Chapter 1
It was a new morning for Adhio. He sighed and began his day, brewing a warm cup of coffee in his outdated coffee maker, toasting some bread in the pan, and his breakfast was ready.
The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the quiet neighborhood. Adhio sat by his window, absorbed in a book, sipping his coffee until an external movement caught his attention. Intrigued, he looked up to see his neighbor in the adjacent yard, engaged in a series of awkward exercises. Adhio slowly approached his window to observe.
Lost in the moment, Adhio didn't notice the passage of time. It was only when his neighbor paused in the middle of stretching that an uncomfortable feeling took over him. A sudden awareness settled in, and Adhio felt as if he had been caught after a betrayal.
In a moment of panic, Adhio quickly hid behind the curtain, even considering jumping out of the window. He felt like a complete pervert, even though he hadn't done anything wrong. His only thought was how he would escape this awkward situation.
Trying to close the blinds with his free hand, heart pounding, he couldn't shake the feeling that his neighbor had sensed his gaze. Sweat accumulated in Adhio's palms as he cautiously peeked from his hiding spot, eyes wide as if he had just committed a terrible crime.
A soft creak echoed in the silent room, and Adhio's breath caught in his throat. Slowly, he raised his head, and there, through the gaps in the blinds, was his neighbor. Their eyes met for a brief, intense moment.
In a failed attempt to salvage the situation, Adhio's neighbor tried a casual wave, but it came off more like a clumsy gesture. Embarrassed and confused, Adhio stumbled backward, tripping over his own feet with a loud crash to the floor.
As he fell, the reality of the situation sank in. Adhio, with a red face and shattered dignity, pondered the strange encounter. Forget the exercise routine; his neighbor simply laughed on the other side, exiting the scene with a huge smile on his face, leaving Adhio grappling with embarrassment and shame.
Several days had passed since the strange window-watching incident, and Adhio was doing his best to avoid any accidental spying or embarrassing situations. In a mundane afternoon, he decided to venture into the local supermarket to restock the essentials.
Automatic sliding doors opened as Adhio entered the store, pushing a noisy cart with a wobbly wheel. Unbeknownst to him, his neighbor was already inside, navigating the aisles with a basket in hand.
As Adhio absentmindedly roamed the aisles, focused on his shopping list, he accidentally knocked a cereal box off the shelf. When he went to pick it up, someone had already retrieved it and handed it to him. Adhio, wanting to seem friendly, decided to thank the person.
"Thank you so much, sir..."
Adhio said, but upon realizing who had actually handed him the box, his voice gradually diminished to a whisper. It was his neighbor again.
Their eyes met again, this time in a public space, and a moment of recognition passed between them. A mix of shame and curiosity crossed Adhio's mind ā shame for the incident days ago that he hadn't gotten over, and curiosity about his neighbor's assistance. Despite feeling embarrassed, he managed a hesitant smile, slowly taking the cereal box. He was about to leave when his neighbor started talking.
"Oh, hey, window weirdo," he said.
"Damn it!" Adhio thought, blushing in embarrassment.
Well, "weirdo" wasn't exactly the word Adhio wanted to be called until he realized people were giving him odd looks. Adhio pulled his hood to hide his face since he didn't want to be recognized by anyone and be labeled a pervert who spies on other people's lives through the window.
Adhio felt a wave of shame washing over him. He mumbled a quick "Thanks" and hastily pushed the cart, hoping to blend into the supermarket aisles and escape the judgmental gazes of onlookers.
As he navigated the store, Adhio couldn't shake the thought of shame. The neighbor's comment echoed in his mind, and he couldn't decide if it was a joke or tasteless sarcasm. Determined to salvage what remained of his dignity, Adhio focused on his shopping list, trying to distract himself with the market's radio. However, fate had other plans.
While Adhio walked through the aisles, he found himself distracted by a display of cheap clothes, but he kept walking. Unbeknownst to him, he stumbled over someone's feet. When Adhio looked up, he saw his neighbor again, this time much closer. He could feel his heart almost leaping out of his mouth when he noticed the proximity, and his first thought was, "Holy crap," in a more friendly manner than it seems.
He quickly distanced himself from his neighbor before things got more awkward. But when he looked back at his neighbor, he realized the jerk had just stood up and left without a single apology or assistance! That jerk!
Adhio was now torn between relief at escaping the embarrassing situation and irritation at his neighbor's lack of consideration. He shook his head to ward off negative thoughts and continued walking through the supermarket.
Approaching the checkout, he tried to cover up the neighbor incident. However, life seemed eager to test his patience even more. As he reached the cashier, he noticed the same neighbor in the adjacent line, staring directly at him with a sarcastic smile and absolutely no remorse.
Incredibly, even after Adhio diverted his gaze disdainfully, the neighbor continued to stare at him with that sarcastic and malicious look. After a few minutes of pressure and panic from his neighbor's threatening gaze, the man just stopped staring and began scanning his items at the checkout.
When Adhio returned to his apartment, all he could think about was how to prevent another situation like this. As time passed, lying on his bed, he kept thinking, his eyes on the window, staring at the blue. But what could he do?
He had to get this off his chest and face his fears, so he would try to talk to his neighbor next time. If there was a next time, which he prayed would happen. Lying in his bed, he closed his eyes hoping to fall asleep, but nervousness won in the form of insomnia. When he finally fell into the coveted sleep, it was in the darkest and deepest hours of the night.