A loud penetrant melody rang in his ear and the guy shot up, hitting on the vibrating phone next to him, until it stopped and sinking down on his mat again as soon as it turned quiet. He stayed like this for a view seconds, until he reductively heaved himself up. He sat up, and let his head and shoulders fall, rubbed his tense neck and brushed though his crazy bed hair, finally covering his face in his hands. He groaned, trying to massage the headache out of his forehead. It didn’t help. He blinked his eyes, adjusting them to the light, and saw… a flowerbed?

He rubbed his eyes, and opened them again. It really was a bed of pick flowers covering the open hole where the front door was supposed to be. He tilted his head, wondering what that was about. Then his memory returned and he nodded to himself, as if thanking for the answers that his head gave him. He emitted a loud yawn, pushed the blanket away, which was tangled around his legs and got up.

He pushed the flower curtain to the side stepping out onto the rooftop, where he found a bucket in which he kept some water, right next to the entrance. He squatted down, splashing the cold liquid in his face and rubbed fiercely to wake himself up. He got up again and stretched his arms and shoulders.

First things first.

He started to jump lightly up and down. He lifted his knees higher up front until he sprinted on the spot. Then he jumped forward and started boxing against in imaginary opponent. He finished him off with a right hook landing on a small pebble with his bare foot. He hissed at the pain, grabbed his foot and humped up and down cursing inaudibly at the small stone. He picked it up and tossed it far over the border of the roof top, almost hitting a window of the house next door. He ducked startled at what could have almost been a broken window and hushed inside his room again.

The staggered guy ruffled through his hair and started to fold the blanket and mat on which he slept on, on the floor together and pilled them in a corner, topping it with the pillow. Then he grabbed his toothbrush and paste and went outside again squatting next to the water bucket to brush his teeth. He had his eyes closed, as he diligently scrubbed every inch of his mouth clean. He rinsed with water and spat the foam into a flower bot next to him.

Inside again, he changed into a pair of jeans and a simple white, V-neck T-shirt. Then he took a look into a small hand mirror, sighing at the sight of his messy hair. He tried to fix it with a small brush as good as he could, especially making sure that the hair in front of his ears was nice and straight. Just were had he put those hairclips? They worked wonders when his hair was a mess like that. He glanced around, without actually looking for them. He got up; put his phone into the pockets of his pants and the wallet into the other one. As well as his house key, out of habit, even though there was no use of it now. Then he set out on his way to the bakery.

 

Dongwoon was the only one there yet, when Doojoon arrived. They greeted each other, politely asking how they had been and got to work. I few minutes later Jayoo appeared at the staircase flashing a bright smile as she saw the two men. She greeted them bowing deeply: “Dongwoon-ssi, how was your day off? Did you get a good rest?”

“I did. Thanks. But… didn’t we agree on calling me Oppa?”

“What? Oh yeah. Sorry… Oppa” she said bashfully.

Then she turned to Doojoon, who was setting the temperatures of the ovens.

“Sunbaenim, I need to ask you something” she started, but was interrupted when Dongwoon called her. He gave her the task of mixing the dough and explained to her, which ones she had to make first, and when she was supposed to prepare the next ones, so that they had a constant flow of work. She tried to remember everything he told her and thus quickly forgot that she was going to ask Doojoon something important.

Heo Gak joined the team a little later, quiet as always, but since Jayoo was in charge of the dough today he actually talked a lot with her, helping her when she was confused about something or couldn’t find an ingredient. His answers were short and to the point, what she liked, because it was easy to understand and she quickly figured out how her chore worked. They worked through the morning, almost without any problems (once Jayoo almost forgot to add the salt, but Dongwoon saved her, by noticing the unused bowl with the missing ingredient) and her, Doojoon and Dongwoon headed out to their usual lunch break.

“Where does Bujangnim actually go to eat? Doesn’t he want to join us?” Jayoo wondered, looking after said man as he left in the other direction.

“Oh, he lives pretty close by, so he always goes home to eat, since his wife cooks for him.” Dongwoon answered her holding the door of the noodle restaurant open to let her and Doojoon enter. They headed to their usual spot just as Yoseob came out of the swing door, packet by carrying a plate; filled with meat, a bowl of rice, a small dish with Kimchee, another one with mushrooms, a third one filled with some salad lives, a little cup with what looked like chili paste and a full cup of water. Amazingly he made it to the table without dropping anything; though once he got there he had some problems to put them down.

Jayoo turned up just in time before the chili paste that he balanced on top of the rice could fall over.

“Oh, hei Jayoo-ya wassup!“ He smiled at her delighted.

“Oppa, wouldn’t it have been easier to put all this on a trey?” she chuckled.

Dongwoon and Doojoon sat down next to Yoseob and Jayoo respectively. The youngest of the guys made big eyes when he saw the menu that the cook had brought out: “Hyung, did you know we were coming? That looks really good” he said as his mouth started to get watery.

“What are you talking about? This is my food.” Yoseob said, protectively covering the dishes with his hands.

“You’re gonna eat all that by yourself?” Dongwoon asked incredulously.

“Yeah what did you think?”

“Oh come on, just a little bite.”

“안돼!!!” Yoseob shouted and filled a salad leave with every single one of his ingredients and provocatively stuffed it in his mouth.

Dongwoon pouted, but his mood changed quickly when his favorite waitress turned up to get their orders. “Noona!!”

The waitress rolled her eyes, but actually smiled at him: “Hello Dongwoon-ah, how are you?”

Dongwoon didn’t say anything as he was speechless at her sudden kindness. She chuckled and wrote down his usual order. Jayoo threw a meaningful glance at Yoseob, opposite her, but he just shrugged and stuffed another full salad leave in his mouth.

“And what can I get you?” the waitress asked looking at Jayoo and Doojoon.

“I’d like the dumpling soup” Jayoo ordered.

“Could I have the chicken soup?” Doojoon requested.

“Yes very well, thank you” the waitress noted and went back to give up the order.

Dongwoon looked stunned after her, and didn’t take his eyes off the swing door, even after she disappeared behind hit. He snapped out of it and turned around to Yoseob excited. “Whoa Hyung, did you see that? Did you?”

“What? She’s probably just a little relaxed after her day off” he muffled annoyed with a full mouth. Dongwoon sat back disappointed as this wasn’t what he wanted to hear.

“Maybe you should ask her out.” Jayoo suggested.

The boys’ head all jerked towards her.

“I mean, it was just an idea” she sunk back in her seat as if she had done something wrong. Dongwoon starred at her, without actually looking at her, as if he was in deep thought: “You think she would say yes?” he finally asked.

“Well” she tapped her index fingers: “It’s not like you have anything to lose.”

Dongwoon looked over at Yoseob. The cook raised his hands in guard: “Don’t look at me. I’m telling you she’s not interested in you”

He lastly looked at Doojoon, pleading for some advice: “I, uh… I don’t know, it’s not like I know her” Doojoon stuttered off guard. “But I guess, what Jayoo said isn’t too wrong” he added seeing how the youngster let his head hang down in dejection.

“But what if she says no?” he asked uncertainly.

“You don’t know that, unless you try” Jayoo said.

Dongwoon frowned, overthinking everything in his head, until he finally came to a conclusion and a shy smile formed on his face.

“Now here’s your chance” Yoseob indicated, as the waitress returned with their order. Dongwoon jerked around and when he saw the target approach them he sank back in his seat almost melting into it.

“So, here’s your food, today for free of course as a little thank you from the chef cook for your help the other day.” She joyfully announced, handing out the dishes.

“Dongwoon-ah, what’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?” she asked, noticing his unusual behavior.

He shook his head flustered, not able the say anything except: “…no… alright…”

She gave him a puzzled look, shrugged her shoulders and left again.

Everyone looked at Dongwoon, who was starring paralyzed at his bowl of food.

Then he breathed out harshly, as if he just ran a marathon and collapsed on the table covering his face in his arms.

“Well… that didn’t work out to well” Yoseob stated.

Jayoo gave him a warning glare: “Oppa!” Then she lightly patted the elbow of the miserable guy trying to cheer him up: “Dongwoon-Oppa, Himnaeseyo!”

He responded with a muffled whining.

“Doojoon-ssi, did the chicken soup work? You look better today?” Yoseob tried to change the topic. The addressed guy nodded following Yoseob’s lead: “Oh yes it did, thank you. I guess the new ‘door’ also played some part in it” he mentioned, glancing over at the girl beside him, who was occupied with worrying about Dongwoon. He nudged her with his elbow to get her attention.

“Oh, yes. What the door? I’m glad to hear that” she stumbled taken off guard.

“I guess you’re looking for a new place now? Have you found anything yet?” Yoseob continued asking as the desolate boy didn’t show any sign of recovery, so he thought leaving him and giving him some time would bring him back to live on his own.

At that Jayoo suddenly remembered that she had something important to ask Doojoon: “Ah mat’a, Sunbaenim!” she turned toward him clapping her hands when the memory returned. “I wanted to ask you; would you like to live with me?”

Doojoon and Yoseob choked on their food both coughing hard and gasping for air. Dongwoon finally shot up again looking stunned from Jayoo to Doojoon and back. Jayoo looked bewildered at the three guys, not knowing what just happened or why the acted like that.

When he calmed down again Doojoon starred at her baffled: “Ne?!?”

“Whoa! So it was really true what you said about open minded European girls!” Yoseob cut in starring at the confused girl in amazement.

“What?” Jayoo tilted her head, then gasped shocked when she grasped his comment: “What? No! Oppa! 편때예요??? (Are you a ert???)”, she suspected wildly waving with her hands.

“Pyontae?” Yoseob chuckled “Didn’t think you’d even know this kind of words.”

Jayoo stuck her tongue out at him and turned to Doojoon who was still clutching his chest, trying to calm his heart.

“Sunbaenim, what I meant was, that one of my flat mates is moving out and we have to look for a new one, because we wouldn’t be able to afford the apartment” she rapidly clarified: “so, since you’re looking for a new home anyways….”