Chanyeol arched his back and closed his eyes as he let the lukewarm water from the showerhead cascade over his body. The sound of the water drumming against him was hypnotic. He was relaxed. He felt like he had been transported to a different part of the world, where he can just think clearly and forget all of his problems.

Whilst he rubbed shower gel across his sculpted body and chiselled abs, he suddenly heard the bathroom door open.

"Who's there?" he called out. He had stopped what he was doing and the suds slowly slipped down his broad, glistening, wet back.

There was no answer.

"Hello?" he called again.

But, there was still no answer.

Chanyeol decided to have a look. He was sure that he didn't imagine it. Someone was inside the bathroom with him. But who could it be?

As he focused on the frosted glass doors, he could just about make out the outline of an individual. He opened the doors slowly.

"Hello, Chanyeol," said a thick and husky voice.

Chanyeol's eyes adjusted to the fog created by the hot steam from the shower head. Once it cleared, he saw who the owner of the voice was.

"Baekhyun" his voice was barely a whisper. "What are you doing here?"

Baekhyun was only wearing a towel around his waist. He glanced at Chanyeol's upper body, his eyes slowly trailing down from his dripping, wet hair, to his bare chest, to his bare lower half...

"Yah," Chanyeol raised his voice to catch Baekhyun's attention. "I asked, 'what are you doing here'?"

Baekhyun tilted his head to one side, "I came to join you, of course" he gave Chanyeol a mischievous smile. He took a step closer to Chanyeol.

Chanyeol backed away, "Yah, don't come any closer!"

But Baekhyun ignored him and proceeded to advance on him. "You're adorable when you're shy" he said huskily. He bit his lip, "And look how strong you've gotten" as he said this, he reached out to touch Chanyeol's arm muscles. Chanyeol flinched away from Baekhyun's cool touch.

"Baekhyun" Chanyeol's voice was low, "you shouldn't be here. What if the others find out?"

Baekhyun drew closer to him still, their bodies almost touching. He looked up at Chanyeol, his eyes yearning, "They won't. We've never been caught, have we?"

Chanyeol looked away, the pain in his heart was sharp. "I wish that we didn't have to hide our feeling for each other."

"Shhhh" Baekhyun whispered as he put his finger to Chanyeol's lips. They were soft and plump. "Let's not waste time by talking about what if's. Let's just cherish the time we have together now." He gazed lovingly into Chanyeol's eyes. "Kiss me, Chanyeol."

Chanyeol's eyes were shimmering with desire, "Baekhyun..."

The sound of a bad guitar chord snapped me out of my daydream. I blinked. It took me a second to remember that I was in the living room, tidying up again. Woah, that was too vivid of a daydream! I told myself internally. I had stayed up late doing research on my report and had gotten side-tracked by a fanfiction on the EXO members. Some fangirls had really wild imaginations...

"Argh!" I heard Chanyeol growl from the sofas. He was busy playing on his acoustic guitar with music sheets scattered everywhere.

I sighed, it had been almost a week since I first came to Seoul. I had gotten used to being with the EXO members and found that they weren't that bad to live with.

During the last couple of days, I had gotten closer to some of them. Sehun, Kai and I would often play video games together while sometimes, I would spend time talking to Xiumin and Chen in their room. Suho would often talk to me to let me know when they'd be back for dinner and, Chanyeol... well, Chanyeol wouldn't stop leaving me alone.

Ever since that day, Chanyeol hadn't stopped pestering me. He would often try to talk to me when I was busy and would follow me around the dorm while I tidied up. If it weren't for Xiumin's warning, I would have thought that Chanyeol was interested in me. Luckily, I already knew Chanyeol's little habit so I was more guarded against him. At least now, Chanyeol and I were on the same playing field.

I sighed again as I glanced around my surroundings. The dorm was a mess. The EXO members were currently on a short vacation and so most of them had spent their day resting in the dorm. Trying to keep the dorm clean was like wishing for rain in the Sahara desert: it was impossible. As soon as I had tidied one area, the EXO members would move in and make more mess. I peered at the rubbish bin near the kitchen. It was filled to the brim with chicken bones and takeaway boxes. I had only emptied it two days ago and now, it was full again. Why was the rubbish never ending? It seemed like Sehun, Kai and Baekhyun had started ordering in as they were never present at the dining table whenever I cooked dinner.

I frowned. The living room was the last space that needed cleaning yet, I couldn't clean it with Chanyeol in the way.

"Chanyeol-ssi" I called out to him. He was busy annotating music sheets while cradling his guitar on his lap and a guitar pick in between his teeth.

"Chanyeol-ssi" I repeated. This time, he turned around to look at me.

"Can you go and practise in your room? I need to clean the living room."

He frowned. "I don't wanna." And then he turned back to what he was doing.

I let out a sound of disbelief. What was up with him today? One minute he was following me around like a lost puppy, the next minute he didn't want anything to do with me. It was like his personality just took a one-hundred and eighty degree turn. If he thinks that I would give him more attention, he had another thing coming.

I huffed as I started dusting the living room area even with Chanyeol present. As I sauntered past him with some cleaning spray and a duster, I saw him peek up at me as though he was expecting me to say something to him. Well, tough love to him. If he was going to act stubborn, so was I. I ignored him and continued cleaning. I heard him shuffle his sheets noisily when he saw that I didn't give him a second glance.

A few minutes passed by with neither of us saying anything. I continued cleaning while Chanyeol focused on playing his guitar. Eventually, I had cleaned the whole of the living room apart from where Chanyeol had made his base. I saw a sliver of a smile creep up on his lips. He knew that I couldn't ignore him for long.

"Chanyeol-ssi" I finally said to him. "Can you go to your room while I clean the rest of the living room? I still have to vacuum."

He looked up, pretending to be nonchalant. "Hm?" He looked around and then said, "Can't you clean this place later? I'm still not finished."

"The living room is the last place I need to clean" I told him, trying to keep my irritation at bay. "Why can't you just stay in your room for a few minutes? I'll be done quickly."

He furrowed his brow. "I can't practise in my room because the others are sleeping and the walls aren't soundproof."

"Then you can just sit silently for a few minutes while I finish up" I suggested.

He thought for a few seconds but then said, "I don't wanna."

I loured at him. He returned it. We engaged in a staring contest with each other for what felt like a long time. Eventually I gave up on it since my eyes started watering. He smiled triumphantly as if he had won the argument.

"Fine then" I told him huffily. "I'll just clean that area even with you here."

I started picking up his music sheets which were scattered all over the coffee table and sofa and started putting them aside while I dusted the surfaces underneath.

Chanyeol looked at me, mortified. "Yah, be careful with those!" he warned.

I ignored him and continued to clean. But as I did so, I accidentally knocked a bottle of water, which hadn't been sealed properly and, it spilled across Chanyeol's music sheets.

Chanyeol was horrified. "You pabo!" he exclaimed, trying to salvage the damp sheets of paper. It had changed to a translucent colour.

"Sorry" I apologised. But I wasn't feeling that guilty. "This wouldn't have happened if you just let me clean properly."

He glared at me. "This wouldn't have happened if you just let me finish in the first place!"

I was surprised by him."What's up with you?" I asked. "Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed? You've been acting moody all day."

He calmed down. "No I haven't. I've just been stressed. That's all." He placed the damp sheets of paper down, carefully laying them on the table. But they were beyond saving. He sighed. "It took me hours to write that part."

Guilt had a funny way of coming to you because, as soon as Chanyeol said that, I felt it slap me across the face. "I'm sorry" I muttered, with sincerity this time. "I'll go and clear the rubbish first. I'll wait for you to finish up." I walked away before Chanyeol had time to reply.

~*~

I frowned at the sight of the rubbish bin. The faint smell of fried chicken lingered in the air around it. I grimaced as I lifted the bin bag up, ready to throw it away. But as I was lifting it up, a small brown thing dropped from the side of the bag and fell onto the tiled floor. I peered down at it, expecting it to be an orange peel or perhaps an onion skin but, then I noticed it had started moving. It had six legs and it was heading towards my feet.

It only took me a few seconds to figure out what it was.

"Aaaaaahhh!" I screamed as I dropped the rubbish bag and hopped on top of the nearest chair.

In a few seconds, Chanyeol appeared by the door frame. "What happened?" he sounded alarmed. He was puzzled to see me cowering on top of a chair.

I pointed to the floor, where a cockroach was scuttling around. "Quickly! Kill it! Get it away from me!"

Chanyeol followed my gaze and saw what had caused me to shriek in fear. He relaxed. "It's just a cockroach." He quickly got an empty glass and chased the speedy insect until he finally caught it. With a piece of card underneath, Chanyeol had the roach under a makeshift container.

"Is it safe?" I asked him as I hesitantly got down from the chair.

He nodded. He had the captured roach in his hands. "You're afraid of cockroaches?" His tone was mocking.

"I-I just don't like them." I answered, still maintaining eye contact with the cockroach. "They're creepy and they're dirty and--"

Chanyeol suddenly approached me with the cockroach in his hands.

I took a step back. "Woah, woah, woah" I told him with my hands up in front of me. "What are you doing coming closer?"

Chanyeol had an impish look on his face. "But they're kinda cute when you think about it." He glanced at the roach. "We can keep it as a pet."

"You're not keeping that thing in here" I replied pointedly.

"Oh c'mon, have a look. This little guy's actually quite charming." He said as he took a step closer. I took a step back.

"Chanyeol-ssi" I warned, "Don't you dare."

His playful smile widened. "Don't I dare, what?" He drew even closer.

I backed away slowly. "Don't you dare think of doing what I think you're about to do."

We stood still for a moment. Chanyeol's smile widened to reveal his perfect set of teeth. I immediately knew what he was thinking.

I bolted for the living room area and he followed me in hot pursuit.

"Chanyeol-ssi! Stop it!" I screamed as he chased me with the captured cockroach in his hands.

He laughed delightedly at my reaction. "C'mon, Nami-ssi, have a look at him!"

"Stop it!" I screamed back as we ran around the coffee table and then up the stairs. We must have been really noisy because as we ran from one wing to the other, Xiumin and Chen appeared from their room to see what was going on. They were both teary-eyed, as if they'd just woken up from their sleep. I darted past them with Chanyeol closely behind.

As I approached the end of the corridor, D.O suddenly appeared from his room, in time to see me and Chanyeol heading for his direction. His eyes widened as I grappled him and used him as a barrier from Chanyeol and the pest he had in his hands.

"What's going on?" D.O was confused.

I hid behind his back, tightly clutching his black sweatshirt, "Chanyeol-ssi won't leave me alone!" I screamed to his ear. "He's been chasing me with that cockroach in his hands!"

"Oh, c'mon. This little thing isn't going to hurt you" he said as he leaned the glass forward towards me and D.O. I reacted by pressing myself even closer to D.O.

D.O turned his head to see me cowering behind him. "Yah, Chanyeol. You should stop it now."

Chanyeol still had that playful glint in his eye. "Not until I get Nami-ssi to--"

Chanyeol was unable to finish his sentence as his words were replaced by yelps of pain. His earlobe was being pinched by an angry Suho with blood-shot eyes. "What's with all the noise, huh?" he grumbled. Suho didn't look like he was in a good mood. He must have woken up from all the screaming.

"S-Suho-hyung, ow, ow, that hurts!" Chanyeol whimpered as Suho pinched his earlobe tightly.

Suho saw what Chanyeol was carrying in his hands and then saw me cowering behind D.O. He turned to Chanyeol as if he'd already figured out what had transcended. "Come with me, Chanyeol" he ordered, still pinching his ear. Chanyeol let out yelps of pain as he was dragged away by Suho.

~*~

D.O watched as Chanyeol disappeared behind Suho's bedroom door. He knew that Chanyeol was going to hear an earful from Suho and it wasn't going to be pretty.

D.O heard a sigh of relief. He peered behind him and saw Nami. She was so close to him that he could feel her racing heartbeat. And something else. Something soft was pressing, against his back. And he blushed.

Finally, Nami loosened her grip on him and she pulled away. He turned around and saw that she was wearing a grey hoodie and yoga pants. Her hair was tied in a loose bun and she had her glasses on. She smiled up at him which took him by surprise. He liked the way her dimples appeared when she smiled. Her smile wasn't exactly breath-taking but something about it made his heart stir. It was a funny feeling.

"I'm sorry about that" she said to him in that curious accent. He still didn't quite believe she was Korean. "I must have disturbed you with all that screaming."

D.O shook his head. "It's fine. I was just rehearsing some lines."

Nami smiled again and the funny feeling returned.

"Well, I better get on with the cleaning. At least Chanyeol's out of the way now." She bowed her head as a goodbye.

D.O stood outside his door for a moment as he watched Nami climb down the stairs. He put a hand to his heart and clutched his sweatshirt. "What is this?" he asked himself. He could feel his heart beating faster. "I must be sick or something." He checked his forehead. He didn't have a fever. "It's probably nothing" he told himself. But as much as he wanted to convince himself that it was nothing, he had feeling, that whatever it was, Nami had something to do with it.

And it was a funny feeling, indeed.

~*~

Author's Note:

Hey! Thanks for reading chapter 10 of Our Little Dorm Mother.

Did you like how the chapter started? Haha. I hope I was able to fool you. It made me blush writing that part of the chapter.

What do you guys think of the development so far?

What do you think will end up happening between Nami and the EXO members? I'd love to hear from you!

Please comment, vote and share!

Happy reading!

Next time...

P.S. Starting from today (4/2/18) I will be updating my chapters as I write them. I thought about doing it at a weekly pace but it seems that I've been able to write a lot more quickly than previously anticipated so good news! However, as I will be focusing on writing my chapters, I will be putting my audio chapter updates on hiatus until further notice. Please anticipate the release of more chapters this week and from now onwards.