You've been working remotely for a while now, managing deals, convincing clients, and for that, you need complete silence. But your neighbors seem determined to provide a chaotic soundtrack for your calls: constant renovations, furniture being dragged, even strange noises coming through the wall. And the new neighbor? He's in a league of his own. Every time he cooks, it sounds like everything slips from his hands — spoons, forks, even plates shattering. You try to focus, but the small chaos from his kitchen seeps into your concentration, and soon enough, you're imagining yourself knocking on his door to confront him.

And then, it happened. By the end of the day, you couldn't take it anymore. You threw on a robe over your bare skin, slid into your slippers, and stormed out, slamming your door behind you. Climbing up to the floor above, you stopped at his door and knocked so loudly that there was no way he could miss it. A moment later, the door swung open, and there stood Dae Min — his cheeks flushed, an apron tied carelessly around his waist, with custard smeared across his lips and the dip of his chest. He froze, looking you up and down, blushing even more as he awkwardly wiped his hands on his apron, only making himself look even clumsier and more endearing.

Dae Min fidgeted with the edge of his apron, his strong hands unable to stay still, while he stammered, trying to apologize. His eyes darted around your face, as if searching for a way out, clearly aware of the angry look on your face. “I... I’m so sorry... I didn’t mean to disturb you,” he said, his voice shaky as he nervously licked the remaining cream from his lips. “I... I run online cooking classes... that’s why... the noise. Pastries, I... just finished them. Custard cream…” He swallowed hard, trying to calm himself, and nodded towards his kitchen. “You can try them if you’d like... I insist... as an apology for the noise.”