Strange Encounter

Lily sighed as she peeked into the hallway, she'd seen him for the first time the night before and she swore she'd never seen a man more attractive than him. She had no idea when he'd moved in because she'd never seen him about before, not even in town. It was like he'd suddenly appeared out of no where, and she had no plan on letting him get by without introducing herself. She had just moved there not long ago herself, her apartment still half unpacked with her books strewn about. Working from home was tedious, working from home while a part time student was even more work, sometimes though it didn't feel like it.

Lily found she'd had more time on her hands lately than she had anticipated, sometimes having hours of downtime but not having anything to fill it with, he'd be a wonderful thing to fill her time with...

I heard the elevator open and peeked my head out, knowing I had only a few seconds before he walked past. Technically what I was doing was super creepy and stalking, but I didn't know what else to do. I'd been shoving my mail into his box for a few days now, in hopes that it would push him to come over and drop it off, or at least say hi, but no such luck. I was considering stealing his mail to have an excuse to go over, but I was nervous and hoping he'd come over instead.

I heard the footsteps echo down the hall and shut the door slightly, so it hopefully wouldn't be too obvious that I had been waiting for him to walk by. I heard the footsteps pass my door and headed out, going downstairs to get my mail and hopefully catch him before he went inside his apartment.

---

Minseok punched in the code for the keypad and went inside, waiting for the elevator to come. He turned the headphone volume up and nodded a little, listening to the beat. He sighed a little and shook his head, either not waiting long enough for it to come, or knowing it was once again broken.

He headed up the stairs, bouncing to the beat in his ears, and turning on his heel when he got to his floor, heading to his apartment which was the last one on the right.

Lily walked out of her apartment and went to his door to knock not knowing he wasn't home, she had a pan full of brownies for him. She was generally good to neighbors because she didn't know whenever she'd need their help but right now she wanted nothing more than to see his face in front of hers, he was gorgeous. She chewed on her lip when there was no answer, "Maybe he isn't home," she murmured lightly.

---

He sighed as he walked with coffee in hand, he looked around for a moment making sure he wasn't being followed - it had been a long day and he wasn't sure if his cover was blown or not.

I went over to the mailboxes on my floor and pretended to be busy getting my mail out. I saw him out of the corner of my eye and sighed, looking up quickly Before staring right back down. I needed to stop this. Either I needed to go talk to him or I needed to get over him and find someone else. I sighed a little and closed my mailbox before turning around to head back to my apartment, dejected again.

---

He rounded the corner and saw a girl in front of his apartment. He normally kept to himself, so he knew he didn't know her. He walked over and stopped behind her, trying to see what she was doing.

"Who isn't home?" He asked her, moving to face his door.

She jumped and put a hand to her chest,"You startled me, I made you brownies.. I don't know when you moved in but I saw you yesterday and I thought I'd make you these," she smiled a little as she looked at him. At that moment all Lily could hope was that he liked chocolate or else she'd probably shove the whole pan in her mouth then swallow it whole. Well not really but it wasn't far off from the reaction she'd have.

---

Jongin sighed as he answered his phone, he licked his lips and listened to the objective. He saw a girl pass him and tried to look as if he was somewhat enjoying the conversation even though he dreaded it. The sooner he was done with this fucking company the better, he was tired of handling their dirty work - sometimes he felt like screwing them over; it wouldn't be hard but he knew they'd end him once they foundo ut.

I sighed a little and chewed on my lip, closing my door behind me. I didn't know why I kept trying every day. I kept putting mail into his box in hopes he brought it over, but still nothing. Maybe I just needed to stop. I didn't know, I just thought he was really good looking and interesting. He always looked so cool when he came in, I was just too afraid to say anything.

---

He smiled a little and nodded. "Thanks. I like brownies." He said with a small smile and unlocking the door. "These... Are all for me?" He asked, setting his stuff inside and turning back to her. "I don't think I can eat all of these." He said with a smile. She was really pretty, he noticed, he wondered where she lived in the building.

"Uhm well, you can freeze half of them if you'd like, thats what I do sometimes they keep for like two months or something in the freezer," she said to him, "but they're all yours," she said as she rubbed the back of her neck, he was so handsome. When she was younger she used to dream of meeting a man who was this attractive, and now that she thought about it - it felt very odd thinking all these things why he was standing right in front of her.

"But I have milk if you want to share them? I live just across the hall," she smiled as she pointed to her door with the numbers 18 on it.

---

He opened his mail boxer for the first time in weeks and was shocked at how much mail he had, he grabbed them and looked over them - it was all the same name; None of this was his mail. He shook his head and jogged up the stairs to the door on the address. He knocked on the door a few times and chewed on his cheek. Must have been an error on the mailmans part.

I sighed as I sat down on my couch, going through my mail. I was a bit bummed, but it was what it was. There wasn't anything I could do about it. I opened one of my magazines and began reading, idly thinking about the fact that the last one was somewhere in his mailbox. Hearing a knock on my door I stood, walking over to it. I wasn't really paying attention to what I was doing, so instead of looking through the peephole like I normally did, I just opened the door and froze.

He was here. I stared for a second before reminding myself that staring was rude. It was just, I never had gotten a look at him straight on. It was always profile or as he walked off. Which was really weird, I really needed to reevaluate what I was doing. "I- Uh, yes?"

---

He smiled a little and shrugged, looking at the time. It wasn't too late. "Sure, I don't have any milk, so... Want me to come over or bring the milk over here?" He asked, leaning against the door frame. It was late and he was tired, but he'd be stupid to pass up brownies with a pretty girl, no matter how tired he was.

He smiled,"The mail man keeps stuffing, scary amounts of your mail into my mail box I just checked it today... I only check my mail once a week," he laughed a sheepishly as he held up the pile. He looked at her, and he swore he felt his heart stop - she was pretty and seemed very shocked to see him there but he didn't worry about it.

---

She smiled,"I'll go grab the milk and be right over," she said to him smiling a little, 'Just get a couple glasses and a knife ready," she told him. Lily couldn't believe this was happening, she turned to walk into her apartment then opened her fridge pulling out the half gallon of milk and made sure to shut her door behind her.

"alright" she smiled as she walked back over to his door.

"Oh... Uh... Silly mailman." I murmured, looking at all the mail he held in his hand. Once a week, it made sense. Thats why he hadn't brought it over. He hadn't known. I realized, looking at it. "Thank you for bringing it over." I said with a small smile, trying to ignore the nerves in my stomach and the pounding of my heart. "I'm Averi."

---

He looked up from his couch, having cleaned up a bit and sat on it. "Come in!" He called, turning his tv down a bit and sliding over as she walked in. He realized he didn't know her name, or how she knew him, but he didn't care. She was easily the prettiest girl hed seen in a long time. "I realize I didn't introduce myself. I'm Minseok."

"Jongin," he smiled a little,"It's nice to meet you," he said holding out his hand for her to shake, "I live a floor above you actually," he smiled, "Like.. directly above you I think, weird," he laughed awkwardly, "so yeah I'll try to check my mail more often so I can get it to you," he said smiling a little. and so i can see you again.

---

she smiled a little,"I'm lily," she said to him as she walked in and shut the door behind her since it was a bit chilly in the hallway, "I didn't even see you move in.. now I know why," she smiled, "I can help you find some stuff to spruce the place up a bit," she said to him as she looked at the bare walls.

He looked around his apartment and shrugged. "I'm not very good at home decorating." He smiled a little as he looked around the apartment. "If you don't mind me asking, you don't sound much like a Berlinerin, unless your accent isn't very heavy?" He asked her curiously. He had been living there for a while, and his talent with the language still wasn't very strong. Just strong enough to get by.

---

I smiled and turned to look into my apartment. "Do you want to come in? It's rare a neighbor comes over, and I was about to start on lunch." I asked hopefully, pointing at my mail. "And to thank you for getting my mail and bringing it over to me." I said with a small smile.

"I was born and raised here but my parents put me through a lot of speech therapy classes when I was young so I don't really have an accent," she smiled a little, "they said it'd make it easier finding a job abroad if it's what I wanted," she said to him shrugging, "I work from home now so I don't really get to talk to people much," she said as she set the milk on the counter.

---

He nodded al ittle,"Uhm sure," he smiled as he walkedi n and looked around - he didn't know why he was so paranoid but he had no idea if she was a spy as well. How could he know? she seemed perfectly normal - but what if she wasn,t what if she planned on killing him?

I opened the door so he could come inside. I was a bit nervous, I had thought of him coming inside, but wasn't really sure what to do with him now that he was here. "What do you like to eat?" I asked him as I went over to my kitchen. "I have just about anything you could think of."

---

He nodded a little. "I see. But you speak the language. How lucky, maybe you could teach me. I'm decent, but far from fluent." He said with a smile, reaching for the milk. He poured them both some and took a bite of a brownie, before groaning. "These are amazing." He groaned, taking another bite.

She smiled a little,"I can teach you some things here and there, it's pretty simple," she said to him as she licked her lips and took a bite of a brownie. "I'm happy you like them, they're my grandma's recipe," she told him as she pushed her hair out of her face.

---

"Just cook what you normally do," he smiled a little,"I'm not picky," he said as he looked around then back at her.

I nodded a little and went to look into my cabinets, deciding to cook some fried streak and mashed potatoes. That way it would take a bit and I'd have a bit more time to talk to him. "Have you lived here long?" I asked him, turning to see him looking around my apartment, almost like he was looking for something. "Are you alright?"

---

He laughed a little. "Simple is not the word I would use for the language, I actually find it quite difficult. I love being here though. Despite only understanding 70% of what's said to me." He said with a small shrug.

She smiled a little as she looked at her,"I can come over some days and teach you some stuff, or just talk to you in german," she smiled a little.

---

He smiled, "A month tops," he said to her,"Yeah I'm fine," he laughed, "sorry it's just a habit to check out my surroundings," he told her as he pushed a hand through his hair.

"Oh. Alright." I said, turning away from him to continue working on the food. I hoped he didn't think I was weird for asking that, especially if no one pointed it out. I shook my head and began seasoning the steak, trying to think of something to talk to him about that he wouldn't find me weird to ask. "What do you do for a living?" There, a safe question.

---

He nodded a little. "I'd like that. Normally I come home late, like this. So your best bet to catch me is in the mornings." He said with a smile, dipping the brownie into the milk.

She smiled a little,"I'll remember that," she said to him as she ate her brownie, "I work and go to school from home, so I don't get out much and I don't have many friends in these parts cause I moved into this area not long ago - most of my friends went to school abroad and I stayed behind,"

---

He smiled a little,"I am a business contractor," he said to her, "I may end up out of town for sometime then come back at weird hours if a meeting runs later than expected," he told her smiling.