Jongin doesn’t have holidays, not in a sense that he has work-no, he doesn’t because he’s still studying- but he just doesn’t enjoy them. Each of them feels like an ordinary day. He doesn’t get why people are so hyped to celebrate them and as a college student away from home, he saved himself the trouble of being obliged to join them. He hates gatherings, much more reuniting with relatives he doesn’t care about.

There’s no exception for the 20-year-old. The only time he comes home is the week between the last day of school and before the summer classes start. Not even summer is a thing for him.

He doesn’t date either. He doesn’t see the point when the idea of living with someone else barely crosses his mind.

Isolation is his thing. He likes being alone in a quiet space, enjoying his hobbies, meals, coffee and tea.

Jongin has this dull aura around him, preventing people from making conversations with him.

Until this semester, someone moves in above his unit and that someone is everything but like him. They met once, the day after the guy settled in, knocking on everyone’s doors before dinner to give cookies. Weird. Aren’t the old residents supposed to be the ones welcoming the newcomers with these kinds of food?

Oh, Jongin doesn’t like sweets.

As far as he can remember, the guy’s a year younger than him. He’s festive, in contrast to the 20-year-old. No conversation was made, only a monologue he cut off by closing the door. True, that was rude and maybe this, right now, is his karma.

Kyung-whatever that guy’s name, is blasting his music at 2am. No, not in the living room and because the guy lives right above him, the rooms are located exactly the same. Beyonce is having a concert right above his bedroom this hour.

He tries to call the landlord to complain but he couldn’t reach out to him. Of course, who could still be awake right now except for him and that insensitive guy he’s truly unfortunate to live under for the rest of the school year?

When he couldn’t take it anymore, just grabbing his robe and wearing it on the way to the door, he heads upstairs. No other residents seem to care at the noise and he realizes that they’re both located at the far-end of the building and the floor he’s living on is the 4th floor of the 5-story apartment building.

He knocks. Hard. He’s typically banging the door in distress but no one comes to his rescue. He can hear the dull beat of the music to realize it must be so loud that it can be heard through thick walls. No one could possibly hear him from the inside unless he breaks down the heavy wooden door.

.

He gives up as fast as he arrived, not wasting more time outside his safe space. He returns to his bed a failure but he swears he will hunt that guy down first thing in the morning. Good enough, the music stopped after 20 minutes and he falls asleep right away.

He wakes up early, alright. He wakes up to loud banging from his bedroom ceiling. What on earth could that guy be doing at 6am? He doesn’t have to wake up until 8 since his first class starts at 10.

For god’s sake, he barely had sleep. He isn’t used to this and someone’s going to pay.

He rushes out his unit and like hours earlier, he’s banging on the same door. This time the door opens up to him. Before he can even see the person behind it, he’s already throwing daggers with his eyes.

“Good morning!” Kyung-whatever has the audacity to greet him cheerfully. “What brings you here so early? Perhaps, you want some of my cookies?”

Instead of answering, he keeps glaring with fists clenched.

“I’ll get them for you-”

“You were so loud last night and now what were you just doing, banging on the floor?” He finally snaps.

“Oh,” the shorter guy glances down on the baseball on his hand, which the guy quickly hides behind him and gives him a sheepish smile. “I didn’t know you can talk.”

“Piss me off one more time, I’m telling the landlord to kick you out!” Without anything more to say, and to avoid more social exposure, he grabs the guy’s arms that has the ball and snatches it away before bringing it down with him to his own apartment.

He can hear the younger calling out to him, asking for the ball. No way he’s giving it back.

--

And he’s giving it back.

Came home from school just around dinner, he slumped down his couch after dropping his books and bags on the solo couch. He found the baseball next to him, to toss it away but before he can, he spots something written on it.

It’s quite faded and written with a pen, a personal message dedicated to Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo. That’s his name.

It’s from Dad. It said, ‘even when I’m not here anymore, just keep going for me and your mom’.

He screwed up. There’s sentimental value on this object and he took it away. In his defense, he had no idea. That’s why the younger was calling out to him earlier.

Now he decides he’s giving it back. Just as he opens the door, he’s met with the shorter with a fist up on the air, ready to knock and a paper bag on the other hand. They’re both taken by surprise but he doesn’t show it and Kyungsoo is fast to recover, all smiles as usual.

“Hi, uh, I’m sorry for the trouble I caused. I made you dinner to make up for it and can I have my ball back, please?”

He must have taken a long time to respond, the shorter stepping away with a visible worried look on his face despite the huge grin.

“Please?”

He snaps back to his senses, the salivating smell of dinner now invading his nostrils and damn, he’s hungry. When was the last time he had home-cooked meal? Remembering that he had the ball in his hand all this while, he quietly stretches his arm, feeling a little guilt for taking it away.

Things would have been resolved peacefully with a talk but he wasn’t in the mood. It’s partly his fault too.

The younger jumps on his heel at the sight, grabbing the ball away and replacing it with the string handle of the paper bag. “Thank you! Enjoy your dinner! Don’t worry, I didn’t poison that.” Kyungsoo leaves in a brighter mood, skipping his way to the end of the hallway.

But way to go to ruin his appetite. How would he know for sure that Kyungsoo isn’t a vengeful spirit behind that bright facade?

--

Jongin realizes that there’s now even more items for him to return. He thought it was the last interaction but it seems like it’s done on purpose.

He doesn’t keep stuff in his apartment that doesn’t belong to him. But he can just leave these tupperwares outside the door though. That’s it.

It was undeniably a great meal. May or may not be because he was just starving or Kyungsoo is a great cook. Either way, if he dies of poison, one person is to blame. He’ll hunt him to death now that Halloween is just a few days away.

Another useless holiday to spend inside his apartment in peace.

Or not.

Kyungsoo is blasting Christmas songs and it’s not even November yet.

He’s moving out.