HIBISCUS | Bang Chan of Stray Kids

Track 18

"It's easy to choose what you want in our kitchen. Anything on the menu will satisfy all your five senses."

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Track 18

          Hwayoung fluffed the ends of her damp hair with a soft white towel before hanging it to dry. Fearful of developing a cold overnight, she made sure the ends of her hair were drip free and bundled herself up in extra warm clothes. She slid the bathroom door open and made her way to the bustling kitchen, "Five baskets? Are you sure we'll be able to finish all of these?"

          Hwayoung picked up a large perilla leaf by the stem, twirling it between her thumb and index fingers. Under the running water, Seungmin skillfully bounced the dirty perilla leaves in a strainer before dumping them on a large platter to dry before repeating on the next batch, "Positive! This may look like a lot now, but trust me when I say Stray Kids will go through lettuce wraps like vacuums. I'm looking out for you here."

          Hwayoung nodded slowly unsure at first, placing the leaf back in the basket. Shrugging off the matter, Hwayoung decided to make herself useful and grabbed a kitchen knife and chopping board. Placing the items upon the low wooden table across from Minho's seat, she began to help him chop the vegetables that were to be grilled.

          Minho used the side of the knife to slide under the sliced veggies and his gloved non-dominant hand to secure it before transferring them to the large plate in the middle of the table, "The marinade you made for the meat looks and smells good. Where did you learn to make from scratch?"

         Seungmin agreed with a hum, "I wouldn't have thought to put lemongrass, but my mouth is already watering from the smell of it!"

          "Thanks," Hwayoung smiled shyly. She was too embarrassed, or rather too ashamed, to reveal that she learned most of her culinary skills from working at Aunt Mae's and decided to tell them half-truths, "A close friend of mine, who's more like an aunt, taught me pretty much everything I know."

          "Your aunt should open a restaurant then," Minho joked, sending her a heart fluttering smile. He used his bicep to push up the wired glasses further up the bridge of his nose.

          "Yeah, I think you guys would really enjoy it."

          Hwayoung felt bad lying to Seungmin and Minho. No matter how many times Stray Kids proved to her that they were trustworthy and non-judgmental, Hwayoung always felt self-conscious around them. Having them already know that she was an ex-idol from a scandalously disbanded girl group was already enough to be shameful about; moreover, Hwayoung did not want them knowing that she was still an aspiring artist that relied on a part-time job to help pay her bills since her music obviously was not. Most importantly since the idols she worked with were extremely successful and popular, domestically and internationally.

          "Here," Minho slid the plate of sliced veggies closer to Hwayoung before heading to the stove to boil water for the ramen that they bought at the plaza, "That's the last of the veggies. The grill should be ready for them on the porch."

          Nodding, Hwayoung finished the last cuts, adding them to the platter. She cleaned her area and walked the used utensils to the sink. Before she could begin to wash them, Seungmin kindly took them from her hands, "I got it. Get that plate to the grill."

          Hwayoung thanked Seungmin and grabbed the platter. Before donning slippers, Hwayoung decided to bare the cold with just a hoodie since her coat was still drying by the furnace. She carefully maneuvered past the sliding doors and placed the platter on the outdoor mini-table. By now the rain settled into silence, leaving behind a dark overcast that concealed the stars. The only source of lighting came from two hanging lanterns along the wooden pillars between the porch and the door.