"Why are you guys here again?" 

Despite my groggy state, I distinctly heard the tingling of utensils in the kitchen over the voice of Chen talking to me right now. He gave me an eye roll of the century before tucking me into my bed again, mumbling something under his breath that sounded like me being a kid. 

"Because someone sounded like she was dying on the other end of the line when I called about dinner together," Chen, my part-time mother, said flatly. "I don't care, Chanyeol and I are staying over tonight." 

It seemed like there wasn't much space for negotiation, because Chen had already laid out their sleeping bags on the couch in the living room even before they ushered me into my bedroom. I was about to rebut Chen when Chanyeol came in with a steaming hot bowl of chicken porridge and placed it carefully by my bedside. 

"Your empty fridge is the second saddest thing I've seen all year," Chanyeol said, "and the number of take-out boxes in your trash can is the first." Chen let the taller male nag at me while he attempted to feed me the porridge. I accepted the food but refused to let him do the feeding. 

"Guys, I am 30. And you guys have actual partners at home, you can't just spontaneously decide to sleep over. We're not 13. I don't want Hojung and Xiumin to hate me." I let out another strong of rather violent coughs, and I could feel my cheeks burning. 

The two guys refused to yield. 

"You underestimate them too much. I'll let you know that Hojung was the one who cooked the porridge and asked me to deliver some over. And when I said I might want to stay over along with Chen, she was the one who stuffed sleeping bag into my arms. If she didn't need to watch the shop, she would've come with me," Chanyeol beamed at me in triumph, although I was pretty sure it was out of pride for his understanding wife, rather than winning me in an argument. "And there's no hoe over bro in this group. We may be near 30 but if you're sick and I have to be an 18 year old teenager to stay over again, I will be that 18 year old teenager."

"If you think Xiumin is going to worry about me spending a night over at your place with Chanyeol, I'm telling you now that you don't have the ability to turn me straight, and Chanyeol simply does not have any appeal. He wanted to come too but he thought the three of us should get some time for throwbacks and old time's sake." 

At this point, my tired feverish mind was simply bombarded by the chain of words that were spewing out of the two chatter-boxes, but eventually I did get the idea that I should be grateful for the two couples for their generosity and friendship. Surrendering to their scary insistence, I stayed in bed and ate the porridge quietly as the two watched me wordlessly. 

"Feels a lot more spacious and quieter in your house now," Chanyeol said mindlessly, "must be nice to be free from all his dates." 

Chen, in contrast, continued staring at me with a creased brow that never left his face. 

"You've been frowning a lot at me lately," I croaked with my sore throat, "just say what's wrong." 

There was a momentary silence, and I could tell from his expression that he was trying to phrase his words nicely. 

"You're what's wrong." 

Well I guess I was wrong about Chen being sensitive, because he could also be the bluntest in the group when he wanted to. 

"You need to get your life together. Seriously, take-out food all the time? Refusing care when ill? We know you're in a bad mood but you really just have to say it you know. The house is neat but your life and you are a mess." 

Beside Chen, Chanyeol nodded gravely. 

"Don't pull that face Yeol, it makes me feel like there is a real problem." 

"There is a real problem, you just refuse to acknowledge it," Chen continued. Even on my best day, I was no match for Chen in an argument. I wasn't going to try on a day I could barely get out of bed. 

I decided to ignore his comment and sipped on my remaining food quietly. A part of me knew I was faltering, but I refused to let it show. 

"You feel that the house is too big and empty," Chanyeol said out of nowhere. It wasn't meant to be a snide, just a matter-of-fact observation. Yet it seemed to hurt even more than Chen blatantly trying to talk sense into me. It was how careful and gentle