Private Files

The Girls Next Door

October 2016

"Sungjae-ah!!" Changsub exclaimed as he hurriedly entered the dorm. "Guess who I just bumped into at the basement car park?!" His movements were frazzled and his hair was windswept - evidence of him rushing into the apartment.

"Who?" Sungjae's tone was bored, not even at all curious about why his hyung was making such a big fuss. He continued to listlessly scroll through his phone while lying across the couch.

"Red Velvet!!" Changsub screamed as he pounced on Sungjae, shaking his shoulders.

Sungjae's fingers stopped his scrolling. He lifted his eyes to Changsub, giving him an 'are you serious?' look.

"I'm serious!!" Changsub voiced out. Sungjae flinched at the volume of his voice. "They came up to say hi and told me they were moving into block 3."

Hillstate Apartments was a premium, gated residential community located in the heart of Gangnam. With its close proximity to many entertainment companies and high level of security, it was no wonder that their apartment complex was a popular choice of home to a myriad of celebrities - singers, actors and idol groups. There were five apartment blocks arranged in a radial format and common amenities were located in the middle or on the basement floor. With high walls made of topiary and foliage, it ensured the ultimate privacy for its famous habitants; an enclave from the paparazzi's prying eyes and professional zoom camera lenses. BTOB's dorm for the vocal line was located in block 2, which meant that they were going to be in pretty close proximity with the Red Velvet girls.

"Hyung, why are you telling me this?" Sungjae nonchalantly replied. I'm not affected by this, I'm not affected by this, I'm not affec—

Changsub scoffed. "Oh it's nothing! I just thought of letting you know so that your dumbass won't freeze when you actually bump into them one day."

"Why would I freeze when I meet them?" Sungjae played it cool but grabbed his water bottle from the coffee table and gulped down half of it.

"Because of a special someone?" Changsub teased and sat at the edge of the couch.

"There's nothing going on between Sooyoung and I. We're just friends." He firmly replied.

"I didn't mention Sooyoung." Changsub smirked.

"It was implied," Sungjae got up to head to his room. The ending of We Got Married was still a sore spot for him and Changsub was just rubbing salt into his wound.

"You know it's not wrong for you guys to remain friends in public, right?" He called out to Sungjae's retreating back, letting out a sigh when the only response he received was the thud of Sungjae's door being closed.

When will these two kids grow up? Changsub yelled internally.

——

It was after dinner and Sungjae was lying on his bed when Eunkwang had entered.

"Sungjae ah, Changsub told me about Red Velvet moving in."

He gave Eunkwang a bored expression yet again. Sungjae was aware of where this conversation was headed to. Why was everyone so concerned with telling him the news?

"We should give them a housewarming gift," Eunkwang shrugs, "we should still be neighbourly, especially since Changsub has met them while they were actually moving in."

Sungjae nods in agreement. Eunkwang did have a point. "Alright hyung. Let me know what we'll be sending over."

"Hyunsik knows which unit they'll be moving into so we were planning on personally sending over a rice cake gift set with a handwritten note from all of us."