JUDE
"I didn't mean to, I thought you saw me," Miko explains and I shake my head.
"you were down here?"
"yeah. I don't normally sleep so early so I was chilling in the music room before deciding to get some snacks. A little distraction happened before I could get what I needed," Miko pushes his hair back. "then I saw you walk down here."
"I couldn't sleep either," I smile sheepishly as we finish cleaning the mess and washing our hands.
"trouble sleeping in new places the first night?" he tilts his head, a thing I have come to notice is a habit.
"yeah something like that," I look away from him. Miko is … very attractive. His beauty is very intimidating and his aura is very strong. It hits me that this is the first time we are alone together and for some reason my heart starts beating fast.
"let me make it up to you. I made you spill your food," he starts opening the drawers and I stop him without thinking.
My hand covers his, and I note how his hands are bigger than mine- which is not the point here. His skin is hot and my hands are clammy. It's like I am electrocuted with how fast I pull my hand away from his when I realize I am touching him.
"don't- don't worry about it. I can do it or just grab a bag of chips. Really."
"I don't mind."
But I do. The miko preparing me food? That is crazy. "please."
Why did I say that? Now he is looking at me with that mysterious small smile that is making me wonder what he is thinking about. It's not like I can ever ask him that though.
"Jude, sit down," he points at the chair I was occupying. My body has a mind of its own because I sit like he has ordered me to. "I will make you something better than the ramyeon. Is that okay?"
"you …" my throat is a little dry. "you can cook?"
"yes," he goes on and gets ingredients I don't know what for. To be honest I don't know how to cook anything. but my grandma loves it and I help her all the time in the kitchen.
"I am making you pancakes since that's about the only thing I know how to cook," he chuckles to himself and the sound catches me off guard. Even his chuckle is beautiful.
"pancakes in the middle of the night …"
"yeah," he turns and he has a huge grin. "I kinda love having breakfast foods at night for some reason."
"do you often cook them when you come for snacks?" I ask him, intrigued to know anything … everything about this man cooking me breakfast in the middle of the night.
"no. It's been about a year since I used this kitchen to cook anything."
Huh.
"why are you now?" I ask before I can stop the words. I am puzzled as I look at his back.
"I owe you, don't I?" he glances at me with a small smile before concentrating on his task.
He doesn't, but I know even if I voice it he won't listen. He strikes me as the kind of person who doesn't take no for an answer. Actually, I don't think he has ever been told no. This perception of him makes him even more mysterious.
More interesting.
The coolest guy I have ever known and seen is doing something for me. I am freaking out even though I maintain a calm expression patiently waiting for the pancakes.
And they are delicious. Miko watches me devour the three of them and he has the fourth one, claiming he doesn't want to eat much anyway.
He starts warming something on the stove, before putting it in a mug and closing the lid tightly.
"so what's making you not sleep? I thought you would have crashed out by now," Miko leans on the island watching me as I clean up the delicious pancakes.
Seriously, they are so good.
"When I am very tired, it's hard for me to fall asleep. That plus the new environment. It will take me a few days to get used to it."
He nods slowly and looks at the now empty plate. "don't be shy to eat around us again unless you want to make this a ritual."
"ritual?"
"where you don't eat well during dinner and forcing me to come down and make you food in the middle of the night?"
In the sentence itself, the words are innocent. But coming from Miko's mouth …
I clear my throat, shifting in my seat. "won't happen again. I can't make you do that for me again."
"why not?"
"huh?"
He chuckles straightening. "I have the same habit, don't worry."
"there is too much food in this house." Perhaps a change of topic is safe.
"yeah, Seb needs us not dying on his watch."
"Who is Seb?"
"the guy who is in charge of food and our weight. He makes sure we are eating right and exercising too. You will get acquainted soon enough."
They all look like they take care of themselves even before the debut. I have a long way to go. Woo did mention to me about giving me my diet plan. I can't compare to Miko or any of the other guys.
I have body dysmorphia, always insecure about how limby and lanky I am. Too feminine and slim for my taste and when I start eating a lot, it starts making me feel like I will gain a lot of weight. It's safe to say that when I said all of that to Woo in one of our meetings, I was uncomfortable and felt like I was in a therapist's office.
But he told me that he is with me and I will have all the support I need.
"thank you for the food," I say as we make our way to our floor.
"mn."
He walks behind me as we get upstairs and soon enough I am standing in front of my door.
"so this is me," I smile a little, touching the knob.
"I enjoyed that. I hope you find some sleep now."
"yeah, thank you."
"no need to thank me," he winks. "here." he hands me the black mug.
"goodnight Jude."
"goodnight miko."
I close the door behind me and twist the cap off.
It's warm milk.