The Next Door Neighbor (Jeonghan)

𝟷𝟷 ・ 𝚂𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚔𝚕𝚎𝚜

Jeonghan slowly entered Eunae's home, looking around to observe the apartment, taking everything in like a surveillance camera. 

Eunae lead him towards the kitchen area, which is on the left as soon as one enters the apartment. 

"You can keep those here," Eunae tells Jeonghan as she places the shopping bag she had in her hands on the kitchen counter. Jeonghan follows her suit, placing the shopping bag he was holding next to hers. 

Eunae began to unload her groceries, placing the vegetables she just bought in the compartment for vegetables inside the refrigerator. 

"Thank you," She told Jeonghan as he helped out by handing her the vegetables from the bags. 

Once she was done arranging the groceries inside her refrigerator, Eunae closed it shut and turned around to face Jeonghan. 

"Um. . ."She started awkwardly as Jeonghan looked at her with a small smile, "Do you want to something to drink?" 

"No, it's okay," Jeonghan declined politely, "I should leave in a few minutes. I have a recording session." 

"Recording session? Why didn't you say so earlier?" Eunae frowned, "I wouldn't have made you come here all the way." 

"It was my choice. I wanted to come. Besides, I still have a while before I have to go and actually record," Jeonghan said. 

"Still. You didn't have to come with me," Eunae insisted. 

"Eunae," Jeonghan called out, "It's fine," He told her calmly. Eunae only looked at Jeonghan before sighing deeply. 

Jeonghan looked around a bit and said, "Your apartment is nice."

Eunae shrugged, reaching for a glass, "It's cheap and big."

She filled the glass with water and handed it to Jeonghan, despite him saying he didn't want anything to drink. 

"It is big," Jeonghan admitted, "But. . ."

"But?" Eunae asked. 

"The area isn't very. . .nice," Jeonghan said, choosing his words carefully to make sure he doesn't rub off in the wrong way. 

Eunae sighed internally. She knew what he was going to say before he even finished the sentence since everyone tells her the same thing over and over again. 

"It's not that bad," Eunae told him. It is true. Although the area did appear to be sketchy and weird, it isn't as bad as it looks like. In fact the only sketchy thing Eunae has encountered is her front door keep on jamming itself. 

"It's not safe," Jeonghan said, narrowing his eyes slightly. 

"I know it looks like that but it really isn't that bad. Besides, like I said, the rent is considerably cheaper than most places," Eunae told him. 

"Have you ever considered the fact that the apartment is probably cheap because the area isn't safe," Jeonghan threw the question at her. 

"And I was on a budget. I didn't really have much options," Eunae said, then sighed and continued, "Look Jeonghan, I'm already living here and there isn't much I can do. I don't earn well enough to move into central Seoul. And I'm comfortable here and the people living in this building are nice and friendly." 

Jeonghan stared at Eunae for a while, obviously not liking what he was hearing but nonetheless he dropped the topic and instead asked, "So Tuesdays are your off days?" 

"Yes," Eunae said and even though she didn't say it, her facial expressions showed a visible relief that Jeonghan dropped the apartment talk. Besides, it's not like he was her boyfriends or anything to get so upset over where she lives.