Mansion. Friday. 15:10

“I was wondering who was emitting such a dark aura. It was you,” Xiumin’s voice came from the kitchen door.

(Jeonghan and Mingyu looked up as if saying ‘more intruders’. Jeonghan whispered to the other, “I’m quitting if this keeps going on. It’s hard enough to contain this emo looking guy. Do you know what he did? He told me I look like his close friend and kept asking me strange questions. Who am I? Psychiatrist? It’s getting really creepy,” and shuddered.)

Sehun who was absent-mindedly wiping the silver kettle jumped in his seat. “You surprised me.”

“What are you doing?” Xiumin asked with a little smile.

(Mingyu whispered “Creeping us”.)

“I’m just trying to clean this stain. No matter how much I wipe, it just won’t go away,” Sehun blankly answered, still rubbing.

His brother looked at him for a while and sat across the table. “Do you have something on your mind? You clean only when something is bothering you.”

Sehun looked at him and suddenly pouted. “No.”

It wasn’t hard for Xiumin to guess it was a girl-problem. “Anir?”

Sehun stiffened for a moment and continued cleaning vigorously. Silently.

(Two cooks looked at each other.)

“Did you meet her?” 

“She’s too busy to talk to me. I don’t want to be a nuisance to her,” he said bitterly. “What’s the point in living together if we can’t even talk for 10 minutes,” he added quietly.

Xiumin did understand why he was so upset. Ever since she decided to go with Luhan to the Ball, the only time they got to meet her was during the meal. Even then she was busy entertaining Xiao and Joy.

"Okay. Stop rubbing that. Silver still affects us,” Xiumin took the pot after seeing his fingers were started to get sickly blue.

(Jeonghan signaled to Mingyu “Silver? Sound familiar to you?”, “Yeah.”)

“Why does she never ask me to go with her anymore? She always brings that Cups guy along,” he mumbled.

(Jeonghan muttered “Not Cups. It’s S.Coups.”)

"Are you being jealous now?” Xiumin was amused. Sehun was not the type to get jealous. When he was little, everything was offered to him without being asked. And he had nothing that he passionately wanted either.
“I’m not!!” he protested. “I’m just worried about her.”

“...” [Yeah. Right,] Xiumin thought.

(They whispered in unison “Yeah. Right.”)

“They even went on a date!” 

“Date?”

(Jeonghan looked angry and was ready to fight a while Mingyu tried to hold him down in the background.)

"Yeah! They even watched a circus together!!”

(Mingyu whispered, “Ah, that mafia den.” Xiumin looked at him sharply for a split second and two cooks felt what it’s like to have a heart attack. After Xiumin looked away, Mingyu clutched his heart and dragged Jeonghan away.)

Xiumin looked at Sehun with no expression. [I think... he’s misunderstanding something.]

“You were the one who let her have a different bodyguard when we suggested you to be hers.”

"I know... But it seemed like I would bring her bad luck.”

[Oh, so angsty. I watched this scene from dramas!] Xiumin remembered one particular drama and hit his heart.

"You okay?” Sehun asked with a mildly concerned voice.

Xiumin waved his hand “Yeah. It's nothing. By the way, what do you mean?”

"... She almost died twice because of me. It’s better if I’m not too close to her.” 

That was something he didn’t know. “What happened?”