“KIM JONGIN!” Kyungsoo screeched from the kitchen at the top of his voice. “LAUNDRY!”

Jongin winced from his place by the bed while playing video games with Sehun. “GET SOMEONE ELSE TO DO YOUR STINKING LAUNDRY! I’M NOT DOING IT AGAIN FOR THE FIFTH WEEK IN A ROW!”

If looks could kill, Kyungsoo’s glare would’ve penetrated the layers of walls and put Jongin to his instant death. He flared his nostrils before stomping his way upstairs to the teen’s room. Swinging the door open, he grabbed Jongin by the collar of his shirt and dragged the victim down the stairs, leaving a surprised but slightly amused Sehun behind.

Whimpers of pain could be heard as the poor soul was hauled down the stairs and into the kitchen where the dirty pile of god-knows-what awaited him. The older’s actions were so rough that one could say he made the latter almost belly-flopped down the stairs.

How graceful.

Peeking through the kitchen door were the two inseparable creeps, Chanyeol and Jongdae, who has nothing better to do but form blanket fortresses in randoms places of the apartment. They stared in question at the duo as they struggled into the room. Evil glinted in their eyes as they watched the scene unfold before them; Kyungsoo’s arms were wrapped around Jongin’s neck “lovingly” in a tight, almost choking, embrace.

“Kim Jongin. Wash the laundry or so help me, you won’t get dinner for the next five weeks and I’ll double that if you start complaining about how I’ve picked on you for the last five weeks! We’ll get a new washing machine when we have the money.”

That was enough to shut Jongin up for the other to walk out of the room, not without glaring back at him in a menacing manner before proceeding to go out. Staring at Kyungsoo’s retreating figure with hatred, Jongin picked up the large hamper of dirty clothes that were ready to be washed. It was laundry day and unfortunately for him, he was the victim of Kyungsoo’s wrath for the day... again. From the corner of his eye, he spotted an evil grin forming on Jongdae’s face with Chanyeol in tow.

Crap. Jongin thought. It’s just my lucky day isn’t it..?

Groaning in annoyance, the unlucky individual jumped up and down like the child he really is, before kneeling down to pick up the pile unwillingly.

“I thought Kyungsoo said no complaining.” Jongdae sighed before tutting and shaking his head in mock disapproval.

“Shut up. He’s not my mum...”

“Actually... he is kind of,” Chanyeol intervened.

Jongin and Jongdae stared at the other incredulously, who blinked innocently at the other two.

“What? He sure acts like one if you ask me.”

A scowl formed across Jongin’s thick lips as he proceeded to load the washing machine with all the filthy laundry that filled the hamper. Suddenly, an idea flashed through the teen’s mind and his lips turned upwards, forming into a bright smile, replacing the frown that had previously marred his sun-kissed face.

“Yah, Jongin-ah. JONGIN-AH! YAH! QUIT DAYDREAMING! Don’t you have some laundry to do?” boomed Chanyeol, waving his gangly limbs in front of the younger as his auburn curls bounced.

The other scowled before throwing a pair of dirty boxers at his friend’s face, but that didn’t hinder the giant’s eye-twitching smile. “Why don’t you quit smiling and help me load this into a bag or something.”

“Kyungsoo said it’s your turn to do the laundry so as much as I want to help, I can’t.” He stuffed a handful of crisps into his giant mouth (which suited his height) before skipping off, which is a very Chanyeol-like thing to do, to join Sehun and Jongdae playing video games upstairs. Jongdae decided to leave after he thought things got boring.    

Jongin muttered a string of incoherent profanities as he proceeded to stow as many pieces of clothing into his rucksack as possible without bursting his bag open. Throwing the heavy rucksack onto his back, he staggered and stumbled around, knocking into household things as he tried to make his way towards the front door of the apartment. The teen dug his feet into his black, worn sneakers in an attempt to get them on without his hands which were occupied. Swinging the door, leaving it to slam on its own, he fled down the stairs, his chestnut locks catching the wind with each step down.

He raced down the street, dodging everyone in sight, earning many curses and profanities from most people... especially the elderly ladies. Their words fall on deaf ears as they went through one side and right out to the other. He looked up and saw the familiar sign of his destination and he smiled with relief, knowing that he wouldn’t have to run anymore; he dropped his pace into a jog and then to a walk when he reached the doorsteps. He opened the door and stepped into the dinky store.

Looking around, he saw someone hunched behind the counter with their head burrowed deep in a magazine article. He walked towards the counter and dumped the load from his back onto the pristine white table tops. “Just wash these please.” he sighed, already tired from his run down the road. “I need them done by the end of the day, if that’s not too much to ask...”

The person from behind the counter looked up from her article and popped her bubble gum. “Name?”

“Kim Jongin,” he replied.

“Skin allergies?”

“Nope.” He let the ‘p’ sound pop as he stood on his heels, getting ready to rush back to the shared apartment as if nothing happened.

“So that would be eighteen thousand won please,” the girl behind the counter said, calculating the price for the laundry on her calculator. Fumbling through the pockets on his black jeans for money, Jongin widened his eyes in realisation that he was a few thousand short. Taking a deep breath, he dropped several crumbled notes and some coins onto the table. The metal clattered against the white counter. He stared at her nervously, hoping that she wouldn’t notice the beads of sweat forming above his brows as he slowly inched towards the exit. Maybe she wo