Warning: loads of dialogues, will try to minimise them later.

Next morning

I woke up feeling suspiciously fine — which was impressive given the circus of a night before. Mona, on the other hand, was sprawled out beside me, snoring like a broken foghorn, drool decorating her cheek like a badge of honor. Her soaked T-shirt told its own story of excess, but I didn't have the heart (or the headache stamina) to wake her just yet. The migraine from yesterday was still threatening to come back for an encore if I moved too fast.

Then came the unexpected: a voice — deep, smooth, and entirely too close for comfort. Owen. Handsome Owen, looking way too casually good in a half-sleeve undershirt, his hair slicked back with enough gel to survive a hurricane. A dark brown shirt hung from one shoulder like it was just a minor accessory, not his actual outfit. He stepped into the room like it was his personal kingdom and asked how I was feeling, like I was some delicate little plant he needed to water.

I blinked, stunned. "Did you sleep here?" The question burst out before I could stop it, half because it was weird to have a guy—especially one that hot—popping into my space so casually, half because I was still trying to process the fact that he actually stayed.

"Yeah," he shrugged, shooting a disgusted look at Mona who was now a snoring mess on my bed. "Couldn't leave you two alone. You were fine, but this one was totally wasted." His disdain for Mona was practically radiating off him. Honestly, same.

I pulled myself up, squinting at him. "She drank too much yesterday," I said dryly, because someone had to take responsibility for the walking disaster next to me.

Without missing a beat, Owen dropped the good news that he'd made breakfast and some side dishes, sparing us from the ordeal of cooking. Then he was already heading out, mentioning piles of work like a responsible adult, but not before confessing that he'd cleaned the guest room because it was "kind of dirty." I nearly snorted. That's Emily's room, and she's going to flip her lid when she sees it spotless.

He gave a small, awkward smile—probably aware he'd overstepped—and apologized for the cleanup. It wasn't his fault the place looked like a tornado hit it; my roommate's wardrobe looked like a crime scene.

Then he was gone, disappearing toward the elevator, throwing a "Call me if you need anything" over his shoulder.

Once the door clicked shut, I bolted to Mona's side, trying to rouse the human sloth. But after last night's wine marathon, she might as well have been comatose. I gritted my teeth and finally gave up. "Cow," I muttered under my breath.

Just then, my phone blared from somewhere deep inside the chaos of my purse — the one I brought to the party, still smelling faintly of last night's disaster.

I dug it out, seeing Namjoon's name flash on the screen. Relief—finally, a check-in call, right? Wrong.

"Hey Nina," his voice came through, calm but with an edge I couldn't quite place. "Please open the door."

Wait, what? My brain stalled. Open the door? Why?

She hadn't even digested Owen's random house-cleaning act when her phone rang again. This time, Elijah's scream came through so loud it nearly shattered her eardrum.

"We're standing outside, sweetieeeee!"

Nina yanked the phone away and muttered something unholy under her breath. Who the hell screams that early on a Sunday?

Jogging to the living room, she unlocked the door with the cautious energy of someone expecting chaos — and got it.

"Hey, princess...!!" Namjoon bellowed, striding in like he owned the lease.

"My sweet bun bun!" Elijah launched himself at her, nearly squeezing the soul out of her with his bear-hug energy.

Taehyung, the human version of emotional support, gave a soft, genuine "How are you?" that stood out in the circus of noise.

"Good morning, by the way," Namjoon added, flashing his dimples like they were some sort of diplomatic immunity.

The three of them marched in like they'd RSVP'd for brunch. Arms full of pizza boxes, burgers, bags of groceries, an aggressive bouquet of flowers, and — of course — wine. Because nothing says Sunday healing like carbs and alcohol before 10 a.m.

"What are you guys doing here? Wait — how the freak did you get my address?" Nina asked, a tiny panic flaring in her chest.

"Later," Elijah waved her off like her privacy was a footnote. "I followed Owen yesterday."

"You what?" Nina stared at him, utterly scandalized.

"What, bun bun? He looked suspicious!" Elijah tossed over his shoulder, already halfway to the kitchen.

And before she could fully process how much that violated, well, everything, Namjoon stepped in with a gentle grip on her elbows. "Nina... what happened yesterday — that was on us. And it's our responsibility to help now."

Her skin prickled where his hands touched her, but she held still, refusing to let anyone see the chaos cracking behind her eyes. Her instinct was to swat him away and scream — or bolt. Instead, she smiled like it didn't sting.

"Thanks for coming, but I'm fine," she said, lying through her teeth like a pro.

"You guys eaten?" she added quickly, desperate to shift the attention off her soul and onto bacon.

"Nope! And even if we had, we'd eat again," Elijah grinned, trailing after her to the kitchen island.

She eyed the boxes they'd carelessly tossed across the countertop. "You brought all this? Seriously? That wasn't necessary."

Elijah just shrugged. "Neither was that chaos last night, but here we are."

They'd originally planned a day out, but after last night's emotional car crash, the boys had rerouted their entire schedule to hover around her like anxious puppies. She didn't know whether to be touched or irritated.

"Oh, by the way," Taehyung added, unpacking something that looked like a suspiciously organized stash of USBs. "Jungkook and Hoseok will be joining us. That okay?"

Nina gave a slow smile that could probably curdle milk. "Of course. I need to speak with him anyway."

The way she said it made Elijah pause mid-sip. "You look creepy," he muttered, eyes landing on the knife she'd unknowingly been clutching.

"I am creepy," she announced proudly, waving the knife like a queen scepter. "Now shut up and hand me a plate."

They dug into breakfast — which, ironically, had been made by Owen before his vanishing act — and halfway through a sausage, Taehyung perked up. "I brought movies! All kinds. Also, movie tickets in case we wanna go out."

"How long are you planning to stay?" Nina asked, casually, like it didn't already feel like a surprise intervention.

"I'm ready for a sleepover!" Elijah beamed, already making himself at home.

"Oh no, not a sleepover. Just till dinner," Namjoon said quickly, giving Elijah a warning glance.

They hadn't even asked her if this was okay — just assumed she'd be cool with it. And weirdly enough, she was. They weren't Jungkook. They weren't her father or her perfect brother, walking guilt trips with expectations. These guys... they were loud, chaotic, nosy — but soft where it mattered.

Mona finally emerged from her blackout, her scream echoing down the hall. "What the hell am I seeing?!"

"Hey Mona!" The boys chorused like some boyband reunion.

She stared at Nina — still stuck between three giant males, barely awake and holding a butter knife like a threat — and gaped.

"Girl, how long was I sleeping?!"

"Look at your dress and find out," Nina said dryly, pointing to the crusted trail of drool glued to Mona's collarbone like a pearl necklace gone rogue.

Mona stomped off to the shower, muttering about hygiene and miracles. Because the real shock wasn't the surprise party in their apartment — it was that Nina had made friends. Actual human ones.

Later, once Mona had rejoined them in clean clothes and disbelief, the boys filled her in on what happened while she was busy swimming in tequila dreams. Mona, predictably, was ready to strangle them all, but Nina — somehow — managed to calm her down.

Barely.

Now, all that was left was the arrival of one more uninvited guest.

And the not-so-little conversation that would follow.

✰AUTHOR'S POV✰

An hour later, the doorbell rang.

Jungkook and Hoseok stood at the threshold.

Nina opened the door with a smile that spelled trouble.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Jungkook asked, blinking like a deer in hostile headlights.

She pointed to the nameplate. "Check the bloody name."

"And why the hell am I here?"

"Get in already," Namjoon barked. "We were supposed to show her around today—until you ruined it."

"So we brought the tour to her," Taehyung added smugly.

"And you owe her," Elijah chimed in, still rifling through her cupboards.

Jungkook scowled but stepped in.

✯✯✯

Nina emerged from the kitchen wielding a spatula like a weapon. Her apron cinched tight, she looked ready for war—or a very aggressive cooking show.

"What do you guys want for lunch?"

"Are you gonna cook?" Taehyung asked, suddenly cautious.

She nodded.

"Then rice cakes."

"No rice."

"Burritos?"

"No tortillas. No beans."

"Chicken?"

"Already made pasta."

"Then why—" Elijah snapped, "—did you even ask?"

"Drama," Nina replied, fluttering her lashes.

"You're lucky you're hot," he muttered.

As Nina plated up, Jungkook whispered to Mona, "How do you deal with her?"

"She's a goddess. No Nina, no life," Mona said, sipping her coffee like this was normal.

"Lady and gentlemen? Thank you for being here and you may begin..." Nina dramatically says, visualizing herself surviving in a grandiloquent family gathering. She had made creamy pasta with vegetables.

JJungkook rolled his eyes until Nina sat across from him. She watched, almost gleeful, as he dug into her pasta.

His mouth froze.

"Oh God—it's... it's so hot!"

"Really?" Taehyung mumbled mid-bite. "Tastes great."

"She spiked mine—she did something—"

"Whole bottle of green chilli sauce," Nina said sweetly.

He kicked the table. "Man? People trying to eat here!" Elijah groaned, not a bit concerned about his friend. "Have some orange juice" Hoseok instructed, genuinely concerned about him.

He chugged the juice, only to cough harder, face contorting in horror. Nina sipped her own drink, watching the chaos unfold like a scene from her favorite thriller.

The others paused mid-bite, mildly amused. Taehyung was the first to chuckle, lips quirking as he nudged Hoseok. Even Elijah had to admit—this was Nina in her element. "Burning vinegar with orange essence" Nina mentioned proudly. "Oh my God, you are invincible" Taehyung gasped.

Jungkook was now suffering to the extent that she had to get the chocolates.

She held a small bar of chocolate in front of him. Thereon everything she had done how could anybody conceivably believe that girl?

"Oh come on, it is packed" she piped jamming his mouth. Once he realised they were real chocolates, he yanked the box from her and proceeded to eat them.

"I can't believe you took your revenge this way. This was fun" Taehyung cackled rendering Jungkook glare at him. Nina took his plate and the glass of vinegar threw them away and made him a new plate.

"Enjoy" He served him right in front of him so this time he'd believe her Plus he was damn hungry.

✰✰✰

After having lunch, they gathered around the living room and watched Movies. "Gosh, girls, your bathroom is bigger than the one in Jungkook's bar" Taehyung gasped in amazement.

He was in for a long time making them wonder if was dead or alive. "One of the reasons why I chose this apartment, and it's exceptionally momentous to rent an apartment in this area" she interpreted.

"Oh yeah, Jungkook and Elijah are searching for an apartment...right?" Hoseok reminded. "Yeah...school dorms aren't our way to live peacefully" Elijah sighed.

"We have been staying at a hotel since we shifted and man my wallet had me shittin..." he groaned.

So much for living peacefully. The apartment next to Nina's was vacant since she shifted. Hearkening Elijah's whine, she nearly disclosed about the apartment when she realized that Jungkook was gonna shift with him. Jungkook being her neighbour is the last thing she expected, also she heard that the proprietor was only letting students stay.

"You guys should leave it's almost 9.00" Mona switched off the television after their 6th movie. Namjoon, Elijah and Taehyung groaned sliding all over the living room like earthworms.

Jungkook and Hoseok had been helping Nina clear the havoc they have made and wash the dishes. "How could she let her guests do these things" Jungkook whispered to his friend.

"Stop whining..." Hoseok rasped.

"You are one uninvited guest" Nina angrily muttered watching them from behind. She had Hoseok wipe the kitchen slab where they ate pizzas like a scamp. Jungkook washed and wiped the plates dry.

"Yay...my work is done!" Beamed Hoseok and walked away to the living room. Nina waited a few more minutes, being sure that he doesn't mess up with something.

Once he dried his hands with the towel she'd left out, Nina yanked it from his grip with a sharp, sarcastic smile.

"Hope you enjoyed," she muttered.

She turned toward the sink—but before she could take another step, Jungkook grabbed her wrist and backed her into the counter, trapping her between him and the cold marble.

"Being too cocky isn't good for you," he said, voice low.

She stilled, jaw clenched, refusing to let him see the effect he had on her. That's what he wanted—reactions, weakness. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"Get lost," she snapped, shoving him aside.

But before she could move, he caught a fistful of her hair and yanked her back. She gasped, the sudden sting making her flinch.

He pinned her against the fridge, towering over her like a bulldozer truck. "Didn't I tell you to stay away from my friends, how slutty can you be ?" He asked.

She grabbed his face by her hand, pulled him to her face and bit his cheek, a chew too hard that he screamed letting her free.

Hearing them the others ran inside the kitchen in a concerned state. "Give it a break guys" Tae sighed. "What is wrong with you both?" Nina straightens her hair, glaring at Jungkook meanwhile he clenches his fist due to the pain in his cheek.

"Get your nasty butt out of my house" she hissed at him and walked away as if she was walking on a lava carpet. "That bitch..." he stormed out, seething, leaving a trail of curses and threats behind.

Later that night, he stood in front of the mirror in his bar's bathroom, staring at the swollen mark she'd left. It stung. It would scar. And he didn't even mind.

This wasn't over.

Nina had started something, and Jungkook wasn't the kind of man to walk away from a fight—especially not one that lit his veins on fire.

Elijah peeked in. "That's brutal," he said, tilting his head. "It's gonna scar."

Jungkook didn't respond. His jaw clenched, his thoughts far from the pain. He already had the perfect payback brewing in his mind.

"Pack your shit," he said coldly.

Elijah blinked. "Why?"

"We're moving in tomorrow."

...............

Damn guys, Elijah is a mood!

The next chapter is when their real bonding story begins. It's gonna get physical...
Oops?! Was that a spoiler? *get it together Amy!*

Wc 2428