BOYNEXTDOOR

Meeting (1)

Woonhak's POV:

"No worries, it was quite funny."

Her laughter keeps ringing through my ears. Hyerin. That's her name. I sigh in embarrassment as I remember staring at her and probably scaring her off. She probably thinks I'm weird. I sigh again, this time in defeat.

"This won't do, I gotta tell the others about Hyerin."

I head over to Riwoo's house on my bike. Ah, today's such a good day. I don't know if it's me but the sun seems to be shining brighter. I feel myself riding faster than normal. My heart just won't stop racing.

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I leave my bike by the front lawn as I ring the doorbell. I fidget as I wait for Riwoo to open the door. Finally, Riwoo opens the door with a book in his hand, and I rush inside.

"You won't believe who I met today!" I say excitedly as I lay on the couch. Riwoo is already used to my rambling. Riwoo raises an eyebrow as if to say "Who?"

"Hyung, there's a new neighbor next door! She introduced herself to me first, but I didn't hear her the first time. She grinned at me! She's so pretty," My ears turn pink as my mind replays our first encounter.

"You always say that about every girl that smiles at you," Riwoo points out as he places the book down to listen properly. I put a hand to my chest and pretend to be offended.

"That's not true. It's different this time," I insist, and I tell him all of the details about our first meeting which doesn't take long.

"I don't know, it sounds like a normal first meeting. You should find out more about this girl before you decide if you like her or not," Riwoo says after thinking for a long moment. This is exactly why I love talking to Riwoo. He's good at analyzing the situation and giving a thoughtful perspective.

"You're absolutely right, hyung! I wanna to get to know her better. I wanna know her favorite hobbies, music, books, and shows. I wanna know everything about her," I smile.

Riwoo studies me for a second, then says, "Why don't you throw a moving-in party for her? We could invite all of our neighbors and welcome her into our neighborhood."

"Yes! That's the good idea I was looking for! You're so smart, what would I do without you?" I pat him on the back, and get up from the couch.

"Where are you going?" Riwoo asks as I go to the door.

"I gotta get ready to ask her, duh."

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Hyerin's POV:

After talking with Woonhak, I feel more confident in talking to my neighbors. Hopefully the rest of the neighborhood is just as friendly. I walk a couple of more blocks and reach an area with interesting-looking stores. 

My eyes gravitate towards the bookstore first, so I walk towards that direction. The door closes behind me as I enter the bookstore. As I look around the store, I like it more. It's the kind of bookstore that not many people know about. The 'hidden gem' kind. I can feel that this place has a quiet kind of energy simmering underneath its surface. I recognize a few books but many are unknown to me. I love it. 

A book catches my attention from a high shelf. It's "A Little Princess" by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Memories flash before my eyes. My eyes start to well up a little, but I snap out of it. Still, I want the book.