Minghao moves into the apartment next to Wonwoo, and the two start bumping into each other at the elevator or in the hallway. Minghao's soft smiles and quiet greetings leave Wonwoo a little flustered. One night, when Minghao's locked out of his apartment, he asks Wonwoo if he can wait inside. The two end up talking for hours, discovering they're more alike than they thought, and eventually, neither of them wants the evening to end.
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Wonwoo first noticed the new tenant on a quiet Monday morning.
The elevator had taken its time, humming softly as it creaked up to his floor.
When the doors slid open, he almost didn't register the person standing there, a tall, slender man with dark hair, dressed simply in an oversized sweater and worn jeans.
He looked up at Wonwoo with a gentle smile that seemed to brighten the dull gray of the elevator interior.
"Morning."
The stranger said in a soft voice, stepping back slightly to give him room.
Wonwoo gave a small nod, his own quiet acknowledgment, but his heart fluttered unexpectedly.
The stranger's presence was calming, his energy subdued yet somehow captivating.
Wonwoo wanted to say something, maybe ask if he'd just moved in, but before he could decide on what, the elevator doors opened again on the ground floor.
The man walked out with a polite nod, leaving Wonwoo to wonder if he'd ever see him again.
But of course, he did.
Over the next few weeks, they continued to cross paths in the building.
Sometimes it was in the elevator, where they'd exchange quiet greetings.
Sometimes it was in the hallway, where the man, who, as Wonwoo later learned, was named Minghao, would give a soft smile that left Wonwoo inexplicably flustered.
Every time, Minghao's presence seemed to linger, like the scent of rain in the air after a storm, something that made the world feel softer and quieter.
For a while, their interactions stayed that way, brief encounters that neither seemed inclined to deepen.
Minghao had a habit of glancing down after he smiled, almost shyly, as though he didn't want to intrude.
Wonwoo, never one to initiate conversation easily, felt relieved but slightly disappointed, too.
He'd found himself thinking about Minghao more often than he expected, wondering where he was from, what he did for a living, what made him laugh.
But he never quite had the courage to ask.
Then one chilly night, just as Wonwoo was settling into bed, a soft knock echoed through his apartment.
