Mingyu was excited for the freedom that was to come. He was finally out of high school and was off to K University, which was quite a distance away from home. As a result, he ended up renting an apartment nearby. It was a cheap place, and not the most extravagant of apartments, but it would serve its purpose just fine. His apartment was at the very end of the hall, so there was only one neighbor to mind in terms of potential noise. Apartment 217.

Mingyu was moving in a week before the start of school. Plenty of time to get used to the neighborhood. On move in day, he woke up bright and early. His dad drove him and his belongings all the way to his new apartment, but left him to deal with all the boxes alone. He couldn’t afford to miss work, but Mingyu was grateful that he made the time to drive him in the first place. After saying his goodbyes, he looked at the pile of boxes on the ground. He didn’t remember packing that much, but there was such a large pile. He picked up the first box and carried it to his new home in apartment 218. When he reached the doorway, he fumbled for the keys and eventually unlocked the door.

It was a small place, but cozy. It wasn’t completely run down, but at the same time it wasn’t sparkling new either. The slight wear and tear made it look like a real home and not just some model home. The 1LDK would do him just fine. He set the box down into the living room before leaving for the next one. He wasn’t sure exactly how safe the neighborhood was, so he decided to lock the door for every trip he made.

Mingyu moved box after box, from the ground outside, to his apartment on the second floor. He didn’t think he was out of shape, but boy was he feeling the burn. Just when he thought he couldn’t take it anymore, he could see the end. Only three more to go. With all the willpower he could muster up, he brought in the remaining boxes. When he was down to the last one, he almost cried tears of joy.

He made it up the stairs one last time with the last box in his hands. As he walked down the hall, from the corner of his eye he could see a door open up. The tall box made it difficult to see in front of him, but he spoke anyways out of politeness.

“Hello, my name is Mingyu. I just moved in today in apartment 218. Nice to meet you!”

“Apartment 218? That means we’re next door neighbors.” said a deep voice.

Mingyu turned his body so that the box would not be in his line of sight. He looked at the man speaking to him, and was almost surprised at what he saw. First, the man was shorter than he. Second, he looked very young. And third, he was very attractive. He had dark hair that fell to his eyes, which were so dark and deep, Mingyu wondered if there was another universe that expanded in them. His skin greatly contrasted, smooth and pale in complexion.

“I’m Wonwoo.” he smiled. “Would you like any help with that?”

“That’s okay, this is my last one. But thanks anyway. I’ll see you around?”

“See you around.”

Mingyu continued forward until he reached his door, but couldn’t open it. His hands were tired from carrying boxes for so long. He struggled not to drop the box from his hands while trying to get the door open, but the key wouldn’t fit in the keyhole. By now, he regretted the decision to lock the door every time. Who would come and steal something within the minute he went down and back up?

Suddenly, he heard a loud laugh. It belonged to the man he met just a few seconds ago. Embarrassed, Mingyu tried even harder to fit the key, but with no avail. It was frustrating enough that he couldn’t complete a simple task, but even more so when he realized he had an audience. He then unexpectedly felt a hand wrap around his to guide it to the keyhole.

“I think you do need help,” said Wonwoo jokingly.

The door was finally opened, and Mingyu stepped inside, taking off his shoes before setting the box down. He looked back to see his neighbor stopped at the door, and felt obliged to ask him in.

“Do you want to come in?” he asked.

Wonwoo nodded before following Mingyu and taking off his shoes.

“I’ll help you unpack since I’m here.”

The two spent a good amount of time opening the boxes and placing everything in their new environment. From the books, to the kitchenware, everything was now in its place. Working for so long made the room warm, and the boys hungry.

“It’s hot in here,” said Wonwoo, as he rolled up his sleeves. Mingyu wasn’t entirely sure why he wore long sleeves in the first place. That is, until he saw the slight pink scars along Wonwoo’s wrist. He decided not to ask about it, since it was probably personal, and the two had just met a few hours prior.

“Do you like Chinese food? I’ll pay, since you helped me out,” said Mingyu, ignoring the scars.

“Sounds good.”

The two ordered delivery and sat on the floor as they ate. Mingyu was a little grateful that the first meal he had away from home wasn’t just him by himself. He had a feeling he would like living in his new place.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mingyu and Wonwoo ended up getting along more than originally anticipated. The day after Mingyu moved in, he coincidentally met his neighbor while picking up his mail on the ground floor, and Wonwoo invited him to his apartment. Minyu was curious to see what it looked like, so he agreed. He wasn’t expecting it to look the way his own did. It was similar, but that the same time very different.

The interior was identical to his own, but reverse. Just like Mingyu’s apartment, it looked relatively empty. But instead of looking like someone just moved in, it looked like it was intentional. It was simple. The floor was mostly bare, but the necessities were there. A small T.V. was against one wall, and books piled in a corner. There were multiple nightshades in the living room, and none in the bedroom.

“Why are there so many lights here, but not in your room?” he decided to ask.

“Sometimes I just need absolute brightness… to remind myself that I exist. Sometimes I need absolute darkness… to accept that death will come one day.”

Was he reciting a poem or something?

Wonwoo noticed Mingyu’s puzzled face and laughed.

“It’s nothing. I just like living the extremes of life. It’s just another way that I do.”

“Extremes? Like extreme sports?”

“You could say that.”

Mingyu wanted to know what he meant, but wasn’t sure if he could ask. Maybe one day he will, and maybe one day Wonwoo will explain the scars on his wrist. It was weird that Mingyu thought they would be close enough one day for it. Even though they had only just met yesterday.

They had only just met yesterday, yet Mingyu already felt like he was close to Wonwoo. They had only just met yesterday, yet Mingyu felt a sense of comfort when he was around Wonwoo. They had only met just yesterday, yet Mingyu knew that Wonwoo would be a large part of his life. At least, he wanted him to be.

The two were watching television. Somehow they were comfortable enough with the silence between them. There was no couch, so Mingyu sat on the floor, while Wonwoo was laying down on his side. Wonwoo was near enough that if Mingyu were to reach out, just a few inches, he could touch him. Mingyu wondered if he were ticklish, and his hand came up. It was in midair, slowly getting closer to Wonwoo’s neck when the doorbell rang.

“Hmm? I’m not expecting anyone today. Let me see who that is, you stay here.” Wonwoo got up from his position and walked to the door.

Mingyu heard the door creak open, and then Wonwoo’s voice.

“Seungcheol? Hey, what are you doing here?”

Mingyu leaned over to see if he could spot who Wonwoo was talking to, but the corner was just too far away. He settled with trying to hear the conversation where he was. He wasn’t eavesdropping if they just happened to be talking loud enough for him to hear.

“I was just worried about you. Haven’t seen you for a couple weeks, so I was wondering if you were still alive. I see that you are.”

Wonwoo laughed dryly.

“Well now that you know I’m still around…”

“Why aren’t you inviting me in?”

“I actually have a guest over…”

“WHAT?”

Mingyu then heard the sounds of shoes being dropped on the floor, and some struggling. Then he saw a head pop out from the corner, along with flailing arms. It was clear that the boy called Seungcheol was trying to come in uninvited, while Wonwoo was holding him back.

“Hi! I’m Seungcheol!”

Wonwoo had given up trying to keep him out, so Seungcheol was now free to go shake Mingyu’s hand. Mingyu got up and to accept the greeting.

“I’m Mingyu, Wonwoo’s neighbor. I just moved in yesterday.”

To this Seungcheol, froze. His eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open. He turned to Wonwoo.

“You met him yesterday? And you’ve already invited him to your place?”

He then turned to Mingyu.

“It took me a year and a half to get close enough to this guy for him to want to hang out with me. And he still refuses me sometimes! Do you know how hard it is to get in this guys house?”

He made a pouty face. Mingyu wasn’t sure if he were joking or not, but it made him wonder if he was special to Wonwoo. Even if it were only a bit.

“Okay, you’ve been here long enough, out you go.” Wonwoo pulled on Seungcheol to get him to leave.

“Bye Mingyu, be good to Wonwoo!” Seungcheol said as he left. Wonwoo rolled his eyes and managed to shove him out the door. He made sure to lock it with multiple locks, in case somehow Seungcheol had a way to unlock some of them.

Wonwoo sighed and walked back to the living room where Mingyu was waiting. He flashed him an apologetic smile before walking to the window, opening it. Wonwoo’s window didn’t have a screen, so he stuck his head out, then rested it on his hands, his elbows being supported by the window frame. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath in. Mingyu could feel a gentle breeze coming from the window.

“It’s true it usually takes me a long time to befriend someone. If you were wondering.”

Mingyu stared at him silently.

“But you’re special somehow. I don’t know why... or maybe you’re not special at all and I’m the one that’s changing.”

Mingyu was still silent, not knowing if he was supposed to say something or not. Wonwoo was clearly talking to him, but at the same time, Mingyu wasn’t so sure if he was.

The two stayed in silence for a long time. It was a comfortable silence though. Mingyu wondered if Wonwoo was special to him, like he might be to Wonwoo.

Wonwoo broke the silence, but stayed where he was by the window.

“You know, they say the red string of fate ties together those who are destined to be? We as mortal beings can’t see it, but it’s there.”

Mingyu listened to the words, but again wasn’t sure if they were meant for him to respond. Wonwoo was beginning to look like a puzzle. A mystery. Something a mere human would not be able to comprehend. But maybe Mingyu would be able to understand him one day.