Hongjoong open his eyes to see the man beside him who's watching him intently. He recognized him, it's the man he bumped when he's heading to the convenient store before. "So can I?" he asked again while showing a mischievous smile making his dimples visible. Don't want to be rude, Hongjoong give his nonchalantly. "Thanks!"

He give it back almost immediately but before Hongjoong get a grip of the bottle, it falls to the floor. "You should have catch it stupid~" he chuckled while rubbing his head with the shampoo.

/Bastard./ Hongjoong glance at the man before continue his shower. After a while, the man left first while humming some tune. Not long after, he got out the bathroom feeling fresh. He went to the laundry and throw his clothes in the basket, he don't feel like washing today, he will do it tomorrow. He hang his towel and head to the kitchen, who would refuse free food?

 

He opened the cupboard and take a pack of noodles, he prepared the pot and pour some water before he set it on the stove. While waiting the water to boil, he heard a guttural voice, "Make it for me too." the intimidating man from before comes in.

"What?"

"While you're at it, make it for me too, I want two packs." the man has already sitting on the dining table looking sharply at him.

/Who the hell is he to order me around like that? Tch./ Not wanting to cause an argument, Hongjoong get another two packs of noodle and a bowl for him. And he's a bit scared of him too  to be honest.

He set the pot and his bowl on the table. They're gonna eat together and Hongjoong may get to know more about the residents here from him, hope that he's not as scary as he thought. The man have a slurp and compliment him, "Oh you're good boiling the noodles! Just like how I wanted!" the man seems not that intimidating now.

Hongjoong just flash him a pressed smile still uncomfortable with the man. But the man keep on talking with him which made him a bit glad but also worried. "New tenant? What ed up situation are you in?" Hongjoong just looked at the man, maybe a bit too long.

"I'm running away from my house, situation has been hard there and I can only think to escape from there. So here I am now." the man continued. He has just been here for two weeks but he may have met all the residents here as he answered Hongjoong's question. 

 

"To be honest, it's really weird here, don't you think so?" the man asked.

"Why do you think so?"

"Haah.. I mean, the man with creepy smile and dimples is not normal. Whenever I bumped into him in the corridor, I always heard low mumbles, he mumbled angrily only looking at the floor followed by a hysterical laugh sometimes."

"The tall man with big eyes and fair skin, he's always in his room, his room is almost always opened that I once got mad at him as his keyboard sound can be heard to my room, I'm trying to sleep but he has to ruin it. Once I confronted him, he only look at me, he stared for long and I actually got scared so I went back to my room, but at least he toned down."

"The landlord is always asking for my understanding when I complained about the weird guys, saying he needed the money so he let them stay here, he even told me to leave if I can't stop complaining about them the last time I talk to him."

"Oh and there's another resident here, I rarely see him but I guess he's normal. He's handsome too and.. seems busy, I don't get why he want to stay in this shabby place though."

"I want to get away from here fast, maybe once the situation back home is better, I will immediately leave this place, you're not planning to stay here for long aren't you?"

"Oh yeah I'm planning to stay for a month, or until I collect enough money to move out." Hongjoong replied.

 

 

Hongjoong went back to his room to unpack his things after having his dinner. He learned that the mans' name is Mingi, he doesn't seem so scary anymore but with the other two tenants, he need to be cautious of them. 

He laid on the bed after finish unpacking, his eyes land on the dim ceiling light in his room as if intrigued. He closed his eyes and opened it once he remembered to call his dad to tell him that he has arrived at his friend's place. Hongjoong lied to his dad that he'll stay in Seoul at his friend's to assure him that he'll be doing fine here so his dad wouldn't be worried.

He take his phone from the desk and dial the number. "I've arrived here safely.."

"Good to hear, have you eaten yet son?" 

"Yes I have."

"Relay my thanks to your friend okay? And don't trouble him.."

"I will dad.. Ah right don't overwork yourself in the field okay.. Be careful with your back-" Right then Hongjoong heard a knock on his door.

"Dad I will call you later okay?" he hang up and went to his door.

"I've told you that the wall here is very thin, I can hear you clearly.. If you have to call someone, do it outside or at the rooftop." Mingi is complaining at him, it's not been long since Hongjoong think he's okay but maybe he's too sensitive.

 

Mingi told him that there's rooftop here, Hongjoong gonna check it out and have some air rather than locked in his tiny room. He went through the metal door cautiously to not cause a loud creak then climb up the stairs. He's at the third floor and there's the same metal door but more rusty and dirty with some doodles with cursed words and a notice on the wall that said this was the girls floor; which was not available anymore.

"The rooftop is this way if you're wondering~" Hongjoong turned to the source of the voice, he see the landlord coming down from the stairs leading up pointing his finger upwards.

"Oh yeah, excuse me.." Hongjoong just walked past him to get away from the awkward encounter.