EPISODE SIX - A, B ,C , D

After Eunji returns to the living room, they have already started eating the street snacks bought by three of them. They bought such various famous street snacks at the place where L’s friends recommended; kimbap, ddeokbokki, rice cake, egg toast (or simply, egg sandwich with vegetables, spam and other toppings), bonguebbang (fish-shaped bread stuffed with red bean paste) and odeng (fish cake on a stick and boiled in broth).

“Actually, you don’t have to bring plates, Eunji-ah,” Victoria notes with a chuckle. “We could just eat like this – right from the plastic bag.”

Eunji only lets out a plain smile and answers, “Really? I shouldn’t have brought them.” Trying to not look obvious, she promptly gets a stick of odeng. To be honest, she knows plates are simply unnecessary. However, she wanted to bail out on the scene mainly revolving around L.Joe and Nana. It somewhat breaks her heart to pieces seeing how close and intimate they are, although they really are not close with other beforehand.

“Unnie, where did you go with Hyunsik earlier?” Nana asks curiously.

“I told you earlier that we went to the bookstore.” Victoria flashes her warm gaze at the mentioned guy. “Hyunsik-ah bought me a recipe book and wanted me to cook every recipe in the book. Sounds like a dictator, don’t you think?”

Hyunsik’s face reddens. “You clearly agreed to my words and how can I be a dictator?”

“Alright, alright.” The elder gives up right after seeing Hyunsik pout sulkily.

Seeing the bizarre situation and after the conversation ceases, Lu Han could not help but think something is definitely not right with both of them. Not only they talk so casually to each other, they even feed one another in utmost secrecy when no one pay attention to them. However, he is keen enough to spot the cringe-worthy moment.

Wanting to share his little curiosity, he scoots closer to Yoona, who happens to sit next to him, and whispers some words at her ear, “Yoona-ssi, don’t you think both of them are a little bit weird?”

“Who?” Yoona’s eyes widen, mouth fills with ddeokbokki. “You mean, Victoria unnie and Hyunsik?”

“Yes,” comes his brisk reply with a nod. “Don’t you think so? Aside from talking so casually, they even feed each other, you know.”

“Seriously?” She is taken aback. “You saw them feeding each other?”

“I saw with my own eyes,” Lu Han answers assertively. “I bet they have something to do with each other. Uhm, perhaps they have confessed to each other that they like each other?”

Staring at them closely, she could not deny the fact. She does notice how close Victoria and Hyunsik from each other since the beginning. They do not seem like older sister/younger brother relationship and it is definitely more than that.

“I suppose the production team has to start booking overseas tickets for them.” Yoona lets out a laugh. The thought of the particular house rule strikes her mind. The production team had said during the first day that any of successful couple amongst the roommates will be given overseas tickets to their desired places.

He smirks. “I suppose.”

“What are you two whispering about?” L eyes them in interest as he comes across the two SM idols talking to each other in such hushed voices.

“Nothing,” Lu Han replies airily and takes a bite of the street snack and it does not live up to L’s curiosity. “By the way, all these street snacks you three bought are all delicious. There are some of them that I’ve never tried out before.”

“Correction, I bought all this on my own.” L grits his teeth and shoots a furtive glare at L.Joe and Nana who are immersed in devouring street snacks. “They both left the errand on my shoulder and went to buy birthday present instead.”

“You must be lonely, then,” the older male comments.

The visual snorts. “I really was.”

The conversation comes to an end and they continue the devouring session before L.Joe breaks it. “Eunji-ssi, why are you so silent?”

Eunji chokes on her drink upon the sudden counter attack. “Am I?”

“You are,” L.Joe chortles amusedly. “So, what’s up with you?”

Eunji fidgets, seriously having no clue how to respond and she does not want him to sense her silence was actually contributed by him. “I don’t know. I guess, uhm, I was too busy eating these delicious foods.”

“Ah, really?” The same-aged guy remarks in return and turns to Nana, only to feed her a piece of kimbap. “Noona, try this kimbap. Delicious, isn’t it?”

“It is!” Nana nods and smiles happily.

“Which one do you like the most? This kimbap or mayak kimbap?” he asks, referring to kimbap which is a tad bit different from the ones they are having today. Mayak means narcotic in Korean and the taste is slightly different from the original one. People tend to say mayak kimbap are addictive once they start eating them.

“Mayak kimbap,” she says. “However, I like this one too.”

“Ah, really? I’ll buy for you some later,” and Nana beams in delight upon his promising answer.

“I’m going to washroom for a jiff.” Eunji rises and leaves them as she could not bear sitting near to them anymore. Somehow, she wonders why L.Joe seems slightly different today; he seems to pay his attention more on Nana rather than her or anyone else.

Yoona puckers her lips. “I suddenly crave for bubble teas,” she reveals. “It’d be really good if I can have it right now.”

“I know where good bubble teas are sold,” Lu Han remarks on impulse. As an avid fan of bubble teas and he literally drinks one cup each day, Lu Han definitely knows which bubble teas store are much better. “Do you want to go together later?”

“Two of us?” Yoona has her eyebrow raised, a little flustered of his sudden invitation.

Lu Han scratches his nape, a rabble of butterflies impetuously starts hitting the pit of his stomach. “Ah, uhm, yes. Two of us.”

“Well... sure!”

“I want to go too!” L pipes in with a pout.

“No, you can’t.” Yoona shakes her head. “It’s my date with Lu Han-ssi so you can’t join us!”

Lu Han trembles at the casual word, ‘date’, albeit he knows Yoona is simply making a joke. They are just going out for drinks – not more than that.

“Fine, I won’t tag along!” L sticks his tongue out in annoyance.

Just as Eunji comes back from the washroom, Hyunsik voices out his suggestion, “let’s play a game right now!”

“What kind of game?” Eunji questions in surprise.

“Any game will do.” Hyunsik grins. “I just want to have some fun with all of you.”

“Suggestion, please!” L bursts out as if he is agreed to play a game.

“Go-stop?” Yoona throws an idea out of the blue.

“I like it! It’s been awhile since I last played one!” Nana claps her hands enthusiastically.

“For God’s sake, no! I at go-stop,” Victoria refutes.

“Me too.” Lu Han heaves an audible sigh. Being a pure Chinese has its own little imperfections. He has not been exposed to Korean traditional games too much. “I can’t play that game well.”

“Plus, the card game’s too small for us,” Victoria adds to second her debate, “If we only have 2-3 here, we could play Go-stop.”

“Then what about ‘truth or dare’ game?” Hyunsik, the host, speaks up an idea himself.

As the soju bottle is spun by Eunji just now, the others pray that the bottle would not stop at them. They are afraid what kind of truth or dare will be asked by her.

Then, as if on cue, the bottle stops at L.

“Great,” he snorts wryly, cursing for yet another misfortune today.

Eunji smirks. “L oppa, truth or dare?”

“Truth.”

“Is there someone that got on your nerve today, oppa?”

“There is,” is his answer with a piercing yet stealthy glance at the you-know-who girl. “Rather than feeling angry, I was annoyed. I mean, I was continuously being nice to her but she was really hostile. We didn’t talk too much and it was really awkward,” and before he ends his remark, he secretly gazes at her again. “I wonder what mistakes I did to her to the extent she acted in such way.”

Everyone basically has the same response; wondering who the girl was.

“Who is she, Myungsoo?” Yoona asks, only to get a brisk head shake in return.

“Okay, let’s continue the game!” Hastily, he grabs the bottle on the coffee table and makes a simply twist.

Interview

Production team: Why didn’t you just say Nana-ssi’s name, L-ssi?

L: I don’t know. *smiles awkwardly* I don’t want to create any drama. I think by just complaining what I felt at that time, it all mattered.

Production Team: How did her react when you said those words?

L: Of course she was shocked and speechless. And for the record, I hope one day both of us will get to talk properly and I will personally ask she was being hostile towards me.

Production Team: What if she didn’t want to?

L: I will force her! *laughs*

Ultimately, the bottle stops at L.Joe.

 “Truth or dare?”

“Truth,” L.Joe simply voices out. He suppose getting ‘truth’ is slightly (or not) better than ‘dare’. He does not want to do something that would only embarrass himself.

“Uhm, let me think what sort of question I should ask you.” L racks his brain, lips puckering in deep thoughts. “Okay, I got it. Out of the girls in the house-”

“I think I’m not a ‘girl’ anymore,” Victoria scoffs to herself. “I’m 28 year-old, for God’s sake!”

“28 is not that old, noona,” Hyunsik corrects, grinning. “You’re still young,” only to get a bashful smack in his chest by her.

“Okay. I’ll start again,” L says after everything is back to normal again. “Out of the girls in the house, which one of them you find the most comfortable one?”

Everyone’s gaze is excitedly drawn to L.Joe’s. Eunji, on the other hand, has a prior smile across her face despite he has not answered the question. Still, she looks forward to hearing what his answer would be.

It only takes five seconds for L.Joe to dwell on the question and it only takes a second for him to come up with an honest answer.

Staring at the reserved girl, he points his finger to her direction. “Nana noona,” he announces boldly. “I am really comfortable with her out of the girls.”

Everyone is like, having uproar upon hearing his unexpected answer. Even Nana, herself, is awfully startled. She has never imagined her name would come out instead of other girls.

“Why me?” Nana questions inquisitively, although she is quite embarrassed at the moment.

“I don’t know,” the younger male answers sheepishly, “maybe because your forward and outgoing personality makes me feel like I’ve known you for years, noona.”

“Eunji’s outgoing too, I’d say,” L chimes in, pointing his index finger at the voiceless A Pink member.

“Why’d you mention my name, L oppa?” Eunji laughs dryly. “L.Joe-ssi’s clearly said Nana unnie’s name so how can you debate his answer?”

“I... just...” He is at loss of words, pursing his lips shut. “Whatever!”

L.Joe steals a quick glance at Eunji before turning his gaze to Nana again. “Hyung is right. I’m comfortable with Eunji-ssi, but with Nana noona, I feel like I can be myself.”

“Really?” Nana laughs. “Some people feel the opposite, though. They think I’m weird and narcissistic.”

“No, you clearly are not,” he denies with another smile etches upon his lips. With the last lingering look, he takes the soju bottle that is passed by L and spins it within a second.

“Yoona noona,” he calls after her name after the bottle stops at her. “Truth or dare?”

“If I said ‘dare’, would you give me a difficult one?”

L.Joe rolls his eyes. “Well, we’ll see first.”

“Then, I choose dare,” she voices out without hesitation, thinking it would be boring if everyone keeps following the same pattern; chasing after ‘truth’ rather than ‘dare’.

However, the harmless gleam in his eyes has unexpectedly changed into something that makes Yoona regret her stupid decision to choose ‘dare’. She would have scurried underneath her bed to not face this embarrassing situation if she had not compelled this deadly game.

“Out of the male idols here, if you could pick one to be your boyfriend, who would he be? Don’t answer right away! Instead, I dare you hug your choice from behind!”

Lu Han rinses his wet hair after he has finished showering and L.Joe takes his turn afterwards. Tucking in his loose t-shirt and shorts, he throws himself in his comfy bed and starts taking some selcas to upload in his Instagram account.

“Lu Han oppa, what are you doing?” The door is creaked open and Nana’s face stumbles at the tiny gap.

“Oh, I’m taking selcas,” he says with a grin. “Why are you standing outside? You can just come in.”

“Can I?” she blurts out in hesitation but strides in the male bedroom nonetheless.

“Where is L.Joe, oppa?” She sits at the edge of the empty bed, wondering where he is right now. She does not come across him before she went here.

“He’s taking a bath,” he enlightens concisely. “By the way, I have something to say to you, but before that... I hope you won’t throw me a fit whatsoever. Is that okay?”

Nana nods innocently. “I won’t. Just tell me what it is, oppa.”

“Were you acting hostile when you went out with L this morning?”

She is thrown off guard, gaping at his inquiry. “H-how did you know that, oppa? Did he tell you personally?”

“No, he didn’t.” Lu Han shakes his head fervently. “I kind of guessed it from what he’d told us during the ‘truth or dare’ game.”

“Uhm...” Nana simply bites her lower lip, unable to neither speak nor look into the Chinese’s eyes “Uhm...”

“Nana, listen here,” Lu Han says, moving to his words when the latter remains stiff. “As you told me before, you like him but unfortunately, he doesn’t look at you in that way. However, acting all hostile and nonchalant won’t help you forget him. It’d only confuse and make him angry.”

“If I were him, I’d have felt the same way,” adds Lu Han. “So, I hope from now on, you will act neutral towards him although he doesn’t like you back.”

“Is that okay?” Lu Han stands up and sits next to her, only to pat her back reassuringly. “Who knows the tables are turned in the end and he suddenly likes you?”

Just as Lu Han lies down on his bed, L.Joe comes out of from the bathroom. Unlike the older male, he has his sleepwear on right away. Perhaps L.Joe still feels embarrassed to change in front of him.

“Oh, you’re done?” He abruptly gets up once he spots him coming out from the bathroom.

He nods with a tiny smile. “Who was here just now, hyung?”

“Nana,” he answers. “Why? Did you hear us talking inside there?”

“Kind of,” he chuckles, hanging his towel in his wardrobe and makes his way to his bed.

“Hyung, are you free tomorrow?”

“I have dance practice for our upcoming concert in Hong Kong from 7 o’clock in the morning until 3 pm,” he replies matter-of-factly. “Why are suddenly you asking my schedule tomorrow?”

“Why don’t we go out once you’ve finished with your practice, hyung?”

“Sure thing.” He beams in agreement. “Do you have place in mind you want to go with me?”

“Let’s go out for counselling, hyung.”

Lu Han frowns, bewildered. “For what?”

“We can ask them about how match both of us and our personalities as well...”

“Know what, L.Joe?” He becomes even more perplexed.

“We can also the counsellor to tell us about our girlfriends-to-be,” causing them to crack up at the absurdity.

“Where did you go, Nana?” Victoria asks as soon as Nana makes her way to the dining table.

“I went to Lu Han oppa & L.Joe’s room.” Nana plops down on the vacant seat. “Since the fried chicken we order has yet to come, I spared my time in their room.”

“I think the delivery is up!” Eunji says as the house bell rings and she scurries to the door for pick-up.

“What are they doing, Nana?” Yoona queries, rolling her eyes in interest.

“They have just showered.”

“Really?” Yoona gawks. “It’s already past night and they have just showered?”

“I don’t know. They probably were doing something before that.” She simply shrugs.

Eunji comes back a few minutes later with two boxes of finger- fried chicken. They start tucking in right away since everyone is all hungry.

“It’s really great to have a get-together with all the girls, isn’t it?” Victoria says. It was her own idea to gather all the girls during midnight – where all the guys have probably gone into deep slumber.

“Yes, unnie!” Nana is the first to nod and the other two follow a second later. “Yes, unnie. We haven’t had one before.”

“But is it fine with, unnie?” Yoona sends the eldest a worried look. “You have to wake up early in the morning for comeback practice, don’t you?”

“I have to... but it’s alright. I can bear it.” Victoria and her f(x) members are in the midst of preparing for their impending comeback which is scheduled to be held on the first week of July. “It’s not like something we can every day. We can talk, gossip, share problems till we drop!”

“Speaking of which, I have something to ask you, Nana unnie.” Eunji looks at her questioningly. “Are you happy when L.Joe-ssi said you were the one that he found the most comfortable female out of us?”

“I’d be lying if I said I’m not.” Nana widens her eyes. “However, I was shocked. I mean, I was wondering why he picked me whereas we aren’t really close with each other. We did talk before but it was limited.”

“I agree with you, Nana.” Victoria nods. “And tell you what, I think he’s a bit different today, don’t you think so?”

“Kind of. He acted so delicate and like a gentleman in front of you,” Yoona elaborates.

“Seriously, I hadn’t expected that.” Nana is confused with L.Joe’s sudden change.

Eunji does not bother meddling into the conversation as she keeps dwelling Nana’s recent remark and L.Joe’s peculiar attitude today. If he found Nana the most comfortable female roommate, why did he send him a text message along with a picture this morning?

“Unnie, did he send you a text message when he had drama filming this morning?” Eunji questions eagerly.

“What kind of text message?” A frown crosses the visual’s face.

“You know... uhm, a text message with a picture of him wearing a school uniform. Did he send you one?”

“No, he didn’t.” She shakes her head, having no idea of the younger’s words. “We did text each other but he didn’t send that photo message.”

“Oh, I see.” Eunji is perplexed, but she does not debate further. One day, she intends to ask him why he did that. Curiosity drives her nuts to the point she feels both weird and pissed. He did not have to send her such a text message if he was not comfortable around her, seriously.

“By the way, Vic unnie...” Yoona starts, suddenly thinking the thoughts she had with Lu Han this evening. “Is there something going on between you and Hyunsik? You two seem different today...”

“I think so too,” Eunji agrees. “It feels like both of you are dating.”

“Really?” Nana looks surprised. “Why didn’t I notice that?”

Victoria puts the fried chicken back into the box just as she is about to munch it. Her face is currently as red as tomato.

“It seems like they really are dating,” Yoona says decisively after seeing how flushed the eldest is right now.

“N-no, we are not dating!” Victoria stammers, throat impetuously starts drying out as a bone. “If you don’t believe me, you can ask Hyunsik himself!”

“You could’ve said here, unnie.” Nana pouts. “If you two are dating, we’d be happy for you.”

“Yes, yes. Dating is something that we should celebrate, though I’m sure it’d shake the whole country,” Yoona cracks up.

“We’re not dating and please don’t ask me anymore.” Victoria gets up and heads to the cabinet for glass to pour cola. When she comes back at the dining room, she adds defensively, “I’m telling you, if you want to know about us, you go ask him tomorrow yourself.”

Yoona purses her lips adorably. “Fine, I’ll go ask him tomorrow.”

As if on cue, everyone stares at the person who has just gone downstairs, hands rubbing his droopy eyes and when he spots the girls sitting together at the dining table, he jerks his head in surprise.

“What are you all doing here?” L asks, overwhelmed with massive astonishment. “I thought everyone is now sleeping by this time.”

“We’re kind of having our very girls’ midnight feast,” Victoria says on their behalf. “Mind joining us?”

“No, it’s okay.” His face goes warm. “I mean, you clearly say it’s a feast amongst the girls so yeah, I’m going to be embarrassed to be the only guy here.”

“Why are you here, by the way, Myungsoo?” Yoona asks awkwardly.

He glances at Yoona, smiling. “I’m going downstairs for a drink.”

“Just join us, L oppa,” Eunji pushes, “we cannot eat all these fried chickens ourselves.”

“Yes, Eunji’s right. Join us, Myungsoo.” Yoona nods uncertainly, still in awkward mode. “A piece of fried chicken will do.”

“Uhm, I guess I’ll eat one piece.” L hastily sits down next to the older female once she asked him to join them. Taking the chicken wings from the box, he looks sideways at her again with a big grin upon his lips.

“Oh, you eat chicken legs first!” Eunji suddenly bursts out.

Yoona emits a chuckle of amusement. “Ah, you’re right! I just remember Lu Han-ssi’s psychological test yesterday!”

L grimaces. “What psychological test, noona?”

“Yes, Yoona-yah.” Victoria is interested as well. “What psychological test are you talking about?”

“Lu Han-ssi asked us about which part of chicken we eat first. The options are from wings, s, legs and neck.”

“And since L oppa ate leg first, it says you like y girls!”

L is taken aback and could not help but be embarrassed. The other girls laugh at Eunji’s answer. “Then what about wings?”

Eunji adds, “Uhm, I suppose you’d like pure girls.”

As soon as her answer hits her eardrum, he instantly grabs the wing. “Actually I like wings the most! I like pure girls just like Yoona noona!” he says excitedly, dipping the wing into the sauce before he devours it.

“What on earth are you talking about, huh?” Yoona laughs amusedly.

Just before L could answer her question, Nana stands up from her seat and looks at him with a neutral look. “You said you’re thirsty just now, right? You want cola or plain water?”

“Plain water,” he answers in hesitation.

“Alright. I’ll go get it for you.” Nana makes her way to the fridge.

“Thanks,” L mutters when the latter passes him a glass of cold water. A big part of his is shocked to have seen how drastic the older female has changed right now; she was cold to him during the date this morning, for God’s sake.

“Welcome.” She slumps back into her seat and continues the fried chicken she left just now. Regarding her ‘good deed’ just now, she did that not because she wanted to, but she had to. She brought Lu Han’s words to mind; he asked her to stop being hostile and treat him nicely from now on.

“Ah, before I forgot!” L jumps out of the seat and scurries to the kitchen, only to get the cake he bought this morning in the fridge.

“I bought this for you, noona.” He places in front of her. “I initially wanted to give this evening but since we’ve eaten those street snacks, so I thought you must’ve been full.”

“Thanks, Myungsoo. That’s so sweet of you, seriously.”

“It’s just nothing, noona.” He scratches the back of his neck out of embarrassment.

“Aww, lucky Yoona to have L bought him a cake!” Victoria coos and nudges Nana with her elbow. “Right,