The door opened and there stood Joong Ki, holding the keys in his hands, “Looking for these?” he said with a wicked smile.

Chae Won halted in her steps, straightened her posture, and adjusted her crinkled shirt. She raised her head, looking excessively bold, and held out her hand to receive the keys from him. Joong Ki stepped out of the elevator, with his eyes narrowing on her he caught her gaze and noticed her body start to fidget. He grinned and winked at her before continuing his steps toward the condo.

Chae Won’s eyes grew wide in shock and she drew a deep gasp, “How dare he?” She tightened her fists and stomped her way to catch up to him. “Yah, hand me the keys!” she shouted.

Inattentive to her uproar, Joong Ki proceeded to open the door. He looked and saw her stumbling her way in her high heels; her shirt came untuck again and her bag dangling off one shoulder. Joong Ki shrugged and opened the door to go inside. He poke his head back out into the hallway, “Annyeong (bye), Chae Won-ah.” he waved to her and quickly shut the door.  

“Chae Won-ah? Seriously, who do you think you are to be calling me by my name?!” she yelled and hurried to the door, ready to give him a piece of her mind. She yanked on the knob but found it to be locked. “He’s kidding right?” she remarked to herself. “Yah! Open the door!” she pounded heavily on it.

Joong Ki, who was having a bit more fun than he had planned, walked to the doorbell security camera and switched it on. He had his arms folded across his chest, chuckling silently to himself as he stood watching Chae Won in her miserable state.

After about a minute, he pressed the button to speak to her, “Ready to address me formally now?”

Chae Won took a step back and glared straight at the camera, “Open the door!”

“Address me formally!” he mocked her.

“Yah!”

“Do you want to come in or not?”

“Aish, this ahjussi!” she expressed in frustration.

“Chae Won-ah, I’m not an ahjussi.”

“Yah, don’t call my name like that! Do you want to die?”

Joong Ki laughed, “Actually, you know what? You’re right for dropping the formal speech. There’s no point in using honorifics when we’re living together anyway. Never mind the formalities, since you’re already at it, why don’t you call me oppa instead?”

“Mwo?! Are we close or something? You wish!”

“You’ll do it if you want to come inside.”

“Yah, are you crazy? I’m getting sick of these silly childish games you play.”

“Alright, well I’m going to bed. Have fun out there until Geun Young gets home.” Joong Ki said then shut off the camera.

“Mwo?! Geun Young? She doesn’t get off work until—yah!”

He wasn’t even to the bedroom until he heard an excessive ringing of the doorbell. He turned around and walked back to the security camera, “Yes?”

Chae Won took a deep breath and bit her lower lip, “Can you please let me in, Song Joong Ki-shii?” she asked in the most polite way possible.

Joong Ki laughed, “No. I’m going to bed.”

“Ya—yah! No, please—uh Joong Ki,” she held her breath and clenched her jaw, “Joong Ki oppa!” she blurted out.

A smile traced Joong Ki’s lips, “Yes, Chae Won-ah?”

“Can you let me in please?” she asked with a scornful grin.

Joong Ki sighed, “Of course I can.” he said then stepped toward the door to unlock it.

Chae Won listened closely and as soon as it unlocked, she twisted the knob and pushed her way in, causing the door to bounce back to hit Joong Ki’s forehead,

“Opps, mianhae (sorry), oppa.” she said sarcastically.

Joong Ki groaned in pain. Before he could say anything, she was already down the hallway to her room in light steps, almost skipping.

+++

After washing up, Chae Won walked out to the kitchen to find herself something to eat. She was now changed into her sleepwear with a towel wrapped around her soaked hair. Joong Ki was seated at the dining table, grubbing on the kimbap he bought from the restaurant earlier that day. With no plans in talking to him, she walked directly to the refrigerator while his eyes followed her intently.

Chae Won’s heart almost dropped as she faced a completely empty refrigerator with only a few eggs and some side dishes that were probably a century old. As if that wasn’t bad enough, her stomach decided to growl so loud that possibly the neighbors heard it.

“Would you like some kimbap? I bought enough for the both of us.” Joong Ki offered.

“No.” she answered although she had really wanted to say yes but there was no way she was willing to lose her pride to him.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” She rolled her eyes and pulled out the glass pitcher for water as a way to cover up that she had gone in there to search for food.

After drinking her water, she set the cup aside on the counter and started to walk back to the room. On her way there, she stopped at the light switches and turned off all the lights in the house. Joong Ki heaved a sigh and set down his chopsticks, astonished by her actions, as he sat there in the dark.

“Ah, this is more like it. It’s so nice to conserve electricity.” she remarked to herself, a way to provoke him.

+++

Joong Ki closed his book and set it on the nightstand and was getting ready for bed. As he rested his head on the downy pillow, he heard the door open in the other room. Out of curiosity, he waited for the lights to turn on in the hallway but they didn’t. He listened closely for footsteps but didn’t hear any.

Without much thought, he kicked off the covers and decided to get up to check what it was. Passing Chae Won’s room, the door was definitely open so he wasn’t just hearing things. He the light and didn’t find her in bed.

Continuing down the corridor, as he neared the kitchen, he heard little munching sounds. Showing no signs of his presence, he quickly switched on the lights and found Chae Won sitting at the dining table, devouring the leftover kimbap. Completely startled, she hurled down whatever she had in , almost choking in the process and swiped the table clear, causing the remaining to fall to the floor.   

Regardless of how hard he tried, it was impossible for him to keep a straight face so he burst into laughter. “What are you doing?” he asked, although the situation was pretty evident.  

Chae Won sat there speechless with a mouth full, avoiding his eyes, and wanting to bury her face in her palms. She stared down at the kimbap that she had thrown to the ground, feeling quite remorseful, for she only had 3 pieces and was still starving but now they were no longer edible.

“Yah! What are you, spying on me now?!” she shouted.

“What are you doing eating in the dark? Ah, to conserve electricity, that’s right!” he taunted.

Her breath drew sharply and she stared at him with sullen dislike. She couldn’t stand the sight of him any longer so she rushed to the room and, as usual, slammed the door behind her.

+++

“Morning, oppa.” Geun Young said when she got home and found Joong Ki in the living room.

“Good morning.”

“Today’s your audition, isn’t it?”

“Eo (yes).”

“Well, I hope you get the part.”

“Thanks, I hope so too.”

“Have you had breakfast yet?”

“Eo—oh wait, did you say breakfast?” he suddenly raised his voice, deliberately speaking loud in hopes of Chae Won hearing him, “No I haven’t had breakfast.

Actually I bought some kimbap yesterday and saved some to eat for breakfast but last night I woke up and found a mouse—”

“A what?!” Geun Young shrieked and jumped onto the stool, lifting her knees to her chest, her toes curling up in disgust.

“A mouse,” Joong Ki continued. “I woke up to a mouse munching on every last crumb of it.” he grinned amusingly.

“Oh Geun Young-ah, you’re home.” Chae Won said as she walked out from the room.

“Oh Chae Won-ah, you’re up.” Joong Ki said with a smile.

Geun Young looked at Joong Ki questionably, “Chae Won-ah? Wow, you both got comfortable fast. Should I be glad?”

“Actually—”

“Yes, you should be!” Joong Ki interrupted before Chae Won could say anything else.

“Anyway, Chae Won-ah, don’t freak out!” Geun Young tried to sound as calm as possible. “We have m-mice in this house—”

“Mwo?!”

She nodded, “Oppa saw one. He found it feasting off his kimbap in the middle of the night.”

Chae Won was taken aback and she looked at Joong Ki in annoyance.

“We must call rodent control immediately! I don’t want little critters crawling around here. Just the thought already sickens me!” She shivered and walked to go wash up.

“Yes, we must!” Joong Ki shouted after her.

Chae Won glowered at him and followed Guen Young back to the room.

+++

“Chae Won-ah, don’t screw up on your interview! Oppa, I hope you get the part! Fighting!” Geun Young bid them farewell as she sent them off on their way.

When they got into the car, Chae Won quickly pulled out her phone to dial for Jin Hyuk. She was not exactly planning to be the first one to call him after the argument they had but it was the only way to make her seem occupied so she wouldn’t have to talk to Joong Ki. She was about fed up with him and other than him dropping her off and picking her up, she didn’t want to have anything else to do with him.

“Who are you trying to call?” Joong Ki asked after noticing that Chae Won had made multiple attempts without success.

Chae Won drew a deep sigh and bit her lip, “You! You see this?” She held up her mobile phone. “It’s a phone, meaning you can communicate with people through it.

Anytime I’m on it, I expect that you hush up because chances are I’m talking to Jin Hyuk oppa. If you don’t already know, Jin Hyuk oppa is my fiancé and trust me, I do not want to explain to him why there is a man in close enough proximity to me for his voice to be overheard through the phone. You understand?”

Joong Ki pursed his lips, “I take it that the man doesn’t know that I’m currently living at the house?”

“Of course not! And he’s not going to know.”

“And if he finds out?”

“He won’t. Because before he gets the chance to, you would already be out of there.”

“What makes you so sure?”

“I’ll make it happen.”

“Alright, that’s fine.” He nodded, “By the way, aren’t you going to wish me good luck?”

“Why would I?”

“Well I’m trying out for the main role in the movie, A Werewolf Boy—”

Chae Won broke into laughter, “You, an actor?! Unbelievable!”

“What, you don’t believe I can be one?”

“Well of course not! What are you, Won Bin or something?! You wish!” she chuckled.

“Alright, how about we make a bet? If I get the part, you have to go watch it with me.”

“And if you don’t then you have to move out!” Chae Won challenged him.

“Call! Don’t go back on your word now.”

“You’ll move out tonight if you don’t get the part?”

“Sure, even if I have to stay at a hotel until I find a place!”

“Alright, call!”

+++

After dropping off Chae Won to her destination, Joong Ki headed to his agency to meet up with his manager, Yoo Jae Suk. Years ago, before his family moved to New York, Joong Ki was approached by an agent to pursue a career in acting. At the time, he only worked in small gigs when an opportunity arose. After taking some time off, he decided to return back to Seoul to give it another try.

“Yah, Joong Ki-ah!” Jae Suk greeted him with a hug.

“Hyung-nim!”

“Aish, it’s been too long.”

“Yes it has! How are you?”

“I’m well. You?”

“I’ve been great, hyung. Just happy to be back.”

“Well, I’m happy you’re back too. Are you ready for this?”

“I’m ready.”

“Let’s go then!”

The audition room was filled with different aged and gendered contestants trying out for various parts in the film. Everyone was asked to go up on stage to display their talent through a monologue that was handed to them shortly before auditions began. After all the performances were completed, the judging panel announced the actors that were casted for the parts.

+++

Joong Ki honked his horns repeatedly to try to grab Chae Won’s attention, who was sitting off to the side staring down at her shoes. When she noticed him, she ran over to the car.

“So how did auditions go?” was the first thing she asked when she got inside, eager to hear that she had won the bet.

“I got the part!”  

“What?!”

“I got the part.” He repeated just because it was nice to hear those words out of his own mouth, “Which means, I will continue to live with you and Geun Young and you have to go watch the movie with me when it comes out.” he expressed, overjoyed.

Chae Won stared at him, lost of words. He looked over and flashed her one of his winks before turning back to pay attention to the road. She sunk into her seat—just when she thought her day couldn’t get any worse.

+++

“Oh. My. God.” A grimace came over Chae Won’s face as she stared at the disaster before her.

The condo reeked of a horrid musty odor, so thick and cloying with its decaying scent choking the air. The carpet was soaked and as they stepped in, water came over their shoes.

“What just happened?” Chae Won asked in distressed.

“It looks like the condo is flooded.” Joong Ki said, disbelievingly.

“Well, isn’t it obvious?!” Chae Won dug her fingers into her hair and looked around the place. “Oh look, a note from Geun Young.” she said in annoyance when she spotted a yellow posted on the refrigerator. “Let’s see what her excuse is this time.”

They both walked over to the refrigerator to take a look at the note.

Chae Won-ah, Joong Ki oppa, a pipe broke in the restroom so it flooded the house. Looks like everywhere is flooded but oppa’s room. I’m sorry but you guys will have to share the room for tonight. Since you both already got comfortable, it shouldn’t be a problem right? I will call maintenance tomorrow. See you in the morning! Annyeong! – Geun Young

“What?!” they both exclaimed.