HEY, NEIGHBOR!

Hot Coffee, Cold Truth

I woke up early the next day, determined to make the most out of it.

After all, this was my fresh start, right?

I prepared a simple breakfast—scrambled eggs, toasted bread, and a quick cup of instant coffee.

It wasn’t anything fancy, but it warmed my heart enough to make me feel a little more at home.

I set my little Bluetooth speaker on the counter and let some cheerful music fill the room as I continued organizing the last bits of my mess.

Halfway through sorting a pile of random wires and chargers, my phone buzzed loudly on the counter, cutting through the music.

I frowned.

That was definitely a text message.

Which was strange, because... who would text me?

I hadn’t told anyone I moved—not my old classmates, not even my parents—and I wasn’t exactly social lately.

Curious and a little nervous, I wiped my hands on my shorts and checked the screen.

Unknown Number:

"The coffee you bought me last night is cold. Buy me a new one."

Followed by another message:

"I mean, the coffee you bought me yesterday is cold, so I want you to buy me a fresh one. Also, I'll reconnect your WiFi if you do. :P"

I stared at the screen in disbelief.

And just like magic, I noticed the "No Internet Connection" icon flashing mockingly at the top of my phone.

I crossed my arms, muttering to myself, "Seriously? What a waste of my money yesterday! I even bought you coffee and now you're cutting off my internet because it got cold?"

But honestly, I had no choice.

No internet = no life.

And since I didn’t have any prepaid load to text back, I sighed and dragged my feet towards his door.

I rang the doorbell, already practicing in my head how to politely say I wasn’t planning on buying him coffee again.

Before I could even say a word, the door creaked open—just a small gap—and a hand popped out, holding a steaming cup of coffee.

"This is yours while it's still hot" a lazy voice said from inside.

I blinked, confused.

Wasn’t I supposed to go out and buy one?

"Uh... I already had breakfast, so—" I started awkwardly, but he immediately cut me off:

"Take it. Or no WiFi."

Such a quick and brutal ultimatum.

Without thinking, I grabbed the coffee from his hand.

But before I could react, he shoved a small Tupperware container at me—inside was a sandwich, neatly packed.

He balanced it on top of the coffee I was holding, then SLAM!

He shut the door with a loud thud.

I stood there, mouth slightly open, balancing coffee and a sandwich, completely thrown off.

"Thanks... for the free breakfast... and WiFi..." I mumbled under my breath, even though he probably couldn’t hear me anymore.

Sighing in defeat, I trudged back inside my apartment, shaking my head but secretly smiling.

As I walked in, a random thought hit me

"Wait… how did he even get my number?"

Shrugging it off, I microwaved the sandwich and took a cautious sip of the coffee.

My eyes widened.

It tasted amazing!

Way better than I expected—it tasted like something you’d buy from a real coffee shop.

I checked my phone again, and sure enough, the WiFi was back.

Full signal.

"Wow... I'm so lucky" I muttered under my breath, feeling a small flutter of excitement in my chest.

Was this fate?

Or was I just blessed with a ridiculously kind (and handsome) neighbor?

Just as I was about to daydream a little more, my phone buzzed again.

Another message from the same unknown number

Unknown Number:

"Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention earlier — that sandwich has been sitting in my fridge for about two weeks now. So make sure you heat it properly before eating. Also, that coffee you’re drinking? That’s actually the one you bought me last night. I just reheated it to make it look freshly made. :)"

I almost dropped my cup.

"Wahhh!" I cried internally, staring at the sandwich spinning inside the microwave.

Panic shot through me.

Was I about to eat a two-week-old sandwich??

I rushed to the microwave, yanked the door open mid-spin, and poked the sandwich suspiciously like it might bite me back.

Great.

What I thought was a sweet gesture turned out to be a total prank.

I could practically hear his teasing laugh even from inside his apartment.

And instead of being mad... I actually found myself laughing too.

Maybe this place wasn’t going to be as boring as I thought.

Maybe... just maybe... my new neighbor was going to make this new chapter of my life way more exciting than I ever expected.

Nathaniel's POV

"The Girl Next Door"

Hi.

Name’s Nathaniel Seo.

Yeah, that Nathaniel Seo. Not the idol, not the actor.

Just a regular guy who happens to love three things:

drawing, playing guitar, and making life as chill as possible.

At the moment, I was hunched over my sketchpad at the table near the window, pencil in hand, trying to finish a random piece I started last night.

Sketching has always been my thing—it clears my head better than any motivational podcast or deep breathing exercise.

Mostly I just draw whatever comes to mind—people I see outside, album covers, my dream sneakers, coffee cups... you name it.

After about ten minutes of shading and erasing, I got bored.

I tossed the pencil down and stretched my arms lazily.

Next stop my guitar.

I plopped myself onto the couch, guitar in hand, fingers automatically strumming a random tune I didn’t even recognize.

Music was second nature to me—another way to pass the time, especially when mornings felt too long.

After a few more minutes, I shifted again, restless.

It was still early, but the apartment was starting to feel too... stiff.

Maybe it was the heat.

Maybe it was me just needing to move.

I tugged my shirt over my head and tossed it somewhere across the room—who needed clothes when you were living alone anyway?

Besides, I figured I’d go for a quick jog around the block. Wake my body up. Shake off the laziness.

Slipping on a hoodie—unzipped, because who cares—and pulling on my sneakers, I headed out, headset already blasting music into my ears.

The streets were still quiet, just a few early birds jogging or walking their dogs.

Perfect.

I kept a light pace, not really aiming for exercise, just... moving.

After a few loops around the neighborhood, I decided to head back.

No big deal, just another boring morning.

Until—

Until I saw her.

Standing by the apartment gate, struggling to drag two heavy-looking suitcases inside.

A girl.

New face.

New neighbor?

I slowed down, pulling my headset down around my neck as I stared—okay, maybe a little too obviously—at the girl now finally making it past the entrance.

She didn’t look like anyone I’d seen around here before.

Messy hair tied in a loose bun, oversized hoodie, sweatpants, no makeup—

but somehow...

somehow she managed to look effortlessly pretty.

And happy.

There was this... glow about her.

I blinked, realizing I was just standing there like an i***t.

I quickly shoved my hands into my pockets and climbed back up the stairs to my floor.

As I reached the hallway, I paused.

There was music.

Loud, upbeat music, thumping through the walls.

I frowned slightly and followed the sound—it was coming from the second door before mine.

Curious, I leaned closer.

Through the slightly open door, I caught a glimpse of her—the new girl—dancing around as she unpacked her things.

She moved without a care in the world, tossing pillows on the couch, stacking books, laughing to herself when something fell.

I don’t know why, but I couldn’t look away.

There was something about seeing someone so... alive.

Like the whole apartment itself was smiling now because of her.

Snapping out of it, I shook my head and slipped inside my own place before she noticed me snooping.

I grabbed my phone from the table—a notification popped up.

"New device connected to WiFi."

Seriously?

I smirked.

No doubt it was her.

Without a second thought, I opened the settings and disconnected the unknown device.

Rules are rules.

At least, that’s what I told myself.

For good measure, I pressed my ear lightly against the wall separating our apartments.

No more music.

Silence.

I chuckled, imagining the confused look on her face when her WiFi suddenly disappeared.

"Welcome to the neighborhood" I muttered with a grin, tossing my phone back onto the couch.

Maybe this new neighbor thing wasn’t going to be so bad after all.

I was just about to throw myself onto the couch when—

Knock, knock.

I froze.

Someone was at the door.

A beat passed, and then another knock—a little more urgent this time.

I straightened up, a knowing smirk tugging at my lips.

I already had a pretty good guess who it might be.

---

End of Nathaniel POV

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> Maybe... just maybe... my new neighbor was going to make this new chapter of my life way more exciting than I ever expected.

---

Or... maybe not.

Because just when I thought the worst was over—after the sandwich scare and WiFi hostage situation—something even more annoying happened.

The lights flickered.

Then it went out completely.

I sat there in the middle of my newly arranged living room, holding a reheated (possibly expired) sandwich in one hand and lukewarm coffee in the other, surrounded by total silence... and now, darkness.

“Perfect. Just perfect,” I muttered, placing the cup down and reaching for my phone.

Of course—10% battery left.

Of course—no power = no charging.

Of course—I didn’t have a flashlight.

Of course—I forgot to buy candles.

I wanted to scream into a pillow.

It hadn’t even been 24 hours since I moved in, and already, I had no WiFi, no reliable food, and now, no electricity.

This was supposed to be a fresh start, not the start of a horror movie.

I sat cross-legged on the floor, feeling the weight of everything slowly sinking in.

No friends nearby.

No family around.

New place, new neighborhood, and everything felt... uncertain.

Suddenly, the apartment didn’t feel so cozy anymore.

Suddenly, I felt small again.

I hugged my knees and rested my chin on top.

Maybe this was a mistake.

Maybe I wasn’t ready for this after all.

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