The loud slam from the main door rattled the small wooden bookshelf; a small colorful wooden cat shaped ornament on top of the mantelpiece fell from its feet, whilst the unlucky blue and red Matryoshka dolls tumbled to the floor. Her crimson shaded cheeks waned realizing her harsh action caused such mess, quickly picking up the souvenirs Amber bought back from her summer trip last year.

Victoria was still squatting on the floor when Ryeowook hurriedly out from his room, clad in his abused grey sweatshirt and matching shorts, accessorized with a small white towel covering his brown mane “What’s going on?”

“Sorry” a small wavering voice escaped from Victoria’s trembling lips, gently rearranging the dolls and flipping her favorite feline figurine back on its feet “I lost my temper.”

Hands returning to the earlier act on drying his hair, Ryeowook closed the gap between them “Did Doghae-ssi said something upsetting?”

Victoria shut her eyes tight, trying to erase the ungraceful moment of violently closed car’s door and uncharacteristic outburst she went through few minutes ago. She may be rough around the edges, but she never was categorized as boorish. But what she said to Donghae earlier earned her few points in the category. She slump her weight onto the overly beaten couch, exhaling aloud.

“Want some hot chocolate? Pasta?” Ryeowook offered as usual, letting the wet towel draped around his skinny neck. He loves to spoil her with comfort food.

She has always been a fan to the creamy hot drinks and Wookie signature pasta, especially when her moods soured. But to his surprise, Victoria shook her head firmly this time “I had too much hot chocolate this couple of days. I better watch my weight” she pulled her feet up, curling comfortably on the couch “I might not be able to reach my toes if I continue at this rate” inhaled deeply, slowly gathering her composure.

“Nonsense. You’re gorgeous” Ryeowook settled next to her, allowing a small space between them. His messy wet hair smelled of strawberry “You don’t need any dieting... Unless, you are getting married or something” his slightly bushy eye brows quirked suspiciously.    

She her pouty lips, slightly chapped from the cruel chilled and stressful day, long locks bobbled as she shook her head “No one is getting married. Definitely not me” she squeezed in. leaning her head on the armrest; vacantly staring at her Korean drama collection, nicely arranged alphabetically next to the player. She was never the organized type, but she treated her dramas seriously. Victoria has always been a dreamer, wishing her boring life could be as exciting as those twisted plot. Who could have guess, wishing could be this dangerous “Where’s Amber?”

“Don’t change the topic” Ryeowook reached for the remote control and the flat screen hanging firmly at the centre of the walls. He quickly flipped through the channel before settling on a random variety show called Strong Heart, placing the small device on the other armrest “Amber went out with Krystal.”

Victoria did not response to the answer, her long hands dangling freely, fingers playing with the ruffled carpet’s ends.

“Are you going to fill me in on what happened with Kyuhyun or not?” her housemate broke the silence, pouting and poking her thigh almost violently, hating to be left without an answer

Her body tensed at the mentioned of what had happened earlier, not wanting to deal with the harsh reality yet. She turned around; resting her back on the couch with her arched legs “I need to pay for the damages.”

“That’s all?” Ryeowook asked skeptically, stretched her feet straight and gently placed them on his laps, carefully massaging those long limbs. Others may get the wrong message from the affectionate scene, but the two best friends had been together since before puberty; they were practically siblings “Then, what up with Donghae’s statement about you being his sister in-law and all?”

She sighed deeply, but slowly easing to her best friend’s gentle but firm fingers. Ryeowook changed the channel again. The soothing song sung by a familiar face, but unknown to her, eased further “Ahh… That’s nice.”

“Spill out” he ordered, purposely added more strength onto his massages.

Victoria yelped, pulling her legs away “Stop it. I’ll get to that part, soon.”

“I don’t have all night” he said in nonchalance tone, eyes were fixed on the television, adoring the petite idol twirling happily in her flashy dress “If it’s just some amount, you just need to find a good job that pays well.”

“That’s the problem” she exhaled aloud, twisting her body upwards to sit up straight “It is not any sum amount. It’s indescribable” she rolled her eyes in annoyance. Out of all people, her luck had to choose Kyuhyun to mess things up.

“What car was he driving?” Ryeowook asked curiously. Seconds later, he disappeared into his room and return much too soon, handing Victoria the latest issue of his favorite car magazine. He returned to his seat, squeezing next to her as Victoria lazily flipped through the colorful pages.

“Wookie, are you buying a car?” she asked, scanning page by page, noting the fluorescent yellow sticky notes on few of the pages; smirking at how meticulous Ryeowook has always been.

“I might... A secondhand car would do” he replied. “What do you think about this one?” he happily pointed at a picture of metallic blue coupe’.

“It looks nice. But don’t you think it’s a waste to pay so much, for a two doors car?” she stated bluntly, earning herself a sharp stabbed at her ribs.

“So, which one is his car?” he urged her to continue. Then his finger pointed at a car pictured on the luxury category “This is Donghae’s. I wonder what he does for a living.”

Victoria responded with a low huff, flipping the pages with extra speed. But she stopped immediately when her eyes caught the sight of the familiar car in a different shade “I think it’s this one.”

“Oh dear” Ryeowook exclaimed dramatically, taking the magazine from her grip and stare incredulously at it “Are you sure this is the one?” he asked in awed “This is not cheap.”

She rolled her eyes, leaning on her back once again “Thanks for pointing out the obvious.” Twisting her body to the side, she reached out for her phone; connecting to the selected network. “Maybe I should just use my saving” Victoria mumbled, scanning the online banking website followed by a defeated sigh counting the numbers on it “Not that I have much, though.”

“Stop it” Ryeowook pulled her device away and placed it on the small coffee table “You’ve been saving that for years. For that art school you’ve been dreaming of.”

“Well, I don’t really have to go to Europe to take up an Art program. There are a lot of good local universities offering affordable master’s degree programs” she answered, sounding more of to convince herself than her housemate.

Unfortunately for her, Ryeowook knew her too well “I’ve been telling you the same exact lines ages ago, when you were juggling 3 part time jobs, saving up for this crazy dream of yours. But you insist that it’s not only the program that matter; it’s the experience, the culture, the people and the many museums you want to visit.”

“I know” she gave out a bitter smile, and then added with a low murmur “But things have changed now. Besides, I can always go for the trip whenever I have saved enough.”

The small maroon cushion fell onto the floor when Ryeowook inched closer, circling his arms around her neck, rubbing her small shoulder lightly “Don’t worry. You just need a good job to pay back to Kyuhyun. Let’s start from there…”

“That’s the problem Wookie” she in a small voice “He offered me a job to help me pay him back.”

“He did?” widen his eyes in disbelief “That’s great.”

She shook her head in reply “Still with the condition of me being his fiancé. He even proposed to me in front of his family.”

“” he cried out, mouth hanging open, gaping at the unexpected scene.

“ happens” Victoria sighed for the nth times, resting her head on Ryeowook shoulder “To add cherry on the top of the icing, Donghae announced another absurd news a moment ago.”

“Eh? He proposed to you too?” Ryeowook violently turned his body towards Victoria, bumping their heads in the process.

Eyes squinting in pain as she rubs her head, she replied clearly “No. But…” her words were cut when the clicking sound from the door interrupts them, followed by a loud giggles of two girls.

“I’m back” Amber announced happily, taking off her favorite mid length boots and carefully placed it inside the shoes cupboard near the door “with Krystal” she added before disappearing into her room, probably rushing for the toilet.

“Hi there” Ryeowook and Victoria replied in unison, welcoming their regular guess with a warm smile.

“Unnie and Oppa look so good together” she winked before fumbling into the empty seat next to the two “You guys should date.”

“How much did the two of you drinks?” Victoria quickly gets onto her feet and rushed to the kitchen to grab a glass of plain water and aspirin for the guest to sober up “You’re never good at holding your liquor.”

“A couple” Krystal replied, goosebumps seeped under her skins, sipping the cold water in her hand “Went out with my sunbae and we had this crazy drinking game” she had to stop in her sentences due to hiccups. Victoria raced to the kitchen with another glass and insisted Krystal to drink up. She continued between sips “She just came back from the US.”

“Anyone famous?” Ryeowook quickly asked; interested to know who Krystal’s celebrity friend might be.

“Wookie” Victoria tossed a cushion at him instead before turning her attention towards the younger girl “Krystal, you’re a rising star. You should be careful out there. Getting caught partying by those nosy paps won’t do you good.”

“Ah, don’t worry unnie” Amber replied, already changed into a much comfortable pajama, emptying Krystal’s glass “We drinks at her sunbae’s apartment. No paparazzi were around.”

“She broke off with her boyfriend few months ago. But still had a hard time adjusting to her recently ‘single’ status” Krystal slurred, with eyes tightly shut “Were just trying to cheer her up.”

“Amber, have you set the mattress for Krystal?” Victoria asked, sounding like a big sister she always been. Seeing the guilty grin on her roomate’s thin lips, Victoria reached for Krystal and pulled her limping body up, letting the girl’s weight leaning on her  “Wookie, can you help Amber with it. The mattress is under my bed.”

************

It was a weird day for Donghae; exciting… but weird. And he just could not help grinning stupidly whenever his thoughts wander away, recalling a pretty face he just met hours ago. It was funny how in just half a day, he had seen Victoria’s many faces; her dreadful tears, her lovely sweet smile and the most recent, her outrage. He made few mental notes to apologize to her tomorrow. Chocolates might work.

Shutting off the slim laptop, Donghae pushed his chair back and turned his heel towards the wooden door. He shut off the study room’s light before he close the door shut. Clad in nothing but a knee length cotton shorts, Donghae dragged his feet to his bedroom, glancing at the modern design clock hanging on the wall; 2 am.

His bedroom was spacious, but minimally decorated, with off-white walls, black and white stripes curtains covering the whole stretch of his eight 12 pane windows; and a king sized bed was in the middle on the room. He pushed the fluffy cover slightly and slides in, puffing his pillow orderly before resting his slightly dam hair on it. The room was lightly illuminated by the cylinder shaped paper lampshade at the bedside. Pulling the cover up, securely covering his board torso; Donghae then reached for the small device placed next to the lampshade. Swiftly typed onto the device, staring at the words longingly…

To: Yoona

From: Donghae

I met someone interesting today; a feisty girl with a lot of quirks.

She cried, she laughed and get angry in mere minutes. She kinda reminds me of you.

The weather seems to get chiller now. Please wear warmly when you go out.

A soft smile appeared on his lips, reading the text for the very last time. Fingers lingered on the screen for a few seconds before it hit the button; deleting the message. He placed the phone back on the table top, and turned off the lights.

************

It was his 3^rd time going off to the toilet, cursing the earlier drip he was put onto while he was detained in the emergency ward. Turning the air-condition temperature higher, Kyuhyun kick off his fluffy hospital’s slippers and pulled his legs up, covered under the thick, white and green blanket. Tossing and turning on the small bed once again, his hands fell on his smart phone he put next to his pillow. Sighing for the nth time, he finally pushed himself up and the bedside lights.

Taking the small device into his palm, he hesitantly clicked on the screen.

To: Yoona

From: Kyuhyun

  I had a minor accident today.

You owe me a visit...   

After a whole 15 minutes staring at the screen, he finally pressed the send button. And it took only half a minute before his phone vibrated violently in his palm, showing a familiar number he has not seen appeared on his phone for such a long time.

***********

A special shout out to vicqian and Lynsushi... Hope both of you enjoy this chapter :)