chapter three; The Princess and the pea (or the comb, or the things under the mattress) door

Soobin’s POV

Yesterday, I got a mini tour around the city. Well, not really the whole city. Uncle just showed me around this and those streets between the boy's dorm and here. I kinda forgot the names, but I wrote them down.

          Today, uncle asked me to look for the boys. What? Do I look like a babysitter? And if I do, they’re grownups. I don’t give a crap if fans will break their door.

          “Whatever happens, don’t let them go out. Those boys are usually very deceiving." He reminds while the boys behind me snickers.

          “Whatever happens?” I confirmed with a grin.

          “Yes.” He firmly said.

          “What if there’s a fire?” I asked and heard the people at the back not trying to laugh.

          “Oh yes, you can go out.”

          “What if someone is dying?” I simpered.

          “That’s a common sense.”

          “You should say it more specific.” I smiled.

          “Welcome to our dorm!” GongChan yelled as we went inside. Last night, I didn’t go inside their dorm. Oh my! Is this really a dorm, or a dumpster?

          “It’s, uhmm, kind of dirty.” Sandeul smiled at me while putting the things away. Kind of? You think this is a bit dirty?

          “I see.” I nervously smile. If you’ll ask me, I think Sanduel is the weirdest, not to mention his orange hair.

          “This is better than your old dorm.” Uncle helped them. He turns to me. “If this is bad, their old dorm is worst.”

          I nodded. He must have noticed the disgust look on my face.

          “Sit.” Baro brusquely said as he gestures over the couch. And this person, I think he’s the evil member

          “So.” Uncle coughs. “I will leave you now. Remember the rules I told you, Soobin.”

          “Do you have rats here?”  I asked as soon as uncle left. I mean that question.

          “Here’s the rat.” ShinWoo pats Baro. What? They are scaring me.

          “Okay.” I ignore him. Everyone here is weird! I want to get out. “No one will do crazy things, algetji?”

          No one answers but I noticed Sandeul and JinYoung smiling and nodding. To be honest, they are weird. Really weird, from the day I met them.

          I fake a smile and unresponsively get my notebook to write my stories. A few seconds later, I noticed their sink. G-R-O-S-S gross.

          “Uhh. Do you want me to help you with the dishes?” I asked nervously. I immediately went to their kitchen and started washing them.

          I try not to gag while washing the dishes. This is one of the reasons why I don’t want to get married.

          “I know why your parents named you SooBin.” GongChan sat beside me. I ignored him.

          “Bin. Empty. Expressionless.” He answered. See? Weird.

          “By seeing your face, I already know that you’re cold.” Someone said. I looked up. It’s JinYoung. “Are you a type A?”

          Why does blood types in Korea matters? I answered without looking “I’m type B.”

          “Oh.” The both of them said like they have something in their mind. “Seriously?”

          “Do I look like I’m lying?” I asked and continued to type.

          “Baro is type B, too.” JinYoung said in a matter-of-fact tone. I don’t care. One word: Ignore. Ignore them if you still want to live.

Baro’s POV

          You know this girl? She is good-looking, but her face is a waste if she’s like that. She is very moody, cold, and I’m too scared to approach her.

          Seriously? All she did the whole time was typing some English text. How would I know? I don’t understand it. ShinWoo hyung told me that they talked but a really small conversation. He was telling her things but she’s like conserving words, as if she’ll ran out if she talk a lot.

          I want to ask, “Who do you think you are?” Aigoo! She’s irritating me. She’s a girl but it doesn’t mean I will not fight with her. She looks dangerous. Should I plan something to make her suffer?

          “Soobin-ah, we’re hungry.” I frostily said. She just looked at me. Not look, she gave me a glare. Aish!

          “What do you want me to do?” She folded her arms. “You’re old enough to take care of yourself.”

          No one will speak like that to Cha Baro! What am I going say? I need something that will hit her face.

          “Baro-yah!” I looked behind me. It’s JinYoung hyung. Looks like we’re up to something.

Soobin’s POV

          “Can’t somebody cook for you?” I asked for the second time.

          “We don’t have anything in the fridge.” What? They are stars, but their fridge is empty.

          “Call for delivery.” I deadpanned.

          “We don’t have a phone.”

          Omo. “I don’t have a phone, too.”

          “Buy something outside.” He fired back.

          Wait, wait, wait. I know this. He’ll ask me to buy something outside, and then the five of them will lock the door.

          “It’s only, like, three in the afternoon.” I complained. “Do you have a worm to feed in your stomach?”

          “Mwo?” He shot me a deathly glare. I noticed the other four watching us.

          “I’ll buy later.” I frowned back. “We just had lunch a past few hours.”

          “Baro-yah! Don’t bother her.” Sandeul smiled at me. I faked a smile as he sat beside me. I felt shudder ran down my spine. My mind wants to yell, “The weirdo is beside me!”

          Okay. I am over-reacting. But, gosh. Baro is so stubborn. I noticed that men, here, eat a lot. So, here goes the plan.

          As everyone are busy from things-I-do-not-want-to-know, I scoot a bit beside Sandeul. I spilled the bag of chocolates and candies I bought from States on the table.

          “Omo. Are you giving these to me?” He gushed as he grabs one bar.

          “Wait.” I held his hands. “It’s all yours if you’ll give me one thing.”

          “Anything.” His eyes widened on the table.

          “Tell me the code of your dorm.”

          “What?” He stopped.

          “Tell.me.the.code.of.your.dorm.” I slowly whispered word by word and smiled. “I have more chocolates in you manager’s house.”

          Ha! Plan worked. Next. Drag someone outside when you’re about to buy something.

          “Ouch!” Someone yelled.

          “Omo! JinYoung hyung can’t breathe.” They panicked. He can’t breathe?

          “What happened?” I rushed in their room. Omo. What’s happening to JinYoung?

          “Can’t” He pants. “Can’t breathe.”

          “Eottokhae?” I fidget. This is not good. Uncle will kill me if he sees his boy dying. “Tell me what to buy outside.”

          Baro told me everything I need to buy. He also asked me to buy their dinner. But, I’m still unfamiliar with this place. JinYoung is dying! I’ll try. Ani. I’ll do my best. Wait. He asked me to buy a chocolate, too? What the−

          “Arasseo. I’ll come back soon!” I rushed outside.

JinYoung’s POV      

          As the door closes, I can’t help to laugh. Another victim of our hidden camera tricks.

          “Great acting, hyung.” GongChan snickered.

          “I feel bad for her.” Sandeul pouted.

          “Gwenchana. I’m sure she has a sense of humor. She’ll take this as a joke.” Baro laughed.

          “But, isn’t it a waste of money on the medicine we ask her to buy?” CNU asked. He has a point.

          “The kind of medicine I told her is for headaches. That’s cheap.”

          “How about the foods we asked her to buy?” I asked.

          “She has a lot of money.” GongChan factually said. “Did you look at her clothes? It’s designer.”

          “Let’s party!” Baro and Sandeul yelled. We will get caught.

          “Don’t. She’ll catch us.” CNU stopped.

          “Oh come on.” Baro grinned. “She’s going to ring the doorbell because she doesn’t know the pass code.”

          These kids are witty.

Soobin’s POV

          Jinjjayo! I feel shy asking the people where’s this-and-that place. But, fortunately, I made it within five minutes. I somewhat feel tired from running since I have a really weak respiration system.

 JinYoung. I really felt sorry for him for having that kind of sickness. Right away, I entered the code and as I see the whole scenario, I knelt down on the floor and dropped all the pain and hardships I went to.

I don’t know what to feel. I felt like crying or angry. I’m so stupid.

You know what I saw? Them, including JinYoung, playing games.

In the end, I ended up crying.

JinYoung’s POV

          Omo. JinYoung. What have you done?

          “She can’t take it as a joke.” ShinWoo came out of the room where she was crying. “She said, she was so worried and panicky.”

          “JinYoung hyung.” GongChan tsked while shaking his head. “Omo.”

          “Go in and apologized.” Sandeul looked at me.

          “Why me? You all go with me.” They think that it was my fault? “Baro-yah, come with me.”

          “You started it, hyung.” He raised his eyebrows.

          “We already apologized, except for you two.” ShinWoo really pointed me and Baro. Aigoo.

Soobin’s POV

          I don’t feel like eating dinner because of what they did. I just happened to sleep early. I feel so stupid and degraded.

          Aish! I can’t sleep until now. I’m not used in sleeping on the floor. Why can’t I use uncle’s bed? No one is there. Baro is upstairs. Do they really have to treat me like this?

          I stare at each of them while they are fast asleep. Thank goodness, no one is snoring. Eew. But, their mouths are open. Do they really have to sleep like that?

          I suddenly find myself having a staring contest with the ceiling. Eottokhae? It’s like there is something under the mattress. Did I enter the ‘Princess and the Pea door’? I want my own fairytale, not that irritating story.

          I flattened the mattress and I felt something. I knew there was something under. Wait. A comb? What on earth have they thought? What kind of person will put a comb under a comforter? Aigoo!

          “Yah! If you can’t sleep, you can use hyung’s bed.” Someone whispered. I looked around. Oh. It’s Sandeul. He is nice to me, even if he’s weird to me.

          “I’m alright.” I smiled. Hyu~ This is going to be a long night.