“We’re having new neighbours.” Sehun heard his mom say from the kitchen. He was enjoying a TV show in the living room. It was about time that somebody was moving in. The house next-door was on sale for about a month and only now that it was occupied.

The old neighbours went on States. They travelled a lot anyway, so they were barely home.

He was silently hoping a family that was moving in next-door had someone in his age. He’d always wanted a friend that lived next-door.

“They are coming this evening. I’m thinking of inviting them to join us for the BBQ party.” Mrs. Oh uttered.

“What?” The 14-year-old Sehun was surprised and somewhat disappointed.

“Why, what’s wrong? The more the merrier.” His mom replied.

“But mom-”

“No buts. Just welcome them later.” His mom interrupted.

Sehun pouted. He was going to have a BBQ party with complete strangers this time and for sure, he was not happy about this.

A barbeque party was like an annual event for his small family. A new season was coming soon, so before spring ended, they’d have a BBQ party, usually joined by Sehun and his parents.

He enjoyed the party regardless of small number of participants. He didn’t need the new neighbours to join the party because he was in fact very shy in front of strangers and he hated the fact that he’d have to face them regardless.

He didn’t care about ‘the more the merrier’ thingy, he just wanted the party to be for him and his parents.

Now that his new neighbours were joining, he wasn’t sure whether he wanted to join or not. But he knew for sure that his mom would kill him if he were to be absent at the party.

Whatever; he was joining the party just for the chicken. Nothing but chicken.

Sehun was playing a video game when his mom barged into his room. “They’re here. Come down. We’ll start grilling the meat.”

“Later,” He answered simple and short.

His mom stayed there, unmoved.

“W-why?” Sehun asked. He was beginning to stutter.

“Do you prefer to walk on your own or to get dragged by me?” His mom asked.

Sehun put down his precious video game player on the nightstand and followed after his mom.

His mom was wearing a wide smile when they were approaching the new neighbours.

“I’m so sorry Mr. Seo and Mrs. Seo, this is my son, Oh Sehun.” The two strangers were smiling as they nodded their heads. “Where’s your daughter though?”

“She’s coming later.” The woman answered.

“Don’t you have a son?” Sehun asked. His question was random.

The woman was surprised to hear such a question. “W-we’re expecting a son.”

Sehun looked at the woman’s round stomach. He smiled awkwardly and rolled his eyes, looking away.

That was it. That was when he saw a girl coming towards him. There was not much about her that appealed to him when he first saw her. It was just that… her fashion sense was a disaster.

“That’s our daughter, Seo Nayoung. She’s 14.” The woman said.

“Oh really? Sehun is 14 too.” Sehun heard his mom say.

Someone in his age was really living next door to him. But he wasn’t sure if he’d want her to be his friend. Maybe not.

“Nayoung-ah, this is Sehun. He’s your age.” The girl looked unimpressed. Like Sehun was impressed to meet her either.

Both of them were practically not keen to know that they were living next door.

While the parents were having a chat in front of a bonfire, Sehun went to get the chicken drumstick. There, right then when the girl was reaching the same chicken drumstick.

“It’s mine.” Sehun said. He kept his poker face on.

“I touched it first, so it’s mine.” She replied.

“This is my house. So it’s mine.” He uttered.

Nayoung quickly took the chicken drumstick. “It’s already in my hand, so it’s mine.”

Sehun went to bite the chicken drumstick that was in her hand. He smirked before he said, “I bit it. So it’s mine.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m not giving you this.”

“Are you going to eat something that I already bit?” Sehun asked her in disbelief.

She nodded her head, looking unimpressed. “I’m starving, so I don’t care.”

“B-but I got my saliva there!” He still tried his best. “T-that’s the last chicken drumstick so…”

“I told you, I don’t care.” She interrupted. Then only she bit the part where Sehun had bitten.

Sehun was obviously shook. “T-that’s practically… indirect k-kiss.”

“So what? It’s not like you’re my first kiss anyway.” She replied. Her answer was very unexpected. It almost got Sehun flustered.

“What did you say? We aren’t supposed to talk about kiss!”

“You mentioned it first.”

“I was telling the truth. That was an indirect kiss.”

She looked disgusted. “You’re 14, don’t act like grown-ups.”

“You’re 14 too, so why don’t you act like one?!”

“Because I’m not the childish 14-year-old like you.”

“Did you just say I’m childish?”

“Obviously,”

Sehun was speechless. He was practically just standing there, staring at her in disbelief.

Then only she said something, “What a nuisance.” Soon, she walked away while eating the last chicken drumstick.

The ‘chicken incident’ was probably the beginning of rivalry between Sehun and Nayoung. It was ridiculous how the two could have a real fight just because both wanted the same chicken drumstick. Like there was nothing better to fight about.

Now that the 18-year-old Oh Sehun was thinking about it, he was definitely childish at that time. And Seo Nayoung was no different.

But he had to admit that if it weren’t for that incident, he wouldn’t be this close to Nayoung. It was fun to and now that he went to the same high school as her, he was taking every opportunity to .

He didn’t know just how teasing her could be so fun to him. It became a habit now that he was doing it almost every day.

“Nayoung-ah,” Sehun called as soon as he saw her at her locker. “Accompany me today.”

“Where?” She asked nonchalantly.

“Chicken restaurant.” She gave him a nod before she began to walk away. She had always been casual, always looking unimpressed. Now that it’d been years, Sehun was practically used to her unreadable expression.

Sehun may look cold-hearted but he was warm inside. He cared about people around him. He just didn’t know how to show his caring nature.

In Nayoung’s case, she had a face of someone who would be a good friend to everyone but she didn’t act like one. She was cold-hearted by nature and the only one who could deal with her was probably Sehun.

No one ever thought she could befriend anyone, let alone Oh Sehun but that was how things were.

Things always turned out the way you never expected.

Sehun was about to walk away when he heard Nayoung calling his name.

He turned to look at her and that was when she said it, “I dreamt of him again... last night.”

First chapter is short. It's more of an introduction. Thank you for reading.