"A simple hello could lead to a million things."

- ν -

I trudged up the stairs, feeling as if blocks of cement were attached to the ends of my legs. The elevator has been out of order for the last few days, having gotten stuck somewhere in between the fourth and fifth floor.

Reaching the eighth floor, I breathed a sigh of relief. I dug around in my purse before extracting my keys. My head unconsciously bobbed to the slow, instrumental music leaking through the thin walls and into the hallway. Turning the keys in the lock, I heard a soft click and pushed my door open. I flipped the light switch on, setting down my bag and removing my coat. Yawning, I fell back onto the sofa and closed my eyes.

When I first moved into my apartment, my neighbors were a sweet, older couple. They would deliver homemade treats to the entire building and greet everyone warmly in the elevators. After three years, they moved out and a young dancer next door replaced them. He plays music all day and throughout the night, though the other residents have never complained. I've never seen or talked to him before, but then again, he never leaves his apartment.

My best friend, Sehun, had picked me up from my part-time job at a local cafe and taken me out to dinner. Being a dancer himself, he never had any work to make up. While for me, a law student, the assignments just kept piling up. I groaned softly as I remembered the amount of work that needed to be completed before I could finally go to sleep.

Forcing myself to sit up, I stood and changed into some more comfortable clothes. Tying my hair up in a high ponytail, I walked back into the living room just as the music next door was shut off. I checked the time on my phone.

9:30 PM. Right on time.

It was like clockwork, the way the boy next door practiced. Every day, his music would filter through the building, starting at exactly 8:00 in the morning and ending at 9:30 at night. Shuffling could be heard next door as he straightened up before finally taking a break from dancing. I settled into the plushy cusions of the sofa and became buried nose deep in old court cases.

- ν -

I tapped my pencil against my notebook impatiently. Midterms were coming up, forcing me to study during whatever free time I had. I checked the time again for the fourth time in two minutes. Taking a deep breath, I tried to clear my mind and return to reciting definitions.

Suddenly, the dancer's music from next door became louder, a screeching voice filling my ears. I groaned aloud, rubbing my face with my hands before tossing my notes onto the bed. My blood boiled in my veins at the volume of the punk rock song blasting through his speakers. I exited my apartment, not bothering to close my front door. Clenching my jaw, I banged on the dancer's door with my fist.

The music stopped, the sound of footsteps growing closer. I'd never seen my neighbor before, and this didn't seem like an ideal first impression, but there was no turning back now. I waited with baited breath as the door slowly swung open.

"Hello?"

"Do you know what day it is?" I interrupted, visibly startling him. My right pointer finger was inches from his nose, and his eyes kept glancing between it and my face. "It's Sunday, the last day of the weekend. While some people might be trying to sleep in and relax, I'm trying to study for midterms, which take place this week! I can't even comprehend a single letter on the page because your obnoxious music is causing internal bleeding in my eardrums!"

I halted my rant as I finally took in my neighbor. I had never put much thought into what he might look like, but nothing I could've ever imagined would have compared to the real thing. His tan, muscular body glistened with sweat from his intense workout. His hair was ebony black and stuck to his damp forehead. Puffy, bee-stung lips and a chiseled jawline immediately made me blush.

My blood was still boiling, but now for an entirely different reason.

"Just, umm, keep it down. P-please," I managed to stammer, avoiding further eye contact. I turned, walking briskly back to my apartment. I was almost back inside my apartment when I heard him call out to me in an adorably confused voice.

"I'm sorry, miss.”

I pressed my back against my front door as soon as it was closed, feeling breathless. I thumped my head pathetically against the hard wood. For some reason, I felt as though I was in the wrong, but he was the one being inconsiderate.

Right?

Racing to my bedroom, I grabbed my phone and dialed Sehun's number. "What did you do?" His low voice accused through the receiver. I groaned, knowing he had a right to be suspicious. I shoved my face down into the sheets, hoping to lose myself in them.

"I just made a complete fool of myself," I reluctantly admitted. He tried to cover it with a scoff, but I managed to catch his little snort of laughter. Some best friend, I rolled my eyes.

"What else is new?" He teased.

- ν -