Rubbing her arms, Mun Soyoon tottles toward the stairs when she hears a sound coming from the kitchen. She halts in her track and turns her around slightly. The mischief from eyes is replaced by a hint of melancholy. A smile forms on her lips.
In the kitchen, Yeon-Sik stands on his toes to get the whiskey bottle that he hid on the top shelf. There's a certain student in the house who can't tell a difference between whiskey and water. He wonders why he put it so high that even he can't get it now. Chang Seol can't get it even if she gets a stool to stand upon.
After struggling for a while, he manages to bring it down. He has given up on sleep tonight. What is he going to do in the lectures tomorrow? Surely, a professor can't sleep in his classes. Well, he will take naps in his office if he gets time.
As he pours himself a glass of whiskey, he wonders what his insomniac friend is going to do. Maybe he has contracted insomnia from Sin Jeong-Hyuk. How else can he explain being awake at this hour and pouring himself some alcohol?
There's a chuckle.
Namgung Yeon-Sik straightens his back. That chuckle was certainly… He looks up and finds Mun Soyoon standing right in front of him. He puts down the bottle and puts up his usual-polite-but-distant-face. "Can't sleep?"
"I have the same question for you." Mun Soyoon steps forward in a lofty manner and picks up the glass of whiskey that Yeon-Sik poured for himself. She takes a sip, squeezing her eyes as she savours the taste. The taste is sharp, awakening yet drowsing. She meets his cool gaze with a mild smile. "Don't mind it, Professor. I need it more than you do."
"No problem." Yeon-Sik doesn't want to drink anymore. Rather, he wants to go back to his room and waits for morning to arrive. He doesn't know why Mun Soyoon adds to his anxiety. It's probably the way she looks at him. When he's looking at those brown eyes, he can see a knowing glint… as if she can see through him.
Even Eun Bi doesn't look at him like that. Yeon-Sik takes a deep breath, looking away. He clears his throat and says, "You should sleep."
When she doesn't respond to him, Yeon-Sik gives her a glance. The girl is already walking toward her the stairs while holding the glass of whiskey. There's a song on her lips. A soft tune. Something softer than water, tugging the cords of his heart in an intangible way.
"Wait."
Mun Soyoon stops walking. She finishes the whiskey in one gulp and then, she turns around to look at him with the same usual smile that she shows to everyone. "Professor, is something wrong?"
"Oh… I…" Namgung Yeon-Sik avoids her clear but smiling eyes. What should he say? He's neither an artist nor a musician. When did he become crazy like his friend? "It's nothing. Go to sleep. Don't be late tomorrow."
"Some things never change." Mun Soyoon lets out a low laugh, covering her mouth as she spins around. She runs upstairs before Yeon-Sik can interrogate her about her comment.
He shakes his head. His brows are furrowed together, eyeing the top of the stairs. What did she mean? She's too strange. It's better not to bother with her. Namgung Yeon-Sik returns to his room and lays down on the bed.
"Alright." He stares at the ceiling. "100. 99. 98…"
Maybe he will fall asleep this way.
***
In the morning, Sin Jeong-Hyuk keeps glancing at the top of the stairs. She is an early riser for sure. Now that he thinks about it, she does have characteristics like birds. Why does a kid her age wake up so early in the morning? Isn't it like a rooster?
The hands of the clock keep turning. Chicken doesn't come down. Even his friend, Namgung Yeon-Sik, is awake. After having a quick breakfast, he leaves right away.
Bong-Su gets up and leaves the house in a hurry, saying something about the last date of some job application. After some time, Mun Soyoon comes down, takes an apple from the refrigerator and sits down on the dining table, right opposite him.
"Waiting for her?" She asks him and smiles cunningly.
"I am not." He leans back in the chair, stretching his arms. "It's her decision."
"Is that so?" She props her chin under her hand. "Your girlfriend is awake."
The door of his room opens and Oh Ji Ye comes out. She rubs her eyes as her one opened eye searches for Sin Jeong-Hyuk. When she sees him sitting on the table with a strange girl, her lips curl up into a sneer and disappears before anyone can notice. Smiling warmly, Oh Ji Ye walks to them and takes a seat beside Sin Jeong-Hyuk. There's no change in his expression as she leans on him and holds his arm affectionately. "Did you have breakfast?"
"Waiting," Sin Jeong-Hyuk grumbles. What food? He feels like he hasn't eaten for years. Chicken didn't make dinner or breakfast. He heaves a sigh and looks at the top of the stairs again. His eyes widen. Chicken, dressed in an oversized white shirt and black tights is climbing down the stairs.
"Seol, Darling!" Mun Soyoon waves her arm when Chang Seol heads straight toward the door. "Aren't you going to eat with us?"
The girl turns her body slightly, looking at them calmly. Her eyes meet his eyes for less than a second, moving to Mun Soyoon before he could detect any change of emotions in her eyes. "I am late."
"I am also late." Mun Soyoon beckons her to come closer. "But you need food. How will you get curves if you don't eat?"
"Curves?" Seol shakes her head. "I don't need them. I have my own fandom."
Oh Ji Ye has been watching the interactions with interest. She studies the girl -- the one who is affecting Jeong-Hyuk's heart. The girl is cute but there's nothing that could attract someone like Sin Jeong-Hyuk. Surely, a man would want to pet a little girl's head but he wouldn't sleep with a child. "Fandom?"