In a high class type apartment, only the loud beats of drums can be heard in one of its rooms. The drummer doesn’t care if the neighbors complain and a policeman would come knocking at their door. He would rather have something like that happen than being contained in a place his father call home. Suddenly, the door flies open and reveals a beautiful woman in her mid 30s.

“Sungyeol-ah. Can you tone it down a little? I have a paperwork to finish. If I don’t finish that soon, I won’t have time to make dinner.”, said the woman who doesn’t dare to step foot in his room.

Sungyeol, who looks at her with a blank stare, only pounds more on the drums. He doesn’t care that the woman now gives him an exasperated expression. He doesn’t care that she looks she’s about to cry. He doesn’t care about her at all.

The woman sighs and deliberately closes the door. She knows that it is no use talking to Sungyeol when he is in a bad mood. Come to think of it, he is always in a bad mood when it’s just the two of them at home. Ever since she married her husband, Sungyeol never missed to give her the stink eye and show her his utter dislike.

After an hour or so of constant drum noises and pencil against paper scratches, the woman stands and starts to prepare dinner. Tonight, she will cook Sungyeol’s favorite dish: kimchi jjigae. She’s a firm believer of a saying, “A way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” She prays to all gods that it applies to him. Few minutes passed, the smell of kimchi jjigae spread throughout the house giving it some warm feel. She turned around and saw the door to Sungyeol’s room open.

“Sungyeol-ah? Are you hungry?”, she carefully asks and follows him when he goes straight to the front door. Sungyeol hastily puts on his shoes without looking at her and heaves an irritated sigh as he stands up.

“Where are you going? Dinner’s ready in a few minutes.”

“Don’t bother.”

“But--”

She is answered by the loud bang of the front door right on her face.

To Ahn Jin Hye, it is really hard to be Sungyeol’s stepmom.

-

“So can you tell me the relationship of the members of Infinite Power? Do you have some misunderstandings or whatsoever?”, a reporter asks the boys in front of her. The cameraman focuses on each of the members’ faces.

“Actually, there’s none of that! We get along so well that my siblings might be envious because I fight with them a lot than my members. I think it’s our secret. We have a strong sense of brotherhood.”, Sunggyu, the leader, says cheerfully and the other two members nod in agreement. He pauses to look at Myungsoo in the eye. “Right, Myungsoo?”.

Myungsoo who plasters a perfect smile on his face responds with a, “Yeah, that’s right. We’re really close.”

The reporter who looks pleased with them adds, “Any message to your beloved fans?”.

Sunggyu looks directly in the camera and smiles, “Thank you for all the support that we have been receiving. Please look out for our upcoming albums in the future. Infinite Power---”

The four of them cry in unison, “Hwaiting!”

They wrap the whole interview up. Pleasantries and 90-degree bows are given anywhere. They bid goodbye and head on their way. As the door finally closes, the members rises lazily.

Sunggyu sighs and says, “It’s really hard to pretend that we get along just fine. My cheeks will soon get cramps with all these fake smiles.”

The other two members snicker and look at Myungsoo with disgust. Myungsoo, on the other hand, just look away and count numbers in his head. One… two… three… Patience Soo. Patience.

”So, anything you want to do today? Sungjong?”asks Hoya who’s the main dancer of the group.

Sungjong who looks like he’s thinking carefully replies, “Hmm. Let’s go to that old ddokbukki place down the street. I heard it’s the best in town.”. Sunggyu contemplates a bit and agrees, not really looking at Myungsoo’s direction.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to go on your own especially when Manager-hyung is not informed in the first place.”, Myungsoo says carefully. He smiles to ease up the silence that fills the air. He holds his breathe when he sees the leader is about to speak.

“Who asked you?”, Sunggyu shots bluntly. Hoya and Sungjong scoff and glance at Myungsoo as if he is the biggest and lamest joke in existence.

The three strides and chatters to themselves cheerfully, completely ignoring Myungsoo’s presence. Before walking away completely, Sunggyu casts one final glance at him, lips curve in a smile full of mockery. 

Myungsoo releases the breath that he’s been holding.