𓈒𓏸 song's apt no. 1 ༄.°

@✧˚ k. minah It took almost all the power in him to not burst out laughing at the obviously red-faced lady in front of him right now nor to throw a joke at her since he didn’t want to make their first meeting turn out to be the worst meeting ever, especially if they were about to live next to each other. He was quite having a fun time right now and this woman in front of him really picked his interest up and he made it his goal to get to know her more as time went by.

He watched as she walked towards the correct room this time still with a teasing smile on his face. Leaning against the railing, Mingi crossed his arms while watching the lady in amusement as she accidentally dropped her key and continued to fumble with it. “You sure you don’t need my help? I’m sure I can help you with a thing or two.” He grinned at her even though he was sure she wouldn't be able to see it, and when she finally managed to unlock the door, Mingi clapped his hands. “Good job~ Finally you get the right room.” A soft chuckle escaped him, unable to keep it inside any longer. “Well, since now you can go have some rest, I shall bid you a good night. I’ll tell mom you’ve finally arrived and had a little… trouble.” Still grinning, he walked over to his unit and unlocked it with ease, compared to her. “Well, good night, pretty lady. See you in the morning. If you ever need anything, remember, I’m just a door away. Feel free to knock on my door~” Mingi gave her a little wink before disappearing behind his door, leaning against it to let out the laughter he had been trying so hard to hold back out there. “Oh God… finally something interesting in this town~ Well, I guess things will get livelier in Haepung from now on. I should ask mom for her name~”

@✧˚ s. mingi Minah tapped her foot with growing impatience, feeling the frustration bubble within her as she watched the man take his phone out of his pocket. Was he really dialing for the cops? Her heart raced furiously as she bit down on her lip in anxiousness and quickly took out her phone to check the pictures that came attached with the rental agreement she'd meticulously saved. She was sure that this was supposed to be the right apartment building she was to be in. Then, the worry that mounted in her chest began to chew at her thoughts and made her wonder, had she, been swindled in this whole thing?

Just when she was going to open to cut him off to show him her tenancy information, the man quite abruptly ended his call. After he had ended his conversation, he pointed with his index finger toward the door on their right side. Just then, when the light in the corridor, as if on cue, flickered to point at the door that clearly now displayed the number "01" across it—the very door she had been trying to get into, trying so desperately. Then, right at that moment, from chest to stomach, her heart plunged down as reality weighed hard on her. She indeed had been trying to enter the wrong apartment all this while.

Her face turned a vivid and deep shade of red, as embarrassment surged over her in a manner reminiscent of an overwhelming wave crashing onto the shore. The man, who was now unmistakably entertained by the situation, introduced himself with a friendly smile as the son of the landlady. Minah took a long, deep breath, making a concerted effort to suppress the feelings of mortification that were overwhelming her and to maintain her voice in a steady and composed manner. "Alright then, Song Mingi-ssi," she replied, striving to keep her tone cool and collected, even though her heart was racing wildly in her chest. "I’m sure your place isn’t quite big enough for the two of us to comfortably stay together."

She seized the handle of her handbag and dragged it along, toting it most of the time while striding with an air of triumph and assurance. "Please keep your doors closed, I won't be needing your help." And with such a remarkable and sure declaration, she hastily sprinted toward the right door, unlocking it as fast as she could, her cheeks yet smudged and scorching with the warmth of humiliation. But she could not help but steal a half a glance, from the corner of her eye, at her neighbor whom she, for the very first time truly recognized was far from unattractive, no, quite the contrary. The thought made her absent-minded, and her focus strayed from whatever was going on, so the key dropped from her hands, creating a loud clatter on the floor. "Argh..." she murmured, frustrated, letting her luggage go with a thud as she stretched down to pick up the dropped key. Her hands were a bit trembling with nerves when she finally managed to insert the key into the lock, and after a little struggle, she did manage to open the door. "Finally."

@✧˚ k. minah Mingi let out a scoff, as if he didn’t believe the lady in front of him despite her already showing a key. “That key could be just any key, ma’am. Doesn’t mean that it’s the key to that room.” He retorted, not wanting to back down just yet. Well, these days, one could never be too cautious right? Who knew that behind her beautiful appearance she is a professional thief and had some kind of weapon hidden on her body? Until she said that she paid to live here.

“Wait- what? Paid?” He repeated in disbelief. Did his mom kick him out without telling him? Brows furrowed in confusion, Mingi held out his hand toward her as he fished his phone from his pants with his other hand and dialed his mother. It took her a few moments before picking up and immediately he bombarded her with questions about the supposedly new tenant; that was when his mother scolded him for forgetting that she had told him earlier this week that there would be a new tenant moving from Seoul to the unit right beside him. Slapping himself mentally, Mingi quickly disconnected the call after bidding goodbye to his mother to save him from another nagging which could last like an hour or even more.

Sighing as he looks at the lady, he then pointed to the door on his right, just next to his unit where the lady was trying to get in with the wrong key. “Of course you can’t get in. The place you’re trying to enter? That is my place. Yours? Is this.” He said in a clear amusement in his voice “Unless you want to live with me, which I don’t mind, of course. Then be my guest.” Gone all the cautiousness he displayed earlier, replaced by his usual flirty self. “Right. And I’m sorry for accusing you of being a thief. I haven’t changed the lightbulb which I definitely will do tomorrow. Anyway, I’m Song Mingi. Your new neighbor and the landlady’s son. If you need anything, you can just call me or just knock on my door. Will always open my door gladly for a beautiful lady like yourself.” He winked playfully at her before pointing at her luggage “Is there any more luggage? I can help you carry it up here. A woman should never lift anything heavy for sure. Just say the word and I’ll go get it.”

@✧˚ s. mingi The sudden sound of a man's voice broke the silence around her, making Minah jump slightly, her heart raced and leaped into . The feelings of unease and anxiety had been heightened by the dim, flickering light in the hallway as she turned slowly to see a tall figure approaching her, the shadow he was casting ominously along the corridor behind him. As he drew closer, she could see crossed arms resting firmly against his chest and a stern, almost intimidating expression set upon his face.

"Police?" she echoed back, her brow arching high in disbelief, clearly taken aback by the suggestion. Without missing a beat, she quickly mirrored his stance, crossing her arms firmly in front of her chest, her posture radiating a strong sense of determination not to be intimidated by the situation. "I live here—I’m going to be living here!" she retorted emphatically, pointing sharply at the closed door with a slight edge in her voice that made her frustration evident. To further emphasize her point and her right to be there, she held up the key she’d been struggling with earlier, as if it were a badge of her ownership. "I paid for this place," she added firmly, underlining her assertion with undeniable confidence.

Minah's eyes narrowed a tad bit in the examining look he gave her as he viewed her appearance, tall man, oil stains on his shirt, clearly exhausted from some kind of labor, but there was a glint of amusement in his eyes now that he could take a better look at her. Concealed underneath her subtle anger at the situation, she couldn't help but notice the slight tremble in his voice earlier.

"So, if there is anyone who should be the one to call the police in this situation," Minah continued, keeping her voice steady even though her heart was still racing with adrenaline, "it definitely should be me. What do you think you are doing just lingering outside of a lady's house at that time of night?"

@✧˚ k. minah “Home sweet home”

Mingi softly muttered as he got off from his bike. His white shirt had some oil stain on it after fixing four cars today and a couple motorbikes that he didn’t even get enough time to get a proper break today and all he wanted right now was just take a warm shower, drink a cold beer and sleep. Completely forgetting about his mother’s word about a new tenant coming tonight, Mingi yawned as he made his way up to the second floor, almost tripping over the staircase as the lamp was too dim for him to see properly.

“I should remember to change the bulb tomorrow– what’s that sound?”

He stopped on his track when he heard a thumping noise from the second floor. Even though he looked like he was a brave guy, in all honesty, Mingi couldn’t stand anything with ghosts in it. He would immediately leave or avoid such places, but since he needed to get to the second floor in order to reach his unit, he didn’t have any strength to face his mother’s questions if he returned home. “Oh, dear Lord…” Gulping his saliva, his grip tightened as he continued to make his way up even with shaky legs as he ascended only to see a woman in front of his unit door, stomping her foot. Sighing in relief, Mingi let out a little shaky laughter when he realized that the woman in front of his unit was a human, just like himself. But it raised up another question, what was she doing in front of his unit? Who is she? He was sure that it’s the first time he had ever seen her.

“Excuse me? May I help you? What are you doing in front of my house?” He asked while raising his brow and crossing his arms, demanding an explanation from the beautiful woman. “I’m this close to calling the police on you.”

@✧˚ s. mingi The bus pulled away, leaving Minah on the deserted Haepung street with her luggage beside her. Deepening to twilight, the sky gave out, and the streetlights flickered alive, casting long shadows down the empty road. She glanced at the digital map on her phone in an effort to get through the unfamiliar terrain.

"This should be it," she murmured, catching sight of the humble two-story apartment building that matched the address she'd been given. The building itself seemed old but sturdy, its paint chipped in places and a few potted plants gracing the entrance. Her eyes wandered up the second floor, where her new home would turn out to be. Her heart sank slightly at the realization there was no elevator. "Right, this isn't Seoul," she huffed, blowing up her cheeks in resignation.

She grasped the handles of her luggage and began her slow ascent up the stairs. Her suitcase thumped with the wheels loudly on every step, echoing through the quiet evening. At the top, corridor lights flickered to life, casting a thin, pale gleam over the row of doors. A heavy fatigue weighed her down, making each step like a chore.

"Unit 02," she whispered, squinting at numbers on the doors. Her eyes were rather dimly lit, and so her vision remained blurry. She walked to the nearest door and peered through her tired eyes at the very small faded numbers. "Is this it?" she wondered out loud, uncertainly.

Thudding her bags onto the floor, Minah reached out into the letterbox and pulled out the key. Her fingers trembled a bit as she put the key into the door, she felt both anticipation and exhaustion. However, when she twisted the key, it just would not budge. A wave of confusion washed over her as she again screwed up her eyes at the door, trying to make out the number.

"Come on," she said, with a bit more force applied to the key, but still, the door wouldn't budge. A spark lit up in her chest as she felt frustration welling up, and she stamped her foot on the ground so that it echoed through the silent corridor.