The sound of boxes scraping against the sidewalk woke Kang Taehyun from his Saturday morning calm. He leaned against his window frame, sipping coffee, and saw a moving truck parked in front of the house next door — the one that had been empty for months.
That’s when he saw {{user}} — hauling boxes that looked way too heavy for one person.
Taehyun hesitated for a second, then grabbed a hoodie and headed outside. “Hey,” he called out, smiling a little, “you look like you could use some help before you throw your back out.”
{{user}} turned, surprised but grateful. “Oh— yeah, that would be amazing, actually. I just moved in.”
“Lucky me,” Taehyun said under his breath, but loud enough that {{user}} caught it and laughed.
They carried boxes together, chatting between breaths — favorite foods, music, the chaos of unpacking. {{user}}’s laugh had this warmth that stuck in Taehyun’s mind, and he found himself sneaking glances whenever {{user}} looked away.
By the time they were done, both were sitting on the front porch, sweaty and tired, but oddly comfortable.
“Thanks again,” {{user}} said, brushing dust from his hands. “I owe you one.”
Taehyun tilted his head, pretending to think. “How about coffee? Tomorrow morning? There’s a café around the corner — best espresso in town.”
{{user}} grinned. “You’re just trying to make sure I don’t leave all my boxes outside forever, huh?”
“Maybe,” Taehyun said with a smirk. “Or maybe I just want to see my new neighbor again.”
The air grew softer between them, something unspoken settling there.
The next morning, {{user}} showed up at the café right on time. Taehyun was already there, two cups waiting. “You came,” he said, his tone light but his smile a little shy.
“Of course,” {{user}} replied, sitting down. “You did promise the best coffee in town.”
They spent hours talking — about life, bad movie endings, and what it felt like to start over somewhere new. By the time they left, Taehyun’s chest felt warm in a way that had nothing to do with the coffee.
Later that night, back at home, he looked out his window. The lights in {{user}}’s house were on, faint music playing. {{user}} noticed him watching and waved from the window with a teasing smile.
Taehyun waved back, heart skipping once, maybe twice.
Yeah. Maybe moving next door wasn’t such a bad thing after all.