The Director • Seo Changbin

05

The "dinner time" text eventually came. All the housemates slowly made their way to the large dining room, and Chan brought an extra chair for Baram. Everyone sat around the table but there was one seat still vacant.

"Is Kim still out?" Minho questions

"He's on his way from a study group he said he's not far and we can start without him." Hyunjin said looking at his phone

"Sorry Baram, our Seungmin is also a college student he's always over working himself." Woojin says

"It's no problem, I understand fully."

"You only understand because before me your were a workaholic with no friends." Changbin snickered and Baram kicked his shin

"Anyways dig in! Baram made the tteokbeokki and I grilled the meat and made the black bean noodles!" Chan exclaimed clasping his hands together. The bunch begin to eat, chatting along. About 15 minutes into dinner, the front door is heard opening and a very exhausted, "I'm home everyone!" is heard. The tall boy walks into the dining room.

He plops down. "I swear my study group is full of idiots, I need to meet better people. I'm gonna get a bad grade on this project if I keep working with them!" Seungmin vents out digging into the food, "And my professor thinks just because I'm a music major I need to take 3 marketing classes! That's just a waste of time and money! Wouldn't I just have a manager if I actually become a composer?!"

"Minnie.." Woojin interrupted the youngers rant

"Hmm?" He replies food stuffed in his mouth

"We have a guest."

The boys' head instantly pops up and he stops chewing, gazing over the table at the girl. He covers his mouth as he talks, "Baram! What are you doing here? How'd you get my address? Did you get it from Jimin? I'm really stressed right now I can't study or help you with your work."

"No I'm here with Changbin. I didn't know you knew each other.."

"W-What..?"

"Kim Seungmin, Choi Baram. Choi Baram, Kim Seungmin. She's the girl we saw over FaceTime." Chan says pointing at them with his chopsticks

"Ahhh..." Seungmin nods his head slowly

"She wanted to clear everything up and meet us. She even bought us some drinks, go get yours from the fridge." Minho says to Seungmin, Seungmin nods and gets up grabbing his drink then sits back down.

Baram stands up before anyone can continue eating, she deeply bows before everyone.

"Thank you for having me over... I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. As you know, I'm Choi Baram, I'm 18 and I'm a film major at Seungmin-ssi's university." She sits down again

"No no we should be apologizing to you, noona!" Jeongin says, "We did assume you were, ya know, with Changbin. That was wrong of us. I apologize." He gets up from his chair, dragging Han and Felix up with him and forcing them to bow. The other boys besides Changbin also get up and bow.

"Ok now that that is over! Let's eat!" Chan exclaims happily

The entire group continues to eat and chat along not forgetting to include Baram as much as possible.

After dinner Baram, Hyunjin, and Seungmin offer to do the dishes while everyone hangs out in the living room.

"So Baram when will we need to meet up to work on the film?" Seungmin says scrubbing a plate

"I'm not sure, I need help finding a cast and finalize set locations with my professor." She says rinsing out a cup and handing it to Hyunjin

"If you guys need actors the guys and I can always help out." Hyunjin replies drying the cup and putting it away

"That would be great!"

"It would but I'm not sure the guys have a lot of work..." Seungmin intervenes

"R-right I didn't think of that. We can always ask the company." Hyunjin puts away the last dish

Baram walks out of the kitchen into the living room with the taller boys trailing behind her. "What do you guys even do?" She says and the flicks her wet hands at Changbin.

"Hey! Respect your senior!" He says throwing his cap at her

"Never!" She says and hides behind Seungmin

"Hyung you see what I have to deal with? She doesn't even call me oppa."

"I thought you said you didn't care if I didn't!" She sticks her tongue out at him

"Baram you should be respectful." Seungmin says

"But it's so uncomfortable to call people unnie and oppa! Especially people near my age!"

"Still..."

Changbin pulls the girl down onto the couch and she lays across his and Jeongin's laps.

"So I don't have to call you noona?"
Jeongin asks poking her cheek

"No, you make me sound so old. We're practically the same age."

"But you have to call the older ones oppa. Got it?" Changbin says sternly

"Fine fine." She pouts and the guys laugh

"Hyunjin you never answered my question! What do you guys even do?!!" She whines

All the boys heads snap up and they stare at each other, they seem to be having an intense conversation with their eyes, before Minho and Woojin nod.

"We are artists." Hyunjin answers sitting on the arm of the chair

"Hm?"

"We are a "new" idol group. Stray Kids, or SKZ."

"I'm friends with an idol and I'm hanging out in a bunch of Idols' home! I'm laying on Idols?" She rolls off of them onto the floor with a thud

"Yeah?" Felix answers

"O my gosh that's so crazy! Why didn't you say anything!! What if we were seen in public and created a scandal Changbin, you stupid!" She hits his leg

"That's what you care about I thought you were gonna freak out and try to get our autographs to sell?" He replies

"I am, offended. I don't care as long as this means I can see you guys perform sometime."

"Wow she's so different from the others." Han says

"This time she isn't a thot." Minho says back, and everyone laughs

"Wait can I get a live performance right now?" Baram pops up

"I mean..." Changbin rubs the nape of his neck

"Why not?" Hyunjin says

"Yaaayy!!" She claps

"So uh, Chan, Han, and Changbin, are the groups rappers. Hyunjin, Felix, and Minho, are the dancers. Jeongin, Seungmin, and I are the vocalists." Woojin explains

The boys started to blare their latest album, "I am Who" throughout the apartment and the group danced and sang for the rest of the night. 3racha even performed their favorite songs from their various mixtapes for the girl.

The next few days were eventful to say the least. Baram finalized a cast and study group to help her with her film. The boys' company has allowed the group to star in it, after a very very long nerve wracking meeting with the girl and her professor. She was also able to cast some other students. Rehearsal and filming will hopefully start soon and the young director is bouncing off the walls.

Baram's weekly routine has changed drastically now. She goes to school with Seungmin, drops him off at his study group, either works a few hours at the arcade or studies at a cafe, goes home, Changbin will show up eventually and the pair will hang out for a few hours, Changbin leaves and Baram goes to bed. The girl enjoys her new life with Stray Kids; Korea's starting to feel more like home.

•1250 words•