I flexed my fingers under the counter where Kyungsoo couldn’t see, readying myself for the attack I planned to make on his so called “brunch.” He didn’t know who he was messing with. Our eyes never wavered as we stared each other down, gauging what the other would do. The smell of the food wafting to both of our noses, Kyungsoo his lips while I clenched my stomach so it wouldn’t growl, giving away weakness.

We were both hungry. Our attitudes gave away that much. It shined in our brown eyes making us seem almost beastly as we hovered the food like the predators we must’ve looked like. If it came down to it, it would have been the hunger games 2.0 no pun intended.

He was being an . Tempting me with what he had created not even offering me some of it. Maybe I deserved it. Maybe I didn’t. All I knew was that I wanted a piece of that pancake and I was going to get it whether he wanted me to or not. This was my house.

“I know what you’re thinking about doing and I wouldn’t do it. “ Kyungsoo gripped his fork like a weapon ready to jab my hand if I even came close to his plate. I wondered if he’d actually do it. My lips curled up at the corners as my fingers made their appearance on the counter, inching towards what they wanted.

“And why not?”

“I will stick this fork in your hand, ask Jong In. I will do it.” He warned, fingers tightening around the silverware. His eyes narrowed at me while his voice dropped a whole octave. His seriousness was meant to scare me but the longer I looked at him the more I wanted to laugh, which I did. It burst out of me before I could even control the volume of it and I leaned so far forward my forehead met the counter with a light bang but that didn’t stop me from letting it all out. Kyungsoo was caught off guard and I decided in that moment to reach for whatever I could from his plate.

My hand flung forward while I continued to laugh but within seconds I felt the fork pierce the back of my hand reaching my bone, “Ow! What the , that hurt!”

I grabbed the back of my hand, nursing it against my chest when I looked down to see four small indentations. He actually did it, Kyungsoo actually punctured me with that stupid fork.

 Kyungsoo’s face looked conflicted like he felt bad for what he did but was satisfied with the outcome. He was without a doubt an .

“I told you I would,” He reached over the counter, “Let me see.”

“Why? So you can jab me some more?” I pulled back to see blood bubbling to the top from two of the punctures.

“No, just let me see.” He took my wrist and brought my hand over to him before pushing one of the plates towards me, “Here.”

“Oh now you give me some,” I took my hand back and wiped the blood with a napkin before taking a piece of bacon.

“I didn’t mean to make you bleed,” He took his own piece of bacon and bit into it, “I’m sorry.”

“Whatever just eat, hearing you apologize is weird.” The bleeding stopped and I took a piece of the kimchi pancake, tearing off a piece and popping it in my mouth.

I stopped chewing for a second. Whatever miracle he put into this dish to make it taste like I did had my heart stop at the sheer deliciousness that was molded into this pancake. I felt tears well up at the corners of my eye while my throat clogged up, making it hard to form words. I could feel it rumbling in my throat when it bubbled to my lips.

The sound that got me in trouble with Lia, the sound that was so embarrassing that I had to monitor myself whenever I was around large groups of people, the euphoric moan that only occurred when I ate something good made its presence known in front of this good looking young man.

I slapped a hand over my mouth and dropped the kimchi pancake I’d been holding. Kyungsoo lowered his head with a smile when he began to laugh, “So that’s what your brother meant about you making sounds.”

I grabbed a napkin from the table to cover my reddening face, feeling it heat up within seconds before it started to cool down again. Kyungsoo started to eat his own food, chewing occasionally. His eyes hinted at some kind of amusement at my expense.

“It was kind of y,” He stared absentmindedly at his food, “I’d never had a girl moan over my cooking.”

“That wasn’t a moan. I was choking.” I knew my face was red as I stuttered over my words.

“You sure?” He cocked his brow and damn was it a sight.

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

“Whatever you say, Jia.”

As if his statement didn’t mean anything, he continued to eat without a care in the world. While I on the other hand wanted nothing more than to slink out of my seat onto the ground and squeal into the tile. How dare he. How dare he say something like that and think that it’s okay. How dare he say my name with his deep voice.

“Hey,” Kyungsoo leaned over the counter with a hand under his chin, “mind doing it again?”

I slapped his hand from under him and made a run for it to my bedroom.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“I’m home! Jia! Hyung!”

I sat on the couch flipping through TV channels when Kai came into the house in his sweats and tank top. His cheeks were flushed and his hair was matted down by sweat. He threw down his gym back and sat down on the opposite couch, “Did you have a good day?”

“I’m still here aren’t I?” I gave him a closed lip smile that made him jump from the couch.

“Where’s Kyungsoo?” He ran to the kitchen while I watched him from over the couch.

“Chill, he’s taking a nap in his room.”

“Did you see my note?”

“Yeah.”

“Did you share?”

I raised a brow at him with the same closed lips smile. Kai shut his eyes, running his hands through his hair, “You’re unbelievable.”

He rummaged through the fridge, grabbing water when we heard steps bounding down the stairs. Kyungsoo held up his phone with a huge grin on his face, “Chanyeol texted me. He invited us to BBQ.”

“Cool, let me get dressed.” Kai put the water back in the fridge when I saw Kyungsoo look over at me, “You’re invited too.”

*~*~*~*~*~*

It was Korean BBQ and I was bound to smell like beef by the end of the night so I wore a pair of worn out jeans and an old band T-shirt Jong In had grown out of. I wasn’t dressing to impress anybody even if I was eating dinner with six guys. 

“Oh by the way, Chanyeol invited Hye Mi and Seoyoung and someone else but he didn’t tell me who.” Kyungsoo added as we walked the crowded streets of Hongdae to the restaurant.

“Who are they?” I asked feeling put off at the idea of two other girls coming along.

“They’re cool. They hang out with us sometimes on campus.” Kai shrugged his shoulders, walking ahead of the two of us to open the door.

“Yeah and they’re really pretty.” Kyungsoo grinned as he walked in, not allowing me to go first.

“Did I ask you?” I followed him folding my arms over the worn T-shirt suddenly feeling self conscious and bare.

He kept his sly grin on his face as he led the way to the table where all the other guys were waiting. I glared at him hoping he felt the extent of how much I disliked him when I heard someone call my name, “Jia?”

There sitting in the glow of the table lights was the reason I used to breathe when I was a little girl, Lee Taemin. I could see his gleaming smile from miles away and felt the same flutter in my stomach when he stood up to greet me and my brother. He was blonde but still very beautiful.

“Long time no see,” god his voice got deeper.

He my hair while I continued to stare up at his flawlessness. He gave me one last smile before going over to talk with Kai when I saw Kyungsoo take a seat at the table beside one of the two girls that decided to join the party. He slung an arm over her chair, his eyes zoned in on me.