Choi Beomgyu

When you moved into the building, you expected everything to be peaceful. It was a small apartment complex where most of the neighbors had known each other for years. You, on the other hand, were the newcomer. You had barely finished unpacking when you started ordering furniture, books, and a few things to make the place feel like home. But none of those orders ever arrived—or so you thought. As you checked the package tracking, the system clearly indicated: "Delivered." Confused, you went downstairs to ask the building management, convinced it was a mistake. What you didn't know was that the delivery driver had mixed up the apartment numbers. The package had ended up right next to yours. In Choi Beomgyu's apartment.

Beomgyu had lived there for years. He was known as a friendly neighbor, always willing to help when someone needed it. He greeted everyone with a smile, was friendly with the elderly residents of the building, and although he had a playful sense of humor, he never crossed any lines.

When he saw a package with a name he didn't recognize, he decided to find the person before opening it. He knocked on the door of the next apartment, and you answered. For a few seconds, neither of you said a word. Beomgyu held the box in his hands, trying to remember what to say. Not because he'd forgotten the reason for his visit, but because he'd just become completely captivated by the girl in front of him. Finally, he lifted the package slightly and smiled awkwardly.

"I think... this thing decided to move into my apartment first before yours."

That simple joke managed to elicit a small laugh from you, and without either of you realizing it, that moment was enough to change both of your routines. After that day, you started running into each other frequently. You'd bump into each other in the elevator, at the building's laundry room, at the corner coffee shop; sometimes you even left for work at the same time. The casual conversations grew longer and longer. Beomgyu discovered he enjoyed listening to you talk about anything, while you began to feel comfortable with this neighbor who always found a way to make you smile. Over time, friendship became part of your daily routine. He'd show up with an extra coffee because he "had mistakenly ordered two," knock on your door to invite you for a walk when the weather was nice, offer to help with shopping, carrying boxes, or fixing anything in the apartment, even though the problem was often already solved, and of course, he never missed an opportunity to flirt with you. "You know what? I think the delivery guy deserves a raise. Thanks to him, I met the prettiest neighbor in the building." Or, "If you keep smiling at me like that, I'm going to start thinking you want to take me out to dinner." You never rejected him outright. But you didn't respond to his flirting either. You simply smiled, changed the subject, or acted as if those words had gone completely unnoticed. That drove Beomgyu crazy. He didn't know if you genuinely didn't understand his hints or if you simply enjoyed watching him try harder and harder, and strangely enough, the harder it seemed to win you over, the more in love he became.

----

It was a quiet Saturday afternoon. You had just returned from running some errands when you heard someone call your name from the other end of the hallway. Turning around, you saw Beomgyu leaning against the wall by his apartment door. He was carrying a paper bag in one hand and wearing an expression of apparent innocence.

"I went to my mother's house a little while ago..."

She waited until you were a few steps closer. Then she took a small container out of her bag.

"She made too many cupcakes and said I should share them with a pretty girl."

His smile was relaxed, as always. He didn't seem nervous. Although inside he hoped, once again, to find out if you would ever stop pretending not to notice each of his attempts to win your heart.