Serving 5: Chapter 4 - "Table Talk"
Title: Chapter 4 - "Table Talk"
Series: Serving 5
Author: Vangelynn
Rating: G
Pairings: one-and-a-half-sided DaeRi & TopRi?
Genre: Un-attempted Humor
Summary: After many failed attempts, Big Bang finally get themselves a new housekeeper. But what they find isn’t exactly what they expected. As they adjust to the new twenty-year-old-student house keeper, they find themselves out of their own element. Although some may not notice it and continue with their own lives, others take things too seriously. Read and discover what it's like to be Serving 5. (Yay! New summary ^_^ And it's worse than the first T_T)
Diclaimer: I own all other characters but Big Bang.
A/N: First ever fan fic. I was challenged(forced) by some of you guys to start writing one. This plot in particular was in my head for quite a while, four months to be exact.
Chapter 1: "The Phone, the Phone is Ringing"
Chapter 2: "Sarang?"
Chapter 3: "Meet the Neighbors, Find a Rival"
Warning: Skim-beta-ed; there has to be mistakes some where >__> inform me if you see any
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Sarah opened the front door and tripped. On mail. Letters that had been stuffed and tucked into a bag that used to be sitting neatly beside the door were scattered. Scattered all over the floor randomly. The bag had been toppled by a human being (obviously) and thrown unceremoniously across the hall beside some one else’s door. Sarah looked at the letters reading a different member’s name on each one. “They can’t possibly have this much mail. Can they?” Her head was aching.
Sarah-sii, your phone is ringing, her pocket hummed.
Grabbing it, praying that it wasn’t Manager, she answered. “Yoboseyo?”
“Sarah, it’s me Daesung.”
“Daesung!”
“Is there something wrong? You sound different.”
“Nothing’s wrong.”
“Anyway, we’ll be there in about ten minutes so-”
“Eh?!”
“In ten minutes so make sure the food is finished by then.”
Beep. Beep. Beep.
“Hello? Sarah?”
She rushed to the elevator tucking her phone into her pocket. She could explain to Daesung later. She tapped her foot impatiently, as she abused the elevator button. What is taking it so long? She gave the elevator another three seconds.
Leaving the late transport, she ran to the stairs determined to get to the ground floor as fast as possible. As she scurried down the steps the elevator dinged happily opening its doors to no one.
Once on ground floor she went out in the garden to check her situation. The window was higher than she thought. Four floors high. No hose could reach that! She glanced at her watch. Three minutes wasted. Only seven more left. She might as well try.
Yes, there was a garden hose, but it couldn’t possibly…She turned it to full power so she could aim more precisely. The water was already on, but nothing was coming out at the other end. Shaking it like an empty cup, she looked inside. No water at all. If only she had seen the sun hated ahjumma sneak to the faucet where the hose was and step on the hose, she would have known better. The senile woman raised her foot releasing floods of water along with it.
“I honestly have no idea any more,” Sarah said as she stared blankly into the hose. “Did the water dry out by any ch- glraaaahh!”
The water shot into her face mercilessly. She fought with the hose trying to gain control of it. She pointed it away from her so she could breath. Coughing and sputtering, she took a breath. Her hair was drenched and her face made the rest of her look like she had almost drowned. Drowned in the middle of the garden with a residential hose. Cranking the options of the hose, she reduced it the gun of water to little shots of mist. Droplets fell from her lashes as she glanced up at Seungri’s window. Squeaky clean.
Five more minutes. She grabbed the hose, wrapped it, and threw it around the faucet, as she ran back into the building.
No more time to be a perfectionist. She stuffed the letter into the mailbag in a rush. Letters are just paper right? They can bend and fold. She snatched the string around the rim of the bag and pulled it tight. Floor was clear.
She turned to the door and rattled the knob. What! Locked? Her head met the door in a slam as she thought. What was the combination again? Gosh, four more minutes. She took her phone and dialed Daesung. It was busy. Seungri didn’t answer. Youngbae’s was busy. Seunghyun’s was off. She winced as she dialed the last contact. Even in this situation she hoped that he wouldn’t answer, as she listened to the dial tone. But many hopes were made to be crushed.
“Yoboseyo?”
“Oppa, what’s the combination for the apartment?”
She heard Jiyong scoff on the other end of the line. “Yah. Are you blind? Daesung, wrote it on the fridge.”
“Well, I can’t get to the fridge right now.”
A taunting laugh came from the earpiece and straight to her nerves. “Did you get yourself locked outside?”
“Yes!” 3 and a half more minutes. “What is the combination?”
She heard Jiyong drag his voice in the most annoying way possible. “Weeeell, weee’re parking riiight nooow. So I can shooow you wheeen weee geeet theeere.”
“JUST GIVE ME THE FREAKING COMBINATION!!!”
“…sheesh. You don’t have to be so loud,” Jiyong’s voice was slightly taken back. “It’s 1566.”
Sarah punched in the numbers. “Thanks,” she said completely out of extreme politeness.
“No welcome.”
Sarah hung up before Jiyong did. At least she got the combination that was all that mattered. When the door gave in she went to the kitchen first thing. The pot that had been lidded was now un-lidded and the bird had finished his meal. He was perched at the rim of the pot looking straight into the boiling water, almost steaming his face off.
Sarah reached over and waved her hand across the steaming water. “Shoo!”
It flew off the stove calmly and onto her shoulder. She sighed as she checked the pot. The water was still clean.
She confronted the bird that was also looking down into the pot in concern. “You got lucky.”
It agreed.
Taking the pre-cut shrimp from the counter with the bird still perched on her shoulder she tossed it into the pot. Then the noodles. One more minute.
She was forgetting something…The laundry! She left it sitting in the middle of the hallway. Leaving the soup, she ran into the hall and grabbed the basket. They were all Jiyong’s clothes. How funny. She dumped them non-too-nicely on his bed and glanced out the window. Their van was already parked outside, empty too.
“They’re inside the building,” Sarah groaned. The bird that was by her side chirped sadly, sympathizing with her.
Shrimp and noodles were cooked. But the vegetables weren’t even cut yet. There was still time right?
“But, hyung, why do I always have to sit in the middle?”
“It’s called life, maknae. Deal with it.”
Their voices were heard clearly enough outside. Rushing to her last hope, Sarah grabbed a pack of dehydrated kimchi and ramen flakes.
“Sorry, Daesung,” she whispered, as she tore the pouch of MSG and sodium open, closing her eyes so she wouldn’t have to see the soup drown in unhealthiness. There’s always tomorrow, she assured herself.
Slapping a lid on the pot and setting it to a simmer, she took a seat on the dining table. Right then the door opened. “Hi, Sarang-noona!”
All five of them stopped half way in the kitchen. Jiyong took one glance at Sarah and stalked off to his room. Seunghyun and Seungri looked around the kitchen, trying to remember if it was the same kitchen they had eaten in that morning. Seunghyun shrugged his shoulders concluding that it was and went to the living room. Seungri rushed to the sink and stared into it as if there was a pond of fish at the bottom. “I can see my face in the sink!”
The bird twittered happily and landed on Youngbae’s shoulder welcoming his owner home. Youngbae looked at Sarah reproachfully. “He didn’t bother you at all?”
Sarah shook her head pleasantly. “Nope.”
Youngbae left conversing enthusiastically with his pet.
“Sarah, why are you wet?” Daesung was the only one out of the five that bothered to notice.
Sarah touched her hair tentatively. It was still damp and dripping. She had completely forgotten from all the rushing around. How was she going to explain to him that she nearly drowned herself with the garden hose? She scratched the back of her head; making little drops of water spatter to the kitchen floor. “It’s nothing really. I’ll just get myself dry.”
Daesung laid his hand on her shoulder, stopping her from getting up. “No, wait here.” He grinned brightly and left to get something. Sarah felt her cheeks warm as she smiled back. Too soon later, he came with a clean towel from the linen closet. (Only someone as clueless as the rest of the members would give her a random towel from the bathroom.)
“Here.”
“Thanks,” Sarah said, as she wiped her face, hopefully rubbing away the redness she knew was there.
Daesung took a seat beside her and laid his arm on the table. He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when he noticed the maknae standing almost lifelessly by the sink. “Seungri, what are you doing?”
Seungri looked up from the sink to Daesung, smiling radiantly. “Hyung, I can see my face in the sink!”
Nothing amused Daesung more than Seungri’s childish pleasures. Seungri himself was like a colorful sweet treat. “Yah, maknae! Don’t you have something better to do? Go to your room and get ready for dinner.”
“What?” Seungri shrieked. “So you can have Sarang-noona for yourself? No way!”
He grabbed Sarah, who was almost through drying her hair. “C’mon Noona, I wanna see the window!”
Daesung waved to them as he watched Seungri drag his noona out of kitchen. “Don’t worry. I’ll set the table.”
And it was set. When Sarah came back after having to smile unceasingly, while Seungri heaped praises on her as he spazzed over his window, Daesung was already sitting at the table; spotless and bowls arranged. Seunghyun was at the end of the table his silent air making himself look like he was miles away from everybody. Jiyong was on the other side twirling his chopsticks around his fingers impatiently. “Yah. Are we going to eat now or what?”
“I’m going,” Sarah rolled her eyes as she went to the stove to get their dinner.
Youngbae petted his bird’s soft head with his thumb, making sounds in between a chuckle and giggle. It fluttered from his shoulder to Jiyong’s bowl, looking curiously at its faint reflection in the white porcelain.
Jiyong tried to shoo it away with his chopsticks. “Youngbae, pets off the table.”
“C’mon, hyung. Nohrae already ate. He won’t touch our food.”
Nohrae jumped out of Jiyong’s bowl and landed on his head, bouncing around his hair in pleasure. “Youngbae-ah!”
Youngbae tsked and shook his head at the leader’s easy temper. He clicked his tongue and whistled, motioning a beckoning finger at Nohrae. It left Jiyong’s frizzy hair, losing interest completely and flew onto his owner’s shoulder.
“Soup’s here.” Sarah laid the steaming pot in the middle of the table among the small dishes of rice.
Jiyong rubbed his hands together. “Finally!”
Daesung, who had been staring at the empty seat beside him, sent a questioning glance at Sarah. “Where’d Seungri go?”
Sarah took a seat across Youngbae and Daesung. “He’s in the bathroom.”
“Ok! Let’s eat!” Jiyong, who had been eyeing a certain large piece of shrimp stretched over to snatch it.
“Hyung!” Daesung poked him with the end of his chopsticks. “Not yet. We have to wait for Seungri.”
Jiyong dropped back into his seat slouching down with his arms crossed. “But I’m hungry!”
Youngbae looked away from his hyung as he rubbed Nohrae’s beak. The childishness!
After an excruciating hour of waiting in Jiyong time, Seungri came 30 seconds later. “Goody! Food’s ready.”
“Seungri, go wash your hands before you eat,” Sarah said without looking up from the chopsticks she was arranging for herself.
“But noona-”
“I heard the toilet flush, but not the faucet. Go back.”
Seungri turned back dragging his feet rebelliously. Jiyong groaned as he realized how much longer he would have to wait. He looked at Sarah darkly under his low-lidded eyes. “You’re despicable,” he mumbled, not meaning to say it out loud.
Sarah stopped fiddling with her bowl and raised an eyebrow at him with a ‘did-you-say-something?’ look.
Jiyong turned his face away, avoiding eye contact and muttered curses at the fridge instead.
A few rinsing sounds from the bathroom and the water running almost aggressively, Seungri finally seated himself between Daesung and Youngbae (and Nohrae). Jiyong sat up with his head resting on his upright arm and tapped the table loudly, looking at Sarah expectantly.
Sarah looked back at Jiyong with taken back eyes and then at the three across the table. “Why? What?”
“We’re waiting for you to tell us when to eat,” Youngbae said with Nohrae looking at her just as questionably.
“But you guys can just go ahead and eat, right?” Sarah was surprised at their interesting behavior. “You don’t have to wait for me.”
Seungri laid his arms on the table and rested his cheeks on his hands. “Manager told us to always let the housekeeper eat first, since she cooked after all.”
Daesung squirmed uncomfortably on his seat. “But it’s awkward this time. ‘Cause our last housekeepers were ahjummas and we had to respect them…”
“…and now the majority is older than the housekeeper,” Youngbae finished.
“Oh,” Sarah said quietly, not knowing exactly what to say or do. It was one of those instances when it was not supposed to be hushed and awkward but was anyway. The three went quiet as Jiyong watched the steam leave the pot almost regretfully.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with you guys. I’m starving!” Seunghyun, who had been oblivious about everything until now, stretched from his corner and poured himself a proper amount of soup. He sat down satisfied and slowly slipped back into his own world.
The others followed his example, almost tentatively and sat back to eat. After a few minutes of pleasant silence, pleasant because everybody was enjoying the food even Jiyong who admitted it reluctantly, Seungri choked suddenly on his noodles, alarming Sarah and Daesung.
He dropped his chopsticks on the table and held his nose, fanning the air away from him. “Aw, man that reeks!” He looked at Youngbae with disgust. “Hyung, tell us before you crack one. My mouth was open!”
Youngbae, who was halfway finishing his glass of water, stopped as his eyes grew wide in disbelief. “I did not do that!”
Daesung wrinkled his nose. “Hyung, it came from your direction.”
Nohrae abandoned his owner and flew to Sarah’s side to escape the ‘stench’.
“Don’t deny it, Youngbae-ah,” Jiyong said, smiling cheekily. “We know how you smell like.”
A low chuckle in Seunghyun’s part.
“That was not me!”
Jiyong mused as he glanced at the back of Youngbae’s chair. “Look at the air turn green.”
Sarah took another sip from her soup and looked at them suspiciously. “I don’t smell anyth-”
Daesung prodded her gently underneath the table. He winked, bringing his fingers to his lips, and shook his head slightly. Sarah responded, shaping her mouth into an ‘o’ and looked back at her soup, wondering what kind of mischief they were up to.
“Hyung, I think I’m dying!” Seungri exclaimed, as he tried not to exhale. He grabbed Daesung and breathed into his hyung’s shirt like his life depended on it. Youngbae’s face reddened, as he sent upset glances at the maknae, who was usually the last one to poke fun at him.
“I told you guys. I didn’t do it!”
“Really, hyung,” Daesung said, patting Seungri sympathetically on the back and shaking his head in disappointment. “We’re eating with a girl too.”
Youngbae pushed his bowl away and stood up. “Seriously, what is wrong with you guys?” He turned to leave in outrage. “I just lost my appetite. C’mon, Nohrae.” The bird obeyed.
“Oh goody! More for me then!” Seungri spooned the rest of Youngbae’s soup into his own bowl as he bounced happily on his chair.
Jiyong nudged Daesung. “Is he really gone?”
Daesung leaned on his chair so he could see down the hall. “Yup.”
“Finally!” Jiyong fell with satisfaction on his seat. “I thought he’d never leave.”
“You guys are mean you know.”
Jiyong ignored Sarah and got down to business immediately. “So did any of you think get any ideas yet?”
Seungri poked his shrimp. “I couldn’t think of anything.”
“Anything for what?” Sarah was annoyed that Jiyong was doing such a good job at being oblivious of her and influencing the maknae to do the same. She stood up and put her bowl in the sink.
“For Youngbae-hyung’s birthday,” Daesung answered promptly. “It’s this weekend.”
“So you’re throwing him a surprise party?”
“Not exactly,” Seungri said. “We already know he’s expecting a surprise party so we’re throwing it on Saturday. His birthday’s on Sunday. That way he’ll be surprised.”
“Not bad.”
“Yeah, but it’s not good either,” Jiyong said almost bitingly. “We haven’t thought of a present and none of us can bake. We can’t buy any more of that store-bought trash.”
Seungri’s eyes lighted up. “Noona! Why don’t you bake the cake?”
“I suppose I could,” Sarah took the bowl from Seunghyun, who suddenly came back to reality.
“Strawberry,” he said, gruffly. “Youngbae loves strawberry.” Thence he got up and left the kitchen to go to the living room and do whatever a Seunghyun would do.
Sarah stared at his residing back. And she thought Jiyong was weird. “Erm. Strawberry it is.”
“I haven’t thought of any good presents either, hyung,” Daesung said as he gave Sarah his empty bowl. “I wish we could give him a pet.”
“But doesn’t he already have Nohrae?” Sarah asked.
“Yeah, but it’s not gonna last,” Seungri said.
“Pfft…You said it maknae,” Jiyong blew air dramatically up his fore head blowing his bangs away. “He finds one. It runs away. He gets another. It dies. He happens upon another. Manager confiscates it. Sooner or later that bird’s going to realize that he missed mating season and he’ll fly away.” Jiyong snapped his fingers in the air. “Just like that!”
Sarah collected Jiyong’s bowl after she waited by his side with no response. She walked to the sink and dumped the pile there. “Can’t you get him a dog or cat?”
“Manager won’t allow it,” Seungri said, drinking down his soup after seeing that the members had finished theirs. “Too much work. We wouldn’t be able to take care of it. That’s why Youngbae-hyung’s been bringing in random outside animals.”
“I see…”
“But I’m sure he’ll give up soon.”
Jiyong got up to leave. “Keep assuring yourself, maknae. It just might happen.”
Seungri finished his soup and left immediately to pester Seunghyun in the living room. Sarah turned the faucet on and started piling the bowls together. Daesung took the chopsticks and cleaned them with one swipe from the sponge. He looked Sarah, who was beside him organizing the dishes. “Sarah, it’s getting late. I’ll do the dishes.”
Sarah raised her head to see him as he continued. “You should go home now.”
“It’s not that late,” Sarah said, trailing her voice as if she was making excuses to stay longer.
“Well, there’s different kinds of people on the street at this hour. And I don’t want anything happening to you. Especially since,” he bent down so he could see her eye to eye. “Manager finally found the right house keeper for us.”
Sarah scoffed lightly as she remembered Jiyong. “Us as in just you?”
“When I say ‘us’, I never include Jiyong-hyung,” Daesung assured as if he read her thoughts.
She motioned him to move away from the sink so she could wash. She brought the pile into the sink and let the water run. Washing the first bowl, she tried to think up a menu for the next dinner. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be as rushed as this one, or as sloppy. It wasn’t until she turned around to find the dishcloth that she realized Daesung was still beside her, looking down at her expectantly. She sighed and handed him a small rag. “Here. You can wipe the table.”
He received it happily glad to help. After a while of silence as she washed and Daesung wiped diligently across the kitchen, he said. “So I heard you met the Manyeo.”
“The what? Oh yeah,” Sarah laid the last dish away to dry. “What do you guys have against her anyway?”
“Well, she likes to intimidate us. I don’t know if Jiyong-hyung told you right, but she’s slightly obsessed with us. Which is weird because at the same time she tries to ruin our lives every time she gets the chance to.”
“How?”
“She scares Seungri by whispering fake curses and threats to him every time she sees him. That’s why we change the apartment lock every week, so she can’t get in here. She ruined Jiyong-hyung’s clothes. She threatens to catch Nohrae and cook him. And she tells fan girls where Seunghyun-hyung is so they can ambush him. She does a bunch of other stuff too. I hope she didn’t bother you in any way.”
Sarah shook away the remnants of the incidents earlier. “No, she didn’t.”
“That’s good. But seriously though,” he gave the rag back to Sarah when he deemed the table clean enough. “Call us if she does. I’ll be your 119.”
(A/N: Hwuahaha! A little pun from “Oh My Friend” ^_^)
Sarah smiled as she to took the rag from him. Not only did she find a friend, but a protector.
Daesung listened to the clock tick as he watched Seungri studying by the desk beside the bed. He was under the comforter, his legs tucked, far from sleep.
Seungri knew his hyung was still awake as he mumbled the equations to himself. Daesung smiled at the maknae’s diligence. He wanted so badly to grab him and tuck him under the covers, so he would fall asleep. He couldn’t sleep if the other side of the bed was so empty. But he wanted him to do well on his test next week, so he resisted the urge. “How’s school going for you?”
“S’okay, hyung,” Seungri answered without looking up from his work.
Daesung watched the panda features on Seungri’s face grow serious as he encountered a difficult problem.
“Nobody’s bothering you or anything?”
“Nope.” Seungri stopped for a moment then continued. “Well, the girls maybe, but in a fanish way. I don’t mind it, hyung.”
The maknae continued his work as Daesung wished he could get up and hug him from behind and reprimand him gently that it was time to go to sleep.
“You almost finished?”
“Almost…” if he was getting annoyed he was good at hiding it.
Daesung shuffled around the sheets and flipped over so he could get a good view of the window. Blue dark sky and a few strong stars that had survived the city lights; he could see them through the half lidded blinds. Stars that almost out shined the moon that was being shunned by the clouds. They were probably the same stars Sarah was looking. Was she safe?
Daesung snuggled his nose into the pillow beside him. It smelled like Seungri, bright and sweet peppermint.
She better be safe. She didn’t show him how to make a natural facemask yet. He remembered insisting on escorting her all the way to the entrance earlier.
He never really gave girls a second thought. There were always three kinds of woman in his world. Younger fans that were all giggly and shy that he had to smile politely to, noonas and sunbaes he had to respect, and his mom. He had always wanted a true female friend that he could find some confidence in. Some one that would support and encourage him. A person that would view him as a buddy and close friend, almost like an older brother. Not a handsome star with a voice to die for, or a cute dongsaeng that was nice to have around, or an ‘aigoo!-my-hardworking’ son.
“I’ve always wanted a little sister,” he thought as he traced lines with his fingers to connect the stars.
Behind him he heard the rolling chair squeak as it was pushed away from the desk. He rolled over in time to see the maknae leave the room in a fluster.
“Seungri, where are you going?”
Seungri stepped back, his arms cradling a collection of textbooks and notes, a pencil behind his ear. “I’m going to study with Seunghyun-hyung.” And he left without giving Daesung a chance to protest.
Seunghyun-hyung again? Why couldn’t Seungri study with him? Sure he would rather sleep than stay up and study, but that was different from studying beside his favorite dongsaeng, his stuffed panda that he would hug to sleep. His best friend.
Seunghyun was the only one that stayed up until 2 A.M. watching pointless TV shows and surfing the Internet. Those eye bags were starting to test the powers of make up.
Daesung sighed as he went back under the comforter and hugged the maknae’s pillow trying to replace his dongsaeng teddy bear. Trying to forget that at that very moment Seungri was probably giggling and drowning himself in Seunghyun’s eyes in the living room. Ever since Seungri started studying for college and went solo he had been drifting away. Of course the maknae didn’t notice. He continued his life as he pleased, skipping rainbow from rainbow following and going whereever his heart pleased. Those hugs and good night kisses on his cheeks weren’t the same. He knew that the whole Seungri he petted and praised was dissolving into a half. The other half going to some one else. And it wasn’t to the fans.
That’s why he needed another friend. Not a substitute but a person that would understand. Daesung hugged the pillow tighter as he blinked away the stinging tears that were forming behind his eyes, hoping that sleep would be kind enough to find him eventually.
Sarah closed her journal and laid it on top of the forms and books she filled out that had been on her desk. Sighing, she ran her hands through her hair as she flicked the lights off and drew the curtains, letting the moonlight flood in. It had been one heck of a day. She could see their apartment from her window.
She smiled almost dreamily and wished Seungri a good night. She wished Nohrae and Youngbae a good night. Skipping Jiyong heartlessly, she wished Seunghyun a good night and also some hope that he would stay in reality more often in the future. She whispered into the night air as she wished Daesung a good night.
Looking up at the stars, she traced lines in between them with her fingertips. She caught herself thinking out loud to the sky. “I can’t wait to come back tomorrow.”
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After Story Author Side Notes:
- You have just read 10 pages worth of my messed up writing
-Tuesday came too close (once again >__>) and I had a cut out a scene to make it. A scene which has been moved to Chappie Five.
- *complains* March break was a flunk. My sister, youngest brother, and I caught this cold, which I still have >.<. My loud brother and other weird brother has a stomach flu. No one has any idea where they caught it and we still can't think of a good middle name for my soon-to-be-new sibling. My mom doesn't even agree completly on the first name XP. The flash on my laptop died so I can't listen to music online or watch YouTube *gasp* =O. And it's freezing. WHY IS IT FREEZING IN THE MIDDLE OF MARCH?! (<- a little peek at my life, eh? ^_^)
- I wanted to add more DaeRi and TopRi, but you can blame the fast hours of Canada
- Please comment to make me feel better ^_^
- I'm sorry for the rambling XP
Series: Serving 5
Author: Vangelynn
Rating: G
Pairings: one-and-a-half-sided DaeRi & TopRi?
Genre: Un-attempted Humor
Summary: After many failed attempts, Big Bang finally get themselves a new housekeeper. But what they find isn’t exactly what they expected. As they adjust to the new twenty-year-old-student house keeper, they find themselves out of their own element. Although some may not notice it and continue with their own lives, others take things too seriously. Read and discover what it's like to be Serving 5. (Yay! New summary ^_^ And it's worse than the first T_T)
Diclaimer: I own all other characters but Big Bang.
A/N: First ever fan fic. I was challenged(forced) by some of you guys to start writing one. This plot in particular was in my head for quite a while, four months to be exact.
Chapter 1: "The Phone, the Phone is Ringing"
Chapter 2: "Sarang?"
Chapter 3: "Meet the Neighbors, Find a Rival"
Warning: Skim-beta-ed; there has to be mistakes some where >__> inform me if you see any
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Sarah opened the front door and tripped. On mail. Letters that had been stuffed and tucked into a bag that used to be sitting neatly beside the door were scattered. Scattered all over the floor randomly. The bag had been toppled by a human being (obviously) and thrown unceremoniously across the hall beside some one else’s door. Sarah looked at the letters reading a different member’s name on each one. “They can’t possibly have this much mail. Can they?” Her head was aching.
Sarah-sii, your phone is ringing, her pocket hummed.
Grabbing it, praying that it wasn’t Manager, she answered. “Yoboseyo?”
“Sarah, it’s me Daesung.”
“Daesung!”
“Is there something wrong? You sound different.”
“Nothing’s wrong.”
“Anyway, we’ll be there in about ten minutes so-”
“Eh?!”
“In ten minutes so make sure the food is finished by then.”
Beep. Beep. Beep.
“Hello? Sarah?”
She rushed to the elevator tucking her phone into her pocket. She could explain to Daesung later. She tapped her foot impatiently, as she abused the elevator button. What is taking it so long? She gave the elevator another three seconds.
Leaving the late transport, she ran to the stairs determined to get to the ground floor as fast as possible. As she scurried down the steps the elevator dinged happily opening its doors to no one.
Once on ground floor she went out in the garden to check her situation. The window was higher than she thought. Four floors high. No hose could reach that! She glanced at her watch. Three minutes wasted. Only seven more left. She might as well try.
Yes, there was a garden hose, but it couldn’t possibly…She turned it to full power so she could aim more precisely. The water was already on, but nothing was coming out at the other end. Shaking it like an empty cup, she looked inside. No water at all. If only she had seen the sun hated ahjumma sneak to the faucet where the hose was and step on the hose, she would have known better. The senile woman raised her foot releasing floods of water along with it.
“I honestly have no idea any more,” Sarah said as she stared blankly into the hose. “Did the water dry out by any ch- glraaaahh!”
The water shot into her face mercilessly. She fought with the hose trying to gain control of it. She pointed it away from her so she could breath. Coughing and sputtering, she took a breath. Her hair was drenched and her face made the rest of her look like she had almost drowned. Drowned in the middle of the garden with a residential hose. Cranking the options of the hose, she reduced it the gun of water to little shots of mist. Droplets fell from her lashes as she glanced up at Seungri’s window. Squeaky clean.
Five more minutes. She grabbed the hose, wrapped it, and threw it around the faucet, as she ran back into the building.
No more time to be a perfectionist. She stuffed the letter into the mailbag in a rush. Letters are just paper right? They can bend and fold. She snatched the string around the rim of the bag and pulled it tight. Floor was clear.
She turned to the door and rattled the knob. What! Locked? Her head met the door in a slam as she thought. What was the combination again? Gosh, four more minutes. She took her phone and dialed Daesung. It was busy. Seungri didn’t answer. Youngbae’s was busy. Seunghyun’s was off. She winced as she dialed the last contact. Even in this situation she hoped that he wouldn’t answer, as she listened to the dial tone. But many hopes were made to be crushed.
“Yoboseyo?”
“Oppa, what’s the combination for the apartment?”
She heard Jiyong scoff on the other end of the line. “Yah. Are you blind? Daesung, wrote it on the fridge.”
“Well, I can’t get to the fridge right now.”
A taunting laugh came from the earpiece and straight to her nerves. “Did you get yourself locked outside?”
“Yes!” 3 and a half more minutes. “What is the combination?”
She heard Jiyong drag his voice in the most annoying way possible. “Weeeell, weee’re parking riiight nooow. So I can shooow you wheeen weee geeet theeere.”
“JUST GIVE ME THE FREAKING COMBINATION!!!”
“…sheesh. You don’t have to be so loud,” Jiyong’s voice was slightly taken back. “It’s 1566.”
Sarah punched in the numbers. “Thanks,” she said completely out of extreme politeness.
“No welcome.”
Sarah hung up before Jiyong did. At least she got the combination that was all that mattered. When the door gave in she went to the kitchen first thing. The pot that had been lidded was now un-lidded and the bird had finished his meal. He was perched at the rim of the pot looking straight into the boiling water, almost steaming his face off.
Sarah reached over and waved her hand across the steaming water. “Shoo!”
It flew off the stove calmly and onto her shoulder. She sighed as she checked the pot. The water was still clean.
She confronted the bird that was also looking down into the pot in concern. “You got lucky.”
It agreed.
Taking the pre-cut shrimp from the counter with the bird still perched on her shoulder she tossed it into the pot. Then the noodles. One more minute.
She was forgetting something…The laundry! She left it sitting in the middle of the hallway. Leaving the soup, she ran into the hall and grabbed the basket. They were all Jiyong’s clothes. How funny. She dumped them non-too-nicely on his bed and glanced out the window. Their van was already parked outside, empty too.
“They’re inside the building,” Sarah groaned. The bird that was by her side chirped sadly, sympathizing with her.
Shrimp and noodles were cooked. But the vegetables weren’t even cut yet. There was still time right?
“But, hyung, why do I always have to sit in the middle?”
“It’s called life, maknae. Deal with it.”
Their voices were heard clearly enough outside. Rushing to her last hope, Sarah grabbed a pack of dehydrated kimchi and ramen flakes.
“Sorry, Daesung,” she whispered, as she tore the pouch of MSG and sodium open, closing her eyes so she wouldn’t have to see the soup drown in unhealthiness. There’s always tomorrow, she assured herself.
Slapping a lid on the pot and setting it to a simmer, she took a seat on the dining table. Right then the door opened. “Hi, Sarang-noona!”
All five of them stopped half way in the kitchen. Jiyong took one glance at Sarah and stalked off to his room. Seunghyun and Seungri looked around the kitchen, trying to remember if it was the same kitchen they had eaten in that morning. Seunghyun shrugged his shoulders concluding that it was and went to the living room. Seungri rushed to the sink and stared into it as if there was a pond of fish at the bottom. “I can see my face in the sink!”
The bird twittered happily and landed on Youngbae’s shoulder welcoming his owner home. Youngbae looked at Sarah reproachfully. “He didn’t bother you at all?”
Sarah shook her head pleasantly. “Nope.”
Youngbae left conversing enthusiastically with his pet.
“Sarah, why are you wet?” Daesung was the only one out of the five that bothered to notice.
Sarah touched her hair tentatively. It was still damp and dripping. She had completely forgotten from all the rushing around. How was she going to explain to him that she nearly drowned herself with the garden hose? She scratched the back of her head; making little drops of water spatter to the kitchen floor. “It’s nothing really. I’ll just get myself dry.”
Daesung laid his hand on her shoulder, stopping her from getting up. “No, wait here.” He grinned brightly and left to get something. Sarah felt her cheeks warm as she smiled back. Too soon later, he came with a clean towel from the linen closet. (Only someone as clueless as the rest of the members would give her a random towel from the bathroom.)
“Here.”
“Thanks,” Sarah said, as she wiped her face, hopefully rubbing away the redness she knew was there.
Daesung took a seat beside her and laid his arm on the table. He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when he noticed the maknae standing almost lifelessly by the sink. “Seungri, what are you doing?”
Seungri looked up from the sink to Daesung, smiling radiantly. “Hyung, I can see my face in the sink!”
Nothing amused Daesung more than Seungri’s childish pleasures. Seungri himself was like a colorful sweet treat. “Yah, maknae! Don’t you have something better to do? Go to your room and get ready for dinner.”
“What?” Seungri shrieked. “So you can have Sarang-noona for yourself? No way!”
He grabbed Sarah, who was almost through drying her hair. “C’mon Noona, I wanna see the window!”
Daesung waved to them as he watched Seungri drag his noona out of kitchen. “Don’t worry. I’ll set the table.”
And it was set. When Sarah came back after having to smile unceasingly, while Seungri heaped praises on her as he spazzed over his window, Daesung was already sitting at the table; spotless and bowls arranged. Seunghyun was at the end of the table his silent air making himself look like he was miles away from everybody. Jiyong was on the other side twirling his chopsticks around his fingers impatiently. “Yah. Are we going to eat now or what?”
“I’m going,” Sarah rolled her eyes as she went to the stove to get their dinner.
Youngbae petted his bird’s soft head with his thumb, making sounds in between a chuckle and giggle. It fluttered from his shoulder to Jiyong’s bowl, looking curiously at its faint reflection in the white porcelain.
Jiyong tried to shoo it away with his chopsticks. “Youngbae, pets off the table.”
“C’mon, hyung. Nohrae already ate. He won’t touch our food.”
Nohrae jumped out of Jiyong’s bowl and landed on his head, bouncing around his hair in pleasure. “Youngbae-ah!”
Youngbae tsked and shook his head at the leader’s easy temper. He clicked his tongue and whistled, motioning a beckoning finger at Nohrae. It left Jiyong’s frizzy hair, losing interest completely and flew onto his owner’s shoulder.
“Soup’s here.” Sarah laid the steaming pot in the middle of the table among the small dishes of rice.
Jiyong rubbed his hands together. “Finally!”
Daesung, who had been staring at the empty seat beside him, sent a questioning glance at Sarah. “Where’d Seungri go?”
Sarah took a seat across Youngbae and Daesung. “He’s in the bathroom.”
“Ok! Let’s eat!” Jiyong, who had been eyeing a certain large piece of shrimp stretched over to snatch it.
“Hyung!” Daesung poked him with the end of his chopsticks. “Not yet. We have to wait for Seungri.”
Jiyong dropped back into his seat slouching down with his arms crossed. “But I’m hungry!”
Youngbae looked away from his hyung as he rubbed Nohrae’s beak. The childishness!
After an excruciating hour of waiting in Jiyong time, Seungri came 30 seconds later. “Goody! Food’s ready.”
“Seungri, go wash your hands before you eat,” Sarah said without looking up from the chopsticks she was arranging for herself.
“But noona-”
“I heard the toilet flush, but not the faucet. Go back.”
Seungri turned back dragging his feet rebelliously. Jiyong groaned as he realized how much longer he would have to wait. He looked at Sarah darkly under his low-lidded eyes. “You’re despicable,” he mumbled, not meaning to say it out loud.
Sarah stopped fiddling with her bowl and raised an eyebrow at him with a ‘did-you-say-something?’ look.
Jiyong turned his face away, avoiding eye contact and muttered curses at the fridge instead.
A few rinsing sounds from the bathroom and the water running almost aggressively, Seungri finally seated himself between Daesung and Youngbae (and Nohrae). Jiyong sat up with his head resting on his upright arm and tapped the table loudly, looking at Sarah expectantly.
Sarah looked back at Jiyong with taken back eyes and then at the three across the table. “Why? What?”
“We’re waiting for you to tell us when to eat,” Youngbae said with Nohrae looking at her just as questionably.
“But you guys can just go ahead and eat, right?” Sarah was surprised at their interesting behavior. “You don’t have to wait for me.”
Seungri laid his arms on the table and rested his cheeks on his hands. “Manager told us to always let the housekeeper eat first, since she cooked after all.”
Daesung squirmed uncomfortably on his seat. “But it’s awkward this time. ‘Cause our last housekeepers were ahjummas and we had to respect them…”
“…and now the majority is older than the housekeeper,” Youngbae finished.
“Oh,” Sarah said quietly, not knowing exactly what to say or do. It was one of those instances when it was not supposed to be hushed and awkward but was anyway. The three went quiet as Jiyong watched the steam leave the pot almost regretfully.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with you guys. I’m starving!” Seunghyun, who had been oblivious about everything until now, stretched from his corner and poured himself a proper amount of soup. He sat down satisfied and slowly slipped back into his own world.
The others followed his example, almost tentatively and sat back to eat. After a few minutes of pleasant silence, pleasant because everybody was enjoying the food even Jiyong who admitted it reluctantly, Seungri choked suddenly on his noodles, alarming Sarah and Daesung.
He dropped his chopsticks on the table and held his nose, fanning the air away from him. “Aw, man that reeks!” He looked at Youngbae with disgust. “Hyung, tell us before you crack one. My mouth was open!”
Youngbae, who was halfway finishing his glass of water, stopped as his eyes grew wide in disbelief. “I did not do that!”
Daesung wrinkled his nose. “Hyung, it came from your direction.”
Nohrae abandoned his owner and flew to Sarah’s side to escape the ‘stench’.
“Don’t deny it, Youngbae-ah,” Jiyong said, smiling cheekily. “We know how you smell like.”
A low chuckle in Seunghyun’s part.
“That was not me!”
Jiyong mused as he glanced at the back of Youngbae’s chair. “Look at the air turn green.”
Sarah took another sip from her soup and looked at them suspiciously. “I don’t smell anyth-”
Daesung prodded her gently underneath the table. He winked, bringing his fingers to his lips, and shook his head slightly. Sarah responded, shaping her mouth into an ‘o’ and looked back at her soup, wondering what kind of mischief they were up to.
“Hyung, I think I’m dying!” Seungri exclaimed, as he tried not to exhale. He grabbed Daesung and breathed into his hyung’s shirt like his life depended on it. Youngbae’s face reddened, as he sent upset glances at the maknae, who was usually the last one to poke fun at him.
“I told you guys. I didn’t do it!”
“Really, hyung,” Daesung said, patting Seungri sympathetically on the back and shaking his head in disappointment. “We’re eating with a girl too.”
Youngbae pushed his bowl away and stood up. “Seriously, what is wrong with you guys?” He turned to leave in outrage. “I just lost my appetite. C’mon, Nohrae.” The bird obeyed.
“Oh goody! More for me then!” Seungri spooned the rest of Youngbae’s soup into his own bowl as he bounced happily on his chair.
Jiyong nudged Daesung. “Is he really gone?”
Daesung leaned on his chair so he could see down the hall. “Yup.”
“Finally!” Jiyong fell with satisfaction on his seat. “I thought he’d never leave.”
“You guys are mean you know.”
Jiyong ignored Sarah and got down to business immediately. “So did any of you think get any ideas yet?”
Seungri poked his shrimp. “I couldn’t think of anything.”
“Anything for what?” Sarah was annoyed that Jiyong was doing such a good job at being oblivious of her and influencing the maknae to do the same. She stood up and put her bowl in the sink.
“For Youngbae-hyung’s birthday,” Daesung answered promptly. “It’s this weekend.”
“So you’re throwing him a surprise party?”
“Not exactly,” Seungri said. “We already know he’s expecting a surprise party so we’re throwing it on Saturday. His birthday’s on Sunday. That way he’ll be surprised.”
“Not bad.”
“Yeah, but it’s not good either,” Jiyong said almost bitingly. “We haven’t thought of a present and none of us can bake. We can’t buy any more of that store-bought trash.”
Seungri’s eyes lighted up. “Noona! Why don’t you bake the cake?”
“I suppose I could,” Sarah took the bowl from Seunghyun, who suddenly came back to reality.
“Strawberry,” he said, gruffly. “Youngbae loves strawberry.” Thence he got up and left the kitchen to go to the living room and do whatever a Seunghyun would do.
Sarah stared at his residing back. And she thought Jiyong was weird. “Erm. Strawberry it is.”
“I haven’t thought of any good presents either, hyung,” Daesung said as he gave Sarah his empty bowl. “I wish we could give him a pet.”
“But doesn’t he already have Nohrae?” Sarah asked.
“Yeah, but it’s not gonna last,” Seungri said.
“Pfft…You said it maknae,” Jiyong blew air dramatically up his fore head blowing his bangs away. “He finds one. It runs away. He gets another. It dies. He happens upon another. Manager confiscates it. Sooner or later that bird’s going to realize that he missed mating season and he’ll fly away.” Jiyong snapped his fingers in the air. “Just like that!”
Sarah collected Jiyong’s bowl after she waited by his side with no response. She walked to the sink and dumped the pile there. “Can’t you get him a dog or cat?”
“Manager won’t allow it,” Seungri said, drinking down his soup after seeing that the members had finished theirs. “Too much work. We wouldn’t be able to take care of it. That’s why Youngbae-hyung’s been bringing in random outside animals.”
“I see…”
“But I’m sure he’ll give up soon.”
Jiyong got up to leave. “Keep assuring yourself, maknae. It just might happen.”
Seungri finished his soup and left immediately to pester Seunghyun in the living room. Sarah turned the faucet on and started piling the bowls together. Daesung took the chopsticks and cleaned them with one swipe from the sponge. He looked Sarah, who was beside him organizing the dishes. “Sarah, it’s getting late. I’ll do the dishes.”
Sarah raised her head to see him as he continued. “You should go home now.”
“It’s not that late,” Sarah said, trailing her voice as if she was making excuses to stay longer.
“Well, there’s different kinds of people on the street at this hour. And I don’t want anything happening to you. Especially since,” he bent down so he could see her eye to eye. “Manager finally found the right house keeper for us.”
Sarah scoffed lightly as she remembered Jiyong. “Us as in just you?”
“When I say ‘us’, I never include Jiyong-hyung,” Daesung assured as if he read her thoughts.
She motioned him to move away from the sink so she could wash. She brought the pile into the sink and let the water run. Washing the first bowl, she tried to think up a menu for the next dinner. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be as rushed as this one, or as sloppy. It wasn’t until she turned around to find the dishcloth that she realized Daesung was still beside her, looking down at her expectantly. She sighed and handed him a small rag. “Here. You can wipe the table.”
He received it happily glad to help. After a while of silence as she washed and Daesung wiped diligently across the kitchen, he said. “So I heard you met the Manyeo.”
“The what? Oh yeah,” Sarah laid the last dish away to dry. “What do you guys have against her anyway?”
“Well, she likes to intimidate us. I don’t know if Jiyong-hyung told you right, but she’s slightly obsessed with us. Which is weird because at the same time she tries to ruin our lives every time she gets the chance to.”
“How?”
“She scares Seungri by whispering fake curses and threats to him every time she sees him. That’s why we change the apartment lock every week, so she can’t get in here. She ruined Jiyong-hyung’s clothes. She threatens to catch Nohrae and cook him. And she tells fan girls where Seunghyun-hyung is so they can ambush him. She does a bunch of other stuff too. I hope she didn’t bother you in any way.”
Sarah shook away the remnants of the incidents earlier. “No, she didn’t.”
“That’s good. But seriously though,” he gave the rag back to Sarah when he deemed the table clean enough. “Call us if she does. I’ll be your 119.”
(A/N: Hwuahaha! A little pun from “Oh My Friend” ^_^)
Sarah smiled as she to took the rag from him. Not only did she find a friend, but a protector.
Daesung listened to the clock tick as he watched Seungri studying by the desk beside the bed. He was under the comforter, his legs tucked, far from sleep.
Seungri knew his hyung was still awake as he mumbled the equations to himself. Daesung smiled at the maknae’s diligence. He wanted so badly to grab him and tuck him under the covers, so he would fall asleep. He couldn’t sleep if the other side of the bed was so empty. But he wanted him to do well on his test next week, so he resisted the urge. “How’s school going for you?”
“S’okay, hyung,” Seungri answered without looking up from his work.
Daesung watched the panda features on Seungri’s face grow serious as he encountered a difficult problem.
“Nobody’s bothering you or anything?”
“Nope.” Seungri stopped for a moment then continued. “Well, the girls maybe, but in a fanish way. I don’t mind it, hyung.”
The maknae continued his work as Daesung wished he could get up and hug him from behind and reprimand him gently that it was time to go to sleep.
“You almost finished?”
“Almost…” if he was getting annoyed he was good at hiding it.
Daesung shuffled around the sheets and flipped over so he could get a good view of the window. Blue dark sky and a few strong stars that had survived the city lights; he could see them through the half lidded blinds. Stars that almost out shined the moon that was being shunned by the clouds. They were probably the same stars Sarah was looking. Was she safe?
Daesung snuggled his nose into the pillow beside him. It smelled like Seungri, bright and sweet peppermint.
She better be safe. She didn’t show him how to make a natural facemask yet. He remembered insisting on escorting her all the way to the entrance earlier.
He never really gave girls a second thought. There were always three kinds of woman in his world. Younger fans that were all giggly and shy that he had to smile politely to, noonas and sunbaes he had to respect, and his mom. He had always wanted a true female friend that he could find some confidence in. Some one that would support and encourage him. A person that would view him as a buddy and close friend, almost like an older brother. Not a handsome star with a voice to die for, or a cute dongsaeng that was nice to have around, or an ‘aigoo!-my-hardworking’ son.
“I’ve always wanted a little sister,” he thought as he traced lines with his fingers to connect the stars.
Behind him he heard the rolling chair squeak as it was pushed away from the desk. He rolled over in time to see the maknae leave the room in a fluster.
“Seungri, where are you going?”
Seungri stepped back, his arms cradling a collection of textbooks and notes, a pencil behind his ear. “I’m going to study with Seunghyun-hyung.” And he left without giving Daesung a chance to protest.
Seunghyun-hyung again? Why couldn’t Seungri study with him? Sure he would rather sleep than stay up and study, but that was different from studying beside his favorite dongsaeng, his stuffed panda that he would hug to sleep. His best friend.
Seunghyun was the only one that stayed up until 2 A.M. watching pointless TV shows and surfing the Internet. Those eye bags were starting to test the powers of make up.
Daesung sighed as he went back under the comforter and hugged the maknae’s pillow trying to replace his dongsaeng teddy bear. Trying to forget that at that very moment Seungri was probably giggling and drowning himself in Seunghyun’s eyes in the living room. Ever since Seungri started studying for college and went solo he had been drifting away. Of course the maknae didn’t notice. He continued his life as he pleased, skipping rainbow from rainbow following and going whereever his heart pleased. Those hugs and good night kisses on his cheeks weren’t the same. He knew that the whole Seungri he petted and praised was dissolving into a half. The other half going to some one else. And it wasn’t to the fans.
That’s why he needed another friend. Not a substitute but a person that would understand. Daesung hugged the pillow tighter as he blinked away the stinging tears that were forming behind his eyes, hoping that sleep would be kind enough to find him eventually.
Sarah closed her journal and laid it on top of the forms and books she filled out that had been on her desk. Sighing, she ran her hands through her hair as she flicked the lights off and drew the curtains, letting the moonlight flood in. It had been one heck of a day. She could see their apartment from her window.
She smiled almost dreamily and wished Seungri a good night. She wished Nohrae and Youngbae a good night. Skipping Jiyong heartlessly, she wished Seunghyun a good night and also some hope that he would stay in reality more often in the future. She whispered into the night air as she wished Daesung a good night.
Looking up at the stars, she traced lines in between them with her fingertips. She caught herself thinking out loud to the sky. “I can’t wait to come back tomorrow.”
____________________________________
After Story Author Side Notes:
- You have just read 10 pages worth of my messed up writing
-Tuesday came too close (once again >__>) and I had a cut out a scene to make it. A scene which has been moved to Chappie Five.
- *complains* March break was a flunk. My sister, youngest brother, and I caught this cold, which I still have >.<. My loud brother and other weird brother has a stomach flu. No one has any idea where they caught it and we still can't think of a good middle name for my soon-to-be-new sibling. My mom doesn't even agree completly on the first name XP. The flash on my laptop died so I can't listen to music online or watch YouTube *gasp* =O. And it's freezing. WHY IS IT FREEZING IN THE MIDDLE OF MARCH?! (<- a little peek at my life, eh? ^_^)
- I wanted to add more DaeRi and TopRi, but you can blame the fast hours of Canada
- Please comment to make me feel better ^_^
- I'm sorry for the rambling XP