mac n cheese

I put my cycle outside the front door, finally being done with all the shifting.

Oh, how lovely it would be when I order food from outside, snuggle in my new bed in my new room and watch K-dramas all day long.

Maybe even spend some extra cash and-

"Yo, that's my parking."

I turned around and saw a guy with a cycle, standing outside the elevator.

Great, I hadn't even shifted yet, and I'll have to interact with another human.

To keep my cool, I just shrugged. " It's in front of my house, I don't see anything wrong with parking my cycle here."

He furrowed his brows, "Wait, you're new here?"

Before I could respond, his face lit up with realisation, "Oh, welcome! You're renting Madam Sato's place… I see… Nice lady, she sure is…" His eyes nervously darted to the side. He pointed at a door in the corner, decorated with fake leaves and flowers. "That's mine! Please call me anytime if you need any help! If you want I can-"

"Oh would you look at the time, I should really call my mom!" I cut him off, waving and shutting the door.

I don't even know him and he started a conversation. What a weird human.

I finally came to realise how unorganised and dusty everything was. Would probably take another day to do this.

I lost my appetite and went to work.

~~~

"Ow my back! My poor back!" I cried and lied down on the bed, whining like a kid.

I was super hungry and tired- yet only half of the house was cleared up. So much for finally living alone.

I opened my phone to order food- I was deeply craving Subway.

I hear a bell ding.

I opened the door, hoping it was the clothes my mom had ordered the other day.

Instead that idiot- I mean my neighbour- waved at me and handed me a casserole.

"I figured you wouldn't have food so I made you some mac and cheese!"

I stood there agape, shocked. Half because he was literally wearing boxers in January, half because he went as far as making food for me.

I took the casserole from him, bowing slightly. "Thanks." It sounded more like a question than a statement. Not sure why.

All my plans of having a nice sandwich were ruined. But oh well mac and cheese works too.

We awkwardly stood there, then the elevator door opened.

"Ah, finally home." An old lady walked out, with a lot of grocery bags in her hand.

"Oh let me help you!" The boxers guy ran towards her.

"Yukio! I'll make some rice cakes for you tomorrow!" She patted his back as he took the bags from her.

She glanced at her side, then turned towards me.

I panicked and immediately bowed.

"Oh, she's new here. Shifted this morning." Yukio, as I assume, came out, mending the embarrassment.

"Hiroka!" The lady remarked, and I looked up, astonished.

She chuckled and suddenly hugged me, "I was your neighbour when you were ten! Oh my, you've grown up so nicely! I still remember you coming back home with those medals from school. You used to swim, right?"

My face turned red, and memories flashed through my mind, but I brushed them aside and replied, "Yes! I remember now!"

No I didn't. How would I remember a neighbour from ten years ago. How does she remember anyway?

"All done! I kept the eggs and milk in the fridge too." The guy came out.

The lady bid us a farewell and went to her home.

I quickly backed away too. "Well… I'll just-"

"Would you like to go for a short cycle ride after dinner?" He looked at my cycle, which I hadn't quite used for a few months. I wonder why I stopped. Probably because of flat tires.

My back was still hurting and I was quite tired. "Can we go tomorrow? I was actually cleaning up the house so I'm kind of tired, you see."

He nodded immediately, "No problem! If you need any help, just ring my bell… Hiroka, right?"

I bowed and closed the door.

He seems like an idiot but he sure had some sick cooking skills.