I sighed in frustration. I was going to have to learn how to cook fine dishes as the chefs of this world. And for this, I would have to buy these ridiculously expensive products to try to make them for me before submitting them to the approval of great dragon!

I bitted my little finger's nail, lost in my thoughts when I received a text from Wong Bin «Dinner tonight. Practice of chopsticks. Cheer up! » I sighed, frustrated, remembering my promise to Wong Bin. He returned from Japan a week ago and since two days ago, every time we ate together, eating rhymed with torture.

« … Another bite of my rice fell back into my tray. I lay down my chopsticks with a sigh of frustration.

• Wong Bin-ssi, except in the case of a miracle, I will never be able to use chopsticks... and I'm dying of hunger... can I have a fork please?

He played deaf and grabbed a piece of fish.

• If you manage to take two bites of rice, I will remove 90% of your sasaeng cases and take you with me on my next project. 

I lifted my head, interested. I was dying to work for him, his projects were always the most exciting of all the Department and taking a rest from my sasaeng would be welcome. But chopsticks... I threw them a dark look and Wong Bin began to laugh.

• Anna-yah, you learned Korean in less than a month, you can even swear better than me. I am sure that you can learn to use chopsticks in less than fifteen minutes. 

I felt myself blush. It was true that I could swear in Korean very well. A gift from my patients. My vocabulary became highly labeled and I was pretty proud. All my life, it was the first time that I felt control. I took back my chopsticks and was able to swallow exactly 5 grains of rice. I threw them on the ground of frustration.

• 좋아! (Joha! Fine). Do what you want. 상관없어요! (Sanggwan eobseo yo. It doesn’t matter.)

​I crossed my arms and pouted. Wong Bin took a large share of food with his chopsticks and put it in my mouth. Astonished, I could only chew it and looking at him with large eyes. He pursed my cheek gently.

• 아! 너무 귀여워 (Ah! Neomu gwiyeowo. Ah! So cute).

​I blinked and chuckled. Was it normal in Korea to have this kind of behavior with colleagues? I scanned the room around us: like nothing, we were the center of attention. I holded a sigh. My life was about to get more complicated.

• Now that you've had a big bite, you are officially in my team continued Wong Bin, unconscious of what was happening. Come on, follow me, I'll let you know more about the project. You'll love working for me... »

I ch​uckled and called him to invite him to dinner preferably. He could still serve me as a Guinea pig for practice. My phone rang while I was getting out of my apartment to go to the supermarket.

• Dinner at your house? Why this honour? Do not attempt to scroll! You're still going to eat with chopsticks!
• Scrolling? This word does not exist in my vocabulary Wong Bin-ssi. I just want you try my food... I.. .I'm cooking new dishes that I find interesting and would like your opinion.
• Hum... it depends. What will you cook?
• UH...  foie gras, caviar and black truffles?

There was a silence on the other end of the ligne.

• 뭐 (Mwo? What?)....Anna-yah, are you sure you're okay? If you're really cooking this, I will be there in 5 minutes

I burst of laughter.

• No, I'm going to the grocery store. Come join me over there and we'll go home together.
• 좋아(Joha Fine). I'm coming soon.

I got out of the elevator, my heart in peace. I felt much better.

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It was quite strange. This building was  known for his calm and also for the discretion of the tenants. So why was he sure that he heard voices and laugher at the end of the corridor? Maybe fans had finally found where he lived and were inside the building!

Ji Yong slowly approached his door and glanced in the peephole. No, not fans. Only Anna and Shin Wong Bin who were laughing out loud and talking. Ji Yong leaned a little more toward his door to better see and to try to hear their conversation.

He saw Wong Bin drop some grocery's bags before turning on himself like crazy. Anna laughed and dropped off her bags too before starting to do the same thing. Ji Yong raised one eyebrow: 그들은 제 정신이? (Geudeuleun je jeongsin-i?Are they insane?).

He found no other explanation to what he saw. Suddenly, Anna stopped and turned toward his door. Ji Yong dropped himself on the floor instinctively and retained a cry of pain when his elbow met the wall in quite a violent way. He swore when he realized that he was behaving like an idiot: there was no way his neighbor would know that he was spying on her.

He got up in time to see Wong Bin typing the door's code and pushing a still laughing Anna in the apartment. Ji Yong backed off and remained standing  there, lost in thoughts. Without knowing why, he felt really miffed: Wong Bin knew the door's pin.

He dropped an curse that will make a trooper blush and walked to his room where he opened his itunes. He looked around a bit  and congratulated himself when he found a song that went perfectly with his mood: 니가 뭔데? (Niga mwonde? Who you?)

BB*BB*BB*BB*BB*BB*BB*BB

Wong Bin left at 11pm after congratulating me for my foie gras. He did not liked caviar and had not touched it... and I was not ready to eat Shark's eggs to make Kwon Ji Yong happy.

My phone rang and I bit my lip reading GD's text.

• 자 ? 그렇지 않다면, 지금 와서! (Ja? Geureohji anhdamyeon, jigeum waseo! Sleeping? If not come over now!)

Go to him? Now? At 11pm? Why? All these questions crossed me mind while I looked at my phone as if it had the answers. Another message startled me.

• 빨리! 아니면 내가 당신을 얻을 올 것이다. (Ppalli! Animyeon naega dansineun eodeun ol geosida! Quick! Or I’ll come get you.)

I opened a big mouth and hurried to go to him. I rang at the door and waited. Nothing came. I rang again asking myself if Ji Yong was home. He asked me to come, right? I looked around me and as if nothing, I entered the pin that I knew by heart now.

• You took your sweet time! said Ji Yong from his sofa. Why did you rang the bell?

I looked at him carefully. No, he was not wriggling in pain, he was not bleeding out and there was no fire in his apartment. No. Nothing dramatic, he was just watching TV. Still without a word, I kicked off my shoes and stood in front of him, blocking his view.

He looked up at me and beckoned me to move with his hand. I took a deep breath to calm myself and crossed my arms to let him know that I was not going to move.

• I'm hungry. Go make me a 라면 (lamyeon. Ramen noodles)

I swear that for a few seconds that a red veil obscured my vision and I quickly asked myself if I was bleeding from my eyes. I controlled my voice and asked the immature dragon sitting in front of me.

• Go make you a what?

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Ji Yong looked up to his neighbor and could feel the rage that emanated from her. He swallowed nervously and his survival instinct dictated him that he should respond with caution.

• Euh... I... our contract says that you have to cook but you do not know my tastes and...
• I watched Please take care of my refrigerator. I know your tastes.

Ji Yong inspired to calm down. ! That was not going well.

• Yes, but can you make them? And...
• I can.  And your favorite dishes do not include 라면 (ramen noodles).

She stepped sharply and looked at him with a suspicious eye.

• Do you think I'll poisoned you or something?  I'm not a 사생 팬 (sasaeng paen. Stalker fan). And if I were, you should be more concerned about your underwear!

She shuted up and suddenly blushed. Ji Yong found himself trying to repress a smile.

• 뭐? 내 팬티? 왜? (Mwo? Nae paenti? Wae? What? My underwear? Why?)

She cleared and looked around her

• Will I find all the elements to make the 라면 ( ramen noodles) in your kitchen?
• Yes... you're not angry anymore?

She turned to him with a smile.

• I was never angry. If you are hungry, you can just tell me you know. I can make you stuff... but do not send me any messages that makes me panic.
• Panic?
• Yes, I thought that you were dying, that you had an asthma attack or something... You know it's 11pm, right?

Ji Yong felt ashamed. He was not really hungry. He just wanted to make sure that Shin Wong Bin had left.

• I don't have astma...You?

Two hours later, she had left, his stomach was overfilled and he knew at least 10 new things about his neighbour. She came from a small tropical island, Barbados, but had emigrated to Canada at the age of 15 with her family. After her doctorate in one of the most prestigious universities in the world, Oxford, she chose to exile herself in South Korea and for the first time in her life, she had  experience  what it was to be black and everything that came with.

Ji Yong tossed in his bed,  sleep was not coming. He stood up and took his notebook. He had to compose something anyway. Another sleepless night would not harm.