𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗬 𝗔𝗙𝗙𝗔𝗜𝗥 - 𝗮 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄

𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝟱-𝟭

"Hello," Eunjae stepped into the common area, his footsteps barely audible. His face, usually calm and composed, bore traces of something heavier today - disappointment. He was pretty devastated after finding out what Yuwon did behind his back.

"Hey Elliot," Across the room, Pamela stood by the kitchen counter, the soft clinking of glasses filling the air as she prepared herself a drink.

"You woke up quite early," Doah, who was nonchalantly sipping on her tea, called out. The comment was casual, but the unspoken observation - you seem off - hovered in the air between them.

Elliot decided to ignore her and took a seat opposite, letting the warmth of the morning sun that spilled through the villa's wide windows fall on him - silence felt more comfortable than words just then.

From the kitchen, Pamela rifled through the fridge, the sound of jars and containers shifting echoed. "Doah, how about scrambled eggs, sausages, and pancakes for lunch?"

"Sure, are there any sausages and eggs in the kitchen though?"

"Yeah, there are some left, don't worry," Pamela replied as she picked out what she needed from the fridge.

"Shall I help?" Elliot asked, the offer hanging somewhere between genuine and a distraction from his own thoughts.

Pamela glanced over her shoulder. "Fry the sausages with Doah then," She suggested and then went back to mixing the pancake batter.

"You have such major dominant energy, Pam," Doah chuckled teasingly as she washed her hands at the sink.

"I know," Pamela said, now pouring honey on the already made pancakes. She was as quick as light.

"Okay, these are ready too," Doah said a minute after, sliding the sizzling sausages up onto the plates.

"The eggs are quite done too," Elliot answered, unsure. Pamela glanced over to check if any blunder had been created similar to that in the cooking challenge.

"Have patience or they'll be left uncooked," she said, her brow slightly furrowing, as she flipped over the eggs twice. "Now, they're done."

"You're quite good at this," he muttered.

Pamela flashed him a knowing smile. "I enjoy cooking. It's kind of my thing," she said, her hands already busy preparing plates for the others.

"Then how come you didn't win the challenge?"

She rolled her eyes, amused. "It wasn't solo, Kai was with me, remember?"

"What if I were there? Would it change things?" Elliot leaned in, his tone flirtatious, a slow smile spreading across his face.

"Maybe," Pamela looked up briefly and replied as she swiftly spread the scrambled eggs on the plates.

"Wow Eunjae, teach me cooking too," Wonya strolled in, her eyes lighting up at the scene before her.

"So you're cooking with Pamela but won't teach me how to cook?" she teased, throwing an arm around Pamela and looking pointedly at Elliot.

Elliot mentally sighed, realizing what the girl was doing. "Didn't you say you were better at this than me?" he emphasized on the didn't.

Wonya rolled her eyes dramatically. "Just say you want to spend time with her, don't be an asshole so early in the morning," she shot back, leaving a laughing Elliot and Pamela in her wake as she left the room.

LATER THAT DAY

"GUYS," Asher came running into the lounge area, catching everyone off guard.

"What's up?" Doah asked, curious as she noticed him hiding something behind his back.

"I bought a new girlfriend," he announced with exaggerated enthusiasm.

Everyone's heads turned to his direction, curious. The guy had never been seen with anyone besides Sooyun.

"HER NAME IS CHUCKY," he giggled, holding up a doll with wild red hair, its sinister grin unmistakable. Everyone logical was busy thinking where he got the ugly doll from while people like Doah were busy hiding behind Zen, who himself looked terrified enough.

Zen's eyes narrowed. "Where did you get that from, Asher?"

"It's imported, it came after two months and the production house sent it to me," Asher smiled, as if he did something to be proud of.

"That thing is terrifying," Doah muttered to Zen, slightly tucking onto his shirt and reclining back.

"It surely is," Zen muttered, still eying the doll with disgust.

"She sleepwalks and she might go into your rooms too. Her favorite location is under-beds," Asher recalled.

"So you replaced me right?" Sooyun, who was walking by, stopped to double check.

"HEY SOOYUN IT'S NOT LIKE THAT," Asher yelled in a sudden panic, realizing too late that his joke had backfired.

"Spend the rest of your life with her and I'm going to hit on Eunro," she flipped her hair sassily. As she passed Eunro, she gave him a sly wink, which he returned with a grin.

Asher was disappointed. "Okay then," he muttered and went to Pamela, who was the only one still willing to listen to him ramble about the doll.

Sooyun stared at the guy for a minute straight and walked off when he gave no reaction.

"This doesn't look good," Doah whispered to Zen, who nodded.

"No, it really doesn't."

"Why do you always awkwardly chuckle in the end," Kai, being his salty self, asked Jia, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I thought everyone was used to it?" she asked, the faintest hint of amusement tugging at her lips.

"No," Kai shot back, folding his arms across his chest, "It's annoying, honestly."

"It's creepy," Wonya added.

"It looks rather weird," Elliot added.

"I like it so," she said simply, and then, as if on cue, let out another soft chuckle that hung in the air for a beat too long.

Kai scoffed, his eyes rolling dramatically as he leaned back in his chair. "Looks like Harvard management is on drugs these days, finna be allowing every drongo in the university."

The insult was sharp but delivered with that same mocking smile he always wore.

Jia's expression darkened slightly. "I don't have much energy to argue with you, honestly."

Kai scoffed again, this time standing up, his tone laced with mock indifference. "Argue with you? Nah, I can do better," he said as he turned, clearly ready to walk away from the conversation altogether.

Pamela, who had been quietly watching the argument all this while stood up and followed him. She reached out, gently grabbing his hand just before he could leave.

"What's wrong with you?" her touch was soft, and her voice even softer.

Kai didn't answer. He didn't even turn around. He simply pulled his hand away and kept walking, leaving the others behind in the backyard.

A brief silence followed before Eunro, sitting nearby, broke it. "It was just an opinion. He wasn't picking a fight," he said, trying to smooth over the tension.

Doah, however, wasn't having it. She crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing in frustration. "It was an unasked-for opinion," she shot back, her words sharp.

"Oh c'mon, he can say his opinions out loud. You're no one to judge Doah," Eunro mimicked the way she sat and spoke, making the atmosphere quite funny.

"Oh if he can speak then I can judge too," she shot him a look and then added, "And stop copying me, joker."

Before anyone could respond, a voice echoed from inside the villa.

"Everyone, please gather in the lounge area," the hosts called out, interrupting the back-and-forth. The casual argument dissolved into groans and laughter as the group made their way inside.