SVT NEXT DOOR | ꜱᴇᴠᴇɴᴛᴇᴇɴ

SVT NEXT DOOR | 9 ✓

SVT NEXT DOOR | 9

am i being consistent? hopefully :")

***

Areum's POV

Standing before my apartment unit, I found myself hesitating to ring the bell. There was an inexplicable heaviness weighing me down, a sense of nervousness that had settled deep within me. The walls of my solitude seemed to close in, amplifying my uncertainty.

Apart from Jessi, I had distanced myself from forming connections with others. It wasn't that I lacked the ability to approach people and engage in conversation; rather, I had become hardened by the loss of Chanyoung. I had shut out not only my parents but also myself, burdened by an overwhelming blame for his untimely demise. And Jessi, my dear friend, had been a constant presence through it all, undeserving of the weight I placed upon her.

In the midst of my internal struggle, I was startled by a voice behind me. Turning around, I found Joshua, casually dressed in a white tee and black denim, his hands filled with groceries. A mischievous smirk danced upon his lips as he questioned my presence.

"Areum-ie, why are you here?" he inquired, his eyes filled with curiosity.

Startled by his sudden appearance, I stumbled over my words. "No! I was spacing out... uh, where did you go?" I managed to respond, my gaze shifting to the grocery bag he carried.

Joshua raised the bag slightly, indicating his destination. "7-Eleven," he replied, the smirk on his face lingering. "The kids wanted some snacks, so I went out to buy them."

I nodded in acknowledgment, my hand absentmindedly scratching my head as I tried to ease my unease.

The reality of living next door to my favorite idol group, the fact that I had managed to secure a place within their company through a guerilla audition, was still surreal to me. And to add to that, they had invited me over for breakfast, and I had even ridden with them to school in their van. Not to mention the recent suggestion of camping on the company's rooftop—a campout with Seventeen themselves.

Seventeen.

I couldn't help but question my own luck. 

Had I somehow saved a country in a past life?

Lost in my thoughts, I was jolted back to reality by the chiming of the door to my apartment unit, the entrance swinging open to reveal a girl. 

Her long, curly, yellow-blonde hair cascaded down her back, reminiscent of the vibrant hairstyles seen in anime. Wide-eyed and mouth agape, she stared at me in astonishment.

The sound of the grocery bag hitting the ground reached my ears, apples rolling away in all directions. Turning my gaze to Joshua, I found his eyes mirroring the girl's incredulity, an array of emotions reflected within them.

"A-Aria?" Joshua managed to stammer, his voice barely above a whisper.

"J-Joshua?" she responded, her voice trembling with a mix of shock and disbelief.

Oh, dear God.

~♥~

With a heavy heart, I dragged my feet into the apartment, unable to tear my eyes away from the intimate interaction unfolding before me. 

Joshua and the mysterious girl shared a connection that seemed to transcend mere acquaintanceship. There was an undeniable familiarity between them, as if they had known each other for years.