𝐔𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐃

3 | moving in

As soon as I reach the top of the stairs, I feel like my lungs are gonna give up on me. Am I really gonna have to adjust to this exercise routine every single day? And when is that elevator gonna get fixed? Nox already blabbered her stupid rules about me being on my best behavior around here but what about customer service?

I almost fall face flat down on the floor as my knees turn sore from all of the walking, jogging and carrying my stuff upstairs. Nox, on the other hand didn't break a sweat and I'm not even frail.

The door adjacent my own suddenly opens and a short man with tar black hair shaped in a bowl cut just like mine paces outside. His face is round, almost baby-like and his eyes are sharp but a little round towards the crease.  His lips are full but his serious no-taking-shit expression is making them look thin and it looks like he's giving me a death glare. He seems unapproachable but I decide to use the only tactic that might make him soften up.

"Hey," I say in Korean. "I just moved right across of you. Where are you from?"

"Daegu." He says.

"I've traveled in Daegu before and I enjoyed it. Especially the apples. It's humid climate is bearable and I like that it's sunny most of the time."  I decide to keep it short and simple so that he doesn't think I'm annoying. He looks like he has much more interesting things to do inside.

He puts his hands in his pockets and the corners of his lips tilt upwards and his mouth opens slightly. The top row of his teeth protrudes and results into a sweet gummy smile and his eyes turn into slits. Maybe, he isn't as distant and cold as I thought.

"Daegu has a humid subtropical climate. The surrounding mountains trap most of the hot and humid air in the basin. The same applies for winter, the cold temperature basically comprises the basin."  He explains like a trained  meteorologist.

"Interesting," I mutter.

"Is that how you start conversations with strangers? Weather talk?" The guy suddenly says in English. "Loosen up dude."

How is it that his English speaking voice sounds so different than his Korean one? The color of his voice is pretty much the same, but the way he speaks in Korean is smooth and it rolls of his tongue easier somehow while when he speaks in English his voice is kind of choppy and airy. It's still pleasing to the ear.

"You're breathing so loud I could hear you in my sleep." He continues. "What's up?"

He sleeps at this hour? Who takes afternoon naps now?

"Sorry man, I just had to climb all these flights of stairs—its so tiring." I say.

"Well, you're kind of unlucky. The elevator broke down yesterday."

Really?

"I see you got your key Seven." The guy observes.

"The manager gave it to me a few minutes ago."

"You met Nox eh?" He grins. "So tell me."

I look at him blankly. "Tell you what?"

"Your first impression."

"She's... nice." I say with difficulty and he bursts into laughter.

"Nice try Seven." He croaks. "No need to be shy. Just say it: she's a bitch."

"She's uptight and seems to be very responsible." I tell him.

"I guess, if you put it that way." I mutter and he gives me a knowing look. "Okay she's a bitch." I say lowly.

"Relax, she won't hear you." He says. "We're four flights of stairs above her. She doesn't have bionic hearing. But she does have a strong sense of smell. She could smell the smoke in my apartment from outside and I had the fucking window open!"