EPISODE TWO - IDEAL TYPE

Lu Han frantically goes running towards the suffocated girl and pours her a glass of water. “Here. Drink some water.”

Hurriedly, she takes it from his grip and gulps down the water until the glass is completely empty. If he has not appeared before her out of the blue, she would not have been so startled and ended up choking in her ramyun. And tell you what, the embarrassing part is, the dining table is in a mess; the ramyun that was initially in scattered scrappily over the table.

Lu Han sensibly gets the kitchen cloth in one of the drawers, only to wipe off the mess. “I’m sorry if I made you startled, Yoona sunbae-nim.”

“Indeed, you made me startled!” Yoona lashes out as she bites her lip, though she is only ashamed of the mess she has made rather than the sudden choke.

“I’m sorry again.” He lets out an amused chuckle, placing the kitchen cloth in sink after everything is settled. “When did you arrive, sunbae-nim? I guess I didn’t see you around when I arrived at 3.”

“Around 4, I guess,” answers Yoona. “What were you doing that you arrived so late, Lu Han-ssi?”

“I had schedule until 2 and when it’d finished, I hastily went to dorm to take out my luggage before coming here.”

“So this means I am the last person to arrive, eh?”

“I suppose.” Lu Han beams. “Are you going to sleep right now, sunbae-nim?”

Yoona puts her ramyun cup on the trash bin and makes her way to her room. “Yes, I am. What about you? Not going to sleep yet?”

“I will after I get some water.”

“Then I’ll see you this morning.”

Lu Han nods. “Good night, sunbae-nim.”

“It’s already morning,” she chuckles.

“Eh?” Lu Han scratches the back of his neck. “Ah, you’re right. It’s already morning!”

“Well, then. I’m going to my room now.” Yoona goes to her room whilst Lu Han makes his way to the fridge.

“By the way,” her sudden remark halts his steps. Lu Han turns around, looking bemused.

A genuine smile flits across her face. “Thanks for cleaning up the mess and make sure you won’t call me ‘sunbae-nim’ again. If you do it again, I’m absolutely going to rip off that cute mouth of yours. It feels so formal, you know.”

And with that, she goes to her room without any interruption and leaves the guy alone. He smiles subconsciously and mumbles some incoherent words, but the only word that is clear is, “Yoona-ssi…”

At 7 am, her cell phone alarm begins to ring and Victoria’s morning routine has just started.

Although she is a little bit tired since she only began to sleep at 1 am due to unfinished packing. She was lucky that her roommate, Eunji, lent her a hand right after she had finished hers.

Rubbing her sleepy eyes and tying her hair up, Victoria stands up and only stops when she sees how adorable Eunji’s sleeping habits. She is sleeping with one leg folded up – kind of like a human crane and soft snores could be heard.

She lets out a chortle of amusement and barges in the washroom. After she has settled washing her face, she goes out and makes her way downstairs to prepare breakfast for the other roommates.

“What should I make for breakfast?” She has a deep thought lingering in her mind as she is afraid in case some of them may not like this or that. She has to prepare something that everyone would unanimously like.

And before she manages to find the answer, someone comes in the kitchen and it is apparently the male idol who takes the title ‘the mischievous rapper’, L.Joe.

L.Joe inadvertently wakes up at the sound of someone screaming. He flinches, having no idea who is screaming that a shiver suddenly runs down his spine. As he gets up, he catches a glimpse of the screaming sound comes from the bed next to him.

“Ah, it’s Lu Han hyung,” L.Joe remarks and a chuckle emerges from his lips as the screaming gets even rowdier than ever. “It must be hyung’s sleeping habits.”

He grabs his cell phone and slides the screen. It is already 7 am and he does not notice how bright the sunshine is through the window. Perhaps he really had a good sleep last night. Frankly speaking, whenever he changes sleeping place, he would hardly get a good sleep. However, the tables are turned unexpectedly; he slept so soundly last night and did not awake even for once.

After he opens the curtain widely, he goes in the washroom to clean his face up before going downstairs.

“Oh, noona.” He is surprised when he spots Victoria in the kitchen. “Good morning.”

“Oh, hey, L-Joe-ssi,” Victoria blurts out, sounding startled. “Good morning. You woke up quite early.”

The younger simply nods, smiling. “Are you going to make breakfast, noona?”

“Yes... but I have no idea what I should prepare,” she sighs. “Uhm, since you’re here, what would you to prepare if you were me?”

“Uhm, American-style, maybe?” He frowns. “Anyway, it’s up to you, noona. I’m sure the rest of us will eat anything that you prepare.”

“I think American-style is a good idea.” Victoria grins, instantly walks towards the fridge to see whether the ingredients to make it suffice or not. “Ah, all the ingredients are here so I can work on it! Thanks for helping me, L.Joe-ssi!”

He beams in reply, somewhat glad that he can be pretty useful at this moment. “Do you need help, noona? I can help you somehow.”

“Well, I think you can,” answers Victoria after she brings out a carton of eggs, bacon and sausages. “Go get the bread in the cabinet and then you slice these bacons. Uhm, but before that, have you ever used a knife before?”

“I haven’t,” he laughs, “but I’ll try.”

Meanwhile, Victoria goes to the sink, only to wash the eggs before frying them.

“Do you like poached or fried?” she drops a question when she is about to fry the eggs.

L.Joe turns around and answers, “Fried is fine but I prefer poached.” After he manages to find the bread in the cabinet, he instantly proceeds with the bacon.

“In your group, who is the best cook?” Victoria spares the time by having the Q&A session. At the very least, it would dispel the breezy air of awkwardness.

“I’ve never seen the members cook,” it manages to make the elder crack up.

“Really?” Although it is funny, she could not help but be dubious. “Then how do you eat every day if anyone from your group can’t cook?

“We pretty much order delivery or go out to eat.” L.Joe gingerly slices the bacon. However, it turns out a little thick. “Noona, it’s quite thick, isn’t it?”

Victoria leaves the stove and goes to him to see his progression. “I think, uhm, it’s quite thick. Try to slice it a little bit thinner.”

“Like this?”

She gives him a thumbs-up. “Yes, yes. That’s right.”

L.Joe perks up upon her comment and is getting spirited to slice the bacon even better.

“Don’t you feel bored having delivery food every day?” Victoria resumes her Q&A session after she continues to fry the eggs again.

“It’d be a lie if I don’t but since I’ve already gotten used to eat it, I feel nothing,” he enlightens. “Anyway, I won’t be getting bored anymore since noona’s here to cook for me!”

“I’m not that good in cooking Korean cuisine, to be honest.”

“You really are good, noona!” the younger refutes fervently. “Your kimchi fried rice last night was really delicious, seriously!”

Victoria’s cheeks get warm upon hearing his earnest comment. She is wondering why she would be this bashful although it is just a mere flattery.

“Noona, the egg’s getting burnt!”

She jolts back to her senses, does not know she would be oblivious and ends up neglecting the egg. “Ah, it’s really burnt!”

L.Joe chuckles and helps the elder to throw the burnt egg into the trash bin. “Well, it’s just this one so don’t worry. You can just fry another one.”

Interview

Production team: Why did the egg get burnt, Victoria-ssi?

Victoria: *bursts out laughing* I seriously have no idea. I mean, I was being carried away for a while and forgot that I was currently frying the egg.

Production Team: Is it because L.Joe-ssi? Are you interested in him?

Victoria: *blushes all of a sudden* He’s too younger for me, for goodness’s sake! *laughs again* Still, I like him as a little brother. Not as a man.

“Good morning, unnie, L.Joe-ssi!” Nana’s greeting makes them flinch somehow.

L.Joe smiles and as if on cue, the bacon has been sliced successfully. “Good morning, noona.”

“Oh, you’re awake, Nana-ssi?”

“Unnie! I said last night that you can just call me ‘Nana’!” she whines and sits at the bar table.

“Oops, sorry. I forgot,” replies Victoria, chuckling. “I’ll call you informally starting today onwards, Nana!”

Nana simply smiles. “Anyway, is there anything I can help, unnie?”

“Uhm, let me think,” she says, “can you make fresh orange?”

“Fresh orange as in orange juice?” She grimaces, dumbstruck.

“Yes, both are just same.” The elder laughs again.

Nana ruffles her long hair in embarrassment and eventually nods. “I don’t really know since I haven’t made it before but I’ll try my best!”

“Then go get the oranges in the fridge and wash them,” Victoria instructs.

She has already gotten the oranges and washed them but she gets stuck in the middle. She scratches the back of her neck, having no idea what to do next. “Unnie, should I, uhm, put these oranges in the mixer at once or cut them first?

Before Victoria could teach her, L.Joe already appears at her with a knife in his hand. “You have to cut the oranges first, noona. If you put them without cutting first, the juice won’t be sweet but rather, have some sort of bitter sweet taste.”

“L.Joe-ssi’s right, Nana. You have to cut them first before putting them into the mixer,” Victoria pitches in.

Nana’s jaw drops in awe as she sees how capable the younger is of cutting the oranges – literally like a person who is used to being in the kitchen. She does not feel embarrassed at all, although the guy in front of her can do better than her.

He puts the already-cut oranges slices in the mixer and says, “And you just need to mix them up, noona.”

“You’re so cool!” Nana praises, clapping her hands at once. “I bet you can cook as well!”

“Thanks for the compliment but I can’t cook at all,” explains L.Joe, face getting flushed.

“L.Joe-ssi, if you have nothing to do, can you wake Eunji and the rest up?” Victoria asks.

“I can wake the rest up but seriously, Eunji-ssi? Can I enter a girl’s room, noona?” He looks hesitated and turns to Nana. “Nana noona should go wake Eunji-ssi up instead.”

“I’m busy working on these cute little oranges,” Nana butts in adorably.

Victoria laughs amiably. “It’s okay, you can go in. It’s not like Eunji’s not wearing any clothes or what.”

His face blushed mildly. “O-okay then. I’ll go wake them up,” he says awkwardly and scurries to upstairs in an instant.

As soon as he drifts away, Victoria has just remembered about how adorkable Eunji sleeps. She must have been embarrassed if L.Joe knows about her cute sleeping habits.

“Should I knock first or come in right away?” L.Joe muses silently before coming up with a decision. However, after he knocks on the door a few times, there is no response at all.

“She must still be sleeping, I guess,” he says, pulling the doorknob at once. What he has expected earlier is true; Eunji is sleeping so soundly that he feels slightly uneasy to wake her up.

Despite the discomfort, L.Joe scoots closer to her bed and takes a deep breath. “Eunji-ssi, it’s time to wake up.”

No response.

L.Joe heaves a sigh and ends up extending his arm to touch hers. “Eunji-ssi, it’s already morning. Breakfast is waiting for you.”

“Uhm...”

At the very least, she makes a buzzing sound.

“Eunji-ssi,” and the grasp becomes quite firm. He attempts to shake her body but it feels like too overwhelming and she may think that he is a ert.

“It’s already morning. You should wake-”

L.Joe freezes at his place, eyes widen and he hurriedly pulls his arm away. Eunji has awoken!

“W-what are you doing here?!” Words could not express how astonished she is when the first thing she sees after she opens her eyes is L.Joe.

“As you can see, I was just waking you up,” he answers fervently, thinking that Eunji may think he has such an ulterior motive towards her.

“I-it’s okay, you can go now.” She buries her face within the pillow, too embarrassed to show her bare face. She closes her eyes and bites her lip in embarrassment. It has been only a day yet L.Joe has seen the ugly side of her. “Thanks for waking me up, anyway.”

“You’re welcome,” and with that, he trudges out of the room, although he would love to ask her why she hides her face in the pillow and does not make an eye contact with him.

As he goes out of the girl’s room, he bumps into L and Hyunsik downstairs.

“Oh, you’re awake, hyung?”

“Just now,” replies Hyunsik, grinning.

L.Joe could see that L seems to have not completely woken up. He barely opens his eyes and he thinks that the elder must be really weary.

“Is there breakfast for this morning?” he asks.

The younger nods. “Victoria noona’s the one who prepares breakfast.”

“Really?” Hyunsik seems incredulous and excited at the meantime. “If Victoria noona’s the one who prepares, I bet it’s going to be awesome!”

“Let’s go now!”

“Uhm, you go first. I want to wake Lu Han hyung up first.”

“Lu Han hyung?” Hyunsik widens his eyes. “Is he your roommate?”

L.Joe nods with a smile. “I guess he arrived when I’d slept.”

“Anyway, I’ll get going first,” he says, “let’s go, Myungsoo-yah.”

L stirs up on the spur of the moment when Hyunsik suddenly grabbed his hand. “Where are we going?” he questions, wonderstruck.

“Breakfast,” answers his roommate briefly. “How could you sleep while standing?”

“I’m still sleepy.” L lets out a prolonged yawn. Yet when Hyunsik woke him up just now, his eyelids could barely open. He is still sleepy – the whole day of comeback practice was really wearing him out.

“You can sleep again after we have breakfast so now, let’s go to the kitchen.” Hyunsik grabs his arm and the latter simply follows his lead with closed eyes.

Amidst the small bickering, L.Joe finds himself laughing at them. They seem to have been close than yesterday.

“Hyung, you’re awake?” He spots Lu Han has gotten up when he comes in their room, though he is still on the bed.

“Oh, L.Joe-ah...” He manages a tiny smile. “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” L.Joe replies, “when did you arrive, hyung?”

“At 3,” he says, rubbing on his eyes. “I was caught up in a super hectic schedule from 5 am until 2 am in the morning.”

“Then are you free today?”

“Nope.” Lu Han shakes her head. “I have to get going at 4 pm.”

“Oh, I see...” He knows the reason why the elder is busy; he is in the midst of promoting his group’s latest single in both Korea and China. “Anyway, breakfast’s ready, so go to the dining table once you’ve washed up, hyung.”

“What took you so long, Eunji-ah? You basically took thirty minutes just to come downstairs,” Victoria points a question as soon as she heads towards the dining table with Lu Han next to her. Everyone is waiting for them for breakfast. “And seriously, why are you putting so much make-up?”

“Oh my!” she cries, slightly smearing her make-up so it would not look too thick. “Is it obvious, unnie?”

“Too obvious!” Nana laughs and unconsciously spills that she wears make-up as well. “You’re putting too much more than me!”

“If I don’t put on make-up, I’m going to lose fans,” causing them to crack up in response.

“Annyeonghaseyo,” Lu Han takes the chance to cordially greet every one of them after he settles into a seat next to L.

“When did you come home, Lu Han-ssi?” Nana inquires, inadvertently using honorific.

“3 in the morning.” Lu Han lets out a laugh. “Got so many schedules during comeback promotion.”

“But you look like you didn’t feel tired at all,” Hyunsik chimes in, giving his oblivious roommate a glance of sarcasm.

Lu Han simply smiles. “I guess I’ve already got used to it.”

“Anyway, let’s start eating now,” Victoria instructs, “I’m afraid it’ll get cold later.”

Nana pouts. “But there’s one person left, unnie.”

“Noona, your roommate’s arrived, eh?” L.Joe quirks an eyebrow.

“I’ve met her last night since we basically arrived at the same time,” Lu Han says.

“Who is she, hyung?” Hyunsik and the rest are basically curious of Nana’s roommate.

“It’s-”

Nana’s word gets cut off us everyone’s eyes are attentively fixed on the girl’s arrival at the dining table.

And the dramatic part is, L unconsciously gags in the water.

“Annyeonghaseyo.” Yoona bows properly to the before sits beside Nana. “I’m sorry if I made you wait. You could’ve just eaten first, seriously.”

Almost immediately, Victoria rises from her seat and scurries to the kitchen. “I didn’t know you were already here, Yoona-yah.” She only prepared servings for seven people because she thought the latter has yet to arrive.

“I’m sorry that I didn’t tell earlier, unnie,” Nana chuckles. “I forgot.”

“Seriously, it’s okay.” Yoona laughs as well and takes the plate from the elder’s grip. “Thank you, unnie.”

 “Not much a problem.” She gets back to her seat.

“What’s up with you?” Lu Han lets out an amused laugh as he grabs a tissue to give it to the ‘wet’ L. “You suddenly choked as soon as Yoona-ssi came.”

L groans in discomfiture as everyone’s eyes on him. Even Yoona herself could not help but laugh. Hastily, he wipes his partially wet shirt with the tissue. “I had no idea. It just happened all of a sudden.”

Lu Han, on the other hand, shakes his head in bewilderment. Last night, Yoona spat on her ramyun and today, L choked on the water. What a sweet serendipity!

“Take it slow, Myungsoo-ssi.” Yoona looks at him with a genuine smile.

“Okay, noona!” he answers cheerfully and a bright shade of blush subconsciously creeps upon his warm cheeks. “I’ll get it done slowly.”

“Unnie, you call him ‘Myungsoo’?” Nana shoots her a questioning look.

“I suppose his name is Kim Myungsoo, right?” Yoona seems befuddled.

“Everyone calls him ‘L’, unnie.”

“Actually, ‘Myungsoo’ is better,” L speaks up. Somehow, deep within, he feels awfully delighted that the elder does know his real name. What a terrific bless! “You all can call me ‘Myungsoo’ since I pretty much know that ‘L’ is quite weird to address,” he trails off to laugh. “Even my Infinite members call me ‘Myungsoo’.”

“Myungsoo hyung sounds more legit,” L.Joe pipes up spontaneously.

“Now since Myungsoo’s kind of introduced himself, why don’t we just break the ice while having breakfast?” Hyunsik tosses a suggestion and the rest nod in agreement.

“Let me start first!” Eunji says