*crash*

Eunhee stirs awake at the noise from beyond the wall, the vacant apartment beside hers. No one has lived there since she moved into the building more than a year. “It's just an animal, it's just an animal.” If she says it enough maybe she would believe it. 

The sound of rustling and  shuffling of footsteps stop sometime around one am but it’s another two hours before she can fall asleep, resulting in a mildly groggy and very tired Oh Eunhee as she routinely opens her door at seven am.

The door across from hers opens at the same time and as usual Park Chanyeol steps out to collect his mail left at the doorstep.

“Morning Eunhee.” The girl hesitantly smiles back as she picks up her own mail. Chanyeol sorts through the mail at the door waiting for Eunhee to quickly rush back in to her apartment as she always does. Her hand rests on the cold doorknob but she had stopped to stare at the door to apartment 24B. Chanyeol follows her gaze.

"Someone finally moved in," He speaks breaking Eunhee from her gaze, "I heard them last night." Eunhee breathes a sigh of relief, at least she hadn’t had to worry about a ghost.

“Me too.” She speaks softly and Chanyeol smiles satisfied with her simple words.

“I’ll see you later Eunhee-ssi.”

“Hmm.” She nods, a little to enthusiastically.

***

There’s a knock on her door late in the afternoon, thinking it’s the Chinese food she had ordered she makes her way to the door and stares through the peephole. A boy stands at her door, he is tan, dark haired, handsome and empty handed. By no indication is he the Chinese Restaurant delivery boy.

"I can hear you breathing." He laughs a minute in; Eunhee lets out sigh and hesitantly opens the door. A playful smirk tugs at his lips as he observes the girl in front of him, she wears little or no makeup as far as he could tell, she had pale skin, tired eyes and lips that gave away her lip biting habit but she was pretty nonetheless with a certain charm in her looks.  Handsome is really an understatement, with messy hair and a white button down shirt, she shakes  the thoughts away waiting for him to speak.

"I'm Kim Jongin." His extends his hand and she stares down at it. He almost laughs as she bites her lip but restrains himself. He hears the door open behind him and turns to see a tall boy holding garbage bags.

“You need me to take anything to the bins?” Chanyeol asks, Eunhee nods running back into her apartment leaving Chanyeol alone with the boy at the door. Chanyeol can’t help but be bitter towards the male; he had never seen anyone with Eunhee let alone a handsome as hell bachelor type.

“I’m Kim Jongin, your new neighbour.” The tall boy’s eyes brighten realizing the situation, he drops his trash and takes Jongin’s hand shaking it enthusiastically.

“Park Chanyeol, it’s really good to meet you.” Jongin chuckles at the change in atmosphere, although he can’t help but feel annoyed by his now germ ridden hand. He contemplates adding if Chanyeol can take his trash down too when Eunhee returns with the bags.

“Thanks Chanyeol.” Jongin’s eyes widen, so she can speak. The tall male takes the bags from her and smiles as he turns to leave. Jongin stays, Eunhee wants so badly to close the door but the boy just staring at her is kind of daunting. She bites her lip and scrunches her nose as she waits for him to speak. He doesn’t.

“Oh Eunhee.” She finally mutters and Jongin grins in satisfaction.

“Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?” He ruffles her hair and she blushes. “I’ll see you around Oh Eunhee.”

***

Eunhee only ever left her apartment for one of two reasons, she ran out of food or there was a tenants’ meeting in the lobby of her apartment building. She hated the tenants’ meeting, firstly she never understood why it was compulsory and secondly how could there be something to talk about every month. Nothing ever changed.

“Eunhee!” Chanyeol calls waving the girl over to him, she smiles lightly walking to take the empty seat beside him. “I wonder what’s on the menu today?” Eunhee doesn’t answer, she usually doesn’t.

“How long do these thing usually last?” Jongin asks as he takes a seat beside Eunhee.

“Usually less than an hour.” Chanyeol replies as Eunhee sinks lower into her seat.

The meeting isn’t long; where to put the hard rubbish for collection and the elevator being down for maintenance in a couple of weeks were the only relevant details Eunhee listened for. When their landlord goes into his usual speech on proper tenant manner does Eunhee tune out. She glances to her side; Chanyeol meets her eyes and smiles. She presses her lips between her teeth as she looks away awkwardly; Jongin is on her other side. His eyelids lightly pressed together, his thick lips parted as he snores gently.

“And it’s only his first time hearing this speech” Chanyeol leans in to whisper, Eunhee pulls away blushing.

The meeting ends and Jongin’s eyes flutter open and he yawns as he extends his arms. “What did I miss?”

“Hard rubbish collection is on Thursday.” Chanyeol repeats.

“Cool, I have some boxes I need to throw out.”

Eunhee stands but Jongin grabs her hand pulling himself up to his feet. Chanyeol narrows his gaze onto the younger’s grasp. Jongin smiles and turns to Chanyeol his grip still firmly on Eunhee’s wrist “I’ll take you two out, my treat. Sort of like a welcome to the neighborhood”

“Shouldn’t we be the ones to welcome you and you do realize you’re younger than me right?”

“Well hyung,” Jongin stresses the word, “do you want to pay?”

“Not really.” Chanyeol pouts and stands up clapping his hands together, “I’m craving octopus.”

“I know a place.” Eunhee doesn’t even have a chance to refuse.

***

Jongin knows how to drink, he orders two bottles of Soju with the meal and he had already gone through one the older of the two males only having two shots.

“You don’t drink?” Chanyeol asks as he pours himself a glass. Eunhee shakes her head, a sips on the soda Jongin bought for her.

“Eunhee-ah!” How casually he calls her doesn’t escape Chanyeol and the older boy kicks him under the table, his long legs miss and he accidently kicks Eunhee. She smiles lightly and Chanyeol doesn’t realise his mistake. “Do you have a boyfriend?” Both Eunhee and Chanyeol choke on their drinks, Chanyeol looks to her and she lightly shakes her head.

“Why, you’re so pretty?”

“Wah,” Chanyeol scoffs, “stop flirting with her.”

“At least I have the courage to.” Jongin retorts and Chanyeol’s mouth clamps shut. Eunhee thinks the comment is directed at her and she sulks reaching for some spiced octopus. Chanyeol senses the change in atmosphere.

“Don’t listen to him Eunhee, he’s just a little drunk.”

“Hey my tolerance is quite high, mind you.”

“Do you forget we are both older than you?”

“Well hyung,” he mocks, “act a little older and I might remember”

“Inconsiderate Jerk.”

“Giant air dancer.” Chanyeol looks at Jongin a little confused by the insult. Eunhee smiles to herself, even though they’ve only known each other for a short time they argue like they’ve known each other for ages. She envies that.

Jongin stops arguing to stare at Eunhee and she feels uncomfortable and blushes to Chanyeol’s annoyance. “You don’t go out much, do you?”

“You can’t ask her that!”

“Why?”

“Because…because…” Chanyeol stutters.

“It’s ok.” Eunhee finally mumbles, “I’m just not the best around people.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Well I’m awkward.”

“You can never know what other people think, so don’t try to. Just do what you want and what makes you happy.”

“Wise words from a drunkard!” Chanyeol laughs.

***

Sehun lingers in the living room, he stares from loose papers stained with coffee rings scattered across the table to the tightly pulled blinds. Eunhee comes back and hands him a mug, he nods a quiet thankyou and takes a seat on her couch, and she sits facing him on the opposite side.

“Are you still drawing?” The younger gestures to the sketches in front of him, he cranes his neck to see the coloured sketch of the tan boy with fluffy pink hair and han