More than Neighbours

1. Love at first Ouch

Lisa settled herself on the floor of her new studio apartment. This was exactly what she had been looking for: a small, cozy, cute space where she could be herself and lounge around. She looked around the open-concept living area with its high, bare ceiling and large windows overlooking the Gyeongui Line Forest Park. To her left was the kitchen, equipped with modern appliances, wooden cabinets, and a granite-top island, which Lisa thought would be the perfect place to work on editing her photographs. She sighed while lying down on the floor.

"What's the use of this fancy kitchen when I can't even fry an egg? Ugh, living alone is going to suck," she muttered.

Lisa had arrived in Seoul the day before from Thailand. She was mesmerized by the city and couldn't help but snap tons of photos with her beloved Fuji XA3. She felt alive and free of all her usual inhibitions. She had found the apartment through a Facebook Marketplace listing that fit her budget and had a perfect view of the park. Without hesitation, she emailed the contact and secured the place just two days before her arrival. Lisa had brought only two bags and one box, which held all of her life's belongings.

Now, in her empty apartment with no place to rest, she stretched out on the floor and quickly fell asleep, one thought on her mind: "How am I going to survive?"

Lisa woke up startled by the sound of a door slamming outside her apartment. Sitting up, groaning, and stretching her sore back, she glanced at her wristwatch. It was 5:30 in the evening.

"Shit! I slept for five hours!" she exclaimed, scrambling to her feet. She had scored an interview at 6:00 at a new bar, about three blocks away. Lisa rushed out of her apartment with her keys in hand, hurriedly pulling on her shoes. She pulled the door shut behind her, then turned around in a hurry and bumped into someone—hard. Both of them landed on the floor with a thud.

"Oh my God! I am so sorry. Are you okay, miss?" Lisa asked, getting to her feet and offering her hand to the girl she had collided with.

"Are you hur—"

"Ouch! Yes, I am hurt. Couldn't you see me standing there?" the girl snapped.

Lisa gaped, her mouth open. The girl was a little shorter than her, with the most intense, soul-searching feline eyes. Lisa felt like she could get lost in them forever. She had never experienced such an intense reaction to anyone—not even her high school boyfriend—let alone a girl. A very pretty girl, who was now glaring at her, waiting for a response.

"Uh...what? I... I didn't catch that."

"Oh God, you're not only clumsy but also slow and hard of hearing," the girl muttered.

"Oh... right! I'm so sorry. I was in a hurry, and I didn't see you there. Here, let me help you up."

Lisa extended her hand again, and the girl accepted it, standing up. But Lisa didn't let go of her hand right away. Her hands are so soft, Lisa thought.

"Are you going to let go of my hand anytime soon?" the girl asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Huh? Oh, yes, sorry." Lisa quickly let go, blushing as she scratched the back of her neck nervously. "Are you hurt? Do you need me to take you to the emergency room?"

The girl raised a hand to silence her. "No need. I'm fine," she muttered to herself. "Just bruised my ass."

Lisa started to apologize again, but the girl stopped her, raising her hand once more. "Stop. I don't need another 'sorry.' Just go. I'll be fine."

Lisa felt awful as she watched the girl limp toward the door opposite her apartment. Moving forward instinctively, she wrapped her arm around the girl's waist and threw her other arm over her shoulder. The sudden move startled the girl.

"What are you doing? I said I'm fine. I can walk by myself."

"Didn't look like it from where I was standing, Princess."

"Princess? Excuse me! Who are you to call me Princess? You're impossible..."

Lisa cut her off. "Are you done, Princess? I'm truly sorry for bumping into you, but please let me help. I'll feel better knowing you're safely inside."

The girl pouted, her cheeks puffing up in a way that made her look even more adorable. She was like an angry kitten, Lisa thought.

"Fine. You can help me to my door, but I'm not letting you inside."

"Okay, Princess. Whatever you need."

"Stop calling me Princess, you ass."

"Yes, ma'am," Lisa replied, suppressing a smile. The girl's words were bitter, but they only made Lisa find her even cuter.

Slowly, they made their way to the door, the girl now leaning completely on Lisa. She smelled like strawberries—sweet and delicious. The thought startled Lisa. What is happening to me? she wondered. Why do I like how she smells? She quickly chalked it up to exhaustion from her travels and lack of sleep.

When they reached the door, the girl let go of Lisa and turned to open it. She glanced back and said softly, "Thank you for helping me."

"You're welcome," Lisa replied with a toothy grin.

"Okay, you're weird. I have to go now. Bye, Miss...?"

"Lalisa Manoban," Lisa said, extending her hand for a handshake. The girl looked at her curiously, then took her hand.

"Jennie Kim. It was... interesting meeting you, Miss Manoban," Jennie said with a small smile before disappearing into her apartment.

Lisa stood there staring at the closed door for a moment too long before the realization hit her—she had only ten minutes to get to the bar for her interview. She dashed down the stairs and out onto the street, her mind still racing with thoughts of those feline eyes.

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(A/N!) I am a huge JenLisa fan and wanted to write a story I had playing in the back of my mind. Please bear with me English is not my first language and I apologies for any grammatical errors.
Feel free to drop comments.

This fanfic is going to be a slow burn to stay tuned for all good stuff!

Warning: This is going to have a lot of smut and just as much fluff.

I will be updating new chapters daily and plan on finishing the book in 20 to 25 chapters. 

©All rights reserved by the owner of the photos. Credits to them entirely!