CHAPTER 5

in which jaehyun gave us a blowgun

It was nearing evening when Iseul came back.

The boys were bored, especially Jaehyun, so they made themselves comfortable in the small living room. Well, Jaehyun was comfortable on the couch, eating the take out Chinese he bought for them, while the maknaes were on the floor, still tied on a rope to each other. They were watching Frozen - don't judge, that's the only decent thing to watch at that time - when the front door suddenly opened.

Jaehyun was alarmed by this at first. He thought it was a burglar, but it was just his cousin's roommate, Iseul, grinning awkwardly at them. He quickly felt his heart picked a pace when he saw that familiar awkwardness.

"I'm back?" She said, unsure what to say.

Jaehyun suddenly felt hot on his cheeks. "Welcome back," his voice sounded weird.

Seungri noticed this, but he didn't say anything. Even though he thought he might be wrong with his assumptions, he was sure that he never failed at reading a person. He had practiced for years learning on how to read people. But these people were weird so he didn't say anything but watched them with skeptical look.

On the other hand, Taehyun was a bit confused because he doesn't know how to treat the girls now after he heard the bits of their past. Somewhere deep inside him, he was glad that it was just Iseul. He was sure Iseul was easier to read than Norae.

Iseul switched her attention from Jaehyun to the maknaes. The maknaes looked grumpy - like usual - but there were some kind of softness in their eyes. They weren't glaring at her as intense as before. Iseul also noticed that they were wearing new clothes, which she was sure that they were Jaehyun's. He used to come by a lot so there were a lot of his clothes in the house. And she's the one in charge of doing laundry most of the times so she recognized the clothes.  The maknaes were clean but not tidy. Their hair were sticking everywhere. They didn't shave their facial hair too. Which was not a surprise. Iseul might freaked out if there were man razors lying around the house.

Iseul beamed happily. "I see you guys are showered," she said when she saw that the guys looking fresh and clean, well as clean as a hobo can be. "But why do you guys still look…messy." She gestured to her own chin, referring to the maknaes facial hair. She wasn't surprised to see Seungri's but she was extra interested in Taehyun's.  Seungri had a lot of  fantaken pictures of him with some facial hair, but there were none of those kind of pictures when it comes to Nam Taehyun.

Taehyun squirmed away, feeling embarrassed with his facial hair. He knew he looked weird with it.

Chuckling, she walked to them and bended a little, taking a sniff. She recognized the smell of coconut and orchids. "You used my shampoo?"

 "There's no other shampoo," Taehyun said, glaring at her.

"Oh," she said then walked away to the kitchen. "I bought some things to eat, but I guess we'll eat it later since you guys already ate." She moved to the kitchen and keep the plastic of food she bought into the small fridge they had.

"You're back early," Jaehyun decided to say. He wasn't sure why, but he missed talking to Iseul, especially since the girl wasn't exactly the chattiest person alive.

"Yeah," Iseul said. "I was planning to take more shifts but I don't think I should burden you more with them." She took off her coat then walked to the living room. "Can you move please?" She asked awkwardly, asking for an entrance in between the couch and Seungri.

"Oh, yeah," Seungri bended forward a bit so Iseul can walk over his back.

Iseul sat beside Jaehyun and put her coat over herself. That day was cold.

"Its not burdensome at all," Jaehyun said once Iseul's words registered in his mind. "I don't mind helping you guys."

"But I think you helped us too much, sunbae," she said while watching Frozen with judging eyes. She didn't say anything, but her judging face was clearly stated that she didn't expect them to watch Disney movies together.

He cringed at the word 'sunbae'. After all the year he thought they're getting closer, he wondered why she still call him that. "Its really fine-"

"Sunbae, stop," she doesn't sound bubble anymore. She was deadly serious. "By the way, don't you have work today?"

He frowned but nodded anyway. "Yeah, I'll have it in an hour."

"Then you should be going!" Iseul exclaimed. "And are you going to finish those?" She pointed at the barely eaten bowl of jajangmyeon on his hand.

Jaehyun almost laughed. "Yeah, of course," he said and gave her the bowl.

"Thanks," she said cheerily then casually eats the jajangmyeon using the same chopsticks as Jaehyun's.

He blushed at the thought of having an indirect kiss with her. He shouldn't be bothered by it since it wasn't new. She always does it. That half eaten bread he didn't finish because of no appetite? She just took it and ate it without thinking. That time when he was daydreaming while eating pudding? She stole some while using the same spoon. That one time he brought them to a fancy restaurant on Norae's birthday and he said his noodle was the nicest thing he ate? She took his chopsticks and tasted it casually.

He shook his head and innerly sighed in his head. He knew she only treat her like an older brother. "I'll be going then."

She didn't look away from the TV so she just nodded, with full of noodles. "Be careful," she managed to say with full mouth.

He chuckled. "You too. Take care and don't let the guys got you."

Iseul tore her gaze from the TV to give him a funny look. As if saying 'Sunbae, you know I'm a black belt in Taekwondo,' but she nodded anyway. Maybe she knew how much Jaehyun actually cared for them.

Jaehyun walked behind Seungri to go to the front door. He looked back to check on Iseul who was trying not to choke herself because she was laughing over Olaf's dorkiness. That was when he saw the look Seungri was giving him. It wasn't foreign, that pity look. Norae always look at him like that whenever he finished talking and hoping for Iseul.

He frowned because he feels so exposed. So he turned and left.

There was an awkward silent in the house.

"So," Iseul suddenly said after Frozen ended. "How's life?" She felt like slapping herself for asking a stupid question.

"Miss," Taehyun said and turned to face her as best as he can. "Please let us out. I promise that I won't tell anyone-"

"Oh, no can't do that, Nam Taehyun-sshi," Iseul said with an apologetic smile. "By the way, just call me Iseul."

"Why?!"

"Can we just wait until Norae come back?" She started to feel uncomfortable. She was never good at talking.

"Jaehyun-sshi told us about your past and how you wanted to make music."

Anything happy about Iseul was fallen to the ground and disappeared when she dropped her smile. Her face was grim and slightly shocked. It was a sudden change that surprised the maknaes.

"He did?" She looked away, taking a tissue and wiped her messy face. "That ," Seungri heard her muttered. It sounded so murderous, it send shivers down his spine.

"Don't you know he liked you?" Seungri said out of the blue. Realizing what he did, he covered his mouth with his hands.

Taehyun looked at him with a puzzled look. Jaehyun didn't say that.

Iseul looked at Seungri with the same puzzled look. "Did he tell you or..."

Seungri shook his head. "No, of course not. I just noticed it by the way he acted when he's around you just now…" he said and cleared his throat the awkwardness. He looked up to watch her blank expression. "So, do you know?"

There was a pregnant of silent before Iseul made a face that showed so much guilt, it tightened Seungri's heart. "Norae and sunbae won't tell me but I do know," she scowled. "I'm not that stupid."

"Then why didn't you-"

"Shut up," she huffed. "How much did sunbae told you."

Seungri didn't know why, but from that murderous glare she gave him, it felt fitting to tell her what happened. He told her all the things Jaehyun told them.

"That dude, seriously," Iseul sighed and hugged her coat tighter to her body. "At least he didn't tell about me much."

"Why don't you tell us," Seungri grinned. "Maybe we'll help." He felt Taehyun elbowing him, but he ignored him.

Seungri was intrigued by Iseul for some reason. There was something odd about her. Her expressions, attitude and personality weren't solid. They changed too often within the few minutes they're together. He wanted to know about this girl, without her friend butting in and noisily change the direction of the topic.

Iseul had that blank look again. "I…I don't know what to tell." From her expression, Seungri almost believed her.

"There must be something going on-"

"All I know is that I really wanted to be an artist," she said, fiddling with her coat. Her mind was working to find the perfect words to use. She wasn't comfortable at talking about herself to Norae - the closest human being to her - what make it think that it will be easy to talk to a stranger? "I just wanted to create my music and sing them to people."

The maknaes looked at her with understanding. They knew that feeling. Those were the exact feelings they felt before they debuted. That hunger and thirst to sing in front of thousands of fans that sing along to the same lyrics. The feelings were indescribably incredible.

"No stories at all?" This time, it was Taehyun who asked. "Everyone has a story to tell."

Iseul looked like she was thinking. Then she looked at them, hesitating for a moment.

"How should we help you if we don't know you?" Seungri asked seriously.

Iseul gave him a look before she looked away, clearing a little. "I didn't come from a wealthy family like Norae," she started, looking down at her coat. "I had a modest family. Not overly poor, not overly rich, not overly loving…when Norae came for help, my parents let me help her. Norae and Jaehyun actually believed they're being nice," she chuckled darkly. "They just did that because they own Norae something. Norae gave my father a job, you know?  But when he was fired, he went insane. He almost killed my mother and Norae…he hurt Norae, so I had no choice but to fend him off…."

She was silent, but then she continued. "My mother married another man after that and then Norae and I started to take care of ourselves. I think that my whole life, music had always been my comfort, my home. I won't refer it as an escape, because really, music is the realest thing I've ever experience-" she stopped, then looked at the makes in front of her. She doesn't know how to continue.

"Jaehyun-sshi said that your parents went bankrupt." Seungri said, confused.

"Jaehyun…I don't know about him but I know he's a nice guy, and he's very protective over Norae - even though I learned he was protective of me too," she flinched a bit. "We didn't tell him the whole truth."

"Isn't that mean?"

Iseul smiled sadly. "I feel guilty over this subject but really, I don't want to worry Jaehyun-sunbae more."

"You and your mother aren't close, right?" Seungri guessed. Iseul said 'he hurt Norae, so I had no choice but to fend him off'. She didn't say how much she would do for her mother.

"My parents…" She stopped, thinking of the right words. The maknaes noticed that she wasn't telling the whole truth. "My mother hated me. She doesn't show it, but she doesn't pretend to love me too. She mostly ignored me in my whole life. But hey, as much as my parents , they still gave me a shelter, food and clothes, so I can't really complain."

"And your dad? Where is he now?" Taehyun asked. He knew how much it felt to not have a father. He felt sorry for Iseul. At least he had his mother's love.

She blinked then she gave a sad smile. "He isn't here…anymore."

Seungri doesn't know what to say next, but then he noticed Iseul's wrists. She was fiddling with her coat's sleeve, and her sweater's sleeve was rolled upward a bit. He saw the familiar, but horrific stretches of scars on her wrist. Some of them looked old and fading but there were a few which looked new.

He doesn't understand why she would do such thing. Slowly, it dawned to him. This girl was badly broken. She had never been loved since she was a child. The only time she even close to it was probably when she met Norae. That's why she seemed protective over her. And the fact that she ignored Jaehyun was probably not only because she can't return his feelings, it also maybe because she admired the guy by still calling him 'sunbae', and thinking that the guy was better with someone else. And when she said 'I had to fend him off' ... He gulped.

She killed her own father.

"Sorry," Taehyun squeaked.

"Its okay," she gestured her hand in nonchalant manner.

Silents settled between them for a while.

Taehyun fidgeted nervously. "I know this is a bad time, but can I use the toilet…"

Iseul gave him an amused look. "You're like a little bird, pooping and peeing right after a meal."

The maknaes stared at her in shock at her 'joke'.

"Come on, I'll lead you there." She stood up and waited for them to get up.

It was hard for them to stand on their feet considering they were tied together. Once they're up, Iseul gestured for them to walk first.

They arrived in front of the bathroom and Iseul was trying to untie the stupid complicated knot Jaehyun made. She was patiently untying one by one, trying not to yell at Taehyun to calm down, because he was tapping his foot impatiently. Finally, the knot was untied and Taehyun quickly run into the bathroom, closing the door with a bam.

Iseul blinked, but shrugged it off. "Don't you dare to run," she warned then quickly wrapped the rope around Seungri, pulling him.

Seungri was baffled at their close proximity, but said nothing. He let her tie him on the wrist, then she took a step back, grinning at the knot around his wrist.

He looked at the girl, who was now staring blankly at the door of the bathroom. She was pretty, he had to admit that. Even though she looked tired, and her hair looked like she hasn't comb it and was put on a pony tail to save time and she barely wear any beauty product, she was still pretty. She can easily be an idol if she really wanted to - with that voice he remembered and that pretty face. He wondered what made her went to a point to sneak into the YG building like that, when she can just audition like normal people.

His eyes traveled to her wrist, which scars were shown because her sleeves were rolled upwards a bit.

"Are you an angel?" Seungri blurted out. Realizing what he did, he covered his mouth with both of his hands.

Iseul looked at him, surprised. "Are you serious?"

"Yes," he said. "A person I know…he said that people with marked wrists are angels."

Her eyes widen. She quickly covered wrist with her sleeve. "I'm-I'm not an a-angel" She stuttered. What's wrong with this panda?

"Of course you are." Seungri tried to sound convincing. "He said that only angels would harm themselves because they don't like the life on earth. This world is destroying them, so they try to return to heaven again. They are too sensitive to the pain of the others and their own." He looked straight to her eyes.

She looked away, speechless. She rubbed her covered wrist a little before saying, "You know… your friend is very wise."

"Thank you," Seungri said, smiling. At least she doesn't think him as a weirdo.  "He's also an angel but he had returned home."

Iseul looked shocked, but she stared at Seungri, trying to read him. He was feeling uncomfortable, but he just stared back with a sheepish smile. She shook her head a little and smiled a bit.

Taehyun suddenly went out of the bathroom, followed by the sound of toilet flushing. He looked at them, noticing that both of them were staring at him. He frowned in confusion. Iseul was staring at him blankly but Seungri looked quite angry. What did he do? Did he smell?

"Lemme tie you, Taehyun-sshi," Iseul said, gesturing him to come closer. "Don't run."

Taehyun scowled. "I don't want to get tied. The ropes are hurting my wrists," he whined then showed his purplish wrists.

Iseul looked worried. "I'm sorry but I don't have a choice-"

Suddenly, the front door was opened. Norae was back.

The door slung open loudly, revealing Norae's face at the door's pane. Seriously, this girl doesn't even know how to open the door gracefully. It's a surprise the door survived after all these years it got banged to the wall countless times. There's even a dark mark on the wall, the mark that made by the knob and the knob itself is slightly dented.  If the door could talk, it probably curses every time this certain girl approaches it. Poor door. (Why are talking about the door?)

Norae tossed her boots aside and ran towards the living room. The hostages were shocked by the banging but Iseul's remain calm as usual. She got used to the banging sound after living like, half of her life with this friend of hers.

Iseul dragged the hostages by the end of their ropes to the living room. "You're home?" Asked Iseul. Iseul made the two maknaes to sit on the ground in front of the couch, and she slumped down on the soft couch.

Norae has this mischievous smile on her face. Her hand had full grip on long black wooden tube-like stick around half a meter long at her side. She walked closer Iseul and pretended like she's playing a clarinet with that wooden stick. Iseul replied Norae's childish act with a judging face. Norae cleared when she saw that Iseul was not amused by her gag.

"Look, Jaehyun Oppa gave me this," said Norae's excitedly, almost hitting Iseul's face with the stick as she shoved it to her.

"What's that?" Asked Iseul. She frowned at the tube, as if it just falls from the sky.

"Let me demonstrate," Norae took the stick to her face and put it in between her lips and then she blew into it.

A black dart pinned straight on Taehyun's shiny forehead. His pupils rolled backwards, making his eyes go white and closed slowly, as his body slammed on the floor head first.

Iseul's eyes widen.

She crouched down and poked Taehyun's head.

"He's not dead isn't he?" Said Iseul in a panic.

Norae formed an O with and crouched down as well.

Seungri's eyes widen and he kept changing his gaze from Iseul to Norae in panic. "DID YOU JUST KILLED HIM?!" shrieked the guy. Norae turned her gaze to Seungri and pouted.

"Relax, he's not dead. That darts will only make make him sleep for few hours…though I don't know that this thing is loaded," she said while peeking through the hole at the end of the stick.

"Where the did sunbae get that thing?" Said Iseul out of blue making Seungri looked at her, suprised. He didn't know Iseul can curse like that.

"I dunno. He said 'this will help you and Iseul keep the guys safe in the apartment'," said Norae's trying to mimic Jaehyun's manly voice.

"Taehyun better wakes up by tomorrow or I will make sure you guys won't get away with it!" Said Seungri trying to threaten the girls but somehow Norae face doesn't look convinced.

She formed a smirk and held the stick up to her face and pretended to blow it at Seungri. The latter yelped and held his hand as shield. Iseul and Norae burst out laughing on the floor when they saw Seungri's action. Norae pulled the sleeping Taehyun and sat him on the couch with the help of Iseul. His head cocked to the side awkwardly but none of the girls care enough to fix it.

Pain suddenly stung Iseul's head, making her hiss under her breathe. That hiss doesn't escape Norae's and Seungri's ears. Norae stopped laughing. Her smile dropped and changed to a worry expression.

"You okay?" Asked Norae, worried.

"Yeah I'm fine. I need water.” she stood up and about to walk to the kitchen.

"Or is it you want me to darts your pain away?" Asked Norae's jokingly. Iseul turned and chuckled halfheartedly at that lame joke. "No thanks I'm f-" Iseul held her forehead with her palm and hissed as the pain struck again.

"You seriously okay?" Asked Norae more worried that before. She stood up and walked to her friend.

"I said I'm-" Iseul's word were cut out as she fell on the floor

"ISEUL-YAH!" Yelled Norae.

#A/N: SINCE THIS STORY WILL BE UPDATED VERY SLOWLY, HERE'S A SNEAK PEAK FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER

      #Sneakpeak

"You kinda handsome too" Norae covered with her left hand when she realized what she said. She shook her head frantically. "No. No. This is not right" she hit her head with her hand and flinched because of the sudden impact.

"I need sleep, I can't think straight. My head doesn't work well," she said between her yawn. She stretched her back earning sounds of bones clashing together on her hips.

"I'm old." She yawned again and laid her head down somewhere on the couch.

"Since when did our couch get so co-," she didn’t even finish her sentences. She drowned in slumber land right after she land her head on.....Taehyun's lap?