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!"
"Smoking is prohibited in the apartment." I tell him.
"Yeah, well so is farting in public." He snorts and I laugh. "Sorry, if I don't want to smoke in the snow, wrapped in a fucking blanket and shivering like I'm suffering from the Parkinson disease."
This guy is something else. "Well, you still shouldn't smoke."
"Yeah, cause my lungs will rot. Old news."
Well, if he wants to slowly kill himself I can't save him.
"Min Yoongi." He says.
"Park Jimin." I return and extend my hand.
"Oh, so you're one of them?" He mumbles shaking my hand.
"One of who?"
"Hand shakers."
"I guess so." I shrug and begin unlocking my door. I leave the door wide open and start carrying my boxes inside and Yoongi joins. He brings in my suitcase along with my 'textbooks' labeled box and all I have to do is settle down. Only, I'm exhausted mainly from having to run up and down the stairs. Screw it, I'll just throw my clothes in the closet and place my books on the bookcase. Evelyn isn't here to discipline me.
"So are you planning to," he gestures at the boxes.
"Yeah,"
"Alright, I'll let you get to it then. Feel free to swing by if you want to." Yoongi says and gives me a slight wave before entering his apartment. When I'm finally alone I begin opening up my suitcase and set up my closet quickly and efficiently. It's not color-coded or arranged according to materials, but I know where everything is placed. I don't have a lot of shoes so I just put them at the bottom of the walking closet. I have only one suit in my possession and I bought that when I was still with Evelyn for her sister's wedding so I put it in the very back of the closet and hang my tie on the door. Then I begin putting my underwear and socks in the drawers.
By the time I'm done organizing my closet I realize that only forty minutes passed, so I decide to set things up on my desk, by putting my red lamp and my laptop on its surface. I arrange my uni textbooks on the bookshelf and put some in my drawers. I take out my pensil case that consists of two ballpoint pens, one blue and a black, correcting strip and a highlighter. As I shuffle through the boxes for my literature books a strip of paper suddenly falls out from one of the books and I pick it up.
Evelyn's and my own eyes are looking back at me from the picture. Actually, it was one of those photo booth pics where we had four continuous shots to take and I look back at that time when things seemed so easy and we were both carefree. Even though we ended things, I still can't believe that I'm in this new apartment right now. I spent one and a half year living with that woman and I wanted to take things to another level with her. I wanted her to belong with me. I wanted to marry her.
We discussed marriage and we agreed that the most suitable timing for us would be after getting our Masters. I could see it in her eyes that she wanted this as much as I did and if I'm being honest, it hurts like hell that what we had is over. Part of me wants to just bolt out the door and drive back to our little apartment, but the rational thing to do is take some time apart. Our relationship was toxic and it ended up scaring both of us. She changed completely over the months or perhaps she always had this darkness that I was too blind to see.
We had another fight, only several days ago. It was stupid really because a month ago, I agreed to go pick up a friend from the airport, but I forgot about it and made plans with Evelyn the same day. My friend texted me to remind me of it and when I told her that we have to reschedule our date, she became furious and began complaining about how I put other people above her (which isn't true) and how much of a dick I was for wanting to pick my fucking friend from the airport. We would fight over the stupidest things and most of the time she's the one who starts the arguments. I admit, I might not be the best human being in the world but I'm trying to please all sides. She would even get jealous and insecure whenever I went out with my friends whether it was for a drink at a bar or hanging out at some club.
I would never cheat on her.
I cast the photo aside and turn on my phone. I am hungry and I'm seriously craving pizza. Maybe, I'll invite that Yoongi guy over to join me. I'm really not in the mood to eat alone and since my house isn't really a mess right now people could enjoy it while it looks new.
Opening my door, I knock on Yoongi's and I can hear him say "Gimme a minute!"
The door finally opens with a click and Yoongi appears "Hey Seven."
I see we're on nickname basis. "You wanna come over at my place? I'm ordering pizza."
"You paying?"
Sure why not. "Yeah,"
He shrugs and shuts the door behind him. "Alright can't say no to free pizza. Add a Coke or two while you're at it."