I thought that it’d be a good idea to move in with Daehyun.

But I was wrong. So very much wrong.

“Nope,” I hissed, picking up the suitcase I’d carried up the steps from the elevator, “I’m not staying here.”

Daehyun was quick to stop in my path though, holding up his arms and successfully blocking my way. He knew too well I wouldn’t dare knock him over on my way out. “What, but why?” He was whining, as per usual, bottom lip puckered out and already wide eyes throw even bigger at me. “You said you’d live with me.”

But that had been before I’d known that he was rolling in cash. There was no way I could afford to pay even a quarter the lent fees required for the room I would take up, never mind paying a split half. I should have expected something of the sort when Daehyun had led me toward the fancy apartment complex.

“Please Youngjae?” His arms had wrapped around my waist now, already having stolen my suit case and tossed it in some corner of the apartment, away from my immediate reach. “I even decorated your room for you. The least you can do is take a peek.”

I wasn’t allowed to say no.

He dragged me away into a room he’d supposedly prepared, making sure to cover my eyes before kicking open the door with his foot, releasing me with an excited “tadah!”

And it took all I had not to drop on the spot.

“Wh-what is this?”

“Books!”

I knew that much.

The room was perfect, stocked high with the very home-library I’d been dreaming of since I’d begun reading. I suppose I had mentioned once or twice to Jaebum while Daehyun had been present – seeing as the two used to be all but glued at the waist – but I hadn’t expected anyone to be listening. I was, at the time, just stupid, plan-old Youngjae, after all.

My immediate reaction was to stumble into the room, running a finger over the fresh spines of the books in awe. Books, hundreds of them, stocked high and low. Just for me.

“You didn’t.” I mumbled, still too enthralled with the papers than I was attentive of Daehyun following my every move, “I can’t believe you.” Just how much could doing this have cost?

And that hadn’t been even half of what Daehyun had done to the room.

The walls were decked in beige wallpaper, decorated here and there with black and white photographs. Artsy, but not to the extent of going overboard. Instead of studying, Daehyun should have tried out to be an interior designer.

His eyes were on me the whole time as I moved around the room, bright and eager like a little child waiting to be praised. “Do you like it?”

Did I like it? I loved it.

But I couldn’t have it.

“Remember when I told you the reason why I’m moving out of Yongguk and Himchan’s place?” Actually, I’d yet to tell him the reason why:  that I felt like a burden. But I decided to let that slip, crossing my arms across my chest. “No, Daehyun. I can’t pay for all of this.”

“But you don’t have to! Imagine it like a present, from me to you.”

There was no way presents were this large and flashy in shape and form.

I’d opened my mouth to state this, but Daehyun was quick to stop me, shaking his head. “My family always makes flashy gifts like this. Actually, this is pretty dull in comparison. Come on, please?”

It was far too obvious his family was not of this country. Of this world to be frank.

“No means no.”

“Then how about this?” He was quick to propose, grabbing my hand and tugging me into my supposedly new bed, “You become my housewife. You know, like how I was when I lived with you guys. It’s the vacation anyways. You don’t have any classes, but I still have cram school.”

It sounded logical enough. I suppose.

“Fine, but I’m still paying everything I can.”

Not that it’d even leave a dent in the fee I was supposed to pay him. It wasn’t fair, why did Daehyun have to be rolling in cash?

Much to my displease, the deal was then set and before I had a chance to change my mind, Daehyun had already brought my bags in, calling Himchan to tell him the ‘exciting news’. (It was anything but exciting in my opinion.)

I wasn’t sure what exactly it was that I’d apparently put myself in.

I must have been the biggest idiot in the world.

“Yes mom, I’m perfectly fine.”

With a house this big, I had been positive the majority of my life would have been spent dedicated to sweeping and cleaning the place. It was either the house was dust proof, or Daehyun had set me up and hired a maid for when I was out at my part time job at the book store. This left me plenty of enough time to make my daily calls to Himchan in the morning and laze around the living room.

“Hyung, you don’t have to worry about me, I’m eating just fine.”

That wasn’t too big of a lie. Dinner was directly at six when Daehyun returned from cram school, but that was just about all I ate. Having too much time on my hands, I found myself dropping back to the habit of counting my calories. But at least I ate. At least I wasn’t consulting directly the toilet bowl – as Himchan had rudely snapped at me when Daehyun had spilled (accidentally, he says) my past habits.

“I have to go, alright? Yes to the restroom, but to wash up. Stop babying me.”

Himchan thought he’d had me all figured out.

“Alright, I’ll call you tomorrow morning. Bye. Hyung, stop talking, I’m going to hang up on you.”

Rude as it was, hanging up on him was the only possible way to end the call. He’d rat at me for it tomorrow morning, but it was that, or get the ‘I’m-disappointed-in-you’ look from the manager.

At least Himchan couldn’t give me weird looks through the phone.