I stand there frozen as Sehun plays with the keys. I am still calm so far. This must be a prank. This has to be a prank. He LIVES here? Right next to me? No, this must be some housewarming joke he’s trying to play.

     He opens the door with one of the keys and I feel like something heavy is stuck on my body. “Welcome to my room. Would you like a tour?”

     I take a step back, slowly shake my head and try to pull up the sides of my mouth. I can’t. “I should—I should go to Mr. Jang.”

     I rush downstairs and just as Sehun told me, the middle-aged landlord is watering his little garden in the front lawn. He looks calm to see me, and throws me a thin smile. “Is there something wrong, Miss Song?”

     “Does Oh Sehun live here? In the room next to mine… On the second floor… Together with me?” my words blurt out like a bullet train. Mr. Jang’s smile blooms brighter.

     “Oh, he finally told you! He instructed me to say nothing when you arrived earlier. So you two are friends, it seems?”

     “We’re not.” I instantly answer. I close my eyes for awhile to collect my sanity, and I look up to him again. “Uh, actually, I have some problem with the sink.”

     Mr. Jang told me it has been less than two weeks since Sehun moved here, and thought that my rent was based on Sehun’s recommendation. Who would have thought that online search would lead me to this fate.

     I’m standing near my bed when Mr. Jang starts to fix my tap, and Sehun’s head pops out from the open door. I tilt my head elsewhere, avoiding eye contact.

     “Can I come in?”

     I stiffly nod, and he walks near me after greeting Mr. Jang. He stops right beside me, and imitates my folded-hands-on-chest gesture. I take a deep breath. “Does Jongin know that you live here?”

     “No.” Sehun answers. I was ready to call Jongin immediately if he really did conspire about this with Sehun, but the answer surprises me a bit. “He doesn’t. Only few people do. I was supposed to surprise him too but he left earlier. He thinks I still live on my old address.”

     I still feel unreasonably annoyed and I just want to take a nap right now, so I stay silent. My impression on this man beside me is not that good, so this feels like a bad luck to me… But I should think clearly. “Uh… I hope you can help me if something happens. As a neighbor.”

     Sehun nods lightly. “Sure thing. As long as you pay me.”

     I send an unbelievable glare at him, and he bursts into laughter.

     “Just kidding. I’ll go back to my room.”

     With that he dashes back to the door. I let out a silent scoff, thinking he’s disappeared, and I sit on the edge of my bed. My brows furrow when I see Sehun walking in again, and leisurely sit beside me.

     “It’s boring, though. I’ll stay here with you until he finishes.”

     “What—no—it’s okay. Just go back.” I try to be as polite as possible.

     “It’s okay to be here too.”

     I stare at the floor, unable to reply. Mr. Jang is heard testing the tap, and he steps back from the sink. “It’s finished, Miss.”

     I thank him, and he leaves my room. But the other man is still wandering around inside. “Mr. Jang is finished, you can go now.” I say as I walk to the sink to test the tap myself. It feels a bit tighter after it’s fixed, and I almost have difficulty turning it to let the water flow. I heard Sehun’s steps behind me, and his long arm suddenly appears from behind my shoulders.

     “Oh, right, it’s good now. But is it hard for you to turn it?”

     I can feel his body sticking to my back, and I immediately slide away to my left to go further from him. “It will be okay. You can leave.”

     Sehun nods, eyes still on my sink. He walks slowly to the door, and forms one last smile. “Okay. See you soon.”

     The door closes, and I whisper “Hopefully not so soon.” to myself. I can still feel his temperature on my shoulders, and I shudder. That was way too close.

     I will start work in two days on Monday, so I will use the remaining time to rest and continue unpacking. I lay on my bed, close my eyes, but the more I try to sleep, the more I’m reminded that I live under the same roof with someone who presumably will make my life a bit harder here. Let’s just try to avoid him.

*

     I wake up on the break of dawn with hurting stomach since I missed dinner because of sleep, but I feel ready to spend this Sunday by unpacking. I should also go grocery shopping.

     I open my laptop, and look for a folder from two years ago, during Jongin and Sehun’s competition in Seoul. I snapped some pictures from their practice and dinners we had… I put my palm on my forehead when I realize Sehun was, in fact, there all the time. He was the one I referred as ‘sour-faced blonde guy’ before. If anything, he definitely looks way better with brown hair now. I feel strange for not remembering him. I watched them practicing the sync dance that he and Jongin had to perform together back then countless times. I only had my eyes on Jongin, it seems.

     I haven’t gone out from my room since lunch time, so after everything is settled on my room, I get ready to go out. When I lock my room my sight travels to the door next to me, and my stomach twists. I should really get used to this.

     I tell the landlord that I ordered him lunch as my gratitude for yesterday, and Mr. Jang’s smile melts my heart. He’s a very warm-hearted guy. I leave my phone number with him in case anything happens and get his number in return. Everything about this rent should be completed already.

     On my way out, I take out my phone and dial a number. After a few dial tones, Jongin picks up. “Hey, Seah. Is everything okay?”

     “Yes—uh, yes, very much. Uh—I just want to ask… Where are you now?”

     “I’m in the academy, a private class will start soon. Why is it?”

     Working on a Sunday? My heart sinks, and I pout. “Ah… Is that so? I wanted to ask you to show me around the city. But I guess it’s not today.”

     “Oh… Yeah, too bad. Wait, do you want to go with Sehun instead? This is supposed to be his free day.”

     I clutch my phone tighter after hearing that name. “Speaking of Sehun, do you know that he lives in the same boarding house as me?”

     “What?” Jongin instantly exclaims. “He does? Wow. I don’t know this… That brat, he doesn’t tell me anything. So how did you find out?”

     “Yeah… After you left… Well.” I’m too lazy to explain. “He planned to surprise you too.”

     “That’s great, he’ll help you if you need anything! Why don’t you just ask him to go with you back at home?”

     Ugh, I want to go with you, stupid. “Eh… I thought he was resting… So… Yeah.”

     “Ah, well… So what to do? I think I’ll finish late, too…”

     “It’s okay, Jongin, I’ll just go alone.” I rush my greetings, and hang up. I lean on the nearest wall and sigh. Maybe next time.

     I spend the day wandering aimlessly, familiarizing myself with the city. I had lunch, went grocery shopping, and when the sky gets dark I’m bringing two large bags of necessities on my hands. The road I need to walk before the boarding house is completely flat but I’m already panting even before I could see the house.

     I open the front door with much difficulty, and hear noises from the living room. Three people are sitting around a table, but a composed atmosphere is not what I’m seeing at all. On the table, empty bottles of soju are scattered around. Mr. Jang, looking sober, is trying to comfort a woman in her thirties who is crying loudly in a drunken state, her makeup is all ruined by her tears. Sehun is sitting across the two people… Sleeping? He has his head above his folded arms, his cheeks are bright red. Is he drunk too?

     “Mr. Jang…”

     Mr. Jang looks at me apologetically, but he also looks like he drank a bit as well. “I’m sorry to let you see this condition… Mrs. Kim here… She’s also a tenant here, her husband hasn’t come home for three days.”

     “Oh no…”

     “I will try to bring Mrs. Kim back to her room, will you watch over Sehun for a bit?”

     “Uh… Well…” I look at the sleeping Sehun. I’m more curious with how this drinking session started.

     Suddenly Sehun lifts his head, eyes opened. He looks right at me, and raises both his hands. “Seah!”

     I take a step back. Mr. Jang looks at him worriedly. “Sehun? Can you go back to your room?”

     “Absolutely.” he stands up firmly, but his eyes are half-opened.

     Mrs. Kim changes from mumbling unidentified cries to screeching curse words, and Mr. Jang tries to make her get up. Sehun is walking towards the stairs, and even if I don’t want to I should at least make sure he goes to his room safely. I lift my grocery bags again, and follow him to the stairs. Sehun is walking steadily, but he keeps muttering long ‘hmmm’ along the way.

     The door of his room is opened wide, but he walks past it, towards my room. “Wait. Sehun. Your room is right here.”

     Sehun turns around upon hearing my voice, and he approaches me with empty eyes. I move near the wall to avoid stepping down the stairs again, and Sehun follows my every move. I’m sticking to the wall right now, and I drag my back bit by bit to move further from him, and to bring him closer to his own door. It’s so hard to do while handling two large bags.

     We’re almost there, and Sehun is still facing me, inches from my body. The door is now right behind Sehun’s back, and I slowly step forward to make him enter. My movement is stopped instantly when Sehun puts both of his hands on the wall over my shoulders, trapping me. I drop the bags on my hands, and quietly try to push him away. “Sehun, please go into your room—“

     His eyes went from empty to sleepy again, and when I thought I could succeed by almost reaching the door, he pushes me back to the wall and kisses me.

     I spontaneously shove him away, and he falls past the narrow corridor to inside his room just behind the door. He has his eyes closed when he fell but after he showed consciousness by moving slightly on the floor, I close the door in an instant, grab my bags in confusion, and enter my own room.

     I put a hand over my mouth after I lock the door, and lean on the kitchen set to support myself. What the hell did just happen?

     I was afraid Sehun would go to my room, but minutes pass and there’s nothing. I’m still walking around my room in shock when my phone rings. Jongin, out of everybody, out of all time, when that just happened to me?

     “Hello. Hi. Jongin.” it feels like something blocks my throat.

     “Hey, Seah, just calling to make sure you’re safe. Have you gone home?”

     “Yes. I have. Thank you.”

     “You sound weird, did something happen? Have you met Sehun today?”

     My head feels dizzy, and I pull a bit of my hair. “I have. He’s home.”

     “Oh, what is he doing?”

     Jongin, dear God, please. “Uh, awhile ago, he was drinking.”

     “Oh, be careful, he kisses people when he’s drunk!” Jongin laughs loudly. “To men, at least. On the cheeks. Everyone runs away when he starts to get drunk.”

     I throw myself to the bed, and cover my face with my hand. I don’t have any strength to talk.

     “Seah?”

     “Um… Jongin, I have something to do, I’ll call you back.” I hang up, throw my phone further and I dash to the bathroom.

     After making sure it’s locked properly, I grab my towel, cover my mouth with it, and let out the loudest scream I could make right now.