@โงห k. minah After the last encounter with the new tenant, the days passed by as usual for Mingi. He rarely met the adorable noona since he left for work quite early everyday as he had several cars waiting to be checked and fixed and always returned home near midnight. Today was no exception or so he thought until his mother called telling him that she would come over to have dinner with him and she begged him to invite the new tenant as well, saying that she must be lonely being all alone in the new town. Initially Mingi opposed the idea. They didn’t know her that well or if she would agree to join the Songs for dinner. But just like any other moms, his mother said that Minah would agree and that he should be a good host and clean his room before the dinner time plus he had to invite Minah as well.
Grumbling to himself as he closed the shutter of the garage, Mingi scratched his head, not knowing how to invite the lady without making it sound like he was trying to hit on her. Of course by saying that it was his mother’s idea was the first plan but what if she didn’t believe him? For some reason, he could feel that she was still cautious about him, not that he blamed her for that anyway. Being all alone in the new town could be pretty scary, but he wouldn’t know that for sure since he had never leave Haepung for too long aside from a quick trip to Seoul to purchase whatever he needed for his shops, as he didn’t believe in online shopping.
Ten minutes later he found himself just outside the apartment building, hoping that she by some miracle wasn’t at home so he could save all the trouble of inviting her to his unit to have dinner together with him and his mother. But it seemed like heaven was against his plan as he could see her walking back home from work? He didn’t know she already landed a job here. But then again, its a pretty small town, there is always a job opening somewhere.
‘Might just get it over with’ He thought before walking up to her, giving her the friendliest smile he could muster “Hey there Minah-ssi.” He greeted her “Uh, I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner with me and mom? It’s her idea. Not mine. Since she said and I quoted ‘She must be feeling a little homesick so some home cooked meal would at least cheer her up’” Mingi shifted in between his feet. It wasn’t like him to just say something straight like this but for some reason this woman in front of him made him nervous, and he didn’t know why. “So, if you agree, well uh, mom will be here in an hour, I guess it's plenty of time to freshen up…”
@โงห s. mingi "Minah," she whispered, "Kang Minah." Saying her name felt oddly comforting, as if it grounded her in this new and unfamiliar place. In all the confusion of last night's meeting, she had forgotten to introduce herself, now that she had, the words sounded like a baby step toward orientation herself in Haepung. Being new in town, it wouldn't hurt to make at least one friend, even if that someone was the flirty and somewhat arrogant guy from next door.
She was annoyed, but somehow, Mingi'd managed to make her revise her impression of him, alright, the man had a silver tongue on him, and he liked to tease- but the way he had carefully listened to his mother's instructions, hinted that beneath the joking exterior, maybe, just maybe, he was a nice guy.
She broke the short silence between them: "I'm sorry about yesterday. The units are all the same, and the lights. it's not like back in Seoul." She sounded a little hesitant, self-conscious about how easily she'd been flustered in front of him.
A mix of embarrassment, curiosity, and even an odd warmth she hadn't quite been able to place swirled through Minah. This was the second time she got flustered in front of Mingi, something that made her feel a bit self-conscious. But looking at him, she felt some of that nervousness dissipate, and for a moment, she did see a real smile on his face, his eyes softening as he listened.
"Goodnight, Mingi-ssi," she whispered, releasing from her voice the worn-out tone of a whole day's exhaustion. She tried to make it sound neutral, but that undeniable warmth in her words was a sure giveaway that it had only been that annoyance from last night.
Mingi's smile broadened and for just a second, Minah was certain she saw something flint in his eyes, that caused her heart to skip a beat. In a rush, she pushed the thought aside as she told herself it was only yesterday that she had met him.
She nodded slightly, turned around and closed the door gently behind her. The soft click seemed to reverberate within the quiet of the new home. The moment she was left alone, Minah leaned against the door and let out a deep sigh. Overcome with feelings, she felt both flustered and intrigued.
Her mind was muddled. A part of her still smarted from the way their first meeting had gone, but another part couldn't help but be at least a little curious about this man next door, with the tease of a smile and a so-surprisingly kind heart. She couldn't deny the little thrill that coursed through her every time she thought of his presence again. She quickly shook her head to clear it from the muddled thoughts.
She finally pushed herself off the door and walked into her small living room, steps much slower, more thoughtful. She needed to settle in, and focus on this new chapter of her life. But while she worked her way around the room, setting down the bag of food Mingi's mother had sent, she couldn't but help smile just a little, wondering what tomorrow might bring.
@โงห k. minah “She might be my mom but I do still pay my rent to her, you know.” He chuckled softly as he watched her taking the bag from him. Last night, even in a very dim light, Mingi could see how beautiful she was and now when it wasn't so dark, he couldn't help but to stare more at her, taking in her appearance. From her long black hair, curious eyes as she peeked inside the bag to see what his mom had prepared for her, down to her cute nose and lastly, those soft pink lips that curved up to form a soft smile that all of sudden made his heart skip a beat.
Now Song Mingi wasn't someone who never had any experience in the world of dating. There were a lot of beautiful girls in Haepung too before Minah set her foot in the town but for some reason, he couldn't tear his eyes away from her soft smile as he could feel a little blush forming on his cheeks since he felt hotter than before. And there was a little hint of nostalgic feeling in his heart which he couldn't explain as he was sure last night was the first time he saw her in his life. So why did she feel awfully familiar? There was a painful ache in his heart too, which confused Mingi to no end.
Before he could think about it anymore, her question snapped him back to reality. He didn't even realize that she was already halfway back to her own unit. “Uh…I…” He mentally smacked himself for acting like a fool right now, quickly he tried to regain himself and flashed her a bright smile. “I was just wondering, what is your name? I mean you know mine. It's just fair I get to know yours. Plus we are neighbors too. I can't keep always referring to you as ‘The pretty neighbor’ though that is correct too.”
@โงห s. mingi As the day closed, Minah had finally finished unpacking the entire unit, she heaved a sigh of relief before she plopping herself on the floor, with her arms wide. Nothing like a clean place that she can call home. The crisp, cool breeze of autumn quietly sneaked in through open windows, carrying with it a feeling serene, peaceful, and tranquil that Minah hadn't felt in a very long time. Come to think of it, she had been so consumed in the business of organising and getting everything put out to the last detail that she hadn't once thought about dinner.
Just as Minah had started to wind down, a knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. Frowning, she cannot imagine who it could be, as she has not ordered anything, and she has yet to know any other people from the neighbourhood. But before she could think to check the peephole, she heard a familiar voice from the other side of the door.
"Hello? I have something from the landlady for you."
Minah’s heart skipped a beat as she recognised the voice. A burst of energy surged in her, as she quickly got up from the floor and headed to the door. The source of the voice found her disarrayed and flustered by the events of the night before, it was Mingi- again.
"The landlady? You mean your mom," Minah scoffed lightly but quickly softened, "But I appreciate her kindness. Please send my regards to her." She reached out to take the bags that were hanging from his long fingers, with much care as to not brush against him more than necessary.
As she peered into the bag, she saw that the landlady had prepared an assortment of banchan. A soft smile crept over her face, touched by the gesture. “This is too kind of her. I… I’ve got nothing to give in return.” She glanced into her unit, which was clean but still rather empty, with nothing that could serve as a gift in return. "Thank you, I suppose," Minah returned, a note of hesitation in her voice. She started to turn and close the door, but she noticed that he was still standing there, not making any move to leave.
"Is there… something you need?" she asked with her doe-like eyes staring at the towering man. There was an unmistakable growing caution in her voice, yet at once streaked with curiosity, as if attempting to fathom why he was not on his way back to his unit. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to invite him in, as she had nothing else to offer, maybe just ramen if he had asked.
@โงห k. minah Suffice to say, last night entertaining encounter successfully made him sleep while smiling so widely as he pictured the lady's red face and that was the first thing which popped into his mind in the morning as he gets ready for work. Standing outside his door to lock it, his eyes involuntarily glanced over the door next to his and another chuckle left his lips in amusement. "Too bad I haven't got her name." Mingi muttered quietly as he walked past the 02 unit, wondering if the occupant was still sleeping or already started her day outside the apartment. Well, either way, he couldn't wait to get to know more about her.
Time surely flies by so fast when you have a lot of things to do.
Without him realizing, it was soon already the time for him to close the garage, but before he closed it, his mother came over carrying two big bags in her arms. Curiously, MIngi rushed over toward her to help her with the bags which turned out filled with assorted kimchi and several premade dishes. It wasn't unusual for her to bring him such dishes, but it was the amount of food that caught him off guard, it was almost like three times more than the usual amount. "Give it to the lady who just moved in from Seoul! She's all alone! Make sure you are being kind to her, okay?!" His mother said with a stern voice, knowing how well her son could be which Mingi returned with a sheepish grin.
After dropping his mother back at her house, Mingi made his way back to the apartment, only to realize that he forgot to ask his mother about the new tenant's name. "...I guess I should really ask her later." He grumbled quietly once he parked his motorbike. Carefully making his way up while carrying the bags filled with food, he stopped right in front of her unit and gave the door a light knock, not knowing if the owner is inside or still out. "Hello? I have something from the landlady for you."
@โงห s. mingi Minah let her bag drop to the floor as she shut the door behind her, pressing her back against the door as she heaved a sigh of relief. But however hard she tried to shake it off, his face lingered in her mind—those eyes, that smirk, and his very arrogant smile. He belittled her as if she were some child, and that ripped her to the core. Her fist clenched involuntarily, and her hand bunched into a fist to punch the air before her. Frustration bubbled up inside her. "If only our first meeting hadn't been like that," she muttered to herself. If things had gone differently, she might have thought it wouldn't be so bad living next to someone cute like him. But of course, things had to play out this way. What a first impression.
Next morning, not quite sure how she'd fallen asleep, Minah lay with her room in a mess of half-unpacked luggage, realizing that she had slept on the floor instead of the bed that came with the unit. Groaning, she grabbed her phone to check the time. It wasn't early, but then again, it wasn't like she was rushing to work.
She lay there and could hear the keys outside her unit, jingling and rustling. She instinctively thought of Mingi first. She rolled her eyes at the thought that, had he known she was awake, he would probably make some smug comment, or maybe barge into her unit just to laugh at her mess. Still, curiosity got the better of her. She quietly walked up to the door and peered through the peephole. Needless to say, next thing, Mingi walked past her unit, swaggering in his usual style that made her roll her eyes again.
She sighed and pulled back from the door, running a hand through her messy hair. "Great, just what I need," she muttered to herself. "Mr. Arrogant is up and about." But despite her irritation, there was a small part of her that couldn't help but wonder what the day would bring—and whether their next meeting would be as exasperating as the previous one.
