“Eomma, what did you want me to get again?” Nari asked as she walked into the main dining room.

She looked up, in search of her mother but found only the faces of five familiar but intimidating boys. Her eyes widened to the size of cookies and she instantly regretted her decision to walk into that room. Her palms grew sweaty and she frantically turned around and ran back into the kitchen, managing to bang herself on every object she went past in doing so. She leant her arms against the benchtop and took deep breaths in and out. Unfortunately for her, that never seemed to work, but she still tried it every time. Her heart wanted to burst out of her chest now. She decided, in a lapse of sanity, that she’d crawl into the cabinets under the bench and reside there until she was sure the coast was clear.

Her whole body was shaking so much she felt like she could start an earthquake. She tried her hardest to distract herself. Thoughts of everything, anything. But the only thought that was constant was the thought that those boys were a few metres away from her.

She hugged her knees tighter to her chest when suddenly a bright light shone into the cabinet and she felt fresh air move in. A cheery expression greeted her with surprise standing close by. She felt her heart sink to the bottom of her stomach as they held a hand out for her, her judgement knowing that she must take it. He helped her to a standing position.

“Nari, it’s been a while!” Yixing exclaimed.

“Of course we’d find you here… I don’t even know why I was shocked,” Luhan added through muffled laughter.

Yixing pulled her into a friendly hug. Nari smiled weakly. As he pulled away the rest of the boys entered with wide grins.

“As expected, Nari always delivers, as hilarious as always,” Minseok stated.

“What hiding place was it this time?” Yifan asked, getting a swift reply from Yixing.

They all stared at her expectantly, her eyes refusing to meet any of theirs. These were the moments she dreaded the most in her day, when people would wait for her to speak but she had no will to do so.

These wonderful, intrusive boys, though they’d been working at her parents restaurant for almost two years, she could never get used to them. She normally timed her mornings perfectly, getting up early enough to help her mother and be done before they all arrive for the start of their shift. But today was one of her unlucky days.

“Do you need any help, Nari?” Luhan offered.

“What were you looking for?” Yixing’s eyes moved closer to her, as if searching for the answer in her eyes.

Her breathing shifted unevenly as the boys drifted closer and closer, towering further and further over her. Her head naturally retreated into her shoulders, taking hesitant steps away from the impending bodies. Luckily for her, Junmyeon usually appeared in these moments.

“Were you looking for your mother, Nari? I think I saw her and your father at the front desk,” Junmyeon started.

He took her arm and moved her further away from the boys so she could exit. He whispered a simple apology t