#strangers from hell au | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

bestaez · 2 years

Text

Strangers (Chapter One)

Strangers from Hell AU

Series Masterlist

pairing: ot7 x reader

genre: yandere, horror/thriller

warnings: murder, mature themes, obsessive/possessive behavior, emotional manipulation, stalking, violence (will update as needed)

word count: 5k words

summary: You are finally moving out of your hometown and following your dreams of living in the big city. With an internship at a successful company and your friends living close by, you feel like things are finally working out.

Sure, your apartment might not be the most glamorous and your new neighbors are a bit strange but that's normal for a first time living away from home, right? Everyone had warned you about how evil the world could be but it wasn't until you moved there that you started to understand how strangers could be a real hell.

You were finally doing it. Getting out of your hometown. It had been a long time coming as you were ready to move out as soon as you graduated but when your father fell ill shortly after, you couldn’t just abandon your mother to take care of him and your little brother all by herself, not to mention the family business that needed a new manager. So you stayed. You stayed until eventually death came for your father and then you stayed for when the depression hit your mother so hard she couldn’t get out of bed for days at a time. When you weren’t working, you were the one to make sure your kid brother finished his homework and ate all his meals. It was you that took care of your zombie-like mother until she came back to herself.

And now everyone was back on their feet and you felt like it was the right time to leave, especially because you had been accepted for an internship program in at a successful company that matched well with your college degree. Throughout your college years, you decided to stay living at home to help your family as well as save money. Your longtime boyfriend, Jihoon, had moved to the city a year ago after he graduated and you had been dating long distance ever since. But, you couldn’t waste any more time in your small hometown. This was your big chance and you weren’t going to miss it.

The sound of your mother’s voice calling your name could barely be heard over your suitcase rumbling down your driveway. You curse inwardly, scrunching your face up in annoyance at yet another obstacle stopping you from leaving. You were so close to freedom you could taste it.

Looking over your shoulder, you saw your mom carrying a bag of prepared meals that you surely couldn’t finish by yourself. You knew this was coming which was why you had tried to book it out of there. So much for that plan.

“Mom, I can’t carry all that,” you eye the large bag warily. You appreciate the sentiment but you were trying to be independent now and this wasn’t helping.

She ignored you and began making quick work to tie the bag to the handlebars of your suitcase so that you wouldn’t even need to hold it. Once finished, she stood back up and made a satisfied huff, “There!”

“What? I have to make sure my baby eats! You expect me to let you go hungry?” She exclaims in response to your deadpanned look.

“You have to let me find my own way now.”

“Of course but what’s a little help on the way?” She pulls you in for a tight hug. “Fine, fine. I’ll leave it alone now. Just enjoy this last meal. Pretty soon, you’ll be missing your mom’s cooking.”

You chuckle at that, abandoning holding your suitcase and hugging her back. You both stay there for a while in each other’s embrace, soaking up this last moment together. Feeling her shoulders begin to shake, you pull back to look at the tears forming in her eyes.

“Mom,” you whine, shoving her shoulder. “You promised you wouldn’t cry!”

“I’m not, I promise.” She lies, wiping her eyes quickly. “I’m just gonna miss you so much.”

“It’ll be okay, alright? You have to be strong now for Minjun.”

“I know,” she sniffs. “You don’t have to worry. It’s you I’m worried about. Promise me you’ll be extra careful out there. The world doesn’t deserve your kind heart.”

“I promise.” You hug her one more time before grabbing your suitcase again. Walking toward the gate, you don’t turn back around in fear that her sad face will stop you from leaving.

Before you know it, you’re on the bus and staring out the window as your hometown passes by in a blur. You expect to feel sad to be parting ways but find no melancholy in your heart, only peace. Settling in with your headphones, you brace yourself for the next couple hours it will take to get from the countryside to the city.

You check your phone to see a few new messages from Jihoon asking about when you arrive, as well as from Nayeon, your old friend who helped you land your new internship. You quickly reply to them both before looking up the residence you were moving to. It didn’t have a lot of reviews online but you had been in contact with the management through several emails and they had seemed friendly enough. Worst case scenario, you could just stay in a sauna until you found a suitable place to live. Lost in your train of thought, you startle when a voice near you suddenly speaks up.

“First time going to the city?” His question catches you off guard, causing him to laugh as he explains. “New-comers always have that hopeful look in their eyes. That’ll pass.”

“Ah, am I that obvious?” You laugh sheepishly. “This is my first time leaving home.”

“You’ll be fine. Just be careful and don’t trust any strangers. They can be a real hell.” His voice sounds far away as his gaze drifts across the bus.

“Thank you.” You bite your lip, unsure of how to respond. “I have some friends there already so I won’t be alone at least.”

You two converse for a while and it makes the trip go faster. You even share some of the food your mother prepared for you which he was extremely grateful for but you were just trying to lighten your load. Before you know it, you start to see the city you’ve only seen in pictures come to life. Lots of big gray buildings, busy streets, and people walking around. Your heart thrums in excitement.

When the bus pulls into your stop, you say goodbye to the old man and begin to gather up your belongings. You’re too busy taking in your surroundings once you’ve stepped off the bus to notice the people bustling around you, including the large man who almost knocks you over and causes your phone to hit the ground in his haste. By the time you’ve recovered and picked it back up to inspect the damage, he’s already gone. You’re annoyed at the carelessness of this stranger but also at yourself for being too stunned to act in time.

You sigh as you look down at your newly-cracked phone screen. Not exactly the welcome you were expecting.

*****

You manage to type in the address of the residence you’ve arranged to move into without cutting your fingers. The place is about a ten minute walk from the bus stop but it feels much longer when you’re carrying all your luggage in this summer heat. You grit your teeth as you take in how many stairs you’re about to climb.

Hiking up another set of stairs and feeling ready to collapse, you almost miss the sign for the residence when you see it. You can’t help but notice how different it looked from the picture online, as if it had been many years since that picture was taken. ‘Eden Residence’ the sign read. It didn’t look super scary on the outside, just a bit dingier than you had been expecting. But you suppose that’s what life in the city is like so you try not to judge a book by its cover.

Once you go through those doors, it feels as if the air has shifted. It’s completely silent and you can only hear the sound of your own footsteps and heavy breathing which sets you off even more. You try to ignore it and climb the stairs to where you hope someone can help you get settled in.

Your prayers are answered when you spot a reception desk a few feet away. You walk up to the window, expecting to see someone inside but it’s empty. Leaning against the desk, you wave a hand by your face to cool off. It’s somewhat cooler inside but still a little muggy and your clothes are sticking to you from the sweat. You hope the manager doesn’t judge you too much for your appearance.

“YN?” A voice behind you startles you as you whirl around to see a man, probably not much older than you, with styled blonde hair looking at you curiously.

“Um, yes. Are you... Jimin?” You hoped that you remembered his name correctly, only having been in communication with the manager of the residence through email so far.

“Yes, that’s me! I’ve been expecting you.” He explains in a cheerful tone, smiling brightly at you. You’re not sure what to make of his friendliness but you figure it’s just his customer service personality. His eyes rake up and down your body so subtly you almost wonder if you imagined it.

“You must be exhausted from the trip! I’m sure the hot weather didn’t help either.” Stepping next to you, he reaches into the window to grab a keyring from somewhere. “Here, I’ll show you to your room.”

You follow him down the dimly-lit corridor to a door that’s not too far from where you were before. He unlocks the door and lets you step inside. It’s tiny, barely fitting a bed and a desk but there’s a little space to walk around. You suppose it’s not exactly lavish but you have to start somewhere, right? And it’s not like you’d be here forever. For right now, this was really the only place you could afford in the city.

“Cozy, right?” Jimin’s voice breaks you away from your thoughts as you look up at him smiling at you. “I can give you a tour whenever you finish getting settled in.”

You nod and join him in the hall again. “There used to be another floor for just the female tenants upstairs but unfortunately a fire destroyed most of the rooms and made it unlivable. We’re working on repairs but right now we’ve been forced to move all our tenants onto the same floor.” He explains and you can’t help but shift your gaze to the ceiling to see any signs of damage but don’t see anything in the low light. You wonder what could have caused a fire up there.

“Thankfully, we’ve been able to fix the bathrooms up there so you won’t have to share with the men down here. I’ll show you the way up later.” You didn’t see anything about this online and almost wish they would have warned you when you contacted them at first but you figure you wouldn’t have had another choice anyway so you just nod and follow him into the next room.

“And here we have the kitchen!” It’s a decent size with all the basic appliances you could need. They look like they’ve seen better days but you’re not complaining. Off to the side is a bunch of tables for the tenants to dine at. Speaking of, there are currently two men sitting at one of the tables together. “Ah, YN, meet Taehyung and Jungkook - your new neighbors!”

One has a fluffy black mullet that hides his eyes somewhat while the other has a similar style although his hair is tied in a ponytail with parted bangs, revealing his big curious eyes. They seem to be very close as you note the large ramen bowl they’re sharing. You wonder if they could be brothers or perhaps a couple.

The one that has a ponytail gets up from his seat to greet you while the other one stays back and watches intensely. Now that he’s up close, you notice how young he looks with doe eyes and cute cheeks. Not wanting to make a bad impression on the first neighbor you’ve met, you flash him a friendly smile which he mirrors.

“I’m Jungkook,” he says and throws a thumb over his shoulder, pointing at the other guy. “That’s Taehyung. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you both. Are you-”

“You!”

You’re interrupted by another person suddenly entering the kitchen and making themselves known. You turn to see a new person storming in and you’re relieved to finally see another woman. She looks to be in her mid-thirties, with black hair flowing down her back and a long, slender body.

She breezes past your little group and marches right up to where Taehyung is sitting. He looks at her with a bored expression, his hand holding his chin as he leans against the table. He doesn’t even react when she slams her hand against the table, bringing her face down to his eye level.

“I thought I told you not to go in my room. Do you want to die?!” Her tone is sharp and from where you stand, you can tell she’s pissed.

You glance over at Jimin, expecting him to seem shocked but he only seems mildly irritated as if this is a regular occurrence. You feel as if you’re in someone else’s house and witnessing a fight between siblings.

“Soomi, please calm down.” Jimin pleads as he pinches the bridge of his nose. “We have a new tenant here.”

“I don’t care, this fucker keeps messing with my stuff! I know it’s him.”

Jimin turns to you now, a forced pleasant look spreading across his features. “I’m sorry, I promise it’s not usually like this. Everyone here gets along most of the time.”

You’re not sure you believe him but he doesn’t give you time to respond as he walks over to where the other two are. He leans in and speaks to them in hushed tones, clearly trying to resolve whatever issue they have going on. You look up at Jungkook who is paying them no mind, instead staring at you with curious eyes like you’re the new kid in school.

“Do you like video games?”

“Um, not really.” You’re a little taken aback by the question but his expression quickly dropping causes you to amend your statement. “I mean- I’ve never played them before.”

His eyes light up again as he reaches out for your hand, squeezing it gently. “Do you want to play with me some time? I have tons of games in my room!”

“Sure, I guess?” You don’t know if you should really take him up on that offer seeing as you just met him but you don’t want to make a bad impression already. Besides, he seems to have a childlike quality to him which makes you think he’s probably harmless.

Before the conversation can continue, you notice Taehyung has pushed past Jimin and Soomi and walked over to where you stand. He gives you a once over and you do the same now that you’re both up close. No words are exchanged but you don’t know how to read the calculating look in his eyes. Once he’s done sizing you up, he grabs Jungkook’s arm and leads him out of the kitchen. You’re not sure what to make of his strange behavior but you make a note to be cautious of him.

“I’m afraid I have to go take care of some things but Soomi over here can give you the rest of the tour. If you need anything, feel free to stop by my office later!” Jimin explains before he, too, exits the kitchen.

You turn back around to see Soomi huffing out a sigh as she stares at the doorway with an annoyed look on her face. It’s not long before her attention shifts elsewhere and she begins sifting through the refrigerator looking for something. She’s not paying attention to you at all as she pulls out some leftovers and some chopsticks before sitting down. Figuring as she’s the only other woman you’ve seen here, you decide it’s best you get to know her. If anything, just to find out what the deal is with the other tenants.

“Hi, I’m YN.” You introduce yourself as you go to sit down in front of her.

“Soomi.” She barely glances up at you as she begins to shove food into her mouth not so gracefully.

A brief silence passes before you decide to press her, “Have you lived here long?”

“Just a month. Wish I could say it was shorter though.” She reveals while chewing through a mouthful of tofu. “I’m leaving in a few weeks once my next job starts.”

“Is it that bad here?”

“It’s tolerable if you just lay low. I try not to socialize with anyone else here because there’s something off about this place. You’ll see what I mean if you stay here long enough.”

“I’m starting to understand already.” You admit, looking towards the doorway cautiously as if those three might appear in it again.

“Yeah. Don’t trust anyone, even the ones that seem harmless.”

“Like Jungkook? He seemed... nice.” Sure, he acted a little strange but being so new here, you didn’t want to reject a friendship so quickly.

“Listen, I’m a little older than you and I’ve lived here longer so I think I know what I’m talking about when I say: everyone that lives here is fucked up somehow.”

You let her words sink in for a bit before you decide to press her for more information, “You seemed pretty upset with that guy before. You said he messed with your stuff?”

“I need to keep a camera in my room because I know he’s been going through my stuff. I don’t think he’s taken anything, he just moves shit around for no reason.”

“How do you know it was him?”

“I’ve seen him lingering by my door before when he thought no one was watching.” She huffs, roughly mixes some of her food together. “I swear he’s doing it just to fuck with me.”

You don’t say anything after that and neither does she. She clearly sounded very upset and thoroughly believed Taehyung was sneaking into her room but sadly had no proof. You wanted to believe her, but you felt like you were too new to understand the dynamics here or even whether any of these people were trustworthy. It was only your first day here and you were already caught up in some drama.

You check your phone to see a text from Jihoon, who was supposed to meet with you tonight to celebrate your first night here.

sorry babe, I didn’t realize how exhausted I was and honestly think I’m gonna crash when I get home. can we raincheck?

You frown but try not to let your hurt feelings linger, knowing he works long hours and can’t expect him to drop everything for you. After responding to him quickly, you reach out to Nayeon who eagerly agrees to hang out tonight.

After she finishes eating, you wait for her to wash her dishes before getting up to follow her out of the kitchen. You’re surprised to see a new person standing in the hallway, coming from a door you already passed but you were sure had been closed previously. He’s about the same height as Jimin, with jet black hair that matches his dark eyes. His expression is blank as he watches you both. You glance down at his bare leg and notice a thick black band around his ankle.

“Hi.” You break the tense silence as you give a little wave. It’s as if he’s frozen as he doesn’t move or react at all, just stares.

Soomi doesn’t bat an eyelash at his weird behavior, instead bumping your shoulder to move you along. “Come on, I’ll show you upstairs.” You feel your body tense up for some reason as you get closer to this stranger, probably because of what Soomi said but also how he just stands there like a statue. Once up close, you notice that his features are actually cute and soft-looking, causing you to wonder if he really could cause any harm. You glance down and realize that the band on his leg is actually an ankle monitor. You try not to let your surprise show as you continue walking.

His gaze doesn’t leave you as you follow Soomi upstairs to where the women’s bathrooms are. She explained to you that you two are the only female tenants in the residence currently. There had been another older woman previously when Soomi first moved in but she left not too long after.

“So, how many other people live here then?” You ask after she exited the bathroom stall, the sound of a toilet flushing behind her.

“Six including the manager.” She washes her hands in the sink and you let your eyes wander around the state of the bathroom. It’s not too bad; in fact, because of the recent renovations, you’d say this part of the building is probably the most updated-looking room you’ve seen so far in the whole building.

“That one in the hallway is Yoongi,” She explains as he dries her hands off, meeting your eyes to give you a pointed look. “He’s never done anything to me but I don’t like the way he just stares at people like that.”

“I wonder if he’s just socially awkward.”

“You have a heart for people, it’s sweet. But that’s the first thing they will use against you.” You wonder if she’s just a cynical person or if her words have some truth to them.

The last stop on the tour is the roof, which Soomi admits has the best view of the city and you soon realize she’s right. You both stand near the edge looking out at the city lights getting a bit more obvious as the sun is starting to set in the horizon.

“Oh! I just remembered I’m supposed to meet my friends tonight.” You pull out your phone to see a missed call and a couple texts from Nayeon. She sent you the address of a restaurant not too far from here. “I should get going but thanks for the tour!”

She waves you off as you find the door leading to the staircase, leaving her there on the roof as she stares out at the city. You glance at her figure one more time and notice how put-together she looks as she lights a cigarette, hoping you will look like that in some time.

You’re too busy typing out a text to Nayeon as you descend the stairs to notice another figure standing there in the hallway. It’s not until you reach the bottom step do you look up and almost jump back in fright upon seeing a new person standing there so quiet and still.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He smiles at you gently. You blame your racing heart on the fact that he surprised you - it has nothing to do with his handsome features and tall build.

“It’s okay,” you stutter out once your mind comes back to you. “I should have been paying more attention.”

“You must be the new tenant.” You nod and he offers his hand for you to shake. His hand is warm as it firmly grasps yours for almost too long. “I’m Seokjin.”

“Y/N.” A beat of silence passes as he stares at you silently. You can’t explain it but his gaze unnerves you and makes you desperate to get away from it. Not to mention the fact that he’s not even saying anything, making you feel even more awkward.

“I was actually just on my way out to go meet a friend but it was nice meeting you.” You miss the way his face falls at the mention of your friend as you bow to him politely before making your way out of the building.

Sighing in relief to be out of that uncomfortable experience, you can’t help but feel like his gaze is still on you somehow. Turning back around from where you stand across the street now, you look and find that no one is there.

You shake your head as you continue down the street, scolding yourself for being so paranoid.

*****

The sound of your friend’s tinkling laughter and the alcohol running through your veins causes your body to feel warm. You’ve only had a few shots of soju and the grilled food you’re eating is helpful but you definitely don’t want to overdo it, especially on your first night here. The restaurant is a cozy spot, littered with lots of young people enjoying their night out just like you. You feel so liberated to finally be living an adult life.

“So do you like your new place?” Nayeon’s voice brings you out of your thoughts.

“Let’s just say, I don’t want to get too comfortable.” She frowns at your scrunched up face.

“Damn, it must be a real shack then?”

“Yeah, that and there’s some weird drama with the other tenants. The only other woman there practically attacked this one guy and then she told me not to talk to any of them because they were dangerous.”

“So it’s just you and her versus a bunch of guys? Sounds to me like she’s trying to keep them all to herself.” Nayeon smirks at you from behind her glass, her rosy cheeks squishing in that signature smile of hers.

“No way! She sounded really serious.” You shake your head, chuckling at her.

“I’m sure she was.” She wiggles her eyebrows at you. “How hot are they? Any dilfs?”

“Oh my god, is that all you think about?” Rolling your eyes at her antics, you check to see if anyone around you is listening.

“Hmm, avoiding the question. They must be spicy.”

“I hate you.” You burst out laughing, feeling looser as the alcohol continues to take affect.

*****

Spending time with Nayeon recharged you as you make your way back to the residence. Your mind is imagining how it will be working with her tomorrow as you ascend the stairs to the main hallway. It’s not that late but the floor is completely silent, everyone seemingly asleep or settled in for the night. The only thing you can hear is the quiet hum from the ceiling lights.

You try to tiptoe to your room in hopes not to wake anyone up when the sound of a door swinging open from the other end of the hall shocks you. Jungkook’s head pops out and a big grin spreads across his lips.

“Noona, you’re back!” He strides across the hallway in no time, bright eyes peering down at you. “Did you enjoy your night out?”

You open your mouth to respond but get cut off by another door opening, this time right by where you’re standing.

“God, let me get some sleep!” It’s Soomi. She looks just as pissed as before when you first saw her. Jungkook’s face falls as he cowers away like a kicked puppy. “And leave her alone, she doesn’t want to be your fucking friend.”

All of the sudden, more doors are opening and you step back as Taehyung storms past. He practically steps into Soomi’s room with how close he’s standing to her as he stares her down. You can’t see his face completely from where you stand but you can tell his gaze is venomous. For the first time, you see fear in Soomi’s eyes as she looks up at him.

“Don’t talk to him that way.” His deep voice is almost a whisper, but you hear him loud and clear. “Apologize right now.”

By her facial expressions, you can tell Soomi is debating her next move quite critically. She finally settles on standing her ground as she steps out of her room, causing her chest to almost press into Taehyung’s. Her glare is fierce as she shoves him.

“How many times do I have to tell you to stay the fuck out of my room?!”

You don’t even notice that Seokjin has also joined you until he swiftly blocks Soomi’s hand from smacking Taehyung in the face. His fingers grasp her wrist as he wedges his body in between the two. His voice is light and calm as he addresses them, “Calm down. Our new resident is here. You don’t want to scare her off, do you?”

Taehyung smirks at the failed attempt to hit him, raising his eyebrows at her mockingly. This catches Seokjin’s attention, who then turns to scold him, “Stop teasing her, people will get the wrong idea.” Taehyung bows his head at this but you can’t tell if it’s from shame or just to hide his smug expression.

Soomi grunts as she fights to get her arm free but is no match against Seokjin’s strength. He pulls her to the other wall away from Taehyung. “Let go of me!” At this, Seokjin finally releases her and steps back to give her space. You glance over at Jungkook and notice his eyes are blown wide as he watches on. Over his shoulder, you see Yoongi has ventured out as well. His face bears no emotion as he watches the encounter closely. You wonder where Jimin is during all this commotion.

“We’re all neighbors here, aren’t we? Let’s just try to get along.” You’re amazed by his overall neutral demeanor despite the tense atmosphere. He could definitely be a hostage negotiator or something of that nature.

“Then tell our ‘neighbor’ to stop touching my stuff.” She spits, leaning against the wall.

“Did you see him go in there?” Seokjin turns his attention to Taehyung, not giving Soomi the chance to respond. “Taehyung, did you go in Soomi’s room?”

“Of course not. There’s nothing in there for me.” He crosses his arms against his chest and pokes his cheek with his tongue in an irritated manner. Seokjin seems placated by his answer but you can’t help but find his wording strange.

“Liar.” Her voice is dripping with venom and she looks like she wants to attack again but Seokjin throws his arm out in front of her to stop her from moving. She glares at each of them for a moment, before finally huffing out, “You’re all fucking crazy.”

She pushes Seokjin’s arm out of the way before storming back into her room and slamming the door shut behind her. You can only stand there in shock as each of them share a look you can’t decipher. Eventually, Seokjin turns to the others still standing in the hallway. “Alright, show’s over. Everyone, go back to sleep or whatever you were doing.”

You find it odd how they all seem to obey him without complaint but find yourself doing the same as you’re ready to pass out. Just as you’re reaching for your doorknob, you hear Seokjin speak up again.

“It’s not always like this here.” You look over your shoulder to see him giving you an apologetic smile. “I hope you weren’t too freaked out.”

“I’m fine but thank you.” You nod at him politely, inching closer to your door subconsciously. “I should probably get to bed because I have to get up early for my job.”

“Oh, you work?” His eyebrows raise in shock as he processes this. “You look so young, I thought you were a student.”

“Ah, no. I graduated a little while ago.”

A beat passes and you realize Seokjin is just staring at you. It doesn’t seem to be a threat or anything bad, but he just looks like he’s taking you in all of the sudden. His bright eyes are studying you with a small smile on his face and although it appears to be friendly, you feel uncomfortable as if you’re under a microscope. You hoped it was just your own paranoia but something about this guy gave you the creeps.

You clear your throat, finally breaking the silence. “Well, goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

*****

Shortly after returning to your room, you cursed to yourself as you realized you had to go back out to do your nightly routine. As much as you didn’t want to risk running into any of your roommates again so soon, you knew you couldn’t avoid them forever.

Thankfully, you were able to sneak upstairs completely undetected. But you still don’t waste any time as you brush your teeth and rinse off in the shower quickly. Before you know it, you’re changing into your pajamas and slipping into your tiny new bed. It’s not the most comfortable but you’re just relieved to be horizontal finally.

You let out a sigh as you open up your phone and scroll through your notifications. Checking your email, you see some instructions about your first day at the internship tomorrow before you feel your eyelids getting heavy. You make sure your alarms are all set to wake you up before you turn over to fall asleep.

Babe... are you sleeping?

A/N: hello! this is a little idea i’ve been toying with for a while now and thought it would be a fun first series to write on here. let me know what you think!!

also if anyone is good at making banners hmu bc i hate the one i made lmao

#yandere bts #yandere bts x reader #yandere namjoon #yandere seokjin #yandere yoongi #yandere hoseok #yandere jimin #yandere taehyung #yandere jungkook #ot7 x reader #ot7 x yn #strangers from hell au #bts fanfic #bts fanfiction

1K notes · View notes