[CONTENTID1]BLUE ORANGEADE[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2] 

Three weeks pass by with similar activities on each day - except for the Saturdays and Sundays. You wound up stopping by 'Bubbling Tea Co.' where your best friend Choi Hena was working at while the boys were sleeping in one weekend. You brought them bubble teas which they happily finished in mere minutes. On another weekend, you also went grocery shopping while they were asleep, not wanting to bother them to keep you company to the convenience store only ten minutes away by foot. Taehyun insisted that it would have been less lonelier to let at least one of them tag along, and you knew that it was true because the lack of communication was quite stifling at times. They were busy all day, and they woke up late on weekends. Some decided to continue practicing while some tried helping out in making songs, and sometimes they rested while conversing with you. You had definitely gotten closer and much more comfortable with each other, but there was still a long way to go to avoid awkward silences.

Now here you were, walking side by side with Taehyun as he carried two polybags full of food for the week. You carried your light polybag with ice cream tubs, because he refused to let you carry more. With time, they had managed to get you addicted to ice cream as well so you could no longer scold them for eating it so often.

"Noona, do you want to hear me sing? I am going to record this song next week and I want to know what you think." He speaks out of the blue, his big and charming eyes captivating you in a way you could not look away and simply nod.

He clears his throat once, and  his lips out of nervousness. And then a soft, low voice soothes your ears and insides.

From the way you smile to the way you look
You capture me unlike no other
From the first hello, yeah, that's all it took
And suddenly we had each other
And I won't leave you
Always be true
One plus one, two for life
Over and over again

You feel yourself holding your breath. His voice is breathtaking. And right when you thought it had ended, he starts again shakily, as though he were telling his own story with the song. And it does just enough to pull on your heartstrings as you watch him sing passionately with his closed eyes as you walked down the straight path back to the apartment.

So, don't ever think I need more
I've got the one to live for
No one else will do, and I'm telling you
Just put your heart in my hands
Promise it won't get broken
We'll never forget this moment
Yeah, we'll stay brand-new 'cause I'll love you
Over and over again

He turns to you expectantly after finishing off flawlessly, only to see you with a hand over your mouth. Your eyes were wide and glistening in amazement. "N-noona? How was it?" His voice seems hesistant, but you shake your head at him. "That was...beautiful. Really. You sound amazing, Taehyun." You answer sincerely, sniffling your tears away, and he flashes a shy smile at you. 

"R-really? I feel more confident now." 

You pat his hair with your free hand, tip-toeing slightly to reach his head. "I am so proud of you. I can't wait for you guys to debut and get all the love you deserve."

Your words catch him off-guard as he breaks into another nervous fit - giggling softly as he comes closer to you. "Thank you, noona." He breathes out softly, and it catches you speechless again.

He backs away and walks inside the elevator, "aren't you coming?"

"W-wait for me!" You squeak as you rush in right before the door closes.

Today was one of the weekends when everyone was gathered at home. Home, you muse to yourself, smiling at the word itself. Huening and Soobin are the first to attack you when they spot the ice-cream in your bag, snatching it with a quick 'thanks' and rushing to the kitchen to grab spoons for themselves. Soobin had begun acting much more different than he used to. He used to be so stiff and polite, but now he is on par with the maknae. Those two stick to each other most of the time, and it was cute to see them get along. Perhaps, Soobin had become comfortable with you to be able to let himself loose like this. You smile to yourself before helping out Beomgyu put in the grocery into the fridge.

"Ah... you bought eels?" Beomgyu trails off as you look at him confusedly. Something about his tone put you off. "Yeah, I thought it would energize you guys from all the training you do. Do you not like it?" You ask him with a frown.

"I can't eat seafood." He looks at you apologetically as your eyes widen. "I am not allergic or anything, I just can't eat it. I know this must have been expensive too."

"It's okay. I don't eat seafood either." You smile at him, trying to help his guilt. "And I'm pretty sure the rest would love to eat more of it." You chuckle shortly as you continue with the task at hand.

"So, you bought it for us even though you don't eat it?" You hear him ask behind you as you re-organise the stuff in the fridge, trying to make more space for the rest of the shopping. You hum in response as you take the ready-made kimchi packet from his hand and put in inside. Suddenly, you feel a soft pressure on the back of your head, going down and then beginning from the top again. He was running his hand through your hair. You feel a blush flare up as you try to keep yourself calm from feeling chills down your spine.

"Aigoo~ Our Juri is such a kind kid." He speaks like an old man, making the both of you burst out in laughter. Good save, Beomgyu.

"Bring the ice-cream here, you two!" You hear Yeonjun shout from the living room. Taehyun enters the kitchen and silently grabs three spoons with him. You finish off the work with Beomgyu and make your way back to the common room where Soobin and Hueningkai had now placed the ice-cream tub in the middle of the table while Yeonjun glared at them. It looked so comical to your eyes that you couldn't keep in the laughter building up inside you.

Yeonjun glares at you in response to your little outburst. You become alert and make a gesture of zipping your lips as you sit on the couch beside Taehyun. 

"Let's play this board game I brought with me months ago. We have exactly six players now!" Beomgyu says as he makes his way into the hallway, escaping into his room for a second before coming out with the board game slightly covered in dust.

The day sinks into the black as the game of Monopoly ends in the favour of Taehyun, the kid was quite smart in his tactics. Huening had cheated a multiple times, moving his player on his own accord or even taking money from the 'bank' when no one was looking. Yeonjun almost beat the poor boy when he caught him. And you were close behind Taehyun, you had almost won.

You decide to keep the board game away and start on the food. "You guys must be getting hungry again, I will start on the dinner", you say as you get up from the spot. Something or rather, someone stops you mid-way with a loose grasp on your wrist. "We'll make dinner, you can rest for today." Yeonjun says with a soft smile, making you feel queasy inside. "You've been working hard for us. Go rest while you can." Despite your protests Soobin had pushed you inside your room.

You huff as you sit on your bed, wondering what to do while the five boys were in the kitchen. You just hoped they don't burn it down in the process of making dinner.

An idea pops in your head as you tip-toe to the room next to yours. You enter the dark room and spot what you were looking for. Grabbing it in a swift motion, you take it back into your room, closing the door behind you as quietly as possible.

You admire the instrument in your hold, admiring its beauty in the well-lit room. You begin to lightly strum the familiar tune as you close your eyes, thinking about all the times you played it in the orphanage with a string missing. This guitar was in perfect condition; the sound made you shiver silently