°Yoseob°

Gi Kwang was smiling the whole day. He was being extra talkative, extra funny and way too hyper before and after the show. It was getting on my nerves actually.

I texted Lia, but she didn't reply. I was worried.

"Yoseob hyung, are you coming in or not? The elevator won't wait forever for us," Dongwoon said.

The kids were watching me.

"You guys go on ahead. I have to do something."

The elevator shut. I turned and started pacing. Drawing out my handphone, I called Lia.

First ring. Second ring. Third ring. She was not going to pick up the call!

"Yeoboseyo?"

"L-ah," I let out my breath in relief.

"Ouh, Yoseobie."

"Eodiya?"

She chuckled. "Why do you sound so worried like that?"

"I was worried. You didn't reply my text." I was a bit irritated that she had to ask.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't realize you texted."

I softened immediately. I couldn't help it whenever she said sorry. "Eodiya?" I asked again.

"Right in front of our apartment building."

I strode out the lobby and saw Lia getting out of her car. She smiled at me and ended the call. I went down the few steps to her. She grabbed two guitars from the back seat and I automatically took one of it. 

"Have you had your dinner?" She asked me.

"No. I think they're making ramen again."

We went into the elevator.

"That's a pity. I'll cook for Beast then."

I looked at her, surprised. "Sinja?"

She grinned and nodded.

"What are you going to cook for us?"

She shrugged. "What do you want to eat?"

"I want chicken."

"Hmm." The elevator dinged open and we stepped out. I followed to her apartment. "What about chicken rice? With vegetables and soup?"

My eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

"With a little help, dinner will be ready in a few hours."

She opened the door for me to pass through.

"Wow! Kumawo, L!"

"Why are you thanking her?" A voice said from behind me.

I turned around to find Gi Kwang, lounging on the sofa, with both feet on top of the coffee table.

"Put your feet down," L told him nicely.

"Sireo," Gi Kwang said childishly.

L rolled her eyes, then turned to me. "Tell the others that I'm cooking, okay?" She took her guitar from me.

"Okay," I shot Gi Kwang a look, and then went out.

•Gi Kwang•

Yoseob didn't want to go up together with us because he waited for Garfield.

I twisted around in my seat to see Garfield. She went to put her Guitars in her room and then trudged into the kitchen.

I got up and went to the kitchen too. "Who are you cooking for?"

She was rummaging through the fridge. "Beast."

"Us? Why?" I asked, bewildered.

"Because I felt sorry for them." She took out chickens, some vegetables and more.

I watched her. Why was she being so nice suddenly? She hadn't snapped at me at all.

The doorbell rang and I looked over.

"Will you get that?" Again, she said it nicely.

I shrugged. When I opened the door, the kids barged in without waiting for my invitation.

"Lia-ah, Kumawo!" Junhyung yelled happily and dropped down onto the sofa.

Doojoon went straight to the kitchen and ruffled her hair. "Yaaa... It's a good thing Gi Kwang is married to you."

"You said you need some help?" Dongwoon called to the kitchen. He and Yoseob went to the kitchen to help.

Hyun Seung sat beside Junhyung and snatched the remote away from him. Doojoon joined them. Everyone ignored me.

"Waaah. What is this? This is my house, and you all are ignoring me."

"We see you everyday, Gi Kwang. It's getting old," Hyun seung said lazily.

I went to the kitchen again. Garfield, Yoseob and Dongwoon were laughing over something at the sink. A spark of irritation lit up within me.

Dongwoon spotted me then. "Gi Kwang hyung! Are you helping too?"

Lia stopped what she was doing and looked at me expectantly.

I leaned against the fridge. "Nope. I'm just going to watch."

Lia looked away then. What was that look she had on there?

"If you're only going to watch, then get out," Yoseob said simply.

The more he wanted me out, the more I wanted to stay.

"That's okay. I'll just stay right here." I took a chair and made myself comfortable.

The three of them shrugged and continued to do their work.

I watched the three of them the whole time. I saw everything.

Yoseob was to chop the mushrooms and onions. Dongwoon was to make rice. Garfield was doing something with the chicken. They chatted while working, the two boys laughing at whatever Garfield said. They ignored me the whole time. I glared at all of them, but they didn't even glance once at me! Maeldoandwae!

And then there was this; Garfield was leaning against the sink, washing the chicken. Yosoeb wanted to take something at the small cabinet on top of the sink. Instead of asking her to move, he pressed himself against her back. One hand at the sink around her, the other reaching up. And that Garfield liked it! She was smiling, and then giggled when Yoseob said something too soft for me to hear. Oh, my blood was boiling, alright.

When Yoseob went back to his place, he said. "L, how do I do this again?"

Lia went to stand way too close beside him. "Like this, see? Small, and thin. Not too big."

"Arasso." Yoseob grabbed her hand.

My eyes bulged out.

Yoseob took the knife back and started doing it again.

"Not too big!" She was about to grab his hand when I shoved myself between them.

"Yoseob-ah, let me do it." I took the knife out of his hand. I could feel Garfield's eyes on me but I ignored her.

"Do you know how to do it?" She asked.

"Ara," I snapped.

Yoseob scowled at me. "Gi Kwang-ah, you said you just want to watch."

I shrugged. "You don't know how to do it. And you're so slow. I'll do faster."

Garfield did not correct my mistakes. Which wasn't fair. I wanted to be corrected like how she did Yoseob.

Wait, why would I want that? I must be going crazy to think like that! She could do whatever she wanted with Yoseob. I didn't care.

>Lia<

Gi Kwang-goon was being weird the whole time we were cooking. At first, he just sat there, glaring at us. And then, suddenly, he squeezed between me and Yosoebie and helped. He kept slamming the knife down harder than necessary though. He looked so scary with a knife in his hand that I didn't dare to come any closer.

Two hours later, the foods were all laid out on the table.

"Kids-ah. Food's ready!" Yoseobie called.

"Finally!" Junhyung yelled, jumping out of the sofa.

They all gathered around the table and started settling down, making noises as they did.

"Wow. This looks good. Kumawo, Lia," Doojoon said.

"Kumawo," the rest echoed.

I noticed that Gi Kwang-goon didn't say it though.

I went back to the kitchen to clean it up.

"Ya, Gi Kwang, you don't want to ask your wife to eat with us?" I heard Hyun Seung asked.

"What for? If she doesn't want to eat with us, that's her problem." It stung. He hated me that much, huh?

I heard the sound of chair scraping against the floor. Yoseobie appeared at the kitchen doorway.

"Lia-ah, come eat with us."

"Gweanchana, Yosoebie. I need to clean the kitchen."

He walked to my side. "We can do that together later. Come eat with us. It's not the same without you out there."

"Gi Kwang-goon doesn't want me there," I told him quietly.

He grasped my arm. "You don't need to care what Gi Kwang wants. Come, join us, okay?"

Without letting go of my arm, he took one more bowl and a set of utensils for me. Then he dragged me out.

"Take a chair for her," Yosoebie ordered, which Hyun Seung complied.

Yoseobie pointed the space beside his chair to Hyun Seung, and he put the chair there. Then Yoseobie pushed me down, and started filling my bowl with rice.

"Yoseob-ah, gwaenchana—" I started to stand.

"Sit," he ordered fiercely.

I did.

There was an awkward silence as the rest of the Beast members watched us. Gi Kwang-goon had a spoon in his mouth as he watched, his eyes hard.

"Wah, this is so delicious. You're a good cook, Lia," Doojoon suddenly cried, diverting the attention.

"The soup is too salty," Gi Kwang-goon snapped.

"That's my fault," Dongwoon said, smiling apologetically.

"It's not everyday we get to eat a full meal like this. I really missed this," Hyun Seung said.

"Really?" I felt sorry for them. "Then, do you want me to cook for you guys everyday?"

"God is finally answering my prayers!" Junhyung said with his mouth full. He swallowed and then continued, "Lia, you want to know something?"

I nodded.

"Our apartment next door, is so messy. These kids don't know how to keep it clean. Clothes, shoes are all over the place, dirty clothes not wash. I really want to clean the place up, but there isn't time. We are just so busy that we left it just like that." He made a sad face. I knew what he wanted.

"We really don't have the time. Our schedules always took up one whole day. Whenever we got back home, we were too tired to clean the house," Doojoon added.

Gi Kwang-goon looked at him bewilderingly. "Ya! We don't have a schedule that took up one—"

He was cut off by Doojoon and Junhyung who quickly covered his mouth.

Doojoon turned to me, still holding on to a bewildered Gi Kwang. "Eotteoke, Lia-ah? Our house is too dirty that even the manager can't take it."

I pretended to sigh. "Aigoo, eotteokaji? Should you hire a maid?"

"Even though we're artist, Lia-ah, we don't have the money to hire a maid," Hyun Seung said, sighing.

"Aish, arasso, arasso. I'll clean the place up every sunday," I said, dropping the pretense.

All except Gi Kwang-goon and Yoseobie started whooping in joy.

"Lia is now officially Beast's personal chef and maid," Dongwoon announced.

"Yayy!"

"Andwae, Andwae!" Gi Kwang-goon suddenly shouted.

Everyone fell silent.

"Ah, waeyo?!" Junhyung demanded, annoyance clear on his face.

"She is MY maid, not Beast's."

"Oh!" Junhyung and Hyun Seung exclaimed. They looked at each other. "Oh! What's this? Don't tell me, Gi Kwang-ah, you like Lia already?"

"I said maid, not wife!"

They started teasing him. Yoseobie turned to me.

"Are you sure you're okay about cleaning our apartment?"

"It's alright. I know boys are lazy to do house chores."

"Who says boys are lazy? I do it, you know."

"Then why is Beast's apartment so messy?"

He pinched my nose, "Because the kids always messed it back the minute I finished cleaning."

"Aaahh! Ouh!" I swatted his hand away and rubbed my nose. "That hurt!"

Yosobie laughed. "Good."

I felt a pair of piercing eyes on me. It was Gi Kwang-goon. Our eyes briefly met across the table. But within that seconds, I saw a spark of anger. Why was he angry at me now?