(*TW* sensitive topic is mentioned)
Genre: a little sad but it gets soft :D I think
Word count: 2.1k
Synopsis: you've been mentally exhausted for a while now. Things you were originally interested in before weren't peaking your interest now. You lost your friends due to a toxic ex, you barely get any sleep due to staying up late trying to do homework which only adds up to your stress and anxiety, and your parents weren't being of any help at all. You were completely alone. That is, until you meet a certain boy next door.
***
You tossed a crumpled up piece of paper and tossed it behind you, allowing it to hit the wall and be added to the pile that was grouped up on the floor next to your trash bin. You threw yourself back in your chair, tapping your leg uncontrollably.
There's no way I'll finish this essay by midnight.
Your phone buzzed, signaling you to look at the lit up phone screen. It was your best friend, Loona.
Loona
Y/n!
Let's go out to the club and get drinks! I have a certain boy you'd love to meet
(read at: 11:36pm)
Sighing, you typed a reply after two minutes worth of silence and contemplating.
You
I have to finish this essay in 20 minutes, I'm sorry! You go have fun without me
Rain check?
(read at: 11:38pm)
Loona
Another essay? Is this just another excuse not to go out?
(read at 11:38pm)
You didn't answer. To be fair, she wasn't wrong. You haven't been wanting to go out and do things you normally would recently. School was just getting the best of you, and your divorced parents constantly nagging you about what you're going to do for a job after graduation doesn't help whatsoever.
You clenched your jaw tightly, looking over to your left at the window across your bedroom. You could see the city lights all lit up in the night sky. It looked beautiful.
You got up from your seat, grabbing your phone from your desk and approached the window. You quickly unlocked it and opened the window as wide as possible, allowing the cool, crisp night air blow through your hair and all over your face. It felt so refreshing. It was as if it made your worries and stress disappear. Until the mere thought of it pinched at your heart. And then the stress and anxiety was back.
You found yourself sticking your head out your window, gazing out at the skyscrapers ahead. And then you looked down at the multiple floors of your apartment complex. It was surreal to you that people just below you were living their own, diverse lives.
But you only wished to escape yours.
I wish I could fly away. You thought to yourself. Then I could escape my horrible thoughts. My unloving parents. My fears.
You kept your head out the window as you let your body move without thinking. You found yourself climbing out the window, and nothing was stopping you.
Except for-
"Hey! What are you doing?!" a boy's voice suddenly interrupted your movements, causing you to stop moving as you turned your attention in the direction of his voice.
Your eyes landed on a particular boy who was standing on his balcony facing your way. He was your neighbor. You've seen him before in the lobby, but didn't think anything of him. He was cute, though. But there was no way he'd think the same about you, especially after one glance. Of course, this is how your mind works.
He looked scared. Or better yet— worried.
His hands were gripping the railing of his balcony so tight that his knuckles turned white. His eyes were big, sort of like a puppy.
"Just hanging out!" you shouted back with a little laugh at your hilarious dad joke, swinging your leg that was hanging outside your window.
It didn't phase you that you were seven stories in the air. Nothing phased you anymore.
The boy suddenly brought a hand up to his hair, running his fingers through it nervously. He turned back to you, standing up tall.
"Could you- could you please get back inside?" he pointed at you. You noticed how anxious you made the boy by swinging your leg or even moving the slightest inch.
A grin played on your lips.
"I like it out here, though!" you replied, shuffling your body more to the edge of the windowsill outside. If you couldn't experience any thrill anymore, you might as well apply it to others.
"But you'll fall!" the boy shouted, waving his hands in the air as he saw you move.
You blinked at him for a moment. "So what if I do?"
The both of you fell silent. All you could hear was the sound of the cool breeze and faint cars driving down below your foot.
"That wasn't meant to be said out loud," you admitted with a slight laugh to fill in the silence in the air. This boy was for sure going to send you to get some help once you get back inside. If you get back in, that is.
You wouldn't be lying if you said that you had nothing to live for besides stress and anxiety. It was true. No loved ones, no pets, no one to care for you...no one. All that you lived for was bad for your mental health and it was slowly but gradually eating you alive. Nothing gave you thrill anymore because the thought of something happening to you didn't scare you. Something inside of you begged for it to happen.
The boy looked at you with worry, his hair flowing with the breeze. You found him...handsome. But mainly pretty. How could someone look like that without even trying?
"Have you ever wondered what it would be like to fly?" you blurted your main thought out loud, diverting your gaze back to the busy city ahead. Your eyes landed on the glowing moon between two buildings.
After a long moment of no response or even noise coming from the boy, you turned your head to look at him. But he was gone, just as you thought. No one cared for you. Especially a stranger.
You turned to look at the city once again, wondering if anybody felt the same as you. Hurting and alone. Just as you thought that you couldn't feel any feelings anymore, a few tears fell from your eyes.
Suddenly, two arms snaked around your waist securely and pulled you back into your bedroom. You didn't protest. Once your feet found their way on the ground, you felt something against your back. Someone.
One arm quickly shut and locked the window with the other still holding onto you tight. You spun around with his hand now resting on the side of your waist, looking up at him with confusion that soon turned into anger.
"Who are you to do that?!" you shoved him away, careful not to hurt him. But he can't just take you away from a peaceful state that you've been longing to have forever.
He looked down at you with a soft expression that only confused you more.
"Seungmin. Your neighbor-"
"You can't just take me away from my window! I was going to finally escape!!" you shouted, allowing your emotions to take over as you approached him to shove him once more.
Even though you felt angry at the time, tears started pouring out of your eyes. You've wanted to cry like this for the longest time ever, but haven't had the time to. You didn't even feel ashamed that it was in front of your neighbor.
Just as you were about to hit him for pulling you back, his arms suddenly wrapped around your shoulders and pulled you against his chest. The sudden skin-to-skin contact freaked you out at first, but you quickly melted in his hold. How could you be so vulnerable in front of someone you just met? Especially since he ran all the way from his apartment just to pull you back into your room from the window?
Your arms found their way around his waist, hugging him back with the only strength you had left— which was very little. You sobbed in his arms for what felt like forever. You just let it all out and he didn't care one bit. In fact, he told you that it was okay to cry. So you did.
After five minutes worth of crying, Seungmin pulled you away so he could look at your face. His hand gently cupped your cheek and let his thumb wipe your tears away. Your nose and eyes were all red and puffy from crying. But he didn't care. Why?
The sudden reality check hit you. You shook your head and hid your face in your hands even though you had just sobbed for over five minutes in his arms and showed him your most vulnerable state.
"I'm sorry- you should go," you said in a muffled tone, using your sleeves to dry your face.
His hands removed yours from your face. You kept your eyes closed, afraid to look back at Seungmin after crying in his arms.
"I won't leave you," Seungmin spoke, making you open your eyes in surprise.
You only stared at him in silence for a moment.
"Why?"
"You clearly need someone right now..." his calming voice trailed off as he scratched the back of his neck, unsure of what to do now.
You didn't know what to do in this situation either. You've never had anyone say this to you before. What did that even mean?
"Why would you want to stay with me?" you questioned, studying his face and how he looked at you with empathetic eyes.
"You were just hanging out a window and you're asking me such a question?" Seungmin asked you back, motioning toward the window behind you with his hand.
You glanced down at your socks in shame. Of course, now you felt ashamed.
"You don't know me-"
"But I could get to know you," Seungmin was quick to cut your words short.
You lifted your head up at him, only to see a soft smile on his lips.
"I've wanted to get to know you ever since you moved in here two years ago," Seungmin admitted, letting his head hang low in regret for not talking to you sooner. Now this was your first impression of each other. A train wreck, and a savior.
"But I don't want you to leave," he added, his voice breaking slightly. You felt a pang in your heart at how sincere he sounded.
You swallowed harshly and looked at the top of his head as he continued to look at the ground. Nobody has ever cared enough to tell you not to leave. You thought nobody cared for your existence.
"I don't even know your name and I feel so protective over you-"
"Y/n." you cut his words short. He lifted his head up and looked at you. "That's my name,"
A smile spread across his lips, and in that moment you felt butterflies fly around your stomach like crazy. How is he making you feel like this with just a smile?
"Can we...back away from the window?" he asked, cautious of his wording.
You looked back at the window and turned to him with a nod. His hand found yours with ease as the both of you intertwined your fingers together, allowing him to take the lead since you had no idea what he was doing.
He guided you out of your bedroom to your living room where he sprinted through to drag you out of the window earlier, and sat you down on the sofa.
"Do you want some coffee or tea?" Seungmin asked, motioning to the open kitchen behind your sofa.
You looked up at him and nodded with a smile. Just as Seungmin was about to go make you both a drink, he suddenly came back and stood behind the sofa like a lost kid.
"I don't know where any of your ingredients are-"
You let out a laugh and stood up, patting him on the shoulder.
"I'll get it,"
And just like that, an ordinary boy and his suffering neighbor quickly found peace within their new friendship. Who knew all you needed was someone to break into your house to find a real friendship?
(I'm just kidding ab the last part, I had to make a joke with all this sad talk)
A/n: this was a little depressing 😃 but I hope you enjoyed it!
Especially the part where Seungmin picks his neighbors lock to break into her apartment- at least it was to save her!
P.s., Seungmin makes me feel so safe despite him being in another country. I love this boy too much y'all