Chapter 6

“Is there any problem?” Alex asked, and sat down on her bed.

I sat down on the floor, and leaned my back against the door. “I can trust you, right?”

She nodded. “Of course. After all, we’re going to be roommates in the next months.”

I grimaced. “Yesung pissed me off.”

“Why? What did he do?”

“He looked at me like he doesn’t believe what I say and I HATE those kinds of looks.”

“I’m sure there’s a reason why.” She smiled.

“I guess there is.. I mean, living in the US had really been a hard thing for me to do. Being the only Asian girl in the room really made me feel like I don’t belong, like, I’m different. And because of that, they always made fun of me, like I’m their puppet, and no one was there to stand up for me,” I started, and tears started to blur my sight as the memories of those painful experiences flooded my mind. “It’s so hard, you know. I didn’t have any friends to defend me, or to make me feel better. There are lots of bullies there. They bully people for the sake of fun, and I think that’s what keeps them alive. One time, they made a list of answers for an upcoming test, and placed it under my desk. The teachers wouldn’t believe me that I wasn’t the one who did it, and they kept on punishing me for something that I didn’t do. It just , for people not to believe you, when in the matter of fact; you’re the only one who isn’t lying.”

“I understand. I know how it feels to live in the US. I did, too.”

“I mean, at first, it would be really hard. But when you get used to it, remove the ‘really’. Yes, it would be hard, but you won’t feel bad anymore, because you’re used to it, like it is a part of your life already.”

“Well, you overcame it, and that’s very nice to hear.”

“Thank you, Alex,”

Awkward silence can be felt in the room. Alex looked around as she hummed an unfamiliar song. I cleared my throat to break the awkward silence between the two of us. I can’t be awkward with the person I am living with, especially with her since we share a room. “So, you’re Donghae’s brother slash sister?”

“Yeah.” She laughed gently. “How did you know about the brother thingy?”

“Sungmin told me yesterday.”

“Oh, I see.” She smiled.

“Was it hard to live with these guys?”

“They are IDIOTS, not to mention, FAMOUS. They really aren’t the charismatic guys you see on stage. They are stubborn, dorky, loud, and crazy guys living under the same roof. I almost lost ten years of my life ever since I started living with them. But beyond all of that, they’re the best group of guys I have ever met.”

“They sound like really good guys because of you,” I said, and then laughed gently. “Can you tell me more about them? I need to prepare myself, you know. But except for Yesung being so annoying.”

“Yesung’s not annoying,” Alex defended. “He’s just.. Playful, I guess.”

I grimaced. “Playful enough to irritate me.”

“Both of you are alike. Both of you have strong personalities, so, it isn’t impossible for the two of you to sometimes get into each other’s nerves. Just deal with it in a good way, and everything would be okay.”

“I’m not the kind of person that can deal with someone like me. I don’t think I can, Alex.”

“You have to, Gyuri. I don’t think you’ll survive in here if you won’t. Believe me, this house is very chaotic.” She shrugged. “It’s more of a jungle. Or a survival game, or whatever you want to call it.”

I nodded. “I know. I’ve witnessed that a while ago.”

“That’s just the start, you know. Anyway, you should know what to do whenever unexpected things happen.”

Alex told me some things about these crazy guys. And there’s just one thing that I realized: I entered a jungle without any clue.

Alex gave me some tips on how to survive in this chaotic jungle inside a small apartment, which means, these guys are the wild animals— including my brother. I never really thought that my life would turn out like this— the thought never entered my mind. Living with more than tem guys under one roof isn’t a part of my lifetime plans, and it will never be. For someone like me, who really doesn’t care about what happens to other things that doesn’t need my involvement, living with so many people isn’t my thing. I’d rather live alone, or with someone who understands me, like Hyesub.

I thanked Alex, and then went out of the room. I decided to go out and inhale some fresh air. Since I’m wearing decent clothes, I just wore my coat and put on my flats. I grabbed my bag and headed straight to the door without any hesitations.

“Where are you going, Gyu?” Sungmin asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know. Where ever my feet would take me.”

Sungmin nodded with a slight smile. “Take care of yourself, okay? Go home safely, see you later.”

I just nodded as I exited the dorms.

I walked by myself in the busy streets, not really minding my destination. I stopped by a coffee shop, and decided to grab some coffee and something to eat. I chose the table at the corner, where there aren’t many people, so that I’ll be able to think properly.

“Here’s your order, ma’am.” The waiter placed the cup of coffee and a plate of cheesecake on top of the table.

“Thanks,” I said with a bow as the waiter left.

I ate some of the cheesecake and took a sip on my coffee. While continuously playing with my phone, tapping it on the table, I thought of some ways on how to survive this crazy jungle I entered. I removed the cap of my pen, and placed my phone on the table beside my coffee. I opened my personal journal, where I write my everyday agenda whenever I wake up, and started to write things down.

Survival Guide:

1. Always ready my:

Fist – to punch someone just in case (just like what Alex told me)

Hands – to throw aything at anyone when needed

Eyes – just in case I’ll be able to witness something inappropriate. For example, a bunch of guys running around the house (That’s possible, right? You never know.)

1. Always have back-up. I think I have Alex, and maybe, Sungmin’s on my side. (Kyuhyun is an exception, you never know whether he’s with me or not.)
2. Always keep a knife under my pillow (for safety reasons)

I took a sip on my coffee, and smiled. What a wonderful plan, I thought.

Game on, I am ready.