Chapter XLIX:

A Sudden Shock

20:04 KST

After the trilogy of their failed attempts to fend off the flirtatious panda, Lee Donghae gave up. Plotting plans to force Seungri out of the resort was more exhausting than he ever imagined; it turned to be a complete disaster and not to mention the travesty it brought upon them. In the end, Seungri emerged victorious, and what was more infuriating was he didn’t have the slightest idea. Seungri was damn oblivious about it.

His stage name served its purpose, after all. Victori.

Feeling completely enervated, Donghae heaved a long, defeated sigh. Another dilemma was still left hanging as of the moment. I think I’m going to need another room, he groaned to himself. After Eunhyuk’s failed cockroach plan, the man was so eerily sure his room was still infested with that disgusting pests which shamelessly think they could fly freely and act like butterflies. At the sudden memory of their horrid, tumultuous flight, Donghae shuddered.

Despite the assurances of the staff saying that they have taken care of it, he wouldn’t just take the risk of spending a night even with a lone cockroach wandering around. No, never. Ugh. But good thing though was that his clothes and other things were kept inside his luggage. At least he could just yank it out whenever he wanted and leave the area in a flash.

The perks of laziness, I guess. Despite his worn out state, the man managed to smile at that thought, but gasped out loud when a sudden realization dawned in him.

“B-but…but what if I left the zippers open?” Donghae uttered; his eyes wide as he bit his lips. “Ah, , God, I hope I didn’t.”

“ and God in one sentence?” Siwon, who at the moment was sitting beside him, spoke. The guy was looking at Donghae‘s stooped figure while clicking his tongue. “That’s not quite nice of you.” His voice was barely audible amid the backdrop of hammering noises and other sounds of work resounding around them.

“Ah, don’t mind me.” Donghae waved a hand as he sighed and bent backwards, leaning further and further until his back braced against the hard floor of the catwalk; his legs suspended on its edge. All of the models—except for the infamous Lee Seungri—were all gathered on the T-shaped stage where they were to walk on for tomorrow’s fashion show, while the rest of the production staff and were either running around doing some stuff they needed to do or huddled in groups as they constructed the production set. All around them was a whirlwind of activities.

“What’s wrong with you guys?” Siwon added, raised his brows and gestured at the other two who was sprawled like a dying starfish on the stage as well. “We didn’t even start practicing yet and the three of you are looking so dead tired, already.”

“Yeah, and we barely even did anything after dinner.” Leeteuk added as he eyed them suspiciously. “What did you do?”

“Hyung,” Eunhyuk whined, barely moving from his spot “We were trying to extinguish a panda.”

“A panda?” The others chorused.

“You sure? Maybe it’s just Winnie the Pooh you saw.” Kangin kidded.

“But Pooh is a bear, hyung.  Not panda.” Siwon corrected.

“There’s a panda in this resort?” Ryeowook asked, sounding lost. “But pandas don’t swim, right?”

“Well, Shindong can,” Heechul grinned, and the others laughed.

“Yah, I’m a cute panda!” Shindong said then he stood up and started exhibiting his aegyos that only amplified the laughter inside the function hall.

“So noisy,” a grumbling voice permeated through the haze of laughter. Donghae glanced towards its owner and realized it was Kim Jaejoong—obviously the one who was the most exhausted among them. The gorgeous man was reduced into nothing but a heap of arms and limbs, lying flat on his stomach as he bathe on his own sweat—there was even a few flecks of powder left on his face. 

Despite the sympathetic state of the man, Donghae snickered. He couldn’t help but laugh at the memory of how Bom furiously chased after Jaejoong. Good thing Jaejoong was able to escape without being caught because, damn, the girl was beyond his expectation! Bom truly looked like she was really going to kill again a supposedly dead person. It even looked like she was not going to stop hunting the ghost unless she got her hands around Jaejoongs neck! But thankfully she had to spearhead their practice and decided to let it go, or else, the poor JYJ vocalist might’ve turned into a real ghost.

“Ah, what a plot twist.” He shook his head, grinning. It would definitely be a memory he’d treasure for the rest of his life, the kind of memory that even after twenty or thirty years, he’d still find himself laughing even at serious moments.

“Okay, gents and gents, time to start!” Bom with Dara, Seungri and a few staff emerged from the double doors. She came walking inside the hall, clapping her hands while a small clipboard was wedged in her underarm. The designer looked all pleased and excited now, Donghae noted, an expression which was a total contrary to the expression filled with bloodlust while she ran after Jaejoong earlier.

What a very unpredictable lady.

Bom turned her head to look at Donghae and the other boys. “I want all of you to stand and go line up in the center.”

“Yes, maam!” They chorused, and Donghae was surprised to see how Jaejoong shot upright in an instant, jumping from his spot and running towards the center like he wasn’t struggling to live on just a few seconds ago. He laughed at that. The guy was probably scared to look suspicious. He followed him, too, groaning in subtle frustration since he really didn’t want to move anymore.

Seungri joined the line as well while the Bom was holding a mega phone now, held it up in front of and began speaking.

 “Okay, now you here”—she gestured towards the beautiful girl beside her.—“will manage your runway performance. She’ll direct everything that will happen on the ramp and will make sure no one trips in the middle of the stage.” Bom added, patting her shoulder as they faced each other. 

“So I’ll leave them on your care now while go talk with the organizer and handle some other important matters, a