Final

Donghae giggled as he clicked on the next link with his mouse. He ignored the pop-up on the side of his computer screen and plugged in his earpieces eagerly; humming along to the opening notes of the song, he sang a few lines to his heart’s content when his door slammed open.

“Donghae! Sing softer, or don’t sing at all,” Mrs. Lee warned her son.

“Is he complaining again?” Donghae pulled out his earpieces irritably as he shot down the irritating advertisement that appeared.

“Horribly so,” Mrs. Lee’s lips thinned. “As if my cooking was loud, it’s just the usual pots and pans!” She stormed out of the room, as Donghae sighed.

Ever since their new neighbour moved in to the apartment next to theirs, he had been making complaints about how noisy their household was. He had been “disturbed” by all sounds of their activity, especially when Donghae sings.

Donghae had felt offended, and wanted to punch the daylights out of his neighbour. Not even once had their family seen the irascible neighbour, but they knew that their neighbour was a man, judging from the shoe size of the shoes left outside the apartment.

Donghae had presumed that his neighbour was just a cranky old man, with just a cat to keep him company. Not that the cat was true, their apartment forbid them to own any animals. A cat is unlikely, but Donghae thought it was amusing to think so.

Not in the mood to sing again, Donghae turned off his computer and joined his mother in the kitchen. He sat at the table, trying to engage his mother in a conversation, which he knew would lead to the topic of their neighbour.

“Do you think he is secretly raising a cat?” Donghae suddenly raised the question.

“Of course not! If he did, I would at least have something to complain about him!” His mother bustled around the kitchen, trying to soften the clanks of the pots as she placed them on the stove.

“I wish my room is soundproof,” Donghae said wistfully. His mother just sighed as she started to cook.

Mr. Lee burst into the kitchen at that time, his tie loosely knotted around his neck as he shrugged off his jacket; he had just returned home.

“Turns out our neighbour is a young lad,” Mr. Lee said before he reached to pour himself a cup of iced water. Donghae immediately leaned forward, curious about what his father was going to say.

“How did you know?” Donghae said excitedly.

“Well, I met him at the lift just earlier outside. He commented on how your singing could be improved Donghae,” his father said as he slumped onto the couch in the living room. Donghae left the kitchen to his busy mother and joined his father on the couch.

“Seriously, this man is not making me like him very much,” Donghae muttered.

“None of us do. But I think we should try to be considerate, after all it has been so long since we had a neighbour. Perhaps we had been making too much noise?” Mr. Lee shut his eyes tiredly.

“But I don’t sound like a yowling cat! I won a competition, in case you forgot, last year. I don’t think they would give a first prize to someone who sounded like a banshee, do they?” Donghae pouted.

“Right.” Mr. Lee dozed off instantly, snoring quietly as he tilted his head back to rest his head on the back of the couch. Donghae pouted for a while, feeling pent-up frustration in his heart.

Who does he think he is? Donghae thought angrily. He had taken pride in his singing since it was his hobby since young. To hear someone insult what he had taken pride in, it was like watching first-handedly how someone destroyed your car with a wrecking ball.

It had that impact on him.

Donghae sighed as he shuffled off to take a cold shower, apparently to cool off his nerves.

***

Donghae fished out his keys from his pocket – almost dropping it in the process – to lock his door. It rattled slightly from the impact where he slammed it earlier. He was surprised when he heard the door click from the next apartment.

A blonde boy emerged from the next door apartment, decked in a simple black shirt with jeans. A green jacket hung low on the boy’s hips, wrapped loosely around his waist. The boy seemed to not notice Donghae, but Donghae stood transfixed at the sight of the boy.

I didn’t know he was this good looking, and all the while I had been imagining some sour faced man in his twenties, he looks only one year older than me, Donghae thought. The boy locked his door absentmindedly as he continued to stare at the luminous screen of his phone.

Finally he glanced up, taking in the sight of Donghae who still had his hand outstretched to lock the door. Donghae blushed and retracted his hand immediately, having locked the door. He kept his keys hastily.

“So you are the boy who has been sounding like a strangled cat,” the blonde mused, looking Donghae over with appraising eyes. Donghae choked as he glared at the blonde.

The blonde chuckled when he noticed the angry stare.

“No offence. It’s just my opinion though, there might be other opinions,” the boy gave a wicked smile before walking to the lift.

The wait for the lift was filled with tension and awkwardness, with Donghae berating himself on why he couldn’t produce a retort earlier. That smart alec, Donghae thought as he shot another glance at the blonde. He is so nasty.

But Donghae couldn’t help admiring the other either, the blonde was undeniably attractive dressed like that. The shirt hang loosely on his shoulders, showing people a peek at the expanse of milky white skin hidden below the shirt.

His lashes are also long, Donghae noticed, as they brushed against his cheekbones whenever he blinked. The blonde, having sensed the stare, shot a sideways smirk to Donghae.

“Like what you see?” the blonde taunted. Donghae flushed red, embarrassed for being caught for staring so blatantly, which was obvious that he was checking the other out.

“No,” Donghae tried to school his face into an indignant expression, failing as the other just laughed. Donghae tried not to be attracted to the sound of the other laughing.

“Glad to know that it caught your attention at least,” the blonde chuckled. He went back to staring at his phone again, ignoring Donghae’s presence.

The lift came finally, and it was worse since Donghae was squished right next to the blonde when an ajumma came in with her shopping cart. It made the ride in the elevator horrible, since Donghae was pressed up against the boy.

And he could smell him, oh god. The smell of freshly washed clothes and soap wafted to his nose, and he couldn’t help smelling the other, which was awkward.

When the ajumma finally exited with her cart, the blonde smirked again. He adjusted his clothes where Donghae had been pressed into him, before commenting. “I didn’t know that you like to smell people too…ert.”

Donghae blushed for the second time that day. “Your jacket is falling off you, you know, you should tie it tighter,” Donghae said stupidly, regretting his statement immediately since it sounded like a weak and lame retort to the blonde’s statement.

The blonde just grinned widely, showing his gums. “It’s fashion, ert.” The blonde then exited hurriedly as he glanced at the watch he wore. Donghae stood alone in the lift, dumbfounded at the turn of events. He only got off the lift when it was about to close.

***

His blonde neighbour affected him greatly in ways he did not imagine. First, he had been offended by the statements that the blonde made about his singing, which he thought wasn’t bad at all. Secondly, he could not stop thinking about his neighbour. The voice sounded like a purr but held a snarky edge to it. The boy seemed to draw you in, but once you’re captivated by him, he would hurt you with his comments. But Donghae ignored those, he concentrated on how the boy had looked.

For the next few days, Donghae had pestered his parents about their neighbour. Regrettably, he did not find out the other’s name, and the boy was just mysterious.

From the nameplate outside their apartments, Donghae found out that the boy was also a Lee. He rejoiced, knowing that he shared the same surname as the mysterious boy.

Donghae had despaired when he didn’t see the blonde for the next few weeks; their schedules were in a way that they would miss seeing each other by just a mere few minutes. He hadn’t planned to encounter the boy in the shopping mall, when he was out with his friends Leeteuk and Heechul, who was a few years older than him.

The boy was no longer blonde, instead sporting a light brown. The boy also cut his hair; it was shorter and spikier than the previous. It made his features somewhat more prominent, his eyes a tad darker than usual. The new hairstyle also amplified his snarky attitude, but made it in a way attractive to Donghae.

Donghae decided that he must be a masochist; no one in their normal sane mind would welcome those insults and want more. But he wasn’t. He just wanted the other boy, now a brunette, to notice him.

The boy did notice him, giving him a wide smirk as he approached him. Donghae in a deep breath as he approached.

“So we meet again, ert,” he sniggered, giving Donghae a light pat on the shoulder before waving goodbye at Donghae.

“ert?” Leeteuk gave a questionable gaze at Donghae who blushed. “Don’t tell me you molested that boy previously? Oh god, Donghae, you have to control your urges and not pounce on peo-” He started before being cut off by Donghae.

“I didn’t,” Donghae said indignantly, still blushing madly. Heechul who heard the conversation sauntered over from the railings.

“You did what?” Heechul asked, eyes glinting in the light. Donghae gulped.

“That boy is my neighbour, and he’s made complaints about my household. He’s trying to pick a fight with me I think, and I can’t help smelling him if I was pressed up next to him!” Donghae defended.

Leeteuk gave a sigh of relief before releasing his grip on Donghae’s shoulders, not knowing when he had grabbed Donghae.

“Hmph, is that all? I thought my dear dongsaeng did something worth mentioning,” Heechul commented lazily as he glanced over the shop windows. Donghae sighed.

***

“Donghae! We got someone to look after you tonight,” Mrs. Lee called. Donghae got up abruptly from his bed and dashed out into the living room in his pajamas just to see his parents preparing to go out.

“Why?” Donghae inquired.

“It’s our anniversary remember?” His mother huffed as she out on her earrings.

“…Oh. But I can take care of myself! I am already 18,” Donghae protested as he crossed his arms.

“That is still not considered an adult to me,” Mrs. Lee said. “And it’s the boy next door, just try not to fight with him alright; I know you feel hurt by the complaints and all. I don’t think he is so bad after all, seeing how he readily agreed to help when I asked.” Donghae groaned, though inwardly, his heart fluttered with a sense of happiness.

A knock came then, and Mr. Lee hurried to open it. The brunette strode into the living room, giving a polite bow to his parents.

“Good evening. I hope you can trust me, and I hope you do not feel offended by my complaints last time, I was in a cranky mood then,” the boy grinned, showing his gums again.

Mrs. Lee smiled before waving it away.

“It’s okay. I suppose we are being loud after all. Thanks for your help this time round,” she said, before she tottered out of the apartment in her high heels.

“I will leave this place in your hands then, and behave yourself Donghae,” Mr. Lee said gruffly before he followed his wife out of the house.

“Behave yourself Donghae,” the boy mimicked, before smirking. He joined Donghae on the couch.

“Nice to see you ert.”

“I’m not a ert, and my name is not ert! I am Donghae, okay?” Donghae couldn’t help a pout, which the boy smiled at.

“I know, since your parents just called you that. But ert rings a bell huh. I am Eunhyuk,” the boy laughed. Donghae rolled his eyes, before he stood up.

A hand shot out and brought him back to sitting on the couch, leaving Donghae confused. He glared at the other boy, who had tightened his grip on Donghae’s wrist. Secretly, Donghae enjoyed the contact, but more than that he was puzzled as to why Eunhyuk dragged him back down.

“We’ll watch TV together,” Eunhyuk said gleefully as he grabbed the remote control.

“How is it that your mood changed so fast? Just a while ago, you were insulting my singing and my house for making so much noise, and now you are smiling and giggling like some girl. Are you bipolar?” Donghae wondered.

Eunhyuk turned serious again, like his stoic self a few days ago.

“Maybe, I am not so sure. But it sounds like you want the serious side of me instead of the civil side,” Eunhyuk scoffed. Donghae squinted at Eunhyuk; his eyes turned darker than earlier. Seriously, Eunhyuk must be bipolar, smiling at one point in time and angry at the next. What the hell, Donghae thought.

“Let’s drop it,” Donghae sighed. Everyone has their ups and downs in life anyways. Eunhyuk instantly dropped the serious façade, smiling the gummy smile again. Bipolar bastard, Donghae thought.

Eunhyuk got bored after a while, turning off the TV.

“What the hell? I was about to find out what happened to the younger sister, give me the remote,” Donghae whined. Eunhyuk just dangled the remote control out of Donghae’s reach, whistling a small tune.

“Nope. We’re going out,” Eunhyuk ordered. Donghae made a futile attempt at grabbing the remote control, though he was successful into getting into a compromising position with Eunhyuk.

Eunhyuk raised his eyebrows, as he stared at Donghae in amusement. Donghae, after realising the position he was in, got up quickly as he blushed deeply, his cheeks turning red like a tomato.

“I didn’t know you had that in you. If you want that, you just have to speak out you know. No need to be so aggressive,” Eunhyuk taunted.

“Yah! I am not that sort of person!” Donghae nearly yelled as he defended himself.

“Bastard who thinks that he is attractive,” Donghae muttered though he couldn’t help agreeing with the statement. Eunhyuk heard the comment, and gripped Donghae’s wrists harshly.

He pushed Donghae back hard against the couch, with Donghae’s wrists held above his head.

“I am attractive,” Eunhyuk hissed. Donghae shivered before whimpering involuntarily. Eunhyuk lightened up after a while, seeing Donghae’s frightened expression by his sudden actions.

“Don’t stir me up, Lee Donghae, just like how you don’t play with fire,” he warned. Donghae just nodded numbly, cursing Eunhyuk inwardly for hurting his hands. He was surprised when Eunhyuk suddenly grabbed his hands, giving light kisses to where red marks appeared.

“Oh god, Donghae, you are already stirring me up in ways I never imagine. You make me lose total control over my emotions,” Eunhyuk groaned suddenly.

Donghae took a minute to process what Eunhyuk said. Does this mean Eunhyuk is interested in him just like how he was interested in Eunhyuk?

“I see I am the attractive one here,” Donghae commented, earning a stare from the other.

“Maybe,” Eunhyuk replied, as he kissed the angry red marks again. Donghae shuddered at the light touches.

“Come on, let’s eat outside, I don’t think your mum cooked anything for dinner,” Eunhyuk said, pulling Donghae from the couch. “If we stay here, your mother will find us in a more compromising position when she comes home.”

“So you are indirectly saying that you like me?” Donghae questioned. Eunhyuk gave him a gummy smile before he answered.

“Yes I do, and I confessed earlier, you do rile up my emotions you know. I don’t get angry easily usually, nor do I become possessive over someone other than me,” Eunhyuk said.

“Well me too. I thought you were a grumpy old man since you kept complaining about us, and my singing,” Donghae said, giving a small smile at the thought. Eunhyuk laughed.

“Well, I will be a attractive grumpy old man next time when I’m older. And I lied,” Eunhyuk confessed.

“About?” Donghae was puzzled.

“About liking you,” Eunhyuk laughed. Donghae glared at him, about to yell. “Just kidding,” he added hastily, “Your singing is beautiful. I just didn’t want to admit it, since I might fall in love with it.”

“Well you did.”

“Yes I did, and now I don’t regret it.”

***

A few days later, the Lee household was in an uproar again. Apparently, Eunhyuk had slipped a note under their front door.

The note said:

“Dear Mr and Mrs Lee, I regrettably have to say that your son’s singing is horrible, please do try to get him to stop that. And by the way, Mrs Lee, I hope you are not offended since I must say that you have to invest in pots and pans like mine, since yours are making a racket in the morning when you cook. I can hear it even with the windows shut. I need my sleep.

Love, Eunhyuk.”

-End-