Heartfelt Dislike

1

As the morning light filtered through the curtains, Jin reluctantly stirred, greeted by a familiar sense of irritation and annoyance. The idea of facing another Monday, coupled with the inevitable encounter with his crude boss, did little to improve his mood.

With a resigned sigh, Jin swung his legs out of bed, muttering, "Not again." Despite the nagging feeling that he should let it slide, today was different. Determination etched across his face, he marched towards the neighbor's door, fully aware that it was too early for Taehyung to be awake. Unlike Jin, Taehyung's workday didn't start until 10, a luxury Jin couldn't afford with his 8 o'clock schedule.

The hallway was eerily quiet, except for the thuds of Jin's pounding on Taehyung's door. The lewd noises emerging from Taehyung's bedroom to within Jin's apartment, all night, was the reason he was this furios. Each knock carried his anger, his wish to throw Taehyung out of the building,

Finally, the door creaked open, revealing Taehyung, tousled hair, and a furrowed brow. "What's wrong?" he inquired, his voice a mix of annoyance and confusion. Unfazed, Jin shot back, "Oh? Are you bothered?" With renewed determination, he pounded the door again, the echoes reverberating through the hallow corridor.

"This is what you do all night. Don't you understand how to keep it down?" Jin's frustration spilled into his words, fueled by countless sleepless nights. "I've told you countless times – the walls are paper-thin. Your bedroom noises break through loudly," he hissed at Taehyung, who, with a smug expression, remained unruffled.

"Well, I can't keep it low. My general down there is just too good at its job. But you wouldn't know, right? You're a boring geek, now get out of my face. My date is going to get up soon," Taehyung grinned, his confidence momentarily dimming as Jin burst into laughter. "Date? Or another one of your one-night shenanigans? Like every other weekend. I'm not a geek. You're a lust-driven animal."

Taehyung found it amusing that Jin perceived him this way, a complex blend of irritation and amusement flickering in his eyes. He replies, "I have a healthy sex drive, Jin, for my age. It's normal to indulge every now and then. I'll try to tone it down, right? But I can't promise."

Before Jin could deliver another retort, Taehyung abruptly shut the door on his face. Jin, left fuming in the hallway, couldn't let this stand, even if work demanded his immediate attention.

Jin hastened his footsteps to be at his desk before his boss arrived. The office would be his temporary escape if his boss was a little bit easygoing. Jin powered up his computer, the hum of the office equipment drowning out the echoes of the morning confrontation. Checking his schedule, he looked into the tasks of the day.

"Rough morning, eh?" Hoseok, Jin's colleague and somewhat friend, remarked. "It's Taehyung again; he brought home another chick. I had to listen to her moan all night," he explained, a wry grin on his face. Hoseok couldn't resist adding a teasing jab, "Was it the noise that bothered you, or the fact that it wasn't you he was going down with?"

Jin shrugged off the comment, shaking his head. "No, I'll never. I'd rather die." The notion of confronting Taehyung about his feelings seemed more dreadful than enduring the disturbances.

"Then maybe try going on dates with someone else. You're not getting any younger," Hoseok suggested, his tone filled with a mix of concern and playfulness.

"I don't know. It's hard to find someone who wants to settle down instead of just messing around," Jin admitted, well aware of the challenges of being gay in a country where casual relationships often shadowed commitments. Hoseok clicked his tongue in understanding.

"I have a friend. He's out of the closet, too. Do you want me to hook you up with him? You're his type," Hoseok proposed, hoping for a positive response. After a brief pause, Jin relented, "Alright, next weekend."