Chapter Text
Thank god this is over soon.
That’s Jeno’s thought when he’s carrying the last moving box up the stairs. It’s just like his luck that the elevator in his new home building is broken on the same day as he moves in. Not that he would be moving with tons of stuff, but carrying all those boxes to the third floor is hard enough.
When Jeno finally steps on the third floor, he’s dripping from sweat. His hair is sticking on his forehead, making it a bit too difficult to see where he’s walking. Maybe it’s because of that, or the box being high enough to touch his nose, but after a few steps, Jeno slams against something – or someone.
“I’m so sorry!” the black-haired man hurries to say and turns sideways to see the damage. There’s a young man in front of him, around his age, holding a hand in front of his face. “Oh my god, did I hurt you?” Jeno asks, in a slight shock, looking at the person with a worried expression.
The man doesn’t say anything but walks past him to the stairs. Jeno turns to look after him, frowning as he does so. What a weird person. He apologized in a good manner, and that man didn’t even say anything. It’s not like Jeno would have stumbled on him and his face on purpose. What a jerk.
As Jeno walks down the corridor to his door, he cannot help but wish that person wasn’t living here as well. He had his fair share of rude neighbors at his old place. Hopefully it will be better here.
The black-haired man struggles to snatch the keys from his pockets. Finally, he manages to get them and open the door, a smile appearing on his face when he steps in. This is his new home, and weird or not, it already feels like one.
Jeno had moved from another city after getting a new job. Thankfully, he was already familiar with some places, since a couple of his friends are living in the same city. He wouldn’t be all alone, which seemed to be his mother’s biggest fear.
Not that Jeno minds being alone; he’s a classic case of an introvert. He has a few friends, but he also loves to spend time on his own. That’s why home is a very dear thing to him. Home is where he can relax and be comfortable, being completely and a hundred percent himself. So even though this apartment is now filled with box piles and a few plastic bags, Jeno is more than excited to make a nest for himself. He would be happy here.
He places the box from his hands on the floor and pulls the door shut. The moving truck left already, so Jeno doesn’t have to go anywhere for a while. For sure, he needs to hop to the nearby convenience store to get some dinner, but he could do it later. Now he could even take a nap if he wanted. It’s Saturday, so he doesn’t even need to work tomorrow.
As the black-haired man straightens his back and puts his hands on his hips, Jeno smiles, feeling genuinely happy. This little two-room apartment would turn out amazing; he has a good feeling about it. Here he would make wonderful memories.
→⭐︎←
A very annoying noise stirs Jeno awake from his dream. The man groans as he sits up on the mattress on the floor. He rubs his neck, eyes still closed, a tired sigh leaving his throat. His muscles are wailing in pain, making him feel at least ten years older than he really is.
Jeno opens his eyes when he finally realizes where the noise is coming from. He gets up from the mattress, glancing at the window as he walks out of the bedroom. The sun is shining brightly even though it should be evening. That’s strange.
The black haired man heads to the front door. Without checking who’s ringing the doorbell like a maniac, he opens the door, eyes still half closed because of interrupted sleep. “Welcome home, boy!” a bit shorter male yells in the corridor.
“Chenle, shut up”, Jeno shushes the other and pulls him inside by the shirt sleeve. The Chinese huffs, mimicking offended. “Come on, is this how you greet your friend?” Chenle mumbles and kicks his shoes off. “No, this is me preventing you from getting me into trouble on my first day here”, Jeno says as he closes the door.
“Isn’t it practically your second day though?” Chenle asks as he walks to the fridge and opens it. “What?” Jeno says in a confused tone. He looks at how his friend loads groceries to his fridge. “I literally carried the last box up here an hour ago. You woke me up from my nap.”
Chenle turns to look at the other and lets out a laugh. “Damn, you must have napped good”, he says, looking amused. “Your moving day was yesterday. You must have slept around the clock, my friend”, the shorter one states before taking two coffee cans from his grocery bag.
Jeno stares at him for a while, without saying anything. Now it all clicks, why it’s so bright outside even though it should be late already. He turns to look at the clock which is still laying on top of some boxes, waiting for its moment to get on the wall. It’s nine in the morning. “Jesus”, Jeno mutters by himself, still looking baffled.
“You must have been pretty exhausted yesterday”, Chenle says and gives one of the cans to the other one. “But I’m here to help now. There’s some breakfast in the fridge so maybe you should start with that”, the man says with a fond smile and opens the can in his hands.
The taller one couldn’t be happier that he has a friend like Chenle. They have known since university, they were living in the same dorm back then. Jeno remembers how he thought that the Chinese felt too energetic, too over the place. He really couldn’t stand him at first. But as they really got to know each other, Jeno noticed there’s something else as well. Beside being loud and dramatic, Chenle is also a very good listener and loyal to his friends. He’s always ready to help, putting his matters to the side if his friends need him. That’s why he probably is here right at this moment.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t help you yesterday. We had a crazy day at work”, Chenle says before taking a sip of his coffee. “And that one fucker didn’t even consider changing shifts with me. I’ll remember that next time when he asks a favor”, the man mumbles. It makes the older one chuckle.
“It’s okay, I managed to get everything here by myself”, Jeno says and looks at the can in his hands. “But thank you for coming. And getting breakfast”, he adds, sounding genuinely thankful. “Dude, don’t thank me. It’s the least I can do”, Chenle offers a wide smile. “I’m just glad I have you here now.”
Jeno and Chenle had kept contact through messaging almost every day, but it had been quite a long time since they saw each other last time. If Jeno remembers correctly, it happened a year after their graduation. Chenle had visited him after breaking up with his girlfriend, brokenhearted and in need of a shoulder where he could lean to.
Their friendship had always been like that. They didn’t need to see each other's faces every week, every month or even every year – their relationship would remain the same, no matter the distance or time between them. Those two knew the other one would be there when needed.
But now Jeno is living in the same city for the first time after their university days. Those two friends would have more chances to meet whenever they want. When Jeno thinks about it, the idea of it feels more than nice.
“I’m glad to be here too”, Jeno replies with a soft smile, his eyes looking like two crescent moons.
The morning goes by in a smooth atmosphere. Jeno fixes them some breakfast from the groceries Chenle brought him. At the same time Chenle empties the moving boxes one by one, taking his friend’s things to their right places. After eating they keep unboxing together, a comfortable chit-chatting filling the apartment. When Jeno is standing on a stool and putting the curtains on his living room window, Chenle’s stomach makes a noise.
“I guess it’s lunch time”, the Chinese man laughs and holds his tummy. Jeno grunts as he strains himself for the last time, attaching the last curtain clip up. “Sounds good”, he wipes the sweat off his forehead and steps down from the chair. “Should I cook something? I need to go to the store first though.”
“No need, I’ll handle the meal”, Chenle says and cleans the dust off his hands on his jeans. “There’s a restaurant nearby and their food is to die for”, the shorter one explains over theatrically, making the chef kisses with his fingers. “Oh really? Then we should order in”, Jeno smiles at his friend’s gestures.
“Oh no no no, the place is so popular that it will take forever before the food courier gets here”, Chenle says as he takes the phone out of his back pocket, checking the time. “I’ll get lunch for us, it’s quicker that way.” Jeno watches as his friend goes to put his shoes on. “Are you sure? Isn’t that too troublesome?” he asks carefully.
“Nonsense. You can search plates and chopsticks for us while I’m gone”, Chenle chuckles joyfully and pats his other pocket, making sure he has his wallet with him. “I’ll be right back!” the man says before heading out, closing the door behind him.
Jeno stays there, smiling by himself. He lets out a pleased sigh, turning to look around him. They managed to empty so many boxes, the apartment starting to look a little bit like home already. He’s so grateful that Chenle managed to come help him today, making his weekend a little bit easier. Maybe the apartment will be all done by the time he starts at his new job tomorrow.
Like the shorter one proposed earlier, Jeno gets to work and starts to search through the boxes. He’s pretty sure he remembers where he packed all the kitchen utensils. When Jeno finally finds a pair of spoons and bowls, he hears a faint knock on his door. Maybe Chenle forgot something; he couldn’t be this fast, right? Or maybe the restaurant is closer than Jeno thought.
The man walks to the door and peeks from the peephole, seeing no one in the corridor. That’s strange, Jeno thinks to himself. When he’s already turning around to get back to search for some chopsticks, he hears the knocking again. What the hell, are there some kids pranking or what?
Jeno returns to the door, this time opening it with a full swing. To his surprise, there’s a young girl looking at him with her big eyes. “Sorry, I must have knocked on the wrong door”, the girl says shyly and pushes some of her hair behind her ear.
She can’t be older than a high schooler, Jeno thinks as he smiles at the girl. “Don’t worry”, he replies. The girl bows down at him and walks back towards the stairs. Jeno looks after her for a while before closing the door. Before he manages to step away, the man hears a faint knocking from the corridor. Ah, the girl must have found the right door.
What’s weird is that the knocking keeps going and going and going on. Jeno frowns as he presses his ear against the front door, listening to how that kid violates the wooden surface. He can hear how the girl talks by herself, but the words get all muffled. What on earth is going on…
Finally Jeno opens the door again, peeking carefully outside. “Please open the door”, he hears the girl pleading between the knocks. She’s standing at the other end of the corridor, close to the elevator and stairs. After a while her tone changes. “I know you’re there”, she says in a much more stern manner. Jeno furrows his eyebrows even more. The more he follows the situation, the more it looks like that teen isn’t here to meet her friend.
Jeno clears his throat and opens the door fully. “Excuse me”, he says, stepping into the corridor. The girl turns to look at him, a surprised expression on her face. “I think there’s no one home. Maybe you should go”, Jeno adds. He doesn’t know who this girl is or how she knows his neighbors, but the way she acts doesn’t seem normal.
“I can’t go”, the teen replies, her eyes more cold than earlier at Jeno’s door. Well, what should the black-haired man do? Wrestle her? He takes a step closer, trying to look as adult as he can. Adults can intimidate kids like these, right? The girl's expression changes a bit, so Jeno decides to walk even closer.
“Then I’ll call the security”, the man states, surprised by his own stern voice. The girl looks at him for a moment, clearly hesitating about what to do. Finally she makes a decision to leave the door and head to the elevator. Jeno decides to stand there and watch closely, to make sure that the person actually leaves. As the teen steps into the lift and the door closes, he wonders if he really should call the hallway security, just to be sure.
Jeno is ready to turn around and go back to his apartment, when the door next to him flings open – the very same door which the strange girl banged a moment ago.
“Please fucking leave or I will call the cops!”
There’s a man standing in the doorway, staring at Jeno in an angry manner. The latter stares back at him, the confusion painted on his face. “Uhm…what?” he manages to ask quietly, totally lost in the situation.
“You heard me. Go or I will call the police”, the man repeats, the anger dripping from his tone. He has brown hair, the color resembling the fallen autumn leaves. He’s about the same height and age as Jeno and his broad shoulders almost touch both sides of the doorway. And damn he’s handsome.
“Oh, no need to. I was just going to–”, Jeno tries to reply before the man slams the door shut. Now Jeno is the only one standing in the corridor, blinking as he stares at his neighbor’s door. “What the fuck..”, he mutters by himself.
It takes a few seconds before Jeno can move his feet and walk back to his apartment. He’s really confused about the situation. Like who was that girl? And why was his neighbor yelling at him? In the end, he was the one who chased that kid out of their building.
After closing the door, the man sighs deeply. He really hopes this was just a one time incident. He appreciates peace and the real estate agent had reassured him that this building would be a quiet environment. His two first days here tell otherwise though.
Suddenly the doorbell rings, making Jeno jump on his spot. Did his neighbor follow him, to shout at him even more? Or did the lunatic girl come back to seek her sweet revenge? Either one, Jeno is ready to fight back. He opens the door, looking more than pissed off.
“Just fuck o–”, the sentence gets cut off when Jeno sees his friend looking at him in confusion. “Oh, it’s you”, the taller one lets out an embarrassed chuckle. “Yes, me”, Chenle replies before stepping into the apartment. “Earlier you said that I’m going to get you in trouble but I think you manage to do it by yourself”, the Chinese says as he takes his shoes off.
“You might be absolutely right”, Jeno mumbles and closes the door. His friend’s stare tells it all – he wants to know what happened while he was gone.
When Chenle shares the food into two bowls, Jeno tells about the girl on his door, the banging on the corridor and the angry man yelling at him. Once they’re finally sitting on the floor by the tiny coffee table, Chenle laughs out loud. “I’m gone like, I don’t know, twenty minutes and you get into that kind of mess in that time”, the shorter one snickers and takes a bite of his meal.
“Like I intended to do that”, Jeno mumbles and tastes the food. Chenle was right, it’s delicious as hell. “I guess you have only two options”, the Chinese says and takes a sip from his water glass. “Either you live scared of your neighbor or you go back to talk to him.”
The black-haired man scoffs and glances at the other. “To that yeller? No way, I’m not suicidal”, he says and takes another bite of his lunch. Damn it tastes good.
“Don’t be a pussy”, Chenle snorts and points at Jeno with his chopsticks. “He probably thought it was you who banged his door”, he explains himself. “You need to correct the misunderstanding and tell what really happened”, he adds.
Jeno eats his mouth empty, wrapping his mind around Chenle’s suggestion. Well, maybe he’s right. He knows he’s a good neighbor and that he didn’t do anything wrong – in fact the complete opposite. Also, it would be a pity to start his life here like this.
“I’ll go later tonight”, Jeno mumbles and stuffs the food into his mouth. Chenle smiles brightly at him. “Good boy.”
→⭐︎←
Later in the evening, when Chenle has already left, Jeno takes a deep breath. He’s standing behind that cursed door, the one which that girl banged like a maniac. It shouldn’t be hard, all he needs to do is ring the doorbell and introduce himself like a decent neighbor.
But the thing is, Jeno truly is a classic case of an introvert. He can nod as a greeting and smile when he passes people in the hallway, but actually going behind his neighbor’s door to say hi…it feels horrible. The bonus in this one is the possibility to get yelled at again which wasn’t nice at all.
Jeno sighs and gathers up his courage before pressing the doorbell. He hears the faint chiming sound from the inside, making him feel a bit more anxious. Everything is going to be alright, the man inside is not going to eat him – possibly.
It takes a few minutes before the door opens. The same man from earlier peeks outside, looking irritated. “I’m serious about calling the police”, he says bluntly. When he tries to close the door, like by instinct Jeno grabs a hold of it.
“Wait!” the black-haired man yelps, holding the door with all his strength. His neighbor stares at him, the disbelief decorating his features. “Are you also trying to break in? You’re one crazy bastard”, the man mutters before taking the phone from his pocket – probably to call the cops.
“What the fu– no!” Jeno says in a loud voice, looking at the phone in a slight panic. “I came to explain what happened earlier, because I really think there’s a misunderstanding”, he blabbers in high speed. The man on the doorway stops and looks at him, frowning as he does so. “Who are you?” he asks with a cold tone.
“Lee Jeno, I just moved to your neighbor”, Jeno introduces himself as quickly as possible, pointing at his apartment door at the end of the corridor. The man glances at the direction, like wondering if he should believe the other. “And why were you banging our door?” he shoots another question.
“I didn’t”, Jeno replies, catching his breath between his explanations. “Earlier today there was a girl. She came to my door first, but it seems she picked the wrong one first.”
“A girl?” the brown-haired male asks as he keeps looking at the other one. “Yes, a young one. Like a high schooler or something”, Jeno hurries to tell. “After leaving my door she came here, knocking your door”, he recalls the events from earlier.
“And why did I find you behind our door instead of some girl?” the neighbor asks, a sceptic expression on his face. Jeno catches how he said ‘our’. Maybe there’s a family or a couple living in that apartment. “I asked her to leave because she seemed suspicious”, Jeno explains, nibbling at his lower lip.
The man stares at him in a way that makes Jeno feel nervous. His neck starts to feel damp as those eyes drill straight into his soul. “Yeah right”, the brunette finally says. Jeno blinks at that. “Excuse me?”
“I’m sorry, but you need to practise your storytelling a bit more”, the man says. Jeno blinks his eyes a few more times. “..what?” he stutters in disbelief. Now his neighbor straightens his posture, looking at him like a cheap item. “Do you really think you’re the only one who disturbs us with silly stories like that? I know you’re here just to see even a glimpse of us”, he says, his face completely serious. “Although I must say, moving in the same building is something the others haven’t done before. You’re way more shameless than anyone else.”
Jeno stares at the man, his eyes wide and lips slightly open. What in the hell this man is talking about? Is he completely nuts? When the first state of shock is easing a little bit, the black-haired man furrows his eyebrows. “Who the fuck do you think you are?” he spits in frustration.
“Excuse me?” that man asks on his turn. “As if you don’t know who I am”, he scoffs.
“Nope, never heard or never seen”, Jeno blurts. His neighbor has a weird expression, like his reply would have been the biggest news flash in this decade. This guy must be a narcist or something, Jeno thinks to himself as he turns on his heels.
“Hey, where are you going?” the man asks in confusion. “Home”, Jeno replies and starts to march towards his door. “Sorry for bothering you, won’t happen again”, he manages to half yell before going inside.
Once he slams the door shut, he takes the deepest breath he has ever done. He can’t believe this, his neighbor is the biggest jerk ever. He only hoped to live a peaceful life, enjoying his time in the new city. Oh well, maybe that’s possible, if he keeps his distance from that nutcase.
“Jesus fucking Christ”, Jeno mumbles as he decides to call it a day.
→⭐︎←
Jeno’s first day at work is amazing, and he’s not even exaggerating it. His boss is a middle-aged man who has the driest sense of humor ever. Despite that, Jeno enjoys his day and new job to the fullest. He has his own desk next to a window, the nearest coworker being at least two meters away. He has at least a little bit of privacy and what’s more important, he can work peacefully.
During lunch time he meets a bunch of his work mates, some of them actually being very nice. Especially one guy, a couple years younger than Jeno, seems friendly to him. In the afternoon Jeno accompanies him to get some coffee from their downstairs cafe.
“On Fridays we go to eat outside, on those benches”, the man says once they’re queuing for the beverages, pointing outside. Jeno turns to look in the direction, seeing a small park with a couple trees and flower plantings. “I mean if the weather is nice, of course”, he chuckles and turns to make his order. Jeno makes a mental note to bring his own lunch every day.
“By the way, I’m not sure if I heard your name earlier”, Jeno says once he has made his coffee order as well. “Park, Park Jisung”, the young guy introduces himself and offers his hand to the other, smiling rather shyly. Jeno takes a hold of it and shakes it softly. “Lee Jeno”, he says instead.
The more they talk, the more Jeno feels relaxed around him. It must be a good sign to find a person like this on your first day. He has a feeling that they could become rather good friends.
When the clock hits 5 pm, Jeno marches out of the office. The weather is nice, the sun is shining brightly. It’s the beginning of May, so the wind feels a bit brisk from time to time. Otherwise it’s warm enough to walk home without his coat.
Jeno is on his way to the train station when he checks his phone. He should have time to get some groceries before heading home. The delivery men should bring a new couch for him later in the evening and Chenle had promised to come to test it right away. Jeno had asked him to not call it like that when they were just supposed to have an actual movie night, not Netflix and chill.
It’s kind of a running joke that Chenle and Jeno seemed like a couple sometimes. It all began back in school when some of their mutual friends actually thought those two were dating. Some of them even held an intervention, trying to make Jeno admit their secret relationship. But the truth is, and has always been, that those two are just friends.
The black-haired man actually once thought that he had some kind of feelings for the Chinese. But when he looked at that person, he realized that it’s nothing romantic or even sexual. He would have his Netflix and chill with someone completely else.
In fact, Chenle had declared to be his official wingman, despite him being a hundred percent hetero. In Jeno’s opinion it was kind of sweet that his friend was so invested in his love life. Not that he needed any help though. Jeno isn’t that much of a relationship type of man. In his mind, dating equals drama and that didn’t fit in his peaceful life. But if he wants someone in his bed, he would usually find the right person without too much trouble. It’s so much easier this way.
Jeno had known about his sexuality for a long time. He remembers having his first crush on a boy when he was just fourteen years old. The same boy was the class president and he had girlfriends for every finger he had. Still, one summer evening, Jeno had his first kiss with that class president. Back then he was sure that he had found the biggest love of his life. Unfortunately the young president didn’t want more than those few summer kisses.
In university Jeno had his first boyfriend – an actual boyfriend, not Chenle as a fake boyfriend. They dated for a year before Jeno saw his sweetheart kissing someone else at a dorm party. After that, he had a couple shorter relationships, all of them ending in a fiasco. Based on these, Jeno decided to settle for casual interactions which wouldn’t last more than one night.
After getting everything he needs from the supermarket, Jeno heads back home. Luckily the elevator works again, making it so much easier to go to the third floor. While passing that one particular door, Jeno makes a wry face.
He hadn’t seen that unstable neighbor after he visited behind that door. It has been only one day since then, but still, Jeno is glad he hasn’t seen that face anymore. His blood is ready to boil even just by remembering the incident in the corridor.
Shrugging his shoulders, Jeno gets to his own apartment door and takes his keys to get in. He shouldn’t use any bit of his energy to think about that jerk. Ugh, Jeno hates to feel this annoyed. Once getting inside, he takes a deep breath and kicks his shoes off. This is home, this is a happy place – here he shouldn’t dwell in negative thoughts. Now he should concentrate on preparing the snacks for tonight and let the delivery guys in when it’s time.
Jeno changes his office clothes to something more comfortable, rolling his sleeves as he starts to cook tacos for their movie night. When the doorbell rings for the first time, Jeno smiles cheerfully. His new couch must be here.
The black-haired man goes to the door and opens it. He was right, his new black couch is waiting in the corridor, one of the delivery men showing him a receipt for signing. After writing his name, Jeno lets the men in and watches how his new furniture gets moved into the apartment. As he’s looking at the wheezing delivery guys, he hears a knock from the open doorway.
“Looks like my timing is perfect”, Chenle says joyfully as he walks in. Jeno turns to glance at him and smiles widely. “It is. Did you choose the movie yet?” he asks. The Korean gets a thumbs up as a reply which makes him chuckle.
In thirty minutes the delivery men are gone and those two friends are sitting on a brand new sofa. “This is nice”, Chenle compliments while getting his feet on the couch as well. “I love it”, Jeno says quietly, feeling the fabric on the armrest. Somehow getting the new furniture makes the place feel even more like home. Now he only needs to get a new bed frame.
“Oh oh oh, by the way!” Chenle suddenly exclaims, sitting up properly. “You never know who I saw on my way here”, the man starts his story, the excitement painted all over his face. Jeno turns to look at him a little bit interested. “Uhm..your ex?” he makes his best guess.
“You think I would be this happy if I saw someone I used to date?” Chenle frowns and slaps Jeno’s thigh. The latter makes a little whine out of pain. “But seriously, if you already knew about this and didn’t tell me, I’m going to punch you, like for real”, the Chinese continues. Jeno gives him a weird look. “About what?”
“That you have celebrities living here!” Chenle says, almost bouncing on his seat. Jeno stares at him for a while. “Like who?” he finally asks, a disbelief showing on his features. He has a hard time believing that. This building isn’t particularly fancy and the neighborhood seems quite normal. Why would any celebrity live here of all places?
“The Dreamers!” Chenle says so loudly that Jeno flinches. “...who?” the latter asks after a few silent seconds. It results in another slap on his thigh. “You’re unbelievable”, Chenle sighs as he looks at how Jeno massages his painful leg muscle. “You must know them. Everyone does!”
“Well I’m not everyone”, Jeno scoffs and glances at the younger one. “I don’t know things like these. Who are they? Trot singers?”
Chenle laughs out so loud that the black-haired man is sure his every neighbor hears him, even the yelling one. “Trot singers, what the fuck”, the man laughs so much that there’s tears in his eyes. “They’re idols, four male pop singers! They debuted like a year ago and now they're like super popular!”
Jeno rolls his eyes at the younger one’s excitement. He has never really understood idolizing anyone. Those are normal people like everyone else – they just do their job, just like everyone else. “And how did you come to that conclusion that they live here? Did you read it from some gossip forum, huh?” he asks, sounding sceptical.
“It's public information that they live together in a dorm, but no one really knows where. But now!” Chenle points Jeno with his finger, making the taller one cross his eyes for a moment. “Now I saw one of the members!” the Chinese says the rest of his sentence.
“That doesn’t mean he’s living here. Maybe he was visiting”, Jeno rationalizes and sits up to take his beer bottle from the coffee table. He’s not a big drinker, but he surely enjoys drinking a beer or two with his friends. “You’re such a party pooper sometimes”, Chenle mumbles and frowns as he looks at his friend. “It’s like it’s your hobby to ruin all the fun things.”
“Maybe it is, who knows”, Jeno laughs and takes a sip from his bottle. There’s a moment of silence between them before Chenle keeps talking. “But think about it, how cool would it be if they lived here?”
“I don’t know because I wouldn’t probably notice them”, Jeno chuckles. He almost takes another sip, but the doorbell interrupts him. “Are you expecting someone?” Chenle asks, looking at the front door in curiosity. Jeno stands up with a beer bottle still in his hand and sighs. “I swear, if it’s that crazy girl again, I’m going insane”, he mutters before walking to the door.
Without taking a look at the peephole, Jeno opens the door. When he sees who’s standing behind it, he feels an urgent need to close the door right away.
“Uh, hi”, the man in the corridor says. It’s the same man who yelled at him yesterday. It’s the same man with those ridiculously attractive shoulders and handsome face. It’s the same man who lives at the other end of the corridor. In other words, the neighbor whose face Jeno doesn’t want to see ever again.
Jeno looks at him with a blank face, not knowing what to say. He’s mentally screaming, asking in his mind what the fuck that person wants from him. To break the uncomfortable silence, the brown-haired man decides to keep talking.
“I, uhm, came to apologize”, he says and flashes a photogenic smile. Oh god it irks Jeno so much. “I think we had a little misunderstanding earlier”, the man says, clearing his throat. Jeno scoffs at that. “You think so?” he says, his tone dry like a desert.
“Well, uh, yes. Actually, I asked the security guard about that girl and it seems you told the truth”, the brunette says and rubs his neck, looking very much embarrassed. Jeno lets out an amused snort. “Oh really? Did you ask the guard to check the security cameras?” he asks mockingly. The uneasy silence after that is a clear answer. “You really did”, the black-haired man mutters.
“It’s only reasonable when you’re in my position”, the neighbor defends himself, looking the other cautiously in the eyes. “Oh”, Jeno scoffs and leans his shoulder on the doorframe. “We’re back at the ‘don’t you know who I am’ topic.”
The brown-haired man looks at him with a weird expression, Jeno can’t really read it. “You really don’t know who I am”, he repeats quietly, a hint of amusement in his voice. What’s with this person, like really??
“Okay, if you don’t have anything else, me and my friend would like to continue with our evening”, Jeno sighs in frustration, taking a hold of the door. “Wait!” the man says, stopping the door with his hand. Jeno looks at him in confusion, surprised by his strong reaction.
“I didn’t apologize properly yet”, the man insists, making the other frown. “Leaving is apology enough”, Jeno mumbles, ready to throw some fists soon. His thoughts get interrupted when Chenle walks next to him.
“What’s goin o– OH MY GOD”, the man suddenly shrieks so loud that Jeno almost falls on his knees, making the man in the corridor jump as well. “Chenle, what the fuck”, the black-haired man turns to look at his friend, worried about his mental state at this point. His confusion grows even more when he sees the shorter one pointing at his neighbor with his finger.
“Y-you..”, Chenle stutters, his eyes wide and mouth gaping like a fish on dry land. This is completely out of his character, Jeno thinks to himself. “It’s..he is..oh my god”, the Chinese keeps blabbering, not able to form a proper sentence. When Jeno’s neighbor chuckles at his friend’s reaction, Jeno is completely lost in the situation. What on earth is going on?
“Well, it looks like I’m not going to lose my job after all. At least someone still recognizes me”, the brown-haired male laughs. Jeno jumps again when Chenle suddenly shouts at him. “You don’t recognize him?? What’s wrong with you, have you lived in the barrel the past years??” the shorter one exclaims.
“Okay, what’s going on?” Jeno looks at both of those men in utter confusion. He feels like he’s being filmed for candid camera. “That’s a fucking Na Jaemin”, Chenle says, making it sound like Jeno’s neighbor would be the president of South Korea or something. And he’s not, Jeno knows at least that much. “Who?” the black-haired man makes a mistake asking.
“Who??” Chenle shrieks in a way that Jeno is sure he’s going to rip off his hair any minute. Instead, Jeno notices his neighbor offering his hand.
“Maybe I should introduce myself properly before the whole building hears us”, the man chuckles. Jeno hesitates for a moment before taking a hold of that hand. The brown-haired male squeezes him firmly, but not too hard. His skin is exceptionally smooth.
“My name is Na Jaemin”, the man says and smiles softly. “A member of The Dreamers”, he adds, a grin growing on his face. Jeno stares at him quietly before connecting the dots. The Dreamers as in the pop group Chenle was talking about earlier, Na Jaemin as a celebrity who lives in his building.
“Oh”, is everything Jeno is capable of saying.