Elevator Love

Chapter 5

Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. This is what Charles R. Swindoll said and Irene’s motto at the same time. Staying calm in every situation brings you a lot more life joy than overreacting to every single bit. That’s why she moved out of her parent’s house. Her parents were great as parents. They did everything for their child - their daughter, without regarding their own wishes. But they were horrible as a married couple. Having arguments every day, not considering each other’s thoughts and ideas and the list goes on. Her parents only had themselves. No friends and no families around, but they still argued every day. It was too stressful for her to stay in this place, because she was in the middle of developing her own character.
She didn’t want to be like them. She wanted a peaceful life with lots of love. ‘I will give you a regularly visiting. It won’t be like we’re separated.’ She told them. Her mother hardly agreed to her decision with an upset expression. It wasn’t a bad decision tho. Everything went like imagined. She was satisfied – until now. Suddenly the emotion of fear filled her body every time she entered her building. The fear of walking across her new neighbour. He had a bad boy aura with an angel’s face, which was a dangerous mixture and Irene didn’t like it. Moreover, she is feeling too overwhelmed by it. She couldn’t have a proper sleep for a few days. Every noise from the outside was enough to disturb her nightly sleep. She was anxious that he would sneak into her apartment or something. What if he was a wanted agent? What if he is a drug dealer? Or worse what if he is a serial killer? Irene widened her eyes at the thought and suddenly felt her body heating up. The sticky atmosphere in the lecture hall was enough to smother and she did it worse by having these thoughts.
Almost 200 people and their voices filled the lecture hall. Irene was sitting somewhere in the middle row. She loved middle rows. It was the best place to not get any attention and have a good view for the lecture. While every student chatted with their friends, shared some chocolate with each other or napped in their seats, Irene was sitting alone and drifting into the space with her eyes while she waited for the professor to arrive. It wasn’t like she didn’t know anyone. She did. But not in a close friend’s level. Meeting new people was too tiring to her. The getting to know each other process, the sharing personal stories process, the trusting process, the relying process. Too much work. She already had her besties; she didn’t need new besties. Everyone from the outside would judge her, but she was okay with it. “Hey! Hey! Beautiful girl!” She heard someone shouting by the stage. She glanced over to the source of the sound and frowned at the sight. It was the boy called Mino; she met few days ago. He was wearing his pyjamas. It was like as if he got there right after he jumped out of bed. He was smiling brightly and waving enthusiastically – wait! To her direction! Was he waving to her??
Irene moved in her seat and looked around with widened eyes. She could see some people giggling at his behaviour. Mino was now running up to her row. Irene hoped he wouldn’t come to her and sank in her seat by covering her face with her left hand. “Hey! Beauty!” He could hear him making his way through the busy seats. When she saw the free seat next to her, she got even more tensed. She didn’t want him to sit next to her, so she picked up her bag, but Mino was faster. Before she could place her bag on the free seat, he dropped himself immediately on the seat as if he was racing with someone.
“Thanks for holding this seat free for me.” He said grinning at her. Irene just looked at him with a confused face, then he started laughing “Joke. Don’t make that face.” He said. Students from the first seats turned their heads around to have a better seat and laugh about him. Irene glanced over him to see how he would react, but it seemed like he was in his own world. He didn’t give a damn about others at all. Irene eyed him inconspicuously from toe to head and flinched a little when she made eye contact with him. “What?” He asked. Irene smiled politely and shook her head. He was a different guy. Someone who lived by his own rules.
After the lecture Irene waited for others to leave, so she wouldn’t have to squeeze herself through the door. “These are actually human, you know.” Mino commented. Irene looked at him. “Although they seem like some ducks, they are civilised people.” He smiled “Civilised people who make fun of other people’s outer appearance but can’t manage to go one by one through the door.” He shook his head. A little smile formed at the corner of Irene’s lips as she looked at the people.
“Why do you study psychology?” Mino asked her. Irene blankly stared at him “Why do you asked?” She asked. “Why not?” He answered, “Don’t you know the reason, why you’re studying something?” He asked. “I-I do. Of course, I do. I’m just interested in human thoughts and so over. Why people behave like they behave” This answer should be enough, right? She didn’t need to tell the whole story. “What about you?” Irene asked him. Mino chuckled “Just.” He answered, “I want to learn how to manipulate people.”
His answer startled Irene. Was he being serious or was he joking? She couldn’t tell. “Are you serious?” She asked with furrowed eyebrows. “What is your telephone number?” He asked all of a sudden. “What??” Irene’s reaction made him chuckle. “Do you always want to hear questions twice?” He asked, facing her. “I-I’m not giving you my number.” She said moving in her seat and glancing to the group. “Why not? Do I look like a weirdo? Is that why?” He asked. “No, it’s not-“ He interrupted her “Do you have a boyfriend?” He asked. Irene widened her eyes. She felt very uncomfortable in that situation “I don’t.” She said, slowly grabbing her bag from the floor. “So, what’s the problem?” He asked not to understand the fact. “Do I have to be taken? I just- I just don’t want to give you my telephone number. I barely know you and you can’t ask me out of the blue.” She stated. Mino shifted his eyes “So you prefer some pick-up lines, huh? Not usual for a psychology student.” He mumbled.
“What about this then, ‘Hey, could you give me your number, I lost mine.’?” He said in a flirty way. Irene scoffed. She could feel her face getting warm out of the embarrassment. “You’re crazy.” She said. “But I’m good crazy.” Mino stated. Irene rolled her eyes “No, thanks.” She said and stood up to leave the lecture hall. Mino observed her all the way until she was outside with a smile on his face “This will be interesting.” He mumbled.
Irene smiled and shook her head as she remembered the scene earlier in the lecture hall. The boy was either crazy or too authentic. She couldn’t tell yet, but it was the first time that she left the university in that kind of an atmosphere.
A luxurious car riding on the road to her left caught her attention since the driver literally chocked the engine. What was more interesting was that the car stopped in front of her building. Irene couldn’t remember that someone this rich lived in her neighbourhood. She was very curios of who would step out of the car. Once the passenger seat’s door opened, Irene felt her heart skipping a beat. It was Donghae himself, this time he looked like some businessman in his black suit. A very rich businessman. His aura showed his presence. He was there, catching all the attention. Irene could imagine, how women would fall for him, but that didn’t mean, he was supposed to play with them. From the driver’s seat, his fiancé Dara got out. She too looked very decent and elegant. She surely had the beauty of a goddess. Dara walked over to Donghae and told him something as she grabbed his collar. Donghae rather looked annoyed and nodded to her words without truly listening to her. He had his hands in his pockets. Dara noticed Irene and smiled brightly which surprised Irene. Was it okay to smile like that when they only met once? – If the other days don’t count. Please, don’t call me. Please, don’t call me. Irene smiled and walked fast with small steps to get over the situation. She could hear her mumble something for the last time, before she got into the building.
Irene inconspicuously ran to the elevator as she pressed the button. At this point she cursed to herself that she didn’t move to the first floor where she wouldn’t always rely on the elevator, but instead she chose the damn 8th floor. Irene pressed her lips together and glued her eyes on the display to see the floor numbers as she waited for the elevator to arrive. Meanwhile she could hear the door behind her getting shut and his nearing footsteps. There. It is too late. Donghae stopped right behind her. The building was very silent, so she could hear his sniffing and breathing. When the elevator door opened, it startled Irene that Donghae was the first one to enter. She furrowed her eyebrows as she glanced to his passing figure next to her. Irene carefully entered the elevator and immediately turned around to face its door, so she wouldn’t make any eye contact with him.
A peeping tone signalised that the door was shutting, the ground hall view in front of her changed with the reflection of them. Irene was first looking to the floor, but she was curious of the person behind her, so she carefully raised her eyes to the reflection to see what he was doing. He leaned himself casually on the wall with his hands in his pockets but his eyes… Irene frowned at the sight and her heart started increasing its pace. His eyes didn’t seem to be where they should be. Irene was hoping she was mistaken in what she saw there but it couldn’t be since the reflection was clear. He was literally staring at her body. He was checking her from head to toe while chewing on his inner cheek. Irene suddenly felt very uncomfortable in her short skirt, so she automatically pulled at its edge, as if it would help to make it longer. It was not like that it was too short, but with his expression it felt like that. Her pulling was a wrong decision since it made him literally glue his eyes on her ass. The few seconds to her apartment felt like an eternity. She couldn’t hold it anymore and prepared herself to confront him despite of her shy character. This was going too far; he had no choice to look at her like that.
She was about to gather her courage and turn around before she heard a ringing sound. It was coming out from Donghae’s pocket. The sound got even Donghae out of his thoughts as he got startled and immediately grabbed his phone. “Hello? Yeah… ‘Bout to go home…” Irene glanced at the display. One floor left. She breathed in and out and couldn’t wait to get out of there with this perverted man. “Really?” Donghae chuckled. Irene furrowed her eyebrows; he was talking to a girl. Was it his fiancé? Or the other girl? Or the girl from the party? Or another girl? Irene bit her inner cheek and stopped hardly herself from rolling her eyes, he seemed so like a player and it disgusted her. He was literally cheating on his fiancé and the poor girl had no idea.
Bing! The wall in front of her started moving to the right. Before it was fully gone, Irene immediately got out and walked to her front door. She could hear Donghae still talking on the phone and stepping the floor to their hall. “Ya!” She heard him from behind. Irene closed her eyes and hoped there was some other person beside them on the hallway. As she turned around, she noticed he meant her. He still had his phone on his ear and shook some earplugs in his hand. Irene paid closer attentions to them. They looked like hers, she could tell from the broken edge. She checked her bag, if hers were inside. To her bad luck – they were not. She pursed her lips and slowly faced him. “Yeah, I’ll call you back.” Were Donghae’s last words before he hung up and put his phone in his pocket.
“You dropped this.” He said as he pointed to the earplugs. “Yeah, I know. Thank you.” Irene smiled and grabbed her plugs, but something hindered her from taking them. She frowned and looked at him. He seemed like he had no intentions to hand them back and just looked at her. Irene questioningly looked at him. “You’re welcome.” His grip lightened, so Irene finally could grab her earplugs. “Irene-ssi.” He said. Hearing her name from his mouth felt awkward. She forced a smile and nodded. Irene could hear Lola meowing inside her apartment. She always felt she was there without even opening the door. Donghae glanced to her door “Someone’s missing you.” He stated. Irene smiled “My cat.” She said. “I know.” Donghae remarked “Sweet.” He said before he turned around to leave. Irene observed him until he was fully gone. She pinched at the cords of her earplugs as she stared to his door. His personality is difficult to tell. What kind of a person is he? And why do I always get nervous around him? She sighed heavily before she entered her apartment.
“No Seulgi, you can’t allow that. Tell Wendy to stop them.” Irene tried to convince her friends on the phone that it was a bad idea to give her a visit while walking back and forth around her living room. Lola just chilled on the sofa and watched every movement of hers. When she couldn’t succeed, she sighed loudly and put her phone on the table. The next thing she heard was her door ringing. She marched to open her door and was confronted with the grinning faces of her best friends. She just glared at them.
“Come on, it will be fun!” Joy exclaimed as she tried to gather everyone around her game play on the ground. She wanted to play truth or dare with them. Irene knew very well; she just did this to annoy her with her new neighbours. She didn’t know what Joy was exactly planning, but when Seulgi said on the phone that she was curious how they looked like, it was clear.
Joy glanced at everyone if they were ready and when she was sure of that, she spun the bottle in middle. No one wanted to be pointed at, so they nervously waited for the bottle to stop spinning. After a few seconds the top of the bottle showed to Wendy. “It’s Wendy!” Joy excitedly shouted. “So, truth or dare, Miss Wendy?” Joy watched her in the eye. Wendy wandered her eyes around “Dare, I guess.” She let out. Irene was surprised, she didn’t expect her to say truth when they just started, she knew they were on to something. She suspiciously looked at Seulgi and narrowed her eyes. The smiling girl felt offended once she caught Irene staring at her like that “What? Why are you looking at me like that?” She complained. “Alright, alright. Our Wendy chose dare. Wendy… I dare you, to…” Joy explained, causing unnecessary tension.
“To…” She laughed when she saw Irene’s expression who looked at her very annoyed. “It should be fun, right? I dare you to go over to Irene unnie’s new neighbour and introduce yourself.” Joy smiled. Irene widened her eyes and suddenly felt anxious. “Ya! Are you crazy? This is going too far; I can’t allow you to do that Wendy.” She complained. Joy looked at her as if she did a big crime, disappointed that she was disturbing her plan. “Whyyyy??? It’s a game, unnie and I decided that she will go up to him, say hi and introduce herself.” Joy repeated herself. Irene scoffed while the other two girls tried to hide their smile. “I can do that.” Wendy shrugged her shoulders. Irene shockingly looked at her and shook her head “No, you won’t. You have no idea what kind of a person he is.” Irene tried to warn her. “So, you don’t.” Joy made a point which left Irene speechless.
Wendy made herself ready to stand up and go out of the apartment. Joy and Yeri giggled watching her leave, while Seulgi tried to stay calm. Irene panicked once Wendy opened her door and found herself following her. “Wendy, stop that.” She whispered behind her. But it was too late, Wendy already knocked on his door and wiggled her eyebrows to Irene. It was Wendy standing in front of his door, Irene standing few steps behind and the rest standing behind Irene’s door and excitedly ears dropping.
The got opened, not by Donghae but Eunhyuk. “Hey, my name is Wendy. I am your neighbour Irene’s friend. Nice to meet you.” Wendy said bluntly with a confident smile, leaving Eunhyuk confused, Irene mentally face palmed to the scenario in front of her. The man at the door glanced to Irene and smiled. He stretched out his hand “Hi Wendy. My name is Eunhyuk, I am Irene’s neighbour Donghae’s friend.” He said smiling brightly. Wendy unsurely shook his hand and slowly turned her head around to Irene who raised her eyebrows. “Where’s the real neighbour?” Wendy asked causing Eunhyuk to chuckle.
“I let this count!” Joy suddenly popped out. “It’s okay, I’ll let this count.” She repeated. The other girls followed her. Eunhyuk was startled at the sight. Irene could hear Donghae’s voice inside shouting who it was. It seemed like he had guests over. There were definitely more people inside. “What are you doing here?” A girl showed suddenly next to Eunhyuk up. “These are friends of Donghae’s neighbour.” Eunhyuk stated. “Ah, really?” The girl asked. Irene narrowed her eyes; she didn’t see her before. “So, you know Donghae?” The girl asked them. Yeri shook her head “We don’t.” She let out. “You want to come in and say hi?” The girl asked smiling. Eunhyuk nodded excitedly to her suggestion. Irene twisted her face and shook her head “I don’t think this is necessary. We were playing a simple game and-“ She stopped after hearing Joy’s voice. “Why not? We can come in and say hi.” She stated with a smile. “Come in then.” The girl opened the door wider. Irene couldn’t believe how every single of them marched into his apartment so easily while she stood there like a stone. Eunhyuk was about to close the door “You won’t come?” He asked her, seeing her alone on the hallway. “No, I’m fine.”
Irene couldn’t believe that her friends dumped her because of some new guys. One thing she found out from them was that the girl was actually the sister of Siwon. Her friends could already tell all their names and spoke very friendly about them. How nice and funny they were and so on. Was she the only one who didn’t see the nice and funny side?
She waited for the coffee machine to do its job while she answered her parents in their chatting group. They were asking if she was okay and needed anything. Irene smiled reading their messages and answered that she was completely fine and that they should care about themselves instead. Watching the last drops dripping out of the machine inside of the cup, Irene grabbed the cup and put it on the tablet. She marched out of the kitchen with the tablet in her hands “Whose order is this?” She asked her co-worker. “Table number 3!” She smiled to his answer and was ready to serve the customers before she realized it was Donghae again with a man in a black tuxedo. “You can’t distance yourself like that. If you want to win you have to be present.” She heard the man telling him. Donghae was looking out of the window with a serious expression. “Your orders, sir.” Irene said carefully. “Thanks.” The man smiled and watched her placing the cup in front of him. Donghae turned his head hearing her voice, Irene glanced at him and forced a smile.
He looked very surprised “You work here?” He asked. The man stopped stirring his coffee and give all his attention to the scene in front of him. Irene got startled “Y-yeah. I do.” She answered. “We actually meta few-“The man interrupted her “You know each other?” He asked. “We’re neighbours.” Irene blurted out but regretted saying it when she saw Donghae shooting her death glances. The man looked as if he won the lottery “Is that so? Where do you live?” He asked. Irene wasn’t sure if she should answer to that question since Donghae looked very unamused. But the man looked curiously into her face, so she felt no other option than to respond. “A few blocks behind this shop.” She answered. Donghae clenched his jaw and closed his eyes “Shut up.” He said emotionless. The man chuckled “Ah, I see… So, you didn’t move out too far, huh?” He asked Donghae while drinking his coffee. Donghae annoyingly stood up “Ya! Follow me!” He said to her. “What?” Irene confusedly asked. “Can’t you hear? Follow me!” He repeated again looking into her eyes. What did I do wrong? Irene started following him outside. Her chef was about to hinder her but the man who was with Donghae told him it would be alright.
When they were outside, Irene waited for him to say something, but he was just standing in front of her. His back facing her while his hands on his hips. “Are you going to invade my personal life like this?” Irene could hear him asking. She didn’t understand what he was trying to say since she didn’t do anything wrong. “What?” She quietly asked. Donghae angrily turned around and walked in front of her. He was only a few inches apart. His expression was very scary, Irene could barely look him in the eyes. “Who the fuck do you think, you are? Why do I always come across your stupid self, huh? Are you probably following me?” He sounded scary. Irene felt her heart beating very fast. They were in front of their bakery, there were people around, but it felt like no one else between them was there. She felt defenceless. “What? I’m-I’m not. As you can see, I am working here.” She tried to calm him down. “Look, I don’t want you to be involved in my life, okay? Remove all the scenes about me in your mind. Don’t talk to my people. Don’t sneak or send your friends into my apartment, you got it?” He asked bitterly. Irene just blinked, not able to say anything, she could feel her heart in her throat. “Did they send you to spy on me?” He asked straight. Irene looked at him with a shocked expression “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She genuinely said. Donghae chuckled coldly “Playing dumb, huh? Tell your stupid boss I won’t fall for this shit. His trick won’t work because I won’t fall for it, got it? I won’t fall for that beautiful, attractive girl next door number. He can do whatever he wants to with you. Play your games and I’ll play mine. Tell him exact these words.” He said in an angry tone while looking into her eyes and left a few seconds after.