ESSENCE OF ROMANCE: FLOUR(sour) START - CHPT. 1
sum park jongseong is in denial, but the truth is undeniable: he's hit a dead end. how can he maintain his title as a world renowned chemist if he can't even advance his own research? meanwhile, you, an aspiring chemist, have faced constant belittlement from your male colleagues as you pursue your own groundbreaking research in isolation. when jongseong finds you conducting experiments in HIS own lab, he's enraged. he's enveloped in fury when he realizes that you two are trying to research the same topic. yet, buried beneath his rage lies a deep sense of desperation, and he's willing to do anything to finally finish his research he's been putting off for so many years. perhaps you're the missing piece in his research (and life).
pairing chemist!park jongseong x female chemist!reader
genre written series, slowburn, angst, fluff, " enemies " to lovers, coworkers au, 1960s au, smarty pants x smarty pants
warnings misogyny, stereotypes, awkwardness, some basic chemistry explanations in dialogue, irrational behavior, arguing
an hii! first chapter and they're already fighting!! i'm planning to make the 2nd chapter a little longer. tysm for all the support on this series so far!! i hope to hear your feedback/thoughts on it throughout the process of this series :D
wc 1.8k SERIES MASTERLIST
park jongseong always despised when people barged into his lab. the quiet whispers of his name and the staring of his coworkers burned into his chest. his lab was a sanctuary, a haven where he could indulge in his experiments without the intrusion of others. so when he discovered a stranger trespassing amidst his equipment, his irritation surged like an overheated bunsen burner.
“what the hell do you think you’re doing in my lab?”
"um, it's not what you think," you stuttered, your nerves evident as you spoke in shaky voice.
jongseong's brow furrowed in annoyance. "then what, pray tell, is it?" he snapped, his impatience seeping through. “the one day i accidentally leave my lab open, a random secretary comes in. who knows, what if you blew something up?” he sighed, throwing his hands up in exasperation.
inconceivable hypocrisy, you thought. what’s truly unsafe is his negligence, leaving random items around in his lab …
"look, i'm not a secretary," you retorted, frustration evident in your tone. "my name is (___ ___), i'm a chemist, just like you. and i certainly didn't come in here to blow anything up. i needed materials for my own research."
jongseong's brow furrowed further, skepticism etched across his features. "sure you are," he scoffed, his impatience palpable. "trying to save face now, are we? well, regardless of who you are, you shouldn't be in here. you could have put yourself and this entire laboratory in danger!"
with that, jongseong turned on his heel and stormed out of the lab, leaving you to fume in his wake. you let out an exasperated huff. men nowadays, you mused to yourself. so ignorant and unwilling to listen to anyone but themselves.
as you cleaned up your lab space, you couldn't help but feel a twinge of resentment towards jongseong. after all, it wasn't your fault that he had left his lab unlocked, nor was it fair for him to place the blame squarely on your shoulders. nevermind that – you’d have to deal with him another day.
the following day, park jongseong was sought out to the main secretary yu jimin, determined to rectify the intrusion which had thrown a wrench into his research. as soon as jimin saw jongseong walk over – she immediately got up, opening her mouth to greet him when he interrupted her.
“you need to keep your secretaries out of my lab,” he demanded, his tone tinged with irritation. “one of them, miss … miss (___), was in there last night without my permission.”
jimin arched an eyebrow, seemingly unimpressed with jongseong’s sudden burst of anger. “oh, miss (___) isn’t a secretary, she’s a lab technician. although she likes to call herself a chemist…” she trailed off with a shrug.
jongseong stood there in silence for a few seconds as his cheeks burned with embarrassment. “oh .... well, um … that’s good to know,” he mumbled, his pride wounded by his rash actions.
at lunchtime, you quickly got out your lunch and your notebook. today’s lunch was a freshly baked croissant with two egg tarts. you took a bite out of the egg tart– crispy yet soft in the inside, you noted. you quickly wrote your thoughts down into your notebooks, taking another bite of the tart. you hummed happily, satisfied with the hard work you put into baking these yesterday. suddenly, you hear a chair in front of you being pulled back, the noise of someone dragging it grating your ears. any remnants of contentment from your meal dissipated instantly, replaced by a surge of tension. he looked at you sheepishly as you tilted your head sideways as if to ask for him to speak.
his expression suddenly turned contrite, and he took a deep breath before saying, “i think i owe you an apology. i’m sorry for the way i snapped at you last night – i was just stressed and caught off guard. if you couldn’t tell from everyone whispering around, i haven’t been able to do much in the lab,” he looked down at his arms, ashamed of his past actions.
you glanced at him, your gaze meeting his before you felt the need to quickly remove your eyes from him. “oh, okay,” you replied nonchalantly, your tone betraying little emotion.
jongseong blinked at you, unsure of how to proceed. finally taking a seat, he couldn’t help but notice the tantalizing aroma wafting from your lunch. he felt his stomach grumble, a reminder of his own neglected meal.
“wow, that looks really good,” he remarked, his eyes lingering on the croissant.
you looked up, a faint smile playing on your lips. “thanks,” your tone softening slightly. “i made it myself.”
you pulled off a small chunk of the croissant, holding it out on your palm for jongseong to take. he stared at it before waving his hands telling you to eat it yourself.
“i possibly couldn’t,” he said, “you should eat your own lunch.”
however, you were not convinced and continued to hold it out for him. "i insist," you replied, holding it out to him once more.
eventually, he gave into the aroma of the food, taking it and quickly shoving it into his mouth. his eyebrows shot up in surprise as he nodded furiously, unspoken approval of your baking. you noticed how his eyes sparkled with satisfaction, almost letting out a chuckle at his childlike behavior.
“this is– this is amazing,” he exclaimed, his words slightly muffled.
“well, it’s all thanks to chemistry,” you explained, a spark of enthusiasm igniting within you. “the role of chemicals and molecules in baking is extremely important,” you leaned in closer, eager to share your knowledge. “take flour, for instance. it's not just a simple ingredient; the complex network of proteins and starches interact in fascinating ways during the baking process. that’s how you can create this croissant right here.”
jongseong leaned forward, intrigued. "proteins and starches? how do they affect the final product?"
"well," you began, "the proteins in flour, specifically gluten, provide structure to baked goods. when you mix flour with water and knead it, you activate the gluten strands, forming a strong, elastic dough. this elasticity gives bread its chewy texture and allows it to rise during baking."
as you spoke, you couldn't help but notice jongseong's genuine interest, his eyes alight with curiosity. no one has ever been this interested in listening to you – other than your brother. encouraged by his engagement, you continued to talk more about your dishes, even handing him your egg tart to prove the science of cooking.
jongseong nodded along, his curiosity piqued. "i never realized there was so much science behind baking," he admitted, a hint of awe in his voice.
"it's fascinating, isn't it?" you replied, a smile gracing your lips. "the chemistry of cooking is just as intricate as any lab experiment. it's about understanding the underlying principles and applying them in creative ways."
amidst the lingering silence, jongseong's unexpected question caught you off guard. "so, i was wondering… what were you trying to research?" he asked, his tone sincere but tinged with careful curiosity.
you arched an eyebrow, wary of his sudden interest. "what's it to you?" you replied, a hint of defensiveness creeping into your voice.
jongseong's expression became more timid as he explained, "well, i believe you're a capable chemist, and i could use some help with my own research."
a suddenly surge of anger welled up within you, hot and fierce. had your lively discussion with jongseong been nothing more than a calculated maneuver to lower your defenses? was he merely seeking to extract valuable research information from you, only to claim it as his own? you should’ve known, from all your experiences trying to make friends, that everyone was bound to try to use you. they never saw you as a companion.
“miss (___)....?” he waved a hand in front of you, eyebrows furrowed with worry.
"you've never even seen me in the lab," you pointed out, a touch of frustration coloring your words. "you thought i was just a secretary, not a scientist. how do i know you're not just trying to take advantage of me?"
jongseong's brow furrowed, his confusion evident. "no, why would i do that?" he protested, genuine surprise in his voice.
"are you serious right now?" you snapped, your frustration bubbling to the surface. "why would you suddenly want my help in the lab? just to swoop in and take credit for my work?"
jongseong's eyes widened in genuine surprise. "no, that's not it at all," he protested, his tone pleading. "i genuinely believe we could work well together, and i want to give you the credit you deserve."
you paused, considering his words for a moment before relenting. "okay, fine," you sighed, "i’'m studying abiogenesis."
jongseong's eyes narrowed as a spark of suspicion ignited within him. "abiogenesis? that's what i'm researching too," he stated, his voice tinged with accusation. "did you go into my lab trying to steal my research? is that why you were in there?"
his words hit you like a slap in the face, igniting a firestorm of anger within you. he was so kind a few seconds ago, and now he's accusing you of trying to steal research from him. how dare he insinuate such a thing? the audacity of his accusation sent a surge of indignation coursing through your veins.
with a mixture of disbelief and frustration, you shot back, "are you serious right now? do you honestly believe i would stoop so low as to steal your research? that's absurd and insulting!"
your voice rose with each word, echoing off the sterile walls of the lunch room. everyone around you turned their heads, curious at the sudden burst of sound. you felt eyes burning at the back of your head, yet you could care less. all you could think about was beating park jongseong up.
"but you just admitted you're studying abiogenesis," jongseong countered, his tone defensive yet tinged with uncertainty.
you scoffed, shaking your head in disbelief. "so what? just because we're both studying the same thing doesn't mean i'm out to steal your work. if anything, i could help you with your research, but clearly, that's not what you want."
your frustration boiled over, your words laced with an edge of sarcasm. "congratulations, jongseong, you've managed to push away the one person who could have helped you."
as you packed up your lunch, you pushed your chair back with a sharp screech, shooting him a glare before briskly walking away.
jongseong slumped in his seat, weariness etched into every line of his features. his brow furrowed in frustration, annoyance simmering beneath the surface as he replayed the confrontation with you in his mind. the weight of his desperation hung heavy in the air as he realized just how close he had come to securing someone to assist with his research.
next.
-----------------------------------
tagged: @sophiko22 @minseongsworld @enha-stars