before you love me | jjk

chapter eight

━━━༻ ˚✩‧₊ february 2020₊‧✩˚༺━━━

"Narae-yah I swear if you tell me I'm cutting this up wrong one more time, I am going to use you as the demonstration of how to do it correctly!" Yoongi grumbled at the younger girl, beyond exasperated.

They were recording a Run BTS episode, the first with Narae, and she had been judging the way he chopped up all the ingredients without offering any useful alternative advice. Narae thought it was hilarious as payback for his unhelpful comments when she was recording with Namjoon, but Yoongi remained unamused.

Their task this episode was to cook a meal under the direction of the other members who had been split into two teams. Jin, Narae and Yoongi were delegated to cooking whilst Jimin and Jungkook formed one instruction-giving team, and J-Hope and V formed the other. Namjoon remained impartial as MC and judge.

They had already made their way through the first section of the episode with minimal problems or hiccups, with J-Hope and V giving them instructions to make quesadillas and kimchi sujebi. Currently, it was Jimin and Jungkook's turn to direct the trio, and it was accurate to say that it was a mess.

"Narae-ssi, I have an important task for you." Jimin said from the other room, his voice coming in through the earpieces that they were wearing.

"Yes sir!" Narae stood up straight, listening intently.

"I need you to make the biggest heart you can and say to the camera: 'I love Jimin'!"

Narae took her orders seriously, forming a heart with her arms over her head and turning to the nearest camera, smiling widely and tilting her head before proclaiming, "I love Jimin!"

"Cute!" Jimin said out loud, the rest silently agreeing – even Yoongi was slightly thawed at the display. "Now I need you to take what Suga-hyung was chopping up – the peppers, onions and garlic and blend them together."

"What about the tomatoes?"

"You add those later, wait no, what was in the video again?" Jimin had confused himself, "I think you add it later in the pan, or actually maybe—"

Jimin was cut off by Jungkook who smoothly answered Narae's question, "You add the tinned tomatoes first in the blender, then the peppers and three quarters of the chopped onions and garlic. Also add a bit of tomato purée to it and blend it all together. Jin-hyung, whilst that's going on, heat up some oil in a wide flat saucepan to get ready to pour the mixture in. Suga-hyung, you should wash two cups of rice."

"Wow, so professional!" J-Hope exclaimed from inside the room.

Narae agreed, it was kind of attractive how in control of the situation Jungkook was, and how calm and measured his voice remained despite the confusion.

"Okay Jungkoo- wait! I think I know what we're making! Is it Jollof Rice? I bet it's Jollof Rice!"

Narae couldn't think of many Korean dishes that had the same ingredients and she'd watched her mum make it enough times to guess that it was one of her favourite Nigerian meals.  She was certain she was right, and a nod from one of the producers confirmed that she was correct. Narae was touched by the little ways that their company included her in what they were doing, and made it less so that she was an outsider and more part of the team.

"Jell-off rice? What's that?" Jin inquired, unfamiliar with the dish, much like the rest of the members.

"It's what I would call the national dish of Nigeria, we make it the best in the whole of West Africa! It's also one of my favourite meals! I don't really know how to describe it other than it's a tomato sauce boiled rice –  but honestly, it tastes way better than I've described it, I promise!"