Idol Next Door

05

Taehyung tied a red ribbon as a finishing touch to the white rectangular box that contained rice cakes. He figured that apologetic words will not be enough and decided to buy a gift to show how sincere he is with his apology, though the incident already happened almost a week ago.

Jimin had told him yesterday that sweets would be a nice apology gift to give to a neighbor. Taehyung took his word, bought some, and thought of giving it to her this morning before he'd leave for a schedule.

Taehyung nodded to himself, satisfied at his work. He then carefully took it and headed towards his door, hoping that his neighbor would like his small gift and accept his overdue apology. And also hoped that she was at her home at the moment.

However, when he swung the door open, someone was already waiting on the other side. Standing on his doorstep was a girl that he was very familiar with. She was the girl he saw at the coffee shop; the girl who was the subject of his conversation with his members days ago.

Taehyung wondered why she was here at the complex, particularly why she was there at his doorstep as though she was waiting for him, or perhaps she wanted to meet him.

His eyes widened when their gazes met, his mouth slightly fell agape in bewilderment.

"Kim... Kim Dahyun..." Taehyung mumbled her name, his voice barely coming out.

Dahyun, on the other hand, was just as shocked as he was. The introduction she memorized since yesterday completely washed out of her mind. Her drunk neighbor from before was now all sober, standing in front of her. This neighbor whom she was scared of the other night turns out to be an idol, too -- a very famous one at that.

"Sunbaenim?" She was momentarily stunned, but luckily gained her composure and bowed in respect to the guy in front of her.

"You're the one who moved in recently?" Taehyung asked in disbelief.

Dahyun cleared her throat before speaking, "I am, sunbaenim."

That explains why she was at the coffee shop, she was moving in that day.

He mentally cursed himself, twice: first for being stupid and oblivious all this time, and second for not being able to recognize her face that night. Based on Dahyun's reactions, though, it seems to him that she was clueless about it, too. Both of them didn't recognize each other that night. But that was not the main problem here. That fact that he just accused another idol of being his stalker made him want to crawl back in to his unit in shame.

"I apologize for my rude actions the other night, Dahyun-ssi. I was near drunk and tired and I didn't know what I said..." he trailed off. "I'm sorry for falsely accusing you," he bowed numerous times, completely embarrassed of himself.

So, V sunbaenim was actually that creepy neighbor. Tragic coincidence. Dahyun thought, pursing her lips. She didn't expect that it will turn like this. Actually, she was standing for almost 10 minutes at his doorstep earlier, still contemplating whether she'd knock or just abort mission and come back tomorrow or the next day, until Taehyung opened the door and caught her by surprise.

"You're forgiven, sunbae. It was a misunderstanding," Dahyun said, coyly.

"I have rice cakes as an apology gift. Please accept it." Taehyung lifted his hands that was holding the white box with a red ribbon he was proud of tying well.

"Oh, I passed by to give you these, too." Dahyun smiled sheepishly and only then did Taehyung noticed that she was also grasping on a red box of choco pies.

She was supposed to give the ones Jeongyeon gave the other day but could not restrain herself from eating it yesterday, so she bought another box last night.