I can almost feel my toes dropping off, one by one. Like being cut by invisible icicles that are slicing my very skin. I shiver lightly, wondering why it's suddenly freezing in my house. I'd only just taken my shoes off after coming back from school; the house should've been all heated up by now. But instead, I arrive in what feels like an igloo. "Grandpa?" I call, slinging my school bag over a chair. 

On the kitchen bench, there's a little note in my grandfather's neat writing:

I'll be back soon, I just recieved a last minute call from the church in Hongdae, apparently their pastor is sick, so I'm filling in for him for a bit. Sorry I couldn't say goodbye. Love you, Grandpa.

I sigh, rubbing my stiff shoulders. Why is it so cold? Grandpa wouldn't have turned the heater off. Just to be sure, I go to the back of the living room, where the giant bulking machine is. This controls all of the heaters and air conditioners in the house. What was once a bright, shiny blue, is now the colour of a murky river. The paint is peeling off it' sides, only the little fans inside look clean. I press the 'heater - on' button, but it doesn't beep or flash a light, nothing. I press it again.

Frustrated, I kick the old machine, making my toes crush under my socks. "Ow," I mutter, holding my foot up in pain. I bite my lip, looking around my deserted house. The heater is broken.

I look around the room desperately, searching for some kind of sign--anything. A little idea pops up in my head; of a boy with a smile as bright as the sun. I grab my bag and sling it over my shoulder. I know what I need to do. I need to see the one person who is warmer than a heater; Lee Sungyeol.

After I slip my shoes on and am out of the house, I'm confronted by a surprise. The usual icy ground is...melted. The dead grass is almost visible under my boots, the trees' branches covered with puddles of water as opposed to snow. Everything in this entire town looks as if it's coming back to life.

I take slow steps, opening the fence and stepping out. As I'm about to pass Myungsoo's house, he runs out to the pavement, dressed in loose jeans and a large sweater. "Where are you going?"

His concern almost makes me smile. But I don't, because where I really am going crosses my mind. "To see Sungyeol..."

Myungsoo's forehead furrows. "Why?"

"My heater's broken," I say, as if that explains everything. His face is still twisted into confusion, so I point to my house. "You know, the--"

"I know what a heater is. Why are you going to his house? I'm right next door." The answer to his question escapes me, and I find myself squirming under pressure. The most I can do is shrug.

He grabs my hand, and leads me towards his own mansion. I shake my head, "I'm fine, really, I--" 

"Just come inside. I'm not going to eat you."

I look down at his hands clasped around mine, and instantly I feel that tingly feeling just like in Girl's Generation's song 'Gee'. It's the third time that we've held hands, I think. And every time, he warms me up. Almost as much as Sungyeol does.

Once we're inside, I pull my school boots off, and return to his white mansion. Even after being in here several times, I still can't get over the same wondrous feeling of being inside. The walls, the couch, the bedroom, every little thing in this house speaks Kim Myungsoo. It smells like him too. I try to take a little sniff without appearing too obvious. If he realises, he doesn't show it.

I place my backpack down onto one side of the long lounge, and sit down next to it. Myungsoo enters the kitchen to do who-knows-what, and I take in the scent of L, a smile on my face. The difference between our houses is vast. Even though we're neighbours, Myungsoo lives in such a posh, elite house. Like some mansion that belongs on MTV or Beverley Hills. Meanwhile, I live in such a traditional Korea-styled house. The walls are lined with Grandpa's favourite verses in the bible, his caligraphy tools, soju, everything that old Korean men like. I find myself liking Myungsoo's house as opposed to my own.

When he returns, he has two inviting cups of coffee in his hands. He places one on the table, and I wrap my hands around it, just to feel the warmth.

"Didn't you change out of your school uniform before leaving?" he asks, taking sip.

I shrug, lifting my own cup to my lips. "I didn't see the point. I stayed back to help clean up the gym, and just got home."

"Were you planning on sleeping at Sungyeol's house?" His question is so absurb that I spit out the hot liquid just as it touches my lips. Thankfully it doesn't go far, just a few splatters on my skirt and the table. "I'll get tissues," he mumbles, rising to return to the kitchen. I blush, trying to straighten out my uniform.

"Why would you think that?" I ask, in a light-headed tone.

Myungsoo comes out holding a roll of paper towels, and starts to wipe at my spill. "Well, it's going to be really cold tonight, even though Spring's just around the corner. Your heater isn't working, so..." he says, putting two and two together. To be quite honest, tonight hadn't even crossed my mind. "Where were you planning to sleep?" 

I bite my lip. "I'll be fine," I say, starting to rise. He stops me, grabbing onto my wrist. He has a cocky smile on his lips, which I find attractive, yet annoying. "I'll come with you to get your stuff."


"Can't I sleep in the other room?" I mumble, clutching onto my blanket with all my might. I look down at him, lying on the floor with blankets piled all around him. Myungsoo's eyes are closed, but I know he's not sleeping. How I ended up in his bed, I can't even explain.

"Let's not waste electricity," he says in a dreamy voice. For a few seconds, the only sounds in the dimly lit room are his deep breaths. "You aren't secretly  a ert, are you?" I mumble, trying to lie on my side.

I hear him chuckle. "Maybe I am. Who knows what I'll do to you in the night. Maybe you should run."

My eyes blink open. I hope he's kidding, but his voice sounds so serious. It always does. His steady breaths are still going strong, and I use that to lull me asleep. As the drowsiness creeps in, the darkness enters. When I'm on the edge of sleep, I can hear him say softly, so softly, "Next time, don't go to Sungyeol, you fool. I'm right here....didn't you know?"

Maybe I'm just dreaming, or going crazy, but I hear it with my own two ears. Just the deep rumble of his voice is enough to make me enter a daze. 

this is the last nana chapter! :O spring will begin in chapter 30 from myungsoo's pov! dun dundununnnn