「 excruciate / kth 」

·*◟t h r e e ◜‧*·

責め苛む excruciate | 章 ❸

                     i stood in front of the doorstep of our new neighbour's house. shivers ran down my spine knowing that this house was previously occupied by now deceased people. before i hit the door bell, the door instantly flung open to reveal a guy that looks about my age. his eyes were evidently full of wilt like his whole appearance. his soft, blonde hair was completely ruffled.

i pursed my lips at the sight of his bare upper body because only a towel was draped over his shoulder. he noticed this and went back inside swiftly to wear a shirt.

" good morning! " i exclaimed while flashing a beam at him when he came back. " i'm your next door neighbour and i just want to welcome you to the neighbourhood. "

the guy stared at me at first, with eyes wide open but after seconds, he smiled right away. i slightly tilted my head to the side while examining the guy and a sudden memory popped in my head.

" well that's nice. " he muttered while rubbing his eyes. " do you want to come inside so that i can offer you something to eat or―"

i slightly trembled at his offer because we barely know each other and he might be notorious or something.

" that reminds me, " i said as i offered him a pack of cookies i made earlier. of course, like typical neighbour welcomes, you must offer them something. " i made some cookies so here's some for you as a welcome treat. "

i step in his home hesitantly. the ambiance looked so dark with minimal items, making the place very spacious. boxes were towering each other while the furnitures were still covered with plastic. i saw a table and gently placed the pack of cookies.

when the guy closed the door, he gestured for me to sit on the couch.

" i'm scarlet by the way. " i said while eyeing on him as he searches his refrigerator to possibly, offer me something to drink.

" i'm taehyung. " he replied. he reached for glass and poured some strawberry juice in.

" kim taehyung, to be exact. " he added

he placed the glass on the coffee table in front of me as he sat next to me but there was a huge gap in between us. i bowed my head slightly to signify a " thank you " message while i grab hold of the glass.

" so have you heard of the thing that happened in this house? " i asked while sipping on the juice.

" you mean the murder thing? " taehyung sighed and flinched earning a nod from me in response.  " i was informed by it while i inquired in occupying this house but i desperately need a new house so i shook off the thought of the murder. "

" why are you desperately in need of a new one? " i asked.

" it's because i was seeking out for a job and now i found one and it's near this place. " he explained. " i am forced to move to some house in this vicinity because my previous house was quite far from the location of my job. "

a job?

" may i ask how old are you? " i asked out of curiosity.

" i'm 21 years old. " he giggled. " do i seem very young to you? "

" i only thought we were the same age. "  i laughed. " you look 19. "

" it doesn't seem to make a difference though. " he replied but then the phone rang so he forced himself up and answered it. he gestured that it was important so he had to excuse himself first.

i glanced around the room to observe the interiors and also hoping to see some remnants of the previous owners. the place was now engulfed with an eerie ambiance which made the place looked even darker. the sunlight protruded through the blinds, shadowing the boxes. i looked at my watch and saw that it was already  and i still need to run some errands.

i got up from my seat and walked to the kitchen to clean up the glass.

" leave it. " a sudden voice erupted from behind and i jolted up in shock. i spun around and taehyung looked at me with a smile but with piercing eyes. i already finished cleansing it so i had no choice but to place it on the rack.

" i need to go. " i uttered while walking to the front door. " thanks for the drink and it was nice meeting you, taehyung. "

a smile formed across my lips but before i turn the knob, taehyung strided his way to the door only to stop me from opening it by placing a hand over the knob. i felt paranoid at the moment.

" it was nice meeting you too. " he said slowly. " thanks for the cookies. " i smiled weakly as he freed his hand on top of mine so that i can open the door.

i made my way out of the house as i walked back to my house at a slightly brisk pace. as i fumbled for the keys in my pocket, i caught a glimpse of taehyung standing at the entrance of his house, still flashing a smile at me. i forced a grin as i quickly open the door.

i suddenly feel uncomfortable by his presence. it's like there's this discomforting aura from him but maybe it's just how he treats people.

or maybe it's just because i'm straight up awkward when it comes to meeting new people.