Greeting all ..
This story is dedicated to the writer who inspired me to enter the world of writing and come out of my shell.
Thanks to u " retro- paprika san " ..u are an inspiration :)
I introduce u a story of Juvia and Jellal..
I hope you all like it too..
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Characters : belong to Mashima sensi - fairy tale .
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Timeline : Modern life.
Initially it is One-Shot , or else if u like it may be multible chapters , let me now :D
Delightful taste
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"Nock it off , Meredy... and keep your distance." Jellal warned her gently.
"Oh, please, Jellal.. Only for 5 days until I finish the quarantine" his sister murmured in a muffled voice from under the mask..
In their small apartment, the echo of her
constant insistence voice began to raise and add to his tension a lot..
He hissed under his breath: "Dear, can't u see . I am trying to finish this last chapter . I have to submit it to the publishing office by the end of this month . My time is gold, so forget about it."
His sister sobbed and sat cross-legged next to the door of her room as she tried to convince him: "I will not stop you from doing that.. Only 3 hours a day for 5 days.. Doesn't your sister deserve a little of your time.. Jee."
Jellal rolled his eyes and shook his head unsatisfied. She is more melodramatic than usual because she was infected with the Corona virus 3 days ago. Although she appears to be in a miserable condition, she has healthy physigue and also adapts well to the course of treatment. So no worry for her safety .
Although what worries her now is that she is in a quarantine, forbidden from going out.. and the private training course which she've been registered in, will start today .. and she is begging him to replace her , so she won't miss the course expinesses .
He tried to ignore her and focus on writing the chapter on the laptop screen in front of him.. but the words refused to obey his fingertips, as usual with the last chapter..
On the other hand, Mardy did not remain silent as she stubbornly continued to convince him..:
"..and I paid for it..I really wanted to go. Oh, I didn't know that I would get infected with Corona.. Dam, there is only an hour left for the first lesson to start.. Jellal, you have been staying in your place for a week without writing a single page.. I know that you are struggling , Your thoughts are always blocked at the end of your stories. There is no point in staying like this. You should leave your place and go to clear your mind and occupy yourself with something else. Then the thoughts will come smoothly later . You know this. And attending these lessons instead of me is a good opportunity to distract you a little. Moreover , I do not want to waste this course , It comes once a year.. Please, please, reconsider."
He felt a headache starts to creep his head. On one hand, his sister's nagging and her desperate attempt for him to agree, and on the other , his brainstorming that is disturbing him from completing this damn chapter.
He sighed, stroking his temples tiredly..: "Meredy, you know that I rarely refuse you a request.. but doesn't my attendance at cooking class pose a threat to my reputation "
If it were not for the mask on her face, he would have seen her disgusted funny expression..: "Jellal!! Stop making fun of me now and agree.. In addition, these are private lessons with limited seats.. I think there will be two trainees with you , beside the chef.. Do not be afraid, your reputation will not be touched" "
He was secretly laughing at her. She had spent two weeks preparing for these lessons... and she was filling his head with what she would do with those skills she would acquire.
She even brought different sweets every day and stuffed his mouth to taste them all. The sweets were specially made by the chef who would be the trainer for this course.
Jellal won't deny that it is truly delicious and distinctive, the tastes of which he has never tasted anywhere before. But that does not tempt him to become a trainee among a group of ladies . It would really be out of his ordinary environment .
"Jee , I promise you that I will carry out your requests for a week after that.. but spare for me this lessons and take video recorded for the explanation.. only for 5 days."
With eyes sparkling like an innocent cat, she began to look at him with her hands folded in front of her.
He shook his head, not believing that he would reluctantly submit.
"Okay, I will go today and see how it goes. If I don't like it, I won't attend the rest "
Merdy jumped up joyfully: "Okay, that's fair. Ah, you saved me from wasting these lessons, my dear brother.. I want to hug you tightly now."
He laughed and warned her: "Stay where you are or I will retreat."
She waved her hand, remaining in place..: "Oh, no, no, there is no need for me to hug you now, haha.. I will send you all the details and the location of the course.. but you must move now.. the lesson will starts008 soon."
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He turned off his laptop and stood obediently, with boredom. His sister was right, his staying here would be of no use. A week had passed in vain. He must be occupied with something else until inspiration come to him.
Within ten minutes, he changed his clothes and headed out on the road.
The location map showed him that it was 15 minutes away. The roads were clear, and Meredy's voice on the speaker filling his car requesting to express her regret to the chef for not being able to come in person ،and reminding him to film the lesson for her.
He hang on from her with difficulty. His sister is really pushy most of the time, and he spoiled her alot . What should he do? They have only had each other since their parents died years ago.
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When he arrived at the site, Jellal was confused because it was not an educational institution or a training hall. Rather, he stopped in front of a small house surrounded by cherry trees and next to it was a small bakery shop. What confirmed to him that its the correct place was the name of the shop,
"Delightful Taste," which was the same title of the training course.
He parked his car next to the store, then got out and headed toward it with unhurried steps.
The place was relaxing, with the smell of cherry trees wafting around, and the chirping of birds flying above him . The smell of delicious baked goods attracts passers-by.
For a moment, he felt calm and comfortable and thought: "Maybe it won't be so bad after all."
Then he entered the shop, making the light clang of bells above him filling the area.
The interior atmosphere of the place was warm and welcoming, and the dim lighting added dreaminess to it. It was as if he dived into a pleasant dream filled with the delicious smell of cake and cherries.
His feelings were tickled by the quitness spaceuosness of the place, despite its relatively small size.
"Hello sir, I apologize, we are closed now."
He heard a soft, hesitant apologetic voice. He turned his gaze, looking for the one talked to him , and his eyes fell on a girl standing behind the cashire counter, her azure hair flowing over her shoulders, her lilac eyes shining gently, and her apologetic sadly smile appearing on the page of an angelic radiant face.
Jellall suddenly lost the ability to speak, the ability to blink, the ability to breathe, and the ability to react.
When he did not answer her, signs of concern appeared on her features
she repeted: "Sir, I apologize, we are closed now."
Jellal blinked as he woke up from his freeze state. Without being able to say a word, he pointed out the poster hanging above her announcing for the training course.
The girl looked toward where he pointed , then covered her lips in pity : "Oh.. Juvia apologizes, but the subscription has been closed, and the course will start within minutes from now.. so I am sorry, sir."
She blushed, and he was trying hard to regain his composure, (( she is too cute for his sake )) Jellal thought .
Then he muttered in a deep voice: "Mmm, you misunderstood. I'm actually coming for the first lesson."
Now it was Juvia's turn to freeze in place, staring at him with dullness .
Jellal felt heat rising to his head from the effect of her innocent gaze, so he exhaled, explaining further: "Actually, my sister Meredy is the one who registered for the course, but due to being infected with Covid, she was unable to attend, and she apologizes for that... so I decided to takep
her place temporarily... if there is no objection." ?
When she understood, she bowed repeatedly in apology: "Oh, I'm sorry about what happened to your sister. I hope she gets better soon. She's a nice girl. I remember when she came to register. I was looking forward seeing her today. I hope she stays healthy."
Jellal smiled and felt a strange feeling come over him. He gulped and did not know why he was so tense.
Juvia continued, pointing for him to follow her: "I don't mind if you attend instead of her. The two ladies have already arrived and we were waiting for Miss Meredy to begin." Oh man her voice have something on it .!
He followed her, murmuring : "Thank you for your kindness. I hope my presence does not cause discomfort to them or to the great chef." as Meredy state.
He heard her giggled lightly, or were they a gentle musical notes,dancing out of her throat to manipulate his unstable heart beat ?
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They entered a place that resembled the kitchen of a loving grandmother who loved to cook for her grandchildren.
A warm and delaighted place that contained what any mother needs for making miracles to feed those who she loves.
There were two women chatting in joy, they stopped talking when they saw him and showered him with admiring gazes.
He heard Juvia in front introduce them to each other: "Hello, this is Mrs. Rosie, and that is Mrs. Hanna.. and this gentleman.. Oh, sorry, you did not introduce me your name."
He raised his hand waving to greet them and smiled politely: "Sorry, you can call me Jellal , I came instead of my sister Meredy... because she is currently ill ."
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The two women were probably in their fifties, unlike the beautiful girl who was wearing a cooking apron and a small white hat on her head that matched her gorgeous hair. She seem to be in her early twenties, if not younger.
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Rosie, whose features seemed friendly and welcoming, said: "Oh, dear I'm sorry about your sister. May she recover soon."
As for the other, who seemed to be a cheerful, feisty lady, she laughed lightly: "Fortunately, her handsome brother will be with us in these lessons. I think it was a right desicion to register , haha."
Rosé poked her on the arm, while Jellal smirk while rolling his eye a little.
He politely muttered, "It's a pleasure to be here."while grinning and glancing to Juvia who was smiled at them and pointing to the tables arranged next to them: "You can choose your table now and we will start the lesson directly."
They all nodded and headed to the tables, each two facing each other like an X.
In the middle, baking items were placed in an orderly manner that was pleasing to the eye and easy to reach.
Jellal stood on the right, facing Mrs. Rosie, and next to him was Mrs. Hana, who was looking at him, laughing and admiring.
He laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head and drift his attension to Juvia and asked : "Miss Juvia, when will the chef come ? I need to ask her permission before starting the lesson."
The two ladies laughed and Juvia fidgeted in her place as she straightened up her shoulders saying : "Ano Jellal-kun... mmm Juvia is the trained chef for this course."
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He fluttered his eyes in amazement, looking between her and the other two who were still laughing and mocking him.
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Confused he asked :"Um, aren't you the assistant chef? But you are too young to be a certified professional chef with enough experience!!."
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He saw her shyly bend down, her face red: "Juvia has been in this field since she was 10 years old. She has been a professional 8 yrs by now ,and has been an internationally recognized trainer for 3 years."
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With admiration, he muttered: "But you look as old as my sister Meredy, you're not even graduated from college..right? !!! "
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((Really, Jellal?!! What's wrong with you, you idiot? Shut up now before you embarrass yourself)) His subconscious mind scolded him.
She looked down at her nails feeling nervous : "Actually, Juvia is 20 years old. She is a professional, regardless of what she looks like."
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Hanna: "Oh Jellal, my dear .. Age is just a number, skills and experiences are what matter." Laughing, she played with her eyebrows at him, and her words sent different messages..
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Rosie scoled her: "Stop, Hanna, you are scaring the boy. Don't pay attention to her, Jellal I assure you that Juvia is the most skilled person I have seen in terms of making sweets. Have you not tasted her baked goods yet?"
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Jellal felt he was under attack so he defended himself: "Oh, I am not protesting or anything like that... I am just surprised and amazed. I have tried the entire menu over the past two weeks thank to Meredy , and given how delicious what I tasted were , I expected to meet an old lady who has at least 20 years experience in this field, but it shocked me that the chef was a young, attractive woman..." Oh, Jellal froze and stuttered, changing what he said while embarrassed..
"I mean... I'm surprised that you're really professional in this youg age!! ... Congratulations on what you did, hehe."
He was laughing awkwardly , wiping his face with agitated pose.
Juvia was blushing covering her mouth in o.
The two ladies' gazes began to wander between Jellal and Juvia with a smile, and the latter squirmed in her place shyly, muttering: "Juvia is flattered. she is grateful for your opinion.."
Rosie with an amused face: "Okay, Jovi.. We are now excited for the lesson.. Would you please explain to us what the course will contain ?"
Hanna added :" Or.. you can continue flirting.. I'm having fun :D " Both felt embarrassed ، so Juvia gathered herself together and went to take her place between Jellal and Rosie, then cleard her throat before saying professionally: "Hey... my name is Juvia, I hold a bachelor's degree from the École Ducasse Academy in France... and I have become a certified chef in goods and desserts."
As she continues explaining in her harmonious voice, Jellal focused in her introduction as he looked at her with admiration...
Perhaps his decision to come here was a form of fate... for the first time in a long time... He felt like an excited teenager contemplating his first crush.
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When she done with introduction , she asked, "Do you have any questions before we start?"
He whispered: "Can I have a picture of you?"
Shock appeared on everyone's face and they looked at him strangely. Paying attention to what he said , he stammered: "I mean.. Meredy asked me to take a picture of you.. I mean to record your explanation so she can follow the lesson later .. If you don't mind.?. I want to take a video record , and will zoom in what u teach us during the lesson."
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Juvia laughed nervously, raising a rebellious lock that fell on her forehead. "Ano.. No, I don't mind.. You can put your phone in the stand here so you can work freely with both hands."
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He smiled at her, taking out his phone and placing it where she pointed to. Hanna commented jokingly: "Make sure to make the picture clear, Jellall, so you see her clearly ,later..."
Jellal glance at her embarrassed feeling the steam raising from his body , and she added, laughing: "I mean Meredy... so that Meredy can see the explanation well."
Rosie laughed, muttering to leave the boy alone. Juvia continued explaining the basics , wearing a grin she could not hold and feeling overjoyed for a reason she did not know.
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The time passed quickly without them noticing.. When the alarm for the end of the lesson ring , Juvia sighed ..
"Oh, so quickly. Well, our lesson for today has ended. I hope that the beginning was useful and satisfying for you ".
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Jellal also felt sorry. He was, contrary to his expectations, enjoying and immersed in everything he was learning, and amazed by Juvia's skill in explanation and application. Also, seeing her speaking with passion and love for what she was doing filled his heart with a joy he had never felt before.
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Rosé hugged her: "Oh Juvia, I really enjoyed today and I look forward tomorrow's lesson.. Thank you, my dear."
Then Hanna came and planted a kiss on her cheek: "You are my star. I swear, if my son were still single, I would have kidnapped you as my daughter-in-law without hesitation."
Juvia laughed sheepishly: "Juvia is thankful to you both. She is also looking forward tomorrow's lesson. She is grateful for your presence here, believing in the language of bread and the religion of sweets."
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Oh, Jellal held his heart.. Her way of speaking was so gentle and her words sent dopamine to the cells of his body..
Coming here , definitly , is the best thing he's done in a long time.!
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She smiled and directed her words to him: "Jellal-kun... Thank you for being with us. I hope you convey my regards to Miss Meredy... and present her with this cake , along with my wishes for her speed recovery."
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She approached him with an elegant box that exuded a scent that awakened his senses.
He thanked her cordially and took the box from her, and their hands brushed a little sending an electric shock through his nerves from her touch, he took a step back and whispered: "The honor is mine. Thank you, Ms. Juvia. I can't wait to see you tomorrow."
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Then he heard the two women giggling , he cleared his throat and corrected: "I mean to complete the lessons...it is completely informative course ."
Juvia thanked him, smiling and hiding her hands behind her back, so that he wouldn't notice her trembling..: "Thank you.. Have a good night."
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They said goodbye and Jellal excused himself, followed by the two women whispering behind him.
They left the store and Jellal headed towards his car with heavy steps.. waving from behind the store's glass windows to Juvia..
Hanna shouted watching him: "It's not goodbye, don't worry, you'll see her tomorrow, haha."
Jellal exhaled and quickly got into his car, hearing the women giggling. He started the engine and immediately drove away from the place.
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When he had covered a good distance, he let out a long sigh that he had been holding in and muttered in disbelief: "I think it is not my reputation that is threatened here..." He beat his chest repeatedly: "I feel like a lightning bolt struck me here..."
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When the o'clock appeared to strick at nine , he accelerated his way home: "It's late, and Meredy is waiting.."
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Well, it's good that Meredy had her dinner early and the effect of the medicine took her into a deep sleep because Jellal's mind was not available to any of her questions and urgency to know all the details..
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On his bed ,he was laying down on his stomach holding the bilow , smiling, and replaying the video for the fifth time in a row, watching Juvia without getting bored..
Honestly, he did not understand what she was telling . His attention mainly was on her, memorizing her delicate beauty and charming features, he closed his eyes and sighed .
He whispered :" I definitely willgo tomorrow, the other day , and the other" .