A week later Emily was in an elevator on her way up to the band's penthouse suite. The sun had just come up and a long day stretched before them. She yawned prodigiously as the doors opened and she stepped into the penthouse.
It was flawlessly decorated, with large open rooms filled with fashionable furniture and art. The outer walls were all glass, letting in every bit of natural light as the sun cleared the horizon. The living room was empty, but Emily could hear sounds coming from the kitchen. She stepped forward and knocked on the wall. "May I come in?" she called, leaning forward.
The chatter in the kitchen ceased instantly. She heard soft footsteps and Daesung stepped around the corner, box of cereal in hand. He wore a thin silk robe that tied snugly at his waist and Emily's cheeks pinked.
"Come in," he said, waving her through. Emily followed, her heels clicking on the smooth floor crisply.
Daesung and Seungri were the only ones in the kitchen, each munching on an enormous bowl of cereal. Seungri smiled when he saw her and set his bowl down. "Sit down," he invited, pulling out a barstool for her.
She accepted his offer and crossed her legs demurely. "Are the others still asleep?" she asked.
"Seunghyun probably is," Seungri replied, shoveling in more cereal. "He loves his sleep. Jiyong probably paced the living room all night."
"What about Youngbae?"
Daesung and Seungri exchanged a look. It was so brief Emily almost missed it, but they seemed concerned. "Youngbae doesn't come home some nights," Seungri said after a beat. "He enjoys the nightlife here."
Emily went to say something else when the elevator dinged and Youngbae came into view. He smiled genially and opened the refrigerator.
"He's gonna ask," Daesung said in a low voice.
"He's not gonna get an answer," Youngbae replied, digging through the fridge. He surfaced with a bottle of juice and opened it smartly. "Hi Emily," he said, winking at her.
"Good morning," she responded. "Fun night out?"
Youngbae smiled but didn't reply. A door closed faintly and Jiyong entered the kitchen. He wore a baggy blue sweater and a BIGBANG beanie. He made eye contact with Emily and frowned a little. Emily didn't acknowledge him, instead opening her notebook to jot down some notes.
"Go get a shower, Youngbae. We're shooting the video today."
Youngbae downed the rest of his juice and left the kitchen, passing Seunghyun in the doorway.
Seunghyun nodded at Emily and reached for a banana from the bowl on the counter. The room was silent, save for the sounds of eating. Emily sensed that something was off and laid down her pen.
"What is it?" she asked, looking at them intently.
Seungri opened his mouth to answer but a look from Jiyong silenced him. Emily thought carefully, trying to discern what the problem was. Finally it dawned on her. "You think I'm spying on you, don't you?"
No one replied and Emily took that for confirmation. "I see. I've had my suspicions, but now I'm sure."
Seunghyun seemed embarrassed by this. "It's not that we don't like you, it's just..."
"You don't trust me," Emily finished. Jiyong folded his arms, silently affirming what Emily had said.
"How can I make you trust me?" Emily asked.
"You can't," Jiyong replied, grabbing an apple.
Emily sighed. "Fine. I'll just sit in the living room and let you have your breakfast." She stood up and walked out of the room, heading down the large hallway. She found a large recliner in the living room and she nestled into it, slipping her shoes off deftly. As she settled down to write, she tried desperately to think of a way to make the band trust her.
A magazine on the end table next to her caught her eye and she picked it up. It looked like some teen magazine, BIGBANG featured on the cover. It was in Korean, she saw several more copies in other languages in a box on the floor. This must be from their debut, she realized, grabbing the box and setting it in her lap. She found a bent copy in English near the bottom and flipped through it rapidly. There was a glossy two-page spread profiling each member of BIGBANG.
Daesung is a fan of hiking and Stevie Wonder. His favorite colors are yellow and black, and he wants to have a peaceful retirement someday.
Emily chuckled and kept reading.
Seungri, the multi-talented maknae, enjoys superhero movies and chocolate chip cookies. His favorite music genre is hip hop, but he also likes opera and classical.
T.O.P. loves to read and hopes to write his own book one day. He loves night swimming, fresh vegetables and watching movies with his friends.
Seunghyun wants to write a book? Emily wondered.
Taeyang is not only a hip hop and break dancer, but also a talented comedian. His dream vacation would be Maui, Hawaii and his favorite cartoon character is Spongebob Squarepants.
G DRAGON hopes to one day become an actor and model as well as a musician. He is the youngest child in his family and has at least three tattoos.
That's really unhelpful, Emily mused. She set down the magazine and thought for a moment.
If I can't win them over as their writer, maybe I can as their friend.
* * * * * *
After a chat with Mr. Sagowa and a trip to the local market, Emily sneaked into the penthouse. The boys were gone and the place was empty, which is exactly what Emily wanted. She went into the kitchen and turned on the lights, setting her bags down on the counter. A quick inspection of the cabinets revealed a fully equipped kitchen, but many of the gadgets were coated in a thin layer of dust.
I guess they don't have much time for cooking, she thought, filling the sink with hot water. After washing the dishes and laying out her ingredients, Emily began to cook.
She had forgotten how much fun cooking was, and she felt contentment as she stirred and seasoned. She had decided on a beef roast and potatoes, with baby carrots all swimming in a rich brown gravy. Homemade rolls browned in the oven while she mixed up a fresh tossed salad, remembering Seunghyun's preference for vegetables.
I wish I knew what Jiyong liked, she lamented, pulling the steaming bread out of the oven. Mr. Sagowa hadn't had any ideas, but said anything she made would likely suffice.
Yeah right, she thought, licking gravy off her finger. As if anything would suffice for Jiyong.
She mixed a batch of her mom's chocolate chip cookies while the roast simmered in a crock pot she'd brought with her from the States. While those baked she mixed up a tall pitcher of fresh lemonade, dropping a few mint leaves into it before putting it in the refrigerator to chill. The oven beeped and Emily pulled out the gooey cookies. She added the final touch - a drizzle of caramel - before sliding them onto a plate. She looked at the clock and sighed.
Almost four. I'd better get out of here.
The boys were due back at any moment, but Emily didn't want to be there when they returned. She'd let them find the home-cooked meal and enjoy it together, without her.
After getting the lemonade out of the refrigerator and setting it on the counter, she checked everything one last time before grabbing her things and sneaking out again.
As she walked down the hallway to the elevator it dinged and her heart dropped. That must be them! She thought. She ducked into a maintenance closet, pulling the door to just as the elevator doors opened and the band came down the hallway. She cracked the door and peeked out just as they were unlocking their own door. Seunghyun opened it, entered the room, and paused. Emily heard him inhale deeply before continuing into the room. The others followed except for Jiyong, who was busy texting in the hallway. She heard a shout of surprise as the others discovered her treat, followed by the distant clattering of plates.
"Jiyong! Someone made dinner!" she heard Seungri call.
Jiyong barely looked up from his phone as he entered the penthouse. "Coming," he mumbled, closing the door behind him. Emily waited for a few moments, then slipped off her shoes and tiptoed to the stairwell. She would take the elevator on the next floor so they wouldn't hear her.
She made it to the elevator and sighed as the doors closed behind her. She stared up and the ceiling as she began to descend.
Please let this work.