Note from the author: To save confusion, everything said in ENGLISH will be in BOLD font.

“Do you reckon this is mixed enough, Jae?”, Chen queries from the kitchen.

Reluctantly pulling yourself away from the intense game of football between Xiumin and Luhan on the PS3, you stand up and head towards Chen and D.O.

“Yup, that’s perfect”, you smile as you peer into the bowl.  Looking around the kitchen, you see that they have already done the washing up.  “Thanks guys”, you beam, “Shall we start preparing them, or wait for the others?”

D.O. pulls his phone out of his back pocket and looks at the time: “I reckon the others will be home soon.  What do we need to do next?”  

“We need to divide the mixture and roll it into small balls”, you state as you pull the sleeves of your jumper up and make your way to the sink.  After washing your hands, you dry them on some kitchen towel and throw it in the bin: “How many burgers will you lot eat?”

“I’d say two each”, Kris bellows from the living area before making his way towards you.

You throw him a sarcastic look, “I know you can eat enough for five, but what about the others?”  *They can’t all be food gremlins like Kris, right?  I’ll never get to eat an entire meal to myself if they are*, you inwardly sob.

“You’d be surprised”, he chuckles, “Some of them are bottomless pits”.

You consider this for a moment before continuing: “Alright, two each it is”.  *I’ll take his word for it!  There’s no way I’m giving them my food!*

Pulling the mixing bowl in front of you, you tip the contents onto the clean work surface and start dividing the beef into twenty six even sections.  “I don’t think I’ve ever cooked for this many in my life”, you giggle.

“That’s why we tend to eat out or order delivery”, Chen sighs, “Plus, it doesn’t help that only D.O. can cook”.

You look at D.O. in surprise, “You’re the head chef here then?”

“I am indeed”, he sweetly smiles in confirmation.  

“Ahhh, so that’s why you were trying to steal the spoon off Chen”, you warmly beam, “That means you can be second in command”.

D.O.’s eyes widen, apparently a little shocked by either your sense of ease in their dorm or your affirmative personality.  “Yes, chef”, he teases, “What do you need me to do?”

Picking up a section of the mixture, you show D.O. how to roll it into a small ball with your hands before extending your wrist and using your lower palm to flatten the ball on the counter.

“Seems easy enough”, he states as he sets to work shaping his first burger. 

You place the finished burger on the empty counter next to you and start forming another.

“How’s this?”, D.O. questions moments later whilst holding his flawlessly moulded burger towards you.

“Perfect”, you giggle, “Perhaps I should be the second in command”. 

D.O. laughs and sets to work on his next masterpiece.

Appearing at your side, Chen picks up a section of beef and starts rolling it into a ball.  Peering over, you see that the look on his face is sheer concentration.  His brow is furrowed adorably and his eyes are staring intensively at the meat.  Whilst you are subtly watching him, you can’t help but notice his perfectly formed cheekbones.  *Oh wow, his face is really defined*, you think as you glow a deep shade of beetroot.  Before anyone can notice, you turn to focus on your burger once again.

“Something’s missing”, Kris’s voice brings you back to reality.

Like meerkats, the three of you look at him leaning against the counter opposite in both confusion and worry.  “What?”, you chime in unison, causing you all to laugh lightly.

“Music.  Didn’t you once tell me that you and your friends would dance around the kitchen whilst preparing food?”

Feeling a bit embarrassed for telling him that, you shyly nod.

Noticing your discomfort, D.O. quickly steps in: “What shall we put on then?”

Before anyone has a chance to answer, Xiumin lets out a delighted yell and performs a sort of victory dance as he bounces his way to the kitchen.  Looking towards the TV, you see Luhan sprawled defeated on the floor flailing slightly.  *Now who does he remind me of?*, you chortle in affection.

“I’ll be the DJ”, Xiumin asserts willingly as he pulls his iPhone out of his pocket, “What are we all in the mood for?”

“Something cheerful”, Luhan groans from across the room.  

Whilst you all playfully snicker at Luhan’s misfortune, Xiumin walks back into the living area and places his iPhone in the speakers.  Within seconds Lim Chang Jeong’s Open The Door is filling the large room, causing you all to cheer.

After dancing his way back to the kitchen, Xiumin appears at your side: “Do you need a hand with anything?”

“Um… How about you start cutting the buns in half?”

“Sure”, he kindly smiles, “Kris, do you want to help?”

Out of the corner of your eye, you see Kris recoil slightly.  “Cooking is not my style”, he asserts, “Plus, I’m making sure Jae doesn’t injure anyone”.

Hearing your name, you shoot Kris a withering glare and pretend to throw a ball of meat at him.  “Yah!  I’m not even holding a knife right now!”, you playfully retort, “Besides, my only target is you”.

Your comment makes everyone lean over in hysterics, and even the previously defeated Luhan happily arrives at Xiumin’s side.  *Things are going really well so far*, you smile to yourself as you pick up one of the last sections of meat to be moulded.

As the chorus of Jeong’s song comes on for the last time, you feel the urge to dance along but don’t want to be the only one.  Letting out a small quiet sigh, you decide to let the urge go.

“What next DJ?”, you humorously ask Xiumin as he plods towards the speakers.

Without a word, Xiumin scrolls through his music again: “Aha! This is the perfect playlist”.

Everyone in the kitchen has paused in expectation.  Seconds into the song you hear a loud applaud coming from the side of you.  Turning around you see that Luhan has started dancing along to Apink’s No No No whilst making his way into the open space of the living room.  Laughing, you happily skip to a spot alongside him and join in the dance as the chorus starts, causing the others to emit louder cheers.

Feeling slightly embarrassed by the attention, you start formulating an escape plan in your head.  However, your plans do not get far.  As the build up to the signature move of the song begins, D.O., Chen and Xiumin make their way towards you and Luhan into the open space.  Cheerfully, the five of you form a line and start doing the dance perfectly.  *To be expected of a recently debuted group*, you giggle.

Laughing whole-heartedly, you all merrily skip back into the kitchen to resume your jobs as the first verse begins.  After Chen finishes moulding the last burger, he and D.O. join Luhan and Xiumin in preparing the rest of the ingredients whilst you scrape excess meat back into the mixing bowl.  

Once the counter if free of scraps, you head over to the sink and fill it up with hot water.  As you add the soap, you hear the familiar beep of the front door, causing your heart to start racing.  *C’mon Jae!  Things are going great so far.  I’m sure these two will like you too!*, you reassure yourself whilst facing the sink.  You are about to turn around when suddenly you hear a loud greeting from one of the arrivals.

“AYO WHADDUP KREES?!”, a deep voice practically yells.

“AYO WASS-UUUUUP?!”, Kris returns, much to your surprise. 

*So much for the cool kid, hey?*, you think as you bite your tongue.  You hear footsteps behind you but can’t bring yourself to turn around, afraid that you won’t be able to hide your laughter.  

Suddenly Kris is beside you with his arm wrapped around your shoulders.  “This is Jae”, he asserts as he easily spins you around, “She’s the English friend I was telling you about.  She’s cooking for us tonight.  Jae, this is Tao”.

“Annyeong”, you politely bow.  Tao flashes a giant smile at you in response.

“And this is Chanyeol”.

You go to bow, but something stops you.  You recognise this tall figure wearing a snapback.  As the memory returns to you, your eyes start to widen.  Looking up, you see that Chanyeol is wearing a similar expression.  

“CHOPSTICK GIRL!”

“CHOPSTICK GIRL!  IT’S REALLY YOU!”, Chanyeol happily beams from across the room.

Glancing around hurriedly, you see that everyone is looking at you.  Kris lets go of your shoulder and takes a step back as if to assess you.  *Stop staring!*, you inwardly scream as you turn a dark shade of maroon and feel your legs turn to jelly.  You tightly grasp the counter to stop yourself from collapsing in embarrassment.

“Wait”, Luhan asserts, “Jae is chopstick girl?”

“Are you sure?  Its been five months since then”, Chen calmly enquires.

You hear Chanyeol laugh lightly, “Yup, it’s definitely her”.

Looking around once more, you see that everyone is waiting for your confirmation.  You let out a nervous laugh before verifying: “Apparently so”.  *I can’t believe it was Chanyeol who laughed at me!  And I can’t believe he told them about it!  OMO, I’m going to die from embarrassment!*

Kris chuckles slightly and wraps his arm around you again: “Small world, huh?”

You nod slightly in agreement.

“But you were right”, he continues, “She is gorgeous”.  

Kris’s comment makes you turn an even darker shade of burgundy.  Looking up, you notice that you aren’t the only one turning into a human tomato.  Chanyeol has dipped his head in embarrassment and plunged his hands into his jean pockets.  *Thanks for stepping in Kris*, you think as you stare at the ground, *but I really wish someone would change the topic before me and Chanyeol become bolognaise*.  In desperation, you shoot D.O. a beseeching look.

Understanding your plea, D.O. coughs loudly before making his way to the prepared burgers.  “Alright then, Chef”, he claps his hands together, “What next?”

Slipping away from Kris’s grasp, you walk to D.O.’s side: “Now we just need to cook them.  Have you got a couple of frying pans?”

D.O. quickly pulls out two frying pans from a cupboard near the stove before returning to your side: “Anything else?”

“Xiumin, Chen and Luhan”, you sweetly call, “Could you three be in charge of getting the other ingredients prepared?  We just need the buns, BBQ sauce, cheese and salad”.

“Sure”, Xiumin affirms, “But first we need a new playlist”.

You hadn’t even realised the music had stopped.  All you had been hearing for the last five minutes was the ringing in your ears from the embarrassment.

“Is there anything I can do to help?”, Tao enquires as he appears at your side.  *I didn’t realise so many of them would be this tall!*, you gasp in surprise as you come face to face with his shoulder.

“Um…”, you gulp as you meet his intense, yet playful eyes, “Could you sort out some drinks?”

Tao flashes you a smile before heading off, making your heart beat faster.  *What is with me?*, you question as you place your right hand over your heart, *It’s not like I’ve never seen attractive men before!  Get a grip, Jae!*

“Ready?”, D.O.’s kind voice gains your attention.

“Yup”, you smile widely and merrily skip towards the stove, “Oil?”

You are surprised as D.O. holds out the bottle towards you: “Check”.

“Perhaps I really should be second in command”, you giggle.

You take the oil from D.O.’s grasp and pour a generous amount in both pans before turning the stove on.  Crouching down, you turn the oven on to a low temperature so that you can place the cooked burgers in it to keep warm.

Standing up, you turn to D.O.: “Can I have the first round of burgers, please?” 

“Yes, chef”, he playfully asserts as he piles eight burgers onto a plate and holds it towards you.

As you place four burgers in each pan, you hear loud whispering coming from the corner of the kitchen.  Looking over, you see that Chanyeol and Tao have joined the three in charge of other ingredients.  Their friendly banter makes your heart feel warm.  *There’s a real sense of family in this dorm*, you smile as you prod the burgers with the spatula.  

You don’t pay attention to what they are saying until you ears perk up at the sound of your name.  Taking a casual step closer, you strain to hear their conversation.

“But you told us”, Xiumin whispers.

“No, I didn’t”, Chanyeol cuts in.

“You definitely did”, Tao murmurs, “You told us that you were destined to find chopstick girl and that one day you’d be destined to meet her again”.

“And that when you did, you’d make her yours”, Chen evilly grins.

“No, I didn’t”, Chanyeol denies once more.

“But”, Luhan lets out a teasing sigh, “Destiny took too long and now Jae is with Kris”.

Their conversation makes you giggle, *What is it with EXO and destiny?  Plus, I have absolutely no clue what is going on between me and Kris*.  Stepping back to the stove, you quote Shakespeare in your head as you flip the burgers: *What fates impose, that men must needs abide*.

After flipping the last burger, you place the spatula on the work surface perhaps a bit too loudly.  The sudden noise makes the gossipers in the corner glance over in panic before quickly dispersing.  

You notice their awkward movements and let out a chuckle: “Plotting world domination?”

“Something like that”, Xiumin smirks as he makes his way once more to the speakers, “What shall we listen to next, Jae?”

You ponder for a second before querying: “GD?”

“Ooo!  Good choice!”, Chen and Luhan choir from their work stations.

“As expected from Jae”, Kris bellows from the living area.  Looking over you see that he is sprawled on the floor with a book.  *Aha!  So that’s where he disappeared to!*

“Any specific album, or should I just put them all on shuffle?”

“Up to y–”, you get cut off by the sound of the familiar beep of the front door.  

Panicking slightly, you turn back to the stove as G-Dragon’s Obsession fills the dorm.  *Breathe, babo!  You’ve met over half of them already!*, you console yourself as you prod the burgers.

“Welcome back!”, Chanyeol happily chimes to the two newest arrivals, “Dinner’s nearly ready”.

“Dinner?”, a soft, but manly voice questions, “But we rarely cook at home.  We’re too lazy to cook for twelve”.

“And by we, you mean D.O.”, a smooth, deep voice playfully adds.

“We have a guest chef today”, D.O. snarls in return, “Apparently she’s less lazy than me”.

“She?”, they question in unison.

Wondering how you reveal yourself, you prod the burgers again and take a couple of deep breathes.  Suddenly, Tao arrives at your side and throws his arm around you just like Kris would.  *Something tells me he spends too much time with Kris*, you think as he pulls you in closer.

“Yup”, Tao smiles as he effortlessly spins you around, “Mummy Jae”.

Your shoulders slouch as you let out a sigh.  *Great, two new nicknames in one day!*

“Mummy Jae?”, the shorter of the two new arrivals enquires slightly flabbergasted, “But I thought I was the mum of EXO!?”

Chuckling, Xiumin walks up to him and slings his right arm around his shoulders: “Don’t worry, Suho.  We won’t forget you, but Jae can cook!”

Feeling embarrassed, you nudge Tao with your hip and escape his grasp.  As you look up you notice that the other new arrival is smiling kindly at you, making you feel like you at least have one comrade in this situation.  His gaze makes your heart skip about ten beats.  *What is up with these guys?  Why are they all so gorgeous?*, you think as your cheeks grow hot, *If Minhye was here, she’d be all over them!*

“I guess it’s up to dad to choose”, Luhan asserts, bringing your attention away from Minhye’s love for handsome men.

You tilt you head in confusion: “Dad?”

Snickering slightly Chanyeol re-joins the group, apparently over the shock of seeing you again: “If we have a mother, we must also have a father”.

“Not always”, you snap back slightly irritated by the sarcasm in his voice, causing most of EXO to laugh.

“Touché”, the only member whose name you do not know applauds.  EXO’s rebuff causes Chanyeol to turn a deep shade of burgundy as he stares at his feet to hide his shame.

Suddenly a loud groan makes you jump.  “You’re all making us sound insane”, Kris asserts as he closes his book, pushes himself off the living room floor and makes his way to the kitchen.

“Who is the dad of EXO then?”, you query whilst eying the members one by one.  Curiosity always gets the better of you. 

“Kris!”, Tao excitedly affirms as he bounds over to Kris’s side.  He clings onto his right arm, but Kris easily shakes him off.

Your jaw nearly hits the floor: “Serioulsly?”

For some reason you had never expected Kris to be EXO’s dad.  *Wait!*, something suddenly dawns on you, *Tao calling me ‘Mummy Jae’ had nothing to do with my cooking!  His admiration for Kris gives everything away!  How sly!*

“Yup”, Kris confirms, “But I don’t like the idea of you being everyone’s mother”.

His comment makes your heart ache slightly.  *What does he mean by that?  Does he not want me to be his partner?*

“Hm…”, Luhan ponders, “Perhaps you’re right, Kris”.

“Plus, Suho’s heart would be crushed”, Xiumin playfully adds whilst lightly nudging Suho.

Suddenly Chen claps his hands together loudly, making everyone jolt.  “Oh! I know!”, he practically yells, “Jae is our Wendy!”

You let out a giggle but quickly cover it with a cough.  *How ironic for it to be Chen to come up with that!*, you muse to yourself, *But I’m not sure I like the idea of being called Wendy… Even as an endearment*.

“So we’re the lost boys?”, Chanyeol queries.

Luhan chuckles, “I like it!”

“But who will be her Peter Pan?”, the mystery member asks.

His question makes Tao childishly explode.  “That’s obvious, Baekhyun!”, he fumes, “It’s obviously Kris!”

“We’ll see”, a deep voice whispers just loud enough for you to hear.  Looking around, you meet eyes with Chanyeol.  *Did I hear that right?*, you wonder as you shoot him a questioning glance just to receive an innocent smile in return.  No one else noticed his comment, so you decide to let it pass.

Kris punches Tao in the arm, evidently trying to hide his own embarrassment: “Stop it, Tao.  You’re making Jae feel uncomfortable”.

“Ouch!”, Tao moans as Kris’s fist makes contact with his left arm, “I haven’t done anything wrong!”

“What about John and Michael?  Will anyone be her brothers?”, Xiumin quickly changes the subject.

Baekhyun lets out a small chuckle: “I guess that’s up to her to decide too”.

“Yup”, Tao beams at you, whilst Xiumin and Luhan nod in agreement. 

*So his name’s Baekhyun*, you smile to yourself before furrowing your brow, *But why does everyone think me and Kris are going out?  What has he told them?  Did no one else notice Baekhyun’s use of ‘too’?  What is he insinuating?*

“OH !”, you loudly gasp as you remember about the burgers.  Running towards the stove, you expect to find eight burnt messes but are surprised to see eight barely cooked burgers in the frying pans instead.

“D.O.”, you affectionately sigh as he appears beside you.

“I put the first eight in the oven”, he affirms before reaching out for the spatula and flipping the new burgers.

“Thanks, Chef”, you sweetly smile at him as you wrap your arms around his left arm, “I owe you”.

“Don’t worry about it”, D.O. smirks in return, “You had other things to deal with, second in command, or should I call you Wendy?”

“Ya!  Not you too!”, you lightly punch his arm in protest.

“Right, time to eat!”, you declare as you slide the last burger off the hot oven pan and onto a clean plate.

After placing the pan back in the oven to cool down, you weave through the excited sea of bodies to the table with the burgers.  Seconds after the bottom of the plate grazes the surface, everyone is sat down.

“Wow”, you gasp as the flurry of people nearly knocks you over, “Hungry?”

“Ravished!”, Tao and Chanyeol chime in unison, nearly drooling at the site of freshly cooked meat.

“Just a bit”, Luhan smiles.

“Liar”, Xiumin playfully accuses, “I would be able to hear your stomach grumbling a mile away!”

“That was your stomach?!  I thought there was a thunder storm outside!”, Chen teases, causing everyone to laugh.

Looking around you notice that the only seat left is between D.O. and Baekhyun at the other end of the table.  After making sure that everything needed to construct the burgers is present, you make your way to the empty seat and gracefully slump into it.   

“Jae?”, D.O. affectionately calls as he holds the bowl containing buns towards you.

“Thanks”, you smile as you take a bun and open it on your plate.  

Apparently this action signals that the others can dig in, evident by Chanyeol and Tao practically diving onto the table as they fight for the biggest burger.

“Calm down, guys”, Suho warns as he nearly drops his own burger due to their ruckus. 

“He started it”, Tao childishly replies whilst dejectedly placing the second largest burger in his bun.

Glancing at Kris, you see that he has already made himself two giant burgers overflowing with BBQ sauce.  *The amount he can eat will never cease to amaze me*, you giggle, *But now is the test to see who else has a bottomless pit for a stomach*.

“Can we have the burgers this end?”, Xiumin beckons from the other side of the table.

“Sure”, you smile, “Can you pass the burgers this way please?”

“Here you go, Jae”, Baekhyun beams as he holds the plate towards you.  

Reaching out, your hand accidentally brushes his causing electricity to run down your spine.  *Get a grip, Jae!*, you yell at yourself before sighing, * I know he’s got an amazing smile, but so do most of EXO.  It’s going to take a while to get used to this*.  Letting out a forced calm breath, you take a burger for yourself and pass the plate to D.O..  As soon as you let go it’s like vultures have descended on him as he swiftly gets attacked by three hungry hands.  

“YA!”, he yells as the plate is nearly battered from his grasp, “Be civilized!”