Jeonghan likes where he lives. His neighbors are nice - they don't make a fuss when his friends visit him and decide to blast music in his backyard. Most likely because sometimes they like to blast music too.

It's a mostly quiet, peaceful neighborhood even with children, even with dogs and cats and birds as pets, even with rowdy company around sometimes.

And for the last couple of years that Jeonghan has lived in this neighborhood, nobody's ever moved in to the house at the end of the street.

You see, the street has a dead end. You reach the end and come to a house - worn down, menacing, dead.

And nobody's lived there for a long, long time as far as Jeonghan knows - which makes the moving truck parked at the end of the street shocking.

Jeonghan feels a little embarrassed for being nosy, standing on his lawn as he tries to get a peek at the new neighbors, but he brushes it aside when he sees the neighborhood housewives stand on the edge of their lawns too.

But try as he might try and catch a peek, all he sees are men in uniform carrying boxes - sealed and stiff like everything's new.

He wonders if he should go to them and ask if his new neighbors are around - to introduce himself, of course, but decides against it.

One of the housewives will end up telling him eventually, so he goes into his house and forgets all about the commotion.

As expected, come Thursday morning as he's leaving for work, he sees one of the housewives who's out for her morning run. Michelle is her name.

She lives three houses down from his with her husband, two daughters and house cat. She's a wonderful woman who had brought Jeonghan a cake when he had first moved in, always ready to bring him food or desert if she's made too much, always lending a hand to the others neighbors if they needed a hammer, a lawnmower, a lightbulb.

"Morning." He greets, smiling as he unlocks his car.

"Morning!" Comes the chipper reply. The woman stops to wipe off sweat from her forehead and comes closer, throwing looks over her shoulder as if someone were watching them. That makes Jeonghan pause, waiting for the woman to come closer. "Have you met the new neighbors?"

Jeonghan blinks in surprise, "I totally forgot about that."

"They moved in this Monday." She says lowly, "Brought them an apple pie the next day. Lovely couple. Such a sweet, handsome boy and a beautiful, beautiful girl."

Jeonghan raises an eyebrow, "Really?"

"Yes. The boy was very polite, accepting the pie and smiling the whole time - you should see his smile, would light up this whole town, I swear. His girlfriend however..." The woman frowns, "A very pretty girl with beautiful dark eyes who glares too much. She looked upset that I came 'round. Had the young man not answered the door, I guarantee she would've slammed the door in my face."

Jeonghan's neighbor shakes her head, clearly upset.

"She didn't say a word the whole time! Wouldn't answer a question I asked. She just stood next to her boyfriend and listened. The boy asked if I wanted to come in but I think that would've made it worse."

"Maybe she's just reserved." Jeonghan says, "Or shy. Maybe she'll warm up to us and be more sociable. Let's give her some time."

"Hopefully." His neighbor sighs, "All I know is that Sandra dropped by to welcome them yesterday - I'll have to ask her how it went. I'll tell her to drop by and give you the details when she can to keep you in the loop."

Jeonghan smiles at his neighbor, waving as she retreats.

"Alright, I appreciate that. Hopefully she didn't have a hard time. Have a good day, Michelle!"

"You too, Jeonghan!"

-

Sandra drops by Friday afternoon, after Jeonghan has showered and gotten comfy in his living room. She comes by with her wife, both of them smiling at him.

"Good afternoon!" She greets, saran wrapped plate in her hands, "We just wanted to drop by and give you some cookies."

"Come in, come in." Jeonghan says, taking the plate handed to him and stepping aside to let them in. "Thank you for the cookies, have a seat. Would you like anything to drink?"

The couple walks in, taking a seat on Jeonghan's couch.

"I'm good, thank you." Sandra says, turning to her wife who shakes her head. "We just wanted to drop by, see how you're doing."

"I'm doing good, thank you. How very thoughtful of you." Jeonghan smiles, sitting on the armchair in his living room. "Busy, busy, busy. How are y'all doing?"

"Good, good. We've been doing great, thank you for asking." Sandra says, "Have you met the new neighbors, Jeonghan?"

"I have not." Jeonghan says, "I know Michelle has. She looked... a little frustrated."

"I bet." Stephanie, Sandra's wife, mutters. She always has been a woman of few words.

"Oh?"

"I dropped by on Wednesday to welcome them, as one should," Sandra says, "Had to knock three times so someone would open the door. Three times! There was someone clearly in there, one could tell with all the racket they had going on. There was no way no one couldn't hear me at the door.

"A young lady opens the door, glaring and scowling like her life depends on it. She doesn't greet me at all, just stares at me with huge gold eyes and I felt, well, awkward to say the least. I talk and talk like an idiot and she doesn't respond at all! Had the young man not come to the door, I would've left feeling like a fool.

"Now, he greets me and accepts the cookies I brought for them, smiling with the force of a thousand suns - a very polite, very kind young man. The complete opposite of his friend. She's a very beautiful young lady, but with a nasty attitude."

"That's what Michelle said." Jeonghan muses, "Though she had said they were a couple and that the girl has dark eyes."

"Oh, no. I asked if they were a couple and the young man denied it. Just roommates, just friends. And she has big, golden eyes with dark and long eyelashes. She's very beautiful." Sandra says with the wave of a hand, "But her attitude ruins it."

"Man... And here I thought I'd drop by and introduce myself. Maybe I'll just keep my distance then."

"Oh, yes. Much better than trying to talk to her." Sandra sighs, "If you do drop by, make sure you talk with the young man."

"Maybe she'll get over it, maybe she's just shy." Jeonghan says, "We'll just have to wait and see."

"I doubt it." Sandra sniffs in disdain. "I know a difficult person when I see one. She's just like that. Things won't get better."

Jeonghan just sighs.

"Well, we'll get going now." Sandra says, getting up and taking Stephanie's hand in hers, "We're going to drop by Jihoon's for a bit. Gotta keep him in the loop too."

Jihoon who lives across the street from Jeonghan. If there was one person who Jeonghan wasn't close to in the neighborhood, it was him. Not because they didn't like each other, but because Jihoon is more reserved and Jeonghan never had the guts to approach him properly.

All Jeonghan can say is that his gaze is cold and alluring. He's smart and beautiful, unreachable and intimidating.

"Say hello to him for me." Jeonghan says, "Thank you for dropping by."

The couple hugs him goodbye and Jeonghan just watches as they cross the street and knock on Jihoon's door.

He closes his door just as Jihoon opens his.

-

Jeonghan meets his new neighbors on a Friday afternoon, a week after Sandra and Stephanie's visit.

There's a knock on his door and Jeonghan opens it to see a woman with golden eyes and a man with a smile on his face.

They're both dressed to the nines. The woman's golden silk blouse shimmers in the low light of the sun and her white jeans mold to the shape of her legs. The man's white button up shirt is open to reveal smooth, tan skin and his jeans are sticking to him like a second skin. They both wear silver jewelry that glitter and shine with every breath they take.

Jeonghan feels very flustered and severely underdressed in his own home.

"Good afternoon." The man says, "My name is Matthew Kim and this is Jiwoo Jeon. We're the ones living at the end of the street."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Jeonghan Yoon." Jeonghan smiles, "Please, come in. Have a seat."

Jeonghan steps aside and watches as Jiwoo glances around his home and as Matthew sits on his couch.

Jiwoo nods to herself, locking eyes with Jeonghan as she stops scanning his living room. Jeonghan tries to fight down a blush and fails.

What an intense gaze, what a beautiful woman and what a handsome man.

Jiwoo sits down next to Matthew and Jeonghan notices the jar in her hands. She adjusts her grip on the gold jar. Tiny stars twinkle from around her fingers and clink against the glass jar. Matthew runs a hand through his hair and his bracelet almost blinds Jeonghan.

How do they shine so much with such little light?

"How are y'all finding the neighborhood?" He asks, sitting stiffly in his armchair. "I hope everyone's been polite."

"Everyone's been wonderful." Matthew says, smiling with all his teeth, "Very peaceful, very kind, very polite neighbors. We're lucky to be able to live here."

"Well, I'm glad." Jeonghan says, "If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to come to any of us - we'll do our best to help."

"Speaking of... Would you mind letting us borrow some - what was it?" Matthew asks Jiwoo.

"Vanilla." Jiwoo says, tapping her fingernails against the jar in her hands. 

"Oh." Jeonghan says, "Let me check if I have any."

Jeonghan walks into his kitchen, rummaging through his cupboards until he finds the bottle of vanilla extract and a plastic baggie of vanilla beans.

Since when do I have vanilla beans?

Jeonghan turns around and almost screams.

Jiwoo is watching him from the kitchen doorway.

"I didn't - oh man, you're quiet." Jeonghan stutters. "Um, beans or extract?"

"Beans." Jiwoo says.

"Should three sticks be enough?"

Jiwoo nods, holding out her glass jar so Jeonghan can stick the vanilla beans into it. She caps it immediately and leaves the kitchen, leaving Jeonghan to collect himself.

When Jeonghan walks into the living room, Matthew is standing next to Jiwoo who apparently hadn't bothered sitting down again, "We'll get going now. Thank you. You're a lifesaver."

How badly did they need those beans?

"No problem at all. I'm here to help." Jeonghan replies, following after them as they walk to the front door. Jiwoo stays quiet, not glancing back as she steps out.

"See you around."

"See you."

-

"Do you wear colored contacts?"

He only asked because her eyes had been gold the day before.

Today they are green. Unnaturally green. Bright, knowing, intense.

"Sure."

Jeonghan has the vague feeling that Jiwoo is laughing at him.

She doesn't smile, she doesn't open to actually laugh, she doesn't blush and she doesn't even look at him properly - she just stares at the green jar in Jeonghan's hands.

Her expression doesn't really change but the corner of twitches ever so slightly like she wants to laugh out loud.

She's wearing a green satin spaghetti strap shirt tucked into black jeans. Silver stars glitter around and her bracelets jingle softly whenever she moves. Her black hair is loose around her face and -

Jeonghan feels his face heat up and focuses back on pouring salt in the small jar Jiwoo brought over.

"So..." Jeonghan says when he hands Jiwoo back the jar and she caps it immediately. "Are you trying new recipes out?"

"Kinda." Jiwoo says, cradling the little glass jar. She runs slender fingers through her hair and Jeonghan wonders how her long nails don't get tangled up in it.

Even her nails glitter.

Jiwoo stares at him for a long moment before Jeonghan clears his throat and she has to blink.

"Well, um, let me know if you need more salt." Jeonghan says as he walks her to the door (and it's not really him walking her to the door because she's leading him like she knows his house like the back of her hand even if it's only her second time in there), "Or anything else."

Jiwoo nods at his offer, lip twitching again, and steps out.

Jeonghan really does feel like she's laughing at him.

Across the street, the door to Jihoon's house opens and Matthew (Jiwoo's friend? Roommate? Boyfriend? He still hasn't asked yet.) walks out with his own little glass jar.

Jeonghan locks eyes with Jihoon and smiles shyly. Jihoon waves in response before he closes the door behind Matthew.

"Pretty, isn't he?" Jiwoo says to him before leaving, not waiting for a response and not sparing a glance at Matthew, who rushes after her as she heads down the sidewalk to her own home.

Jeonghan closes his own door and goes back to his movie marathon.

That's the first night Jeonghan hears it.

It's well past midnight and he's sleeping in his living room couch when he's startled awake. It takes a moment to process what woke him up until he hears it again.

A horse. Its hooves clicking against the pavement. The sound so deep and loud Jeonghan can only think about the size it must be to make such noise.

He can hear laughter under the clicking of hooves.

He blinks the last of sleep from his mind, walking to the window next to his front door. It gives view to his small lawn and the street, quite handy when he wants to be nosy. He pulls the blinds down as subtly as he can, eyes trying to adjust to the darkness outside.

He waits and waits, listening as the footsteps of the horse get louder and louder, the laughter getting closer and closer.

He waits and watches as Jiwoo Jeon walks down the street, hair swinging back and forth from her high ponytail. She glitters, shines, glows in gold jewelry and a black silk dress and black heels.

Matthew is following close behind her, hair slicked back and also glittering in the dark.

But there's something off - Matthew's mouth stretched into a too wide smile, ready to split his face in two. Jiwoo's neck bent far too back as she looks up at the sky.

She hesitates for a moment in front of his house, straightening up before she turns to look directly at Jeonghan.

He can hear the jingle of her bracelets and the tap of nails against glass and the soft sound of her breathing and -

And Jeonghan swears Jiwoo's eyes glow green.

Jeonghan throws himself back and away from the window, rushing to his bedroom. He locks the door and buries himself in his bed.

When he wakes again and thinks of Jiwoo and Matthew, it all feels out of reach.

Must've been a dream.

-

Jiwoo knocks on his door just after noon.

Her eyes are purple and she wants sugar this time.

Her eyes match her lilac blouse. There's tiny silver stars dangling from her ears and silver rings wrap around her fingers. Her hair is clipped back with tiny white stars the color of her jeans. Jeonghan likes them. They fit her, somehow.

"Baking?"

"No. Just need it for a drink." She says. There's a pause before she says, "Pretty, isn't he?"

Jeonghan jerks at the question, spilling sugar on the kitchen counter. He sets down his jar of sugar and looks at Jiwoo.

"Who?"

"Jihoon. The one across the street. You never did answer me."

Jeonghan shrugs, turning back to pouring sugar and ignoring his hot ears.

Jiwoo doesn't say anything after that and only thanks him for the sugar when Jeonghan hands back the purple jar.

Again, Jeonghan follows behind Jiwoo. Again, Jeonghan watches as Matthew leaves Jihoon's house. Again, Jeonghan smiles and, again, Jihoon waves.

And again Jeonghan hears the clicking of hooves against pavement in the middle of the night.

This time he's in his bedroom and his eyes snap open.

3:48 a.m., Monday says his phone.

He hears the hooves against the pavement, loud and clear, and his skin breaks out into goosebumps. He hears the laughter and, against his better judgement, he leaves his room to wait and watch from the window next to his front door.

Again, Jiwoo hesitates in front of his house. This time she doesn't look his way. Her laughter is cut off abruptly and her head snaps to stare at Jihoon's house. Jeonghan inhales sharply.

He's afraid.

And his fear only grows when Matthew turns to look at him and smiles. His teeth are sharp and so blindingly white Jeonghan can see them in the dark.

Jeonghan runs back to his room and only leaves to head to work in the morning.

Jeonghan doesn't know if he should tell his friends about what he's seen. Maybe they're just nightmares.

Sure, he can clearly remember Matthew's face and he can very vividly recall Jiwoo's outfit - a sleeveless black dress that ended mid thigh, golden bracelets and hoops and rings that Jeonghan could feel the weight of, hair in twin ponytails that made her face look kinder, but maybe...

Maybe they're just nightmares.

He hopes they are.

When he thinks of Jiwoo and Matthew, things feels a little more solid, a little more real, and he wonders if he's in any danger.

He wonders if Jihoon is in any danger.

Maybe he should talk to him about it. Maybe he's seen Jiwoo and Matthew too.

-

When he gets home after work, Jeonghan has just shut the door when there's a knock.

Jeonghan jumps, hesitating before swinging the door open and looking down at Jiwoo.

How'd she get here so fast?

"Good afternoon." Jiwoo says. Her eyes are blue today. "May I bother you for some cinnamon?"

Jeonghan gulps.

"Sure. Come in." Jeonghan steps out of the way and follows Jiwoo to his kitchen.

And, honestly, it's getting a little ridiculous following her around in his own home.

Jiwoo presents him with a small, round, blue jar and Jeonghan takes it with shaky hands.

She's wearing a navy blue tube top with black shorts and fishnets. Silver shines at the hollow of and at her wrists. The same stars from yesterday are in her hair and Jeonghan stares for a little too long.

Jiwoo's lip twitches and Jeonghan feels humiliation flood through him.

"You're shaking pretty badly."

"Oh, you know." Jeonghan says, forcing out a laugh, "Just tired. Had a long day."

Jiwoo stares at him.

"Ground cinnamon right? Or would you like a - a stick?" Jeonghan stutters.

"Ground." Jiwoo replies.

Jeonghan stares blankly at his container of cinnamon.

Why do I have so much cinnamon? Where do I keep the spoons?

Jeonghan rummages through his drawers in search of a spoon, jerking when he turns and Jiwoo is too close for comfort.

"You had a spoon right here." She says, holding up a spoon.

Jeonghan laughs, taking the spoon from Jiwoo.

"The jar full or...?"

"Just three spoonfuls should be enough."

"Right."

It's the longest conversation he's had with her.

Jeonghan spoons cinnamon into her little jar, "What are you using this for?"

"Baking."

"Ah."

"If they turn out alright, I'll give you some cookies."

Jeonghan blinks.

"Oh, thank you."

Jiwoo takes her jar from Jeonghan, longs nails clicking against the glass and Jeonghan follows her to the door.

When they open the door, Jihoon is already in his doorway glaring up at Matthew before he turns to Jiwoo, squinting suspiciously.

"He's one year younger than you. He's my age."

Jeonghan waves at Jihoon, who waves back with a frown. His eyes flit from Jeonghan to Jiwoo.

"Why are you telling me this?" Jeonghan says lowly.

He tenses up when Jiwoo places a hand on his arm, coming close enough that Jeonghan can smell her perfume and see the stars in her hair twinkle.

"Because he's pretty. And so are you." Is all Jiwoo says before she's off with Matthew at her heels.

Jeonghan moves to close the door, pausing when he sees Jihoon still staring at him.

He smiles, waving one last time before shutting the door.

His face is red, he can tell, he just hopes Jihoon can't.

That night Jeonghan wakes up again, shooting straight up on his bed. He doesn't know what woke him up so he just blinks, trying to adjust to the dark. He squints at the mirror hanging on the back of his bedroom door, which is directly in front of his bed.

He's never had a problem with the mirror, even at night, but now? Jeonghan regrets putting his mirror there when he sees the darkness shift on the mirrors surface.

The reflection of his room looks darker than it really is.

He blinks, blinks, blinks, blinks - because there's no way there's a clawed hand tapping, tapping, tapping long black fingernails on his cheek. There's no way another clawed hand materializes out of nowhere and presses down on his lips.

If he stays still enough, if he concentrates enough, he can feel the gentle tapping on his skin. He can feel the thin, milky fingers pressed against his mouth, growing warmer and warmer and muffling the sound of his panicked breathing.

Jeonghan throws himself to his nightstand, turning on his lamp and wheezing with relief when he glances back to the mirror to see and feel nothing on his face.

He hears the hooves of a horse, walking down the road and Jeonghan's skin breaks out with goosebumps. He shivers, tiptoeing out of his room as if Jiwoo would be able to hear him from outside.

Maybe she can.

He creeps to his living room, trying not to make his presence known as he peeks through the blinds.

The clicking of hooves grows louder and louder and louder, the sound bouncing around in his head until it's too much and Jeonghan grimaces.

Across the street he can see light spill out of Jihoon's windows.

What is he doing?

Jiwoo comes into view with a dramatic swish of her black skirt, gold bracelets glittering under the moonlight like they always do. Matthew is at her heels and Jeonghan wishes he could tell Jihoon to turn off his lights because she's here.

Instead, Jeonghan watches with mortification as Jihoon's door opens. Light spills out onto the pavement and Jiwoo jerks to a halt.

She hesitates before she goes to stand at the edge of Jihoon's lawn, Matthew hanging back and casting a look over his shoulder in Jeonghan's direction.

He taps his cheek with his index finger, grin sharp and bright in the dark.

Jeonghan shivers again.

The street is quiet as Jiwoo and Jihoon have their stare off before Jiwoo bursts out into laughter. It rings out like broken glass, like glitter spilling all over the floor, like a star meeting the earth.

"Pry him out of my hands if you can, Jihoon." She bellows, extending her hands to him. Jeonghan can see the glint of her black nails. "Try and claw your way out of them, too, while you're at it."

Jiwoo turns to Jeonghan's house, scanning the window before locking eyes with him. She smiles, eyes glowing blue in the dark.

She blows him a kiss and Jeonghan can feel his face burn.

Jihoon doesn't say anything, just stares after Jiwoo as she walks out of view.

Jihoon stands there for a few moments before he stares at Jeonghan's house, shoulders curling in towards himself as he shivers. He waves weakly, eyes trained on the door.

He lets his hand drop to his side, waiting for the door to open, but it never does. He heaves in a breath, slowly closing his door, still staring at Jeonghan's home and Jeonghan panics.

This is it, this is your chance, this is it.

Jeonghan jerks open his door and waves back frantically and, before he can think properly, he yells out: "Hi!"

Jihoon's door opens up again, Jihoon staring at him with wide eyes.

"Hi!" He calls out again, face burning, "Would you - do you want to - um, I just - "

Jeonghan hears Jihoon close his door, the jingle of keys, and then Jihoon's jogging across the street to his home and suddenly he's is in front of Jeonghan.

"Hi." He breathes.

"Hi." Jihoon replies. "May I come in?"

"Oh! Yeah, absolutely, I'm sorry - take a seat, make yourself comfortable." Jeonghan says, ushering Jihoon into his home. "Would you like anything to drink? Water? Apple juice? Soda? Vodka?"

"I'm okay." Jihoon replies, "We have other things to talk about. Sit." Jihoon pats the seat next to him and Jeonghan immediately drops down next to him.

"You hear it too, right?" Jeonghan asks in a hushed whisper, "The horse? The hooves?"

"Yes and no." Jihoon replies, "That's her. It's Jiwoo."

"I know we don't - you might not like me or whatever, it might seem too forward to - to ask you this, but can I - " Jeonghan stutters out, mouth clicking shut when Jihoon wraps a hand around his wrist. Jihoon shifts in his seat to properly face Jeonghan, knee touching his thigh and Jeonghan can feel a blush crawl up his face.

"Don't let her in your house again." Jihoon says firmly, "Take the jar and give her what she wants, but don't let her step a foot in here."

"Okay." Jeonghan says, "But I'm a little confused - "

"The hooves are her. I hear heels, but you hear hooves. She's after you." Jihoon says and Jeonghan ends up even more confused. "Don't let her in your house again."

"Okay."

"Call me if she's ever too pushy. I'll come over right away and make sure she doesn't step a foot in this house. I'll come back tomorrow."

"Alright. My phone - " Jeonghan pulls back, turning a brighter red when he realizes he's been leaning into Jihoon's space. "I'll be - let me just go get my phone."

Jihoon releases Jeonghan's wrist.

"Please, don't hesitate to call me if she gets too pushy. And please call me as soon as you get home from work so I can come over." Jihoon says when Jeonghan calls his phone and it gets sent to voicemail.

I have his number. I have his number!

Jeonghan watches as Jihoon rises from his seat. He holds the door open for Jihoon. He waves goodbye when Jihoon crosses the street and looks at Jeonghan from his own home.

Jeonghan's face is red, he can tell, he just hopes Jihoon can't.