Hello!!!! I've tried my best to finish this story right after my exam ends so hopefully it will satisfy you guys kkk. oh FYI this story doesn't contain any rated M scenes yet haha so enjoy!! ^^ *and I'm so sorry if it's bad :(*

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“To what, exactly?”

I refuse to hear any comments and scary advices from Baekhyun but, of course, he won't listen to my protest. Hell would freeze over if he did. So I just flip the magazine, page to page without even reading, just to make a sign to Baekhyun that I seriously don't want to hear any of his complaints right now. Again, he won't listen.

“Being a nice friend you are, can you just not move to that empty slot?”

Slot. That's a nice way to call my new apartment, isn't it?

“That tall building which has seven floors of neat places to stay is called an apartment, Baek. And no, I won't move to yours. Why should I bother living with you when I can afford my own? It's not like I'm jobless or anything.” I answer as calmly as I nearly possible. Talking to Baekhyun with a low pitch is almost impossible to some people who have already known his sarcastic mouth.

Baekhyun hisses, “But you're gonna live alone there. Who knows if there's any serial killers living next door and he wants to kill you for no reason?”

I almost choke on the water I gulp when I hear his too overwhelming imagination, “Then you will come and save me, right? I know you wouldn't let any hands harm me because I still have debts to you.” I say lightly, which is greeted by a smack on my shoulder, “I just don't want you to live alone, really Lu. How many times do I have to tell you I still have one room avail-”

“A room which soon to be Chanyeol's.” I cut, a bit bitterly, but I change my tone directly, I don't want him to know that I'm so sad – and a bit upset because he will marry Chanyeol, his dearly fiance, in two weeks, “I won't stand living with you while you and Chanyeol do God Knows What in the other door. And Baek, you will be having your own life after this with the best man ever. So I just don't want to be a intruder. Really. I'm fine.” I assure him once more, hoping that he will understand. Or at least stop nagging.

Baekhyun pouts, “You are not an intruder, Luhan. Never.” I almost mistakenly heard it as an positive statement. I chuckle a bit before replying, “Yes, I know. I'm sorry to ever use that word. Just go live happily ever after with Chanyeol then I will be happy too.” I end it with a smile, this time I mean it with a deep concern on my face.

The atmosphere is too saddening so I change the topic in order to light up the mood, “I won't live alone in that brand new apartment, anyway. I have a neighbor so don't you worry.”

Baekhyun's eyes beam a sparkle of hopes and happiness I don't know why, “Yeah? Who is it?”

I shake my head as a sign of not knowing the answer, “I haven't met the man, or the woman. But the owner said he is just as my age.”

“Oh,” Baekhyun makes a face, “I hope he is not a serial killer.”

I end the conversation with a hard slap on his head.

The jingling sound of keys are heard too clearly on the empty hallway. I begin to think that maybe I should just sleep over Baekhyun's tonight. Sleeping in this empty building on the first day might not be a good idea. But to think it again, if I call Baekhyun and tell him I'll sleep there tonight will make him worry about me more and, to the worst scenario, he won't let me back as if his imagination of a serial killer would come alive. So I stop to think about it right away.

To the self praise, my new apartment is not as bad as it seems. It's not big, but enough. The walls are painted soft blue (like, really soft I sometime mistaken it as white) with an automatic source of light everytime the front door is swung open. It's still clean and I don't plan on dirtying it because I don't like house keeping activities. It kills so many times that I can use to write up essays –

Wait. Essays.

“.” I throw my bad on the couch and enter my room just as fast because I forgot that I have an excessive deadline tomorrow.

Just as I sit in front of my laptop, my phone rings. And I immediately know who it is, “Joonmyeon?” I unhesitatingly call.

“Luhan! I've been trying to reach you!” he shouts until I have to back off from the speaker several inches.

Damn you, Baek. I shouldn't have accompanied you to the salon, I think as I answer Joonmyeon's almost-close-to-firing call, “I'm sorry. I was busy preparing my friend's wedding so I got tied up –”

“Just do your ing articles and bring it here tomorrow at seven sharp or you won't see your name attached on the magazine anymore!”

And just like that, the line goes dead. I hope my life will not too.

I groan in desperation as I tilt my head to see what time it is now. Good. It's barely 11 pm. And I still have like, four articles to be translated and two to be typed with ten pages per. Well, at least now I have to sit here until seven if I want to still put my name on the magazine, right?

Somehow, between loads of papers and a laptop, it will be useful if Baekhyun's imagination comes true.

 

I don't know how I finished the articles last night but I wake up with my head laying on the keyboard of my laptop as I vaguely hear my printer has just finished printed the last page of my work. When I lift my head up I suddenly feel like falling. Sleeping on a working chair (and a keyboard as my dearest pillow) is not my favorite position because, well, I've had enough of them haunting me when I'm in my office so now having them 'sleeping' with me is not the reason why I want to go home.

When I'm still trying to get ahold of myself with my hand holding the arm of the chair, there's a loud voice of people (workers, maybe, I'm not sure) coming from outside. I pinch my nose which is starting to ache as I walk toward the door to see what's happening.

When I open my door there are people busy moving chairs, tables, cupboards, and other furnitures to the inside of the door next to mine. I take several steps forward and poke at someone who is standing with a paper and a pen on his hands.

“Excuse me,” I greet him with a smile, “Are you the new owner of this apartment?”

the man glances at me for a second then answer, “No, sir. I'm just his assistant. I'm helping him with his new belongings because he doesn't have time.”

Wow. Must be a rich man, I think in a surprise.

“Oh,” I respond, “Then you should let him know that he already has a neighbor here. I'm living just next door.”

It seems like the man is truly happy with my statement because his face turns to be a happy as a sunlight, “I surely will let him know. May I know your name, sir?” he asks me kindly.

I nod in a certainty, “Sure. My name is Luhan.”

“Okay noted. My boss' name is Sehun. Oh Sehun.” he replies me.

“Tell him it's very nice to...” I pause for a while, because hey, I don't introduce myself properly here, “have him living here so I won't be alone.” I finish it as I scratch the back of my head, a bit ashamed at the fact that I was scared living here alone.

The man chuckles, “I'm sure that my boss will feel the same way as you do, sir. He didn't want to buy this place, actually. But his situation got messier so he needed to move instantly.”

I don't know how to reply at that. Because, clearly, my new neighbor (who I acknowledged as Sehun) here is not just an office worker. If he has an assistant then he should be a general manager of something. And if he is a general manager of something, then he must be the one who should handle all the problems and it it gets worse, he's the one who will be troubled. So I don't want to question more. It's not that I care though.

“I see,” I reply politely, “Then when will he move in here?”

“He will move in tonight. So you can greet him if you want to. But I guess he will come late.”

I just hum at for the response. He spills me too many details.

“Okay then. Thanks for letting me know.” I say as I make my move to go back inside.

Maybe I'll just meet him tonight and greet him. I think he will be a good neighbor.

I submit my articles on time with Joonmyeon warns me not to be late ever again or he will come to his final decision to fire me. I sometime doubt at his threat because no one can translate Chinese articles as good as me here. Even though they have Zitao who's sitting on the same boat with me, his Chinese is nothing like mine. He may comes from China, just like me, but he talks like foreigners, grammars often misplaced and incorrect words and phrases I ever didn't understand single thing he said. So I just nod politely without taking his complains and critics personally. He is a good boss though because he cares so much about his workers. I retreat from his office before the entire building hears his loud shout mocking me and such.

“Are you enjoying it?” Kyungsoo asks when I sit on my chair to print new articles. I look up and stare at his marble's eyes, “Enjoying what?”

He shrugs and titls his head towards Joonmyeon's office, “His 'shower of affection'.”

I smile sarcastically, “So much it hurts.” I back. He laughs, “You must be his favorite then.”

“I couldn't agree more.” I reply uninterestedly.

“So,” Kyungsoo continues, “I heard from Baekhyun that you have moved to your new apartment.”

I nod with my eyes keep focusing on the papers on my hands, “I moved in yesterday.” I say shortly.

“Got any neighbors yet?”

I shake my head, “No. Well I have one. But I haven't met him.”

“Oh,” Kyungsoo responds, his eyes get two times widen I'm afraid it'll fall from the socket, “So you're alone there? Why don't you just live with Baekhyun? He offered you to stay with him, right?”

“Yes he did,” I correct him, “But I refused. I just don't want to disturb his privacy after he's married with Chanyeol. Besides, I need my own privacy too. It's not like I need him to babysit me or anything. I can afford my own apartment so why not.” I explain to him. He only nods at my story, clearly he knows me too well just like Baekhyun does.

It's true that I feel a bit lonely now that I live alone. I have to do anything myself now. But it'll be a good start, I think. Because with Baekhyun marrying Chanyeol, it means that I can start focusing for my soulmate from now on. Not that I really care about it though. But maybe I will find it soon, who knows.

“Do you have any plans for tonight?” Kyungsoo's question zaps me back from spacing out. I blink several times before answering, “No. Why?”

“Nothing. I just want to ask you to accompany trying this new restaurant not far from here. It's Chinese and since you are also Chinese maybe you can tell me about the taste.”

Hearing at the word Chinese food, I directly nod happily at him. Kyungsoo loves foods. He eats anything that is seen in his sight but still manages to have a small and a bit puffy body. He wanted to become a chef when he was young but his parents against it. So he became a food viewer for our magazine. Not really far from his dream. Not like me.

“Okay.” I simply agree at his invitation. Maybe if I can still catch up to when Sehun comes home, I can bring him some food. I hope he won't eat anything tonight.

The restaurant Kyungsoo brought me to was fascinating. The interior was full of Chinese ornaments that I felt close to home when I was there. The waitress greeted their costumers with Chinese although the accent was lacking but still the managed a good service. The foods were delicious, just like how Chinese foods were supposed to be. I packed one *** and *** for Sehun. I don't know why I'm this excited to meet him. Maybe because he's the only one I can talk to whenever I'll feel lonely. I'm expecting another company though. But it's okay for now as long as I don't have to live there all alone.

After taking Kyungsoo home, I quickly get back to my apartment to see if Sehun has come or not. I knock at his door even without entering my apartment first because the light in in his door knob is on, it means that someone has already inside.

And when the door is opened, I put my best smile to greet the first person I see, “Good evening. You must be Sehun.”

What I hadn't expected is that the one who opens the door has a flat expression with sleepy eyes and dark circles surrounding it. God he looks terrible. His skinny body makes it even more obvious.

“Who are you?”

I almost forgot to introduce myself because I think I stare at his face too long, “I'm Luhan, your neighbor.”

“Oh, so you were the Luhan Jongin mentioned to me this morning.” he rubs his eyes tiredly as he speaks his voice. Hoarse and a bit sore. I begin to question what kind of trouble he is currently encountering until he becomes so lifeless like this.

And I just know one new fact. His secretary's name was Kim Jongin, the man I met this morning.

I nod and put forward the plastic bag on my hand, “Yes, I'm Luhan. Nice to finally meet you,” I try not to glance into the inside of his apartment, “I hope I'm not interrupting anything.”

“Well, a bit, actually,” he says as he takes the plastic bag and mumbles a gratitude because it seems like I just saved his stomach from extinction.

I am taken a back by his confession. I do disturb him. God Luhan what the hell are you thinking? I wave my hands, “Oh, sorry. Please continue your job. I don't mean to disturb you.”

“It's okay,” he smiles lightly, “It's nice to meet you too. I hope we can catch up again some other time.”

“Yeah, I hope so,”

After saying goodbyes, I go to my apartment and rest my head at the back of the front door, “He's very skinny,” I comment soundlessly, “And also look younger than me. How old is he by the way?”

I decide to ask those questions next time I meet him. Or maybe I'll just come and spend some time in his apartment. I think it'd be a great idea.

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How was it? I just want to give a spoiler/? that everybody who is mentioned in this first chapter will have their own roles in the following chapters. So I think it'll be interesting? haha I'm waiting for your comments guys :) merci ^^