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You didn’t hate your neighbor, really. You barely knew the guy! Your landlord only told you his name was Jungkook and that he was a graphic designer. “Maybe you knew each other!” Seokjin, your overly optimistic borderline dopey landlord had said when you mentioned you were a music producer. That was not how it works, but you couldn’t really destroy your landlord’s excitement, so you replied him with a smile. You didn’t think you’ve even met the guy when you first moved in aside from the note slipped under your door telling you to stop making loud noises at night. It would have been fine if it weren’t for the fact that he took the time to doodles dying stick figures on one corner with one stick figure clanging cymbals on the other corner (you might have ended up replying with a very bad doodle and an equally passive-aggressive note but that was not the point).
You really didn’t hate Jeon Jungkook, the resident graphic designer with – as Seokjin had put it – a heart of gold and zero self-perseverance. Min Yoongi, the resident grumpy cat lady who happened to be your cousin, had also told you the same thing, although with a very much more interesting choice of words (“the dumbass who loves Iron Man a little too much and looked like a muscly rabbit” Yoongi said as he helped you unload some boxes). But then again, you’ve spent most of your life with Yoongi and you knew the guy never said anything nice to anyone except for his cats. Hell, he even told you, his favorite cousin, that you looked like 'the hairball his cat hacked up’ when you fought off some bullies who made fun of him.
“He’s not that bad.” Jimin, the beautiful dancer who lived two floors above yours commented the other day. He had accidentally listened to Yoongi’s very creative opinions on Jungkook. “Kinda dumb when it comes to girls, but a very decent guy. You look like you can get along with him.”
“Excuse me, are you implying I’m kinda dumb too?” You asked.
Jimin only flashed you a grin as he sauntered off and it reminded you of Yoongi’s cat that would always try to claw your face whenever you came too close to it.
“Come to think of it, you are similar in some ways,” Hoseok, your best friend, commented offhandedly as he picked up another box. “You have that look on your face.”
“What? Beauty?”
“It’s more of a perpetually confused look. But whatever helps you sleep at night.”
(You chucked your sandal at his head at his comment.)
So yes, you really didn’t think you bore any resentment for the tenant who lived next to your apartment. Or that was what you were trying to think for the past month until you saw three post-it notes stuck on your apartment door when you got home from a meeting.
“Do you want me to buy you a headphone? :(“
“It’s amazing how you and Yoongi and Hoseok are friends for so long! I wouldn’t have survived it.”
And more intricate doodles of what you thought was you screaming while the other stick figures cried in the corner.
.
Jeon Jungkook was a little shit and you didn’t know why everyone thought you’d get along with him. You, as the mature adult that you were, decided to play loud music that night only for Jungkook to slip more notes and stupid passive-aggressive doodle at midnight. The exchange went on for the next three months. Which was why you were now lying on Yoongi’s couch, asking him for more revenge ideas. You had played most of the songs on your favorite playlist, to the ones you hated. And you had collected a pile of post-it notes with doodles and weird notes that you were sure were filled with more passive aggressive messages and insults.
“He’s a little shit, Yoongi.” You groaned.
“You have one more thing in common then,” Yoongi replied.
“I am not!”
“Didn’t you try to make better brownies for our neighbors, Namjoon last week?” You opened your mouth to retort, only for Yoongi to cut you off, “and both of you ended up sending tons of food to our poor neighbors by the end of the week.”
“He started it.” You grumbled.
You should have known better. You should have left the apartment when you realized Yoongi was silent for a good minute before his lips curled into the most obnoxious smile you have ever seen.
“[Y/N]…” he started with a manic grin. “Do… do you have a crush on Jeon Jungkook?”
“I DO NOT!”
You definitely did not have a crush on your tall, cute neighbor of yours that always tried to get on your nerve. And the heat on your cheeks was definitely because of the hot weather. Nothing to do with how Yoongi kept staring at you with that stupid grin or the thought of Jungkook that popped into your mind.
.
“Hey, [Y/N].” You jumped at the voice and quickly turned around to face Jungkook standing by his door with his eyebrows raised. His lips quirked into a smirk at how wide-eyed you were.
“Jungkook.” You nodded, trying to calm your racing heart.
“Hey, can you play those cute songs you blast the other day? I kinda like it.” Wait, what?
“Do you not have iTunes, Jungkook? You know you can buy the tracks online, right?”
“It’s free.” He shrugged. “I’ll draw you some doodles if you want.”
You gawked at him. Jungkook, bless his heart, had the decency to look a little sheepish for a mere second before he went back to his annoying self.
“Don’t forget to play the songs!” He grinned before he entered his apartment, leaving you gaping at his door in confusion and shock.
.
“Were you trying to flirt with her?” Taehyung asked the moment Jungkook closed the door behind him.
“Uh…”
“Cause that’s so pathetic.” Taehyung snorted, ignoring how red his best friend’s face had become. “Man, I told you to be all cute and romantic and you decided that sending weird notes and doodles are romantic?”
Jungkook groaned and buried his face in the couch while his best friend watched him from the kitchen, clearly used to his antics. “Wh-ami-sup-to—do!”
“Well, you could start by actually talking to her and not acting like a kid. She’s pretty nice once you get to know her.” Jungkook quickly turned to Taehyung, his eyes wide.
“You’ve talked to her?!”
“She gave me some brownies, which, in my opinion, taste better than yours.” Taehyung shrugged, sipping his coffee while he enjoyed the sight of Jungkook flailing on the couch, mumbling more incoherent words. “I can’t believe you have a crush on your neighbor and your first idea is to tell her she played her music too loud.”
Jungkook was about to reply when he heard it. The bubbly pop music she had played the other day. The songs he requested her to play for her. His face bloomed into what Taehyung described as ‘disgusting, love-sick, puppy face’.
“Do you think she likes me too?”
“Jesus, you’re really pathetic, Jungkook. This is why you’ve been single all your life.”
.
You really didn’t think you like him. You were just entertaining him. Maybe he was too broke to buy one track on iTunes. Maybe his laptop broke. You were just doing him a favor. Definitely not because he flashed you that cute smile that morning when you picked up your mails. Not because of the way your heart beat a little faster at the sight of him helping your neighbor and playing with some random dogs by the street. Most definitely not because of the butterflies in your stomach every time he greeted you in the hallway. It was justa favor.
But when you jumped out of your couch to run to the front door, beaming from ear to ear at the little notes and cute doodles he drew you for the day, you knew it wasn’t just some simple favor for a neighbor. He drew you a little cat and you thought it was you, judging from the frown on the face and your favorite dress. It was too adorable and you ended up sticking it on the fridge along with the other doodles he had given you.
You were, as Yoongi and Hoseok had said, completely and utterly fucked.
.
Friday was supposed to be a good day. But it rained the moment you exited the building and you had to deal with traffic. As if it wasn’t bad enough for you, you ripped a hole on your rain boots on your way to a meeting. You had to sit with wet socks for a good three hours, freezing your ass off because you had also forgotten to bring your favorite scarf. The client ended up not liking the song and ordered you to do more revision, much to your frustration. But the highlight of your awful day has got to be the time when you realized you’ve forgotten your keys and locked yourself out of your own apartment while Seokjin was away for a vacation with his daughter and Yoongi was visiting his family for the weekend.
“Great.” You sniffled, rubbing your nose pink as you sat down in front of your apartment. Your hair and clothes were wet from the rainstorm and you wondered if your makeup was still intact or you’ve already turned into a sad raccoon. You were too engrossed in your pity-party for one to notice the opened door next to you. You didn’t even notice it until said person crouched in front of you with worry plastered all over his face.
“[Y/N]?” Jungkook hesitantly called.
He smelled like pine and fresh soap and something else that made you feel at home. You looked up at him, startled at how worried he looked.
“Are you okay?”
At his words, you sniffled a little louder, your eyes burned with fresh tears. He gently put his hand on yours in comfort and it was like a dam broke, the tears you desperately tried to keep in check rushed down your cheeks.
“I can’t get inside!” You wailed, slapping the door pathetically.
“Shit. Please don’t cry. Oh, shit–” Jungkook panicked. “Do- do you want to go inside? I can make you some tea?”
You really didn’t know why it just made you cried harder.
“Y-yes.” You hiccupped between your tears as you let Jungkook guided you inside his apartment.
.
Jungkook’s apartment was like how you imagined an artist’ apartment would look like. Books scattered near the bookshelf, his laptop propped on the coffee table with sketches strewn all over the floor. There was a small pot of cactus by the window. It was oddly endearing and so Jungkook.
“You can sit here.” He offered, grabbing all his sketches and dumping it on the lone couch beside you. “I’ll get you some towels and clothes? Will that be okay? I can make you tea too.” He rambled.
You can only manage a weak nod, trailing behind Jungkook while he dug out a T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants from his bedroom.
“You have a nice apartment.” You said between hiccups. “I like the little cactus.”
He laughed and it almost sent your heart into overdrive. He had that adorable blush on his cheeks as he led you to the bathroom, explaining which one was soap and which was shampoo in case you want to use it. You didn’t really pay attention to it, too focused on the way he smiled and the affectionate pat on your head before he left you alone. And if you accidentally used the soap on your hair, it was understandable. You were sad and tired.
.
Jungkook was sitting on the kitchen counter when you finally stepped out of the bathroom with a T-shirt and sweatpants that were definitely too large for you. You tried to pull up the pants as you waddled to the kitchen, trying not to trip on your pants by accident (damn Jungkook and his long legs). He quickly looked up, face blooming into a warm smile at the sight of you standing in front of him (his brain short-circuited at how adorable you looked in his clothes but he would never tell you that).
“TEA!” He said a little too loud, blushing as he almost shoved the hot mug at you.
“Thank you.” You hesitantly took it, sipping and sighing in relief as it slowly warmed your body.
“I have to finish some work first but you’re free to do anything here. You can grab anything to eat if you’re hungry or you can just sleep. Just–,” he paused, “just make yourself at home.”
You dumbly nodded while Jungkook ran to the living room, wanting to get away from you as soon as possible so you wouldn’t see how red his cheeks were. Too tired to do anything, you decided to join Jungkook in the living room. You walked past the fridge, smiling at the little notes he had until your eyes caught the familiar notes and handwriting that definitely belonged to you. The little ugly doodles you did for him, the weird messages. You froze as it dawned on you. Jungkook had kept every single note you have sent him and stuck them all over his fridge.
“Hey are you ok–,” Jungkook’s question died out when he saw you standing in front of his fridge, holding a piece of paper.
“You kept this?” You softly asked.
“Uhh–,” Jungkook’s mouth slightly opened, trying to find an excuse that doesn’t scream ‘I have the biggest crush on you’.
“That’s really sweet.” You giggled, feeling warmth creeping up your face. You didn’t know if it was the tea or the weather that made you look at him in the eyes and said, “I kept yours too.”
Jungkook was sure his brain stopped working the moment the words escaped your lips. You kept his doodles. The doodles Taehyung thought was a dumb tactic to get your attention. He thought he heard you said it was cute and you really liked them, but he couldn’t really hear it over how loud his heartbeat was. So, being the smart person that he was, he took a step closer towards you and blurted out, “I really want to kiss you.”
(He did get to kiss you, only to panic a moment later when he felt how feverish you were.)
“I’m okay.” You insisted as Jungkook dragged you to his bed, forcing you to take some medicine and get some sleep. “Kiss me, please?”
“You’re really sick, [Y/N]. Let’s talk about this tomorrow okay? When you feel better.” He smiled, though he still planted a soft kiss on your forehead.
“Okay.” You cutely nodded and Jungkook swore he died and went to heaven when you reached out your hand to hold his before you fell asleep.