“Hnnnnnnnnngh…” Gikwang groaned. “Hyung, I can’t finish it,” he whined, prodding the last bit of steak around his plate.

“Don’t look at me like that, it’s not like it was my steak anyway…” Doojoon mumbled. The stress of the recent events was starting to catch up, and he could barely make his eyes stay open. Add that to the ache in his arms, courtesy of Dongwoon, and he was ready to pass out. With a sigh, he dropped his head onto Hyunseung’s shoulder, eyes closed, eliciting a small smile from his dongseng.

“But hyungggg,” Gikwang pleaded, dropping his fork and clasping his hands. “I’m so full… Can I just leave it?”

“Araso,” Doojoon sighed tiredly.

Still smiling slightly, Hyunseung jiggled his shoulder, making Doojoon flap his hand at him to stop. “Tired, hyung?”

“Mm…”

Da Eun had been struggling to sit up throughout the exchange. Aided by Dongwoon, she finally succeeded. “It’s so wasteful,” she murmured. “I’ll eat it then. After all, it was mine first,” she declared, dragging the plate slowly across the table. Gikwang watched in fascination as Da Eun sawed lethargically at the meat. It was obvious that she was already full, and quite tired as well. At her side, Dongwoon furrowed his brow in concern.

Yoseob watched as she stoically took a bite and chewed laboriously. Huh, I wonder if its another result of not having much cash, this aversion to leaving food; even if it’s just a small bit like that. Fascinating, he mused. But she’s full… Anyone can see that she’s forcing herself. He agonized for a couple of seconds over relieving her, but before he could act, the steak was whisked away by another fork.

“Wha-“ Da Eun started to protest, but stopped as she saw who had taken it.

Without a word, Junhyung began to get rid of the meat with quick, efficient bites.

Frowning drowsily, Da Eun tried to formulate a coherent sentence. After a couple of false starts, she blinked her eyes open and mumbled: “Oppa-“

“Hm?” Junhyung looked up calmly, chewing.

“Uhm…” Da Eun was stumped. “Nothing. Gomawo, oppa,” she murmured, wild-shy. Returning to her previous position, she ducked her head back under Dongwoon’s chin and closed her eyes, a smile on her lips.

Hmph. I could have finished it for her, Dongwoon thought grumpily. But as Da Eun’s head lay on his shoulder, he came to a resolution. He would quit being jealous of the others; after all, it wasn’t as if she was his girl. He couldn’t keep her from talking to other men, just because of some petty, unreasonable jealousy; what a hateful prospect. The maknae sighed and settled, finally relaxing as he came to the decision. Asleep and feeling the muscles beneath her loosening, Da Eun smiled and turned, nose coming to rest in the hollow of Dongwoon’s throat, cheek pressed against his shoulder.

Junhyung finished the last of the steak and wiped his mouth. Wow, he was full. He usually didn’t eat this much, but what could he do? That girl really was something… He couldn’t decide what it was that drew him to her like no other girl had done before. He’d never felt the urge to please someone like he’d felt it for her. His life was turning upside down and he wasn’t sure he knew if he wanted to stop it, much less how to stop it. Sighing, he leaned back and donned his headphones.

Yoseob narrowed his eyes. Junhyung sure was playing it up. How like him, to tease and then do something nice. Bait and hook, it was. Yoseob could never understand how as soon as Junhyung decided to play, all the women came flocking at the slightest twitch of his finger. What was it about his bipolarity, his ability to go from cold to hot, that got their hormones surging? So unfair, he sighed. And then there was their maknae, Woonie. Why this girl, of all the girls they had introduced to him before? What was it about Da Eun that made their unapproachable maknae so vulnerable?

Hyunseung felt Yoseob tense beside him as they watched Da Eun sleep on Dongwoon’s shoulder. Casting his eyes away from the sight, he gave a self-mocking smile. Jang Hyunseung, you are not yourself. Look at you! As soon as one girl appears, suddenly you’re jealous of every one of your brothers. For shame! You babo, what has gotten into you? You stop it this instant, he scolded himself. He forced himself to look again at Da Eun, laying peacefully on his dongseng’s shoulder. Look, she’s just tired. Just tired… If it were you sitting there, the same thing would happen, he reassured himself. So stop this nonsense. Da Eun won’t like it if you’re just jealous all the time.

Gikwang contemplated the girl sleeping across from him. She was quite intriguing. Normally, he went for the y, flirty, party girls, one of whom Da Eun obviously was not. However, she had her own charm, oblivious of it though she was. She was cute, definitely caring; quite unlike his usual type. Yet he still felt an undeniable attraction towards her. He wanted to protect her, something he had never felt towards a girl before. How strange…

Doojoon, half-asleep, glimpsed through his eyelashes Da Eun lying on Dongwoon’s shoulder again. Ah, Da Eun. Ever since you rejected me, I’ve wanted to make you change your mind. But I’ve since discovered that I’m not only pursuing you to prove you wrong; I’ve actually become quite fond of you. I won’t push you, then. I’ll just be your friend, a protector, always here if you want to talk. Anytime. Smiling, he closed his eyes and fell into sleep.