The workday was over and it was time for most employees to leave. By the time Jin had completed his last task, he was tired and looking to see his bed again.

Jimin was still in his cubicle and wouldn't leave until later. He tended to stay longer than he should just to get all of his work done perfectly.

Jin: I'm headed home, mochi.

Jimin: It's time already? Okay.

Jin: Don't overwork yourself. Go home and get plenty of rest.

Jimin: Let me just finish something, and then I'll go. I promise, hyung.

Although he didn't approve of it, Jin nodded and smiled anyway.

Jin: Bye, Jimin-ssi.

Jimin: Bye. Say hello to Roger for me!

Jin: Haha, he'll appreciate it.

After that, Jin left the office to head home. On his way out, he spotted a young man riding on the bike lane and said hello. The bicyclist gave a little wave before passing, and Jin was able to get to his car. As soon as he was in, he was home bound.

He's had his apartment for a little over a year now. It still dawned on him that he was able to get such a good deal for such a spacious place. It was a studio apartment, the kind meant for anyone but him, though he was glad for it. The view of Seoul was fantastic, along with the neighbors, and the actual space itself. It's not too far from work or his parents. A long time ago, Hoseok was close to moving into the same building, but he decided to move in with his girlfriend Eun across town. Still, Jin has made acquaintances of all the apartment residents. Well, all except one...

It was after he had taken a shower that the music had started. The gentle sounds of piano filled the air, always from the apartment upstairs. He's been hearing it ever since he moved in. Sometimes, while Jin is watching TV shows, he'll pause to listen to the piano for as long as he can until whoever is playing stops. He always gets a little bummed out when it falls quiet. Every piece he hears is different and has its own style. He wonders who it is that's stroking the keys, making every crescendo and decrescendo, every heartfelt phrase that echoes in Jin's ears long after the silence has settled in. But he has never gone up and said hello, and it seems like none of the other residents have either. They don't know who lives above Jin's apartment, but they're an amazing pianist, so no one minds when whoever it is starts playing at any given point during the day and serenades their daily lives. Jin's heard of couples dancing to the music just for fun.

At the thought of the unknown pianist, Jin got an urge to find out who it is after all this time.

Jin: Maybe I should go and finally say hello.

But then he listened to the melodic notes go on and on, and he couldn't bring himself to go now.

Jin: I shouldn't interrupt him. Or her. Could be a her...

He decided to wait until the music stopped. Surely, once it did, that meant the pianist wouldn't be busy anymore.

But then it never stopped. After waiting and waiting, Jin ended up making dinner for himself and watching a little TV at a low volume, keeping an ear out for the piano. It. Never. Stopped.

Eventually, Jin got too tired to stay up and he crashed out on his couch, drifting off to the music above him.

When he woke up, it was the middle of the night. His apartment was covered in shadows and cast by the lights outside. The only sounds in his apartment were the low drone of the TV and the city life from outside. He groaned, knowing he had failed in his mission to seek out the upstairs neighbor.

Another one of these nights. Ever since he moved in to his apartment, he's been waking up in the middle of the night. It never has a pattern, but he could only guess he does it because he's in a new place, a home of his own. Although he knows he shouldn't, whenever Jin does wake up in the middle of the night, he likes to stay up a little longer. He'll drink some tea, play a few games on his phone, watch TV, pace his apartment, or hang out on his balcony to take in the view. He took the latter option.

Chilly air brushed his hands while he covered himself up in his blanket. With a sigh, he sat down on a chair and relaxed. Across from him, he smirked and greeted his pot plant.

Jin: Nice night, huh, Roger?

Roger:

Jin: Yeah, I can't sleep either.

Roger:

Jin: Hey, you know what I do? Sometimes I hum a song to myself. My mom used to do that all the time to get me to fall asleep when I was younger. So I reminisce that. Should I sing a lullaby?

Roger:

Jin: Haha, alright.

Seokjin cleared his throat and began improvising a melody. He sat out there for a while, just singing softly. It wasn't the best, but it put a smile on his face, and if Roger could smile-and was actually a person and not a plant-he would, too. Jin's choice of lyrics was a bit random, some of them being about sleep, and then it shifted to food, and suddenly he became hungry.

Jin: Ugh, I shouldn't eat at night, or else it'll mess with my skin...

Roger:

Jin: You're right, screw it. I'll be back.

Inside, Jin whipped himself up some leftovers from dinner, then went out onto the balcony to enjoy his food there.

Jin: I can't believe I missed my chance to meet the neighbor upstairs. I just had to fall asleep! Then again, it was getting late. I wonder how long they were playing after I crashed.

Roger:

Jin stuffed his face with some sautéed vegetables and perked up in his chair.

Jin: Roger, maybe you've seen him-or her. Do they go out into their balcony? Do they leave the doors open? Do you hear their playing? It's wonderful, Roger.

Getting a bit sentimental, Jin set his bowl down on his lap and looked out at the city.

Jin: Do they enjoy the view as much as I do? Do they get inspired by it? What makes them play so much so passionately? Maybe they find a muse in what I consider trivial. Thinking about it is incredible...

Roger:

Jin: Yeah, you're right. Maybe I can meet them soon.

Roger:

Jin: Alright, alright! I'll finish my damn food, sheesh...

Once Seokjin scarfed down the rest of his late night meal, he said his goodnight to Roger and returned inside.

While he washed his dish, the piano suddenly began playing again. This time...the tune sounded familiar. It was different than what he's heard, but definitely familiar. After Jin stood in front of the sink in silence, keeping his ear on the piano, he eventually realized what song it was.

It wasn't any song at all, in fact. At least not an official one. It was...an accompaniment to the silly melody that Jin was singing on the balcony earlier. He recognized where lyrics would go, the pauses and quiet phrases, the little runs that matched the notes of the lullaby. It couldn't have been a coincidence. Seems like the mysterious pianist does keep his balcony door open after all...

Jin couldn't help but sing along to where his voice was needed. It was such a surreal feeling to flow in tandem with an instrument played by someone he didn't know and has never seen. They had listened to him, just as he listened to them. Although Jin was extremely concerned as to why his neighbor was up so late. He hoped they got enough sleep.

Eventually, the piano died down until it was quiet again. Jin felt the last notes weigh into him, an echo of something beautiful. He wanted to hear more, but knew better than to keep someone up, let alone himself. So, reluctantly, he shuffled into his bedroom to rest there, with the late night music still playing over and over again in his head. He found himself humming his tune, humming the piano's tune, until eventually he drifted into a tranquil sleep.

In the morning, Seokjin got ready for work again but he did something a little different this time.

Before he left the building, he took the elevator up one floor. He found the apartment that paralleled his and stood in front of it for a few seconds. His heart was racing for some reason. Why was this making him nervous? It's not like he's trying to make enemies. All he wants to do is give the neighbor a gift that's been long overdue.

Jin wondered if he should meet them face to face. It would be awkward to do that and then hurry to work. But then when would he have another chance to really meet his neighbor? Plus, what if the neighbor is kind of rude? Would it be best to keep the image of a happy, kind neighbor for the sake of his gift and just bolt?

In the end, he couldn't bring himself to face them. He had to go to work after all. But he did leave his gift in front of the door and played a short game of ding-dong-ditch. He scrambled to the elevator as fast as he could and hid behind the button panel, until the doors closed all the way and he sighed out loud.

Jin: Hope they like it.

He was out of the apartment building and off to work by the time the neighbor's door opened.

Curious and confused, the neighbor leaned down to pick up the box left outside his door. There was a note on it, which read:

You don't know me, but I'm your neighbor downstairs. I've never met or seen you, but I think you're a really amazing musician. I hope I can hear more from you.

Also, nice playing by ear last night. I'm a little embarrassed you heard me sing, but I don't mind. You should get plenty of rest, though. Staying up that late isn't good. Here's a little gift, for good health.

Your neighbor, Seokjin

Yoongi: Seokjin...

He finally had a name. A name for the friendly resident he hears about around the building, the handsome neighbor everyone adores, the guy who randomly goes out onto his balcony to talk to his house plant while Yoongi sits by his door, listening to the entertaining, one-sided conversations.

A name for the man he can't help but be infatuated with.

Yoongi folded the note and put in his pocket, then carefully opened the plastic food container. Inside was carefully assorted fruits, cut up neatly, some of them shaped like rabbits or stars. There was a separate wrapped parcel, which held chocolate chip cookies inside with little faces on them, a single white chocolate creating a goofy lone tooth. A small note read: I like to bake sometimes.

The pianist couldn't repress the smile from his face. He brought the snack box inside where he could enjoy it in peace and comfort.

Yoongi got cozy on his piano seat and looked out the sliding glass doors of his balcony, to the city gradually coming to life in the morning sun. To think that Jin had heard Yoongi's rendition of his lullaby about food.

Yoongi: That's kind of embarrassing.

But also very endearing.

Still. Embarrassing.

...Okay, endearing.

Embarrassing.

Yoongi learned "Conflicted". It's effective against Himself.

Yoongi: I need to stop.

He kept going anyway, while enjoying his adorable assorted fruit and happy cookies.

Yoongi remembered the first time he heard Jin's voice. The downstairs resident had just moved in, which was a hot topic around the building for a while. Mostly because he was a very handsome man, as said by everyone, man or woman. He heard that Seokjin had just gotten a job at BigHit Inc. and bought a studio apartment with the money he earned. A place like that pays very well. But it was an office job, so Yoongi thought his downstairs neighbor was going to be, well, a boring guy.

Office jobs, doctors, lawyers-the standard occupations that everyone's mothers and grandmothers and great grandmothers want for them. Yoongi didn't want that. He also hated the stigma around people like him going into careers like music or art or writing. He loved music, with a passion, and has never given a damn about what people say against it. He's making a living, he's still alive. In his book, he made it, but in life, no matter what, the only way you can go is up.

Yoongi expected boredom and silence from the downstairs neighbor, and maybe a complaint because of his playing. Instead, he got...

Jin: Agh, Roger! Your pot is cracked! Those damn movers! I should've brought all my stuff myself, but Mom just had to insist on paying them for me. I can never say no to her!

Yoongi was having himself some coffee when he heard the first of many rants. He never knew when they would come, after that.

Jin: Roger, you won't believe the traffic today! Horrible, I tell you. I thought I was going to get into an accident! I could've died! Then what would happen to you? Who would water you? Not me, because I'll be dead! You'd go all brown and wilt! I can't have that. You need to stay that beautiful green.

At first, it was a little annoying hearing him talk and talk. Eventually...Yoongi grew to take some entertainment out of it.

Jin: ROGER. You won't believe it-I got promoted today! Bang Si-hyuk-nim even came to give me the news! Do you know how much of an honor that is?! The executive, promoting me!

Yoongi has heard his good times...and his bad.

Jin: Rogeeeeer. I'm so, so stressed. I wish I could feel nothing. Why can't I be a plant like you, huh? Then again, who would take care of you? I shouldn't wish to be something else, right? Right... But being human is so hard, and-hic-so sad sometimes. I know I put this on myself, but stress is stress. And to top it off, I'm so...LONELY. People hit on me but I don't want something like that. I want-hic-something genuine, Roger. Talking to you isn't enough... Oh, don't look at me like that! You know I still love you. No, I can hold my alcohol! I'm destressing-hic. Stop judging me...

Yoongi grew attached to this man with his emotional rants, and he's never even met him in person. And now he's heard Jin's singing, and knows that he likes his piano playing. He hears it all the time that he's an amazing musician, but somehow, one man's compliments mean more.

Thinking about that house-plant-ranting office worker downstairs making a snack box just for him kept a smile on his face and a blush in his cheeks. Guess guys like him aren't so boring after all.