Dec 30th 2015. Just 2 days before new year and there he was, Ahn Daniel doing his work while everyone else was on holiday. Not so much of a work though, he was working in this record store downtown. Not a big thing like Hot Tracks or whatever. It was this small, almost invisible to see record store called BUG LOVE Records. It was sooo invisible, that you have to take billions turns of mazing alleys from the main road, and it wasn't even in a plain sight building on the ground, you have to take the stairs up to the 2nd floor and their sign was this decaying A4 paper stuck on the wall with a duct tape.

As you can tell, it sells some obscure bands that no one really care about. The owner is this laid back youngster that looks like an old man called Bang Minsoo. Of course Minsoo had his Hawaii holiday and since it wasn't a thriving company with hundreds of people on board, Daniel had to be content with his task guarding the store alone with his friend Jonghyun.

Jonghyun doesn't really mind, he loves the store, he loves all those obscure bands. But Daniel couldn't care less. Music for him is just noise to keep his ears occupied while doing cores or homework back in his room. He listened to anything Youtube mixed him.
"Seriously, from all these wonderful records you have here you listen to random Youtube mix?", Jonghyun chuckled as he peeped to Daniel's Samsung Note's screen.
"Yeah? If only you didn't listen to every single records here for 6 hours straight I'd probably talk to you", Daniel retorted.
"Well, can't help it", Jonghyun smiled.

Daniel just sighed and played with new year greeting cards on the counter.
" new year", he whispered.
"What?", asked Jonghyun.
"New year! hate new year", Daniel half screamed.
"Whoa... chill. What's wrong with new year?", asked Jonghyun walked closer to his sullen partner.
"You know... it's... I don't want to be meek. But it's been a year and I haven't get over my ex", Daniel mumbled.
"You're dumped in new year?", Jonghyun chuckled.
"Yes! please don't---".
Jonghyun held back his laughter as best as he could.
"That ", said Jonghyun.

"Yeah, right... new year is supposed to be a new beginning but it doesn't have to be an end to something. Well, I guess it's really new. Clean slate... moving away from my relaxed suburb live and went to college in Seoul after dumped by an ex. HOW CLEAN, right", Daniel rolled his eyes.
"I see you live alright here in Seoul", said Jonghyun.
"I guess so. Just you know, it's lonely sometimes"

Jonghyun inspected his friend. Not that they usually chatty, but this time Jonghyun kinda want the conversation going. The fact that he hadn't really dig Daniel since he worked here for a month suddenly itched him. Jonghyun is the type who has eagle eyes on everything, he learned details about people without knowing it. He knew Daniel was single because he never bothered in answering texts or calls, every time people talked about their spouses, he slowly drawn himself out, so Jonghyun kinda knew it was a serious break up Daniel had. Or if he smells like pineapple, that means he spent a night over on his buddy's house, doing some papers-- his bag will be heavier than usual because it carries a lot of reference book. Smells like pineapple because that what happened when his Vanilla cologne mixed up with cigarettes.

"When people have certain ideas about you, that's when everything went downhill, isn't it?", said Daniel.
"You mean, when you're celebrity or something? everything is good in front, corroded behind?", Jonghyun made sure.
"Yeah... like that. I mean, I'm not celebrity but it's kinda frustrating. This ex of mine thought that I'm this and that but the fact is I'm not, you know", said Daniel unsurely.
"Well, people tend to get disappointed once they knew the truth", said Jonghun.
Daniel once again played with the greeting cards. Just raised his eyebrows out of agreement.

"My ex approached me for about a year, I guess... I was quite popular with the crowds", Daniel chuckled.
"So you're indeed a celeb", Jonghyun smirked.
"In a way... it's not that obvious flirting kind of thing. But my ex was very resourceful, asking things, helping me and such. Before I knew it, we grew close and comfortable around each other. But then of course when she found out about my plan to leave Anyang for independent life in Seoul, she insisted that she should move in with me. That was when she found out, and, myself found out that I'm not that reliable. She kept telling me to do this, to do that. She was babbling about how she knew I was better than that. Well, I'm not. Everything is wrong in her eyes!. I'm not even kind, not funny. I threw all mean jokes to her. I didn't mean to, but I guess when I was really pushed I tend to get really sarcastic. Acid sarcastic, you now. I was cruel", Daniel sighed.
"Weren't you just afraid of commitment?", asked Jonghyun.
"Probably... but deep in my heart I also wanted this... This freedom. I don't know, I probably hated her in a way... She always cried about how I wasn't like this before and stuffs. But that was her ideas, alright. I'm ALWAYS like this. She just didn't want to accept it", Daniel took a deep sigh.

"But if you want this freedom then you should be relieved", said Jonghyun.
"I missed her. I don't know maybe because it wasn't a pretty breakup, a lot of drama and yelling, you know. But when suddenly no one cares about whether you already eat or not. It's kinda... weird. I'll get through this though, I don't know why I'm being such an emo today", Daniel chuckled.
"As you said before... you're just lonely", said Jonghyun lightly.
"I know right... but there's also this feeling. Is it my fault that I don't meet other people's expectation on me?. I feel like... I'm guilty in a way. I feel like... I'm the bad guy", Daniel's eyes dancing through the store's corner.
"You feel like you're disappointing", Jonghyun concluded.
"Yes! yes... And it's unfair to feel about this. My ex doesn't feel anything, she already had new boyfriend as far as I'm concerned", Daniel scoffed.

"And that's what make you bitter. You feel like you're defeated", Jonghyun opened a vinyl from its sleeve. It was Ride's Nowhere. Daniel secretly hates that LP. It's super boring, he cringed as Jonghyun put it on record player.
"You like shoegaze that much?", Daniel asked.
"Yeah. I'm quite a moody person I guess", Jonghyun chuckled.
"Right", Daniel smiled to the ground.
"My friend once said it sounds like a random singing drunkard on back alleys and my other friend said the vocalist sounds like he was about to die. That's what all they say about all my favorite bands, anyway. So I kinda used to it. You are so nice for not telling whatever came to your head right now", said Jonghyun calmly.

"Hahaha I'm cool with it. In fact if you really take time to poisoned me with them I'm probably gonna turn into a fan", said Daniel.
"Well, you should bring all these Ride records with you then... do you have a record player though?", said Jonghyun, still collected but with burning eyes.
"Nope... but... you know, we can take home the CDs", Daniel grinned awkwardly.
"Yeah right, I think Minsoo-hyung won't mind", Jonghyun ran to the "R" section collecting all Ride's records and back in seconds. He knew every inch of the place. Daniel felt slightly guilty already. He asked himself what he had done. He made people have their expectations again.

"There you go. They only have 4 studio albums. Of course Nowhere is the best. Though I also love Smile, but they're not technically a studio album. Anyway, for starter maybe you could listen to Vapour Trail at your friggin Youtube. That song hooked me first with this band", said Jonghyun.
"Cool", Daniel smiled and put the CDs into his bag.
"You live alone?", asked Jonghyun.
"Yeah. Just across the street. Near the 7-eleven", said Daniel.
"Ah, that pink colored flat", Jonghyun tapped the counter table.
"Yup. I was in flat no. 501 if you want to visit me. Give me 101 guidance about Ride, perhaps?", Daniel chuckled.
"Nah, I have a date with my girlfriend", Jonghyun smirked. Almost a mock to Daniel.

"Okay. We get it. You're the Don Juan and I'm the loser single here. You can't visit my flat though. Since you might find a burglar", said Daniel, pretended to be okay but from his tone Jonghyun knew it was just a way for him to not feel sorry about himself.
"Burglar? how could that be?", Jonghyun decided to fall for it anyway.
"I guess... someone broke in and... doing things~ to my stuffs!", Daniel wide-eyedly explained.
"Like, screwing your underwear...?", Jonghyun chuckled.
"N-No. Not that extreme. I mean, like last Sunday I moved a painting over my tv and put it by the windowsill, because I don't like it when sunlight reflected on my tv screen, you know. And I never put it back to its original place. Yet on Monday when I just got back from work, I saw that painting hanging nicely above my tv again. It creeped me out!", Daniel squealed.

"You're sure you don't just forget that you already hung it back to its original place?", asked Jonghyun.
"Nope. I'm sure about it. And sometimes I found my messy clothes on bed were folded up nicely. Who's the hell doing that? I have no house fairy and I definitely not sleepwalk tidying up my clothes"
"So this creep indeed went through your clothes. They might even smell them you know", Jonghyun bursted into laughter.
"God. You ert!", Daniel smacked him.
"They might though", Jonghyun couldn't stop his laugh.

"And there's this pudding", Daniel continued.
"What... they jerked off into that pudding?"
"Oh ... Jesus, Jonghyun. That's disgusting... seriously. Oh God...", Daniel cringed, he would never see pudding in the same way anymore.
"It's soft~! Sorry... I just. It just came up", Jonghyun tried to contain his laugh.
"I'm very visual, you know", Daniel took a deep breath.

"Okay, what's with the pudding?"
"I um, I ate a peach pudding one night", Daniel paused since the graphic thing Jonghyun said to him came back again.
"Go ahead. I'm not laughing here", Jonghyun put up a serious face.
"I ate the pudding. But then I realized, I already ate the peach pudding I bought the day before. I checked into the trash can and I saw its empty pack. I knew. I REMEMBER PERFECTLY I only bought one peach pudding. So who the hell bought it and put it in the fridge? I think it was the first time I was suspicious about a creep entering my flat. Because every time one item in my fridge ran out it always filled up again you know. How crazy it is! But this creep, I think he has a thing for peach pudding. Though I didn't eat it, it keeps piling up in my fridge"
"Why didn't you call the police, then?"
"Because the police will think I'm crazy or something. There's no proof whatsoever", Daniel sighed desperately.
"You should buy a spy camera", suggest Jonghyun.

"Maybe yeah, should buy it", Daniel looked outside.
"Meanwhile, you could indulge yourself with those puddings. I know how tough a night time alone could be", Jonghyun chuckled.
"Damnit, Jonghyun. See... you don't take this seriously, do you?!"
"No no... I'm just saying..."
"Piss off. I'm leaving", Daniel rolled his eyes and packed his bag back to his flat.

The peach pudding still buggered him. Not because the graphic Jonghyun provided. But he couldn't help but wonder would it be another peach pudding stacked in his fridge?. The thought of someone barged into his place every evening, just to fill up his fridge and clean his bed soothed his mind somehow. That someone actua