Chapter 4

Return of the boy next door
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Are you sleeping? Hongki's text read. 

Dahyun had just finished drying her hair and was about to take some medication to help her sleep when she saw the text from Hongki. Replying to the message with a simple 'No,' she put her phone back on the bedside table and went to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water. When she returned to her room, she saw a missed call from Hongki.

She returned the call after taking two pills and went to the living room to look out the window again. It was a routine that she rarely broke. 

"Hi," he said as soon as he answered the call.

"You called me?" She asked, sitting on the sofa and looking at the dark sky illuminated by the moon. 

"Yes, just wondering how you felt about today."

Dahyun hummed, "Are you asking about Jaeyoung?" 

There was a short silence before he replied, "Yes, what do you think of him."

"He seems nice, but I don't think he's the one for me," she said.

"I see," he said, and there was another silence.

"If there's nothing else, I'm going to hang up now," she said and was about to end the call when she heard his voice.

"Wait, I'm downstairs. Can you open the door for me?" Hongki asked, and Dahyun widened her eyes in shock. 

"Ring the doorbell," she said as she walked to her video intercom.

She tapped on the screen once it rang, and as he said, he was at the front lobby of the apartment complex. She tapped to unlock the door at the front entrance and waited for him to reach her main door after hanging up the call. 

"Why are you here?" She asked in confusion after he entered her apartment.

"I don't know. I was driving around after dropping off Boyoung but found myself here," he said as he went to sit on the sofa.

Puzzled, she asked, "Shouldn't you be at Boyoung's house instead of mine?" 

She sat beside him, but her body was facing him. 

He didn't respond to the question. Instead, he declared, "I'm going to sleep here tonight." 

"Huh?" She dumbly responded.

"I just feel like sleeping here tonight. Is it okay?" He asked and was finally making eye contact with her.

Dahyun frowned, it was only his third time here, and it already seemed like he made himself comfortable in her home. Then again, he had always done things his way, and Dahyun wasn't one to make a fuss over anything. She was someone who'd go with the flow, but he was undoubtedly the first person who came to her apartment and whom she asked to stay overnight, except for her parents. 

"I don't mind having you stay overnight, but you know that if Boyoung finds out, she'll be upset, right?" 

Looking away, he said, "I broke things off with her." 

Dahyun felt her heart beating quicker at the revelation, "Why?" 

"I don't feel anything for her." 

With a sigh, Dahyun turned her body and leaned against the backrest of the sofa. Lee Hongki's love life wasn't her concern, and it was silly of her to feel excited just because he broke off with his current fling. It wouldn't take long for him to find another girl too. 

"Are you going to stay overnight once in a while?" She asked, looking out the window while hugging her cushion. 

"Maybe, if I feel like it," Hongki said.

"I'll go get a towel and the pajamas you wore the last time you were here," she said and went to her walk-in closet.

After handing him the things, he went to shower, and Dahyun took a deep breath before lying down. He really wasn't good for her heart, but it seemed like her heart didn't want to let him go either. Not again. Her life in high school wasn't pretty, which was one of the main reasons she had rarely contacted Hongki. He was at the peak of his career, and she didn't want to bother him. Despite rarely reaching out to him, at least she knew that he was there. 

He had always been there, listening to her complaints without a word, and would comfort her. He was her safe haven when she was young. 

Dahyun was dwelling on the past when her reverie was broken at the sound of the door opening.

"Are you going to sleep here again? You didn't drink any alcohol just now though. Can you sleep?" Hongki asked. 

"I took medication, so it should be fine if you stop talking to me," Dahyun said, looking at his reflection in the window. 

Hongki didn't say anything and sat on the single-seater sofa. Her eyes were half-closed, and she was still looking at his reflection.

"Aren't you going to bed?" She breathed. 

"A little while later," he said with his arms crossed. 

She closed her eyes and muttered, "Do as you wish." 

Dahyun didn't know how long it had been, and she didn't know whether she was awake or dreaming since her mind was groggy from the medication. She opened her eyes slightly when she heard a movement and kept her eyes closed again after seeing Hongki sitting on the floor before her. 

"Dahyun-ah, I'm confused. Do I see you as a younger sister or a woman?" She heard him ask softly.

Dahyun's eyebrows twitched at his words, "why are you asking me that?" She mumbled.

It was quiet again before he asked, "You weren't sleeping?" 

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