Jongin has been feeling a stare following him wherever he goes lately. Of course he doesn’t want to point fingers, but he thinks-, no, he knows, it’s his neighbor. Jongin always sees him looking at him through his window. When Jongin notices and looks back, he just sees a head full of red and black hair slowly move down. It leaves Jongin flabbergasted, does he not know that he can see him?

 

    Recently he’s been planning to trick him. His plan would start off with him acting nonchalant, he’ll be holding a poster with the words “I SEE YOU”, and then right when he knows his neighbor can’t hide, he’ll turn back really fast and hold up the sign for him to see. It’s genius. Jongin knows he won’t see this coming.

 

    He does wonder why his neighbor stares at him sometimes though. Maybe if he could actually talk to him, he’d ask. Jongin doesn't know when that'll happen though.

 

He slowly walks to his kitchen, he's craving ice cream. While he takes out the ice cream, vanilla flavored of course, he reminds himself to warm up the spoon. The spoon to scoop would bend otherwise. After he's done he sits on a barstool near his kitchen, thinking. Jongin wonders what the aftermath of the prank/trick would be like. Would he have to move out? Will the awkwardness be too much to handle? Maybe, maybe the tables would turn and security would throw him out for stalking. Rapidly he clears his thoughts, no. He knows that would not occur.

 

Jongin takes an apathetic glance at the window to his neighbor’s house. He sees a head of red hair move, Jongin immediately hops off the stool and crawls to his window. He opens the window a tiny bit and peeks out. His neighbor seems to be cooking.

 

Whenever they both have their windows open Jongin would smell a chemical aroma, a few times though, it smells like the best restaurant in town. He wonders if he’ll ever taste that food that he smells next door. The only thing Jongin can cook is ramen, and a few appetizers. He frowns at himself sometimes, he’s a grown adult and only cooks so little.

 

Jongin sees his neighbor retreat back until he's out of his line of sight. Sulking, he goes to his room. He jumps on his bed like a starfish and groans. He really wants to learn how to cook. He hastily sits on his bed as he takes out his phone to look up recipes. After a few minutes, Jongin already becomes tired, he'll probably throw up because of his own cooking skills.

 

As Jongin sits on his bed pondering his cooking decisions he begins to feel a stare on him.

 

“Is he looking at me?” Jongin whispers to himself.

 

If only I had the sign with me. Wait! Should I go grab it? I can’t let this chance pass by me.

 

Slowly, and normally, he goes to fetch his sign from his drawers.

 

He pretends to fan himself with it once he sits back down on his desk.

 

Wait you idiot, it’s winter.

 

            He hits himself with the paper in embarrassment and waits for the right time to turn.

 

Okay Jongin, we’ve rehearsed this. You can do this okay? On the count of three.

 

1

 

2

 

3

 

GO!

 

            Right after he gives himself the signal he turns his body the fastest he can. While he’s turning with the force of the stars, he sees his neighbor moving up out of the corner of his eye.

 

            He finally faces his way and holds up his sign.

 

            Jongin is aghast.

 

            His neighbor is holding up the same sign. The only thing different is that is says.

 

‘I KNOW YOU DO’

 

Jongin wheezes, he thinks it’s witchcraft.

 

That's probably why his house often smells like chemicals!

 

 

Before he could let out a manly scream, his neighbor drops his sign and holds a new one.

 

‘I’M SORRY I JUST WANT TO DYE YOUR HAIR.’

 

            He drops that sign too and continues.

 

‘IT JUST LOOKS SO FLUFFY.’

 

‘I’M NOT A STALKER I SWEAR’

 

‘JUST A STALKER FOR YOUR HAIR.’

 

‘NOT SAYING YOU’RE NOT HANDSOME’

 

‘YOU’RE ACTUALLY HOT.’

 

Jongin chokes.

 

‘I DON’T KNOW WHY I WROTE THAT ONE.’

 

‘I’M SORRY.’

 

“BYE.”

 

            Jongin is left sitting on the edge of his bed gaping at his neighbor’s window. He’s flushed red to his ears, but at least he got an answer. He debates whether or not to wrap himself in a burrito on his bed, or go talk to his neighbor. Jongin can't believe he had accused him of witchcraft, his neighbor just wanted to dye his hair and called him hot.

 

            Jongin pauses.

 

“How did he know my plan?”

 

            He hurries and goes next door to his neighbor’s house. When he arrives, he knocks on the door. He hears thumps coming from inside, but soon enough he’s face to face with his neighbor.

 

He’s handsome. Holy-

 

            Jongin gulps and fidgets. He had never gotten a close look at his face before. He’s the definition of starstruck. Not to mention his red hair and black undercut.

 

I could melt.

 

“U-uhm, I just came to ask how you knew my plan.” Jongin tries not to look at his face too much.

 

“I heard you muttering to yourself, you left the window open.”

 

Jongin pales, he remembered. He kept laughing and giggling to himself.

 

His neighbor finds his distress amusing and tries to hide a smile.

 

“It’s okay, really. My name is Kyungsoo by the way. I want to apologize for staring at you too much. I mean, I don’t regret it but, it may have been confusing and weird. Should I regret it?”

 

“It’s okay, yeah it was uhm a bit confusing and a little weird. M-My name is Jongin, noyoudon’thavetoregretitit’sokay.”

 

            Jongin swears he’s a tomato. Kyungsoo thinks he’s a cute tomato.

 

“Would you like to come in Jongin? I have pasta, I don’t want it to go to waste. I just finished making it, it’s still piping hot.”

 

“Yeah, better than ramen.”

 

             Jongin curses at himself. He couldn’t have just said a simple “yes, thanks.”

 

Kyungsoo chuckles and maneuvers him inside. He lets Jongin take a seat on a stool near the kitchen isle. He carefully grabs two plates and serves pasta onto them. Once he sets them down in front of Jongin, he stands near the fridge and opens it.

 

He turns to Jongin, “I have orange juice, water, soda, and tea.”

 

“Water is fine, thank you.”

 

        When Kyungsoo gives Jongin the water bottle he nonchalantly says, “How about a date on the side too?”

 

        Jongin stares up at Kyungsoo in shock.

 

“S-Sure.”

 

“Perfect, now let’s finish up this pasta before it gets cold.”

 

            Hence, Jongin and Kyungsoo spent the dinner with flushed faces, laughter, and smiles on their lips. Since Jongin didn’t want to dye his hair, Kyungsoo satisfied himself by threading his fingers through it any chance he got. It wasn’t a bad result.