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In hindsight, maybe Jeno should've stopped somewhere on the way and put all this stuff in one or two bags instead of having to carry almost 10 different bags, most of which just had an item or two. Normally he would've taken a carry bag and put everything in it, but moving out of his old apartment and having little to no time to unpack the boxes, he had no option but to go shopping without his life saver.
While he is still struggling to hold the numerous bags and open the not so familiar lock all at once, he hears the door right next to the one he's trying to open, open. From the corner of his eye, he sees a figure clad in all black approaching him. Before he can even try not to make a fool out of himself in front of his new neighbour, panic seeps through his body and the key slips out of his hand and onto the marbled floor.
"Here, let me help you Mr..." The young man trails off, picking up the key from the floor. After opening the door in one swift motion, he turns back to face Jeno and takes the six bags from his right hand into his own hands. "After you," says the purple haired guy, pulling Jeno out of his train of thought.
"Uh, Lee– Jeno Lee. My name. That's my name." he says, trying to introduce himself. But after seeing amusement on the other's face, he quickly brushes it off and leads the way inside. He puts the bags on the already full table in the center of the living room, suddenly hyper aware of the mess his place currently is.
"Sorry for the mess. I didn't get much time to unpack all my stuff yet."
"Moving in is a lot of work, I understand. I can help you unpack, if you'd like," says the other, a soft smile adorning his otherwise sharp features.
"No, you don't have to. I would never want to keep you here in this mess. I mean... weren't you going out?"
"Not really, and I wouldn't mind accompanying you... in this mess."
"Oh... Sure, let me get you something to eat first."
—————
"Woah, you've got so many books. Will you let me borrow some?"
"That's the least I can do for your help," Jeno says, looking up from the box he's almost pulling apart, half because he's annoyed at how worn-off it is and half in the rush of looking at a certain sunkissed figure sitting next to the book shelf. With the sunlight falling onto his face, he looks like he's blessed by the Sun God himself.
"Come on, the least you can do is not be so formal with me now. We ate together, a bit more than an hour ago," he says, sounding displeased.
"Is there some sort of unwritten rule about not being polite to people who help you?" Jeno chimes in.
"There sure is an unwritten rule about being friends with neighbours who are kind enough to help a damsel in distress," says the other, biting back a mischievous smile.
"I wasn't that helpless now."
"Hmm... you helped yourself get into that situation so definitely not helpless," he replies, this time not holding back the smile that adorns his lips. Jeno can't help but smile himself, thinking he will probably never get tired of bantering with this stranger sitting in his house.
They fall into a certain rhythm, both silently doing their part of the work. With Jeno opening the boxes and handing books out to his neighbour who quickly puts them all on the shelf, he doesn't feel like he's obliged to speak to fill the quiet. There is something comforting about this situation, or maybe it's because Jeno has been so lonely for the past few days that even the presence of another person is enough to bring him peace. Whatever it is, it's enough to make him feel like he belongs, and that maybe he can make friends with his neighbour and not be lonely in this new city he's landed himself in.
He is soaring high in the promises of something new when his eyes land on a fragment of his past in the hands of his companion. A worn-off page with dusty creases, decorated with hearts in all the colours possible in the world. It's unfathomable how the colours which once filled his life, are now trying to pull the colours from his future. Maybe he's giving them a bit too much importance, and that certain piece of paper shouldn't matter to him to this extent, not now, years after the last remaining thread of that relationship was cut off.
"This fell off from one of the books here," the neighbour says, gesturing towards the shelf while beginning to sit down next to Jeno. "Looks like a high school sweetheart?"
"Yeah," Jeno mumbles, making himself smaller in order to make space on the floor.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up. I didn't know you still–"
"No, no no. I'm not hung up on him," Jeno cuts him off, "It just evokes some kind of nostalgia within me, of what we could have been, you know..."
"Have you dated after... this?"
"Yes, I did. Multiple times. I even had a long-term boyfriend after that. But things turned bad towards the end, and we both reached the conclusion that we'd be happy without the relationship, so we broke up."
"And are you?" the neighbour enquires.
"What?"
"Happy?"
"Definitely better. God, we had really ugly fights. Also, I'm still young and there's lots of people to meet. Maybe I'll find someone who I will be a better fit for," he replies, voice drooping with hope for the future.
"It's good to know that you are happy and hopeful," says the other, voice sounding a bit sad, or maybe it's just Jeno's illusion.
"You're not?"
"Happy or Hopeful?"
"Either or Both?"
"Sounds like we're playing those '36 Questions' games," says the other, eyes everywhere but meeting Jeno's.
"Oh, is this where we fall in love?"
"Too bad you won't even know the name of the one you fell for."
" Oh my god, " Jeno says, sounding a mixture of offended and surprised.
"Maybe I'll let the damsel know my name if they lend me that purple book," he says, pointing towards the book in the top right corner of the shelf.
"You have an obsession with purple, don't you?"
"It's the colour of hope, after all," says the purple haired boy, smiling wide. And maybe Jeno could really get used to this.
"Donghyuck. Lee Donghyuck."