First part :

I put my ear against the wall in the hope of hearing a noise. A footstep. A sigh. Any indication of his presence. Sitting cross-legged, I waited about twenty minutes, ear against the digusting tapestry of the wall, sitting on the frozen floor. I looked outside where fine raindrops were cleaning the streets of Seoul, then my attention went back on the wall when a little noise came from the other side telling me that he was certainly back. I correctly put back my ear against the wall and I heard him coughed : a cough which spoke volumes about his health.

Did he take care of himself at least ? Maybe he need something ? I got up, my bare feet rub the floor to the kitchen where I boil some water. In a bowl, I put some noodles and added a few pieces of vegetables. When the water was hot, I slowly poured it into the bowl, and gently stir the noodles as they slowly swelled.

It's been four months since he moved into the apartment next to mine. Before him, it was a storeroom where the concierge used to put his brooms, but even if nobody could live in, he settled there. In four months, I had seen him every wednesday and friday morning when I looked through the peephole to make sure everything went well for him. At first, I didn't think I would give so much importance to my new neighbor, but when he had passed, with the concierge, in front of my door, which I had half-opened to see the reasons of the din of the movers , he had smiled and greeted me. Panicked, I had closed the door, without answering him. But in my mind, I had his smile.

As a good neighbor, I had to make sure he did not lack of anything, but soon I noticed that the opposite neighbors attended to make him good food until he can get an appropriate kitchen. And finally, after a moment, he did not lack of anything but that didn't stop the others neighbors to come visit him.

One morning, he knocked on my door. I looked through the peephole, he looked panicked, but I didn't answer him, and he knocked at another door. I felt guilty for several days, then, I forgot.

The smell of noodles made me come back to earth and I took the bowl which I put on a tray. On a piece of paper, I wrote: " for your throat " which I blocked under the bowl and then I went towards my door, I stared at it a long time before removing the safety. When the long corridor of the building appeared, my throat closed, my body frozed. It was as if my feet were glued to the ground. I could not take a step. A cold drop of sweat ran down my spine when I managed to put one foot on the edge of the door's frame. And while I tried to convince myself that I risk nothing, the door of his apartment opened. He had a big scarf around his neck and was wearing a long beige jacket. He brought one of his hands to his mouth to cough, again. His face reflects a disturbing paleness and I saw him rubbing his hands to warm up. Even if his face had lost all of its color, his nose was slightly pink. The outline of his lips looked dry due to the cold. When he laid his eyes on me, I realised how I was dressed which wasn't the most elegant. My socks were pulled up to my knees, I had a short with drawings of cupcakes and a large dirty gray t-shirt. I don't know who seemed the most surprised, but while I was trying to see how to escape this situation, he greeted me, nodding his head and smiled. I was petrified. The door was opened.

He took a step toward me, opened his mouth to let out a hello in a voice completely destroyed by his rusty throat. Panicked, I gave him the tray while almost shouting to take it, that it was for his throat and that I was hoping he will get better soon. He gasped in surprise and looked disturbed by my gesture, but he gently took the tray in his hands. As soon as I my hands was free, I closed the door and I was able to breathe again.

But when I realised my behavior, I looked through my peephole. He was still in front of my door reading the word I had left. A small smile appeared on his angelic face and finally, after watching my door, hesitant to ring, he opened his and disappeared into his apartment. I rushed to my wall where I put my ear, but there was no noise.

I jumped in my bed when I heard the water flowing and knew that it was just him who was taking a shower. I got out of the warmth of the duvets to press myself against the wall. I heard him whistling and then he coughed, " ... ". I was surprised to hear this word with his deep voice. The water stopped flowing, but I waited a bit before realised that he had surely left his bathroom.

I started to prepare my breakfast, knowing that my night was now complete. I heard him coughed again and my concern deepened. Why was he coughing so much ? Was he really sick ? I went towards my door putting my hand on the handle, but it immoblilised and didn't open. I tried to force myself, but nothing came to me. I mentally slapped myself and finally return in the kitchen.

In the middle of the afternoon, while I was glued to the wall again, I heard hurried footsteps from his apartment and the sound of a glass breaking on the floor. Some curse words resonated, then a coughing fit. I wondered how he had arranged his house. Then it was a long silence that was broken by the sound of a closing door. Where was he going again ?

But when I heard someone knocking at my door, I jumped. With prudence, I got up and went to look through my peephole where I saw his face. He was holding my tray, with now, the empty bowl. He still had his big scarf and a red nose. He seemed worse than the day before, but his paleness was less important. He knocked again, thinking that maybe I didn't heard, and, hesitant, I quietly opened the door, feeling my heart beat in my chest. I just opened it partway and he was surprised to see me so much on my guard. He seemed not to know how to react to my behavior, but he handed me my tray, which I took.

My fingers brushed against his and a long shiver ran through my body.

"Are ... are you okay ? he asked in a voice as much hoarse than before.

- Y... yes.

- I want to thank you for your gesture. It was really good and a warm meal made me feel better." I gave him a nod and he smiled. He tried to see inside my apartment and I realised that he was taller than me because he was able to see what was behind me without getting on his tiptoes. I didn't know how to interact with the others. The people. I didn't know what to do in this kind of situation. I tried to imagine differents scenarios, but he was there, in front of me. Silent. "So... I'm not going to...

- Do you want to come inside ? I rushed to say before he could finished his sentence. I can make you some tea.

- I think it's a great idea." And after four months of observing him through my door, he passed it. I became more aware of his size, of the aura emanating from him. I let him sat on the small couch while I went into the kitchen, with trembling hands to prepare the tea. He remained silent, coughing occasionally. The outline of his nose was damaged, as well for his lips. He had kept his scarf, but after a while he took it off. From the corner of my eye, I saw him make it in a ball and then put it gently next to him after watching the room in search of another place to put it. He rubbed his hands on his thighs: they were beautiful, large with long slender fingers. Suddenly, I wondered if it was in his apartment that he caught a cold, maybe he didn't have a heater and he probably found my nest a little more cozy than his. I smiled and poured the water on the tea bag. I put a teaspoon of honey in his cup and brought it on the table in front of him.

He thanked me when he took the drink in his hands, but he didn't immediatly brought it to his lips, he was looking at the large wall completely in front of him. I hadn't put any furnitures nor decorated it with some painting. It was a simple wall. The one which allow me a certain connection with him. I took my cup and drank the tea which deliciously warmed my throat and he did the same. "Thank you for your welcome, it's not like the neighbors who make me gain weight with their pastries.

- They are nice.

- A little too much, perhaps. Oh ... we have never properly introduce ourselves even though you live just in the apartment next to mine.

- I ... I don't get out a lot.

- I see ... Wu Yifan, 22 years old. I work as a translator in the publishing house Changbi. I work on english and chinese books.

- You ... you work at home ?

- Shouldn't you introduce yourself ?" He leaned forward to look at me with his intense eyes but the close proximity was something that I didn't like. I looked down. He seemed not to understand my behavior so he apologised, but I told him that it wasn't his fault, that I was like that . "Kim ... Kim Jongdae. I am 20 and ... I don't have a job.

- Glad to meet you, but since we have almost the same age, can I just call you Jongdae ? And you can call me just Yifan. It bother you ?

- No." He smiled. We remained silent. While he drank his tea, trying to capture all the warmth, I looked at the state of his face. I got up to go in my bathroom looking for a balm of eucalyptus. I filled a basin of hot water where I put a washcloth and returned with everything in the living room. His cup was empty when I placed the stuff on the table under his gaze. He seemed not to understand what I was doing. I went back to the bathroom to take a jar of moisturizer cream.

" I ... I know that we only met .. today ... but can you ... uh ...take off your shirt ?

- Pardon ?" He was surprised by my question. Yes, I had just asked him to undress in front of me, but not to enjoy the view, just to relieve him. "It's the first time someone ask me to strip. We skipped some parts, no ? I would have ask you out for a date in a restaurant or in a amusement park while we share a cotton candy ?" I jumped at his answer. He said this so seriously that I wondered if he really meant it. But he didn't continue and stood up to take off his shirt. He only had a white topwank under his shirt and I was fascinated how it feat him so well. His body was so slender, so thin, I wasn't able to noticed it before through all of his clothes. I wanted to close my eyes, but he didn't seem to be uncomfortable unlike me.

I know that at this moment I had accepted a challenge: to control my drives.

Since four months, and although I only saw him when he passed in front of my door, Wu Yifan was the man who had all standards of the charming prince.

When he ended up shirtless in front of me I didn't know what I had to do.

I put a cushion on the ground for him to sit cross-legged on while I place myself behind him on my knees. I take out the washcloth of the basin, it slightly burned my fingers. I wrung it, then I put the balm on it . The smell came tickle my nostrils. On his back, he had about ten moles that made me smile. When I put the washcloth on the top of his spine, I felt him shiver. "A- are you cold ?

- No. It's just ... nice."

And I massaged his back soflty as I had seen in the public bathhouses. From bottom to top, top to bottom. I also massaged his shoulders, his upper arms, his forearms. I also passed on his ribs and when the washcloth went near his chest, I realised he was slightly drowsy. I looked at his sleeping face for a moment, then returned the washcloth in the warm water before taking it out, I wrung it again and did the same process again and again. When I finished, I opened the jar of skin cream and put a bit on my fingertips. His body was leaning against the table. His mouth was slightly open since he couldn't breathe through the nose. I put some cream on his nose and the outline of his lips. He slowly opened his eyes and was surprised to see me so close in front of him. I pulled away, I didn't excepte him to wake up. So I quickly apologised. “I ... I don't know what you've done to me, but I feel strangely better. You ... you was putting cream on me ? That's nice. I don't have one at home.” I handed him the little jar, saying that he could take it. He thanked me and I took his stuff putting them in front of him. He took a moment before being able to move and when he got dressed, I took care to see his body, for the last time, probably. Sitting on the edge of my couch, I was wondering why I wanted to pull him out of this disease even though it was just a cold. He thanked me and smiled : he had to go now, he had some work to do. I accompanied him at the door which I opened with a shiver through my body, I tried to control my breathing. He didn't understand when he saw me take a step back, thus I didn't have to walk out the door, but he didn't press the point any longer. He bowed to thank me and then I closed the door, I heard him whispered that we had to do that again one day.