Two Lives (Yoonkook)

Part 1

"I'm very sorry, but you're fired."

"Fired?"

Well... My name is Min Yoongi, I'm an architect, and I've just been fired. I don't know what happened; I studied and reviewed this project for months, there was no way it could go wrong. But it did, and now my career is ruined.

(Narrator on)

Devastated by the incident, Yoongi could hardly leave his house. The feeling of everyone judging him ate away at him, and it affected him to the point where sadness accompanied his days. Hours passed in his apartment without the sunlight making any progress. You could see a coffee cup thrown in the living room next to the last outfit he wore before retreating into his pajamas. This couldn't go on.

Two weeks later, the doorbell rang, and something was slid under his door. Yoongi, with a coffee cup in hand, bent down to pick up the newspaper. "Argh, I didn't order a newspaper. What's this doing here?" he wondered, as he wasn't in the habit of getting newspapers. He returned to his chair, placed the cup on the table, and started flipping through the newspaper until he reached the job classifieds, one of which was circled in red, immediately capturing his attention.

"Experienced Architect
1 vacancy
Please contact within five days of the newspaper publication."

"Who threw this under my door?" Yoongi got up and opened the door, hoping to find someone. "There's no one here; this isn't possible."

He went back to examine the newspaper, seemingly from another city. Perplexed, he grabbed his notebook to research that job listing. Strangely and admirably, it was real and from a company with a significant reputation among local architects.

(Narrator off)

I had no idea how this ended up under my door or why, but maybe I should go along with it. Yes, I couldn't stay in that apartment any longer, not even outside of it. I needed to leave that place.

Since I had the notebook in my hands, I decided to look into the city and some apartments there. I was about to do something reckless. Maybe someone played a trick on me, a scam, or who knows what, but I really had nothing to lose. I was utterly confused. I took a sip of my coffee and went for a shower. It was the first time in this period that I felt like doing something. Should I take a risk? Yes, I should.

I opened the curtain, but it was already night. I had really lost track of time trapped in that apartment. It was funny when I squinted my face to shield it from the brightness, but there was no sun. Somewhere out there, the distant moon was shining, overshadowed by urban lights. I should sleep and think better tomorrow; my mind was confused and tired. Tired of that place, tired of myself. Maybe the loneliness I once admired was starting to harm me, and I needed to change that.

I realized it was morning when a natural spotlight hit my face. I had forgotten to close the curtains the night before, and I forgot how much that light burned my eyes. Maybe I had been infected by the VTH16 virus and would crave blood in a few moments, or maybe I had been watching too many dramas.

I grabbed my already open notebook on a real estate website, and it really caught my attention. I spent a good time analyzing apartments, and one quickly caught my eye. The rent was reasonable, a stable and pleasant location inside. I realized I was genuinely excited about it and should take the risk. To leave my comfort zone or adapt to a new one.

Before that, I went back to my therapist after some time. It was a relief; besides counseling me, she encouraged me to change for my own good but advised me to take it slowly. Still, there was too much adrenaline in my blood.

...

"Sir, your ticket."

"Thank you!"

Determined, I boarded three days after the newspaper appeared at my door. Four hours of travel, and I would be ready for my new challenge. I didn't know if it was anxiety or fear, but time passed so slowly on that train that it caused me agony. I took my water bottle, took a sip, took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and in an instant, we were already disembarking.

As soon as I arrived, I went to get the keys to the apartment. I was curious to see what it was like and ready to make necessary changes. I took a taxi that took me to my new address. Since I didn't know the city, I didn't want to waste time looking, so he dropped me off in front of an old building with eclectic architecture, restored beautifully. It was gorgeous, and some residents had plants on their windows, giving a sense of tranquility to the environment. I climbed the stairs a bit awkwardly due to the bags I carried, and there was my new home. I took the keys from my left pocket to open the door; there were three keys, and yes, I only guessed the main door on the third attempt. Maybe I was a little nervous, haha.

I thought that when I got to the apartment, the furniture would be covered in dusty plastic. But I was surprised; everything was clean and organized. The building owner was very careful with his property. However, nothing there reflected me. I thought about rearranging some things and buying some accessories. I was so excited that I decided to do everything at that moment.

I started with the living room, which had a lot of space to fill. I took an old, cushioned chair from the corner to give it a new place.

"Why are you moving my chair? What are you doing in my house?" I heard a male voice and turned immediately.

He seemed a bit younger than me, but he was taller and had a good physique. His dark brown eyes stared at me fiercely.

"This is your house? Who are you?" I asked, startled to see someone other than me there.

"You just invaded my home, touched my things. I deserve an explanation," he said, coming towards me, irritated.

"I just rented this house. Look, I just got the keys and signed the contract." I showed him the keys and the contract.

"You can't rent a house with someone already living in it," he said, looking at the contract in my hands.

"I'm sorry; I really can't be blamed for this happening." I said, grabbing my phone to try to contact the property owner.

The guy sat in the chair and watched me as I made the call. I tried many times, but the owner didn't answer the phone. So, I decided to go to him myself.

"Where are you going?" the guy said, looking at my face.

"I'm going to resolve this. What's your name again?"

"Jungkook, Jeon Jungkook." He got up and led me to the door.

Jungkook closed the apartment door, and I ran down the stairs. I needed to solve this problem so I could go to the job interview scheduled for the next day. Luckily, a bus to the city center was passing by, and in no time, I was at the real estate office.

...

"Sir, how can you offer me an already rented apartment?" I leaned on his desk and went straight to the point.

"What do you mean? There's no one living in that apartment," he looked at me, alarmed.

"How can that be, sir? He's sitting there in the living room, waiting for me to move in."

"I personally went to the apartment before; all the keys were with me. There was no resident there," he stood up, trying to calm me down.

"Jeon Jungkook is his name. If you can accompany me, I'll introduce you to him."

"Of course, let's resolve this," he grabbed his things and took me to the apartment in his car.

We encountered heavy traffic, and we chatted during the journey. He showed me some places in the city. When we arrived, the door was locked. I used my keys to open it.

"Well, as you can see, he's right there," I opened the door, pointing to the sofa.

"Mr. Yoongi, there's no one there," he said.

"He must be here somewhere. Please come in," I asked him to follow me.

"He might have left. Change the locks; I'll cover the costs," he suggested.

"Excuse me for calling you here unnecessarily. I'll follow your advice," I said, and he left.

Once the real estate agent was gone, I locked the door and checked all the rooms. Soon after, I received a message from him, telling me that a locksmith would come to change the lock.

Problem solved, and I could rest. I hadn't noticed, but it was already nighttime outside. I took a long shower and cooked some ramen; I hadn't eaten anything all day and didn't have time to go shopping...