Jong Kook paces his room, stopping every now and then to listen to the rustling sounds coming from the main area of the apartment. They've been going on for a while and show no signs of stopping. He's hungry, but unwilling to come face to face with Charity after she came face to face with... him.

After 20 minutes or so, he hears dishes clattering. Remembering how stocked with meals the fridge usually is, he figures Charity isn't leaving the kitchen any time soon. He's hungry, but hesitates with his hand on the doorknob, trying to psyche himself up for the awkwardness.

"KIM JONG KOOK-SSI, JUST COME OUT HERE!," she yells. His cheeks color. He shakes his whole body as if loosening up for a workout, takes a deep breath, and pushes the door open.

Charity's standing behind the kitchen island with bowls, knives, and food spread all around in front of her. 

"Are you hungry?," she asks as he crosses the room slowly, turning her back to slide a dish into the oven.

"I am, actually," he replies somewhat hesitantly, reaching the kitchen and taking a seat on one of the stools on the opposite side of the island. Her back is still toward him, her hands gripping the handle on the oven door.

"What would you like to eat?" She's still not looking at him and her shoulders hunch forward a bit as she hears him take his spot behind her. 

"You don't have to --"

"I just cut up a bunch of vegetables and I'm about to grill a whole ton of chicken, do you want a salad?"

Jong Kook wonders if she's trying to force a return to normalcy and appreciates her effort. He decides to go along. "I -- yes, sure. Thank you. Are you... okay?" 

Charity's shoulders are shaking lightly. 

"I'm fine," she says in a strangled voice. She lifts one of the hands tightly gripping the oven handle to her face. Her head dips lower, dropping down between her shoulders. A weird sound escapes her and she slides to the floor suddenly, landing on her knees. Jong Kook hops up from his seat and rounds the counter in a flash, grabbing her by the shoulder and turning her to face him. He scans her up and down. Did she burn herself? Is she drunk? He sees no apparent signs of injury. Moving his eyes up to her face, he sees she now has both hands pressed over it, her whole body shaking.

"Charity. Charity! What's wrong?" He gets down on one knee beside her huddled form.

She slides her hands down so her deep brown eyes are peering over her fingers at him. They're sparkling brightly. Another strange sound escapes the fingers clasped tightly over and nose. She huddles down over the knees pulled to her chest as a snort breaks free.

It takes Jong Kook another long moment or two before he realizes she's laughing. She lifts her eyes to his again and drops her hands from , seemingly under control now, though the corners of her lips are twitching suspiciously. He shakes his head in disgust and leaves her on the floor, rounding the counter back to his seat as color rises in his face. She pulls herself up using the handle of the oven, keeping her back to him and she fights to maintain her composure. Gathering herself, she grabs the plate of raw chicken from where it's sitting on the counter and turns back to the kitchen island where the countertop grill is heated and waiting.

She methodically lays the seasoned chicken on the grill in silence, closing the lid once it's full. Jong Kook watches her carefully, noting how she keeps her eyes averted from his and her lips pressed tightly together. Watching her struggle, the ridiculousness of the situation starts to sink in for Jong Kook, too. Her cheeks are pink with the effort of holding back helpless giggles, and the longer he watches her efforts continue, the funnier the moment becomes. Soon, the corners of his own lips are starting to pull upward, too. A quick reflection on the look on Charity's face when he stood up in the bathtub is followed by the memory of her crashing into the door in her frantic panic to escape the room, and that's it for him. He bursts into deep laughter, throwing his head back and gripping the edge of the counter. Charity places her elbows on the surface and covers her face with her hands as she, too, breaks down again.

The two lean on the counter for support as they wait for the laughter to wind down, catching eyes with each other as it finally trails off. Jong Kook grins at Charity and she offers a tentative smile in response.

"So," she says. "That happened."

"Mmhm," Jong Kook nods in agreement.

"Moving on!," she says, clapping her hands together and moving to tend to the chicken. Seeing that it has a couple minutes yet to go, she turns to the fridge and pulls out container after container of prewashed and chopped vegetables along with two large bowls. Jong Kook watches her efficient movements in silence. As the chicken finishes up and cools on a plate, she assembles two large salads then slices up the grilled chicken to top each. She slides them both across the counter, one in front of Jong Kook and one in front of one of the empty stools. Rounding the island, she takes a seat herself, leaving an empty stool between them.

"Thanks," he says. "You don't have to cook for me."

She shrugs, digging into her own salad. "Zoe's on a special diet so I'm always preparing a lot of food, anyway. I'm used to cooking a whole lot in advance to save time during the week."

"Still, I appreciate it."

She nods, looking down at her food. Stiffness is starting to creep back into the air between them and Jong Kook mentally scrambles for something to talk about.

"Zoe's fou