บท 107: Park Joon-Woo & Reggie Lee (6)

Jung Hyun-Ok was relieved, if anything.

There had been an odd tension between Joon-woo and Reggie, probably caused by the mass media pouring their eyes onto them and their fake 'relationship'. Joon-woo had seen particularly sensitive to it, and Jung Hyun-Ok was even relieved at that.

Joon-woo, previously, seemed to be phased by nothing. Intense panic attack? Nothing. Getting literally hit? Nothing. Almost getting assaulted? Nothing. It almost felt as if Joon-woo was a robot, even in the way he learned.

Was it solved now? Jung Hyun-Ok wasn't sure. Perhaps there was less anger, but it was as if the awkwardness between the two had increased tenfold.

He watched Joon-woo and Reggie in the kitchen from the couch of the dorm.

Reggie was cooking something on the stove that Jung Hyun-Ok wasn' sure of and Joon-woo sat at the island. There was only silence between them and they kept sneaking glances at each other while the other wasn't looking. Really, it was a painful sight.

Jung Hyun-Ok paused the k-drama on the TV, finally having enough of this… kid-crush esque behavior. Really, he had begun to grow tired of this constant third-wheeling.

He took a prompt seat next to Joon-woo, who didn't even notice Jung Hyun-Ok approaching. Joon-woo had been too busy staring daggers into the back of Reggie's neck.

"Oh, Hyung.." Joon-woo flinched, quickly gaining his composure.

Jung Hyun-Ok gave Joon-woo an odd look, "Good view?" He whispered out of Reggie's range.

It was supposed to come off as a joke and Jung Hyun-Ok figured Joon-woo wasn't as sensitive about the topic anymore. His dongsaeng had been less reactive for the last day or so when it came to the persistent shippers of he and Reggie.

Joon-woo glared at Jung Hyun-Ok and roughly elbowed the bony side of him.

Reggie was shocked out of his cooking trance when he heard Jung Hyun-Ok's yell.

"Is everything… okay?" Reggie asked, turning around in his grey sweats and tee.

He turned to see Jung Hyun-Ok holding his side with a pained expression and Joon-woo with red in his ears.

"Yeah." Joon-woo bluntly replied.

Reggie was slightly intimidated by Joon-woo's stern expression.

Scratch that, he had been intimidated by every of Joon-woo's moods lately. It was his own fault, really. Reggie did spontaneously come out to him in their unique situation after all. Joon-woo hadn't shouted slurs at Reggie, but still, his robot-like bandmate hadn't served any reaction to Reggie's reveal.

"What're you making?" Jung Hyun-Ok questioned, resetting himself as if he hadn't been elbowed harshly.

"Chocolate cinnamon pancakes." Reggie replied with a small smile.

He was relieved, maybe still stressed, but less. It was like a weight off his chest was lifted, coming out to Joon-woo. It felt easier to smile now, and Jung Hyun-Ok seemed to notice Reggie's lightness, flashing his other dongsaeng with a sly smile.

"...how many calories are in them?" Jung Hyun-Ok questioned, eye narrowing.

Just as Reggie was about to reply, something about not needing to calculate calories like that, Joon-woo cut in. "About 200 for the big ones and 75 for the smaller ones."

Jung Hyun-Ok nodded, "I only have 600 calories today though…" He groaned, leaning into the table.

Joon-woo shrugged, "That's why I'm only having one, but without syrup."

Reggie frowned at the casual conversation. If he could spare any calories for his bandmates, he would without hesitation. The dieting was too harsh, wasn't it?

"But I made too much batter, where will the rest go?" Reggie complained.

The two slimmed members shrugged their shoulders listlessly. "I'm sure the others will need the food more." Joon-woo replied.

Really, Reggie felt like a pig sometimes in the face of his bandmates. He wasn't fat, not even close. He had toned arms and legs, but due to his broad shoulders and tall height, he had more leeway for food. He was considered one of the more muscular members, only below Ryeo Hyun.

"Aish… You guys should eat more before you get hurt." Reggie scolded, sounding an awful lot like his mother.

It had been instilled in him since a young age, food was necessary for the body to function. Food was fuel, and people who moved their bodies and worked out a lot had to eat more. His mother had made sure he was eating properly even over call when Reggie was in America.

Perhaps there was a cultural difference between their eating habits? Reggie knew well of Korea's high beauty standards. He knew it well because his mother was a victim of it.

Lee Ju Kae, being a body-goal model for many, was indulgent in the times trends. During her reign of beauty, the probable pressure to be consistently on the verge of passing out drove even his ever-so-strong mother to try drugs.

Of course, due to her dreams to have healthy children, she never went too far with it. She'd seen how her co-workers were affected and could never wish the same on herself. His mother was strong.

Reggie watched his bandmates calculate calories and eat little to nothing. Baek Du-Ho had the tendency to stumble in exhaustion and hunger, Joon-woo quite literally collapsed on Reggie a few days prior, and Reggie knew more was to come.

The only way he could help was by cooking. His bandmates were always weak to it, he found, especially Joon-woo.

"We eat enough–" Joon-woo wanted to say, being cut off.

"Cheat day?" Jung Hyun-Ok suggested with an overly-sneaky undertone.

Reggie nodded, holding up a plate of pancakes leaking heaven from their scent.

"We don't have a crazy schedule today, so why not?" He replied.

Joon-woo watched the two correlate such a sin with a grimace.

"...I'm just gonna make myself some fruit then." Joon-woo pitched.

He went to stand up from the island stool, but was lightly tugged back to sit by Jung Hyun-Ok.

"C'mon Joon-ah! Just have a little over your calorie limit today." Jung Hyun-Ok insisted, turning to Reggie for help.

Reggie looked away, slightly embarrassed still. Jung Hyun-Ok rolled his eyes. "Reggie, say something!"

Joon-woo shook his head. "I gain weight easily."

"That's just because you're driving your body into slow metabolism…" Reggie said, almost hesitant to even say it.

Joon-woo was surprised for about a split second, as if he hadn't expected the other to try and convince him of anything. There had been an awkward air between the two ever since that… day.

Joon-woo shrugged, "We're weighing in next week."

Jung Hyun-Ok and Reggie exasperated a sigh.

Wasn't Joon-woo too stubborn?