First Chapter

 "Thank you!"

As she stepped off the bus, she was welcomed by the city's heart beat; the air attacking her senses.

"Ahh..." She took a deep breath, "I've been here before during open day last year, but I don't think I'll ever get used to this lively atmosphere."

The girl embraced the bustling metropolis with fervor as she steeled herself for the next few years studying within the confines of it.

A car sped by at an unfamiliar speed. The breaks and horns of other cars added to the chaos, creating a constant cacophony of noise. All the activity and the busy traffic filled the air as she left the bus station, seemingly sweeping away her positive energy by making her dizzy and disoriented.

[Ahh! It’s so noisy… The city is really something else.] With the music of the urban orchestra's finest, she perked up once more, undeterred from the intimidating labyrinth of the unfamiliar city, and marched to the beat of the sound towards her next destination.

The girl searched for a place to stay, and eventually came across an advertisement for an apartment that seemed too good to be true. Despite her reservations, she decided to take a chance on it, knowing that her tight budget left her with a few other options.

So, she went to find the apartment. Walking past buildings that she only saw on television.

“Wow-” she said amazed, she looked up with her mouth open to look at the top of a skyscraper of incredible height. [How could they keep them so clean-looking?]

Then there it was, the question answered for itself. She saw a man hanging on an unfamiliar device, and as she looked closer, she was able to see that the man was cleaning the windows of the building. [Well, that’d be added to the list of things I’d never want to do.]

After a few moments of admiring it while not looking ahead of her, “Ah!” She bumped into someone. The person she bumped into was an elderly woman, so she felt especially bad. “Oh! I’m sorry! I was careless and didn’t see you!” Quickly apologizing for her own carelessness.

The woman replied back with a smile, she wasn’t hurt. “Don’t worry about it, young’ne.”

The elder almost walked away, forgetting about what just happened. But the girl stopped the woman again, this time, eager to take the chance and ask her about the apartment.

She took out a note she had been given. “Do you perhaps know the directions to this building?” She knew she just did something a tourist or someone from the countryside would do, so she felt a bit embarrassed about it.

But the woman answered nicely. “Oh, that’s fine. Let me take a look at that.” She then reached for the note, and looked at it with a smile, and after a while, a sense of recognition. “Ahh, this is near the university. If you take a left turn over there, and after passing a couple of streets, maybe around 3 or 4 streets?”

[This doesn’t sound near at all…]

“You then turn left, and it’d be one of those white buildings and a red sign hanging near the entrance. I just passed there not too long ago.”

After thanking the lady, the girl immediately started walking over to the directions she was given. She was thankful for the kind gesture of the elderly woman.

[So even in big cities, grandma’s like her exist as well. That’s really cute.] She noted, while smiling.

Walking towards the apartment using the directions she was given wasn’t easy. The grid-like streets of the city were too unfamiliar for her. The way they could be like a labyrinth, she felt like she could be lost at any moment.

Eventually, after walking for a good thirty-minutes, and noticing that the actual distance would take no longer than five, all her exhaustion flew away.

[Ah..] She let out a sigh of relief. The building, as the grandma had told her, was white and had a red sign hanging at the front. It’s around five storeys tall, and is almost as big as a small company’s office building. The sign at the front, however, didn’t really say anything, though. It was just an advert for a local restaurant. [Finally! It actually looks better than I thought.]

The girl entered the apartment building, she consulted her written note again to find the room number she was looking for. [201... 201...] She walked down the hallways, scanning the numbers on the doors, and went up the staircase towards the second floor.

[There! Found it!] She finally spotted the door she was looking for. [I'm glad it's not too far up. That makes moving a bit easier. Perfect!]

The girl reached out to open the door, only to realize that it was already unlocked.

[Hmm, that’s strange. Why is this thing open? Good thing no one entered before me, it seems like.] She thought to herself as she pushed open the door and stepped inside. She entered the apartment, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease - it was as if someone had been there before her.

[It should be ok to just walk in, right? This is room 201, after all.] She sneaked along the seemingly normal hallway, still unsure as to whether she should be wandering in or not.

"Wha-" Reaching the end of the narrow hallway, she found herself in an open plan living room and kitchen.

"What is this?! Dirty dishes piled on the sink! The couch, full of unfolded clothes!" She ran her finger on the television - its grayish appearance going black as the thick layer of dust clumps up on her finger. "W-what in the world is happening?! Ugh!"

She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. [This is totally awful, disgusting. Either someone irresponsible is living here, or someone irresponsible left from here.]

[Heh? Maybe that explains why it was just left open.] She tried to reassure herself, but a nagging sense of worry lingered in the back of her mind. [Still, this is a bit scary.]

She continued looking around the small, and messy apartment, taking in the cramped space. She saw that there were two rooms.

[Apart from all the mess, It really does look tiny.]

She stumbled on a piece of furniture into an occupied room, only to realize that a boy lived there. [This is…]

The door opened slightly and it revealed a bed filled to the brim with used clothing. It’s as if the mattress were the clothing itself. She also realized that papers were also piling up on each other inside the room’s floor.

[Oh crap, I must have the wrong apartment. That must be it. That explains everything. This must be an apartment needing renovation or something.]

She quickly turned to leave, but as she reached the front door, she collided with the boy who was just entering the apartment.

“Oh, sorry!” She apologized, flustered by the unexpected encounter.

The boy didn’t look surprised by the girl’s sudden appearance. Instead, he seemed to be expecting her. Looking unfazed, and just stood there. She became confused and weary.

The girl looked more closely at the boy. She was surprised by the contrast between his calm and collected demeanor and his somewhat disheveled appearance. His hair was a mess, falling just past his shoulders in a way that seemed slightly careless. His brown eyes were framed by glasses, and overall he seemed a bit fitting to the abandoned-looking unkempt apartment. [He must be the one living there, no?]

“You must be the new tenant.” He said with a gentle demeanor. It’s almost as if he was whispering.

The girl apologized for the mistake, after comprehending his quiet voice, “I’m sorry! I must have the wrong apartment.”

But the boy assured her that she was actually in the right place.

“Ah. No, this is the correct apartment. You must be the new tenant.” He explained, still looking at her calmly.

The girl was bewildered, [how could this be the right apartment? I can’t possibly live here. I could probably still smell the odor of the undone dishes through a wall. I wish the correct apartment would be as far away as possible.]

“Please explain. T-there must be some kind of mistake.” She was taken aback, unsure of what to do next. “I’m sorry, but who are you?”

The boy didn’t answer the girl’s question, but instead held out his hand expectantly.

“Do you have the tenancy form?” He asked, a hint of impatience creeping into his voice. The girl rummaged through her bag and produced the document.

[I was the one invading his space, so I might as well.] She gave the document, which the boy quickly scanned before nodding.

“Yes, yes. You’re the new tenant.” He confirmed, finally answering the girl’s question. “You’ll be living next to my room.” He added, gesturing towards a door next to the room she had just stumbled through.

The girl’s head was spinning - she had no idea what was going on, but it seemed that she was indeed the new tenant of the apartment whether she liked it or not. [No way, that must be a mistake! How could I possibly breathe in this stench and move through this mess?]

“If you’ll excuse me.” The boy excused himself and retreated back into his room, leaving the girl standing in the hallway in a state of confusion and shock.

She felt like she was about to collapse from the overwhelming realization of what had happened. [Wha-what am I supposed to do?] She thought to herself, still trying to wrap her head around the unexpected living situation she had stumbled into.

[I already paid the deposit and the fees so I can’t just move out. I can't find another apartment, they're all taken. I don't want to live far away, the commute would kill me! I don't want to live in the streets for four years! I-I…]

[Hmm. I know! I'll send a letter to the landlord! Maybe he can help me.] She decided, making a mental note to do so as soon as possible.

To her surprise, the door the boy went through moments ago opened again. He appeared once more, this time with cleaning supplies in tow. “I didn’t expect you to arrive so early.” He said.

The girl was speechless, and she looked at him as he started mopping the floor and proceeded to wipe off the dust from the television.

“Oh, and also,” The shaggy figure stopped for only a brief moment to break the girl’s silence, “apologies, for the mess.” The boy carried on with tidying the small apartment after his delayed apology.