I was clearing the mess we made in the kitchen when Heechul came out of his room after he took a shower. He was wearing a red shirt and black denim pants. Wow, even in casual clothes, he looks stunning.

“They’re not here yet?” Heechul asked while combing his hair with his fingers. He came closer to where I was standing.

“Not yet,” I said, staking bowls that we used in the preparation of food. “I’m worried they will not like what I cooked.”

“Please…” he said sarcastically. “You cook great dishes. What you should worry about is if what you cooked is enough.” He headed to the living room and sat down on the couch. Then, he took his phone from his pocket and started playing with it or sending messages or something.

I continued on cleaning, still exhausted. I’m really testing my strength tonight. My tired body will give up any minute. I want to sleep already, but because of this abrupt dinner with Super Junior, I have to forget about my bed for a while. I have to cater to our guests, and Heechul expects me to do well. Heechul, you’ll see…I will do well!

“Yah, Yerin-ah!” Heechul shouted from the living room while I was washing my hand on the sink. “They’re here?” he said.

“That fast?” I disbelievingly asked.

“They’re at the parking lot,” he said, looking at his phone’s screen. “Better brace yourself.”

I relieved a huge sigh. Get ready to be exhausted to your bones, Yerin.

I straightened my clothes, so not to look exhausted at all. I was wearing a square neck gray blouse with a loose hem and faded blue jeans. Heechul didn’t say anything about my outfit, so I assumed that it was okay to just wear it. I went to the living room and sat on the couch opposite Heechul. I tried to reserved my strength and catch my breath as much as possible.

Heechul looked at me suspiciously. “Are you okay?” he asked.

Keen eye, you have. “I’m fine…just nervous.” I sighed.

After a while, the intercom ringed.

By reflex, Heechul stood up quickly to get the door. Checking the intercom, Heechul assured me that it was the guys. He opened the door and Leeteuk’s face popped in doorway. I stood up to meet them…finally.

“Hello, Yerin-sshi!” Leeteuk greeted, and walked to my direction and handed a bouquet of lily, wrapped in a pink decorative paper and white laces. Wait, did Heechul say that Leeteuk buys cheap? Well, I don’t think so. This bouquet in my hands is as exquisite as what Heechul bought initially.

“Thanks,” I replied. “And welcome.”

Now that I noticed it, all the members of Super Junior were standing inside our living room. It was total havoc inside. Every single one of them greeted me brightly while Heechul was blank-faced looking at us in a corner of the living room.

“Please…sit down,” I told them. They obediently followed my order.

“Noona, where should I put this?” Ryeowook, if I am not mistaken, asked, holding up a white cake box.

“Oh, I’ll get that,” I said, walking towards him and taking the box from him. I was holding the cake in my right hand and the lilies in my left. I took both presents on the kitchen’s island.

“Noona, when are we going to eat?” Eunhyuk shouted.

“Yah! Shut up!” Heechul shouted as well. Heechul walked towards me. He whispered, “Let’s feed them fast and then let’s kick their butts out of here.”

I smiled. “What’s with the rush? It’s okay…” I said. I walked towards the living room and stopped on the back of the couch where Sungmin, Kyuhyun and Donghae were sitting.

“Hungry, huh? Then, let’s eat. Dinner’s at the table.”

Everyone got on their feet and went to the dining table while chanting and singing their joys out. Shindong and Eunhyuk were the first ones on the table, mouths watering at the sight of the dishes I prepared.

“Wow! Noona, you prepared all this?” Sungmin asked, eyeing the baked pumpkin on the table.

“Yes,” I proudly said. “But with Heechul’s help of course.” I looked at Heechul, but he avoided my gaze.

“LET’S EAT!” everyone shouted.

Since not everyone can sit on front of the dining table, Leeteuk, Heechul, Siwon, Kangin and I sat on the stools in the kitchen’s island, just a few steps from the dining table.

I can’t take off my eyes from Shindong, Eunhyuk and Donghae, who were happily eating what I prepared. They were either laughing at one time then having an eating contest. Unexpectedly, Eunhyuk would win the contest. Sungmin, Kyuhyun and Ryeowook, the quite ones, where quietly eating the food on their plate. Sungmin, being the cute one in the bunch, throws a bit of aegyo whenever he takes a huge bite of baked pumpkin. Yesung and Hankyung were just stuck inside the chaos in the dining table.

“Ah! Shut up!” Hankyung shouted in frustration. But everyone just laughed, so does he.

“Wah…Heechul’s too lucky to eat these delicious foods every day,” Leeteuk said, before taking a dumpling in one bite.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I shyly said.

“She doesn’t cook too often though,” Heechul contradicted Leeteuk’s words. “Sometimes she’s too tired from school work she doesn’t cook at all.”

“Ah, still, you can get to what Yerin prepared,” Leeteuk argued. “You’re too lucky. I wish I have a girlfriend like Yerin.”

I just blushed on the spot. Heechul is lucky because of me? And Leeteuk wishes to have a girlfriend like me? God, you are so good to me!

 “Noona, it’s true. You’re a great cook,” Siwon complimented. “Why didn’t you take up culinary in college if you are this great of a cook?”

“I don’t know…I just think that teaching is my calling. I love teaching more than cooking anyway.” I continued to eat.

“Oh, speaking of teaching, when’s your interview?” Leeteuk asked.

“They’ll contact me, they said.”

“Interview?” Kangin asked.

“She’ll have an interview in Kyeonghee,” Leeteuk answered him. He then looked at me and said, “I hope the interview will be alright. I hope you’ll pass.” He smiled, and that seems to sum up the encouragement that I needed from him. The encouragement I needed from Heechul, well…it’s still lacking.

Yerin smiled after Leeteuk’s encouragement. What the hell! Leeteuk, I’ll break every inch of your bones if you hit on MY girl!

“Of course she’ll do great in the interview. She’s a good teacher,” I said, looking at Leeteuk. I looked at Yerin and said, “Aren’t you?”

She stared back and nodded. “Of course,” she said, but shock was present in her face. I just smiled at her.

I looked back at Leeteuk. He, Siwon and Kangin were sharing the same silly smile, which I didn’t like at all.

“Why are you suddenly good to Yerin?” Kangin suspiciously asked.

“What are you talking about? I’m always good to Yerin,” I answered boldly.

Kangin then looked at Yerin and asked, “Is that true?”

Yerin looked at me and smiled. “Of course.” She tapped my back and continued eating. Yerin-ah, nice save.

As usual, if Super Junior is gathered in a room, it will totally be chaotic. Everyone was either sitting on the couch or the living room carpet after dinner. We’re now using the karaoke thingy Eunhyuk brought with them. They plugged it on the huge TV we have.

While Donghae was singing an H.O.T song, Yerin was still in the kitchen sink, washing the dishes we used. I can’t help but see her sigh from time to time. I sneaked out of the chaos in the living room and went to see how Yerin is doing.

“Hey,” I said, coming closer. “Not done yet?”

“Almost done,” she said, still focusing on the dishes in front of her.

“Do you want help?” I asked.

She looked at me. “Are you?” she asked.

“Can’t I?”

She smiled disbelievingly. She pointed with her lips on the yellow kitchen gloves that were hanging on a hook over the sink. I took it and put in on. I then helped her rinse the rest of the plates that she scrubbed.

“Wow! Daebak!” Donghae said over the microphone. “Heechul-hyung is washing dishes.” That darn idiot even pointed at us like we’re some extinct bacteria!

I turned around to give Donghae an ‘I’ll-kill-you-later’ look. It worked on him, but the rest of the monkeys were just staring…in disbelief.

“Yah! Don’t dare laugh or I’ll kill everyone of you!” I shouted. “Aren’t you ashamed of yourselves? We’re cleaning your mess!”

“Hyung! We’re guest, right?” Kyuhyun said, an evil smile stuck on his face. Seriously, I’ll stick a note in my room later and write in capital and bold letters ‘MUST KILL MAKNAE!’

I ignored the idiots and re rinsing the plates.

“Apparently…” Yerin whispered. “…this is you first time washing dishes?” She was smiling.

“Don’t laugh…” I warned in whispers.

“Can’t you two quicken the pace and let’s karaoke already!” Leeteuk yelled. The rest shouted along with him.

Finally, Yerin and I finished washing the dishes. We headed to the living room together and sat on the carpet, side by side. Since everyone in the room expects us to be like loving couple and stuff, this is the least we can do, right?

“Ei~ why are you two sitting there?” Kangin suddenly said when he saw us.

“It’s okay…” Yerin said, smiling.

“Yah!” Kangin shouted at Sungmin and Ryeowook, who were sitting at the couch, “give them those seats.”

Without a word, the two kids stood up and shyly offered the couch. I stood up first to help Yerin but…Leeteuk thought of the same thing. He held Yerin’s hand into his and helped her stand up. This moron! I should be doing that, not you!

Once standing up, I pulled Yerin’s hand and lead her to the couch. Leeteuk smiled, like a ‘what’s-with-you’ smile. There was just a mind battle, no uttered words, but I want to tell Leeteuk to ‘GET OFF OR I’LL KILL YOU!’ I don’t know when I started to get possessive like this, or did I do this the first time, but Leeteuk surely saw through me. All he did was smiled and looked away.

Yerin sat first, I followed. The both of us sat quietly, smiling from time to time whenever the monkeys do something funny.

“Hyung! I remembered something…” Kangin suddenly shouted from the entire ruckus, looking directly at Leeteuk.

“What?” Leeteuk asked.

“Let’s do the peppero game. You did that to me and Yoonji on ‘We got married’, remember. It’s Heechul-hyung and Yerin-noona’s turn.” Kangin’s ridiculous smile widened at the idea, so did the other monkeys.

“YAH! STOP THIS NONSENSE!” I yelled.

“Come on, it’s just a game.”

“NO,” I persisted.

“Yerin-ah, it’s just a game,” Leeteuk said, looking at Yerin.

Yerin looked at me, wearing a shocked face. Mouth-opened, she only stared at me. I don’t know how to respond to her expression but…

“Don’t let them fool you…” I whispered to her.

Then she smiled. “It’s just a game.”

Leeteuk and the gang shouted when they heard Yerin’s word. Suddenly, Eunhyuk took out a box of peppero from the bag he brought with him.

“Did you plan this?” I said, enraged. “You idiots…”

“No…” Kangin replied. “Were geniuses.”

Yerin just smiled. The rest of the members were just giddily looking at us, like were some kind of exhibit in a museum, waiting for something to happen inside the boring canvass.

Kangin handed the box of peppero to Yerin. Yerin then took out a peppero and put the thing in between her lips. Finally giving up, I approached Yerin. She didn’t close her eyes, not budge away. She was just waiting, apparently, to finish this game immediately. In the corner of my sight, I saw Eunhyuk, Donghae and Sungmin either filming the whole thing or capturing every second with their phone’s camera. The other’s were just staring at us and waiting for the ‘magic’ to happen.

With eyes wide opened, I bit the chocolate stick millimeter by millimeter, getting closer to Yerin’s lips. I looked straight into her eyes and she looked into mine. She was waiting…patiently. At last, when the stick was only an inch apart, she closed her eyes. That’s when I…

“Yah! Why did you cut it?” Leeteuk shouted.

Everyone got into a noisy, disagreeing fits of annoyance. Yah! If ever the time comes that I have or I will kiss Yerin, it will not be in front of all of you.

I smirked. “I’m not that easy.”

I looked at Yerin, and she was just smiling, chewing the remaining peppero in . But, what if…I did…kiss her? I wonder how it will feel.

Yerin laughed. “You guys are so hilarious.” And everyone laughed along with her, except me.

It was getting deeper and deeper into the night, and the gang is still in the house, still laughing and singing, but this time, with beer and soju in front of us. Shindong and Kangin were in the verge of getting drunk as the two were getting noisier by the minute. Sungmin and Kyuhyun really can control their alcohol. Ryeowook gave up after a few shots of soju. The rest are just having fun talking. Yerin…well…she’s…obviously sleepy. Her eyes are so tired that all she need is to rest.

I went to sit beside her (as I was beside Teukie, sitting on the carpet).

“Go to bed,” I whispered to her ear.

“I’m fine,” she lied. “I need to take care of you guys.”

“We’re adults, if you can’t tell. We can handle ourselves.”

But she only shook her head.

“Aren’t you going to follow my order,” I said, glaring at her.

She glared at me as well and said, “Just go back to your members…” But it was so obvious in her sleepy eyes that she really wants to sleep.

I held her hands and pulled her to stand up. Then, in total shock to the both of us, I lifted her off her feet and carried her towards her bedroom.

When the gang saw us, they were in fits of laughter and giddily hooting, “Heechul-hyung, great job!”

I ignored them. I fastened my pace. Apart from the fact that I don’t want to drop Yerin on the floor because I really don’t exercise at all, I wanted to get to Yerin’s room so that she can take her rest. It was a very long day for her; she deserves to rest.

Once we’re in her room, I laid her carefully in her bed.

“Sleep…now,” I ordered, trying not to pant.

Her eyes widened when I pulled the blanket and tucked it around her.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“What do you think?” I said, still tucking the blanket. “Rest now, I’ll handle them.”

I turned around and went to her door.

“Heechul…”

I looked at her, one last time. “What is it?”

“Thanks…” she said.

“I exhausted you, remember? Why thank me?”

She smiled. “Just…thanks.” And she closed her eyes and covered her face with the blanket.

I turned around and smiled.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yey! Finally, an update. Actually, i finished this chapter last week. Haha! Too lazy to update (Nah! Just need to access wifi).

Thanks for reading. And I'd love to read your comments: about HeeRin or YeChul, about the 'idiots/monkeys', about anything. Comment ahead.

~Crina

PS. It's sad that Heechul will be gone for about 2 years, but hey, he'll be back as a better person, right? I can't promise I can relive the Heechul we know in my story, but I'll try. Let's hope for the best for our Heenim.

(Why do i find buzz-cut Heechul more cute than long-haired Heechul? Haha! I don't know...) <---Any comments about this?