If it wasn’t because you remember the night was already quite late and you rented the place, sure thing you would’ve kicked the silver door. You were glad you remembered though, if you did kick the steel door, you were sure you were doing nothing but harm to yourself.

But really, you were so annoyed. It was almost eleven at night. Your body was literally worn out from full day of college and still adjusting to Seoul. A lot of things were different from your place back then overseas and you hadn’t fully accustomed. Yet you had to deal with whatever it was the thing happened with your apartment door was.

Unlike overseas, here in Seoul, the main door were locked with automatic door lock with numbers as the password. The problem was, no matter how many times you tried to punch in your key pass, it wouldn’t open. The screen was on, for God’s sake, you could even enter the number of your pass, but instead of a beep and followed close with the unlocking sound of the door; you were welcomed with a beep, and that’s all. The door didn’t open and wouldn't open no matter how many times you tried.

The first idea came across your mind was, of course, calling the landlord. But instead of having a straight help, the landlord gave you a number of locksmith which made you let out another sigh tonight. You already called the locksmith too, and he said he would be there in ten minutes.

Truth be told, it was already fifteen minutes and you grew tired that you sat on the floor next to the door of your apartment. It wasn’t just once or twice your head fell down because you unconsciously dozed off. You were tired and you were not joking at the slightest.

By the third time you dozed off, your head remained hang low for more than necessary. You almost went into deep sleep when something nudged your shoulder softly. Abruptly awaken, you tried your best to keep your eyes open and looked up. There was a tall man hovering over your form sitting on the floor, he was wearing a white-black-red jacket with a bag on one of his shoulder.

You took a glance at your clock on your wrist, twenty five minutes, who was messing with who. “You said you would be here in ten minutes, are we living in a different standard of timing system? It is clearly twenty five minutes, I’m so tired all I want to do is come inside my place and sleep, yet you took too long just to arrive here, just quickly fix my door,” you spilled in one breath out of fatigue and annoyance. But you quickly realized that you might have been too harsh to someone who was going to help you, “please,” you added as you raised from your sitting position.

He grinned sheepishly before putting his bag down on the floor. “Which one is your door?”

Without any words, you nodded your head to your door, one hand rubbing your eyes to keep it awake a little longer.

“What’s the problem?” He asked as he opened the slide and literally scrunched his forehead in confusion when he saw it actually .

“The code is 216573. Try it,” you said casually, he would ask and try anyway, so what’s the point of hiding. They usually had some working vow or ethical code or something like they wouldn’t share or use any personal information or whatever, you were too tired to remember.

As basic procedure, of course, he tried to type in the codes. And the door didn’t even do magic due to his touch. The lock beeped but again, the door didn’t open. The boy straightened himself and took a deep breath, probably analyzing the situation.

You were still sleepy, and didn’t forget that you were so tired before you were sleepy; so you leaned yourself to the wall. Shamelessly analyzing him as he was analyzing your door. Blame the fatigue for making you lose your etiquette.

He was good looking, now that you looked at him carefully. And he was tall, authentically tall because when you looked down to check his footwear, it didn’t have too much heels and there was no way someone could insert any insoles to that kind of shoes. His whole form could be categorized as skinny, his legs were long, like really, long. And you didn’t know if it was usually like that or because he was scanning the lock a minute ago, but his legs were slightly bowed. His hands were manly and fiddled at the edge of his jacket’s pocket as he was thinking.

His hair was fluffy black with a slight glint of chestnut at some point where it reflected the lighting of the corridor. Both his eyes were so big and round, you could say it was pretty, and not in a girly way. You noticed that his ears were slightly too pointed. In harmony of his bones over all, his nose was long too and with his lips a little bit thick and pouty, somehow.

All in all, he looked Korean, but unlike most Korean. Your conclusion itself made you confused but you could care less in your state right now. One thing you were sure was the fact that he was undoubtedly good looking.

“The password was right since it beeped as if it was going to open.” Oh, and the fact that his voice was undoubtedly deep. “But, it didn’t open, hmm,” he added more to himself.

One of his hands went to shuffle his hair carelessly. His hair looked ridiculously fluffy that you wanted to run your fingers in it, if you could.

You realized you were staring at him for too long when he lifted his gaze and looked at you. He held his index fingers some inches in front of you. “I’ll be back in any minutes,” he excused himself and without waiting for your response, he was gone by the lift. Good thing he was too lost on his own thought that he didn’t realize you were screening at him. God, it would’ve been so embarrassing if he caught you.

Out of your expectation, he actually came back short after. You were just going to pick up your phone in your bag on the floor when he came out from the lift. You ditched your earlier intention to take out your phone since you saw him came back, with a small package on his hands. He didn’t say anything and went back to work, opening the seal of the packages that you found out later, were two different types of batteries. Wordlessly, he held the bigger battery sideways to a certain part of your door’s automatic lock. After some minutes, with his other hand, he tried to enter the codes again. As usual, the lock beeped.

But magically, there was a click and your apartment door opened.

Your mouth hung open in awe, but you quickly shut it when the boy turned to you and gave you a proud smile. The said person gestured with his hand and his facial features if he might come in, and you nodded before following him behind.

Once he passed your door, he turned to the lock at the inside part, opened it, and replace the batteries. Ignoring you, he walked outside and closed the door until it beeped again, informing that it was locked. You left bewildered inside, like, what was with him? He worked in silence and now left you just like that? Without saying anything? Was this a free service for late or anything?

Before your mind could process anything further, you heard the lock outside was being slide open. And then you heard numbers were being entered, mere second later, you heard the so familiar beep before a click and your apartment door was opened.

“My prediction was right, your lock was out of batteries,” he said at the edge of the door, one hand nonchalantly on the door so it wouldn’t automatically close by itself.

It took you a while before you actually comprehend the situation with your sleepy brain. “Oh,” you managed to let out. “Thank you. So how much it made? Do you want anything to drink before you leave?” you asked in courtesy as you stepped outside to take your bag.

You looked up from your hand rummaging inside your bag when he didn’t answer and instead, you heard steps coming closer to your position. He was smiling a little, still holding your door. The upcoming person was a man, probably in his mid-thirty, wearing a button up teal shirt, with some kind of id card attached to the pocket.

The latter looked at the number of your door, and then the guy before you, before actually looking at you. “I’m sorry, were you the one who called me earlier? To fix the door of apartment number 807?” He looked at you after once again looking at the number of your door and yourself.

You were out of comprehension so you just nodded in clueless.

“I’m sorry I was still fixing another customer’s door and I didn’t think it would take that long. So what’s the problem with your door?” He asked again and started to analyze your door with his gaze, still on his place.

Your eyebrows furrowed. You didn’t understand at all. So, this man was the locksmith you called earlier? If so, then who was the guy who actually fixed your door? 

“I’m sorry, Sir, but the door is fine now, if you don’t mind,” the younger male said to him with a respectful smile as he bowed slightly to the other one, trying to apologize in a well mannered gesture.

“Oh, that’s fine, I’m the one who’s sorry for late. If there’s anything else you need, just give it a call, I have to get going actually. Good night,” he said in one breath and turned back. Made your eyebrows furrowed deeper.

“Sure, Sir, take care on your way, good night!” the guy beside you replied politely and a little bit louder because the man already rushed back to the lift.

Truthfully saying, you were still bewildered, you turned to the guy who had fixed your door. You stared at him in confusion but he just grinned happily. “So,” you started but you were too confused, “that man just left was the real locksmith?” you asked with one finger pointed to the lift where the man you meant had left.

He curled his lips to the side, pretending to think, and his eyes followed your fingers. “I think so,” he answered nonchalantly, like he was clueless as well.

You stared at him in horror. “…and you are?”

Unexpectedly, he burst out laughing as he left your door and made it closed by itself. “I live here,” he said as he picked up his bag on the floor.

Without any words, you stared at him with such a ‘what-do-you-mean’ look mixed with ‘are-you-kidding-me’ look.

“I mean I live here, in the apartment in front of yours.” The boy stepped forwards to the door across your own door. He slid the cover of his lock and swiftly pressed the number. There was the familiar beep and the door clicked open. Proving you that he indeed lived there and he knew the pass key.

All of sudden, realization hit you and you realized you were wrong. You had thought the guy in front of you was the locksmith that was why you snapped at him and told him to quickly fix your door. God, you even asked how much it cost. “Oh, my God! I’m so, so, so, sorry! I thought you were the locksmith, I’m reallyreallyreally sorry, oh my God! I even threw my tantrum at you! Oh my—“

“Hey, hey, that’s okay,” he said in between laughter. “Just go inside your place and sleep, you are tired, right?” he asked repeating your earlier words mischievously with a glint of playful tone.

Blood rushed to your face due to embarrassment but you couldn’t help a small laugh escaped your lips. You nodded in defeat. Denying the truth would just add more embarrassment, no? “But really, I’m sorry and if there’s anything I have to pay—“

“No, please, that was truly okay. The battery can easily and cheaply bought almost anywhere, I got them from the convenience store at the ground story. You are new here, aren’t you?” Oh, and he was holding his door all along the talk, so it wouldn’t close back.

You bit your lower lips still out of embarrassment. God, he was actually cute, why in the world did you have to meet him in such a way? “…okay. But I’m still, really sorry, okay? And yes, I just moved here some days ago, I’m sorry again that our first encounter was like this,” you said as you entered your door key again.

“About the drink,” he cut when your lock beeped and the door clicked open. You turned your body towards him again, but one of your hands held the door open. “You can grab me some coffee as we talk in a more appropriate way, and we can take that as our first time meet each other,” he suggested with a playful grin never left his face.

You were just so out of words. Come on, he was cute at the first place, and then you thought he was the locksmith and threw your anger at him, to turned out that he was your cute neighbor. Life, really now?

Due to your speechlessness, you just nodded and almost turned yourself back when he cut your gesture again. “The name is Chanyeol, by the way, Park Chanyeol,” he smiled in amusement he nodded at you once. “Good night.” Just like that and he left behind his door that was quickly clicked close behind him.

You couldn’t suppress the urge to smile in amusement and embarrassment as you nodded, no matter how he was no longer there. “Good night,” you mumbled as you also entered you apartment.

Park Chanyeol, even his name was just as cute as himself.

Yehey as usual I wrote nonsense ♥

I'm actually in a headache and in so much deadlines right now. But here I am writing Tinker-Yeol. I hope you enjoyed it and have a nice day ♥