3. I am You, You are Me - Zico

“Are you sure this is the right address?” Sanghyuk asked for the nth time, making sure that he wasn’t being played.

“Of course it is, sir.” His secretary, almost a decade older than him, defended. Sanghyuk got out of his car to take a close look at the house standing before him. The house wasn’t to his liking at all. It was rustic. A wooden pathway that leads to the large wooden carved door, vines crawling on to the stone walls of the house, various shapes and sizes of windows, and an open garden in front. This was definitely no ordinary house. Am I going to live off as a hermit now? Sanghyuk thought. “YA. This isn’t the house that I wanted. I said something simple and modern not Bilbo Baggin’s house! Plus, I’m here in the middle of nowhere. How do you expect me to go to places?!”

His secretary apologized and made a sudden confession. “I’m sorry sir but…it was your parents who told me to buy you the estate.”

Sanghyuk cursed. His parents were at it again. Sanghyuk’s parents won’t stop bugging him. “Aish! Traitor, why did you let them—“

“Your things are already inside. Food and money. The place is safe, I checked the backgrounds of everyone there so there's no need for security, sir. Also your parents put you on a year leave so you could reflect on your previous actions…sir.”

Sanghyuk scoffed. His parents had lost their cool once they found out that their only son got himself into some trouble that wasn’t even really his fault. He loosened his necktie that already felt like choking him. He cleared his throat and demanded to repeat what his secretary had just said. After a few more rude remarks coming from Sanghyuk, the man just gave up. He can’t do anything at all. His parents were determined to fix his ways. “Tell them I’ll play along with their antics this time but don’t expect me to come back when they need me. I'm tired of them telling me what to do.” His secretary replied and gave a small advice as his hyung. Think of it as a vacation, okay? Enjoy. It might give you the breath of fresh air you needed. He thanked his secretary and hung up on him as he strode towards the house. Upon entering, boxes welcomed him. Tsk. They didn’t even bother to fix my stuff. He walked pass the boxes and checked the place. The house had everything. At least he wasn’t going to have any problem when it comes to living here. He took off his coat and blazer and ed the first buttons of his button down shirt and sleeves. “Better start fixing now, huh?”

Sanghyuk changed into a more comfortable clothes compared to his three piece suit a while ago. He then began opening all the boxes and organized his things. Sanghyuk was in the middle of fixing the furniture when he first laid eyes on his next door neighbor—you. You were going about your business, watering the flowers in your garden not knowing that you had a new neighbor. While you were busy caring for your plants, Sanghyuk got curious. He approached the window where you can be seen. What’s a girl like you doing in a place like this? You had a similar house like his, only yours was smaller and sided more on the feminine side.

That was the first time. The second time was a few days after Sanghyuk had settled in. He just came out of the shower and saw you drying your wet hair by the patio and was busy reading a novel accompanied with a cup of coffee. The third time was when he was cooking lunch for himself and saw you cooking as well. Somehow, wherever Sanghyuk looked you too were also there. What the—did a stalker own this house before me? How come I see her everywhere? Sanghyuk also noticed something peculiar. Whatever he was doing, you were also doing similar things. Wait a minute…is she the one stalking me?

“Oh god. Snap it out, Han Sanghyuk.” Sanghyuk muttered to himself. “This is nothing but pure coincidence.” Sanghyuk then would go about his usual routine. He would glance at your house but then find you gone. His days in the “Hobbit” house (Sanghyuk named it that way) were interesting. He would find himself waking up in a good mood, he would eat quietly and peacefully (with occasional looks at your house hoping to see you), he would read some of the books he missed reading (making sure he’s positioned at a place where he can see you), and would go roam around the place. Unfortunately whenever he was out, you were inside. Primarily the reason why he roams around the vast green land was because he wanted to strike a conversation with you. He’d act as if he has seen you for the first time and talk to you. He wanted to play the love at first sight card but him of all people knew that this wasn't love...yet. 

It was a usual day when Sanghyuk realized that he ran out of food. He sighed. Didn’t see that coming. He then decided to go out and look for a grocery mart. He went out; there and then Sanghyuk froze. There you were trying to pluck an apple from your tree. Unfortunately that particular apple you wanted was quite high for your height so you had trouble in getting it. While you were struggling, you saw a hand plucked it effortlessly for you. You smiled. “Ah! Thank you very much!” you glanced at the person who helped you and saw a young man staring back. The sunlight radiated beautifully on him, like he was one with nature. Who...?

“Hi.” He started off. You said hello back. Sanghyuk introduced himself, mentioning that he lived next door and you immediately apologized once you heard that he was your new neighbor. He chuckled and told that it was his fault as well for not introducing earlier. You then introduced yourself and welcomed him to the place.

“It seems that this place is abandoned or lost but there are actually great people and places here. If you like I can show you around the village.” You happily offered.

“Great. Can we do that now? I’m on my way to look for a grocery mart or shop since I ran out of food.” Sanghyuk said, pointing back at his house. “Apparently sulking by myself caused me to eat my month-long supply of food.”

You laughed and agreed to show him around. You then put the basket of apples down and took one and gave it to Sanghyuk who stared at you dumbfoundedly. “Here. Thank you for helping me a while ago.”

“Pleasure is mine.”

The two of you then went about. Sanghyuk was polite with you all the way but then you grinned and pointed at the house he was living in. “So…how’s living in the house I call Bilbo Baggins’s House?”

He grinned. “So you think of it as that way too, huh?” she laughed. With this small information, Sanghyuk was sure that everything they had coincidentally similar, actions and words, was nothing but fate playing strings on them. Yes, Sanghyuk is a er for fate and destiny. One of the reasons why he got into trouble last time but this time he was sure that this would blossom in a positive light. By the time you were in the village’s small shop where all the people’s need were, Sanghyuk already had half of what he needed thanks to you. Just then you took a bottle of milk and asked if you wanted one. He shook his head and explained that he was lactose intolerant. You gasped, quite surprised. “I’m lactose intolerant too.”

Sanghyuk wanted to smack the daylights out of everyone in the shop that instant. It’s like I’ve met my soulmate or someone even better! The two of you then went home and realized that you two were similar in the weirdest yet coolest way. You were also dragged to that kind of place because of your parents who told you to “reflect” and that you were not even planning to come back since you were enjoying the days in this place. You and Sanghyuk dwelled into deeper conversations and he had never been happier. You and Sanghyuk reached your street, an obvious sign that he and you had to end the conversation. But before parting, the two of you asked the same question.

“Do you want to eat dinner at my place?”

“Do you want to eat dinner at my place?”

You and Sanghyuk sighed cutely. It was weird. It was like seeing a different version of yourself. Sanghyuk then smiled and told that he’d gladly eat dinner with you. You too answered the same. Wherever this is heading, I’m definitely not going to say this out loud but I’m loving my Hobbit adventure. Even though I’m not small, I’m actually tall…anyways…this place kind of gives me the Hobbit feeling. New and fun. Sanghyuk glanced at you. Yup. Never coming back at all.