[color=silver][right][sub]TIMESTAMP: Saturday July 24th, Midday LOCATION: Sweet Tooth Factory INTRODUCING: [color=C4D0A3]Acacia Goode[/color] & The Kang Family; [color=55B5BF]Eun-Ji Park[/color], [color=#ff7700]Tae-Geun[/color], [color=A0B3B1]Han-Na[/color], [color=A3C9D0]Mi-Rae[/color] [@BrutalBx][@Aewin][@LovelyComplex][/sub][/right] [center] [color=95b2ae]▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂[/color] [img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/966711929605357580/1112164907606085672/6ee137b90ee5080fe3617eeab9c753d9.png[/img] [img]https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/966711929605357580/1112157440260186132/Kangs_collab.png?width=812&height=631[/img] [color=95b2ae]▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂[/color] [/center] [indent][indent] The Kang family had banded together to help Ty furnish his new chocolate shop, and the scene was one of utter chaos. There were boxes strewn everywhere in the Sweet Tooth Factory, with packing material, Styrofoam peanuts and what looked like flour strewn across the floor. Furniture was half-assembled, and tools were scattered around haphazardly. Eun-ji Park was directing the layout of the shop, while her husband Haru worked on assembling the display cases. Even Hanna was in her element, seemingly delegated the responsibility for setting up the electronics. Everyone had their role in setting up shop. But amidst all the chaos, Mi-Rae was sat on a chair in the corner, left feeling somewhat helpless. She had been tasked with organizing kitchen supplies, but there were so many pots and pans and baking trays she could arrange by purpose then size. She felt left out of the action, only accompanied by her recently acquired support dog she’d called Glacie, who was sitting faithfully by her side. She could feel her furry warmth against her cool legs, puffing and seemingly relaxing beside her, even if Mi-Rae knew Glacie was all but relaxed. The aircon was running, thankfully, to combat the humid summer outside, so it wasn’t the heat bothering her furry companion. Her fingers traced over Glacie’s leather collar, memorizing the bumps and ridges in the material. When her fingers brushed over a particular bump, a familiar static-y voice filled her corner. VAL's monotone voice sounded out as she was "woken up" from idle mode. [color=F6FCF0]“Good morning. Mi-Rae. How may I assist you?”[/color] Hanna’s recorded voice came through the speaker as the voice of VAL herself. The system prototype embedded into the collar was still a work in process, so the audio quality was still admittedly worse for wear. But Mi-Rae would never admit that she preferred it that way – at least she could tell if it was really her sister speaking in the same room. [color=A3C9D0]“Play something random from my training playlist. It’s too quiet.”[/color] VAL, or Virtual Assistant Link, was her parents’ baby. The Siri before there was a Siri. A voice and touch activated AI growing in popularity and function as the Kangs developed the tool. It started as an app at first, but with enough funding the Kangs were able to develop their own product that could function as a stationary robotic butler. It was what got her family into the US in the early 00’s and into the comfy, gossip laden Scott Street. VAL was powerful, and with Hanna leading the charge, Mi-Rae’s parents were all but certain that VAL would become even bigger than what they could ever dream. Heavy bass started playing from Glacie’s collar, Chung Ha’s [i]Bicycle[/i] playing lowly beside Mi-Rae. Her hand still on Glacie’s collar, she felt the vibrations from the music of the palm of her hand. The upbeat bass helped combat the bittersweet feeling bubbling in her stomach. It wasn’t that she was entirely sightless. She could still [i]see[/i], even if everything was a blurry blob of colour ahead of her. She knew that Glacie was some shade of light cream, a sweet little golden retriever named after Mi-Rae’s favourite Pokemon, Glaceon. She could see the shade of nail paint Lily-Rose Lee had painted her nails the last time they’d had a sleepover (it was a pretty blush pink). Legally blind or not, the youngest Kang was a fighter. She may not have talent in the kitchen like her older brother or the brains like her older sister, but Mi-Rae knew she was still just as memorable. Before losing most of her vision, Mi-Rae had been training under Isabel Kingsley’s tutelage in Boston as a budding figure skater. She had the skill for it too, going onto finishing pewter (fourth) in the 2018 US Figure Skating Championships then bronze in 2019 before her vision deteriorated. Rather than letting that crush her dreams of going to the Olympics, Mi-Rae continued to train, tirelessly and painstakingly relearning everything to get back on track of going pro. Reminiscing over and feeling the urge to move, Mi-Rae abruptly stood up from her seat, feeling Glacie stiffen beside her from surprise. [color=A3C9D0]“I’m done with the pots! What’s next?”[/color] She called out. Sitting around was getting too much. She needed to do [i]something[/i]. Atop the nearby counter, sitting cross legged with a pencil in her mouth, her glasses hanging low on her nose, an open tool kit and six different variations of a computer screen surrounding her, Mi-Rae’s older sister Hanna flicked her head up to greet her yeodongsaeng (baby sister). She tilted her head slowly, her dark eyes analyzing Mi-Rae and Glacie as they stood resolute in their desire to do more whilst the headphones she wore around her neck blasted out the latest track that Mei Midnight had selected for her night vibe followers. Han-Na was an enigma of a person. The middle child of the Kang dynasty, she was always what one would consider advanced. She could stand at four months, walk at seven and talk at seven and a half. When other girls her age were outside playing, Hanna was in her fathers workshop watching him build VAL and mimicking him with Lego’s she had stolen from Tae-Geun. Soon she began helping in the process, her brain a perfect formulaic generator. She was around twelve when she was diagnosed with a high grade variant of autism, which explained her ability to absorb information as well as her low understanding of social queues and obsessive compulsive behaviors. Despite her social ineptitude, Hanna was a fairly popular girl in high school despite never fully understanding or comprehending it. Though the truth of the matter, according to Ty and some other people that she knew, was that Hanna was popular because she looked like a supermodel with the brain of a robot and was quite willing to have sex with just about anyone. In her mind, this was nothing important beyond being a stimulus that released the right amount of endorphins into her body to allow her to stay up longer and work harder. When Hanna was lost in a project, she did not sleep and she did not eat. Her family like to refer to it as Han-Na being “Logged On.” [color=A0B3B1]“Based on the current scent entering my nasal passage, I believe there is a seventy five point three percent chance that Glacie needs to do a circuit around the block to express her glands and alleviate herself. That is what you should do next.”[/color] Hanna returned her attention to her tablet and began to furiously type once more. [color=A0B3B1]“This new spyware and malware protector program should keep all customer financial data safe from anyone wishing to procure that information. I will call it…”[/color] The porcelain Korean beauty looked up at her ice princess sister Mi-Rae. [color=A0B3B1]“…Crevasse.”[/color] [color=ff7700]“Did you eat?”[/color] Tae-geun called out from the backroom, going through a couple of boxes of his palette knives, chocolate moulds, piping bags, nozzles, whisks, and a variety of spatulas. He scrunched his nose when he couldn’t find his thermometer. He could’ve sworn he put it in this box. Then again he also knew his family, especially his mother, got carried away and changed things up on him, which annoyed him to no end. On one hand, the only son of Ha-Ru Kang and Eun-Ji Park, the brother of Han-Na and Mi-Rae, was perceived as arrogant as they come and someone who innately hates people. Obsessive, full of himself and always ready to judge. He was a grumpy old man, as Mi-Rae would jest or someone who struggles to overcome emotional reactivity, with little to no adequate emotion regulation, as Han-Na would describe. On the other hand, his passion to create something from scratch, something that can give a ‘wow’ impact to others, made him more personable than he’d ever admit. In his world, in his personal oasis, he smiled and expressed himself freely, without restraints. He actually cared. Outside the kitchen though? Ty was an asshole. To him, he saw himself as prideful because he was good at what he did and he knew who he was. How many young adults could say that about themselves? He had it all figured out. To anyone else, like his closest friends, they saw him as someone stubborn to change, who was given too much freedom as a little boy. To him, he was who he was, no excuses. He owned it. If someone bothered him, he’d treat them accordingly. He wasn’t going to be nice to those who didn’t deserve it and most people didn’t. Was he wrong? Perhaps that was the price to pay for being as gifted as him. In order to create a masterpiece, an artist needs the right tools. Chocolate and pastries were no exception. His mind was a tool. He needed to protect it. Robert Hughes says ‘the greater the artist, the greater the doubt; perfect confidence is granted to the less talented as a consolation prize’. Ty couldn’t disagree more. At least that’s what he tells himself. His sisters would counter by saying he’s been driven to succeed, wearing confidence for years, to prove he’s good enough, when really he’s critiquing himself in everything he does. He’d never confirm or deny if they were, or well are, onto something and that they do know him like they know their own passions. None of that mattered though. What mattered was he [i]needed[/i] to be different and he [i]needed[/i] to stand out. Going to school with the likes of the Grimm twins, Pavati Huaman, or Taynara Cortez, it was hard to shine, even as a Kang. He was no computer like Hanna nor was he an ice cold pretty bitch like Mi-Rae, that commanded attention simply by how she held herself. Back in highschool, Ty was a boy that hyper fixated in art class and kept to himself, until Acacia came along, and forced him to interact with actual people. She’s two years younger than him. One can say his childhood set him up to be scarily driven and to get as much worldly experience as he can before making his mark. To be innovative, one needed an open mind and had to challenge their mindset, seeking different perspectives. Most would assume chocolate would be Ty’s passion but the truth of the matter was before chocolate, he made pastries and before pastries, he sculpted. The best part of his pursuit was that he could go on a social adventure of sorts, trying different types of food, talking to different types of people, and learning different types of cultures. He didn’t actually hate people. People just assumed he did because of his reactive behavior, as Hanna so eloquently puts. With a couple years of pastry training on his belt, affirming his love for creating chocolate showpieces, Ty was in the simplest sense, a man who loved art. Before he did chocolate art, he always treated the kitchen as his laboratory and when he wasn’t baking, he was playing with clay in the garage. His undeniable skills and the power of social media is what really pushed him forward and now here he was, starting his own shop with his closest friends. However, currently only his family was here. His mother insisted on helping out so he went out of his way to make sure his friends wouldn’t show up today. He’d be damned if his family made a fool out of him. [color=ff7700]“Am I speaking to myself?”[/color] He grumbled when neither one of his sisters answered. Leaving the box behind, he exited the backroom, [color=ff7700]“That’s it,”[/color] he announced, clapping his hands together. [color=ff7700]“Breaktime. Hanna, thanks for the update. Now get off your computer and Mi-Rae, take that dog out so he doesn’t do his business on [i]my[/i] floor. I made some kimchi pancakes and japchae.”[/color] Mi-Rae's ears perked up at the mention of food, and she felt a surge of gratitude towards her brother. She knew he could be prickly at times, but she also knew that deep down under the layers of prick, he cared about his family. It was in moments like these that his softer side emerged, to feed the rest of the family with his notable talent. The tantalizing aroma of kimchi pancakes already filled the shop air, causing Mi-Rae's stomach to growl in anticipation. [color=A3C9D0]“[i]She[/i]. And thanks, Ty,”[/color] Mi-Rae said, gently patting Glacie's head, feeling her pup lean into her touch, acknowledging the movement in her own way. [color=A3C9D0]“I'll be back. Don't let appa hurt himself too much. He's already hit his finger with that hammer twice trying to set up that cabinet.”[/color] Mi-Rae stood up and Glacie immediately perked up at attention, following after Mi-Rae as she found her way around the mess of a room and out the door. There was no way she was going to let her family polish off the food before she could get a piece. With Mi-Rae out of earshot, a woman with wild curls tied behind her ears appeared from behind the kitchen doors. [color=C4D0A3]“And I bring some matcha chiffon cake for us sweet tooths here!”[/color] Acacia announced, setting the tray gently against the counter before disappearing back into the kitchens. When she returned again, she carried a medical kit with her, the cold pack already out of the kit and offered it to the patriarch Kang. Hanna remained oblivious to her siblings as she furiously tapped away at one of her iPads. It wasn’t until Acacia entered the room with the matcha chiffon cake that the robot girl raised her dark eyes upwards and away from one of the many screens that sat before her. In an environment such as this one, it was commonplace for a baker or chef to be covered in the produce that they prepared. Yet as Hanna absorbed, she noted that Acacia presented herself in a pristine manner. She had thoroughly cleaned herself up, no chocolate smears, no flour under her fingernails and no sweat on her manicured brow. The middle child of the Kangs leaned forward slowly until she found herself on all fours. She crawled across the long counter top, knocking over some loose bits of equipment absentmindedly until she reached the edge and the curly haired baker. With the music blaring loudly from the headphones that she had wrapped around her neck, Hanna reached forward and took the entire plate from Tae’s best friend's hands. [color=A0B3B1]“You are not dirty, too clean.”[/color] She tilted her head before inhaling the sweet matcha smell. [color=A0B3B1]“You are waiting for Lucien to come by and offer you some kind of stimulus through what is called a romantic gesture.”[/color] Hanna was classmates with Lucien Aviles and his twin Samara back in high school and had often found that their behavior was less than formulaic. She saw everything as ones and zeros, which made the world around her very easy to predict using simple mathematics and science. However the Aviles clan were a break in the curve. They were extremely difficult to pick because of their unusual belief system and counter intuitive reasoning. Of the macabre dynasty that lived on the hill, Lucien did seem the most normal but Hanna knew that his equation may actually be the most difficult to solve. [color=A0B3B1]“This is mine.”[/color] The raven haired robot said matter of factly as she began to slink backwards to the original position on the other side of the counter, the sustenance for her brain now well in hand. Drinking some water out of his bottle, Ty silently listened to the exchange. He rolled his eyes at the mention of his friend’s boyfriend. It wasn’t that he approved or disapproved of Lucien. He could care less who the guy was. As long as he didn’t hurt Acacia, he knew she’d love who she wanted and how she wanted. What he didn’t like was the fact she didn’t tell her family about it and neither did he to his family. They’re acting like a dirty secret when both of their parents would approve immensely and immediately. There’s some people who don't get that luxury. After putting his bottle down, he crossed his arms, scanning his friend, in a stern, big brother kind of way. [color=ff7700]“Take that crap outside. So happy your boyfriend is making time for you,”[/color] he said sarcastically before adding, [color=ff7700]“but I don’t need you two acting like fools while I’m trying to work.”[/color] Acacia felt a flutter in her stomach as she listened to Hanna teasing her about Lucien. Despite her attempt to deflect, she couldn't hide her excitement at the thought of seeing him soon. It had been a long start to their morning at the Sweet Tooth Factory, but knowing that Lucien's shift at the fire station was nearing its end kept her going, even going as far as to save a smaller cake as a treat for her lover, hidden away in the kitchen. He would be coming to see her soon, as was their habit for the many years they’d been together. Although Acacia's mother would be thrilled to see her dating an Aviles, Acacia wasn't ready for the pressure of their families getting involved. Not yet. She wanted to enjoy their sweet romance without any familial pressures lingering over them. She didn’t like the secrecy, but considering Cynthia Goode was more likely to sound the wedding bells the moment she’d come forward, it was for the best. [color=C4D0A3]“No distractions or romantic gestures at work. I know.”[/color] She finally agreed sheepishly. She had promised Ty that when she had first accepted the job in the first place. [color=55B5BF]“What's all this talk about romantic gestures?”[/color] Eun-ji chimed in, a mischievous glint in her eye as she approached the counter. She tried acting casually, appraising the dishes made by Tae-geun but clearly interested in something else entirely. [color=55B5BF]“Are my babies hiding their special someones from me?”[/color] [color=A0B3B1]“I do not understand this ‘special’ you speak of, mother.”[/color] Hanna was speaking with a mount full of matcha cake with crumbs dropping down from her pretty face and falling onto the clean counter and her equipment. Mi-Rae had absorbed all the grace that the Kang family had to offer, with Tae’s so cold rudeness and Han-Na herself had little to no understanding of sociality at the best of times. The model-like girl had never had what one would consider a romantic partner; the equation of love was one that her cerebral processor had yet to solve. Sex was a different formula, so easy to figure out that it made Hanna curious as to why it always causes so many problems in life. It was simply a physical act for procreation or stimulation. It wasn’t a big deal. [color=A0B3B1]“Though if I am correct you are probably referring to the idea that myself, Tae and Mi-Rae have partners in the standard design of a relationship? This is not true. People do not like Tae. Mi-Rae I believe has…..feelings….but for who I am unaware. I have no ‘romantic’ partner but my sexual endeavors are quite vast. Does this answer your question? Yes it does.”[/color] Since it was break time, Ty was not going to listen to this crap or even indulge his mother. Instead he grabbed his water bottle and started walking toward the door, [color=ff7700]“Relationships are overrated, I’m going outside.”[/color] Without giving anyone in the room a glance over, he exited his sweet shop, like the grumpy old man that he was, getting fresh air and staying far away from that kind of talk. Eun-ji raised an eyebrow at Hanna's response. She had always suspected that her children had their own secrets and quirks, but hearing Hanna's blunt and matter-of-fact response was always unexpected. Hanna was somehow equally predictable and anything but. Tae-geun's stalk off was far more predictable than Hanna's admission, at the very least. [color=55B5BF]“Well, I suppose that's good to know,”[/color] Eun-ji said, trying to hide her amusement. [color=55B5BF]“But it wouldn't hurt to be a little more open to the idea of finding love, dear.”[/color] She said, the pitch of her voice growing louder so it could carry outside the shop, even if her words fell to deaf ears. [color=55B5BF]“Why don’t you bring one of your… friends over for dinner?”[/color] Eun-ji turned to Hanna, her face twisting as though she wasn’t sure what to even refer to Hanna’s ‘sexual endeavors’. [color=55B5BF]“Maybe that Kaine girl? If that is what you like. You know we’ll have no problems with who you bring, boy or girl. It would make me so sad if you were hiding someone from us, like Acacia is from poor Mrs. Goode, thinking we’d judge your choice.”[/color] Eun-ji sniffed, her words causing Acacia to cough in surprise. [color=C4D0A3]“That’s- I’m… not- Ah, I-I should go-”[/color] With a squeak, Acacia scurried away back to the safety of the kitchen, her excuse inaudible in her haste to escape being used as an example by one of Scott Street’s most notable gossip. [color=A0B3B1]“I have no feelings about your feelings about my interpersonal relationships, mother.”[/color] Hanna watched as Acacia tried to take her leave and smiled brightly with her teeth shining and her hand waving. [color=A0B3B1]“Tell Lucien hello.”[/color] Like the flip of a switch, the black haired girl returned her attention to her screens and began to furiously type. Hanna’s ability to shift gears was truly a thing to behold. [color=A0B3B1]“I have not had sexual stimulus with Avery in quite some time….”[/color] She paused and tilted her head, staring blankly into space as her chaotic mind wondered whether she should call the comic book store girl? [color=A0B3B1]“No, that will not work, I need to synthesize a new testing algorithm.”[/color] She hadn’t even finished her thought about her one time lover before her brain transitioned to another project. In the midst of her tidal wave of thought, Hanna had not cleaned herself up. Her face and clothes were governed in the mossy green matcha, giving the appearance of a messy child. The truth of the matter was that the middle Kang barely took care of herself and too often she needed someone else to remind her to do the most basic of things like eat or clean. Hanna’s brain acted like a supercomputer, processing information faster than most but like a mosaic, it came in pieces and sometimes the pieces didn’t fit together straight away. Eun-ji watched Hanna with a mixture of amusement and concern, her eyes softening as she took in the sight of her middle child. Hanna was a whirlwind of brilliance, her mind always churning and processing at a speed that left the rest of them in the dust. But it was moments like these that reminded Eun-ji of the challenges that came with that brilliance. Hanna's focus was so intense, so singular, that she often neglected the most basic of human needs. With a sigh, Eun-ji moved towards Hanna, a damp cloth in hand. [color=55B5BF]“You're a mess, dear,”[/color] she said, her voice gentle as she began to wipe the matcha from Hanna's face. [color=55B5BF]“You need to remember to take care of yourself, too. Not just your projects.”[/color] Eun-ji was proud of her daughter’s brilliance, undoubtedly so. Each of her children were special in their own ways - Ty’s creativity in the kitchen and Mi-Rae’s grace on the ice were unmatched by anyone Eun-ji had ever met. But, a mother will always worry for her babies. [color=55B5BF]“Your body is just as important as that mind of yours. Nurture it.”[/color] Just as Eun-ji was about to remind Hanna to eat something more substantial, the sound of the shop door opening drew her attention. Mi-Rae walked back in, Glacie trotting happily at her side. Eun-ji's eyes softened at the sight of her youngest, the girl who had always been a little more reserved, a little more distant. But she was also the one who had the most heart, even if she hid it behind an ice wall. [color=55B5BF]“Mi-Rae, you're back,”[/color] Eun-ji greeted, her voice warm towards her youngest. [color=55B5BF]“Did Glacie enjoy her walk?”[/color] Mi-Rae nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. [color=A3C9D0]“She did. But I can't stay for long, I have to get to the ice rink.”[/color] Eun-ji blinked in surprise, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion. [color=55B5BF]“The rink?”[/color] she echoed, her gaze flicking to Glacie who was now sprawled out on the cool floor, panting happily. [color=55B5BF]“But you don’t have classes today, why do you have to go?”[/color] Mi-Rae hesitated, her fingers tracing over Glacie's collar as she avoided her mother's gaze. [color=A3C9D0]“Lily-Rose wants to go,”[/color] she replied, her voice firm. Eun-ji's eyes narrowed slightly, her motherly instincts kicking in. She knew her daughter well enough to know when she was hiding something. And right now, Mi-Rae was definitely hiding something. Mi-Rae would never use her friend as an excuse for anything, especially one so vague. [color=55B5BF]“Is that so?”[/color] Eun-ji asked, her voice gentle. She moved closer to Mi-Rae, her hand reaching out to gently tuck a loose strand of silky hair behind her daughter's ear. [color=55B5BF]“And is there a particular reason why Lily-Rose wants to go to the rink?”[/color] Mi-Rae's cheeks flushed a deep red, her eyes still firmly fixed on the floor by Glacie. [color=A3C9D0]“It’s the hockey game today. She wants to support the Horsemen.”[/color] Mi-Rae fired quickly, before fixing her flushed expression. Clearing her throat, she raised her head in the direction she thought Hanna was still sitting in. [color=A3C9D0]“Hanna, come. I need you to drop me and Lily-Rose off. Ty can handle the shop now.”[/color] Hanna had paid no mind to her concerned mother, instead her ears listening only to the low vibrations from her headset. She did not even register Eun-ji cleaning her up as she had done so many times as both a child and an adult. Her dark eyes scanned the ones and zeros of her beloved code and her fingers furiously typed away until Mi-Rae had closed the door behind her, a perfect match to the middle Kang hitting the final stroke of the final key of her coding. [color=A0B3B1]“Yes yeodongsaeng.”[/color] She said giddily, a rare show kid emotion from the robot girl. Reminiscent of some kind of uncoiling snake, Hanna shifted her long, lithe body forward slowly in a slither until her hands were touching the floor of the bakery. With her still touching the counter, she pushed herself onward into a forward roll until she sprang up in front of her little sister and her special dog with a special job. She was far less graceful in her movements than Mi-Rae but that hadn’t stopped her from being approached several times to join idol groups in their native Korea. Her parents had entertained the idea, Hanna had already forgotten the question. [color=A0B3B1]“I must test out VAL’s new predictive play function!”[/color] Eun-ji watched as Hanna uncoiled herself from the counter, her movements fluid and oddly graceful in their own way. She couldn't help but smile at the sight, her heart swelling with a mother's love. Hanna was a whirlwind of brilliance and unpredictability, a force of nature that Eun-ji could only marvel at. Her gaze then shifted to Mi-Rae, her youngest, her ice princess. Mi-Rae was a study in contrasts to her siblings - graceful where Hanna was abrupt, reserved where Ty was assertive. Yet, she was just as remarkable in her own way. Her dedication to her figure skating was inspiring even after her vision loss, and Eun-ji could see the fire of determination in her eyes. Mi-Rae was quiet, yes, but she was also strong, her spirit as unyielding as the ice she danced on. She was not easy to get along with, a peculiar trait that seemed to plague all her children, leaving Eun-ji to wonder where she had gone wrong. And then there was her Tae-Geun, her creative masterpiece where Hanna was the family genius. Eun-ji's heart ached with pride as she thought of him. He was a force to be reckoned with in the kitchen, his talent undeniable. His journey from a quiet, introspective child to a confident, assertive young man had been a remarkable one. Despite his prickly exterior, Eun-ji knew that Ty was still that little boy who loved to create, to bring joy to others through his culinary masterpieces. Maybe one day he would find someone that could nurture and support the creativity in him, but Eun-ji was willing to wait. Eun-ji shook her head, a fond smile playing on her lips as she watched Mi-Rae leave the store, Hanna's excited chatter about VAL's new function following her out the door. Her children were all so different, yet each one was special in their own way. They were her pride, her joy, her heart. [color=55B5BF]“VAL,”[/color] Eun-ji called out, her voice echoing in the now quiet store. The system lit up, functional thanks to Hanna’s earlier tinkering. [color=55B5BF]“Call Tae-Geun. It's time to get back to work.”[/color] And with that, she turned back to the chaos of the shop, ready to tackle the next challenge. After all, she was a Kang, and Kangs never backed down.[/indent][/indent][/color]