Epex Oneshots (short stories) /imagines

Keum- My neighbor

Y/N's peaceful Saturday morning was interrupted by the loud rumbling of a moving truck right outside her window. She pushed back her curtains, squinting at the sight of boxes being unloaded from a large, bright blue truck parked in the driveway next door. Great, she thought with a sigh — new neighbors.

It wasn't that Y/N was unfriendly; she simply liked her routines. She'd lived in this neighborhood her whole life, and the people around her were familiar and predictable. This new family would probably bring a whole new level of noise and chaos, and she wasn't particularly looking forward to it.

Then, she saw him. A tall boy, around her age, was hauling boxes out of the truck, struggling as he maneuvered a particularly large one through the front door. He wore a backward baseball cap, and even from a distance, Y/N could see he had an easy smile. When he noticed her watching, he waved enthusiastically, a broad grin lighting up his face.

Y/N quickly closed the curtains, hoping he hadn't noticed her staring.

The next day, Y/N was in her front yard reading when she heard a voice call out from next door.

"Hey! I'm Keum!"

Reluctantly, she looked up. There he was, standing on the sidewalk between their two houses, that same bright smile plastered on his face. She gave a small nod, hoping to keep the interaction brief.

"I just moved in yesterday. Thought I'd introduce myself," he said, undeterred by her cool response.

"Y/N," she replied curtly, turning back to her book.

"So, Y/N, do you go to the local high school?" he continued, leaning against the fence between their yards. "I'll be starting there tomorrow."

"Yeah," she said, not looking up.

For a moment, he seemed to hesitate, but then he laughed. "Cool! Maybe we'll have a class together or something."

Y/N gave a noncommittal shrug, hoping he'd take the hint. But Keum just grinned wider, as if her indifference didn't bother him in the slightest.

"All right, see you around, neighbor!" he said, waving as he walked back toward his house.

Y/N watched him go, shaking her head. She couldn't put her finger on why, but something about him was irritating. Maybe it was his unrelenting cheerfulness or his refusal to pick up on social cues. Whatever it was, she made up her mind to avoid him as much as possible.

But Keum seemed to have other plans.

Every day after school, he would find ways to bump into her. In the mornings, he'd somehow always manage to catch her on her way to the bus stop, waving and striking up a conversation. He'd sit by her in the cafeteria, introducing himself to her friends with that same friendly charm that seemed to work on everyone but her. And on weekends, he'd show up outside her house, asking if she wanted to join him for a bike ride or grab a coffee.

At first, Y/N was convinced he was just being polite. Maybe he was one of those people who just needed to be friends with everyone. But as the weeks passed, it became clear that his attention was focused specifically on her. And even more confusingly, she found herself getting used to it.

One Saturday, when Keum invited her to a local fair, she almost turned him down out of habit. But he looked at her with such hopeful eyes that she finally relented.

"Fine," she muttered. "But only for an hour."

The fair was bustling with people, and Y/N couldn't deny that she was enjoying herself. Keum was surprisingly fun to be around. He had an endless supply of jokes, and he seemed genuinely interested in hearing her opinions, even about silly things like her favorite fair food or her strategy for winning the ring toss game.

They wandered through the various stalls, and Keum managed to win a small stuffed bear at one of the games, which he immediately handed to her. Y/N tried to hide her smile as she accepted it, tucking it under her arm.

"So, did I break through the 'cold neighbor' exterior yet?" Keum teased as they walked toward the Ferris wheel.

Y/N rolled her eyes, but she couldn't keep the smile off her face. "Maybe a little."

They rode the Ferris wheel together, and as they reached the top, Y/N looked out over the city lights, feeling a strange warmth settle over her. When she glanced at Keum, she found him already looking at her, a soft smile on his face. She quickly turned away, hoping he hadn't noticed the faint blush creeping up her cheeks.

Over the following months, Y/N's feelings toward Keum gradually shifted. It was hard to pinpoint when exactly she'd started to look forward to seeing him. She found herself laughing more when he was around, opening up in ways she hadn't before. He had a way of making her feel at ease, and despite her initial reluctance, she realized she was genuinely happy to have him in her life.

One evening, as they sat on her front porch, watching the sun set, Keum turned to her with a serious expression.

"Can I ask you something?" he said.

She nodded, curious.

"Why did you avoid me so much at first? Did I do something to bother you?"

Y/N hesitated, unsure how to explain. "I guess... I didn't really like change. I was used to things being a certain way, and when you showed up, all that got shaken up."

Keum nodded thoughtfully. "I get that. But... do you still wish things were the way they were?"

Y/N looked down, fidgeting with the edge of her sweater. "No," she admitted softly. "I don't."

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment before Keum spoke again, his tone light. "Well, that's good to know. Because I kind of like being your friend."

Y/N smiled, her heart fluttering slightly. "Yeah, me too."

As the school year went on, their friendship deepened. They spent nearly every day together, either studying, going for walks, or just hanging out. And with each passing day, Y/N felt her feelings for Keum growing stronger. It was no longer just friendship — it was something deeper, something that scared and thrilled her at the same time.

One crisp autumn afternoon, they went for a walk in the park, the trees around them bursting with red and orange leaves. They walked side by side, laughing and sharing stories, when Keum suddenly stopped, glancing down at her.

"Y/N, can I tell you something?"

She looked up, feeling her heartbeat quicken. "Yeah, of course."

He took a deep breath, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "I know we started out... not exactly as friends. And I know I probably annoyed you at first. But over time, you became really important to me. More than just a friend, if that makes sense."

Y/N's breath caught as she looked into his eyes, the sincerity in his gaze making her heart race. She didn't know what to say, but she felt a surge of happiness she couldn't ignore.

"I... I feel the same way," she finally admitted, her voice barely a whisper.

Keum's face lit up, and he laughed, relieved. "Well, that's a good thing, because I was really hoping we could be more than just neighbors."

They shared a quiet smile, standing there in the middle of the park, both realizing that what they had was something special.

From that day on, they were no longer just neighbors or friends — they were something more, something that had grown from shared moments, laughter, and a connection that neither of them had expected. And as they walked home together, side by side, Y/N couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, change wasn't so bad after all.