The sky is dark when Chorong opens her door again. When did it become so dark? She spent the past few hours trying to start on her report, one that is only due more than a month later, yet is the one thing on her mind as it determines if she can get the topic she wants for her final year project. An 'A' in this report is the requirement, which is why Chorong is embarking on a journey to the convenience store at 11pm at night. She is stuck, she concluded a while ago, and instead of sleeping it off and procrastinating for yet another day, she needs to get her favourite Ben & Jerry's Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream to help her stop beating herself up, and to get her brain going. No sleep until she decides on a promising topic.

It is very much her thing; getting her favourite ice cream whenever she's down. Though she may be a very patient person in general, she gets easily frustrated when it comes to herself. Maybe because she just really wants to do well. Maybe because she has high expectations of herself. Maybe because she went against her parents' wishes to pursue what she wanted.

So Chorong makes her way to the nearby convenience store in her comfy sweatshirt and track pants, making sure to wear an extra layer of hoodie as well to shield her from the chilly winds of the night. It is only about ten minutes away, and as she pushes open the glass door and the bell signals her entrance to the store, she feels a little better already just from the short walk, the serenity of the night offering her silence and space to calm her thoughts. The ice cream would be the cherry on top, fixing her mood perfectly for her to be in a clean state of mind for her report.

Knowing the store layout like the back of her hand, Chorong was quick to navigate to the ice cream corner. She smiles as she sees two pints of her favourite ice cream in the freezer. Opening the door, she easily reaches out to grab it, only to be surprised by a pair of hands reaching from her side, each hand taking a pint each. She turned her head to look at the stranger in disbelief. Did she open the freezer door just for a stranger to take the two pints of ice cream she was aiming for?

"What?"

"That's mine," Chorong says, annoyance evident in her voice.

"Well," the stranger replies, scanning the two pints in her hands, "I'm not sure what your name is, but I'm very sure there's nothing labelled on these. I took them first, so if there's nothing, I'll get going."

As the stranger walks away, Chorong concludes a few things. Whoever she is, she is one irritating, obnoxious and unobservant prick. On top of that, as much as she hates to admit it, the stranger is also incredibly hot. That being said, Chorong would very much not want to cross paths with that stranger again. Not after she had taken her Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream.

Chorong re-enters her house empty-handed, mood worse than it was when she left. She decides to give her friend, Naeun, a call. A rant may make her feel better.

Or not.

"Are you having a hard time with something?" Naeun asks, slightly concerned and amused at the same time. It isn't an everyday thing to see Chorong so upset, and especially over something so trivial.

"No, why?"

"I don't want to make it sound like I'm saying that you're overreacting, and yes, she was really rude, but you're usually not so... irritable." Naeun finishes with a softer voice, afraid of hurting the other girl. She knows Chorong often takes people's words to heart.

Chorong pauses for a moment, and if Naeun did not know better, she would have thought Chorong was angry with her words. "Maybe you're right, I was really stressed over my report."

"Take it easy, there's still time. I'm sure you will be able to complete it, and do it well." Naeun encourages, "As you have always."

"Thanks, Naeun-ah," Chorong replies, "But you know, that was the last two ice cream pints of that flavour."

"Oh." That explains why Chorong is so upset, Naeun realises. Let it be known that Chorong is a patient and even-tempered person, until you deprive her of her ice cream.

A knock on the door makes Chorong quickly wash her hand and rush to open the door. Naeun and her had arranged for the former to come over and do work together since it was a Saturday and neither had plans. 

"Hey," Naeun greets, hand lifting up a plastic bag.

"Come on in. What's that?"

"Ice cream. Your favourite." Naeun replies as she makes her way in.

"You didn't have to bring something, Naeun-ah."

"I know, but you didn't get your ice cream yesterday, I thought you'd appreciate some today." Naeun says, "Plus, you're cooking something for me yet again, and I've already lost count of how many times I've come here empty-handed."

Chorong gratefully takes the bag from Naeun with a smile. "Thanks, I've really made the right friend."

"So if I didn't buy you ice cream, I wouldn't be the right friend? Ouch." Naeun makes a fake hurt expression, to which Chorong playfully hits her for it. "You know what I mean."

Naeun watches as Chorong quickly places her ice cream in her refrigerator, before returning to preparing lunch. Having been here many times, she easily makes it her home, sitting on the couch while waiting.

"You cook so well, maybe I've really made the right friend," Naeun teases as she heartily eats the food in front of her.

"I will cook for you as long as you promise to stay out of the kitchen," Chorong quips. As perfect as Naeun seemed to other people, the one thing Naeun is terrible at is cooking. Last she did, she messed up Chorong's entire kitchen, almost burning it down, and they ended up having to order in and to spend the whole afternoon cleaning.

"Alright, alright," Naeun concedes. "By the way, I think you are finally having a neighbour. I saw some stuff lying outside the unit while walking past."

"The one that has been empty for months?"

Naeun nods her head in response.

"That must be why I've been hearing some noises over the past few days."

"Maybe you'll finally have another friend," Naeun comments casually.

"Are you implying that I only have one friend?"

"Well, I don't know, is that something I have to imply?" Naeun smirks.

Chorong jokingly pulls the plate away from Naeun. "No food for you."

"Hey!" Naeun semi-panics, "Please don't play with food."

That only makes Chorong pull the plate further. She smirks in victory as she says, "Say sorry."

"Okay, I'm sorry," Naeun apologises quickly, and Chorong places the plate back in its original position. "Do you really have to do that to your one and only friend?"

Chorong glares at her for that, but cannot help the smile that was creeping up her face. It was the nature of their friendship, and it was all these banters that made being around Naeun enjoyable. It never made her day dull.

Chorong sits back in her seat after Naeun leaves, happily taking out her journal to do her routine - writing 3 good things that happened that day. It is a habit that she had developed a couple of years back, and honestly it has kept her mind in check and help her have a more positive outlook on life. Admittedly, this is also her favourite part of the day because it allows her to be in her own space, in her quiet self, and reflect on the day.

Perhaps not so quiet today after all.

For the first time since the day Chorong moved in, she hears loud music being blasted from outside - near enough, somewhere along her floor. It isn't hard for her to guess that it must be her new neighbour. How unfortunate that the ever-empty unit is finally occupied, but with an inconsiderate neighbour.

The loud music goes on, coupled with loud voices, effectively interrupting her peace, and thus her train of thoughts. She has half a mind to go out and knock on her neighbour's door, but she was already in her pajamas, and the one thing she never did was to leave her house in pajamas. Thus, she plugs in her earpiece, in hopes of drowning out the noise and focusing on her own thoughts.

She tries, really she does, but the volume of the music increases soon after, as if to challenge her. Being someone who is unable to focus with noise, she eventually gives up, not writing in her journal for the first time. Moving to her bed, she covers her ears with her pillow, making a mental note to remind her neighbour tomorrow. She would very well prefer to just tell her neighbour off, but that definitely isn't a good way to start a friendship with someone. 'Maybe she doesn't know how loud it is,' the angel in Chorong decides, certain that a reminder would change her neighbour's practice.

With that thought, she slowly drifts off to sleep, the loud music muffled by her pillow.

Kind-hearted but not a pushover. Four words that describe Chorong perfectly.

Not everyone is a morning person, she understands, but she also knows what has to be done must be done. She is sure that last night's ruckus disturbed not just her but the other neighbours too, so she very nicely plans to head over in the afternoon to greet her new neighbour, as well as politely tell her to lower the volume next time.

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