Genre: Comedy, friendship, fluff, romance, school

Prompt: "Oh, this has got to be the most disgusting thing ever – here, taste it!"

Synopsis: I've had a crush on Jake for years but I just didn't know how to get his attention. When I realized he was taking Home Ec. this year, I knew I had to join the class in the hopes that I could spend time with him and maybe, just maybe, capture his attention. There's a problem with this, though... I can't cook to save my life and I think I just poisoned him! What am I going to do? We can't date if he's dead!

━━━━━━༻❀༺━━━━━━

I sat at the back of the Home Economics classroom, a scowl on my lips as I tried to follow the instructions listed in the cookbook. It was just a vanilla cake, it should have been easy, but I have this uncanny ability to make everything difficult.

'1 1/4 cup of milk,' I read to myself, reaching for the measuring cup. My eyes scanned the red numbers printed on the clear glass, brow furrowing. 'There is no 1/4!' I nudged my friend in the ribs to get his attention. "Oi, where's 1/4?"

Ben didn't look up from the beef broth he was trying to make for his instant ramen which he had smuggled into class. "It's 2 ounces."

"2 ounces," I repeated under my breath, flipping the cup around and once again scanning the red lettering. I nudged him again. "Oi, this bitch starts at 4 ounces. What do I do?"

 Michael turned in his seat to look back at me, a kind smile on his lips as he brushed away the brown hair from his eyes. "2 ounces is 4 tablespoons."

Ben snickered at me. "You do know what a tablespoon is, right?"

"Shut it," I scowled, nudging him hard before sending Michael a sheepish look. "Thanks..."

"Of course. I'm happy to help," he smiled again before turning back to his own table. He and his partner, James, were the power duo of the class, getting a perfect grade on every dish they made.

They took these complicated dishes and turned them into absolute child's play. No matter how many times I watched them do this, I couldn't understand how they did it. Their dishes look so professional and they taste amazing, too. Not to mention both boys are part of athletic clubs, tall, handsome and kind. 

It pissed me off how close to perfect they were.

"Stop daydreaming and give me a hand with this, will ya?"

"You're literally making instant ramen. How could you possibly need help?" I scoffed, leaning back in my chair instead of trying to help him.

He clicked his tongue. "You know I hate the smell of garlic on my fingers. It lasts for ages!"

"Then don't use it?"

"Don't use it... are you crazy? That's one of the most flavorful parts of the broth."

"Sounds like a you problem, man."

"With that attitude, you're never gonna impress Jake~" he sang out, pointing the spoon at me before returning to the broth.

A frown tugged at my lips at the words, sliding farther down in my chair. I glanced to the other side of the room where Jake sat, working with his partner to make fried rice. I've been crushing on the blonde since I first met him back in middle school, but we exist in two completely different circles. Because of that, I simply never had the chance to spend time with him or get to know him better.

None of my friends knew him or his group so it was a struggle to try and work myself into his life. That just meant I had to get creative. And by creative, I mean joining the Home Ec. class, which I hate, just for a chance to get closer to him and impress him with my non-existent cooking skills.

I sighed in frustration, letting my head fall onto the table. "What am I gonna do?"

Ben patted my back half-heartedly. "On the bright side, it's movie night."

That did make me feel a bit better. "Can I choose the movie this time?"

He shrugged a shoulder. "I don't care, but you know how picky Jiho is."

Ben, Jiho and myself have been best friends ever since we were tots in diapers. As we grew older, the bond between us became stronger until the three of us became a family, supporting each other through life's twists and turns. To celebrate this bond and to face the reality that we all would probably split ways after high school, Jiho started hosting a movie night. 

Every Friday, the three of us would gather on his couch and watch several movies, usually chosen by Jiho himself. It was a small frame of time where we forgot about everything else, stuffed our faces with various snacks, and just enjoyed each other's company.

When school finally ended, Ben and I raced off to the local movie rental store. The blonde kept sneaking around the aisles trying to see which genre and movie I was choosing, but he was soon cornered by a couple of girls from school who may or may not have an unhealthy obsession with him.

'That's what you get for being so popular,' I snickered, quickly grabbing a couple of movies that looked interesting before rushing to the counter. Because the internet was taking over when it came to movies, the store wasn't as popular as it once had been. It sucked for them, but it was good for me because there was no line to wait in.

The cashier took his sweet time to scan the movies, making me want to yell at him to move a little faster, but he was an older gentleman and I didn't want to be rude. I could hear Ben's steps as he rushed over to me but the movies were slid into the plastic bag just before he reached the counter. He pouted at me. I offered him a thumbs up and a cheeky smile.

Jiho looked up when his front door opened, scowling at the two of us as we chatted cheerfully with each other. "What took you two so long? You're fifteen minutes late. Besides, we were supposed to walk home together, remember?" 

I tried to subtly shift the bag behind me but his eyes caught sight of the logo before I could. 

"No way. I don't trust you, Rae!"

When he turned away to set up the DVD player, me and Ben shared a sneaky look.

Sniffling loudly, I put on the saddest face I could manage as I approached the couch, hands clasped tightly against my legs. Jiho watched me with suspicious eyes while Ben looked at me with pity, making sure the brown-haired male saw the look. 

"Come on, man! Rae is having some serious dating issues. She was really looking forward to showing us this movie."

Still suspicious, he shifted his weight uncomfortably. "What movie is it?"

"I wanted to –" sniffle "– surprise you," I responded in a timid voice. 

Ben nodded, throwing his arms around my shoulders and frowning at the male.

He bit his lip as he watched us, seeming to have an internal debate with himself. Heaving out a deep sigh, Jiho finally gave in, knowing he couldn't win against our combined power. "Fine, but don't let me regret this!"

As soon as the words passed his lips, my mood flipped and I high-fived Ben. 

Dread filled him as Jiho realized that he had just been played. "You guys suck!"

"We love you, too, Jiho~!" we both chorused. He held up his hand and I placed mine beside his, forming a heart.

Working together, we quickly filled the coffee table with snacks and got everything connected up. The boys settled down on the couch while I popped the disk into the DVD player, flicking off the lights. I squeezed in between them before pressing play.

Twenty minutes into the horror movie, both boys were clutching onto me for dear life, screaming every time something mildly disturbing happened which, being a horror movie, was quite often. Meanwhile, I was completely relaxed, munching on popcorn as the guy was forced to saw off his ankle in order to escape the room.

"You guys are such babies," I shook my head only to wince in pain, scowling at Jiho. "Stop screaming in my ear!"

"You have no soul!" he cried back, throwing the blanket over his head when a particularly loud scream left the television.

I heard a sound behind us and glanced over my shoulder, seeing Jiho's older sister descending the stairs, rubbing her tired eyes. She glanced at the TV, seeing the horror movie playing. Her eyes met mine and she grinned, putting a finger to her lips. The corners of my lips twitched upward as she slowly approached the couch. She sucked in a deep breath before screaming as loudly as her lungs would allow.

Jiho shrieked, falling off the couch before scrambling toward the wall as if it were the only thing that could save him. While he chose flight, Ben chose to hide his face into my shoulder, gripping my arm so tightly that his nails threatened to break through my skin.

Jiho's wide, wild eyes scanned the room, breathing heavily. When he realized that it wasn't a serial killer or an angry ghost, his fear started to morph into anger. "That was not funny, sis!"

Sarah giggled, flicking the lights on. "I thought it was hilarious!"

I paused the movie, attempting to pry the blonde off of me before he broke through my skin. "Did we wake you up?"

"Yes, but I don't have any plans for tomorrow." She plopped down on the couch next to me, quirking a brow. "Mind if I join?"

"Nope! I'm going to bed, goodnight!" Without waiting for a response, Jiho stomped up the stairs, having had enough of being scared for one night.

I turned to Ben who had finally removed himself. "You in?"

Taking a deep breath, he hesitantly nodded.

We finished the movie without incident before moving on the next one which Ben fell asleep during, using my head as a pillow. I flipped through the channels, looking for something at least mildly interesting to watch. Because it was so late, it was mostly just informercials that were playing.

Ben snored softly, mumbling something under his breath before burying his face further into my shoulder. Sarah exited the kitchen, carrying two glasses of coke. She handed me one before settling back down beside me, a sly smile on her lips. I knew I wasn't going to like whatever she was about to say.

"So tell me, Rae. Have you confessed your undying love to that boy yet?"

Called it. I shifted in my seat nervously, taking a long sip of the drink as I tried not to answer.

"That's a no," she laughed. "You're taking Home Ec. now, right?"

"Yeah, but I can't cook to save my life," I frowned at the glass, rubbing my thumb over the condensation. "Pretty sure Ben is failing because of me, too. We're partners so his grades are mine and mine are his."

"That's a shame. You do know, though, don't you?"

"Know what?"

"You joined Home Ec. and you don't even know?" She looked at me in surprise. "What did you join for, then?"

"I thought I could get closer to Jake that way... besides, Ben begged me to join him because he thought the class would be full of girls. He wanted to use me as his wingman, but the class is mostly guys. There are only four girls and two of them are already obsessed with him."

Sarah giggled. "Ah, high school life~ I remember what it was like being young."

"You're not even that old..."

"But you know, Rae," she leaned forward, holding her finger up with a smile. "The quickest way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

"If that's the case, then I really am screwed! I can't cook, Sarah, not even basic bitch dishes!"

"Nonsense! Your teacher is Mrs. Jung, right?"

"Yeah."

"Perfect! She's an amazing cook and a brilliant teacher. As long as you listen well and do as she does, you'll be a pro in no time." She patted my shoulder gently. "You're resourceful and smart, have some confidence in yourself."

I sat on her words for a moment before jumping off the couch, my fist clenched with determination. "You're right, I can do this!"

Ben groaned in pain, having been thrown face-first onto the floor.

━━━━━━༻❀༺━━━━━━

"I can't do this..." I muttered nervously as Mrs. Jung approached our table.

She looked down at the plate of food I had prepared, up to my crestfallen face, and back down to the food. What was meant to be a simple dish of bacon, eggs, and toast turned out to be a disaster because Ben trusted me to cook the food alone after I had begged him all morning to do so.

He really should have known better, this is all his fault.

The eggs were like rubber, the bacon hard as a brick, and the poor toast... rather than being golden brown, it had turned pitch black. Mrs. Jung cleared her throat. "Well... we all have to start somewhere. Good effort, Rae, Ben."

I bowed my head in shame as the girls at the next table started giggling. Ben did his best to comfort me, but his words couldn't breach the barrier around me. I honestly felt like such a failure – a hopeless loser that couldn't even make toast properly. It wasn't just my inability to cook, either. 

Ben had trusted me with this assignment and I had let him down. Again. His grades would surely suffer from my overconfidence.

The next couple of days passed by in a blur. I hardly spoke a word despite Jiho and Ben's various attempts to cheer me up or, at the very least, get some sort of reaction out of me. Everything they tried ultimately failed, though.

I sat down at our usual lunch table, a frown on my lips as I glanced around for the two boys. They were nowhere in sight which was unusual. I can't remember a time that I last ate lunch without at least one of them by my side. Ben was almost always first in the cafeteria, too, because of his love for food.

I sat back in my seat, running a hand through my short hair with a scowl. I guess it makes sense that they don't wanna sit with me. I've been such a downer lately, even I know that. I can't blame them for needing a break from me.

The chair next to me squeaked across the linoleum as it was pulled away from the table. "Are you okay?"

I didn't know who was sitting beside me and I honestly didn't care. "I can't cook."

"Cooking isn't for everyone. Even so, you shouldn't give up. Whenever you feel like giving up, think about the reason you want to improve your cooking. Focus on that reason until you no longer have the desire to give up." After saying his peace, he stood up.

I looked up as he walked away, my eyes widened in shock. It was Jake! He glanced back at me and smiled before settling down at his usual table.

I let his words sink in, a new wave of resolve washing over you. With my new found energy, I jumped out of my seat, slamming my hands down on the table. "I will learn how to cook!"

The other students looked over at me like I was weird, disturbed by my sudden outburst. Jake nodded, sending me an encouraging smile as I left the cafeteria. The rest of my lunch period was spent searching for my two friends. There were only ten minutes left when I finally found them - they were talking to each other in the hallway on the opposite end of the school. 

I ran up to them and threw my arms around their necks. "I'm sorry for the way I've been acting! I'm sorry I'm making you fail, Ben!

They exchanged a look of surprise but returning the embrace.

"What's gotten into you all of a sudden?" Jiho questioned, quirking a brow.

"Was it aliens – ow! What'd you hit me for?!" Ben scowled, rubbing the spot Jiho had just slapped.

"Because you're an idiot who was about to ruin the mood with your idiocy."

"You ruin the mood all the time!"

"Exactly. It's my job to ruin the mood, not yours."

"Says who?"

"Says me."

I suddenly burst out laughing, wrapping my arms around my stomach. It felt good, like I was releasing all of the negativity that had been hanging over me for the past few days. The pair smiled at me and I'm sure they were happy that I was no longer sulking. 

Ben waited for my laughter to die down before speaking. "We have a surprise for you."

"Surprise?" I questioned suspiciously, wiping away the tears that had accumulated from my laughter.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch period. 

Jiho wished both of us good luck before we went our separate ways. Ben was practically skipping down the hall toward the Home Ec. classroom and I was beginning to feel nervous. Was he going to get even with me for making him watch a horror movie? Or maybe to get even since I've been such a sulky bitch lately?

The two of us were the last ones in the class before the bell and I caught Jake's eyes. He sent me an encouraging smile which I returned with a nervous one, my heart skipping a beat. God, his eyes are so pretty.

I went to take my seat but Ben shoved me into the chair next to Michael who offered me a kind smile. The blonde took his normal seat but James was sitting next to him. Before I could question why James and I had switched seats, the teacher walked in and the lesson began.

As Michael started the day's dish, he explained the situation. "Your friends explained your predicament to me and James. You like Jake, right?"

I startled, dropping the metal bowl that I was holding. I visibly winced as it bounced off the table and hit the floor, spinning for a few seconds before coming to a stop, the sound seeming so much louder than it normally would. 

With an apologetic glance to the teacher, I scurried over to grab the bowl, wanting nothing more than to hide from the watchful eyes of my classmates. The three boys surrounding me stifled their laughter. 

I scowled at Ben, realizing what he had done. "I'm going to send you so many horror gifs!"

His laughter died immediately, his body tensing.

Michael chuckled, gaining my attention. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with us. They were really concerned about you, you know?"

I watched him as he carefully measured the ingredients. "They're idiots, but... they're good guys. I feel bad for making them worry."

He hummed. "In that case, you should make it up to them by doing your best. Even if you fail, you can look them in the eyes and say that you did your best without giving up."

As his words sunk in, I smiled gratefully at him, nodding in agreement. "Thank you, Michael. Please teach me all you can!"

"That's the spirit!" he grinned, rolling up his sleeves. "Let's get to work, we have a lot to cover before the exam."

"Yes, sir!"

Over the next week, I focused solely on food.

Reading cooking magazines, watching cooking programs, going through the notes Michael made me... I even went so far as to play flash games about cooking. There were several times that I wanted to give up but I remembered both Jake's and Michael's encouraging words. It re-energized me and gave me the confidence to continue moving forward.

The day of the exam finally arrived.

Everyone in the class was tasked with creating a curry dish. Because it was a test, the students worked alone rather than in pairs. I was feeling extremely nervous, but my friends had sent good vibes to me before the test began. I did the very best that I could, using the knowledge that Michael had instilled in me.

When it was my turn to be judged, everyone looked at me in surprise.

The curry looked completely normal, delicious even. The rules of the test were that the student was supposed to taste their own dish before the teacher, but I was feeling super nervous about this because I had never tasted my own food before. Hesitantly, I grabbed a spoonful of the curry, trying to steady my shaking hand.

Hearing Ben laughing at how visibly nervous I was, I made a split second decision. Whipping around, I shoved the spoon into his mouth only to freeze up, my eyes wide. It wasn't Ben standing behind me, it was Jake.

His skin turned deathly pale and the class swore they could see his soul leave his body.

"Shit," I cursed, watching as he stumbled out of the classroom, clutching his stomach.

The class was dead silent.

"Oh my god, you poisoned him!" accused Ben with wide eyes.

"Go!" Michael whispered, pushing me gently forward. 

I took off after Jake, finding him out in the hall, leaning against the wall for support.

Swallowing down my nerves and guilt, I gently took his arm and put it over my shoulder, helping the boy to the nurse's office. After quickly explaining what had happened, the nurse gave him a liquid to settle his stomach before directing him to lie down.

I sat on the stool by his bed, staring down at my hands. I couldn't bring myself to look at him after what I had done. "I am so sorry, Jake! I thought Ben was behind me and I... I'm so sorry!"

He took a few deep breaths, pinching the bridge of his nose. "What reason did you have for wanting to be a better cook? What's your motivation?"

The question surprised me, my lips parting as I thought over my response. Should I tell him the truth? It seemed like a bad idea, but the words came before I could stop them. "I... was trying to get someone's attention..."

"Ben?"

"Eh?" I lifted my head in surprise. I've never seen so much fire in his eyes before, he's usually so calm and collected.

"You were trying to get Ben's attention, right?"

My nose scrunched up in disgust and I quickly shook my head. "Ew, no. He's practically my brother!"

"Then who?" His brow furrowed as he watched me.

"Oh my god! Why are these two so dense?!"

"Be quiet! You're gonna get us caught!"

For fuck's sake. With a scowl, I stood up and approached the door as quietly as I could. When I pulled it open, two boys fell through while Michael and Jiho stood behind them. The two on the floor were Ben and one of Jake's friends, Kwan.

Kwan pulled himself to his feet, huffing out in annoyance as he waved his arms dramatically. "You two are so frustrating!" He turned to me, pointing a finger in my face. "How do you feel about Jake?"

"I..." Biting my lip, I decided that I had made a complete fool out of myself already – I had nothing left to lose. Taking a breath to steel my nerves, I turned around to face Jake. He was sitting up now, waiting patiently for my reply. "Do you remember that time in middle school? It was our second year and I was being bullied by some girls because of Jiho."

"How was that my fault?!"

"Fangirls," Ben responded simply, throwing his arm around the boy.

I ignored their exchange. "We had never spoken before, but you still stood up for me. They stopped messing with me after that day and... I started to feel strange every time I looked at you. Whenever our eyes met, my heart would start racing. I found myself thinking about you whenever you weren't around... Ben made me realize that I was crushing on you, but those feelings only got stronger as we got older."

God, I can't believe I'm telling him all of this. Once the words started, though, I couldn't stop them.

"I originally joined Home Ec. because of you... I started taking cooking seriously because I wanted you to notice me!" My cheeks were burning and I felt myself trembling, but I also felt so much lighter now that I had gotten everything off of my chest.

Jiho and Ben started clapping proudly, wiping away invisible tears from their eyes.

"I feel so moved by your bravery," Jiho sniffled.

"Our child has grown up, Jiho," Ben sobbed dramatically.

I scowled at them, partly annoyed by their antics but partly thankful for the distraction.

Jake was silent for several minutes before finally speaking, his voice soft. "Come here, Rae."

I glanced back at my friends for encouragement, receiving a thumbs up from both of them. I slowly approached his side, not sure what he was going to say to me. I was prepared for the worst, but I wasn't prepared for what actually happened.

He gently grasped the collar of my shirt, tugging me down until my lips connected with his own. At that moment, everything else disappeared. He was the only person in my world and it felt amazing. 

I smiled as he pulled away, his lips ghosting over mine as he spoke. "I've liked you since our first year of middle school."

"Finally! Jeez," Kwan threw his hands into the air as he left the nurse's office, muttering to himself about how much of a pain in the ass both of us were.

I rubbed the back of my neck, smiling sheepishly at him. "I'm sorry for poisoning you..."

Jake chuckled softly, his eyes brighter than they had been a few minutes ago. "It was worth it."

Little flecks of white started to rain down on us, courtesy of Ben and Jiho who had shredded up some paper and were currently tossing it at us like rice at a wedding.

Idiots. I couldn't hold back my smile, though.

"Boys! Stop making a mess!" The nurse scolded them, ordering the pair to stay after school to clean up the mess they had made.

As I watched them get an earful from the nurse, I felt Jake wrap his arm around my waist, tugging me closer so he could rest his head against my collarbone. It was a small gesture, but it meant the world to me. 

The boy I had been chasing for so long was finally mine and I was his. All it took was serving him some disgusting food that nearly killed him. It was like a fairytale at that moment and –

"So, are we not gonna talk about how you were trying to poison me?"

"What did I say about ruining the mood?"

"I don't see your name on it."

"You don't see – are you five?!"

I laughed as the two continued bickering, ignoring the nurse as she tried to stop them. I smiled, resting my hand against Jake's cheek before placing a gentle kiss on his lips. "Welcome to the family~"

His eyes flickered to the two, watching as Jiho chased Ben around the nurse's desk. He exhaled sharply before resting his forehead against my arm. "Great, more idiots to deal with."