level 23 / btsvelvet

episode eight

"unnie?" yerim cracks open the door to her apartment, a puzzled expression on her face. "what happened to your door lock?" she asks, closing the apartment door behind her as she walks out to where irene is standing.

irene sends the blonde a relieved glance. "thanks for coming out, yerim. nothing happened to it, really. i just came back from work and for some reason it's not functioning."

the younger girl's lips press together as she walks over to inspect irene's door. "it's a digital door lock." she mumurs to herself as she taps at the blank touchscreen. then, her fingers skim the USB charging port on the side of the lock. "i think it's out of battery. the screen isn't showing up."

"oh my god, i didn't think of that." irene exclaims in near-perfect english, "you're so smart. i'm too old for this."

at irene's words, yerim laughs, shaking her head.

"unnie, you're not even that old." the younger girl jokes, eyes twinkling, "do you have a portable charger with you?"

irene runs an exasperated hand through her hair, but somehow the dark strands still manage to land flawlessly over her shoulder. "no, i don't have a portable charger with me." she sighs inwardly, placing her hands on her hips. at this point, the older girl is considering a trip back to her office--after all, it's not the first night irene has slept in her cubicle (although now, it was a grand, glass-doored office she would be holed up in, thanks to namjoon and his extravagance).

"i'll go get mine." yerim says, skittering back into her apartment and picking up the portable charger on her study desk. she returns quickly, plugging in the cord and watching with a satisfied grin as the screen lights up.

irene parts her lips to thank the younger girl just as the door to the staircase opens and son seungwan steps into the hall.

the two girls turn to look at the slumping girl who looks miserable in her heels.

"seungwan, you're back already?" irene asks pleasantly, and seungwan greets the older girl with a smile.

"did you get your door lock figured out?" seungwan returns before explaining, "ah, yes, i finished up my meeting. it was actually the old man downstairs. he wanted me to take a look at his tax returns."

"we figured it out." yerim answers, running over to link arms with seungwan. "unnie...thank god you're home!" the blonde chirps all too merrily.

"you're hungry again, aren't you?" seungwan sighs knowingly. "did we run out of ramen?"

yerim nods aggressively, a serious expression on her face. "exactly as you say, unnie."

irene chuckles from aside. "how about i take you girls out to eat? my treat."

at this, both girls' eyes widen.

"would you really?" yerim's face is filled with delight.

"you guys would have to pick the restaurant, though." irene nods with a small grin. "i'm new to the area, remember?"

yerim claps her hands together. "i know a place."

irene places her briefcase in her apartment and replaces yerim's portable charger with her own before the three girls travel twenty-two flights of stairs down the the parking garage.