Chapter 5: Coconut Shampoo and Rednecks

Taeyang’s POV

I sigh in contentment as the warmth of the morning sun plays across my face. I hug my pillow and shift in my sleepy state. I know I should get up and ready for my morning run, but the bed is just so comfortable. Mattress seems to be clouds. I let a small smile spread onto my lips as it dawns on me. I did not hear my alarm clock. That is when I smell it, food. The smell of cooking meat and bread fills my senses. I slowly start to hear the beep of an oven and humming. Humming? I crack one of my sleepy eyes open to see petite, fuzzy purple house slippers in front of me. I let my gaze follow up the body to see none other than Emily standing over me.

“You awake yet, sleep-head?” She smiles down at me. I cannot help but stare at her honey skin and the slight red sunburn on her cheeks. She just gives a small giggle and goes back to the small kitchen. Her hips swaying under the large t-shirt to the music that plays in background. The movement sends the smell of cinnamon to my nose bringing back, with a sudden force the memories of last night.

~~~

“Umm…” I mutter as my eyelids droop slightly with exhaustion momentarily.

“Come on in. You look dead on your feet.” I feel her hand on my arm as I am pulled into the apartment.

I stare at the small space around me. Her home is more like a large closet than a room. The once white walls are steak with yellow. The kitchen, if one can call it that, consist of a small fridge, sink, stove and oven, and one small counter all crammed into the corner of the room. A door leading to what I think must be the bathroom on the other side of the “kitchen.” The main part of the room is filled with a table and desk with art supplies and comic books stacked against the stained walls. I glance over to my right to see a half of a bed protruding out of a closet. The place reeks of poverty. I think of my fine clothes, nice apartment, and my multiple cars making my face tighten. “…well this is it my humble little abode.” I catch the end of whatever Emily is saying as she pulls me to a worn-out sofa. “Here sit down, you have to be tired. I’ll start up some grub.” She skips away from me before I can say anything. So I content myself to continue staring at the small space. I see the moving boxes in the corner filled with possessions she has yet to unpack. I see her sleeping kittens on the mattress in the closet. I notice the ink spills and other stains on the tables and the loose artworks on the desk. Then my eyes come to rest on the posters. I see posters of American books and movies. Manga posters cover the yellow-tinted walls, but that is not what makes a sudden laugh escape me. K-pop group posters are scattered also on the walls as more of an attempt to hide the awful color. I see my own face staring back at me on a recent Big Bang poster.

“You have a Big Bang poster,” I smirk. Emily turns to look at the poster only to roll her eyes.

“Don’t feel too special. I have lots of other groups’ posters too. I am a bit of a poster collector if you can tell.” She gestures to the wall which has about 50 posters plastered it.

I just smile and walk over to her small kitchen. “What’s for dinner?” I glance in the open refrigerator.

“Hmm well I hope you don’t mind, but I’m not actually familiar with Korean food.” She gives me a shy smile. “I can cook rice and whip up some seaweed, but I haven’t really been able to learn much. I have American food if that is all right with you.” She pulls out some tins from the fridge and turns to face me.

“Emily, American food is totally fine.” I look at the tin. “I’m starving, what’s in the tin?”

She smiles brightly at me. “Oh just some leftovers, I made some macaroni and cheese for my assistants yesterday.”

“Assistants?”

“Oh,” She whirls around to face me, her eyes wide. “I totally forgot to tell you! I got assistants!”

I laugh, “Again, assistants?”

“Opps, I forgot. You don’t know. When a Manhwa becomes popular enough, the artist gets assistants to help out. Because I’m handling a monthly series and a weekly series I have assistants to help get it all done in time. You should meet them some time. They are really great guys. They are a hoot!” She giggles and goes back to cooking.

I shake my head at her weird choice of words and walk up behind her. “Is there anything I can help with? I hate to sit here and not assist after you were kind enough to invite me in.”

“Well there isn’t really anything for you to do seeing how the food is all leftovers. Again, sorry about that, I should make something since I invited you in.” I watch her pouts slightly as the she uncovers the food and places it on some plates.

“It’s fine. What for supper?” I smile liking the way the words sound.

 “Oh just some home-made Mac n’ cheese with roasted broccoli. It is really good, trust me. You can dip the broccoli in the melted cheese and eat it together.” I stare at the meal. The Mac n’ cheese does not look like any Mac n’ cheese I have ever had. Though I have only had it once and it was the instant kind. Broccoli? I have eaten broccoli lots of times, but never roasted. Normally it is on my Kalbi and other beef meals, but plain? I snap out of my thoughts when Emily roars with laughter. Yes, I said roars, because that is how Emily laughs most of the time. Not the shy giggles most girls do. No, when she laughs her whole body laughs.

Suddenly I stiffen as I feel her head rest on my shoulders. Her body presses lightly on mine and her shoulders still shake with silence laughter. I wait unmoving as my mind races with possibilities so fast I cannot even comprehend them. Instead of the unthinkable she just lifts her head to stare down at me. Her light blue eyes glistening with tears of laughter and she smirks at me. I try to hide the blush that starts to creep up my neck and I already know that my ears are as red as tomatoes. How could I have thought those thoughts…

 “Dude, you should have seen your face!” She cracks up laughing again leaning back against the counter. With the sudden space between us I let out a breath that I did not know I have been holding, as I watch her try to compose herself. She peeks up at me from her bent-over state of laughter. I watch her eyes slowly roam down my body making me blush fully. Realization passes through her eyes as she sees the uncomfortable shift of my feet to the blush and shocked expression on my face.

“Oh I am so sorry. I made you uncomfortable didn’t I?” I open my mouth to reply, but she cuts me off. “I am sorry.” She shakes her head and clears the tears of laughter from her eyes. “I have to remind myself that Koreans like their space. Again I’m sorry if I have made you uncomfortable. I’m so use to hugging and being close to my friends. Ugh, I am still trying to break the habit.” She smiles apologetically to me and pulls the plates for the microwave.

“Umm… It is fine.” When she raises a questionable eyebrow at me I try to compose myself, “really it is fine. You just… startled me.” I can tell she doesn’t believe one word, but she shrugs it off taking our plates over to one of the tables.

“I hugged one of my assistants yesterday.” She snickers, “scared the poor man to death. His whole body turned beat red. Funniest thing I have seen all week till I saw your reaction to the food.” She falls into a fit of giggles again as she takes her seat. “It was like I was describing brains and intestines for us to eat.” I smile contemplating what happened. It is not like it was uncomfortable. Actually it was far from it, instead it was just different. Just different… plus we are just friend anyways. What’s the hurt in a little hug? Making my decision I shyly stare at my food.

“Umm it is ok.” I mutter.

“Hmm?” She just stares at me with one eyebrow raised and a chopstick in .

“…To hug… Umm you can hug me… when you want…” I glance at her face as realization flashes across it. I gulp, “YoucanhugwheneveryouwantIdonotmind,” I say all in one breath. I clear my throat, avoiding her face.

“Okie-dokie!” I hear her say with a giggle. “Just remember, you gave me permission.” I glance up to see a mischievous glitter in her eyes.

I just smile at her playfulness unsure what to say as my shyness kicks in. So instead I stare at the food in front of me. Don’t get me wrong. It look delicious if not a little strange. I watch Emily coat her broccoli in the Mac n’ cheese before shoving the greasy substance into . I glance down at it before taking a bite out of my cheesy noodles. It is delicious. I can’t help the smile that slides onto my face.

“This is really good, Emily! Where did you learn to cook this?” I stare in wonder at her as I scoop the Mac n’ cheese into my mouth.

“Slow down there partner. You will give yourself a stomach ache. Oh it isn’t that good. My grandma makes it so much better. She is the one that taught me. Try eating it with the broccoli.”

I do not even reply and only progress to try and dip the broccoli into the cheesy stuff. “Where are you from anyways?”

She smiles at that. “Pfh I am from the middle of nowhere.” She rolls her eyes. “You would not guess it, but I’m from the Deep South; Sweet Water, Tennessee in the good old USA to be more precise.” She gives me a goofy grin.

“Sweet Water?”

“Oh… hmm… how do I go about explaining this… do you know what a redneck is?” I give her my best blank stare. A what…? “What about a hillbilly? Every heard of that?”

“Oh yeah! Like a country person, with the weird accents. We have those here too.”

She roars with laughter at my comment and I can’t help but give her an eyebrow raise. Did I say something funny? “Well I am a hillbilly.”

I roll my eyes. “You are far from being a hillbilly. Aren’t they supposed to not have any sense of fashion? Long hair? Oh, and the accent.”

She gives me a devious grin. “Now don’ know what you be talkin’ about. I is as redneck as redneck gets, yesss sir’.” She says in a weird English accent. I crack up. Dropping my chopsticks and holding my stomach to try and contain my laughter. “See I told you. I have redneck blood coursing through these veins. That’s why the food is so good. That Mac n’ cheese is my grandma’s own hillbilly recipe.”

“Well it is very good.” I say after my fits of laughter subside. I dip some broccoli into the cheese again and take a bite to see her sigh.

“Tsh, let me see that.” She says gesturing to my chopsticks. With a funny look at her I hand over the chopsticks. “Here this is how you eat broccoli and Mac n’ cheese.” I watch her pick up a broccoli and then drown it in the cheesy noodles before bringing it to my mouth. I just stare at her. “Come on open up.” I blush and smile opening my mouth for her to feed me. She just rolls her eyes and leans back in her seat after returning my chopsticks to my plate.

“Thank-you I am well informed now in the ways of broccoli Mac n’ cheese eating, sensei.” I bow.

 She smirks, “I had the hardest time finding an American market that sells this stuff, but after some digging around I found this little fresh market that sells most of the American ingredients I need. Oh and don’t even get my started on trying to find an oven in this city. It took my ages to find an apartment in my price range that has an oven. Plus the only reason this apartment has one is because the last renter got permission to have one installed because he or her was a foreigner too! The irony of it all.”

I laugh at her and the night continues on with her ramblings.

~~~

I take in the scene around me. I am still in my swim clothes from yesterday and lying on Emily’s mattress in her closet. I flinch as Tabi bites my moving fingers. I pat his head and move the sleeping George from his place on top of me. How…

I get up and walk over to Emily. “Why am I still here?”

Emily glances back at me. “You fell asleep on my sofa. Remember, you sat down on it while I cleaned up. You were out like a light. I didn’t want to wake you so I moved you over to the bed and slept on the couch.”

I vaguely remember sitting on her sofa. “Wait… you moved me?”

“Yeah, surprisingly you are not too heavy, and I couldn’t just leave you on that lumpy sofa.”

I raise my eyebrows. “So you carried me to your bed and slept on the couch instead?” I sigh. “Why didn’t you just wake me…”

“You were sleeping! You looked so tired too.” She smiles down at me. “Anyways I am making some breakfast! Why don’t you take a shower and change into your spare clothes? You do not want to just walk around in your clothes from yesterday smelling like chlorine.”

I open my mouth to protest, but I stop myself and sigh inward. She has a point. “Thank-you Emily, truly.”

She smiles a million dollar smile. “No worries, that is what friends are for. Now go take a shower. I’ll have some breakfast ready when you get out.”

I nod and go into the small bathroom. With a sigh I close the door and run my hands over my face. What have I gotten myself into? I can see the scandals now. Big Bang’s Taeyang is seen exiting a female’s apartment this morning. I sigh. To make matters worse, Emily looks way to… ugh. I lean back against the door and close my eyes. We are friends. Friends… Yet I can’t help the heat that rises to my face when I picture through my close eyelids. I see her face. Her smiling so cute at me with that slight sunburn on her cheeks or her big, light blue eyes twinkling at me. Then there is that bed-head. Her short blonde hair tousled so cutely on her head with some of it hanging in her face. Not to mention her outfit. A over-sized T-shirt, what is she thinking? Did she even have shorts on under that? I can see those long smooth legs… sigh. I run a hand over my head. Sheesh, I realize we are friends and all, but she needs to remember that I’m a guy for crying out loud. I glance down at my personal rising tent. Ugh… cold shower.

I sigh as I dry myself off with a towel. My schedule runs through my head. I am late. The band is preparing for our concert and I am here at a girl’s house instead of with my members practicing. Sighing again deep in thought, hope could I have been thinking of her that way? She is my friend! I let the guilt course through me as I look for my spare clothes. Where are they? Crap.  I freeze; I left them in my bag. Letting another sigh shudder through me I shyly wrap the towel around my waist.

Absentmindedly I step out of the crack of the open door. “Umm… Er… Emily I seem to have-” I stop midsentence as I look up to take in the scene around me. Four pairs of eyes stare unblinking back at me. I stare wide-eye back at them unable to move. Three males sit around the table. I see the art supplies stacked on the table and the hot plates of food. Emily stands with a plate of food as she opens and closes like a fish out of water, at me, now (thank God) in a pair of skinny jeans under her large T-shirt. And I stand there in all my glory, in front of three strangers and my friend. What a morning.

“Y-young Bae, do you need something?”

Her words snapping me out of my shocked state, “y-yes I forgot my spare clothes in my bag.” I watch her set down her food and grab my clothes from my bag. As she hands them to me she mouths ‘sorry’ to me before I disappear into the bathroom again.

I shake my head the whole time I am putting on my clothes hoping that it will somehow be erased for history. So embarrassing! I sigh. What will they think of Emily now having some guy come out of her bathroom in only a towel? I square my shoulders and brace myself as I walk through the door once more ready to defend my friend’s reputation no matter how embarrassed I feel.

I walk into the small room once again to see, once again three males all staring at me open-mouthed. Gathering up some courage I give them all a small unsure smile and a bow.

“Hello, I’m Dong Young Bae. Nice to meet you all…” I give an awkward smile.

“Yes, yes we all know who you… obviously.” The one with curly black hair says giving me the once over. “I’m Jang Hyun Shik. This is Min Ji Hoo.” Pointing to a shy, nerdy looking boy, “and this is Woo Dong Minhe.” He gestures to the guy with long hair.

“N-nice to meet you…” The nerdy guys says not even meeting my eyes while the other just nods in my direction.

I hear Emily sigh next to me. “I’m so sorry Young Bae. They weren’t supposed to be here till noon, but when I sent them a text that there would be food they all came running over here.” She gives a small sad smile, her eyes full of guilt. “I guess they like my cooking too much. Anyways, Young Bae these are my assistants,” she gestures to the small group.

“Hrm, so Emily is banging Taeyang…” CRACK! The sound echoes in the small space as I stare in shock at the scene before me. Emily glares daggers at Woo Dong Minhe as he rubs the back of his head where she had popped him.

“Um… Emily,” I say alarmed.

“What did you just say?!” Emily hisses staring a hole through Woo Dong Minhe.

“Well… I-I just guessed since he did come out of your shower in nothing but his manhood and a towel!” Woo Dong Minhe stutters gesturing wildly to me. I lean back against the poster covered wall, running a hand over my blushing face. This could not get any worse…

Emily sighs and flops down in a chair her face echoing my thoughts. “No Minhe, Young Bae and I are just friends. We hung out yesterday and I invited him in for dinner. He was so tired he ended up passing out on my sofa. That is why he is here this morning and that is why he came out of the shower. Please…” I shift my gaze to her at her pleading words. “Don’t make any trouble for Young Bae. He is my very good friend. But in all reality I am a female and he is male. It doesn’t matter how good of friends we are, because if the media gets a hold of this… It could ruin him. Please keep it to yourselves. You can’t tell anyone.” I freeze at her words as a pit in my stomach starts to form. She is defending me. She needs to be worrying about the fact that these men just indirectly called her a ! That her reputation could be ruined by them, that I have fans that could eat her for breakfast! Instead… she is defending me? “Please guys, for me.” I blink at her words.

“E-Emily, it is okay. You do not need to be worrying about me. I mean this could-”

“No, No this is not okay Young Bae. I know how hard you work. I won’t have these knuckle-heads ruining that for you.”

“But Emily-”

“It’s okay.” I turn at the sound of the curly-haired boy’s voice. “We won’t say anything. You do not have to worry.” I could hear the bitterness in the boy’s voice. I frown at him slightly but say thank-you. Why is he bitter? Did he want to tell? Then I see it in his eyes when he turns his gaze to Emily. Jealousy. He is jealous of me. The guy likes Emily I realize with surprise. But the thought does not comfort me. Instead I have the strange urge to kick him out of the apartment. Shaking off the feeling I turn to Emily.

“I think I should go now.”

Emily instantly gets up from her spot at the table. “You cannot go without some breakfast.”

“It’s okay. I am already late for practice and I do not want to get into trouble.”

“Well how are you going to be able to practice on an empty stomach? Come on, eat real quickly, and then leave. You will do better on a full stomach.” She says stubbornly.

“You might as well eat. You won’t win against her.” I shake my head and smile knowing that the long-haired guy is right. There is no fighting her.

~~~

“Come on let me do it.” I laugh. “I am a grown man; I can get my own food.”

“No, no, no, I am the owner of this apartment and you are my guest. Sit!” I laugh as Emily pouts at me, keeping the food away from my grasp. I hear the assistants laughing behind me. It is awkward. Or at least it would be if Emily had an awkward bone in her body. So instead we are all laughing at her silliness.

“Come on super star, sit down and let the woman do as she pleases.” Jang Hyun Shik smirks patting the open chair next to him. I redundantly turn away from the kitchen and take a seat next to the cocky assistant.

Scramble eggs, biscuits, and bacon are for breakfast. I smile at Emily’s American meal. I need to teach her some Korean cooking sometime. I am given a little insight on Emily’s family when she sits down with us to eat. I learn about her assistants and try to keep myself out of the topics of conversation. They still question me about how Emily and I met and such. I keep it all general and polite before I finally make my escape from the crowded room.

I intake a deep breath of nonbacon-filtered air, glad to be out of the apartment, I start down the hall. “Wait, Young Bae!” I turn to see Emily sprinting towards me.

“Yes?”

“You forgot your hat, silly.” She grins at me, holding my beanie.

“Oh, thank-you Emily. I can’t believe I forgot it. Thanks again for the food.” I reach out for my beanie.

She laughs reaching up and pulls the beanie down on my head. “No problem bud. It’s the least I can do for how much fun I had yesterday.” Her grins ear to ear at me and I feel her hot breath of my face. “Good luck with practice,” she whispers in my ear as I feel her arms come around me in a little hug. Before I manage to get my voice to work again she is already skipping back to her apartment.

~~~

I sigh as I reach the door of the dance room. I am a mess. It was too late to change cars, so I had to drive my “drug car” to YG and be seen in it by fans. Not to mention my hair is dripping down my back as I didn’t have time to dry it. Then there is the fact that I can still feel the heat of blush on my face from Emily’s good-bye. On top of all of that I am over an hour late and I am never late. Never.

I walk into the studio to see my members and dance instructor busy in the middle of a dance. “Young Bae!” I glance up sheepishly with the seemingly permanent smile plastered on my face (thanks to Emily), to see that my instructor is glaring at me and all my members staring with curiosity. “Do you realize how late you are?!”

I bow low, “I’m sorry sir, I over-slept. It will not happen again.” I straighten up only to be grabbed by Ji Yong.

“You, late? Pfh! Come on what is it? Finally break into the beer?” I glance sideways to see Ji Yong grinning playfully at me.

“The early-bird Young Bae is an hour late. This needs to be written down into history.” Seungri says dramatically. I roll me eyes and smile at them. As I start to defend myself I see Ji Yong smirking evilly at me.

“Wow Young Bae, what is it…” He sniffs my clothes. “Coconut?” I stiffen and curse inward. The only body-wash and shampoo in Emily’s shower was scented. The other members give me curious looks as Dae Sung sniffs the air around me.

“You do smell like coconut…” I gulp at his words as the whole room seems to freeze in tension. That is until Ji Yong burst out laughing causing everyone else to follow suit. I relax as Ji Yong tries to catch his breath. I am safe.

The dance instructor yells at us to stop wasting time. We all fall into positions, but not before Ji Yong whispers to me, “Just keep in mind, no matter how you fall, there is always a bottom.”

TEYDADDY @Realtaeyang

Hello all! I learned a new term today, Redneck. Apparently they are really good are at cooking. Anyone ever had Redneck cooking? Mine came in the form of good Mac n’ Cheese! God Bless!

Author’s Note

Hrhrhrhr  What do you all think our Kwon Leader means? A warning? Advise? Maybe a little bit of foreshadowing…?  >:3

Finally~ The fifth chapter is finished!!! Sigh this chapter just feels so long to me. It is actually two chapters in one thanks to the voting for him to stay. This chapter was actually 5 or 6 pages longer, but I felt that it dragged of FOREVER, so I cut some details. I will be posting a made-up Young Bae twitter at the ends of each chapter to give my lovely readers a taste of his point-of-view. I originally made his Twitter something deep, but after some thought and a little observation I realized that his Twitters are always so light and happy. I’m sorry about the wait, school and getting ready for college is really pressing on me, so the chapters may be slow till May. Also, I promise the story will be getting less fluffy soon. I’ll throw in some twists to keep all my wonderful readers interested till the main event happens. :D

Thank-you all for the views, subscribes, and comments.

Silent readers… come out of hiding and comment~ <3