Ten's House

Ten lives quite far away from their school with his parents who happened to be spending the week in a vacation. The Thai boy had been preoccupied by the thoughts of his friends for the past few days, noticing the uneasy atmosphere lingering beneath the talks and laughters the group had been exchanging. He cannot exactly point it out, yet, and by "it" meaning the problem, if there is; however, one thing he's sure about was it started when Jaehyun came. Due to his demanding practice hours, he seemed to be the most dettached from the circle's previous hangouts which gave him less chances of looking deeper into the matter; however, Ten will always be Ten - so keen, so discreet, so sensitive, when it comes to people he loves. Blame it to the fact that he gives utmost importance to trust and bonds. These things which he carelessly had given before, now have been things which he finds it difficult to give to anyone, afraid that people might use them to hurt him, chew him up until he bleeds and then throw him out of their lives like a dried up, tasteless, rubbery chewing gum. He doesn't want to cling under the desk again, in the dark, together with other rejects. No, not again, he won't let that happen again to him, especially now that he has people he loves and trusts completely with all his heart. He's making sure that the circle is intact, despite the addition to the points that complete it cycle. 

But first, he needs to do some catching up, and his parents' vacation just came perfectly on the right timing.

"Ten! The Tom Yum's ready!" a blonde girl with big doll eyes yelled from the kitchen. Her high-pitched voice echoed across hallway leading to the living room where Ten was busy mopping the floor and dusting off the sofa. He looked at the clock on the wall before giving a response.

6:50 PM. "Just in time." He whispered to himself. "Thank you! I'll be there to check it." 

Ten rushed towards the kitchen where his cousin was anxiously waiting for him. He asked her earlier to take over in cooking his infamous dish which he was so excited to present to Kun and Jaehyun.

He dipped his right pinky in the dish and tasted it. "Hey! Did you wash your hands?" the girl in front of Ten protested but he completely ignored her remark and deathly stare, his eyes wandering around as he assessed the spiciness of the dish.

"Perfect! Good job Lisa!" he gave his beautiful cousin a thumbs up. Though annoyed by the absolutely unhygienic gesture of Ten, Lisa gave him a smile as she set the bowl on the dining table. 

Lalisa Manoban, or simply Lisa, is Ten's cousin. Her family lives right next to Ten's family's home. Their mothers are sisters and Lisa's parents went to vacation as well, together with Ten's. She goes to the same school Ten and his friends are attending but she is their junior. Ten doesn't really like Lisa that much because she is such a "cunning little " (Ten's words). In the boy's point of view, she could perfectly be a con artist because of her exceptional skills in making people believe in whatever she says. It's one thing that he really hates about Lisa, her mischievous acts of playing with people's trust. He had witnessed this several times before while they were growing up, may it be convincing her parents to get things she wants or flirting with guys and making them believe that she likes them and then suddenly throwing them off like garbage, he'd seen it all. Nevertheless, Ten still believes that she has good qualities overall, you just have to not "interest" her so much because once you get her attention, she will pursue you and will get what she wants from you. It's better to keep yourself off her radar. She can be sweet and gentle sometimes but generally, she speaks her mind out and she's not afraid of confrontations. Knowing all of these about Lisa, Ten hesitated to invite her to the overnight party, but after convincing himself that none of his friends would probably tick off her crazy manipulative persona, he invited her since it's sad to know that she's alone in their house for the week.

"They should be here in a few minutes. Did we forget anything?" Ten asked as the two made their way to the living room.

Lisa scanned the whole room, looking from side-to-side. "I guess we're all set!" a wide smile formed on her face. "I'm so excited to meet your friends."

Ten laughed, almost nervously. "They're a happy and crazy bunch." 

The cousins sat down on the sofa anxiously waiting for their guests as they listen to the haunting sound of each tick of the clock.

Qian's Residence

Winwin enthusiastically rang the doorbell of Kun's house, hopping several times in front of the door as his excitement over tonight's sleepover overflowed. He hasn't done it for a long time and now just seems to be a perfect time. It's also extra special because he would be doing it not just with the UN crew, but also with Kun. 

"Kun-hyung! Hurry up! They're waiting for us at the waiting shed." 

Soon, he heard footsteps descending the stairs and the door opened. Kun was wearing a yellow hooded  jacket and semi-fitted jeans paired with white sneakers. His dark brown hair fell perfectly and smoothly across his forehead and his cheeks blushed lightly at the sight of the taller guy. 

"Wow, you look good!" Winwin blurted out, earning a smile from the older. 

"You look great too, Sicheng." Kun said nervously, clearing his throat right after.

"Let's go!" Winwin wrapped his arm around Kun's shoulders and practically dragged him as they walk away the latter's house. The older's face blushed at the gesture of the younger but he lowered his head to hide it.

The two continued walking toward the group's usual waiting place, the shed near the gate of their school. When they got to the waiting shed, they noticed that they were the first to arrive.

"This friendship is really hopeless when it comes to punctuality." Winwin grunted.

Kun smiled at him, knowing how excited Winwin is to go start the slumber party. "It's alright Sicheng, I'm sure they'll be here soon. By the way, how are you? We haven't seen each other for a long time."

"I'm fine hyung. We can't hang out together because you were always busy hiding in your dungeon of a house." Winwin pouted his lips unconsciously, kicking off small pebbles with his shoes.

"So-sorry Winwin, i didn't mean to. You know that I really want for us to always hang out in and out of school. It's just that I always have a lot of things to do."

"Things? What things?" Winwin asked, still consistent with his childish tantrums aura.

 "You know, school stuff and... our family business stuff. You know my dad wants me to be a great heir to his business so he's teaching me a lot about it."

"Tsk. Okay, fine, but please, give yourself some time to enjoy... to be with me... i mean to be with your friends." Winwin lowered his head slightly.

Kun heaved a sigh and rubbed his hands together before speaking. "I'm sorry Winwin. In fact, I-I-I... actually... mi-missed you." Sicheng's eyes widened and he suddenly looked at Kun whose face blushed. "That's why I decided to go to the sleepover." Kun looked in the opposite direction, not wanting to meet the taller's gaze. 

Winwin did the same, feeling his own face turning red and his palms sweating. He never heard such kind of words from his hyung. All he managed to say was a simple "thanks hyung."

The two remained silent for several minutes when they saw Jaehyun, Mina, Doyoung, and V walking towards them. Kun gave the four a shy smile and Winwin only managed to wave at them. Doyoung instantly noticed the uneasiness on Winwin. "Winwin, are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine Doyoung hyung." the Chinese replied in a low voice.

"You sure? You seem... sick." Mina said, checking if he has a fever by putting the back of her right hand on his forehead.

Winwin gave his friends a reassuring smile. "I'm fine guys. What are you saying? Let's go already. We're already late."

"Oh wait before that, Kun this is Jaehyun, Mina's boyfriend, and this is Taehyung hyung. He's my friend and workmate at NCT Blends. He's also a tennant in our house."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Qian Kun. I'm friends with Winwin and the "squad." Kun shook hands with the two newly introduced people to him.

"Okay let's go!" Jaehyun yelled as he took the lead in their short walk to Ten's house.

 Ten's House

"Welcome everyone!" Ten ran out and opened the gate of their house. He hugged everyone before letting them enter. 

"Wow! You have such a big house!" Winwin exclaimed.The others were also shocked at the sight of Ten's family's three-storey elegant house. As soon as they entered, a mini garden welcomed them. Flowers and ornamental plants were all over the front of the house. There was a mini tea table setup near the front door. The house was painted light caramel color and the exteriors looked really expensive. Just one look from the outside and one could already tell that whoever owns the property are totally rich.

The group entered the main house and it didn't disappoint. They were flabbergasted as they saw the intricate interior of the house. There were many expensive looking wall paintings and porcelain miniatures of ballet dancers and town buildings on top of drawers. A 60-inch long flatscreen television was embedded on the wall, in front of it was a high class modern looking maroon sofa with a mini wooden table at the center. There was also a chandelier vertically opposite the table which looks totally expensive as well.

Everyone was ooh-ing and aah-ing at the sight of Ten's majestic house except for Doyoung who had been there several times. Speaking of the oranged-hair guy, he was wearing his circular eyeglasses that day and earlier, while they were walking to the waiting shed, Jaehyun gave him a nickname - Harry Potter.

"Harry Potter! I bet you'd been here before. You don't seem to be surprised." Jaehyun said to the bunny who was helping Ten carry the whole group's stuff to the guest rooms as the others continued to be amazed by the house details.

"Haha, yes. I'd been here many times already. Don't worry, I reacted much worse than everyone the first time Ten invited me here. It seemed like just breaking one vase here could cost me our house and land deed. I was really careful and paranoid!" The two laughed together briefly. Doyoung scooped up V and Kun's bags and placed them on his left shoulder. His stuff, together with Winwin's, were on his other shoulder. "I'll just carry these to the guest rooms."

Jaehyun rushed towards the older grabbing him by his shirt. "Hyung wait! Let me help you." The taller grabbed one bag from each of Doyoung's shoulders and smiled at him.

"Thanks, Jaehyun." Doyoung felt his heartbeat started beating fast. He cleared his throat. "Let's go, let's follow Ten."

Doyoung and Jaehyun found themselves in an alley on the third floor which looked like a hotel filled with room doors.

"Okay, so before you came, I decided to divide us by the number of rooms. So, there are four rooms in total, three guest rooms and my room. I thought that we should get closer to one another, especially those who are new in our group, that's why I assigned roommates for tonight. By the way, Lisa, my cousin, will join us, she just grabbed her stuff in their house next door. Of course, Lisa and Mina will share one room, my room, because they're girls." Ten looked apologetically at Jaehyun. "I'm sorry for that Jaehyun." 

"No, no, that's totally fine. It's not like Mina and I are already married." Doyoung gulped after hearing the sentence. A thought popped out Doyoung's mind: 'already MARRIED? But... she likes someone else, poor Jaehyun. T.T'

Ten continued explaining. "So the guys will occupy the three remaining guest rooms. Winwin and Kun will share the first room." The Thai pointed to the room nearest to them.

"But, aren't they already close enough?" Doyoung asked.

"Yes, but I don't think Kun would be okay sharing a room with somebody else aside from Winwin. He's a shy-type, you know." 

Ten has a point, Doyoung thought. "Yeah, you're right."

"So, me and Taehyung hyung would be on the second room. So that means, you two would share the last guest room there." He pointed at the last room by the end of the hallway.

"Me and Jaehyun!? No way! That can't be...!?" Doyoung almost shouted his words, his cheeks blushing at the thought of him and Jaehyun in a single room. Surprised with that came out of his mouth, he stopped in the middle of his sentence, slowly turning to look at the uneasy Jaehyun. Ten's eyes widened and he gave Doyoung a questioning look. Jaehyun looked at the oranged-haired guy with sad and curious eyes. 

"Maybe we could change the room assignments Ten hyung, seems like Doyoung hyung doesn't want me - " 

Jaehyun was cut off by Doyoung. "No! Jaehyun! That's not what I meant." The bunny waved his hands in front of Jaehyun, gesturing a sign of disaffirmation. Doyoung started panicking inside his mind, thinking of a good excuse for his seemingly rude actions.

"But you said that we can't be - " Doyoung cut off Jaehyun's sentence again. Ten started being suspicious of his best friend. It seems like he's not saying something to him after all this time. 

"What I mean is that, probably Taehyung hyung would be more comfortable to have me as a roommate." Doyoung actually thought that this was a lame excuse and that it seemed like he really wanted to share a room with V, but it's the only thing he can think of during that time.

"Then I guess I'll just share a room with Ten hyung." Jaehyun said flatly.

"No, no, no." Ten shook his index finger in front of the two. "I can't be roommates with you Doyoung, you're my best friend. We're very close already. I know everything about you... well, almost everything. Don't worry, I've known Taehyung hyung for a long time too. C'mon, I'm a frequent visitor of the Blends, we'll be fine. Also, Jaehyun and Mina won't be sharing a room so you two lovebirds won't be allowed as well. Hahaha."

'Now, how could I possibly sleep with Jaehyun on the bed opposite mine in one room. I'll probably just stare at his beautiful sleeping face' Doyoung thought. However, he had no other choice.

"WE'RE NOT LOVEBIRDS CHITTAPHON LEECHAIYAKUL!" the boy with eyeglasses grunted at his best friend. "I just thought, you know, because he's also new in the group. But since you said you'll be fine then no prblem with that. Haha-haha." he laughed nervously. "Don't worry, Jaehyun and I will get along well, right?" Doyoung turned and smiled at Jaehyun. The younger gave him a simple nod; it seemed like he was still offended by what he said earlier. The smile on Doyoung's face vanished and suddenly the atmosphere between the three became totally awkward as silence fell among them.

Ten cleared his throat and decided to break the deafening silence. "By the way, I-I-I still have t-t-to check on our food. Please... just put everyone's bags in their assigned rooms. I'll bring Mina's bag too. I'll head downstairs now." Ten rushed to the stairs, desperately wanting to escape the awkward situation.

Doyoung was dumbfounded. He didn't know what to say or do. He could not even look at Jaehyun now. He felt really stupid. How could Chittaphon leave him in this situation?

"Let's go hyung." Jaehyun said, grabbing Winwin and Kun's bags and putting them inside the two's respective room. Doyoung just watched him, dozing off at the sight of a hurt Jaehyun. He felt totally guilty.

"Ahhhmmm... I'm to-totally so-so-sorry earlier, Jaehyun."

"Don't worry about it hyung. It's fine." Jaehyun flashed his angelic smile at Doyoung; however, for some reason, the older saw sadness in his eyes.

"I didn't mean it that way, I promise." 

"C'mon hyung. It's fine. I understand, I just thought you didn't want to be my roommate because you don't like me but you actually just wanted to share a room with Taehyung hyung. Hahaha. Don't think about it too much." Doyoung felt half-relieved seeing Jaehyun smiling at him. 

"Oh my god, please stop shipping me with hyung. That's like you know, he's like an older brother to me. Anyway, it's good to hear that you weren't offended." Doyoung sighed in relief. He grabbed his bag and Jaehyun's too. "I'll put our stuff in our room." Doyoung internally cringed - "our room."

Doyoung opened the last room on the aisle. His mouth dropped open as soon as he did it. Jaehyun waited for him on the hallway. "Hyung, are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Doyoung entered the room and put down their bags near the closet on the left side of the room. "Chittaphon, you little rat, how come you did not tell me there's only one bed!?" Doyoung asked the thin air of the white room, his voice echoing on its walls.

Dinner at Ten's House

When Doyoung and Jaehyun went back downstairs, their friends were already seated on the long dining table. The dining area has a vintage look with a long wooden dining table and chairs designed with gold details. Lots of food were waiting for them including Kimbap, Bulgogi, Chicken, Japchae, and many more Korean foods partnered with some Thai foods.

"Everyone! Dig in!" Ten yelled. Everyone started munching on the delicious foods. The dining room soon became filled with sounds of chewing, crunching, and drinking.

"People really do become quiet when eating, we seem like we don't know each other." Jaehyun remarked and everyone laughed.

 "Sorry I'm late." Everyone paused for a moment and stared at the newly arrived Lisa with sleeping clothes in her arms. 

"Oh, everyone, I would like you to meet Lisa. She's my cousin and she will join us for tonight." 

Lisa waved at the surprised group of friends. "Hello everyone, nice to meet you!" She gave them a big, warm smile. 

The friends welcomed her and asked her to eat with them. Ten discreetly eyed his cousin during the rest of the dinner, trying to observe if she would be "interested" in one of his friends.

After several minutes, cries of "I'm so full" and "That was superb!" filled the room. Winwin was rubbing his tummy and dozing off on his chair. Doyoung hadn't eaten as much as he expected; it seemed like he was not in the mood to eat a lot. 

"Everyone! Are you ready for the main dish for tonight?" Ten asked, his eyes sparkled and his smile looked so wicked.

"WHAT?" everyone cried.

"There's more? But, we're so full already." Mina complained.

"Don't worry Mina-san. Only three people would have the privilege to taste our main dish." Ten clapped his hands twice in the air. "Lisa, bring in the bomb!"

Lisa stood up and went out of the dining room. Everyone waited for her return. After several seconds, she came back with a bowl of Ten's Super Mega Hot Si