin when the hospital contacted him, saying that his mother had left him.

The boy was speechless. As much as he wanted to scream or cry over how hard everything has been for him, nobody would reply. Nobody could tell him he did a good job enduring everything, and nobody would pat his head or comfort him or tell him that they knew he was going through a lot.

Seokmin had muffins. They were his last hope.

But muffins couldn't talk. Nor could it comfort people.

That day, Seokmin broke his promise, dumping the muffins he made into the trash.

He hated seeing them. He hid all his baking appliances, all the recipe books, he wished he could delete everything about baking from the back of his mind. To him, baking has brought him to nothing but misfortune.

He lost his dream.

He lost his family.

He lost his passion.

He lost himself.

The past self of his, where was it? Seokmin didn't know. He became a completely new person. Less bright, less smiles, less the shine in his smiles. The less sincere he becomes. He never cooked again, living off store bought food. When he hid everything that used to be his away from himself, his kitchen counter never looked so spacious before. His heart fell, but it hurts even more to see the past memories again.

Till one day, when the muffin gods missed Seokmin's muffins so much, they led him to his mother's drawer.

Seokmin had never, ever looked through his mother's things. She told him that he was absolutely prohibited to go through all the recipe books she owned that she bragged about until he finally found the true meaning of baking.

As a young child, Seokmin never seemed to understand what the true meaning of baking even meant. He thought it was to become an ultimate professional chef who ranked #1 in all of the bakeries in the whole wide world. And that became his aim. That became his dream. He chased after it.

Seokmin thought he should clear up all his mother's things, sell a few and throw a few away. He didn't even give a single glance at the things, he just threw everything inside the plastic bag.

But an envelope hidden in the depths of the drawer caught his eye.

It was thick, old, and the edges were already ripped off because it was too old. The surface was crinkled and there were a lot of tea stains; as if his mother seemed to open the envelope a lot whenever she was having her tea.

When Seokmin opened the envelope, how surprised he was to see a stack of cash inside it. They all belonged to his mother. Pulling the money out, a piece of paper dropped onto the floor.

It was his mother's will.

My son, Lee Seokmin,

We've been through a lot of things together, through thick and thin. And one thing I always thought you was that whenever things got hard, it was time to pull out a mixing bowl and bake.

But life isn't always about baking, dear son. This is when the reality kicks in.

There is no way baking can solve all your problems. Your debts won't end if you just mix a few ingredients here and there.

But remember only one thing; never stop baking.

Why?

Remember the days when I used to tell you that you couldn't read all my recipe books till you've found the true meaning of baking?

Son, this whole time I've seen you run into the wrong direction. Being a successful pastry chef isn't the key to the true meaning of baking.

It's the memories, Seokmin.

Some people bake when they're stressed. Some people bake when they're happy. The reason you bake is the memories. Every moment you spent for every sift of flour, those are memories.

The times when we first baked muffins and they burnt crisp, those were precious memories. The time when you ate all my salty cupcakes so I didn't need to taste the horror, those were memories too. Happy, sad, hilarious, angry memories.

The true meaning of baking is when you remember all the distinct memories, each bite you take you reminisce to the times in the past or something's that happened recently. That's what makes you love baking, my dear. The memories.

Son, I hope you've already discovered the true meaning of baking. Someday I'll wake up and forget everything, the memories we've cherished together, all the recipes, even you, Seokmin. Even you.

If you haven't found the meaning yet, I hope you strive to.

I've always supported your dream, Seokmin. You will become a baker one day, an amazing one. I haven't done much for you these days because of my disease. I'm sorry, my son.

Here is all that I can give to you. Use the money to open your own bakery. Do it for me. Do it for your dream.

No matter how tough the upcoming days might be, always remember you have baking as your escape.

Muffins can't talk, but they will give you satisfaction and happiness.

I hope you'll always do well in life, Seokmin.

I'll always be watching you from above.

- Your Mother.

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there's the first chapter!

anyway im sorry if any of you played the song and didnt like it, i really love this type of music and it just calms me down

in this book its a seokmin x muffin au hAh

anyway yes, each person has their own stories. deep, emotional, hidden sorrows buried at the back of their minds or treasured with all their might.

look forward to the next few people that i'll be writing about!

oh and btw my trip to mecca got delayed which is why im still alive now lmao

have a nice day everyone

- Cee <3