IRREGULAR [NCT127xR.V.Seulgi]

15

After hours of roughly doing work, Taeyong decided to retreat for the day. He closed up his station, much to the other's surprise at the early timing, and headed downstairs to the kitchen, hoping to find something to eat. As he reached the kitchen he could smell something and a sizzling sound that made his mouth water, which was another first for him.

When he did enter the kitchen, he was surprised by who was there. "What are you doing?" he asked her. Seulgi turned, and the bibimbap could be seen more clearly

"Cooking?" she replied more like a question, wondering why he would ask such an obvious thing. Taeyong looked at the food again, and scoffed at the amount.

"Huh. How much does a woman eat?" he asked sarcastically, walking to the fridge, hearing her scoff back in disbelief.

"OK one," she spoke, not holding back the offence she felt, "don't underestimate the power of women and food. And two, it's dinner for everyone." she informed him, which made him stop in his tracks. He turned to her, a questioning look on his face.

"Everyone?" he asked, and Seulgi simply looked down at her watch.

"And three, two..." before she could finish, they already heard the common stampede of feet, and the youngest's squeal.

"Ooh! Bibimbap!" Haechan ran in towards Seulgi, first giving her a hug, then taking a plater for himself only before sitting in his place. The others soon followed, thanking Seulgi before they started to eat.

Taeyong watched the group eat in satisfaction, finally coming to a realisation. "Wait... So all these days, you've been cooking? Those weren't take outs in the fridge with my name on them?" he asked pointing to the fridge, which now seemed much more organisef and full.

"She's been cooking since she got here," Jungwoo replied instead, "even after you gave her sandwiches back." he said a little more quietly. Taeyong looked at Seulgi, who sat next to Haechan and ate her's, then noticed the emtpy chair at the end of the table with food, supposedly for him.

"Eat Taeyong." he heard her say, and, another surprise to the others, he complied. Before the rest could finish, Seulgi got up and dropped her dishes in the sink. "Winwin, your turn today." she informed before leaving the room, hearing a slight grunt which made her chuckle. Taeyong turned to the others confused.

"We have to take turns to wash the dishes. You, my friend, have a lot to catch up on." Yuta joked, earning a grumble from him. Taeyong was next to finish, and left the room, finding Seulgi in the common living room reading. He walked up behind her, nd she turned hearing the clicking of his shoes.

"Kang Seulgi." he started. "Don't you hate me?"

"Is that a question?" she laughed sarcastically. "Of course."

"Typical." he said under his breath. "Then why cook? Especially for me?" he asked.

"Because, that's humane. Something I'm guessing you're not." she retorted, when he suddenly scoffed and smirked after.

"I can only be humane when humanity is restored in this s*** place."

"How can you hate so much?" she asked back. "There must be something you at least like to do."

"Work." and plan for my freedom...

"Well, I hope you find something to love at some point. Even a person. I'd live to see the day you actually fall in love. That would be a miracle in a blue moon." she said exaggerating. She looked back at him, met by the same straight face.

"I'll only love the person who knows how it feels to be irregular. The boys out there have all suffered, so I love them like the brothers I never had. People who don't know don't get anything from me."

"Are you saying I don't know what it feels like being irregular?" Seulgi said, sounding irritated.

"Well, you were treated like a princess who knew nothing about the real world, and still don't. So no, you don't know what it feels like, because while you were in your own world all these years, the boys and I had to live away from our families and work hard to live how we are." he fired, unexpecting the consequence.

"Fine, maybe physically I don't. But I don't think you know how much mental pressure I had to go through all these years. While you could at least walk around freely, I was cooped up inside one house for years. While you had these nine amazing people with you, I couldn't even talk to my brothers openly because I was scared of them, scared they would turn their backs on me." she finished, now on the verge of tears. But before they could come out, she stomped out of the room, and he heard her crashing the door of her's closed.

Taeyong stood silent. This was probably another first, someone talking back to him in that manner. He stood breathing, thinking about what the woman had told him. No matter how much he wants to deny, her words sounded too true to be fought back at. After minutes of thinking, he sighed and went straight to his room, and laid in bed right away.

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