Neighborly [Seo Changbin + FemReader]

[2.2] Y/N

The tension headache building at the base of my skull and wrapping around my temples was enough to make me scream. After yesterday's double, and working late today, I could feel the pressure of my supervisors weighing down on me. And to top it off, I had this nagging feeling all day that Tae-Hyun hadn't picked up Yu-Jin from school. I didn't receive any phone calls from the school, or from my son, even though I won't allow my 8-year-old to have a cell phone. I wanted so badly for Tae-Hyun to have made it this time and for him and his son to have had a good day together. I just couldn't get past the knot in my stomach. The thought of having to see and hear the disappointment from Yu-Jin again was worrying me. That, paired with the headache, all I wanted to do was drink a glass of wine and go to sleep.

The bus slowed down as it neared my stop, and I stood to exit onto the sidewalk. I walked the 2 blocks to the cross street where my building was located, and I sighed as I craned my neck up to look at the height of our apartment complex. I was thankful to my aunt for leaving her place to us. I would have never been able to make enough money to buy an apartment in this neighborhood, so I didn't want to take it for granted for a single day.

I made my way inside and up to my front door, where I entered with a bedraggled groan. I shook off my heels and stepped into my house slippers with a grateful smile and shuffled into the apartment and toward the kitchen. My eyes caught a bright post-it note on the corner of the kitchen counter. It was Yu-Jin's writing on the note, which was attached to a JYPE business card. That company sounded familiar, but I wasn't sure why. My heart did a somersault in my chest when I read the words: Dad ditched me... again. Hanging out with a neighbor. Here's his name and number.

I could scream. I could scream and throw things and burn the world down for how low I felt for believing that piece of shit ex-husband of mine. I don't care if he hurts me, but Yu-Jin was completely innocent in all of this. What did he do to deserve such a dirtbag of a father? And Tae-Hyung hadn't always been like that either.

Snatching the card off the countertop, I grabbed my phone out of my purse and called the number. A mature male voice answered the phone, and a fleeting sense of panic numbed my extremities for split second. "Hello, is this Mr. Seo Changbin? This is Yu-Jin's mother."

"Ah, yes! One second." He said cheerfully then pulled his phone away from his ear to yell in jest and tell someone to stop wrecking and to take the phone. There was a high-pitched laugh that I knew immediately as my son's. He sounded like he was playing a video game in the background.

Yu-Jin's upbeat voice came through the speaker, "Hey, Mom! I'm at apartment 1217. We ate already but there's leftovers if you want some. Mr. Seo said you're welcome to come eat while we finish this tournament."

Emotional whiplash. That's what it felt like to worry and expect the worst but be thrown back into positivity with the sound of laughter and happiness in my son's voice. Just whuu-tsshh! In a whole different emotional state suddenly.

"Mom? You there?" Yu-Jin asked.

I cleared my throat. "Yeah, yeah. I'm here. Um... okay? You said 1217?"

"Yeah!"

"Alright. I'll be there in a minute." I agreed then ended the call. Dazed, I dragged my feet to my bedroom and changed out of my work clothes and into some sweats and a t-shirt. I hoped this Mr. Seo had alcohol. 1217? Isn't that...?

Then, I was out the door as quickly as I could move.