Jinsoul hadn't slept in twenty-four hours.

She was in an incredibly foul mood from having to listen to the couple next door go at it almost all night, no consideration for their sleep-deprived neighbours who just wanted to rest after a bad day at work. There were bags under her eyes when she looked herself in the mirror while she was getting ready and she only felt herself becoming more moody at the fact that not only did she feel like , but she also looked like it.

Great.

As soon as she stepped out of her apartment, she crossed paths with Jungeun, her neighbor who apparently didn't know what thin walls were. "God, do you guys know what privacy is?" She scowled deeply, only irked further by the bright glow to the younger girl's face.

"Oh, Jinsoul!" Jungeun grinned, brushing a hand through her messy hair. She did not want to think about why it was in that state in the first place. "Sorry, did we keep you up?"

It just had to be that her neighbor was also an and loved to torment her with sharp comebacks and snide remarks. Jinsoul honestly didn't know what she had done to deserve this and wondered why the previous occupant had to leave her with these new ones. Even though Jiwoo, Jungeun's girlfriend, was a complete angel and had done no wrong, Jinsoul couldn't help but curse them both out in her head.

"Leave me alone, Jungeun." She mumbled, pressing the button for the elvator and tugging her cap down further to cover her fatigue. "Next time, how about you guys go to the hotel down the road? I have a friend that works there and she can hook you up with a deal."

Jungeun chuckled, shoving her hands into the pockets of her coat as she waited for the elvator with her. She was rocking backwards and forwards with a dumb, lovestruck smile on her face and it made Jinsoul want to smack it off with her handbag. "That'd be a great idea." She replied earnestly, ignoring the slight sarcasm that had laced the other girl's voice. "Jiwoo's gonna be getting a promotion at work soon, because she's just that amazing, and I had no idea how to celebrate it."

Rolling her eyes at her neighbor, she couldn't help but think that maybe it was cute just how much the two cared for one another. It made her slightly envious of their relationship, but not enough for her to do something about it. After all, work came first.

"Yeah, congratulate her for me." Jinsoul said weakly before getting on the elevator that had just arrived, Jungeun following after her while she continued to gush about her partner.

When Jinsoul got back home, she managed to collapse on her bed and fall asleep straight away. She was just grateful that it was a Saturday and she had no work scheduled for Sunday so she could sleep in.

Except her neighbors couldn't even allow her that.

Jiwoo's high-pitched squeal of delight woke her from her slumber, followed by Jungeun incoherently shouting something before muffled giggles passed through the walls. It was a Sunday, barely eight in the morning, and the two were already up and creating havoc. Jinsoul swore she could almost actually hear their conversation as they decided whether they really needed the strawberries for the pancakes or if Jiwoo could just eat them now.

There was a pause in the conversation and Jinsoul huffed to herself, sinking further into her bed and hoping to catch some more sleep before being interrupted again by another round of laughter. She didn't ever think that happiness would annoy her this much, but when her own happiness was sleep and she wasn't even allowed to have it, it was enough to fuel her anger.

Deciding that she wasn't going to be getting any more rest, Jinsoul sat down in front of her workspace with the noise cancelling headphones she had bought herself one sleepless night, playing around with her keyboard and creating a small demo. When she listened back to it, she realised it was a perfect representation of her loneliness and she closed off of the software. Even through her noise cancelling headphones, she could feel the vibrations of loud pop music playing on the floorboards.

She knocked on their door when she couldn't concentrate properly on her music, a stern expression on her face. Jungeun opened the door, still looking behind her adoringly at Jiwoo.

"Can you turn down the music?" Jinsoul said darkly, rubbing at the bridge of her nose.

Jungeun looked at her with an amused look on her face. "Ah, if it isn't our favourite neighbor." She teased, leaning against the door frame while the music continued playing from their speakers. "What can we do for you?"

"Didn't you hear me?" Jinsoul glowered. "I said, can you turn down the music?"

Jungeun feigned a frown, tilting her head from side to side. "I don't know, I don't think it's that loud."

At that moment, Jiwoo sidled up to her, planting a kiss on her cheek and wrapping herself around her completely. "Jung-ah, quit being a pain."

In turn, Jungeun looked at her girlfriend with the most adoring look in her eyes and a wide grin on her face. Jinsoul could practically feel the love from outside of their threshold as they simply stared at each other, smiles wide and dreamy (she resisted the urge to pretend to throw up for Jiwoo's sake). "Okay, baby." Jungeun cooed, quickly leaning to peck the other girl's lips before turning to Jinsoul. "Don't worry, we'll turn it down."

"Thank you." Jinsoul mumbled, feeling as if she were the loneliest person in the planet as Jiwoo enthusiastically waved goodbye before she was playfully picked up by the waist and dragged away from the closing door, squealing loudly and smacking her girlfriend's back.

Dragging herself back into her apartment, she could still hear the couple conversing through the walls but decided to ignore it this time. She returned to the demo she had been making earlier and finished it off, ready for the following day for her boss.

Monday mornings (or every morning from Monday to Saturday) were also a pain.

Jinsoul was already up and making herself a cup of coffee in her kitchen when she'd hear Jungeun childishly whining for Jiwoo to stay in bed for a little longer. This would go on for a while until she heard Jiwoo finally give in and there'd be silence. Until she heard the door of their apartment close as a signal that Jiwoo had left for work.

When she stepped outside of her own half an hour later, she bumped into Jungeun who had traces of a smile on her face as she looked down at her phone.

"Ugh, I swear to god, your aegyo is disgusting." Jinsoul commented, pressing the button for the elevator as usual.

Jungeun glanced up distractedly, and Jinsoul would see one of Jiwoo's selfies (probably sent on her way to work in order to make up for not staying longer) before the other girl would put her phone away. "Shut up."

"No, Jiwooming, don't leave!" Jinsoul mimicked in a high-pitched voice, chuckling when Jungeun would shove her harshly and say an excuse for her behaviour. Though Jinsoul would catch the corners of tugging up on their way down to the lobby, probably thinking about her girlfriend.

Sometimes they'd cross paths on the street while Jungeun was with some friends and Haseul walked Jinsoul half-way to the apartment complex. They'd stop to talk, since Haseul was somehow acquainted with some of Jungeun's friends, and whenever they'd mention something about Jungeun being very closed off and quiet, Jinsoul would skeptically raise her eyebrows.

"Are you sure we're talking about the same Jungeun?" Jinsoul asked, eyebrow raised in amusement as said girl's face suddenly turned pink. "I'm pretty sure she's the loudest person ever, all I can ever hear is her professing her undying love for Jiwoo every single hour. Don't even get me started on mornings-"

Jungeun was quick to silence her with a glare and a shove, much to her friends' amusement, and quickly saying goodbye so she couldn't reveal any more embarrassing secrets about her.

As much as her neighbors' noise levels annoyed her, she couldn't help but grow fond of her and Jungeun's interactions. She hadn't noticed it, but overtime she found herself smiling after conversations with the other girl, giving sarcastic remarks and recieving equally sly comments. She couldn't deny that the bright grin on Jungeun's face brightened up her day a little more, and one day she found herself looking forward to complaining about her and Jiwoo's noise levels.

Until one day she didn't have anything to complain about.

She slept fine - no late night conversations, no girlish giggling, no obscene moans.

Jinsoul ignored it and decided to appreciate the strange but welcomed silence, basking in the foreign serenity of her apartment complex. She didn't see Jungeun that morning, and she didn't see her for the rest of the week.

Neither did she hear Jungeun or Jiwoo from next door. There was only silence, and Jinsoul quietly thought to herself that silence had never been so loud until then.

The next time she saw Jungeun almost two weeks had passed and she was carefully stepping out of her apartment. Jinsoul felt relief flooding her. She had begun to think that maybe the couple had found another place and moved without saying anything, or that they had tragically died and she didn't know anything. Maybe she was a little surprsied at the fact that Jungeun had been there but she hadn't been able to hear any conversation.

She went to say 'hi', make one of her usual complaints or ask about the silence, but Jungeun completely ignored her and moved to the stairs, walking down them slowly and eventually disappearing from her sight.

Jinsoul blinked, surprised and caught off guard at the sudden change of attitude.

The next week, she still slept fine. There were no noises coming from next door despite knowing that Jungeun still came back from work every day and Sundays were eerily silent.

She slept fine for the next month. Jungeun still came out of her apartment every morning, but the usual smile was completely wiped from her face and was replaced by an uncharectaristically blank expression. Jinsoul had given up on trying to approach her, but Jungeun had begun to take the elevator with her again.

Jinsoul hadn't seen Jiwoo around for two months now.

It was after three months of radiosilence when Jinsoul couldn't sleep properly again. Though it wasn't because of the laughter from next door, nor was it from the couple loudly claiming their love for one another, because she hadn't heard any of that in three months. This time, it was worry that kept her awake.

Sometimes, she'd hear muffled sounds from the apartment next door, and she could identify them as Jungeun's voice, but she knew that Jiwoo hadn't returned home ever since the silence began so she didn't know who the girl was talking to. Jinsoul would lay awake at night, staring at her ceiling as the sound of cars driving past drowned out any other noises. She'd wonder what Jungeun was doing if she wasn't with Jiwoo, because she remembered when she'd have to muffle their late-night conversations with her pillow. She hadn't felt the floorboards vibrate in a while.

After another week of restless sleep, Jinsoul opened up the demo she had made seven months ago now. It had been approved by her boss, but no plans for it were made yet. Now that there was silence, Jinsoul began to fill it with the soft melodies of her keyboard as she added more layers and fixed some parts of the melody.

She felt more lonely now than when Jiwoo and Jungeun were together.

She missed seeing Jungeun's mischevious grin, even if it was at her own expense. She missed the way her eyes would close up slightly when she laughed at something random. She missed the soft smile as she stared off into the distance.

Jinsoul couldn't help but hurt for the girl when she'd see her eyes become clouded with hurt and confusion as they waited for the elevator in silence. She'd catch Jungeun blink herself out of her stupor and swallow a lump in . Most days, she'd turn up with a face mask and a dead look in her previously lively eyes.

To say she was worried was an understatement.

They hit the four month mark when Jinsoul heard the first sound from the apartment next door.

She'd been gliding her hands over her keyboard, lost in her own thoughts, when the distinct sound of glass breaking consecutively and incoherent shouting broke her out of her reverie.

Jinsoul immediately pushed herself out of the chair, not bothering to pick it back up when it tumbled to the floor, and moved out of her apartment with Jungeun on her mind. She knocked repeatedly on the door, worried out of her mind for the silent girl.

"Jungeun..." She called out, eyes weary and knuckles rapping on the surface of the door again. Her heart was aching in her chest as she remembered having knocked on the same door countless occassions and being greeted to the sight of a grinning Jungeun, sometimes Jiwoo resting her chin on her shoulder and both of them exuding happiness.

The only thing she could feel now was the cold.

"Jungeun, please open up." Jinsoul called again, her knocking more insisting. She hadn't heard any movement for five minutes now, and she was pretty sure she'd heard something breaking in there.

Silence.

Panic began to build up inside of Jinsoul as worries danced around in her head. What if Jungeun had hurt herself? "Jungeun-ah! Please, I just want to help!"

Jinsoul's bare feet were beginning to grow cold as she stood outside of the aprtment door, head resting against the surface as she tiredly kept knocking. She had seen the misery in the girl's eyes every morning, why hadn't she said anything to her before? Why hadn't she made a move to comfort her? Why hadn't she reached out to Jiwoo to question her why she wasn't living with Jungeun anymore? God, she was so stupid.

Tears of frustration began to build up in her eyes and Jinsoul began to hit her fist against the door. If Jungeun was going to pretend the walls weren't thin, then she'd just have to make her listen.

"Kim Jungeun!" She shouted, voice trembling slightly. "Open up, please!"

After a few moments of silence, the door gave way and Jinsoul stumbled forwards slightly, shocked that there had been a response at all.

She wasn't met with the same cheesy grin, or a mirthful glint in the eye, or laughter or smiles. Instead, she came face to face with a broken Jungeun, tears streaming down her face, hair dishevelled and traces of cuts on her hands. Jinsoul didn't think her heart had ever broken as hard as it did in that moment.

Silently, Jinsoul stepped into the dark, cold apartment. There was no loud pop music, no bright lights from childish lamps, no dancing. No Jiwoo. Only Jungeun, standing small in the hallway, watching her with tears and pain in her eyes.

As soon as she wrapped her arms around her small frame, she crumbled in her hold and lost all strength to her body.

Jinsoul held her tightly against her as they lowered to the floor. Jungeun let out a pained wail, her body convusling as she sobbed into her shirt and her bloodied hands punching at her chest from what must have been pent up emotions and frustration. Jinsoul felt a lump form in as she saw the once carefree girl so, so broken in her arms. She ignored the pain of the punches, only tightening her grip on her and pressing her cheek against the top of her head, trying to hold back the tears of pity and sympathy.

Jungeun buried her face into her shoulder, muffling her screaming as she strained Jinsoul's shirt with her hands. Her voice cracked painfully, and she just continued to let out small whimpers and mumbles Jinsoul could barely understand.

"Shh," Jinsoul rocked them carefully, hand shakily at her hair as her tears fell silently. "Let it out, Jungeun-ah... Let it out..."

Another wave of sobs hit Jungeun, shaking both of them in the process. Jinsoul's eyes caught sight of the apartment.

Plates had been thrown down onto marble floors, glasses smacked against kitchen counters and empty beer bottles laying at the bottom of walls, alcohol residue on them. It was as if a storm had passed by. A picture frame lay face up on the floor, its glass shattered. It was a pitcure of Jungeun and Jiwoo, both smiling widely at the camera with their arms wrapped around each other tightly and cheeks pressed together.

"I-it hurts." Jungeun whimpered when she had calmed down a little.

Jinsoul hummed quietly, running her hand through the girl's hair. Her hold only tightened and she let Jungeun bury her head into her chest. "I know, Jungeun, I know." She felt the life draining from her body, and tears just continued to fall from her eyes as she heard her breathing steady out.

That night, Jinsoul slept comfortably in her bed, arms wrapped around a broken Jungeun.

-

Months passed, and slowly, Jungeun's smile was returning.

Jinsoul did her damnest to make the corners of Jungeun's lips tug up, even if it was only slightly, and she never let the girl spend a night alone. At first, the other had tried pushing her away, but she had stubbornly stuck by her side and held her as she broke down at the thought of Jiwoo.

But months had passed, and Jungeun was smiling more, and she was laughing more, and she was dancing more.

Sunday mornings were filled with Jungeun and Jinsoul's laughter, the older of the two pulling the other clsoe against her as they enjoyed each other's company. Jungeun would sit by Jinsoul's side as they made music of their own, filling the apartment with beautiful ballads and pop songs. Jinsoul would divulge in Jungeun's beautiful smiles and giggles.

Mornings were when Jinsoul would hold Jungeun down on the bed, refusing to let her move when they still had plenty of time to get the day started. And the other girl would give in and cuddle further into her until they only had a couple of minutes left and they'd rush to get ready.

A year had passed and Jinsoul finally asked Jungeun to be hers.

Jungeun would still grimace at the mention of Jiwoo's name, but grin widely and blush when she heard Jinsoul's. They would spend every waking moment in each other's prescence and when Jiwoo and Jungeun finally reconciled (under Jinsoul's protective watch), everything finally felt like it was normal.

It was a Saturday night, and watching Jungeun's eyes glint with emotions made her heart swell in euphoria.

Their first kiss was chaste, but quickly followed up with tooth-filled pecks and giggles. Jinsoul felt the energy change when she had accidentally scratched at Jungeun's back, the other girl biting her lip in return.

Jinsoul was happy to say that she didn't sleep for twenty-four hours.