Cora stood in the kitchen of the apartment she shared with Maria, singing along to a BTS song as loud as she could, dancing while she was stirring the Galbitang she was in the middle of making. She was headed down to the BTS practice studio to run through a few moves with J-Hope. He had offered to help her with any dances that she got stuck on, and she’d promised to bring him food in repayment. And she may have made an excessive amount.

The pot she was cooking in was enormously tall and wide. And it was filled to the brim.

There was a knock on the door, and Cora thanked the lord that the door blocked out her singing as she made her way to the door. She pulled it open, expecting it to be J-Hope, but found someone else.

Mark stood on the other side of the door, equally as surprised. “Oh, uh,” He bit his lip, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I was supposed to pick up MinHee. Is she around?”
 

Cora shook her head. “She, um, hasn’t come back from the studio yet.” She looked down at her feet. “I can text her and tell her you’re here.”

Mark nodded. “Alright.”

“You can come in until she gets here.” Mark looked unsure, so Cora turned, leaving the door opened, and started back into the kitchen. She moved back to the Galbitang and grabbed the bowl she’d taken out for herself, scooping some of the soup into the bowl. She could hear Mark shuffling in behind her, sitting at the fold out dining table. “So how’s the whole traveling ordeal?”

Mark shrugged. “Tiring.”

Cora hummed and continued to scope the soup into her bowl. “Uhm, do you want some Galbitang?” She asked, turning to face him. He looked a little unnerved. Cora knew he loved Galbitang, and she was sure he thought she’d made it for him, or something along those lines. “Look, I didn’t know you were stopping by, I didn’t make this for you, I made it for J-Hope and the rest of BTS. I just happened to make a lot of extra.” He didn’t look any less uncomfortable, so she dropped the bowl on the table and turned, moving to make one for herself.

Mark stared down at the bowl, and then at Cora’s turned back. “Cora?” He asked, and she hummed. “You made this for who?”

“BTS,” She answered. “J-Hope is stopping by to get it soon. Why?”

Mark didn’t answer immediately, instead continuing to stare down at his soup. “I thought I misheard you, is all.” He said, reaching for the spoon Cora had left for him. BTS? When had that happened? Last he heard, she couldn’t even talk to those guys without geeking out. “Are you guys close?”

Cora turned and placed a bowl of rice beside him. “Who? Me and the guys? I mean, J-Hope and I are. I don’t really talk to many of the other guys,” She sat down on the other side of the table, lifting her legs and sitting crosslegged. “You know, since they all make me nervous.”

Mark smiled. “I know.” She nodded, and then he realized how truly awkward the situation was getting. Who was he to ask her if she was close to those guys? They weren’t dating. It wasn’t his business anymore. “So just J-Hope.”

Cora nodded, taking a bite of her Galbitang. “He’s a big help,” She said, moving to stand again. “Are you thirsty?”

Mark shook his head. “I’m fine.” He said, staring down at the soup again. Why hadn’t he taken  a bite yet? Usually, when Galbitang was put down in front of him, it was gone instantly. But there it sat, steam slowly disappearing from it as he stared down at it, unsure what to do.

Cora sat down again, this time with a cup of some kind of juice, which she looked very happy about. “MinHee was at the store the other day and found this peach nectar and it’s the most incredible thing I’ve ever tasted.” She said, lifting the cup to her lips and taking a long sip. When she put the cup back down, she frowned. “Does it taste like crap?”

Mark looked up at her, and realized she was gesturing to the soup. He sat up straighter and shook his head. “Oh no, it’s fine I just…”

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