“You really are a stubborn. Just rest, I will buy the medicine for you.” Hara came out from the kitchen and headed to her friend who was indeed being a stubborn by putting her shoes on ready to went outside.

She opened the door once she done and turned her body, “Hurry up unless you want to be late to school.” that sounded like a pressure to the girl inside which made her hurried to the outside after she locked the door. In the other hand, Nicole began walking into the alley leaving her friend behind as she tucked her hands inside her jacket pocket when the chilly morning wind started blowing up sending a shiver through her body.

“Go home immediately after you buy the medicine. Take a rest and eat the soup I made for you.” Hara said as tried to caught up and put her palm onto Nicole’s head. “It’s really bad. I said I can buy it for you, just go back,” she once again constantly nagged while pushing the other girl’s back lightly.

“It’s not that far, I can buy it by myself. Quick walking and see you later.” she turned to the other side parting her way with her friend and headed to the convenience store in the end of the street. She bought some medicines and an instant ramen noodles.

She had this weird habit whenever she sick or feel unwell where she’d always crave for instant foods. Don’t give her porrridge or soup or everything what sick peoples normally eats, because she’d definitely throwing up and what make it worse it could affect her to another level of sickness.

Walking back home she slowed down her pace when she passed by her next door neighbor house. The broken glass from the other night were still scattered in front of his house. Let alone the broken glass, he didn’t even sweep the leaves or dust since the first day he is coming. The neighborhood probably didn’t know they had a newcomer because there were no indicate of someone living inside the house. Besides, as far as she knew, he never make acquaintance with the neighborhood.

Shoving the thoughts away she reached the door handle only to found herself hissed frustratingly as she leaned against the door. The door was locked and she didn’t brought the spare key. Her hand digged in her jacket pocket, hoping the key might’ve been inside. But she found nothing. Not a door key, not even the phone.

She sat down on the wooden floor in front of the door and put her head between her legs, hissed and swore lightly once again at her negligent. The weather and her condition somehow  made her became sensitive. The moment a crack sound was heard, she looked up and constantly regret doing that because the person she least expect to see was there, staring down at her in surprised.

She bowed her head lightly, didn’t want to look impolite. Suprisingly the person replied with a bowed too before he closed the door and walked away to the alley.

A deep sighed once again escaped from her lips when the thought of waiting her friend back from school which meant she needed to wait for about seven hours crossed her head. She could die in place sooner or later.

A sound of footstep coming shifted her attention from the sky to her new neighbor that was back already while holding a cup noodles in his left hand. She hated how she always bothered to get her attention on him and she also hated it when she found herself noticed him panting hardly as if he was just having a long marathon. Fortunately she was fast enough to shifted her eyes off him as she dropped her head down.

“You’re not going inside?”

She blinked for seconds. It was only two of them there, that meant the question was directed to her.

Looking up slowly the girl planted a forced light smile. “I’m waiting my friend.” her voice was hoarse and all of sudden her neck hurt as she tried to maintain her fake smile.

He paused for a moment before opened the door to his house. “You can wait inside.”

That could’ve been a good offer if it was from someone else but too bad it was the person she was least put a trust on who gave the offer. She hesitated to say yes but also hesitated to say  no. She didn’t know if she could survive for seven hours until her friend back especially in such a weather but she didn’t want to put herself in danger by letting herself inside his house. To make it short, she didn’t believe him. Who knows what would he gonna do to her once she stepped inside his house.

“It’s cold outside, you’ll catch a cold if you stay still. Better wait inside.” he said again and to entirely convinced her, he added, “I won’t do anything.”

The last statement made her somehow stood as she tightened the jacket that wrapped her body. She walked past him and went inside with him following behind after he closed the door.

“Sit.” he said. She stared down at the small square wooden table beside the white mattress and sat in between. “This.” he gave her a small blanket and she took it with an unsure look but wrapped the blanket around her feet in the end. Maybe it was because she had cold that made her lost her pride.

“Do you want ramyeon?”

“I have one.” she put the medicine and the cup noodles onto the table.

The boy took hers and poured the hot water inside. He put the flavor and stir everything in with the chopsticks.

“We can eat it together.” he said as he put the cups back onto the table.

She paused, stared down at the ramyeon as the word ‘together’ escape from his mouth. That just sounded weird in so many aspect. He started eating his ramyeon in silence and pushed the other cup to her side. Her hand reached the chopsticks as the other one grab the cup. They were eating in silence for a moment until he noticed the aspirin pills on the table.

“Are you sick?”

“Well... a little bit cold.”

He was silenced, staring at her and then at the medicine and went back at her. “Then why are you eating that?”

His question caught her completely off guard. First, he was true because she supposed not to eat what she was eating, second, who he was for being concerned about what she supposed to eat. They weren’t close to begin with at all.

But she answered with another faking smile, “I feel like eating it.”

“You should’ve eaten porridge or something else. Ramyeon won’t help you get any better.” he said still staring at the pills. “The weather isn’t really helps either.”

She paused eating and stared at him with a blank look. For someone who didn’t even spoke a properly single word before, he must’ve become better with his words. It was surprising how he was coming from an annoying silent freak to a talkative caring neighbor overnight.

But after that words he returned to his usual self continued eating with his head down without saying anything else. She sighed, a soft sighed for the person across her didn’t hear or misinterpret her being uncomfortable when in fact she really was. In meantime she threw her eyes around the small room which wasn’t suitable to be called house because the room was actually supposed to be a garage and originally connected to her house. The owner rebuild it again to be a small place for a living where the small bathroom builded in the corner of the rectangular shape room. In the place where she sat were transformed into an emergency kitchen, bedroom, and a table that maybe supposed to be a study room. All his stuff were packed into that small room and to be honest it was just a few that she could even count how many are them and she could imagine how hot the room  when summer comes and how cold it must be in winter.

She stared at the clothes hanging up on the wall and the bright yellow helmets beside when he stood up finished eating his ramyeon and put another glass of water onto the table.

“Take the pills after you finish eating. There’s the water if you need more.” he said and took the clothes that caught her attention. “I’m going to work. You can wait here until your friend back”

She abruptly stood and shook her hands. “No, thank you, I can wait in the convenience store around here.”

“You’re still cold. It’s okay to stay still here. If your friend back you can place the key inside the flower pot in front the door.”

“No. Really how can I wait here alone,”

“It’s okay.” He turned and opened the door. He was stay still for seconds before turned back again to her. “Can you do me a favor?”

As he said those words the wind outside blew inside that small room making the unwell girl was rather focused on warming herself than made a reaction to his words. But the boy was taking it lightly as he continued.

“Don’t talk to everyone who look for me. Don’t tell anything.” he sounded serious and the girl replied with a light nod.

As the boy left the girl heaved a sigh and sat back on her spot. Five minutes later she felt like her eyes became heavy as she tried hard not to fall into a sleep. But the result of the medicine she took was more strong for her to handle, soon she collapse onto the mattress and feel into a deep sleep.

It was already 3 PM by the time she awake and she abruptly got up when she realised she had fallen asleep on someone else bed that she barely met. Eventhough she was peeved at herself, she still folded the blanket. Her eyes landed at the pot on the table and she opened it, mouth hanging open when she saw the porridge inside and a letter that written only two words : eat it. Her lips slowly carved a smile. Her new neighbour wasn’t really bad after all. In Fact she was surprised at how genuine he was.

As much as she hated this kind of food, she didn’t has a heart to decline his kindness and in the end after so much struggle she had through eating the porridge she finally could finish it up in fifteen minutes.

She was just finished doing the dish when she heard a soft knock of the door following by a soft voice calling.

“Jiyong-ah...”

She spontaneously turned her head to the window and unknowingly bend down hide herself. Words from the boy came through her mind hypnotized her to stay still in her place until from what her sense catched the person was already left.

Five minutes later another sound of footstep hitting the wooden floor could be heard.

Knew whose steps it was from, she rushed outside and met a surprised pair of eyes landed at her. Hara paused with her hand hanging in the air as she was about inserted the key.

“Still cold?” she asked and walked closer as she put her palm onto Nicole’s forehead. “It’s better.” she sighed in relief but then with a furrowed eyebrows she leaned forward to see inside their neighbor house and asked, “Why are you coming from here?”

“Oh that...” she shuttered, “I forgot