Chapter Two: The Neighbor
1770 Words
Juliet woke up to the sound of someone drilling into a wall.
She opened one eye.
The drilling stopped.
She closed it again.
It started.
She groaned and pulled the blanket over her head. “Please stop.”
The drilling continued.
Juliet checked the time on her phone.
8:13 a.m.
She stared at the ceiling. Who voluntarily made this much noise at eight in the morning? She had barely slept. Between the jet lag, the unfamiliar apartment, and the fact that she kept waking up convinced she'd forgotten something important, her first night in Seoul had been less dreamy than she'd imagined.
Now someone was apparently renovating the entire building.
She threw the blanket aside and sat up.
Her apartment was still surrounded by half-open suitcases. Clothes were hanging from chairs, toiletries covered the bathroom counter, and one of her shoes had somehow ended up on the kitchen table.
She looked at the shoe.
“How did you even get there?”
No answer.
Naturally.
Juliet walked into the tiny kitchen and opened the fridge.
Empty.
Not completely empty. There was a bottle of water.
She stared at it.
“Breakfast.”
She took the bottle, opened it, and drank half of it.
Then someone knocked on her door.
Juliet froze.
Another knock.
She walked over and looked through the peephole.
Nobody.
She opened the door.
A small paper bag sat on the floor.
She picked it up and looked around the hallway.
Nothing.
There was a note attached.
You looked like you needed food.
Juliet frowned and opened the bag. Inside was a sandwich, a small pastry, and a carton of banana milk.
She smiled despite herself.
That was actually sweet.
Then she noticed the handwriting.
She recognized it immediately.
“No.”
She marched out of her apartment and looked down the hallway.
The elevator doors opened.
Sung stepped out.
He was wearing a grey sweatshirt, black trousers, and carrying a cup of coffee. He looked annoyingly relaxed for someone who had just ruined her morning with mysterious breakfast.
He stopped when he saw her.
Juliet held up the bag.
“You.”
He looked at it.
“Good morning.”
“You left this?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“You looked hungry yesterday.”
Juliet stared at him. “How do you know where I live?”
He pointed upward.
“Same building.”
Her eyes widened.
“What?”
“I live upstairs.”
“You're my neighbor?”
“Apparently.”
She looked toward the ceiling, then back at him.
“This is bad.”
Sung took a sip of his coffee.
“Why?”
“Because you're annoying.”
“You've known me for one day.”
“And I've learned quickly.”
He smiled.
Juliet hated that smile.
She held out the bag.
“I don't want it.”
“Okay.”
He reached for it.
She pulled it back.
“Wait.”
He raised an eyebrow.
Juliet looked at the food.
Then at him.
“You already gave it to me.”
“Yes.”
“So you can't take it back.”
“Why not?”
“Because that would be rude.”
“You just said you didn't want it.”
“I changed my mind.”
Sung nodded slowly.
“Of course.”
Juliet walked back into her apartment with the bag.
Before closing the door, she looked at him.
“Thank you.”
He nodded.
“You're welcome.”
She shut the door and leaned against it.
She didn't know why her heart had started beating slightly faster.
“This is ridiculous.”
She looked at the bag.
Then smiled.
“Still free food.”
That was more important.
By eleven, Juliet had decided she needed to explore.
She changed into a black skirt, a fitted cream sweater, and ankle boots before heading downstairs.
Seoul looked completely different during the day.
The streets were busy without feeling overwhelming. Small cafés sat between clothing stores and restaurants. People hurried past with coffee in their hands, while delivery scooters weaved through traffic with terrifying confidence.
Juliet wandered down a side street and stopped when she saw a tiny café decorated with plants and warm wooden furniture.
Perfect.
She walked inside.
A bell chimed above the door.
“Annyeonghaseyo.”
Juliet smiled nervously. “Annyeonghaseyo.”
The woman behind the counter smiled at her.
“Menu?”
Juliet looked at the board. She understood perhaps thirty percent of it.
“I'll have…”
She pointed randomly.
“That.”
The woman looked at the item.
“Are you sure?”
Juliet nodded confidently.
“Yes.”
Five minutes later, she was sitting at a table with an enormous iced coffee and a plate of something she couldn't identify.
She took a bite.
Her eyes widened.
It was delicious.
“Okay,” she whispered. “I could live here.”
“You're already living here.”
Juliet nearly choked.
She looked up.
Sung stood beside her table.
She stared at him.
“Are you following me?”
“No.”
“You're everywhere.”
“I live here.”
“That is becoming very inconvenient.”
He pulled out the chair opposite her.
“Can I sit?”
Juliet gestured toward the chair.
“You're going to anyway.”
He sat.
She took another bite.
“What are you doing here?”
“Getting coffee.”
“There are hundreds of cafés in Seoul.”
“And this one is near my apartment.”
Juliet sighed.
“You're ruining the mystery.”
“What mystery?”
“The mysterious handsome stranger I met at the airport.”
Sung paused.
Juliet realized what she'd said.
She slowly lowered her fork.
He looked amused.
“Handsome?”
“I said mysterious.”
“You said handsome.”
“I did not.”
“You did.”
“No, I didn't.”
“You definitely did.”
Juliet looked around the café.
“I'm going to pretend this conversation never happened.”
Sung laughed.
She hated that she liked his laugh.
“So,” he said, “how's the apartment?”
“Small.”
“You'll get used to it.”
“I'm already considering moving.”
“Why?”
“The neighbor.”
He smiled.
“Sounds terrible.”
“He is.”
Sung leaned back.
“Anything else?”
Juliet shook her head.
“Actually, yes.”
“What?”
“I need to buy groceries.”
“There's a supermarket nearby.”
“Can you show me?”
He looked surprised.
“You're asking me for help?”
“Don't make it dramatic.”
“You seemed determined to avoid me this morning.”
“I was hungry.”
“So food changed your opinion?”
“Food changes everything.”
He considered that.
“Fair.”
The supermarket trip should have been simple.
It wasn't.
Juliet had never realized how difficult grocery shopping could become when she couldn't read half the labels.
She stood in front of a shelf holding two identical-looking packages.
“Sung.”
He looked over.
“Yes?”
“What is the difference?”
He walked over.
“This one is spicy.”
“And this one?”
“Very spicy.”
Juliet put both back.
“I'm not trying to die.”
They moved on.
Ten minutes later, Juliet disappeared around another aisle.
Sung found her staring at a shelf filled with instant noodles.
“What are you doing?”
“Choosing.”
“You've been standing here for five minutes.”
“There are too many.”
“Pick one.”
“I don't trust you.”
“You're buying noodles.”
“Exactly.”
He laughed.
Juliet finally picked one.
Sung looked at the packet.
“That one's very spicy.”
She immediately put it back.
“You could have told me.”
“You didn't ask.”
She glared at him.
“You're enjoying this.”
“A little.”
By the time they reached the checkout, Juliet had somehow purchased strawberries, noodles, dumplings, snacks, coffee, chocolate, three kinds of drinks, and a ridiculous amount of fruit.
Sung looked at her bags.
“Are you feeding a family?”
“No.”
“Then why do you have enough food for six people?”
“I don't know.”
He picked up two of her bags.
She reached for them.
“I can carry those.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you carrying them?”
“Because I'm already holding them.”
Juliet looked at him.
“You're confusing.”
“So are you.”
They walked home together beneath the evening lights.
Neither noticed how naturally they had fallen into step beside each other.
Neither mentioned that they had spent nearly four hours together.
And neither acknowledged the strange little warmth that had settled between them.
When they reached the apartment building, Juliet stopped.
“Thanks.”
Sung handed her the bags.
“You're welcome.”
She smiled.
“Goodnight, neighbor.”
“Goodnight, Juliet.”
She walked inside.
Sung turned toward the elevator.
Juliet made it halfway up the stairs before realizing she'd forgotten one of her grocery bags.
“Seriously?”
She hurried back downstairs.
The moment she pushed open the entrance door, she stopped.
Sung was standing outside.
But he wasn't alone.
A beautiful woman in a long cream coat stood in front of him. She looked elegant, confident, and completely at home beside him.
Juliet couldn't hear what they were saying.
Then the woman reached up, placed a hand against Sung's cheek, and kissed him.
Juliet froze.
Her stomach dropped.
Sung didn't immediately push her away.
For several seconds, Juliet simply stood there, holding the door open.
Then Sung's eyes lifted.
He saw her.
Their eyes met across the entrance.
The woman slowly turned.
Juliet's fingers tightened around the door handle.
Sung's expression changed instantly.
“Juliet.”
She forced a smile.
“Sorry. I forgot my bag.”
She walked past them without another word.
Behind her, she heard Sung say her name again.
She didn't turn around.
She didn't know who the woman was.
She didn't know why Sung had let her kiss him.
But as Juliet climbed the stairs, one thought kept repeating in her mind.
She had spent the entire day convincing herself that she wasn't attracted to her annoying new neighbor.
Now she was standing in her apartment, staring at the grocery bag in her hands, wondering why seeing another woman kiss him had hurt so much.
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