The man next door || Hyunlix

Chocolate chip

— Chapter two —

Felix awakes sweating, laying on his sofa. He raises his head to look around— and sees all the trash and the huge mess from his binging session last night.

Groaning and wiping his face, he slowly forces himself to get up. He grabs a couple of the chip bags and empty glasses, heading to the kitchen with them. He slowly trudges his way into the kitchen, placing the glasses in the sink and the trash into the can. Taking one last look at the glasses, he shrugs and figures he will do them later.

He washes his hands, yet while he is wiping them he is startled by a phone ringing. He throws down the dish towel and starts rushing to the living room, and he reaches his phone just in time to answer the call.

"Hello?" He asks with a craggy voice.

"Hi Felix." Jisung says. "You sound terrible—" He also blurts suddenly, "—Just how late were you up last night?"

Felix sighs, a breathy one. "I have no clue, to be honest."

"So does that mean you aren't coming in today?" He asks. "I mean, well, it's already almost noon."

Felix widens his eyes. "What?!" He asks, snapping his head to look at the clock for the first time today. "No way, it's already that late?"

Jisung chuckles. "Jeez, were you drunk last night or something?"

Felix starts to giggle as well, "Just a little wine. But I finished that series you wanted me too, the 'business proposal' one."

"A little wine? I don't believe that." He starts to tease. "But did you like the show?"

"Yeah I did." He replies. "It made me feel lonely though."

"Yeah, it does that." Jisung says. "But you're really not coming in today?"

"Nah." He shakes his head unconsciously. "It's my day off anyway, even if I wanted too."

"When has that ever stopped you?" Jisung chuckles.

Felix smiles. "That's not—"

He is cut short by the sound of a vehicle starting, one that sounds like it can definitely pick up speed. It startles Felix, causing him to jump a little. He furrows his brows and looks around.

"What the.." He says.

"Even I heard that." Jisung states. "What the hell was that?"

"I don't know..." Felix says. "Let me go check."

He lowers the phone from his ear, walking over to the window by the front door. He peeks through the blinds, looking around on the streets. He finds that the new neighbor has started one of his many cars in the driveway, the fastest looking one.

The said neighbor then approaches the car with his daughter in his arms, sitting her in the backseat when he reaches the car. Felix furrows his brows at the choice of transportation with his young daughter.

"Hello?" Jisung asks.

Felix raises the phone back to his ear after hearing the voice, shaking his head. "It's just my neighbor." He says.

"Really?" Jisung says in disbelief. "The old man? Jeez I didn't know he—"

"No!" Felix shuts down. "I have a new neighbor." He says.

"Really, how new?" Jisung asks excitedly.

"Like they just moved in yesterday new." He says. "But it was so embarrassing!" He groans and starts walking back to the kitchen.