An apple can be found on the man's doorstep-- nondescript but perfect, in every aspect, a glowing red. Utterly tempting, only one thing accompanies the fruit: a note, scrawled in fair handwriting; 'a gift.'
Though, of course, even someone as well read as Jongdae was would stop in his track immediately at the sight of something so out of place. The shiny red apple was harmless, except for ‘a gift’, resting perfectly on the swell of the apple. It melts Jongdae’s bravery to the core and he collapses onto his butt, sitting at his doorstep cross-legged and defeated. He pouts at it, studying it from his vantage point, taking in every detail without touching it. The handwriting could be deduced as a woman’s; it was too fair for a man’s (at least too fair for what Jongdae has seen). In the dim hallway it gleamed so pretty with the lack of light.
But Jongdae’s brain his whirring; it’s calculating, analyzing, deducing, concluding.. Why, why would someone be dropping off gifts in the midst of an obvious crisis? Jongdae even flips through the calendar in his head, counting off the holidays that have passed since January 1st to see if someone was just nice enough to leave an anonymous present for an upcoming holiday. But Easter didn’t involve apples and no one else in his hallway had one in front of their doors (unless, of course, it was already picked up by the recipients).
Jongdae sighs heavily, eyebrows knitting and lips twisting into a soft pout. He shouldn’t touch it; he should just leave it be and get on his way to get candles and something to eat for tonight while the power is out. But the longer he stared, analyzed, deduced, the more it seemed to call to him. Eden wasn’t normal; it could never be, no matter what or how things played out for him. Cold fingers pick up the fruit in a shaky palm, feeling the weight and the shape of the apple between his hands and bringing it up to his face. It smelled fresh, it looked fresh..
The calculations stop. Analysis deduced. Teeth sink into the flesh and the crispness of the fruit fills the room with its sound.