“Wuah! He’s so annoying! Can I kick him? Can I shove him?? Wuah! Why did they just stand there? They should have said something! Society’s so screwed up! Why is Korea like this? Juuuuuuust because they have money doesn’t mean they can do whatever the heck they want! Wuuuuuuaaaaah! I’m so pissed,” I yelled and punched the couch. The dogs jumped off and ran towards Kibum.

            “Omo omo, yah you’re scaring my babies!” he called out from his kitchen.

            “Oh, sorry! But seriously! My blood is boiling! Oh my gosh! I’m about to pull out all my hairs, wuah! What the heck does a frickin’ letter of apology do?! Does it make the snotty rich people feel better!” I yelled again.

            “Stop watching so many dramas and just rest. You’re stressing me out,” I watched Kibum scratch the back of his head.

            “B-but! Ugggggghhhhhhhh!” I wagged my feet and slammed my body onto the couch.

            “Come here and taste this,” He gestured for me to come with his back turned.

            “Neh neh,” I tried to stand up, calming myself and fell back down, not on the couch but the floor. Comme Des barked and Garcons followed. Kibum turned around right away and ran over to me.           

“Yah! What’s wrong?” he asked urgently. I looked at him and tried to speak but had a hard time breathing. “Tell me if you’re okay. Squeeze my arm. Can you speak?”

I nodded and inhaled deeply.

            “I just, I can’t breathe, I’m okay,” I tried to offer him a smile but he just looked at me with a worried face.

            “Should I take you to the hospital? Tell me,” he kneeled beside me and scanned every part of me.

            “I’m not hurt, I’m okay, I just had a hard time breathing for a second,” I pulled myself up to sit on the couch. I grabbed his arms and he was as cold as ice.

            “Oh my, are you okay?” I grabbed his face and he pushed my hand away.

            “Stop worrying about me at times like this,” he gave me a stern look and just sat beside me, looked at me up and down so many times that I couldn’t even count.

            “I’m okay,” I smiled at him and looked back at the kitchen then at him.

            “Are you hungry? The food’s almost done,” he knew I didn’t want to dwell on it any longer, so he stood up and headed back to the kitchen. He came back and handed me a glass of water without saying anything.  

            “What are you making today, Chef?” I asked.

            “Today…your favourite. Salisbury Steak. Instead of rice since you don’t want to eat rice, I put a loooooooooot vegetables!” he said as he set the table. I walked over to him and I ignored him as he watched my every step.

            “Wuah… my favourite cook, is for sure Chef Kim Kibum,” I applauded and he pretended to be wearing a chef’s hat and bowed.

__________________________________________

            “When do you think you’ll start to prepare for debut?” Taemin asked me, genuinely curious, but it triggered my frustration.

            “I don’t know,” I sighed and looked at my feet. Taemin and I shared a practice room again since every room was being used. Jonghyun was also in the building but he was in the piano room, composing more songs. We all think he was falling in love or something along that line.

            “Annyeong my babies!” Minho opened the door obnoxiously, carrying takeout with him.

            “Our Taeminnie is working so haaaard, as well as our Ellieeeeee,” Minho walked towards Taemin and I with a huge smile on his face. Taemin smiled and grabbed the food from Minho. I watched them eat like I was being tortured. The company had me on a one-meal-a-day diet and it was horrible. Kibum would force food down my throat to make sure I was getting my nutritious food to keep my muscles working. I haven’t told the members about me being sick. We were basically like family already and I didn’t want to worry them. Kibum told me it was my decision but I noticed that he wanted to me to just say it. Especially since I wasn’t with him all the time, he wanted the members to keep an eye on me too. I pulled out my phone and texted Jonghyun.

8:10 P.M.

“Jonghyun Oppa, if you’re not in the middle of composing right now, come to the practice room, Minho Oppa brought us food!”

Without receiving a reply, two minutes later, he arrived at our practice room. After waiting for them to finish eating, I gathered up the trash and cleaned after them.

            “Actually, I’m… uh glad we’re all together right now because I have to tell you something…” I cleared my throat and they instantly became quiet.

            “Y-you’re… not like…preg-,” Jonghyun started.

            “Hyung!” Minho said, hitting Jonghyun’s arm. Hyung? I barely hear that come out of their mouths. Aigoo, they must be nervous.

            “No, I’m not…that. I’m uh, sick,” I looked at all of their faces.

            “Let’s take you home then, do you have a fever? I should call Kibummie,” Jonghyun stood up and pulled out his phone. I grabbed his shin and he looked at me.

            “Aniya… I’m sick,” I gave a nod to indicate I meant something else.

            “What do you mean?” Minho said, but Taemin remained quiet.

            “I have some condition that I don’t know how to say in Korean… but it has something to do with muscle weakness. So… blinking, breathing, eating, swallowing, maybe my arms and legs, but that’s rare. But yeah…Oh, there’s also no cure but I just need lots of rest and maybe therapy if it gets worse…” I explained slowly in Korean, as best as I could. I finally looked at the three of them and all I could hear was their breathing. At times like this, it would usually be Onew Oppa that would break the silence, but at this moment it was none of us. “But don’t be down! I’m okay!” I clapped my hands once and they didn’t react.

            “A-are you…uh, okay right now?” Taemin asked uncomfortably.

            “Yeah!” I said, as cheerfully as I could.

            “You shouldn’t be working so hard then. You’re training everyday and going to school, you’re even working at that Academy at night…” Minho said with sincere worry in his voice. Before I could respond, a whimper escaped Jonghyun’s body.

            “Yah, why are you crying???” Minho looked at Jonghyun, nudging him at the same time.

            “Because… our-our Ellie is sick and th-there’s no cure a-,” Jonghyun tried to say.

            “Aiyoo!” Minho tapped his back repeatedly. “Learn how not to cry so much, aigoo this guy…” he comforted Jonghyun and Taemin stayed still.

            “Let’s go get soup tonight, you have to be eating well and not working so hard,” Taemin stood up, brushing his bottom for any dust that stuck to his pants. Jonghyun whimpered again and sniffled loudly.

            “Aigoo! Taemin-ah, grab me a box of tissues,” Minho said.

            “Oppa, stop crying aiyoo! Do you wanna get ice cream?” I squatted by him and brushed his head. He looked up slowly with his not-so-ugly crying face.

            “I should be making sure you’re okay, not the other way around,” he stood up slowly and Minho handed him a box of tissues. He blew his nose and wiped his tears.

            “Ellie-ah, seriously. Are you feeling okay? Should you still be training? You could just focus on your schooling or get your previous job back as an English teacher at that school,” Taemin put his hands in his pockets.

            “Yeah, you’ve been going to school, you’re training, and you’re working at that Academy at night… and you’re still having trouble sleeping?” Minho said, forming a V between his eyebrows.

            “Aigoo! You guys… I’m so grateful to have you in my life, but trust me, I’m okaaaaaay,” I acted cheerful and held up an ‘okay’ sign with my hands. Jonghyun sniffled again and started to brush my head.

            “Yah! You really have no manners, why do you have to brush her head now?” Wait, that voice…

            “Aigoo, Kibum appearing at the right moment,” Minho clapped his hands, turning his body towards the door. Taemin walked towards Key who I guess was now behind me and I watched them do their little handshake.

            “Don’t you have drama filming?” I asked, bumping shoulders with him.

            “Mhmm, but finished early! It was only a couple scenes and I’m a pro!” he pouted his mouth like some self-centered cartoon character. The rest of us just chuckled awkwardly. “What’s going on?” he asked. “Why are you crying again? Did you write some ingenious melody again?” Key turned to Jonghyun and wiped his tears with his sleeve. The members turned to me and waited for me to say something. “Ah… she fiiiiiiiiiiinally told you,” Kibum clapped his hands once and put an arm around me. “She’s okay, just keep an eye on her,” he said, trying to keep the situation less serious, because he knew I didn’t want anybody to worry too much.

            “Yah, ‘keep an eye on her’? What am I? I can keep an eye on my-,” I started to say and Taemin put his hand on my mouth.

            “Mmm, of course, we’ll keep an eye on her,” Taemin said and smiled for the first time since this conversation began. I glared at him and eyed his hand for him to take it off.

            “And wipe your tears, Oppa and go write some songs,” I pushed the box of tissues against Jonghyun’s chest and he smiled as well. Kibum casually kissed my forehead as we all started to mind our own business in the practice room.

            “Let’s go home early today,” he smiled lovingly and I nodded.