The Wise Monkey's POV:

"Guys!" Wooyoung runs into the dormitory. It's late, but knowing his bros, none of them is probably sleeping yet. But maybe they are, he prospects, when he tried to video call his friends earlier, it didn't connect. That's why he's so eager and out of breath as he jogged into the living room, desperate to disclose his news that was delayed since the time of the video call.

He scans the room. Mingi's lying on the couch, and surprisingly, Hongjoong's here too, too vested in the book in his hands. The leader vacantly glances up from the page to learn Wooyoung's state. The others are probably in their rooms, or not here at all, Wooyoung assumes.

This state of his feels familiar to the boy. Yet different. Daisy used to be the one who rushed in with news like he's doing right now. He was always one among her audience, so he never understood the itching thrill she carried, if anything he was the one to call her out for supposedly being dramatic.

"I have news!" Wooyoung yells and then looks at his hyung. "Are they sleeping?"

"You were supposed to ask that first," Hongjoong quietly replies as he turns the page of the book.

"You sounded like Daisy," Mingi boredly points out.

"I'm busy playing!" Yunho says from his room.

Mingi laughs. "Now my claim is even more solidified," he says. The three in the living room are now brought back to the old memories with Daisy.

Seonghwa, Jongho and Yeosang come out of their rooms. Wooyoung decides that San is either playing with Yunho or sleeping.

"I have news," Wooyoung excitedly begins.

"Yeah, I heard that. What is it?" Yeosang grumpily asks.

"Well, we all already knew that the parallel world resembles our world, right, the roads and shops and stuff," Wooyoung speaks. "But today I found out that it is, or it might be, the exact copy of our world. How crazy is that!" He immediately opens his phone and shows a picture to his mates.

Mingi gasps as he looks at it. And the other few are surprised. Hongjoong, the only one who remains the same.

It's a picture of the Italian restaurant Daisy owned.

"To be honest, I anticipated the possibility of it happening," Hongjoong sighs. "But it's still scary though. Guess we'll never fully have peace if more and more weird things start coming to light without us understanding what actually happened and why."

"Do you guys think noona knows about this?" Jongho asks after a moment of shared silence and it isn't unnoticed by the rest how the boy chose to address Soojin informally.

"We should call her and ask," Wooyoung says.

"Why?" Seonghwa is quick to question. "She established she didn't want us to unnecessarily contacting her. There's no need."

"It's not exactly unnecessary, I think she'd like to know about this," Jongho reasons.

"Yeah," Wooyoung says and looks at Hongjoong. "Hyung should call her."

"No, don't look at me, I'm not doing it again. Can't really tell if she'll take offence or not," Hongjoong coolly says. He doesn't seem to mean it; the leader's quality is instilled in him, no matter what, he's always the one who willingly volunteers to lead and represent his bandmates, work-related or otherwise. Wooyoung knows that too.

"I will call her then," but he says that anyway. "Give me your phone."

"This is not the time to call someone, she could be sleeping," Hongjoong says, going back to reading. Seonghwa goes back to his room earning concerned looks from his donsaengs.

"Maybe not necessarily. We are awake, she could be too. I know it's still rude to call now but it's kinda important news."

"Wooyoung," Hongjoong gives him the stern eyes. "She's a student who probably has to attend class early in the morning, she also works till the restaurant closes in the night. What time slot do you think aligns with her sleeping schedule? Do the math."

Yeosang nods in agreement.

"Fine, I'm calling her tomorrow," Wooyoung declares.

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Soojin's POV:

I jolt just a little as my smartphone vibrates against the side of my thigh. I wonder who's calling me.

I fish out the phone to surprisingly see it's from Ateez. Surprisingly? Am I even surprised at this point? Maybe a little, considering I've no idea why they're calling now. I thought everything was settled.

I sigh. I hate attending to calls in strangers' presence. I'm sitting on a bus, a woman sharing the same piece of the cushion of the 2-seater as me. I pick up the call, nonetheless.

"Hello," I say into the device.

"Hello to you too. This is Jung Wooyoung, I wanted to ask you something," comes from the other line.

Ask what?

"Umm...Sure," I say.

"Did you know that the Italian restaurant from that other world exists here too? It's so crazy. I discovered it yesterday and I stayed there frozen looking at it. I really got goosebumps. It was almost similar, I mean— Umm.. why aren't you responding?... Aah! It's an overwhelming piece of news, I know, I know. You must be really shocked."

I wait for a second or two to actually make sure he's done speaking. "Maybe because you didn't really let me speak," I reply to his question.

"Eh? You don't sound surprised..." He sounds confused.

"I was," I say. "When I first found out about it."

"YOU KNEW! You should've told us when we last met," he complained.

"Sorry, Wooyoung-ssi, it left my mind," I answer straight away.

Do I sound too monotonous and cold?

He doesn't reply. Maybe I did.

"Oh.." he mutters.

God, why is this so difficult! I myself was the one who lectured last time about being friendly in case we run into each other; and how I failed to do that myself now. It's probably because I didn't expect this call? Maybe.

"Uhh..umm... Did you know..." I start off, trying to sound more eager. "the housing complex we lived in—"

"OH MY GOD! THAT EXISTS TOO?" he screeches and I flinch at the volume.

"Stop yelling, boy!" I instinctively reply and instantly regret. I just used informal speech on him! I USED INFORMAL SPEECH ON A CELEBRITY! I mean we fans do use informal speech for our idols, but I CALLED HIM 'BOY'. I really crossed the line, didn't I? For someone who suggested letting this unnamed acquaintance remain as it be, I'm making a fool of myself.

"Sorr—" Before I can complete, I hear his genuine, sweet, melodious laugh ring in my ears. My heart and brain both stop as I personally hear that melody in my ear.

"Sorry, Soojin," he says. Now he calls me informally too? "So the housing complex..."

"Yeah, it exists. I went there to check myself," I say deciding it isn't the best idea to call out and correct on each of us addressing each other like that. My part was intentional, but I think he probably used that as a license to call me by my name from now onwards. Maybe I was wrong, maybe it's more awkward and painful to be all formal with each other.

"Woah!" he says. "Your voice isn't that clear. You said you went there, right?"

"Yeah. I'm actually on a bus. If you want to know more, although there are not many deets, maybe I can text when I reach back home."

"Yeah, I want more deets, I'll be waiting for the texts."

I hum.

"And Soojin," he so sweetly says making my eyes enlarge and jaws tighten in sentiments. "Have a safe journey back home!"

Thanks, Youngie.

I am not ready to be that forward so I settle for an informal "Thanks..." and I swear that the acknowledging hum he lets out before he cuts the call, it's definitely a happy and content hum from the sound of it.

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The Wise Monkey's POV:

Ding Dong! The doorbell rings.

Ding ding dong dong ding dong ding dong ding....

Okay, I should probably stop. What do I do? I'm simply in a better mood now. The stuff happening around this week was too intense for me to be so sing-songy like this. I bet you'd have noticed the out-of-character quality in me. It's just the interactions of Soojin and Ateez was just the perfect grab-the imaginary-popcorn-and-watch-the-drama for me. So....Yeah...

Anyway.

Soojin's on her way to answer the door. With a coated silicon spatula in her hand and flour dirt on her face, her glasses loosely resting on the top of her head, apron soiled, and all in all, looking like a wreck, she frantically opens the door to have just one glance and runs back to the kitchen speedily.

"What the heck! You might be cooking up anti-poison to revive someone from the brink of death," Donghyuck taunts as he follows Soojin to the kitchen. His friend who's accompanying him today, Lee Jeno, politely closes the door behind him and follows his friend.

"Ahh, what a sight!" the boy continues as he pins himself on the side of the kitchen wall. "How beautiful does my noona look! Guys would swarm in for her, I bet. Ooh, our Mark hyung is the same age as her, should we set them up, Jeno-yah?.. Never mind, she'll scare him off." Jeno nudges the boy but he continues.

"Maybe Renjun would suit her personality. But I don't think she likes younger guys, do you?... How's Jaehyun hyung then? Ohh.. am I forgetting something?... Right, they should have to get an interest in her too, I forgot it wouldn't work one way." The boy laughs like a fool.

"NOW IS NOT THE TIME, HYUCK!" Soojin spits. "Jeno, get him and go sit in the room or something. I will not hesitate to smack this boy if he interrupts me." She actively stirs the contents of the pot over the stove.

"Jeez, what's with you today?" Donghyuck, or Hyuck for short, asks. Jeno stands beside him, awkward and confused if he should advise his friend to leave her be or not.

"I've been trying to make this work for so long, it just ain't coming together. I have a test tomorrow. I have to make this work! I don't have much ingredients left. It's expensive!"

"Ahh, it's you being cheapskate again. Nothing new," Hyuck goes.

"Is that all you got? I'm trying to make this right, I'm learning for a test, you incompetent!"

Soojin sighs loudly and switches off the stove. "I think it's the best I can do," she throws her spatula angrily and Jeno flinches.

"Easy there! You scared him," Hyuck complains.

Soojin picks up the spatula and washes it. "Go do whatever you're here for. I've to cook," she tiredly says.

"I thought you gave up."

"I have other dishes to master too. It'd be a shame if I didn't use these exotic ingredients."

Donghyuck looks around. "For expensive ingredients, you sure seem to have bought a lot."

Soojin snickers. "I stole these from university's pantry."

"Really?" Jeno gasps.

"Ugh, I'm ashamed you're my cousin," Hyuck says.

"You think I care, buddy? And who you kidding, Jeno here knows and can testify you're far worse than me, isn't it right?"

"Whatever. Gimme your charger, my phone is dead. And your phone."

"Phone? Why?"

"Eomma called when mine was dying. Couldn't call her back since."

"And Jeno's phone will be useful when..?"

"He doesn't remember his mom's number," Jeno says.

"Of course, he doesn't," Soojin rolls her eyes. She gives the boy her phone. "Go look for the charger yourself."

Donghyuck goes to excavate the charger and have a phone call with his mother and Jeno stays on Soojin's command to taste test her dishes.

"Jeno-yah! What are you doing there?" Hyuck calls after a while and the boy goes to join his friend and wait for Sooyoung to return back from her after-school classes.

It is customary for both the boys to attend Soojin's house once a week. Donghyuck agreed to tutor Sooyoung for her university entrance exam a while ago, and now even though the tutoring part on his behalf is completed, he visits once a week to give her revision or test sessions. And of course, Jeno was there to assist from day one too; of course, he was. This is not oblivious to anyone, but Lee Jeno has a big, fat crush on his friend's cousin, Ahn Sooyoung.

"Yah!" Donghyuck quietly says, and as his friend, Jeno can tell that he's about to suggest something mischievous. "So after I was done with the call, I accidentally stumbled upon one of her contact names on her messaging app."

"You don't accidentally do that. I'm sure you spied," Jeno monotonously says. Jeno always tries to be polite towards Sooyoung's family for obvious reasons; Donghyuck's not included.

"Look at it, look. Doesn't it seem suspicious? And mysterious. There's no name on it."

No, there's no name saved on Hongjoong's mobile number, instead, there are emojis. This: '❤️😱😭💔💕💕💓' is what she saved.

"A possible crush? What do you think?"

"Yah! What are you going to do?" Jeno asks.

"Remember I suggested we do a new type of content for our youtube channel? Now's the time. Pull out your phone immediately and record me. We don't have time. Either she'll demand for her phone back or Youngie might show up."

"What are—"

"Just do it, Jeno. I'll take the responsibilities," he persuades his friend. "Now, Jeno!"

"The camera's on," Jeno notifies once he's prepared.

"Guys, I'm doing a small prank today," Donhyuck speaks. "I can't speak loudly because I don't want my cousin to hear. I have her phone right now. I found a mysterious contact on her phone. The last messages kinda look like they're close. I know she's single so this could be a crush. We're gonna text this person now, it shows that the person's online. And you know what kind of texts," Donghyuck smirks at the last sentence.

He's gonna get his ass whooped.

But I like this. This could get the ice break between the parties a little. Are those lads up there behind this? Probably. Only they can come up with such an immature but kinda effective plan.

Anyway.

Donghyuck starts typing. "Hey, is it soon to say that I have fallen head over heels for you?" he says what he typed and shows the phone to the camera. "Guess, we'll have to wait. My noona's currently in the kitchen, she has no idea, she—"

A notification sound interrupts him. "We got a reply," he says and proceeds to read. "Ahn Soojin-ssi? Are you alright?"

"Ahn Soojin-ssi?" Hyuck says. "They have a formal relationship, it seems. But look at how she's saved the number, guys. She has got to have a crush on this person, so hope I don't get into much trouble. I'm going to reply now."

"I'm not alright, not when I know I'm desperate for you. I hope you feel the same, love. Wanna eat ramyeon at my place? You and me alone."

Ohhohoho! I'm quaking!

There's no way I'm staying here, gotta transport.

I'm here. And I'm instantly met with a jittery and flustered Hongjoong. Welp, he's broken.

"What is it? What is it?" Yunho asks and snatches the phone from him. "Oh my God!"

"Oh my God! Why's she doing this!" Yunho asks.

"I don't know! How would I know!" Hongjoong says in a high-pitched voice. He begins typing. Yunho watches as his hyung sends an 'Are you drunk?'

"Yes, honey, drunk in love with you," Yunho reads the reply from Soojin's phone after half a minute.

"Yup, she's definitely wasted," Hongjoong announces.

"What if she's professing her real feelings?" Yunho says. "It's a possibility too."

"Don't be stupid," Hongjoong says.

"Maybe she realized she doesn't wanna play cold and hard to get with us, maybe she wants it all back, our friendship. It could be her way of hinting that, she likes to tease and joke around a lot, remember? Or maybe, she wants the friendship, plus, she wants a love life with you...Ooh!"

"Yunho, she was Hwa's girlfriend. What are you even saying? If anything, she'd want him back, not me."

"Whatever, I'm too excited to be logical, hyung. Aren't you gonna reply?"

"I don't know what to..."

Hasn't Soojin noticed what is up by this point?

I should go back and check.

Donghyuck seems to be having the time of his life planning out the next set of messages. What he doesn't know is that Soojin is standing behind him, listening to it all. Jeno obviously played along and pretended nothing was wrong. The camera is recording her too; it'd go on youtube as a 'Prank Gone Wrong' video, Jeno decided.

Soojin quietly opens the cap of the water bottle she carries.

"Uhh... bro. Mind handing me the phone once, I have to show it properly for the viewers," Jeon extended his hands and the boy gives him the phone.

As soon as Jeno takes it over, a waterfall of mineral water cascades down and flows along the length of Donghyuck and continues to do so until the bottle in Soojin's hand empties, mindless of the boy's screams.

"This will be an even better content for the video, don't you think, lil' dongsaeng?" Soojin lowly says. "Jeno, stop recording!"

"Yes, noona," he says and winds up.

"My phone!" she demands and Jeno gives it to her. "I'll get my revenge for this, Hyuck. And my anger! Wait till I come back after fixing this. Just you wait." She turns on her heels and barges towards her room.

"What does this count as then?" Donghyuck complains pinching his fully soaked shirt.

Sooyoung who enters through the main door takes it all in. "What the hell happened to you?" she asks her oppa.

"Noona happened."

"Nevermind, you probably did something stupid. I'll show you where the mop is, wipe the floor and maybe yourself too," she says.

"YAH!"

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Soojin's POV:

I don't have the courage to do this on call. So I type.

'OMG OMG, IT WASN'T ME, I SWEAR, THE PHONE WASN'T WITH ME!' I send.

I'm pretty sure they were about to block me by this time. It's sasaeng behaviour if you look at it from their point of view. But maybe getting blocked by them is good?

Oww! My heart hurts just by thinking about it.

My message has been read but yet I don't see any reply. This is nerve-wracking.

Before I can type more, I receive an incoming call from the one and only.

Shit.

Not picking up would be rude, wouldn't it? Especially when I'm the one in the wrong.

Goddamn, I hate it when I have no options to choose from.

I pick up the phone. "I-I'm so so sorry, I..." Damn it, I've to pull myself together and come up with coherent words. "I had no idea. My cousin, he had my phone. He decided to play a prank for youtube, I'm telling the truth, the video they recorded is the evidence, please believe me, please—"

"Relax, relax," I hear the voice of Hongjoong oppa. "To be honest, it scared me, but I believe you. It was scary but it wasn't making any sense. Now it does."

"I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault your cousin decided to do this, it's alright. Just refrain from giving away your phone to your cousins freely," he chuckles. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding."

"No, it is my fault. I did give him my phone freely. And I did not monitor what he was doing. I'm sorry," I say and take a pause. "Is this your number?"

"Huh? Yeah... You didn't know? This is Kim Hongjoong," he says and takes a pause. "Ahhh... You might not have saved the number, I see."