Jaehyun protests "I'm not going"
"I swear if you're not at the door by the time I get there, I'm locking you out" They've been going at each other's throat for the last fifteen minutes, I could've reached home by now if it wasn't for all of their bickering.
"Go ahead, I have my keys"
"I'll switch out the locks too"
"I wish you would"
"Try me, I dare you"
Ok, this isn't going anywhere. "As I said before, I'll be fine on my own"
"No way" Jaehyun exclaimed in which Johnny agrees to. "It's late. Too late for you to be out on your own" In that moment, I wanted to run away as fast as I could but the only reason why I'm not doing it is because of my muscle-aches. "If Johnny got his head out of his butt and see that he's not the boss of me, we all could've been home by now"
"YAH!" Johnny scoffed annoyed, chewing the inside of his cheeks to calm his nerves. "Please I beg yo- I'm begging you to just shut your traps and get in the car"
"잔소리 하지마 (jansoli hajima)"
"Nagging? Me?" Johnny stared in disbelief. Lately he has been acting differently towards the members, as if he was trying his best to hide something or it may just be because having spent over a decade in SME already, he's becoming more and more of a parent figure for the adolescents. But I would argue it's the former rather than the latter. "What kind of nonsense is that?"
Their breathing hitched, glaring daggers into each other's head. Tension continued to rise between the pair while I watched it all unfold from the sidelines while chugging down the last bits of the sofa cans. It's normal for any group of friends to argue every once and a while, especially if both had too much too drink but my gut was urging me to step in before a fight actually broke loose.
"That's enough" I cut in, tossing the cans in the trash before making my way over. I'm not going to sit back and watch a ridiculous quarrel spin out of control. "I'm not the one who needs to be taken care of right now. Your members are about to be kicked out of the car"
On cue the cab-driver slammed his door closed, stomping his way over as cuss words flew out his mouth. "Get them out of my car. NOW!"
"Wait wait wait. Ahjussi, what's- what's the problem?"
"The are emptying out their guts onto my seats" driver grumbled. He was a male in his mid-50s, ash-Grey hair with heavy eye-bags. "If you don't get them out, I'll toss them to the curve"
"That's not legal" Jaehyun and I mumbled, bursting out laught after realizing our synchronized reply. With a quick scrawl from Johnny, we managed to muffle out our laughter instead.
"Please Ahjussi, just drop us off at the location and we'll be out of your hair" With his eyes budged-out, he knew he effed up. Simultaneously our eyes flickered from the driver's scowl to his bald-head and back to his grim grimace expression. "....W-We'll double the p-price"
The elder perked up at the price change. "콜! (KOL!)" Not wanting to lose out on the deal, he scurried back to his car and honked, waiting for the rest of us to get in. "There's two seat left"
"Get in Alice" Jaehyun urged me in however I snuck away just in time. Instead I pushed the two males inside the car and slammed the door close. "Hey! What are you doing, get it?"
"There's no space for me" I pointed inside the jam-pack car, still amazed at how it held all ten members. "Too bad. See you later then"
"I'll take her" In a split second, I jumped six-feet into the air while clenching onto my chest, alarmed. "미안해 (mianhae)" Doyoung apologized, stretching the back of his neck.
"Yo Doyoung, where have you been?"
"Talk about later" I interputted, knowing very well that their conversation will go on forever. "I'm tired. I'm sleepy and I want to go home. You're taking me right? Okay let's go"
I halted a nearby taxi and hopped in. "To XYZ please" I looked out the window, seeing the members waving at each other before Doyoung got into my taxi. "BYE! See ya to-later" I did a celebratory dance once I realized that tomorrow's my day off.
"BYE" With that we parted our separate ways.
Eight minutes passed and the driver's questions continued to echo in the car. "Are y'all a couple?"
"NO!" I bluntly answered, making sure to clear the misunderstanding. After a second, I realized that I may have came a bit too strong and hurted the male idol's feeling. With guilt swallowing me whole, I looked over to his side and instantly thanked god when he had his usual indifferent expression plastered on.
Despite that, guilt still lingered around me "Who paid?" This is my attempt to clear the ice.
"I did"
"Wow really? Thanks"
To which he only nod back. He's really not making it easy to maintain a conversation. "So how much was it?"
He kept quiet for a few seconds replying, as if he calculated the amount in his head. "Why? Want to pay me back?"
"I-" I would believe me but I know if I said that I'll be hurting his pride a bit do I decided to alter my stance on the topic. "No thanks. I'm good"
Averting my gaze back to the window, I heard a muffled laughter. For the first time ever since entering the vehicle, it was silent.
For a while anyway. "So....Why don't you do it?"
I hummed, not understanding his question. "Sorry?"
"Why don't you call anyone - you know?"
I already knew what he was trying to ask without his having to complete his sentence. That's been one of the top questions I've received ever since entering the industry. "Just because...." I have reasons actually, two in fact but those are my business. "Why? Do you want to be called that?"
His cheeks redden as he adjusted his seating. "I-I don't-Who w-would - what kind o-of.."
"Alright" I laughed at his sudden stuttering "I never said that I don't use the word. I call some people that"
"Just no one in the company? No, industry right?"
"I wouldn't say that exactly...." I sighed, unable to explain the way that makes sense. "It'll only make things awkward, especially between team-mates" I admitted.
"Ah. But do yo-" A cellphone's ringtone punctuated his conversation. Feeling their eyes on me, I perceived that it was mine.
Giving a quick scan at the name, I answered. "Mhm Oppa" Doyoung's gaze locked in mine the moment I uttered those words. I did say that I use the word didn't I.
On the other line, a raspy female voice replied "Hey, are you home?"
Doing a double take at the contact information, I placed the phone back to my ears. "Eonni?"
Yeonha's, my stylist and the 'mother' of A-Team, voice ranged through the mobile. "Yes?" What is going on? Why is her contact name changed to his? "Did you reach the dorms yet?"
"Not yet. I'm on my way" Looking out the window, I saw the familiar pathway. "Maybe five or so minutes"
"Alright. Call me when you get inside"
"Ok"
"Make sure you do it. Don't forget again"
"I won't. I'll call you the second I step in"
"Ok. Later"
"Later" Hanging up, I didn't waste time to check out my contact list and boy was I in trouble. All and I mean ALL of my contacts are out of order, as in none of the number match with the correct name. "What the-?" And then it drawn to me: Kim So-Hyun.
"We've reached the destination" Looking out to see the dorms, I grabbed a hold of my bag and then made my way out.
"Thank you" I expressed my gratitude to both the driver and escort. Taking a few steps forward, I did a 180 and turned back to the cab.
"Hey...." I squatted just enough for my arms to rest on the window-gap. "What would you do if someone conducted an 'experiment' on you while you were sleeping?"
"What?"
"Just to test a theory...." A smirk fell on my face when distant memory came running through my head. Doyoung's head tilted in confusion so I decided to explain further. "I read somewhere that when someone is sleeping and you place an ice cube in/near their ears, they'll wake up vomiting"
"Did you seriously do that to someone?" His eyes bulged out in terror.
"I didn't say that I did that" I did so much worst. In fact I ended up testing out two theories that night. 1) the barfing and 2)placing her hand in warm water to see if she'll wet herself as the studies showed.
"And yet you're not denying it either"
"I just wanted to now if anything would happen" I admitted. "It was intriguing to say the least"
"Well....?"
The theory was proven to be true cause once So-Hyun woke up, she ended up barfing and peeing at the same time. Not her best moment but hilarious just thinking about it. "All I can say it that it was an eventful night." Partially because once she woke up, she nearly threw me out the window
"Did the person get payback?"
"Nope. But I did get a reminder that she's out to get me" I laughed knowing very well what she's capable of. I stood back up before sending them off. "Let's just say I'm foutu [Screwed]"
••••••••••••••••••
"Damn Alice...." Wendy coughed, waving away the smoke that filled up the room. "Were you cooking yourself or what?"
My shower was the exact opposite in fact. Needing a jump start, I bathed in cold water to awaken every aspect of my body. And let me tell you, it sure did the trick. From the first blast of water, I began wide awake. "More like I bathed at the tip of Mount Everest"
"You'll catch a cold like that" Wendy warned, giving me the look that says 'You never learn'. I lost track to how many of theses I've received this week alone.
"What can I say...." I shrugged "The cold never bother me any-"
With a bang, Seulgi slammed open the bathroom door while her eyes shimmered with relief. "I wouldn't go in there for a while" She sighed, plopping down next to me on the bed.
"But I need to pe-" Joy gagged the moment she stepped into the lavatory. "Eww, it got in my mouth. Your poop smell got in my mouth"
"Calm down, everyone poops"
"You should've did it in your room" Joy scold, gritting her teeth in frustration. The elder always uses her bathroom when she knows that it would block up her own. Because of this, Joy's toilet keeps getting clogs up frequently.
"I told you, Joo-hyun is using mine"
Speak of the devil and she shall appear. "What's with the yelling?" Irene popped up, standing in her pajama sets while drying her hair with a towel. "I coould hear you all the way from Wendy's bathroom"
Yeri instigated, wanting to see the pair's argument to unfold further. "I thought you said she was using yours"
"I thought so too" Seulgi nervously chuckled, slowing standing up. "Guess not"
Knowing very well what's too come, I crossed my legs and advised my fellow mid-maknae to sprint out. "You should run"
"Sor--" With that she booked it but Joy was quick to follow after her. The dorm echoing every grunt, yell and apology uttered.
Not long after, a ear-bleeding shrike followed a thud in the living room. Guess she got caught. "What's that?" I walked on over to the box that was tugged away in the corner of the hallway and picked it up. It was heavy in size and much larger than expected as I struggled to keep it up. Sender was unknown but the recipient was just labeled as RV.
Immediately Irene and Wendy each stood on my side, wanting to grab ahold of the mysterious box. "Don't open that"
"Why?"
"Just don't. Seriously give it back" Wendy took away the package, handing it over to our leader who's face displayed nothing but fidgety - ahh so another one came? That's rather quick.
"Alright alright hold onto your panties" My hands went up showing that I won't try anything. With a satisfactory grin, Wendy advised the latter to place the package somewhere well-hidden. Knowing that's my cue, I yanked back the box and ran to the room, not bothering to close the door.
"Got another box" I informed Yeri just as I sliced through the tape with the edge of my acrylic nails. Disconnecting each side from one another and tossing the bubble-wraps to the side, the inside of the box was filled with letters, small gifts and a oddly large white teddy bear.
"Tree-killers" Yeri groans after seeing the overflowing packets of envelopes. "Why not just send emails?"
"Or food?" Seulgi comments before taking a seat on the floor. Soon all of the members surrounded the package, all preparing themselves for the routine procedures. We watched grabbed ahold of some documents and began skimming through them.
"Fascinating" I scanned the letters, giggling at the posssessive comments and childish threats. Endless papers filled with nothing but malicious words and monotonous rant.
'Stay Away from My Oppa' 'Ugly Hag' 'Wannabe Idol' 'Snobby Parisian, Go Home!'....just to list a few of the nice ones.
Each of the members made their piles: The HATE pile since every single one of these are none other than antis-mails. However, my pile suppressed above all as I receive nearly triple the amount of the rest. None of us can say that the hate didn't hurt because it did. It stung, and yet all we can do was to not let it get to us.
"I told you not to open the box"
"At least we got Teddy"
"Teddy?"
I nod. "Teddy the Teddy-bear"
"You suck at naming things" Yeri laughs causing me to pout. It was the first things that popped in my head five seconds ago.
"Do not"
"Do too"
"YAH-"
Irene cuts in just in time before things escalated. "Lights off in ten"
"Yes your majesty" We stuck out our tongues once she turned around to clean up the mess on the floor. She placed some of the letters to the side to add it to the collection later on. As for the rest, Irene stuffed everything back inside the box and tossed it to the side.
"No need to send the managers anything" She announced causing all to nod. "We'll give them the box the next time they come over" Our normal procedures always included sending a screenshot and/or pictures of the hate mails to our teams so that they can report it before picking up the evidence but since it's their day-off tomorrow, we didn't want to bother them for nothing. Especially since it's our free-day as well. "Good night"
"Sleep with me tonight Alice" Joy begged, sitting on her knees with her hands together to make a pleading reaction.
In return, I ran over to our leader and back-hugged her. "Thanks but no thanks. Baechu is my roommate" On cue Irene's rolled her eyes as a way to try to hide her tiny blush. Making her way over to the door, her foot knocked over a bottle of unscrewed water spilling it all over the floor.
Out of nowhere a crackling noise was heard. No one moved a muscle, terrified at the at the sudden buzz. Soon after a louder popping noise was heard, similar to when old television box or an electronic colliding with liquid. Immediately our head snapped to none other than our very own Baephrodite.
"Don't tell me?" Irene walkes over, holding the bear in its dry spot. Without haste, she opened the pouch that sewed in the back and gasped. "-Camera"
Being the little Einstein that we are, formed a huddle around our leader. "It looks expensive too" Seulgi's twinkled after making contact with the video-recorder. "DJI Osmo Pocket 2" Digital Geek.
As she continues to examine the object, she suddenly bursted out laughing. The rest of us exchanged looks of concern, wondering if she has finally lost her mind. "What a waste"
"What? What's wrong?"
"Nothing...." Seulgi smirked, showing us the mini camera. "They just forgot to press record" Definitely a first-timer.