Seohyun's P.O.V

One afternoon in November 2014…

The smell of fresh paint lingers in the air.

The last of the boxes plopped down by the front of the bed, all unopened.

The muttered ‘thanks’ behind the close door as a light *click* shuts the world away from the apartment that hasn’t seen a quiet moment for the past 2 days.

Soft thuds padded across the hall towards a singular direction, when the sound of plastic ruffling broke the short silence, causing the paws to move away from the originally intended destination as she searches for her new found interest.

Despite all the happenings around me, they weren’t quite the distraction to pull me away from the latest read in my hands. But as the door cracked open enough for a man to slip in, here comes my greatest disturbance. Yonghwa oppa.

Surprisingly enough, aside from a slight shift in the mattress as he propped himself up the bedrest beside me, there was no interruption as my eyes devoured word after word, fingers flipping pages after pages. Just as I thought he fell asleep due to the exhaustion from the morning’s move, I felt it. A playful nudge to my feet as he rolled nearer.

But at the excitement as the plot unravels, I was determined to ignore him for as long as possible. Being one who doesn’t give up, oppa tries again, this time propping his head up with his hand on his left, while running his fingers up and down my arm, tapping a new rhythm as he goes, successfully breaking my concentration. At that moment, I knew the little irritating feeling of not know whatever happened next would be following me for the entire day.

"Oppa, stop! I'm really tired.” I grumbled with the book still opened in my hands unwilling to let go, “not even sure why since you're the one moving out, not me.”

"You're so tired you can't handle a conversation with me but you have the energy to pick up a book? Hard cover, no less! Seo Juhyun, you wound me,” clutching his chest for maximum effect.

"It is a gift from a fan and I happen to find the story intriguing."

“This can wait,” oppa said as he removed the book from my hands and made a show of securing the bookmark and placing it behind him. “Just one last thing for the move. If not for your effort in decorating this apartment, I might be sleeping on the floor tonight while staring at the four walls. From the color of the sofa to the matching carpet, from the toiletries — note the plural — to the kitchen utensils and cutleries.”

”Please! It would have been ruined if this was left to you and your brothers' ‘bachelor pad’ mentality.”

“And most importantly,” way to change the subject, “this bed! Although I must say it's a decision for you as much as it is for me, since I haven't been a bachelor for ages.”

"OPPA!!" Seriously, how could he be saying this with that smirk on his face.

"Wae, why are you blushing?”

“…….." as if you wouldn’t know…

“Anyway, I shifted the wardrobe around as per your instructions while you were out bossing the boys earlier—“

“I was not! They volunteered to help, and I was there to ensure they weren’t here to create the need for help—“

“Oh shush,” as he cut my sentence for the nth time today, “as I was saying, I have a gift for you. Open the top drawer of the wardrobe,” pointing to the only item in the room that was from his old dorm, insisting that I do not have to check it over before loading it up onto the delivery truck.

I looked at it warily and raised an eyebrow, “sure it's not a prank?”

"AISH! GO!"

Stretching my back as I rolled out of bed and making my way over, I couldn't stop my suspicions and jiggled the knob before turning around. "Oppa, didn’t this used to be your undergarments drawer? Did you seriously just stash my supposed gift in it?”

In a split second, he stepped right in front of me, and with an exasperated voice, “Ya! Seo Juhyun!” Spinning me around, he continued, “you're frustrating me! Just open it, please.” He then positioned himself for a back hug, with his left arm wrapped around my waist, and his right hand over mine, reaching over to pull the drawer open together, at which moment I let out a surprised gasp.

“Now, I'm not asking for you to move here immediately, but I just wanted you to know that this is a home because of you. Heck, anyone who knows you marginally well would know this is decorated with the homely mind of yours in an instant."

As his words washes over me, I find myself leaning back into his embrace. "Okay," I whispered.

Yonghwa oppa lets out a breath he didn't even realise he was holding back.

"Okay," as we both grinned while looking into an empty drawer.

Epilogue.

“First day into my new apartment, and there are already scratches on the door. How am I supposed to fix this?”

Yonghwa appa haven't stopped whining ever since we left the room hours ago in search for dinner, no thanks to little dubu, who saw fit in leaving her mark on the door when we didn’t respond to her barks on time.

"Yong oppa, come to think of it, why do I only get a tiny drawer?”

“It is just a symbolisation. You can have the whole pick of my cupboard, and by that I meant my shirts,” ending with a wink.

“BYUNTAE YONG!!!”