aespa's 5th member (aespa X Male reader)

Part 26

Y/N POV

Life as the "hidden" 5th member is essentially a high-stakes game of The Sims, except I'm the one doing all the chores while the other characters go out and become world-famous superstars.

After the "Great Chicken Feast" of last night, the dorm was currently a wasteland. Empty boxes were stacked on the counter, and someone—I'm looking at you, Winter—had left a single radish cube sitting on the coffee table like a lonely piece of modern art.

I was currently armed with a vacuum cleaner, a headband pulling my hair back, and a sense of deep regret for being the only person in this house who noticed dust.

"Maknae-ya!"

A door flew open. Giselle stumbled out, looking like she had just survived a shipwreck. Her hair was a bird's nest, and she was wearing a mismatched pair of socks.

"Why are you making so much noise?" she groaned, squinting at the sunlight. "The vacuum sounds like a jet engine."

"It's 11:00 AM, Noona," I said, switching it off. "You guys have a dance practice at 1:00 PM. If I don't clean this now, the mold will start charging us rent."

Giselle slumped onto the sofa, narrowly missing the radish cube. "You're so diligent. Why are you so diligent? It's annoying. Come here and be lazy with me."

"I can't. If I don't finish this, Jimin noona will scold me for 'neglecting the sanctuary'."

"She only calls it a sanctuary when she wants you to do the dishes," Giselle pointed out, reaching for her phone. "Where is she anyway?"

"She's in the shower. Winter and Ningning went to the convenience store to buy 'emergency' ice cream. Which, knowing them, means they're currently standing in the aisle debating which flavor represents their zodiac signs."

Giselle chuckled. "Sounds about right."

The bathroom door opened, and a cloud of steam rolled out, followed by Karina. She was wrapped in a thick white robe, towel-drying her hair. She looked at me, then at the vacuum, then at the messy counter.

"Y/N," she said, her voice dripping with mock authority.

"Yes, Noona?"

"Why is there a radish cube on the table?"

I pointed at Giselle. "Ask the person who sat next to it for ten minutes without moving it."

"What?!!" Giselle surprised. "Eww!"

Karina walked over to me, ignoring Giselle's whining. She stood right in front of me, smelling like the expensive soap I bought her for her birthday. She reached up and adjusted my headband, her fingers lingering on my forehead.

"You're working too hard," she murmured. "Leave the cleaning. We have people for that."

"The 'people' is me, Noona. I'm the person."

"No, you're the artist," she corrected, taking the vacuum handle out of my hand and leaning it against the wall. "And the artist needs to help me with something."

"What?"

"I need to film a TikTok. A 'Point of View' one. And since you're the only guy here, and you're tall, and you have nice hands..."

"No," I said immediately.

"Y/N-ah~" She pouted, her hands sliding up to my shoulders. "Please? The fans are asking for more content. Just your silhouette? Or just your hand? It'll drive them crazy."

"The company will kill me," I argued, though my resolve was already melting.

"Manager Noona said as long as your face isn't in it, it's 'organic marketing'." She gave me her best cat-like grin. "Come on, Jagi. Do it for your favorite Noona."