With You [minjoon]

one

He stood there, staring blankly as sweat dripped off his forehead. He glanced around the room; his gaze locked on the empty moving-boxes stacked on top of each other.

He was exhausted – thin arms aching after hours of furnishing his apartment. He stretched out his sore limbs, feeling his bones crack.

The next thing he wanted to do was greet his new neighbor. He slipped on his sneakers, trudging outside.

He was immediately hit by a cold breeze – a refreshing one at that. He looked over the railing, getting an overview of the surrounding area.

He got the apartment surprisingly cheap, despite it being on the second floor. Not that money was an issue – his life savings covered all his expenses.

He lived on the outskirts of Seoul. He always wanted to move to Gangdong, and now he was there, with his own apartment, living on his own for the first time.

His lease would be terminated in three months, and he was determined to make the best of his life with the little time he had.

He breathed in, tasting the humid air. A rainstorm was on its way. He could see dark gray clouds looming in the far distance, appearing heavy with rain.

He shivered, beginning to feel chilly. Upon turning around, he looked at his neighbor's door. Forty-four, the number read.

He put on a smile, wanting to appear friendly instead of the tangled mess he was. He rang the doorbell, standing patiently in his own thoughts as he waited.

The door creaked open, revealing a petite man. He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when the man swept his long, overgrown hair out of his face. He couldn't mutter out a single word, seeing the man's rough condition.

His eyes were puffy, and his cheeks were red. Light traces of stained tears trailed down to his jawbone – the man had obviously just been crying.

His shoulders tensed – it was bad timing. Though, he couldn't just turn around and leave now.

The man looked up at him in confusion – right, he couldn't keep standing there without saying a word. He bowed, "Hey, I'm Kim Namjoon," he started, "I just moved in next door, so I thought I should say hello."

"Oh."

"I'm Jimin." He spoke with a low, hoarse voice. Despite how disheveled the man was, he had a pretty appeal to him. An appeal that made his body tingle with warmth, just ever so slightly.

A long silence fell over them, filling the air with thick tension. They both shared a few awkward smiles and nods, before the man carefully shut the door to his apartment.

He breathed out sharply. It had gone worse than he expected.

_

The heavy downfall sounding from outside his window was like therapeutic music for Namjoon. He was seated on his couch, engrossed in a book about the beauties of life.

A wave of fatigue washed over him, taking it as a sign to put his book down. He took off his reading glasses, folding them carefully and laying them on top of the book.

He pushed himself up from the couch, stretching his body out. He took a couple of deep, refreshing breaths.

It was cold. He rubbed his pale arms, grabbing a gray sweatshirt that was draped over a chair in the kitchen. He threw it over his head, adjusting the sleeves so that they covered everything but the tip of his fingers.

He looked out the window – it was pouring down outside.

Namjoon had always liked rain. He always thought it had a special aesthetic - the wet city glistening under gray clouds while rain splattered onto the ground. He always appreciated the works of nature. In a way, it brought peace to his mind.

He thought he should go for a walk instead of lazing around inside. It was good for him to get some light exercise while he could.

He threw on a winter coat to keep himself warm. It wasn't that the temperature was freezing – actually, it was around that time in spring when ice cream parlors were beginning to open.

He was always cold, even during summers. It had been like that for the past few years.

He grabbed the umbrella resting in the corner of the hallway, ready to head out for his stroll. He wanted to get more familiar with the area, so he thought this was a great opportunity to do just that.

Upon stepping outside, he unfurled his umbrella, holding it high over his head. He could hear the rain splattering onto the black nylon.

He walked along the pavement, taking in the parts of town he passed, now wet with puddles scattered all over the place.

He kept his free hand jammed in his pocket. He shivered, looking down as a harsh breeze hit him in the face.

He was dry for the most part, aside from his shoes. He didn't mind that much, at least right now – he knew he might end up getting a fever, which wouldn't be good.

He lifted his gaze, coming to a halt. In the distance, he saw a small person – a person that he recognized. He remembered the yellow sweater draped over small shoulders, and the overgrown raven hair.

They were standing only meters apart. He hadn't seen him.

Namjoon wondered why he was standing out in the open, not even carrying a jacket or an umbrella with him. He was drenched from head to toe, clothes sticking to his skinny frame.

What confused him the most was the bouquet of flowers clenched in his hand. It was an odd sight. The flowers were wrapped in thin, pink paper that the petals drooped over, like a sad dog.

"Are you okay?"

...

"What's with the flowers?"

Namjoon hadn't noticed the tears streaming down his pale cheeks.

"They were for my fiancé," he mumbled in a low voice, "But I can't go back there." Namjoon frowned in confusion.

"I need to get over him." His head drooped.

"Oh," Namjoon mumbled, "I'm sorry to hear that." He felt bad for the man. Break-ups were tough – especially when you were engaged to said person.

"You shouldn't be standing out here in the rain like this," he told him.

Jimin stood silently without muttering a word in response as rain continued splattering onto his small body.

Namjoon stepped closer, reaching his umbrella out to him. He felt a waterfall of rain on top of his head.

The man lifted his face, gazing weakly up at him. "Keep the umbrella," he smiled, "I live right next door if you ever anything."

Jimin hesitantly reached out for the umbrella, hands shaky with sobs. He gave Namjoon a grateful nod.

Relieved knowing Jimin had some form of shelter now, he turned around, rain blowing right in his face.

He felt something wet running from his nose. Uncertain, he gently dapped a finger on the skin under his nostrils, tips now soaked in blood.

He let out a sigh. Yet another nosebleed. He needed to hurry home. 

_

end of chapter one ;)