Jumuat Kareem in advance. I'm giving yall your Friday update now.

 
"We would like to sincerely apologize for the incident, Mr. Tafida. It was a mix-up on our end, and we deeply regret the inconvenience caused," apologized one of the hotel workers, specifically the manager who had been called upon to address the situation.

The manager stood before the guest who had filed the complaint, his lips forming a deep frown. It was evident that he was wary of displeasing the man, considering the significance of his presence.

The guest, seated calmly on one of the plush sofas, appeared emotionless behind the face mask he wore when approached by the manager.

The guest's gaze remained fixed on the manager, who outwardly seemed composed but internally feared the situation escalating in the wrong way. The manager, more than anyone present, understood the potential magnitude of the issue.

The manager then shifted his gaze towards the receptionist responsible for the mix-up, casting a disapproving glare that prompted the worker to apologize as well.

The younger man, visibly nervous with his head hung low, stepped forward. He had been apprehensive ever since he and the others were summoned to the manager's office, sensing that something was amiss based on the manager's tone.

Their suspicion was confirmed when they entered the office and found two guests seated across from each other. One of them they recognized from a little over half an hour ago when she checked in, while the other's identity was concealed by a nose mask.

The lady directed hostile glances at the man, enough to make anyone uneasy, while he appeared unfazed, engrossed in his phone rather than paying attention to her.

The manager, standing in front of the man, seemed on the verge of nervousness. It was an unfamiliar sight, which would have appeared comical if not for the intense glare he directed at them the moment they entered.

Clearly, there was trouble.

The worker fidgeted with his fingers, clearly uncomfortable in the situation. "I sincerely apologize, sir. I mistakenly assigned your room to her. It was entirely my fault." He wanted to address Mr. Tafida by name as well, but he refrained from doing so to avoid any further mistakes. "I'm still new here, and I made this error due to my negligence."

In truth, he initially believed it to be a server error or something similar, as they were undergoing scheduled maintenance when he observed the room was occupied.

However, there was no name written on the room. Being new, he didn't know that an occupied room without a name indicated a VIP guest whose identity must remain undisclosed.

The man had to be a VIP, or else the manager wouldn't have personally handled the situation. The man seemed adept at navigating situations involving influential individuals.

Moreover, the surname sounded oddly familiar.

Aahil shifted his bored gaze away from the man and motioned with his head towards the irate woman seated across from him. "Not me, apologize to her. She's the one causing all this trouble." He made it sound as though he didn’t want to there, and it’s true.

If not that she threw a tantrum and accused him of going into her place, they wouldn’t be there.

What was that she called again? Oh yeah, a pervert. Then she threatened to call the police on him.

So, naturally, he had to find a way to handle it swiftly since she seems to have a knack for brewing trouble for him

"Excuse me?" Amina, arms crossed over her torso, exclaimed with disbelief. She looked around, ensuring that he was referring to her. When she realized he was, she scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I'm the one who found a man in my room."

"I believe you meant 'my room,'" he corrected, his tone dripping with unparalleled nonchalance. "And besides, is it my fault you're too oblivious to realize you walked into someone else's apartment?"

Her mouth hung open as she blinked repeatedly, struggling to comprehend his audacity. "They just admitted to making a mistake and giving me the wrong ID. You can't pin that on me."

"Thank God you understood that. I thought your brain was too feeble to comprehend simple things." He leaned back comfortably on the sofa, his attention shifting away from her.

Amina considered retorting but thought better of it, realizing they had an audience. She would deal with him later.

The other workers exchanged glances among themselves, unsure of what to say. Judging by the way the two individuals had been acting, it was evident that they had a long-standing feud.

The earlier worker turned to face Amina, offering her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Miss. It was my fault." He leaned forward and placed another key card on the coffee table in front of her. "This is your actual room key, 1607." He had retrieved it as per the manager's instructions. “We’d already transferred your suitcase there.”

Amina offered him a small smile to alleviate his worries, recognizing that he was genuinely remorseful. If it were just him, she would have dismissed the incident, understanding that mistakes could happen anywhere and to anyone.

However, her mood was further dampened upon noticing the room number: 1607.

The infuriating guy was in 1606. It meant they were neighbors.

Great. Just great.

If she had personally booked the room, she would have immediately requested a change, unwilling to stay anywhere near such a person. Unfortunately, she had to accept what was provided since her company was covering the expenses.

She reminded herself that it was fortunate enough that her company was paying for a five-star hotel and offering her a great room. Discarding it would mean she'd have to find the funds to afford another pleasant place while managing her other expenses.

He wasn't worth it, she concluded.

So, she leaned down and swiped the key card off the table, offering the worker a small smile. "It's okay. I just have to tolerate living next to an uncultured person, but that's fine." She directed a glare towards the man.

He ignored her, engrossed in his phone. She wished it would burst into flames.

She scoffed once again, slumping back on the couch and crossing her legs. She couldn't wait to move on from this ordeal, so she could retreat to her room and rest her weary bones, maybe even take a shower.

 She felt uncomfortable without one.

"We're done here, right?" Aahil's voice interrupted, as he lifted his head to look at the manager.

"Yes, but—"

"I'll take my leave then." He straightened his posture, got to his feet, and without sparing another glance at anyone, he made his way out.

Amina glared at his retreating back, muttering under her breath. "Unbelievable." She got up as well and exited the office.

However, upon stepping outside, she was met with hushed whispers from the receptionists who had been sent out since they were not responsible for the mistake. It seemed they had found room to gossip.

"Wait, are you telling me that's really Aahil Tafida? No way!"

The other receptionist responded in hushed Korean tones before adding, "Why else would he be wearing a mask if not to avoid recognition? His room is also VIP, with no name."

"That's true. Now that you mention it, his voice sounded oddly familiar."

"Exactly. But why is he here?"

"Probably taking a break. Have you seen the rumors surrounding him?"

"What rumors?"

Amina walked past them, paying no attention to their gossip. She couldn't care less about their speculations, although she inadvertently overheard fragments of their conversation. It seemed the man had influence of some sort. Regardless, his affluence meant nothing to her. She couldn't care less if he choked on it.

Upon reaching the elevator, she couldn't resist a scoff when she saw him waiting for it to open. Her eyes rolled involuntarily, as she fought the urge to hiss in annoyance.

Nevertheless, she positioned herself in beside him, arms crossed over her torso. As he noticed a presence, he turned his head to look at the woman next to him. If they were closer, he might have laughed at the significant height difference.

A muffled sound escaped his throat as he restrained himself from laughing at her stature. The sound did not go unnoticed by her, prompting a glare in response.

The elevator dinged and opened, providing them with an opportunity to step in.

"What was that about?" she inquired, unable to contain her curiosity. Ignoring certain situations was one of her flaws; she preferred to face everything head-on.

He didn't hold back and responded in a low voice, looking away. "I was just wondering where you got that attitude from with such a height." He stepped into the elevator.

Her mouth fell open for the umpteenth time since their paths crossed again, and at that moment, her eyes could have fallen out of their sockets.

"You—" She quickly sealed her lips shut when she noticed him press the button for their floor, and the doors began to close.

She hurriedly stepped into the elevator before the doors shut completely, not wanting to wait for the next one, which would take longer than she desired. Once the doors were closed, she raised her gaze to meet his, cursing her genetics for making her appear dwarfed in his presence.

"You know, you're far too entitled for my taste."

"I have every right to be," he dismissed in a low tone, boredom dripping from his voice. "And you're far too wild. But do you see me complaining?"

"I'm too wild?"

"Are you not?" He cast a sideways glance that dared her to argue. "Last I checked, who was the one trying to rally the entire building against me half an hour ago?"

"I thought you, a man, were in my room. What was I supposed to do? Offer you tea?"

"No thank you. How can I be sure you wouldn't poison it?"

She scoffed again, her lips curving into a slight snarl. "You know, I actually wouldn't mind poisoning you. I don't like you in the slightest."

"Welcome to the club. Take a number and join the queue," he replied, unfazed by her animosity. It was as if he was accustomed to being disliked.

She parted her lips to retort but refrained, choosing instead to glare at him and say, "You're bad luck. Every time we meet, something always goes wrong." She averted her gaze, muttering under her breath, "I need to get rid of this ill luck."

"Perhaps you need an exorcism after the spectacle you created earlier," he remarked, alluding to the tantrum she had thrown upon discovering him in the room.

One could easily mistake her for being possessed. If they were in the presence of a crowd, she would have given off the wrong impression. Furthermore, she seemed adept at making him look bad in front of others, as had happened at the airport. Who would have thought their paths would cross again?

Undoubtedly, ill luck.

“You saw me walk in and take off my cardigan, you should’ve let me know then. What if I’d done something else? You should’ve let me know earlier.”

“But you didn’t.” He wouldn’t admit it, but for a split second he was scared when he saw that happen. If she had proceeded, he would’ve no doubt headed out and called the workers to come and fix the situation on their own. “And how is it my fault you ignored me when I tried to gain your attention? I nudged you eventually, didn’t I?”

"You nudged me with a baseball bat," she added, referring to the light tap he had given her with the bat when she failed to respond to his throat clearing.

"Do you prefer a golf club instead?" What else was he supposed to do? He had just come out of the kitchen when he saw her walking in and making herself comfortable on his couch.

That was the kindest gesture he could muster without being rude.

She rolled her eyes, opting not to reply. Thankfully, the elevator doors slid open, and he was quick to exit before she could, aiming to keep his distance.

She appeared to be trouble. Too challenging.

He unlocked his room, stepped inside, and swiftly shut the door, as if afraid she might follow. Amina could only glare at the door, mimicking the action of pouncing on it to vent her frustration.

"I might just..." Her hands gestured in various directions, demonstrating her rudimentary taekwondo skills.

The door opened again just in time she made a move to throw a kick with her leg. Now met with the sight of his blank gaze that followed the leg midair, to the look on her face, she was quick to try and regain her composure, her knees wobbling and so close to leaving her on the floor.

“I..I was just…”

She was interrupted when  an item of clothing flew through the air and landed on her head as if it were drying in the sun. It covered her eyes momentarily before falling off.

Her lips formed a pout, and as she moved to discard the garment, the door closed in her face once again.

She quickly realized that it was her cardigan she had left in his room. Her lips curled into a string of colorful words.

Living next to him wouldn't be easy, she concluded.

Just what she needed. Ssibal.

***

Hey yoooooo, how have you guys been? I hope you're in good health.

I'm dropping Friday update early because it seems I'll be lost in kdrama land. This is coming from someone that's supposed to be writing but we'll, I deserve this. I've suffered these past few months, I need to de stress!

How are you liking this book so far?

You seeing the kdrama relation?

What's your thought on Aahil and Amina’s relationship. My beta readers think Aahil is rude and tbh, he is🤣 I love the second lead more, at least I did for a few chapters before my guy took lead again.

Who's excited to meet the second lead? Is it even a kdrama without a second lead? There has to be! There just has to be!!

A love triangle, or maybe a rectangle but whatever🤣

Anyways, I'll let yall be.

Guznit.

Love, Jannah Mia ❤️