Chapter 10!          Lunch Break

Shoot shoot shoot! I lost track of time…

Running down the corridor, Nicolette rushed back to her room, having forgotten the time due to the company of Yang Yoseob. She had suddenly departed from their rendezvous when she suddenly realized how late it was getting. Slotting her key, she entered the room, void of anyone. Spotting a note left on the dresser, she picked it up.

Nicole, we’ll be going ahead for lunch first. We’ll be at the Mediterranean.

Love, Mom

Closing the door behind her, Nicolette headed for lunch.

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“Guys? I’m back!” Yoseob announced, stepping into the room.

Having already heard Junhyung’s tale a few times over, the guys were just lazing around the room now. They perked up when they heard Yoseob’s voice.

“Yah! You’re finally back! So how did it go? What did you guys do? Did she talk to you? How was it?” they clamoured.

“It was awesome man! At first she was just like a shy little girl, but she showed me around the place, telling me everything about the ship! The library has games, the activity room, gym, indoor and outdoor pools…” Yoseob rattled on, sharing his experience with the rest of the group. “And if you want food, there’s still this buffet place we have not tried yet!”

“Yah, why don’t we go there for lunch then afterwards you show us around?”

“Great idea! Let’s go! I’m hungry!”

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AH! There they are!

“Sorry I took so long, I lost track of time…” Nicolette apologized upon reaching the table she searched all around the restaurant for.

“It’s okay, you must had been enjoying yourself. Go get your food. I’ll go with you, I want seconds.”

Nicolette made her way to the buffet queue, her mother behind her, the events of the past few hours still replaying in her mind. She really couldn’t believe how close she had been to them, even spending time alone with two of the members… Just thinking about it caused blood to rush to her face again.

They’re really nice… and even more handsome in real life… But I think… I think I should not be so close to them already… They’re messing up my mind and emotions… But what to do, I can't seem to avoid them either. I guess, just knowing them during this trip would be enough.

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 “Oh wow! The food looks good!”

“There’s Chinese, western and Indian…”

“Yah, look who’s up ahead! Let’s go say hi!”

Spotting the familiar figure, the boys lined up in the queue behind her, separated only by a lady. Conversing in Korean, they tried to inconspicuously gain her attention.

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“… so I was thinking maybe after this we could go for a walk and bring your grandma around. It’ll be good for her to exercise and it’ll also…”

Nicolette slowly became oblivious to her mother talking as another conversation reached her ears. Her mind automatically tuned into this new frequency she heard, beautiful sounds filling her auditory range. There was no doubt to whom did the low, foreign, husky voices belonged to.

I knew they’ll come here when I showed Yoseob the place, but I never expected to really meet them here… and right behind me too! Oh my, now what do I do…

She tried to be natural, picking the food to put on her plate, but all her senses were tuned into those deep voices. So what if she could not understand a word they said!

“…and that’s why we call her ‘princess’ now…”

Wait… ‘Princess’? They’re talking about me? They do know I’m here right? Or… it’s on purpose?

“Nic? Nicolette? Are you okay? Were you even listening to me?” Mrs Lin voice interrupted her reverie.

“Ah… yah… Eh, no… Sorry mom, I’m just distracted now.” Nicolette stumbled over her apology.

Exiting from the queue, she made her way back to her table, her mother behind her, chiding her teasingly. Unable to rid her gut feeling, she risked a glance back. Six grinning faces greeted her in that split second before she turned back.

They were playing with me!

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“Wah… the food was delicious! I ate so much!”

“Not as much as Junhyung though. He totally wiped out the buffet!”

“Yah! I was just hungry!”

“Ah~ I just feel like sleeping right now.”

“Hyung! Sleeping after a meal is bad. You’ll have fats!”

“But it’s raining now, what’s there to do?”

“I can show you guys around the ship?”

After debating for a while, Doojoon decided to leave the group to have an afternoon siesta, Junhyung following him. Yoseob would lead the rest on a tour around the cruise.

“Aww… Daddy and Mommy heading back to sleep in the room together.” Yoseob teased.

“Babo! Don’t phrase it that way! It sounds wrong.” Junhyung scolded, smacking Yoseob’s head.

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After lunch, Nicolette supported her grandmother as they followed behind her mom and Aunt Liz, walking about the cruise. They paid their tax at the reception desk at the main lobby. Seeing the photo shoot booth set up already, Aunt Liz talked Nicolette into taking a picture. They could wear the captain’s hat, pretending to be a captain, and their photo would later be photoshopped with the cruise behind them, or even with them in the control room. One could also opt to wear the laurel of flowers and be placed with various beautiful sceneries. Nicolette conceded in the end, taking photos with her mother and grandmother.

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After showing them around the upper floors, Yoseob led them to the main lobby. They detoured for a moment, watching a live showing on how to make sushi, sampling the chef’s delights at the end of the performance.

Finally satisfied, they headed down the stairs to the grand lobby. As if descending the steps of a castle to head to a ball, the guys walked down in awe of the grandness of the decoration. The ceiling was covered with beautiful coloured glass; the walls separating the lobby from the rooms behind made to look like antique windows and balconies of those rooms. The carpeted stairs led to a wide open area, a huge vase of flowers sitting in the middle on a table, the reception desk far back by the far wall. Three majestic gold horses graced the intersection of the steps, rising over a shiny black grand piano, the three glass lifts functioning behind them.

“Oh wow! This is grand!” the guys commented, their eyes taking in the beauty around them.

At the sides of the lobby, comfortable sitting areas were set up, plush sofas surrounding round coffee tables. In between these areas, a small space was cleared. Instead of the comfortable seats, lights were set up, shining on a green backdrop, a cameraman holding his DSLR smiling at them.

“Yah! Guys, let’s check that out!”

Crowding around the booth, they admired the sample pictures on display, a table on the side held the props, two captain’s hats and some laurels of flowers.

“Wah! We should take some photos too! It’s so nice!”

“I want a photo with Obama too!”

“Babo!”

“We should take a family picture together!”

“Let’s come back next time with Doojoon and Junhyung hyung and take a family picture!”

Moving on from the photo booth, they wandered around the lobby, exploring to their hearts content.

okay, a chapter of light-hearted fun! lol. thought she should kinda take a break from the members a while.. ;P

AND GOOD NEWS PEOPLE! (well for me anyways...) I GOT ACCEPTED TO MY FIRST CHOICE IN UNI!!! xDD haha. super happy now. ^-^

comments? <3