(happy birthday Lu Han <3 <3)

Eun Ae

“Eun Ae!” Jongdae walked out of the bathroom, his hair dripping wet. “Did they finally leave?” He quickly scanned the environment, and I nodded. “Good, you can go take a shower or something. I’ll go prepare for dinner.” He happily scurried into the kitchen and began clashing together pots and pans.

I slipped into the bathroom with my EXO pajamas (come on, I was in a rush), moon patterned toothbrush (coincidence), and Chen decorated towel (...no comment). Feeling sticky and sweaty and curious about Tao’s shower, I jumped into the bathtub and turned the water on. The freezing water hit my back and I yelped.

“Eun Ae, are you okay?” Jongdae’s voice rang from the kitchen.

“Y-yeah!” My teeth chattered as I shuffled out from under the stream of water. Looking down, I saw that my toes were turning red from the chilly water. I waited like that, my arms wrapped around my bare body, until I saw steam rising from the water. Relieved, I walked back under the shower head and continued to wash.

After I had rinsed my hair and began applying conditioner, a high-pitched beep scared me so badly that I slipped and fell, injuring my bottom. Groaning, I peeked out from the shower curtain to see what was happening.

The smoke detector attached to the ceiling of the bathroom was beeping red. Alarmed and flustered, I jumped out of the shower and grabbed my Chen towel, wrapping it tightly around myself. I burst out the door, ready to escape the dorm.

As I was running, I heard harsh coughing from the kitchen. “Jongdae!” I screamed and rushed into the kitchen. Please be okay...I’ll get you out...

Yet all I saw was a plate of burnt bread and a hacking Jongdae holding a half eaten piece of burnt toast. I just stood there, staring at him choking with the alarm going off wildly in the background. “Eun...” he pointed to the sink, looking like he was about to die. “Wa...”

“...YAH,” I screamed at him, flailing my arms. “YOU SHOULD’VE WAITED FOR ME TO FINISH SO I COULD MAKE DINNER. YOU WERE ONLY SUPPOSED TO SET UP STUFF! NOW LOOK AT THIS, THE SMOKE DETECTORS ARE GOING CRAZY, YOU’RE CHOKING ON BURNT TOAST, I’M HALF STANDING IN THE KITCHEN--”

I stopped abruptly and looked down at myself. Dripping wet, only wrapped in a towel with Jongdae’s face plastered all over it. I could feel myself turning red as I caught him sneaking a look at my embarrassing appearance.

“H-here,” I scurried over to the sink and filled the nearest cup with water. “Water.” I quickly ran back into the bathroom and locked the door. Unable to contain myself, I silently thrashed about, trying to erase what had just happened.

“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, that did not just happen...” I whimpered, slumping against the bathtub. Behind the curtain, the water was still running.

There was a knock at the door. I jumped. “Hey,” Jongdae’s voice was clear again. “Are you okay in there? Sorry about that...I’ll just wait for you to finish.” Footsteps led away from the door and back into the kitchen.

Chewing on my damp hair, I curled up into a ball and began rocking back and forth. Pull yourself together...it’s not like he actually saw anything... After about the longest time of inner torture, I finished washing up and emerged from the bathroom wearing my EXO PJs.

Jongdae was at the kitchen table, slumped over as if he was sleeping. I tiptoed into the kitchen and after I began tossing ingredients into the pan, he raised his head sleepily. “Hmm?” he called out, drowsily. His eyes were squinty and tired, and his damp hair was all messed up. “What are you making?”

“Eh,” I shrugged and dumped the contents onto a dish. “Just some stir fry. You must be tired, so we can eat just a little and go to bed.”

When I brought the steamy food over, his eyes lit up immediately. “This is probably the best food that has ever been made in this dorm. Period.” Even before I could respond, he grabbed his chopsticks and downed half the dish.

“Whoa, whoa!” I laughed and blocked his chopsticks with mine. “At least let me have a bite before you gobble the entire thing.”

He did, but took it too literally. After I swallowed, he was stuffing the last of the stir fry into his mouth. I glared at him. “I hate you.”

He just smiled and answered with a full mouth, “No. You love me.”

Sadly, it was true.

Right after Jongdae washed the dish and utensils, we went straight for bed. I climbed into the spare bed as he turned out the lights. Sinking into my pillow, I realized that this bed was probably one of the best I have ever laid on. The one at home--am I allowed to call it that now?--was hard and often times displaced my spine. This one was soft, plush, clean-smelling...just like a hotel bed but probably even better.

I was falling asleep when Jongdae suddenly piped up, “Why do you like me?”

Alarmed, I shot up from my bed and answered frantically, “Oh, no no no, I don’t like you like you, I just like you as a role model, a celebrity, an idol, you know like a fan, of course I don’t actually like you, why would I--?”

“That’s what I’m asking,” he chuckled quietly. “Why do you like me as a celebrity?”

“Oh,” I flushed another deep color and sank back under my sheets. “Because...because...you have a good voice. Heck, an amazing voice. Your smile, your laugh, your shy and sweet character. Your jawline...” I smiled dreamily. How you’re one of the youngest yet act serious, how you look Chinese but you’re Korean, the fact that you have no pre-debut pictures...

“My jawline?”

I snapped back into reality. “Uh. Y-you know,” I stuttered. “That’s what fans are saying these days.”

“Oh.”

I stared at the ceiling as we silently lay in the dark.

"You haven't addressed me in any way ever since we met." he whispered, clearly exhausted from the day. I heard him turn in his bed and face me.

I sighed. So demanding, these EXO members. "Oppa--" I began to call in a cutesy voice.

"No," he snapped, a harsh edge crept into his voice. "Anything, anything but that,” he turned back to his original position. "Don't call me oppa."

“Wh-what? Why?” I asked, confused. “It’s just a form of address...”

“Just--” he sighed and I heard him pull his sheets over his head. “It makes me feel responsible for unnecessary things. Nowadays, ‘oppa’ is an excuse to get close. ‘Oh oh oh oppa, oppa!’” He mocked in high-pitched nasally voice. “It’s immature. It’s clingy. I can’t stand it.”

I bit my lip and pulled my covers closer to my face. Clingy.

“Just call me Jongdae,” he muttered groggily.

“Ne, Jongdae,” I replied quietly. Darkness overcame the room and silence replaced our conversation. Finally, I blurted out, “When I ran out of the bathroom...it wasn’t...you didn’t...?” I didn’t know where I was going with this question. The incident was just so embarrassing I had to get it out of my mind.

A loud snore answered my messed up question. I let out a breath of annoyance--or relief?--and to my side.

Goodnight, EXO.

Goodnight, my worried parents.

Goodnight, Jongdae.

Finally, a 5 chapter day is OVER! :D What do you guys think about these long chapters...? Too long? Too boring?

I'll be double updating since I didn't get to yesterday!

@meeshelly - <3 <3

@panzym - Eundae huh? ^^ Ah, I would be dying on the inside by fighting to stay calm lol. Wouldn't want them to think I was weird~

@Renzei27 - Thank you! You might kill me for what happens later...but we'll see about that shipping (:

@Lila8171997 - Aha, thank you~ Nice guys finish last? I don't like that policy XD

@Yogurt, Mesheko - Haha, ayo wassuuuuup. Thank you!