[Author's Note: Not the best chapter. It's lacking in a lot, I'm sorry. ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ]

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“How do you use this?” Hyunseung asked, poking at the rice cooker on the kitchen counter. “I’ve never used one before, I’m not even kidding.” He picked it up and examined the appliance in his hand. Jaeni turned from the opposite side of the kitchen.

“You just put rice in, then press the cook button.” Jaeni said, going back to the vegetables she was chopping. “But make sure you wash the rice first, oppa.”

“Wash the rice? Okay. I can do that.” Hyunseung added in cups of rice in the cooker, walking over to the sink and putting it under the sink. “Like this, Jaeni?”

“Ne, oppa.” Jaeni said, not looking at Hyunseung, hoping only that he was doing it right. Junhyung was standing right beside her, watching as she cut up the vegetables, telling her to be careful every so often.

Hyunseung finished up washing the rice, he proceeded back to the counter, putting the rice in the cooker and shutting the lid. “I press the button, right, Jaeni ah?” He looked up at Jaeni’s back. “Jaeni. Jaeni. Like this? Jaeni? I just press it?”

“Ne, oppa.” Jaeni replied simply.

“Like this?” Hyunseung pressed down the cook button. “Isn’t it supposed to light up when I press it? It’s not lighting up. Jaeni, I don’t think it’s working. It didn’t light up. Jaeni, it’s not working, I think it’s broken.” He continued to call out, but not getting a reply from the younger girl. “Jaeni? Jaeni, it’s not working, did I do it right?”

Jaeni’s grip on the knife she was holding tightened. “Are you sure, oppa?”

“Yeah, it’s not lighting up. I already closed the lid and pressed the button like you said. It’s still not working. It’s not even heating up. Jaeni, are you sure I did it right?”

“As long as you did everything I told you, it’s supposed to be fine.” Jaeni concentrated hard on what she was doing, making sure not to cut her fingers. “Just a sec, oppa, I’m kind of busy here.”

“Jaeni, jaeni, it’s still not working.” Hyunseung ignored her remark. “Jaeni, jaeni!” His face formed into a frown. “Jaeni, I don’t think this rice cooker likes me very much. Jaeni?”

Junhyung, still standing right by Jaeni, was also getting annoyed at Hyunseung’s incessant whining over the rice cooker. He patted Jaeni’s shoulder once before going straight to Hyunseung. “Junhyungie, it’s not working!” Hyunseung whined, pointing at the rice cooker. The rapper looked at it, his eyes finding the cord and traveling down to the plug that was hanging over the counter. He picked it up and whipped it at Hyunseung’s arm. “O-oh.” Hyunseung rubbed on his arm.

“Babo yah.” Junhyung gruntled and plugged it in, then pressed the cook button. The light on the cooker blinked on. Junhyung gave a smirk. “Are you done with the vegetables, Jaeni?”

“Done, oppa!” Jaeni nodded. “We should ask the others to set up outside. Could you, please, oppa?” Junhyung gave a nod and walked out to the living room.

“Jaeni!” Hyunseung called out again.

“Wae?!”Jaeni snapped. “What is it now, oppa?”
“I was just going to ask if you needed help with anything else.” Hyunseung was taken aback by Jaeni’s response. She shook her head no, now aware of Hyunseung’s slight uselessness in the kitchen.

“Kikwang ah! Is the meat done cooking!” Doojoon yelled out, setting up the picnic table that he had put up. “It’s getting hungry already!” He put the plates, utensils, and cups in order.

“Ne!” Kikwang called right back out, poking the charcoal in the grill with a stick, getting the fire to get bigger. “Meat, meat, meat.” He chanted as he turned the slices of pork on the grill. “We haven’t had a barbecue like this in so long. I feel so happy!” He saw Yunji coming out of the lodge, zipping up her jacket. “Jiji!” He motioned for her to come over, which she did. “How do you know if the meat is done?”

She looked at the meat and wrinkled her nose. “Around 2 minutes before it starts looking like that.” Yoseob heard this and quickly ran to the grill.

“What? Kikwang ah! You overcooked it!” He complained.

“I… Really?” Kikwang looked dumbfounded. “But it was raw just a couple of minutes ago.” Yunji had to laugh at Kikwang’s ignorance again. She took the tongs from his hand and pushed him aside. “You. There. Now.” She instructed, pointing to the table.

“Aw, Jiiiii.” Kikwang hung his head low and dragged his feet to the table, sitting down with a big huff. “Don’t burn yourself!”

“So I just have to ask,” Doojoon said after swallowing a big wrap he made for himself, “Why Pikachu? I mean, why do you call your sister a Pikachu?”

“That…” Junhyung looked at Jaeni. “Why again?” Jaeni looked as if she herself could not remember the backstory of her nickname. “I think it was when she was young…-“

“She’s still young, hyung.” Kikwang in, stuffing his face with rice.

“…Younger. And she was… What was it again?” He scrunched his forehead. “Ah, right. She was so curious about umma’s make up. She said she wanted to try to put some on her cheek so she’d have rosy cheeks like umma.” Junhyung’s face relaxed, his mind recalling the memory. “It was only us at home that time, I think. And of course I didn’t know how to put on make up, so I pinched her cheeks real hard, to make them red.” He gave one nod. “Then I said she looked like a Pikachu after that. You know, with her cheeks really red. And I think the name just stuck after that.”

Jaeni tilted her head. “So that’s why. I always thought it was coz I liked Pokémon a lot when I was little.”

“What else do you like, Jaeni ah? Besides Beast? You like any other groups?” Yoseob asked, curious.

“I like SNSD! I even learned their dances.” She replied with a proud smile. “I danced it in school once, actually. Remember, unnie?”

“Ah, yeah. I remember that. It was two years ago, I think? You danced Genie in front of Bongchan oppa, right? With the costume and all.”

“Oppa?” Junhyung’s brotherly senses were tingling. “You danced Genie in front of a guy?”

“Yah, don’t think of it the wrong way!” Jaeni slapped her brother on the arm. “I didn’t dance alone, I had a couple of friends with me. He was the president of the Literary Club, and he was graduating that year, so the other club members and I decided to dance for him.” She knew what thoughts would be in her brother’s head by now. “I’m really a big music fan, especially pop music. Yunji unnie here isn’t a big fan. I’ve been trying to convert her, but she won’t budge!” She pointed her chopsticks to the girl seated in front of her.

“I’m sorry, Jaeni ah.” The older girl smiled apologetically. “I’m just not into the whole pop industry.”

“So, what do you like, Yunji?” Dongwoon asked, reaching over for another bite of meat. “You never told me yet.”

“Ah, I know this!” Kikwang slammed his fist on the table. All eyes turned to him, Yunji’s face was a bit expectant. Not having spent years together with her childhood best friend, she wondered if he knew the things she liked now. “Jiji likes playing around with play dough, and she likes watercolors!” The big smile on his face was impeccable.

“Kiki.” Yunji shook her head, trying to control her laughter. “I did grow up, you know.”

“So you don’t play with play dough anymore?”

“Not since I was 10.” She laughed. “I like reading, mostly. Watching movies…? Ah, I’m a boring person.”

“Why don’t you like music?” Kikwang asked. “If you liked music, you would’ve known I debuted as a singer earlier!”

“I just don’t.” Yunji said, and looked over to Jaeni. “Jaeni wants to try acting. Did you know? She was in a couple of school plays before.”

“No major roles!” Jaeni added in, her face growing bright. “Just minor characters here and there. Drama club is actually where I met Yunji unnie! She used to be the stage director of most of the plays before!”

“You should direct one of our MVs!” Kikwang chirped. “It would be just like when we directed our own MV for Mystery.”

“I’m not that good, yet. Maybe after I graduate?” Yunji grinned. “I’ll get back to you on that.”