KNOCK KNOCK

“Come in,”

Areum sneaked her head into the room, “Can I?”

“Sure,” Leo was already there, sitting on his desk with his laptop on and his fingers dancing on the keyboard. “It's your room anyway”

“No, it is not” She sat on her new bed, placed in between two other beds that belong to Leo and Hyuk. “Where’s my brother??”

Leo pointed at a pile of blanket and pillow on his bed, “He’s asleep already”

“In your bed?!?” Areum jump to the bed next to her and checked on Kyunggi who was asleep in peace. “Hey, help me to move him!”

He turned his chair and stared at the girl’s eyes, “No, you’ll wake him up. But if you want to sleep with him, then its fine”

Areum nodded at her understanding, “Aah! I see,”  and laid on the bed, “So we’re going to switch beds, right?”

“Of course not,” Leo threw himself onto the bed and laid next to her. He turned his face on her, capturing her eyes. The only thing that separating them from touching each other face was Kyunggi. “This is my space”.

His warm breath reached her face instantly, “Leo—“

“Jung Taekwoon, make a 1.70 meter of gap, please”. And when they looked around, they found a speaker in each corner of the room. “Now”

Eunju sat on the couch. After everyone made a discussion and agreed  to the term and the situation that she put in the house earlier, they all went back to their business and pretend to not be bothered with it. Denying the reality of everything became so awkward. Eunju used Areum’s room as her ‘office’ and she planned to stay there until everything was settled, according to her. Ken immediately went out with a reason of clearing his head. Hakyeon and Leo went to their room and spot to work on something, meanwhile Hongbin and Hyuk were just busy with their thing. Ravi? He enjoyed his own time in the living room, while casually watched over Areum who kept wandering around the house as if she doesn't belong there. 

“Hey, isn't it a bit too much?” Ravi made a space for Eunju to sit next to him, “What’s your actual intention?”.

“Actual intention?” She furrowed, “Arent my writing clear enough?”

“Yeah, Its clear that you put too much effort on this,” Ravi passed her a can of beer.

“No thanks,” She waved her hand, “Well, I do, I mean, her new bed cost like 700,000 won or something, I’m very generous”

“And how much does it cost you for the surveillance camera?” He then drank the can himself.

“almost one billion won— woah, I spent a lot!” Eunju immediately checked on her phone, “Plus, the installation cost me another 200,000 won…. I spent almost 2 billion won for my freedom!”

Ravi rested his head, “Your freedom?” And let his question went through.

“Yes, my freedom to love anyone I want, to not be in a fake and silly relationship, such as the old school drama of an arranged married” Eunju move closer to Ravi and rest her head on his shoulder. “Ravi, do you know that—“

“No, I don’t" He tighten his tone, “Eunju, if that's your only reason, then I’m disappointed, very disappointed at you”. Ravi still let her to rest on his shoulder, but with that word came out of his mouth, Eunju knew that it wasn’t the time to be all chummy with him. 

Eunju slid away and returned the eyes. 

“So what about Areum? Where’s her freedom?” Ravi continued.

She created a smirk that made him confused. “Have I nailed it? The role of becoming the main ?”.

And it became so quiet. None of them paid any attention to the TV that were always on, the moment they started the conversation. The night was getting deeper, but both of them were still wide awake. “If all of this is indeed a role,” Ravi looked around, and found no one but the two of them, “Then I would like to know the script, Cause you need to stop—“

Eunju leaned closer and stick her lips on his ear. She placed her hands on his shoulder and pulled him closer, for a whisper. “Ravi,” She spoke slowly and clearly. Explaining everything that she had in mind, “Get it?”

And without him realizing it, Eunju was done with her reason, yet, Ravi can't understand anything but her soft and warm breath that tickled, not just to his ear, but his whole body. “Yeah,” He could only assume that it was the right thing to say.

“Then don't tell anyone,” Eunju rest his head on his lap and found a good position to be comfortable. “Cause I still want to love him” 

“Yeah,” Another assumption of the right thing to be said, no matter how painful it is.

It was only a step away for him to know what his friend Doing, “Arent you going to sleep?” but Leo soon realized the presence of Areum behind his back.

“What are you doing?” She went straight to her point.

“Writing, as you can see” Leo kept typing and let her look closer into the screen. 

“Once upon a time, there was a boy who lived under a tree…”. He stopped his hand from creating more words and shift his eyes on her. Paying attention to every detail of her face, “Leo,” And was lost for a moment.

“Ah, yes?” He shook his head.

“It's a bedtime story, for kids. Are you writing a book?” 

Leo was blushing crazily to the point where he has to look away, “I’m— I’m helping Hakyeon,” He then closed the laptop, and tried to calm down “He’s doing the illustration and I just help him with the story“

“Wooah!! Cool!!” Areum opened the laptop and scrolled on the screen to continue reading, “Leo, Kyunggi need to hear this!”

“He does,” Leo was done with the heat and red on his cheek, “I made this for him” and got his eyes back on her.

“Woah—“

“Ahem,” A cough cut off, “Hyung, have you took a shower?” Hyuk was coming out of the bathroom, still fresh with his hair and look wet. 

The Hyung got off from his chair and “Oh, right, I haven’t” ran to the bathroom.

“Noona its already late, you need to sleep” Hyuk sat on his bed and pretend to play with his phone, erasing any thought of what might just happen before. “Don't you have your morning shift tomorrow?”

“Wait, You’re right! Even I forgot about it, how could you remember??” Areum gave his baby brother a warm kiss on the forehead before she went to her bed. 

At that moment, more than anything, he wished that he could switch places with Kyunggi “Well, I was just paying more attention to your routine,”

 “Talking about routine, Hyukkie,” She sat on the bed and wrap herself with the blanket, “Can you give me more information about Ken’s? And other important thing that I should know?” She took out a notebook and a pen, “Hmm, so far, I only know that— wait, Where’s Ken? Is he going to be okay?”

“yeah, he is, he said to not worry about him and he’ll be back before morning,” Hyuk  showed her a selca of Ken, as an additional proof that he’s okay. “I’ll write you down everything about him, but, Noona, I can see the bags under your eyes and it begs you to sleep”

She looked around “But I don't want to go to sleep, I—“ and started to become fidgety, “Well—“

Hyuk’s worried turn into a little smile, “I won't do anything, I promise, just go to bed”

Areum shook her head and laid on her new bed. “No, no, I’m just not used to sleeping with people around me,” Without her realizing it, her vision was blurred by her need of rest, “Kyunggi is the only person who knows how awful I am when I'm asleep, I mean, I can sleep in any seconds, I snore, I drool, and for other— hoaaam” She yawned, and tilt her face to the other side of the bed where Hyuk was sitting and watched over her, “And for other to see me like that, I don't really feel comfortable….” 

Hyuk laid down, put a pillow next to him that became a barrier for his eyes and Areum’s to meet. “Now you don't have to worry,” He chuckled. 

There was a minute of silence for an unknown reason, before hyuk chose to start another conversation. “Noona—“

“Hzzzzt”. It wasn't really a snore that made him stop, but more like a heavy breath of a tired person. Unbelievably fast, Areum was asleep already. 

Hyuk got up from his bed and sat next to her, “She must be mentally exhausted…” He fixed her blanket, and took the notebook and pen. He went to his desk and looked at the pages, “Well, this one is new, Her handwriting is very ugly…” He muttered, “Okay, what is it? ‘Ken is— ‘no, i think she wrote it as ‘its ken as—‘ “

“Areum can you get me a towel?”

And the atmosphere between the two guys became awkward. 

From his desk, Hyuk could see his Hyung who sneaked his head and chest out from the bathroom. He’s sure that if he was a girl he would definitely run to the bathroom and lock himself with him. “Why would you ask a girl to get you a towel?” Hyuk got up and gave you Leo the towel.

“Thanks,” Leo snatched the towel and closed the door. 

Hyuk waited for him to come out of the bathroom. “Hyung,” Right after Leo came out and walked to his bed, he followed him from the back. “Hyung, why—“

“Don't you still have school tomorrow?” Leo has finished drying his hair and turned around to Hyuk.

“I do, but—“

“Then go to bed” He sounded colder than the usual.

Hyuk hissed in despair, “Hyung, I’m not a kid”.

Leo left the conversation like that and went to his desk. He put on his earphone and started to work on his story. He also didn't forget to turn off the lights and only leave a light on his table. “Sanghyuk, good night”

Those words are the kind of words that he hated the most. Hyuk felt like he was treated as a kid. He wanted to throw a pillow at Leo, but then it would just justify his statement. So instead, he just threw himself onto the bed and tried to sleep. 

Tried to sleep with a little annoyance, and tried to sleep with the person he loves next to him. 

When Hyuk remove the pillow that was a barrier, he could see Areum was sleeping peacefully. What she said were all true, she does sleep easily, and produce a little sound of snoring. If the eyes choose to look closer, her lips was always wet and watery. In additional, her eyes weren't fully closed. But her imperfect form of sleeping told a different story to Hyuk. “How can I sleep with you like this,” The only moment when his eyes were off her was when he blinked his eyes, “I can't, not when you being beautiful like this”. And it was a lie. In truth, Hyuk fell asleep soon after him feel at ease, just by looking at her face.

“Exactly,” Leo took off his earphone and got up from his chair, and turned around. His eyes moved from Kyunggi to the bed in the middle, “I can't sleep with you like this” He erased the thought of wanting her to be next to him and get out of the room. He knew that he can't do it, “Not when you being irresistible like this”

It was almost midnight, but Hongbin still wide awake. “Why do I even agree in this,” He can't let go of his eyes from the tablet, and a live video that played there.  A live video of what was going on in the room next to his.

“Because you care about me and Ken” Eunju sat on the bed, next to hongbin. “Beanie, do you want to sleep here tonight? cause I don't mind”

“This was my room,” Hongbin didn't even stole a glance.

Eunju looked around, “But then you generously gave it to her, and I must say, I liked it better when this was still your room” And found lots of things changed since the last time she visited the place. “Your taste and she is like a total opposite,”

“I do care for both of you, but you don't have to push her like this” Hongbin got up and brought the tablet with him.

“Looked closer, I’m being generous”. Hongbin turned around right before he exited himself. “Now, I'm going to ask you,  what have you learn from her?”

“What?”

“Well, let me guess. You learned that she never took her eyes off her brother even when he’s only a step away from her, learned that she have the habit of moving her hands when she walked, learned that  she always keep her space clean and checked on it every minute. You have a god eye now, you can be closer to her and you can know her without getting awkward. All of it just by paying attention to that screen in less than 30 minutes” She grinned, “ to be  honest, you learned more than the one who supposed to”     

“Now I feel like a total creep,” Hongbin clucked. “Here, you can have this back” He walked to her and returned the tablet.

“No, it's yours,” Eunju pointed at an iMac and a set of technology on the desk that played on the same live video as the one in the tablet. “I install a speaker too, so I can warn those beasts to tame their lust” 

One specific scene was displayed on the screen.

Hongbin looked at the screen and he found Leo and Areum were lying on the same bed, “What the—“

“Jung Taekwoon, make a 1.70 meter of gap, please” Eunju got off the bed and went to her desk. She took no time to talk through the microphone. “I wasn't helping you, I was helping her” After she has done it, She smiled and pushed hongbin away so that she could go back to bed. “At least you know what kind of game they play”

“Eunju—“
        
“I love you Hongbeanie,” She pulled her blanket and turned off the light. “Good night!”

Leo opened the door and found his friend busy painting in the backyard. It's past midnight already, but Hakyeon wore nothing but his sleeping garment to prevent the cold breeze. “Wait, I’m almost finished”. He put his brush down and looked at his friend who just sat next to him, “I said I’m almost finished”

“Hakyeon I can’t" Leo shook his head.

“Can't what?” Unlike the usual, Hakyeon divided his attention into two things, the watercolor painting that he worked on, and his friend Leo. 

“I can't sleep,” He ruffled his own hair, “I cant—“

“Are you nervous?” Hakyeon chuckled, “Oh my goodness, you are!” as he managed to laugh and claps.

Whether he felt offended or just didn't care, Leo chose to look away. 

For Hakyeon, it was more than interesting, it was rather entertaining. “Hah, gosh, wonie, do you want me to tuck you in??” He poked the red cheek of his friend, “Woniee-yaaa”

He slid to make some space. “Ah, you should put this away,” and when he does, his hand brushed into the palette, “Do you have tissue?”

“AAAA! Be careful!!!” The first thing to be saved was his paintings, “Leo, get a cloth or something!”

Leo came back with a cloth and wipe the spilled paints. “I’m sorry,” He said with all his heart. 

“It's okay, there's no harm to my babies,” Hakyeon kept staring at his paper. “Ah, it's been awhile since I illustrate a story, you like it?”

“Its much better than what I thought,” Leo finished cleaning up and sat next to Hakyeon on the porch, admiring his newest works with him. “Thank you so much, Hakyeon”

“You’re welcome,” He smiled, “But you still have to pay me, right?” 

“Of course,” Leo nodded.

“Leo, can I ask you something random?” 

The person who was addressed just nod, without even care whether Hakyeon were paying attention or not.

“The book, its for Kyunggi right? So you care about Kyunggi,” Hakyeon turned his face on Leo, who was gazing at the sky, “Don't take it wrong, but, do you really care about him or its just so that you can be close to his sister?”

“Good question,” Leo changed his view from the sky to the ground, looking at his leg that crossed and everything else that his eyes captured. “Like you and everyone else, I care about Kyunggi,” He sighed, “To be honest, I like kyunggi first, he’s cuter and less annoying”.

Hakyeon cackled, “Continue, please,”

“So I want to learn everything about Kyunggi, and I happened to learn a little about her,” He got his eyes back to the sky, “And that's how I know her, so from there, I try to learn more about her, and look where it got me”

“You talk a lot for a Jung Taekwoon,” Hakyeon muttered. “Which one do you love more? Him or her?”

It was like a whip and a sign that told him to go as he got up right after Hakyeon finished talking. “Do you know how much I like kids, animal, and everything beautiful about the world?”

“Yes…?”

“I like her as much as I like those kind of things,” He was smiling as he walked inside, “well, Maybe a little bit more?”