4. Notes

It had been a week since she moved in and she had been receiving daisies everyday without fail. She thought it was bloody strange for a random citizen to leave her favorite flowers on top of her bedroom windowsill. Was someone stalking her? A prank? Or could it be that someone fell for her and did this as a sign of affection?

Even so, she didn’t know. When Tuesday came, the usual daisies were there but a note accompanied it.

Hey.

What the hell is this? She thought.

Aki deliberately ignored this by rolling her eyes and throwing the small note away inside the trashcan but another came the next day.

Please don’t frown.

Due to curiosity and exasperation of the civilian’s persistency, she wrote back.

Why would a great citizen such as yourself, care for my facial expressions?

Before sleeping, she posted this outside her window, clear enough for the particular civilian to see. The next morning, she got her answer.

Because I think you’re exceptionally pretty.

It was the corniest thing she ever read her entire life but it simply made her cheeks flush bright red. She almost resembled a tomato. Aki grabbed a pen, sat on her desk and scribbled in a hurry.

Are you a man? These notes are starting to creep me out.

A response came again the next day.

No, I’m a lesbian who fancies a girl in 221A. Yes, I’m a man; and fret not my dear for I have no intention of killing someone I quite admire.

Aki frowned and wrote back.

That was a distasteful attempt at a funny joke.

And like a routine, he answered her again when morning came, with a fresh batch of daisies:

I thought I told you not to frown? And it’s called “Sarcasm”, milady.

Ignoring his remark, she answered him again because she had questions for him that bothered her for quite a while.

May I ask why you bother me with daisies?

Are you aware that they are my favorite flowers?

Are you possibly stalking me, Mr. Daisies?

So many questions, Ms. 221A; first of all, I just thought it could brighten your apartment since you usually frown; secondly, I did not know daisies were your favorite.

Stalking? I’d say I’m admiring you from afar.

Oh and by the way, I am flattered I have earned a nickname.

Aki was getting annoyed. She didn’t like the man’s retorts. So, this is what she wrote next.

Sending me daisies is sweet but I would really appreciate if you would stop this nonsense.

This is nice and all but the daisies you are sending me have begun to pile in my apartment.

I’m sorry to break it up to you but I won’t stop until I see a nice, bright smile from you, Ms. 221A.

And in the last note of “Mr. Daisies” she ignored this once again, tucking it safe inside her desk.

…

It was Aki’s weekly visit to her therapist and this bothered her. It was not like she despised Min Young, but she despised her questions. She was not particularly fond of people who pry on what she’s going through even if that certain person is a therapist. She could sit all day and ignore Min Young’s ramblings about her dysfunctional self. She thought it was clear to her that she was slowly fading away.

To begin her day, she left her apartment and visited their house just to cheer her up. The excruciating appointment with her therapist would take a long while.

When she arrived, she naturally placed her things on the sofa and examined the house with both of her hands on her waist. She decided to clean up. Their house was a little dusty but it smelled like the home she’d always look for. It reeked of him. She tried to ignore this but his scent lingered. That peppermint perfume he always wore for her remained. She walked and carefully wiped the frames of photos, smiling back at the people who were in the photographs.

There was this one photograph she stared at for a long time with a smile she rarely flashed. It was a photo of her husband. She remembered clearly when she took the picture. That time was their honeymoon in Jeju Island. They were at the beach. He wore her heart-shaped sunglasses and he looked undeniably dorky but to Aki, he was the most handsome being there was. He stuck his tongue out, gesturing to his written “My wife is a nerd.” on the sand. She giggled.

“I’m home, luv. You missed me, right?” she asked. He didn’t respond.

“How’s the apartment? It’s all right; the people who live there are nice. There’s Chanyeol, the novelist who likes to visit and talk to me; Jongin, the architect who is quiet but is unquestionably funny and awkward; Joon Myeon, who likes to treat us in nice restaurants; Sehun, the university student who likes to tease me by saying informal words. You better teach that boy a lesson, but he’s tolerable enough.” She sat down on their couch and kept talking and talking to the photo as if it were truly her husband. She imagined him there with her. Sitting there, fiddling with the ends of her hair and staring deeply at her with his misty eyes.

“Stop it, Aki. He’s not there.” Her conscience remarked. Aki paused. She stood up and set the frame down as she smiled one last time.

“I miss you.”

…

“How was your visit to your house?” Aki averted her gaze from the window to Min Young who looked patient that morning.

“It was fine. I cleaned up a bit since the house was getting dusty. I watered the plants and flowers as well, wiped the photos, scrubbed the bathtub, cleaned our bedroom and folded his shirts.” Aki was smiling but she noticed this as her smile dropped in a blink of an eye.

“Why did you stop smiling?”

Aki tried to look away, “Going into that house relives every moment I had with him. A part of him comes to life. I even chatted with a photo of him.” Aki laughed humorlessly, “I must’ve looked silly.”

Min Young looked at her with a serious expression as she busied herself, writing every observation she saw in Aki. She was getting better. Maybe it was her neighbors? Her tenants? She was smiling again but she remembered this and dropped it as quickly as she flashed it. She reckoned that Aki felt guilty every time she smiled. Like, she was having the time of her life without him. It was like she was saying she can handle life without him. It was like she was forgetting him. Aki didn’t want that.

“You have informed me that you had three different roommates in one week. Is that true?”

“It is. People can’t stand me. I’m dysfunctional as hell. They would complain why did I do this and do that. I don’t blame them. I wouldn’t live with a seemingly deranged girl such as myself too.”

“Aki, need I remind you that you're not deranged."

Aki sighed deeply, clearly not enjoying the gloomy atmosphere.

"You’re not purposely driving them away, are you?” Min Young asked in perfect curiosity.

Aki’s eyes enlarged in shock. “Are you accusing me that I do such things to drive my roommates away? How could you? I’m in desperate need. I’m trying to do what you specifically told me to do but they have these pathetic excuses just to leave the next morning!” Aki stood up, her heart rate sped and she felt her face heat up. This was too much. Absolutely too much! She tried to be patient but no one would stay even for two days with her! Boy or girl, they would just have these funny little justifications to leave the following day.

Min Young looked at her, dumbfounded at Aki’s sudden outburst. She stared at her in shock but gestured Aki to sit back, “I am not accusing you of anything, Aki, but I’m sorry if I offended you. Please take your seat.” She said calmly.

Aki breathed loudly and slumped herself back on the comfortable, too much of a comfortable sofa.

“Could you tell me-?”

Aki smiles sarcastically. “With pleasure. Where shall I begin? Oh, this is good.” Aki shifted her body and faced Min Young with a smile she could barely decipher. It was honestly unnerving for her because her face was morphed with strange happiness and anger was dripping in every word she said.

“A girl came in Wednesday morning, a university student. She was kind and perky. Always called me “unni” and she always offered me help like making dinner or with my photos. I thought she was okay and told myself that she’s tolerable enough. That time, at  3:00 in the morning she knocked on my bedroom door just to scream that I was being too loud. I was having a nightmare and I guess I was whimpering and groaning in my sleep. And the most annoying part was that I told her about my husband but she didn’t even think that I was still devastated! She screamed, “Unni! Will you quiet down? I’m trying to sleep! I don’t care if you’re dreaming about your husband but you’re making me crazy!” I’m making her crazy? I trusted her and told her what she needed to know but she spat back what I said and insulted my husband! She’s a little-!” She groaned loudly.

Min Young was about to voice out but Aki who continued, immediately cut her off with her story.

…

It had always been the same to Aki, after every session she had with Min Young. Emotionally exhausted. That’s what she’d always feel. Aki came back with an inevitable sigh as she climbed up the stairs of the apartment.

…

When Aki awoke, he was already standing behind the front door with a hopeful grin. Aki was groggily making coffee as she went back to her bedroom to take the covers away but she noticed a jar of daisies on her windowsill with a note tied around a daisy’s stem. She raised a brow and opened the window while he was already inside the apartment, introducing himself brightly to Tae Hee.

She unfolded the curious little note and read the message aloud it contained.

Good morning, Ms. 22A. Did you sleep well?

Aki squinted her eyes as she continued to stare at the small scribbles of Mr. Daisies. This confused Aki quite a lot because ever since his last note of wanting to see her smile, he didn’t send another message after that but continued sending daisies. At that time, Tae Hee smiled back at him and asked Chanyeol if he could call Aki and tell her that she had met her perfect roommate.

Chanyeol nodded in approval as he climbed up the stairs, purposely skipping. He knocked on the door with a dumb grin as Aki dramatically turned her head around. She pouted, “Who could that be?” she went back to the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee as she made her way towards the door.

She smiled in an instant when she saw the charming giant. “Good morning Chanyeol, you’re up early. Do you want coffee?” She motioned to her mug of warm coffee as she slowly sipped with caution.

Chanyeol shook his head, “It’s okay, noona. Anyways, someone came here to check the room!” he exclaimed and just like that, Aki coughed dryly as her tongue burned in agony.

“Someone came? At this ungodly hour?”

“Yeah, ahjumma reckons he’s your perfect roommate. You’ll get along with him.” Aki distractedly craned her head to see behind Chanyeol, wanting to meet this perfect roommate.

Aki rubbed her nape in a daze, “Thanks for telling me, Chanyeol. I guess I’ll wear something decent for the-“

“But he’s already climbing.” Chanyeol said, looking over his shoulder as Aki’s eyes widened even more than it did before.

“Really?!” she exclaimed. She placed her mug down on the coffee table as she sprinted to her bedroom like a jackrabbit and locked the door.

“What should I tell him?” Chanyeol asked uncertainly.

“In ten seconds, I’ll be out! Stall him for me if I’m not quick enough, will you?” Aki shouted back as she fumbled inside her closet, throwing different kinds of clothing she thought were less decent. She always wanted to look her best. To prove that she was a worthy roommate, she just merely had defects like everyone else. Why can’t anyone accept that?

When she found a blue shirt and a pair of jeans, she quickened her pace to wear these; silence enveloped her bedroom due to much determination. She looked at the mirror, combed her hair and fixed it into a French twist.

It looked proper enough. She opened her door but was stopped dead in her tracks as she came face to face with an unknown man who smiled brightly like the morning sun that rises from the east.

This particular man was shorter than Chanyeol’s giant figure but taller than her. He seemed to be in his early-twenties. He had the loveliest sparkly black eyes, pointed nose, milky white skin and those lips. Who could miss those lips? They were plump and pink. There he was, standing in front of her as he bowed slightly to Aki.

“I’m sorry, your neighbor said to surprise you or something of sorts. I didn’t mean to startle you though.” He chuckled and gestured to Chanyeol who watched the both of them with excited eyes at the corner.

“He let me in. By the way, my name is Byun Baekhyun. It’s nice to meet you.” He grabbed her hand and vigorously shook it with much feeling.

“Lee Aki. Um, sorry, I don’t mean to be rude but could you let go of my hand?” Aki asked hesitantly, still a bit distracted by the man’s fine facial features. Truth be told, he resembled a bit of her husband. But, Aki’s husband was not as loud as the man that stood before her.

Baekhyun smiled and let go of her hand. “I’ll leave you two alone, I still have to pass my sequel. Good luck, noona!” Chanyeol waved goodbye and closed the door behind him.

The two strangers were left alone.

Aki moved to her coffee and sipped a little of it, “You’re awfully early just to have a look at the apartment.” She sat on her sofa, eyeing Baekhyun.

Baekhyun followed suit, “I’m a music teacher in a university. As a teacher, I have to be set as an example to arrive early. Exams are coming up so this is the only vacant time I have.” He said cleverly as he looked down at her, his eyes still smiling with unknown glee.

Aki looked at him as she slowly nodded her head. “Do you consider this apartment even if you’ll have a roommate?”

He his lips out of habit but this made Aki jump unconsciously. “Of course I do, it’s a really decent place to live in and to add, having a roommate is very convenient.”

Aki raised her brows interestedly. “How so?”

He hummed, pursing his lips in the process. “For one thing, you can take care of each other.”

“Huh.” Was Aki’s only reply. It made sense but it seemed like he was more than what she thought. He could unexpectedly survive a night and not leave the next day. Aki didn’t know whether that was a good thing or not. While she was in her so-called mind palace, Baekhyun looked around and spotted a lovely jar of daises in the middle of her coffee table. He smirked. “I see you like daisies.”

Aki didn’t respond for she was too engrossed in her thoughts. She stood up, “Uh, if ever you’ll end up here, this will be your room.”

She walked and turned the doorknob, which revealed the navy blue room that had definite and good amount of glow-in-the-dark stars up on the ceiling.

“Cool.” He walked inside and slumped his whole body on the bed. Aki leaned on the doorway and watched him. “Feeling comfy, huh?”

“Certainly. How is the furniture? The toilet? The kitchen?” He asked as he moved on to the window.

“Everything here is functioning well enough and for the rent it will be half and half. We must set a few rules as well, for formalities sake.” Aki said in a negotiating voice.

Baekhyun nodded, “Where will I sign?”

Aki couldn’t believe her ears. “You’re serious?”

“Of course. Guess I’ll be moving in tomorrow if that’s all right with you.”

Aki was in shock and didn’t know how to respond to that. “Are you absolutely sure? Aren’t you curious about my habits though? I will be your roommate, after all.”

“We’ll see how we’ll get along. No big deal, right?” His eyebrows danced as he waltzed out of the room.

Aki followed him and before he could leave for Tae Hee to sign the papers, Aki whispered more to herself than to him, “Can you live with a monster like me?”

Baekhyun turned around and managed a charming half smile. “Well that's just it. You’re clearly not a monster to begin with, Aki-ssi.”

He bowed again, “I look forward to be your roommate.”

He left and climbed down the stairs loudly.

Aki stood there with a frown on her face, “He had the guts to decide everything and didn’t even consider my say in it? How will I live now?” She moaned and fell on the sofa.

Baekhyun climbed down the stairs with a giddy expression, dancing goofily through the hallways; a daisy fell from his pocket as he went inside Tae Hee’s room to sign the papers and tell the good news.

A/N: I am sincerely sorry for updating so late.

I have been quite busy these past few days. I got sick, I took an important exam, school works and activities.

I'm not telling you to pity me but please understand. I will do whatever I can to update as soon as possible.

Furthermore, it pains me to know that sasaeng fans mobbed Baek's brother's wedding.

It breaks my heart that he is sad and apologetic.

I hope these so-called fans should calm down and provide privacy for the EXO members. It's beyond disappointing.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Finally, Baek came! What do you think of their first meeting?

Tell me please!

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Once again, God bless lovelies!