The next morning, Lia woke up extra early while her friends were all still asleep. She bathed, got ready and everything. When she was done, she slipped into a pair of comfy sports shorts and a black printed tee. She decided to use her reddish sling bag. She stuffed her earphones, change of clothes, towel and phone into the bag. She shoved a water bottle in there as well. She packed her wallet, her comb and hair band.

By the time she was done, it was around seven forty-five. Her friends were just waking up from their sleep.

“Have fun with Big Bang, Lia,” Shervonne’s muffled voice came from her pillow.

“What she said,” Rylee muttered, pulling her blanket over her head.

“Mm-hmm,” Paige added, yawning. She sat up and smiled.

Lia smiled back. “Thanks. You guys have fun too,” she said. “Don’t kill Rylee off with your shopping spree.”

“Amen! You hear that, Shervonne?”

Shervonne threw Lia’s pillow at Rylee who was didn’t stir from her sleeping position.

Lia shook her head as she put her sneakers on. She looked at the clock. It was five minutes to eight. She grabbed her bag and walked out of the room. “Bye guys!” She felt giddy as she went into the lift and down to the lobby. Lia couldn’t believe her sheer luck!

The moment the lift opened at the lobby, she saw Ji Yong walking into the hotel. She smiled as she walked over to him. “Hey.” She thought he looked good in simple jeans and plain white shirt.

He smiled back. “Good morning, Lia,” he greeted her cheerfully. He offered his hand to her. “Ready to go?”

“Ready as ever,” she replied, linking her arm with his as they walked out of the hotel together to a white Audi parked on the side.

He opened the door of the passenger and she slide in. He walked over to the driver’s seat and got in as she buckled up the seatbelt. “I haven’t even started the engine and you’re already buckled up,” he chuckled. “Are you scared of my driving?”

“How can I be scared when I’ve never been in your car before?” she shot back.

He shrugged. “Well, it does say a lot when one quickly buckles up.”

“I’m not scared,” she protested. “I do that all the time whenever I get into a car of anyone’s. I got used to it.” She paused. “Aren’t white cars impossible to clean if you want to keep it absolutely spotless?”

He started the engine and revved out of the curb. “Unfortunately, yes,” he told her with a grimace. “It takes me about three full good hours just to clean this baby right up.”

“But it’s fast and it looks nice,” she said, “so I guess you don’t mind wasting those three hours when you could be spending your time doing something productive?”

He grinned. “You said it. Have you eaten breakfast yet? We’re going to have a hard day today, what with all those exercise.”

“Err, nope. I actually didn’t think of that,” she replied.

“Don’t worry, it’s a good thing you haven’t eaten yet,” he reassured her. “TOP hyung is making pancakes and he always make too many.”

“If he makes too many, how do you guys manage to finish it all?” she asked curiously.

“Oh, Dae Sung has his way,” he replied with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“You guys shove the leftovers down his mouth, don’t you?” she guessed, shaking her head in wonder.

“Wow, you are good. Are you psychic or something?”

“Oh, yes, totally. I have a feeling you’re going to turn . . . right.”

He turned right. “How’d you guess?!” he asked, shocked.

“I’m psychic, remember?”

He shook his head. “I’m starting to regret inviting you over now,” he said lightly and she punched him on the arm. “Hey now, don’t you know you shouldn’t disturb a driver when he’s driving?”

“You’re at a traffic light,” she pointed out. “It’s not like we’re moving.”

“Are you always this straightforward?”

She shrugged, looking out of the window. “Are you always this dense?” She turned back and grinned.

He shook his head. “I am really regretting this now.”

“It’s a mistake that can’t be erased.”

“How I wish I can,” he said sarcastically.

“One day you’re going to be grateful you invited me,” she replied.

“I’ll be waiting,” he replied, smiling.

She punched him again. “Seriously, how do the others put up with you?” she asked him. “I’m already getting annoyed with you within the first ten minutes!”

He burst out laughing. “If you think I’m annoying, you should see how annoyed TOP hyung gets with Dae Sung. He gets really annoyed.”

“I’d like to see that happen,” Lia replied, trying to imagine it. She giggled. “I’m sure it’s a funny sight to see.”

He nodded. “It is, usually, until TOP hyung gets really angry.”

“Ah, well. It can’t be as bad as me and my brothers Jeff and Michael,” Lia told him. “We argue and argue all the time. Jeff, my older brother, always has to put me down to feel good, but I don’t let him and usually have the last line so . . .”

“So the more you win the arguments, the more he’s motivated to bring you down,” Ji Yong finished for her.

She nodded. “And there’s Michael. He can be sweet and all, seeing as he’s the youngest. But he gets on my nerves a lot. Gets in my personal space, always have to make fun of me and Dylan. I call him an immature brat.”

“Do you have a sister?” he asked.

“No. I’m the only girl in the family. But at least my elder brother Sam is nice.”

He grinned. “I can’t say anything,” he said.

“You just did.”

He gave her a withering look. “What I mean is that I am the youngest in my family, so I guess I annoy my big sister a lot.”

“Wouldn’t be fist.”

“You have a smart mouth.” He drove past a guard house into an apartment flat.

“Is that a bad thing?” she asked worriedly.

“I just met you, so I’m saying it’s amusing,” he replied honestly. He looked at her. “Just be yourself.”

She rolled her eyes. “That’s what I’ve been doing since I was born.”

He drove into Block C’s parking compound and parked his car in an open parking space among a black Audi, a brown Hyundai, a silver Matrix and a minivan.

“Those cars belong to the others,” he told her. “This parking space belongs to us.”

“Wow, flashy,” she remarked.

He grinned. “Come on; let’s get up to the apartment.” He gestured to the stairs and they walked up to the lobby. “Just to warn you,” he said as he pressed the lift button and the doors dinged open, “the other guys are happy that you’re coming. It’s been awhile since we hanged out with someone else not in the group.”

She grimaced, stepping into the lift after him. “Now I’m scared.”

He laughed as he pressed the floor button 8. Once the lift reached the floor, they stepped out and turned to their left. Ji Yong stopped at the third door on the right side of the hall and unlocked the door. She stepped in and immediately was greeted by the strong aroma of delicious and freshly made pancakes.

“Oh, that smells so good,” she said, her lips.

Ji Yong flashed her a wide grin. “Tell that to hyung,” he advised with a nod of his head. “He’ll be pleased to hear it. He likes it whenever people comments on his cooking. He does deserve the praise too.”

They walked past the living room to the kitchen where everyone was eating pancakes.

“You started without me!” Ji Yong said accusingly at them.

Dae Sung shrugged. “We were too hungry to wait.” He turned to Lia and smiled. “Hi, Lia,” he said. “Welcome to our home.”

“Have a seat,” Seung Ri said, pulling out a chair for her to sit at the table.

“Thanks. This place is really nice,” she said, looking around as she sat down. She turned to TOP. “When I stepped inside the apartment, the scent of the pancakes smelled so good it left me mouth-watering.”

TOP beamed. “Good.” He passed a plate filled with pancakes. “Here you go. I hope you haven’t eaten breakfast yet.”

“Luckily I haven’t.” She cut a small piece and took a bite. “Mmm! It’s really delicious,” she said earnestly.

Seung Ri turned to her. “We were talking before you came.”

“Yeah?”

“We realized that you aren’t used to our customs of what we call each other,” Dae Sung told her, “so all you have to do is add an oppa after our names. Mine is Dae Sung Oppa. Ji Yong can be Ji Oppa or Ji Yong Oppa. TOP over there would be Seunghyun Oppa. For Seung Ri, you can call him Maknae Oppa. As for Tae Yang, it can be Bae Oppa or Yong Bae Oppa. Whichever you feel conformable calling us by; it’s all up to you.”

 “Won’t you guys feel weird that someone from another place is calling you oppa?” she asked. But then again, you are Korean.

“It’s all right,” Dae Sung replied. “Question is, will you feel weird?”

“Good point.”

Just then Tae Yang sauntered into the kitchen. “Good morning, Lia,” he greeted her with a cheerful smile. He slid into one of the empty chairs. “So, how did you manage to fall for Ji Yong’s charms?” he asked her cheekily.

But Lia didn’t miss a beat. “Charms? Huh. I guess I must have missed it.”

The group laughed and Ji Yong blushed. “I can see why hyung likes you, Lia,” Seung Ri remarked. “You’re witty.”

“Her head is now probably getting bigger by the second,” Ji Yong said, smirking. He took a banana from the fruit basket and began to peel it.

“Oh, please,” she scoffed, rolling her eyes, “Like you’re one to talk.” She turned to the others. “I bet he gets on your case all the time, right?”

Tae Yang nodded. “You have no idea,” he said and Ji Yong flung the banana peel at him, which landed on his head. “Hey!”

“Oi, no food fight,” TOP chastised them. He frowned. “There are still a lot of pancakes left. Finish them. Don’t waste it.”

“Ugh. Sorry, hyung, but I’m full,” the guys groaned, clutching their stomachs.

He looked hopefully at Lia who smiled ruefully. “Would love to help,” she said, “but I’ve already ate two. I’m full.”

“Two isn’t a lot,” Dae Sung scoffed, who had eaten six.

“Then why don’t you finish it?” she shot back.

“Tempting,” he replied, staring greedily at the plate. “You don’t eat that much, do you?”

She shook her head. “I would eat, really, but if I stuff myself —”

“It’s okay; you don’t have to force yourself to eat,” TOP quickly said. “I’ll just put it in the fridge in case someone wants to eat it later.”

“Why did you look at me when you said that?” Dae Sung asked, pretended to be hurt.

TOP folded his arms. “Because you’re always hungry,” he replied dryly.

Lia grinned. She liked this batch of people. They were funny. She has a feeling she’s going to enjoy the day with them.