“Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!”

Groans and sleepy moans can be heard… and also the sound of Bella hitting a pot with a wooden spoon. Let me tell you one thing about Bella, not only is she an overachiever but she’s also a neat-freak. And right now, the whole house is in chaos.

“I’ve got good news and bad news,” Bella announced, her hands placed on her hips. “Which one do you wanna hear first?”

“Bad news,” Sehun spoke up.

“Okay, good news it is.” Bella exclaimed. She beamed a smile—but not just any smile. Her smile is a mile wide. She just couldn’t contain her excitement. “Your music video, Power, is a hit! The fans loved it! It already gained like a million views!”

The guys cheered satisfied ‘YES!’s and gave each other high-fives and fist bumps. It’s as if this was their first ever music video. But since this is Cora’s first MV, you could tell that she’s twice as excited as EXO. Cora’s jumping up and down, just like a kid who received a lollipop.

“But that’s not all,” Bella said. She turned to the dining room. The table was filled with thirteen cups of hot chocolate and a tray of French toast. “I also prepared breakfast!”

Xiumin could feel his mouth water, and Chen swore he heard Kai’s tummy grumble. But then Sehun brought up, “What’s the bad news?”

Bella showed a devious smirk. “It’s GENERAL CLEANING DAY! After breakfast, everyone should get moving! Sehun and Chanyeol will clean the windows and dust the shelves. Suho and D.O will clean the kitchen and dining room. Baekhyun and Kai will clean the living room and bathrooms. Chen and Xiumin will do the laundry, while Cora and I will go to the supermarket and restock the fridge. Oh, not to mention you also have to clean your rooms. Okay?”

Baekhyun raised his hand, “But—“

“Okay. By the time Cora and I are back, I want everything done.” Bella added. She flashed an innocent smile. “I’ll go upstairs to get ready. Enjoy your breakfast.”

Once Bella was out of sight, the guys groaned and sloppily grabbed their cup of hot choco. Chanyeol muttered, “Tch. Bossy.”

“Oh please, I’ve been through worse.” Cora said, before munching on her toasted bread. “Back in high school, she made me arrange ALL the books in her room. Can you imagine that? Just because I misplaced one.”

“Tsk. Tsk.” Suho said, after taking a sip from his cup. “You guys should stop whining and follow Manager-nim’s orders. It’s for the sake of our dorm anyway.”

Baekhyun glared. “Easy for you to say. You’re not the one cleaning the bathrooms.”

A few minutes later when Cora and Bella are ready to leave, the guys started working on their assigned chores, afraid of facing Bella’s wrath.

On their way to the supermarket, Cora spoke out, “I’m actually surprised that you wanted me to come along with you. I thought you’d rather go with Chanyeol.”

Bella scoffed, together with her trademark eye-roll. “Oh, please. Park Chanyeol is the last person on earth that I want to go out with.” Then she paused. She looked over Cora, who’s staring at -opened and her eyes nearly popping out.

 “To the supermarket.” Bella added. “Aish. That came out wrong. And why am I even talking to you?” She picked up her pace, leaving Cora behind. She heard a distant voice, “Unnie, wait up!”

M e a n w h i l e

“Kai, you clean the girls’ bathroom!”

“It doesn’t make much of a difference, hyung. Why?”

“Uh, yes it does. And besides, you have sisters. You’re probably used to seeing girl things around.”

“Sigh. Fine.”

 

“Chen, stop making bubbles with the soap and help me with the laundry.”

“Hahaha! But they’re fun! Look, I made a big one!

“Help me out, now!”

 

“D.O, where do you put these trays?”

“Oh, it’s right… up… there…”

“Can you reach that cabinet?”

“Ani. Can you?”

“Nope.”

“Sigh. I’ll get a chair.”

 

“Carrots, kimchi, sugar…” Cora rechecked. “We didn’t forget anything, did we, unnie?”

“I don’t think so. Now, let’s see how the boys are doing…” Bella opened the front door. She immediately caught the aroma of fresh roses, the air freshener’s scent. The couch covers, the curtains, even the carpets were replaced. The floor was polished, the shelves were dustless, and the whole house was spotless. By the living room, she could see the eight grinning proudly.

“Good job, boys!” Bella clapped. “Why don’t you treat yourselves with ice cream? Oh, but please help us with the groceries first. We bought a pint for everyone!”

“Oh, unnie, I forgot to tell you,” Cora spoke up. “Myunhae and the whole batch are here in Korea. We’re having a reunion tomorrow. Don’t worry, I know the place and I’ll get there by myself.”

“Well, I don’t care.” Bella retorted. “You’re a fully-grown woman. You don’t anyone’s permission. You can go wherever you want.”

“I could go with you!” Baekhyun raised his hand.

“No.” Bella snapped. “Unless you want to be chased by a mob of screaming fan people. If I were you, I’d stay here.”