AUTHOR'S NOTE // I promised two chapters, and this is one of them! It might take me a little bit with the first actual chapter because life is busy but I am determined to get something out for everyone to enjoy! Also, please be warned that I did not have a beta reader for this so there must be a ton of mistakes. I usually don't work with a beta nowadays, haha;; It didn't turn out as I expected it to, but I promise I'll work harder to make the next chapters better. Please enjoy! 

                                                                                                                            


The two tenants currently occupying the so-called “penthouse” unit – which, despite its fancy name, wasn’t all that glamorous – were considered by their neighbours and their landlord to be model tenants. Having maintained their residence for nearly a decade, consistently presenting welcoming smiles and approachable personalities with no other motives other than to befriend everyone who would appreciate the company, has gained them quite the respectable reputation. They were so well loved and trusted by those who lived around them that, should they offer to host a dinner inviting any of their neighbours, they wouldn’t even take a second to accept the offer—they would even volunteer to cook the meal! It has happened at least five times during their nine and a half years of stay.

Jungsoo was especially happy with his and his cousin’s, Hyukjae’s, reputation. It wasn’t even for show, either; they were genuinely just open people who struggle not to be so kind to others. What can they say? They were raised to be sweet children by their respective families. Or maybe they were just obsessed with being liked.

They also kept tabs of which person, or people – be it the single kids who have yet to get a taste of the real world or the young couples who flaunt their status – who live in the units beneath theirs. Never once has Jungsoo ever forgotten a name, nor did he ever forget to give them a proper greeting whenever they passed each other by. He was truly just fond of them all for being the best kind of people, thankful that they were what made their building so great to live in.

Jungsoo honestly cannot pick a favourite neighbour, as he was fairly certain he favoured them all the same way. He had seen many of them come and go over the years, met all sorts, all of them leaving good impressions one way or another. Some of the ones who left even keep in touch, and it made Jungsoo feel special. But a favourite? There were some of the neighbours he liked just a little more than the other ones. Let’s see...

Donghee from the second floor, unit three, was a hoot; he had moved into his apartment three years ago, and he was by far the easiest to get along with. He is a business owner, running a popular comic book café and a mini arcade somewhere in Hongdae, recently opening a small stationary store in Itaewon, and currently taking an interest in opening a uni boutique in Myeongdong. He was a nice guy, so nice that he had even offered employment for Hyukjae when he lost his job due to employee cuts a few months prior. Donghee would come over to their apartment for dinner quite regularly, either bringing a case of fine Korean beef for them to grill or ordering food in for the three of them. He felt like family.

But was he Jungsoo’s favourite?

Donghae from the third floor, unit one—which was the unit directly under theirs, had Jungsoo fretting over him regularly. The kid works for Choi Foods & Goods, a company older than even Jungsoo, that was one of the many subsidiary companies under the highly respected Choi Group, in the accounting department. Despite having lived in Seoul for a couple of years and working in the city, he still very much acts like the innocent and naive country boy that he’s always been. Like Jungsoo and Hyukjae, this kid has been living in the building for quite a long time, exactly five years this month, but neither cousin can figure out how Donghae was able to survive without knowing how to cook or properly clean after himself. Suppose he gives Hyukjae more stress than he does to Jungsoo, considering how attached Donghae is to Hyukjae. He’s a cute kid, very nice and polite. He’s almost like a son to Jungsoo.

But was he Jungsoo’s favourite?

Another candidate was the couple who lived in the second floor, in unit four, just next to Donghee. A newly wed couple moved into that unit nearly four months ago, relatively new, but they were so warm and welcoming that it was hard for anyone to believe they weren’t already living there for years. The wife, Saeun, divided her time being a florist and a housewife. She’s very darling, an absolute sweetheart to talk to, leaving treats or small bunches of fresh flowers for everyone out of the kindness of her own heart. The husband, Sungmin, owns a bakery just a few blocks away from the building, and often calls out to Jungsoo and Hyukjae to have them sample some of his creations to see if he should sell them at his store. He’s definitely Hyukjae’s favourite neighbour, Jungsoo knows just how big a sweet tooth the younger man has, but he personally prefers the high-end dinners the man comes up with now and then to his pastries. Sungmin is also inexplicably very wealthy, the young man crediting it to his parents. No one knows how rich he is, and how his parents became so wealthy, but everyone respects his privacy. When someone’s as generous and as warm-hearted as Sungmin, little curiosities like that tend to fade. To Jungsoo, what’s most important is that he and his wife are just so lovely to be around.

But were they Jungsoo’s favourites?

Perhaps he simply cannot answer that. His neighbours are all nice people, and each have their own qualities to be considered for the position. Rather than wasting his time in thinking of what makes them better than the others, he would much rather prefer to enjoy their company without having to rank them for any reason whatsoever. Not just those three households, but all the others who occupy the rest of the building. They’re all so precious and delightful, even if some were less sociable than others.

Jungsoo is happy to be able to live where he lives.


                                                                                                                            


“It’s way too early in the morning for this kind of racket!”

Jungsoo, extremely dazed from lack of sleep and confused as to what woke him up, glances over to where Hyukjae’s plopped himself down on, at the very edge of his bed. After a moment of just staring at his squirming, whining cousin, he chances a look at his clock. Five in the morning. Who makes all this noise at five in the morning?

He takes a deep breath, calming himself. There’s no point getting himself all worked up with misplaced anger. He’s certain that there’s a reasonable explanation for all this noise—he’ll just have to find out what it is.

“I have some earplugs in the drawer. Go use a pair and sleep here, okay?”

Hyukjae grumbles to himself, but otherwise obeys. The kid plugs his ears and swiftly crawls up under the thick and warm covers of Jungsoo’s bed, almost immediately falling asleep. The elder smiles gently, an expression that only remains as is for a few seconds before another loud bang of something metallic dropping onto the gravelly ground reminds him of the situation he’s in. Right, he has to check out what’s happening.

Without much thought, or expectation, he slinks out of the apartment.


                                                                                                                            


“I didn’t expect much from you since you’re such a classic nerd and all, but you’re even weaker than I thought you’d be!” Jungsoo heard someone hiss from levels below him. It wasn’t a voice that he’s familiar with, whether it be from the tenants of the building or just from knowing the people who live in their neighbourhood. Curious, he rushes over to the railing, grabbing hold of it as he peeks around.

“That’s why I have you to help me. And stop talking so loudly...it’s too early for someone to be woken up by you,” another person says in attempts to calm the other. This person speaks fluently, but his accent gives Jungsoo the impression that he may be foreign.

Where were these voices coming from?

“Let them wake up, I don’t care. What I do care about is how we’re going to get this thing where it’s supposed to go! I might have to do it by myself.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! Besides, how do you think it’ll look like if someone catches you carrying this thing by yourself? The basement isn’t that far. Just...just bear with me for a second.”

The basement? Their basement? Jungsoo looks puzzled; he has lived in this building for almost a full decade, and he had never seen or heard of anyone taking up the unit in the basement. Did someone move in without him knowing? The landlord usually tells him these things, simply because he’s well trusted… Well, now that he thinks about it, he did mention something...

Should he go down and say hi? Maybe they need a hand for whatever they’re moving down there. He knows just how difficult moving is, and it can’t be done by two people alone.

“Do you guys need any help?” Jungsoo calls out, catching the attention of the two men.

They froze as oon as Jungsoo’s voice reached them, giving him ample time to simply observe them and taking in their appearance. The one who sounds angry, or at least annoyed, had fair skin and unruly hair that reaches down to his shoulders. Jungsoo’s no fashionista like his dear Hyukjae is, but even he can tell that no self-respecting person should be wearing a bright orange tracksuit in public like this guy is. And were those crocs? The other one, taller and slim, wore something a bit more presentable: a pastel button up tucked into beige linen trousers, the glasses hanging off the bridge of his nose gradually going askew as he frantically looked in every which direction, perhaps in search of where the voice came.

The one in the tracksuit seemed to know immediately where to look.

“I figured you’d need help moving your things into your apartment, so I figured I could help...that is, if you’re moving in here?”

“We are,” the flustered one answers, his eyes finally landing on Jungsoo, who’s speaking to them right from the top floor. The building wasn’t that big so they could hear each other, but it also helps that they’re all almost yelling. He just feels sorry for his other neighbours, “The basement…”

“Listen here, doll face,” Jungsoo heard his friend say, interrupting the other. His tone isn’t exactly a friendly or welcoming one, but he could only assume that it’s from how early it is and how he has to move such heavy objects into a new place, “I appreciate your kindness and all, but we can handle things fine. I need to make sure this brat gets some exercise in, anyway.”

“Chul, my arms-!”

“Anyway, go back to bed, neighbour.”

Just like that, the two strangers speed off without sparing a second to look back at Jungsoo, one wailing about the pain in his arms and the other quite shamelessly shouting curses at the former. It’s a bit strange for him to meet someone without really meeting them, and already seemingly having left an awful first impression by offering to help. Somehow it just hurts his pride to hear someone sneer at him from an exchange that was really little to nothing. Someone like that is moving in? Really...

He’s confused, so confused, not quite knowing if he’d done something wrong or if that man was just naturally cranky with new people. Either way, it only makes him want to put in an effort into building a better reputation with those men.

For now, he’s just glad that the noise had finally died down, even if it’s just a little bit.

“Geng, you bastard, if you drop it again I’ll break your bones!”

“...Well, work does start early today,” Jungsoo sighs, retreating back into his home.