"I’ve long believed that good food, good eating, is all about risk…food, for me, has always been an adventure."

— Anthony Bourdain

Though there were still some awkward moments—especially the recent dinner Su Min was desperately trying to forget—her relationship with Kai had improved over the past couple of days. Instead of being acknowledged by his usual icy stares and cold gestures, she was now greeted with warm smiles, soft laughs, and gentle gazes.

She could tell he was trying his hardest to make this friendship work, so she, too, was giving it her all to push away the uneasiness still lingering within herself.

|| …………… ||

Two days prior to their private concert at Hansaeng Preparatory, they received an invitation to participate in a benefit concert for education. The non-profit event had numerous guest speakers and featured top K-pop groups including Twice, Red Velvet, BTS, NCT 127, Blackpink and of course, EXO. Collaborating with each other, the group of idols presented an outstanding and breathtaking last-minute performance that not only reaped a significant amount of donations, but also melted the hearts of millions of fans.

|| Seoul Olympic Stadium ||

Once they finished their segment, the nine members headed backstage to their dressing room where Woojin and Su Min were finalizing the schedule for their next concert. Despite the tiring performance, the men entered the room completely energized and excited. They were ready to enjoy their first full break in weeks.

Since this was the first time she and Chanyeol were free at the same time, they decided to spend the rare one night and one day together, relaxing at the condo with a homemade dinner and a movie marathon, just like how they used to back in New York.

After changing out of his stage clothes, Chanyeol walked up to Su Min with that usual dimpled smile on his face. "I’ll swing by the dorm first to pick up some things before I head over," he informed her as he straightened out his shirt's collar.

"Okay," she replied with a slight nod. "Then I'll stop by the grocery store. Is there anything specific you want to eat?" she asked, still undecided about which dish to make.

"Hm," he mumbled, letting his eyes wander around as he thought about the question. He flashed another smile her way and shook his head. "No, I'm fine with anything," he answered as he tucked some loose strands of hair behind her ear. 

Standing not too far away, Kai couldn't help but eavesdrop on their little chat. As much as he wanted to turn away and block out everything, his curiosity still got the best of him.

Su Min briefly met his eyes and seeing the discomfort behind them, she slightly backed away from Chanyeol. She had no way of knowing just how Kai really felt about Chanyeol and her spending that much time alone together, but from the years that she has known him, she could tell from his pokerfaced expression that he wasn't too fond of the idea.

Too focused on Kai, Su Min failed to realize he wasn’t the only one listening in on their short conversation.

After gathering enough information, the charming bacon approached from the side and joined the discussion.

"Su Min," Baekhyun interrupted as he continued to layer his body with clothes.

Hearing her name, she turned her head to look at him. "Yes?" she replied, expecting a question regarding their next schedule.

"You're being unfair," he boldly stated with lips curled into a childish pout, gaining the other members' attention.

Surprised by his claim, her brows rose up slightly, "Huh? What do you mean?"

By now, the rest of EXO had formed a semi-circle around them and looked at Baekhyun with the same level of curiosity as she did. They glanced at their member then at her then back at him, waiting for an explanation.

Once he finished fixing his clothes, Baekhyun set his eyes on Su Min and pointed to Chanyeol, ready to start his rant. "Why are you only taking care of him?" he began with a growing frown. "Aren't you supposed to be looking after of ALL of us? As in, Jun Myeon, Sehun, Kyungsoo, Yixing, Jongdae, Minseok, Jongin…" he continued, whining like a little kid as he named the members and counted with his fingers. "Me too," he cried out dramatically as he patted his chest "Su Min, me too. I'm also tired and starving," he complained.

With that, the nicest troll and the caring jokester pitched in, eventually getting Xiumin, Lay, Sehun, and D.O. involved as well. "He's right! We're just as hungry as Chanyeol!" they all whined, followed by a continuous chant of, "Feed us! Feed us!" led by Lay.

"Ya, am I your mother?" Su Min asked jokingly to quiet them down.

"No, you're our princess. Our beautiful princess who'll make all of us a delicious meal," Baekhyun replied cutely, getting the rest to join him in his parade of endless charms.

Realizing she suddenly gained seven additional grown men to feed, Su Min let out a laugh. "Okay fine," she told them and turned to their eight member for a second approval, "Is it okay with you Chanyeol?"

Her best friend fac