17 BREAKFAST IN A WHILE

"Pass me the butter". Jin ordered me around in the kitchen as I was learning how to cook while assisting him at the same time.

Everyone ate the food that Jin made. I too, joined them moments later and dug in with the pancakes that Jin made.

"mmmm, this is so delicious!!" I said with a mouthfull of pancakes. The warm syrup on top of the pancakes made it so much better. I hadn't had pancakes in forever.

"Yah! thanks! I hope you cook better than this someday, because i can't cook everyday you know? That's one of the reasons why you've been hired" Jin said with a straight face. That was kinda, let's say, straight-forward, business-restricted sort of response.

"y-yes, I'm sorry!" I felt so down on hearing that but I shrugged it off, I shouldn't let it get to me. Besides it was my fault anyways, I should've learnt how to cook. But all my life I didn't had the shadow of my parents to teach me how to cook, my mom, I barely remember how she looked, I remember tears overflowing her misty, crystal eyes as she waved her last goodbye and told me to never look back, while my father....

Well let's not think about him, it would only worsen my mood.

"Do you like my cooking that much?" he asked me as he saw me eating with such joy. Oh, well, he is considerate enough to ask that, I guess.

"I..." I first finished the food in my mouth, it's considered bad manners to talk with a mouth full. "I actually usually don't have breakfast, as I don't know how to cook. So eating today in the morning makes me feel euphoric, like you've been given something you were deeply deprived of and were looking for with so much desperation." I replied and ate another bite of the scrumptious food in front of me.

"Do you, I mean did you live alone before coming here?" Taehyung asked me as he sat and ate in front of me, and I nodded.

"My parents died at a young age, I've been living alone for a long time now." I chuckled and continued eating in silence. I couldn't really tell them about my actual tragic, traumatic childhood, they barely consider me a friend right now. I could feel Taehyung's eyes on me, a certain sort of warmth radiated off him, a sweet one, one that you feel when you hug your mom, or someone you love. I shifted my gaze to where he was, my eyes met his and I felt overwhelmed, I felt happy, my chest rose as I inhaled sharply and looked away. I've been devoid of that feeling, of parently love, I don't want to experience something I can't have.

Nobody talked for a while, not until all of us were done with our breakfast and I got up to collect the empty cutlery and crockery.

"Well, HIKARI are you aware of your duties for today?" Namhyuk asked me, as I walked between the kitchen and the dining table.

"No, I don't actually.." I replied with a dumb face, I didn't particularly know the tasks for the day, but I knew I was supposed to clean.

"Well clean the hyung line's rooms first and then the living room." Namhyuk replied and went to his room after finishing his food, he seemed so busy.

I started cleaning at 10 am and finished by 2 in the noon. Jeez the rooms were in a horrible, horrible condition! No wonder they needed a caretaker. I thought to myself and started giggling.

"What are you laughing at?" I didn't notice Taehyung walking into the room, catching me off guard.

"OH- uh, nothing".

Obviously I couldn't tell him that I was laughing at the conditions of their rooms, I might as well offend him and that's the last thing I would like to do. I've to remain focused on my primary motive. I need them to be vulnerable, to loosen their guards around me-

"Listen, if you ever feel like you need a friend or someone you can rely on, always know that I'm here for you."